If you aren’t sure whether a TV or computer monitor will suit your needs better, why not get a display that’s a little of both? Samsung’s 32-inch 1080p Smart Monitor M5 looks like a monitor with its small bezels and stand, but it has access to TV streaming apps, including Netflix, YouTube, Apple TV, and more without the need for extra hardware. The reason I’m sharing this info today is because it’s $50 off at Amazon, down to $230 (via 9to5Toys).
You can find a larger 4K TV for this price, but the M5 has a few other features up its sleeve that might appeal to you. It can be mounted to your wall or a monitor arm, its remote supports Google Assistant and Alexa, and it’s even AirPlay 2-compatible. This model has two HDMI ports, two USB-A 2.0...
Microsoft is reportedly working on a big overhaul to its app store for Windows. Windows Central reports that the software maker plans to release an updated store later this year that will be far more open to all types of apps and games. This could pave the way for developers to be able to submit any Windows application to the store, including browsers like Chrome or Firefox, and even allow third-party commerce platforms in apps.
That’s a big shift for the app store on Windows if Microsoft delivers this rumored overhaul later this year. Currently, the Windows store (or Microsoft Store as Microsoft calls it) requires developers to package their win32 apps as an MSIX and use Microsoft’s own update mechanisms and commerce platforms....
Amazon’s Alexa-enabled devices can now help direct customers to COVID-19 vaccination sites, the company announced today. Users can ask, “Alexa, where can I get a COVID vaccine?” and hear a list of nearby places to get a shot.
After hearing the list, users can also ask Alexa to call a vaccination site, which the company said in a blog post can help them get information about appointment availability. Making COVID-19 vaccine appointments by phone is often easier for older adults or other people who struggle to use online scheduling platforms.
Amazon introduced an Alexa feature that could direct people to COVID-19 testing sites in February.
Every adult in the US is now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine after every state met President Joe...
The Hewlett Packard (HP) logo is displayed in front of the office complex on October 04, 2019 in Palo Alto, California. | Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
HP pledged to slash its still-growing greenhouse gas emissions in half this decade, compared to 2019 levels. It plans to reach “net zero” emissions by 2040, meaning that it won’t release more climate pollution than it can draw down from the atmosphere.
Those targets fall in line with what scientists have found is necessary globally to stave off the worst effects of climate change. It also follows climate commitments made recently by Apple and Dell. Apple has a faster-approaching deadline of achieving net zero emissions by 2030. Dell pledged in 2019 to cut planet-heating pollution from its operations and electricity use in half this decade.
Images of an upcoming fitness-focused virtual reality headset from HTC, dubbed the Vive Air, have leaked online. Details about the product were published by the World Design Guide(which we spotted via Engadget) as part of its annual awards. It seems likely the product will be unveiled officially at HTC’s upcoming ViveCon 2021 on May 11th and 12th.
The Vive Air is “specially designed for virtual fitness” and “optimized for high intensity with long use,” says the copy on the World Design Guide’s website. The headset is built from fast-drying knitted fabrics inspired by sports shoes, which are supposed to be lightweight and breathable. A quick-release design allows these “ergonomic soft components” to be removed for washing. The site says...
Whenever Apple decides to schedule an event, you know there are going to be some interesting products introduced, with at least one major device taking center stage and perhaps one or two surprise entries.
Current rumors have Apple introducing 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, the latter with Apple’s first Mini LED display. There may also be a new Apple Pencil stylus to go with it.
What else? We could see Apple’s long-awaited AirTags, device trackers that are set to go up against Tile, the current leader in that particular market. There is the possibility of a new iPod Mini, a third-generation version of the AirPods, a new model of the Apple TV (which was released in 2017), and the official release of iOS 14.5.
Luigi — everyone’s favorite also-ran brother of the most famous mushroom-stomping plumber — is joining Lego’s interactive Super Mario collection of sets in a new starter kit (creatively titled the LEGO Super Mario Adventures with Luigi Starter Course.)
The new Luigi figure is technologically similar to the Mario one, with a built-in display that animates his eyes, mouth, and a main screen on his chest and a sensor on the bottom that’s used to scan barcodes and brick colors. The main differences are cosmetic here — Luigi looks different, and features different sound effects, voice lines, and character interactions.
In addition to Lego Luigi, the new starter course also includes a Pink Yoshi, a Bone Goomba, and Boom Boom for players to...
Amazon’s latest bricks-and-mortar experiment is, unexpectedly, a hair salon. The company is opening its Amazon Salon in London’s East End Spitalfields area, where it says it will trial “the latest industry technology.” This includes an augmented reality app that lets customers see what different hair styles and colors look like on them before they decide on a change.
Unlike the company’s cashierless Go grocery stores (which expanded to London last month), Amazon Salon does not seem to be a beachhead for an industry invasion. “This will be an experiential venue where we showcase new products and technology, and there are no current plans to open any other Amazon Salon locations,” said the company in a blog post.
