The best gifts to upgrade your grad’s tech setup

Every spring, a new class of graduates is unleashed on the world, many of them carrying gadgets that have been put through the ringer over the years. Graduation is traditionally a big time for gift-giving — so if you know someone who is heading out int…

Samsung’s new phone storage standard is twice as fast

Samsung has introduced the latest iteration of its Universal Flash Storage product, which it says is much, much faster than its predecessor. The UFS specification was already developed to enable SSD speeds for cameras, phones and other devices, but this version — called UFS 4.0 — has a speed that reaches 23.2Gbps per lane. That’s double the speed of UFS 3.1, the standard used by Samsung’s S22 flagship phones. The tech giant says its huge bandwidth makes it perfect for 5G smartphones that typically require huge amounts of data processing. Samsung also expects it to be adopted for use in the automotive industry, as well as for augmented and virtual reality devices.

The flash storage features Samsung’s 7th-generation V-NAND solution and proprietary controller, and the company says those help it deliver sequential read speeds of up to 4,200MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 2,800MB/s. It’s a lot more power efficient, as well, with a 46 percent improvement over the previous generation that could translate to longer battery life. Samsung’s USF 4.0 devices will have max measurements of 11mm x 13mm x 1mm and will come in several capacities up to 1TB.

The company will begin mass producing UFS 4.0 storage products in the third quarter of 2022. Right now, Samsung says it’s “collaborating with smartphone and consumer device manufacturers globally” and “working vigorously to foster an ecosystem for UFS 4.0 to drive the market for high-performance mobile storage solutions.”

Blizzard gives sneak peek of new mobile game ‘Warcraft Arclight Rumble’

Warcraft fans can look forward to a new mobile game in 2022. Blizzard today released the trailer for Warcraft Arclight Rumble, a free-to-play, single-player strategy game that is due later this year. The game features collectible Warcraft Minis th…

Samsung’s 2022 Frame TVs get their first discount at Amazon

If you’ve been coveting Samsung’s 2022 The Frame TV lineup but felt the asking prices were a tad steep, you’ll want to take notice — Amazon has put the art-centric 4K sets on sale for the first time. The 55-inch model is the best deal of the bunch, selling for $1,298 ($200 off). The 65-inch version is also a better bargain at $1,759 (down from $1,997). The 43-inch set has dipped to $879 (normally $997) if you want a smaller model for the bedroom, while the wall-filling 75-inch panel has received a $200 discount to $2,797.

Buy Samsung 2022 The Frame TV at Amazon – starting at $879

The 2022 version of The Frame is, arguably, the one that fulfills Samsung’s vision of an art-focused TV that blends into your home decor. Its namesake customizable frame is more welcoming than the usual plastic or metal, but the centerpiece is a matte-finish display that reduces glare and helps digital paintings stand out. This is a set you’ll want to leave on around the clock, if just to bring some Van Gogh or Vermeer into your living room.

There are some compromises. This is a QLED screen, so you won’t have the extra-deep contrast of OLED or mini-LED. You’ll also need a subscription to the Art Store if you want full access to Samsung’s virtual gallery. All the same, The Frame is easy to justify if you’re tired of your TV being an imposing slab of technology when it’s not in use.

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Amazon knocks up to $280 off Roborock robot vacuums today only

A robot vacuum can be a big purchase for your home, depending on the model you get. While there are plenty of affordable machines out there, you’ll have to spring for a higher-end one if you want features like home mapping and stronger suction power. But you can save hundreds on some Roborock robot vacuums at Amazon right now thanks to a new one-day sale that knocks up to $280 off certain devices. You’ll get the highest discount on the Roborock S6 Pure, which is $280 off and down to $320, while the Roborock S7 is $170 off and down to $480. The cheapest of the bunch, the Roborock E4, is $140 off and down to a record low of $160.

Buy Roborock S6 Pure at Amazon – $320Buy Roborock S7 at Amazon – $480Buy Roborock E4 at Amazon – $160

The S6 Pure and the S7 are actually quite similar, but the S7 has a few additional perks. Like the S7+ that earned a spot in our best robot vacuum guide, the S7 has stronger, 2500PA suction, a larger water tank for mopping and an ultrasonic sound feature that identifies carpet so the machine can automatically adjust cleaning strength. Also, the S7 can be connected to a clean base, so you have the option in the future to add another level of convenience to your robo-vac. Otherwise, both the S6 Pure and the S7 support voice control with Alexa or the Google Assistant, full app control, home mapping, cleaning schedules and spot cleaning, too.

As for the Roborock E4, it’s on the more affordable side of things so it doesn’t have a lot of the bells and whistles of the other two. However, it does have the same 2000PA suction that the S6 Pure does, plus a more primitive form of home mapping. If you want to set specific cleaning areas and no-go zones, you’ll have to buy these magnetic strips that create “invisible walls” that the E4 can use as guides. It also doesn’t come with an additional water tank for mopping, but you can buy one separately and swap it out with the dustbin to turn the machine into a smart mop.

We’ve had mostly positive experiences when testing Roborock vacuums. The suck up dirt and debris just as well as other robo-vacs we’ve tried, and depending on the model you choose, you’ll get features like “pin and go,” which sends the vacuum to a specific spot in your home and in-app manual controls so you can control the vacuum almost like you would a toy car. Our biggest gripe is that the Roborock app isn’t as polished as that of competitors like iRobot and Shark. If you’re new to the world of robot vacuums, it may take some time to learn all of the ins and outs of the app. But once you do that, your Roborock vacuum should serve you well.

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Scientists ‘knit’ soft robotic wearables for easier design and fabrication

Scientists have made considerable progress with soft robots used for assistive wearables, rehabilitative technologies and more. Powered by compressed air, they offer advantages over regular robots like sensing capabilities, soft touch, and high power-to-input ratios. 

Designing and building them has been a challenge, however, due to the need for a manual design and fabrication pipeline that requires a lot of trial and error. Now, scientists from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have come up with a new pipeline called “PneuAct” that uses computers and a special knitting process to design and digitally fabricate the soft pneumatic actuators. Their work could eventually lead to new assistive and rehabilitative devices. 

“PneuAct uses a machine knitting process — not dissimilar to your grandma’s plastic needle knitting — but this machine operates autonomously,” according to CSAIL researchers. The designer simply needs to specify the stitch and sensor design patterns in software to program actuator movements, which can be simulated before printing. The textile piece is then fabricated by the knitting machine, which is fixed to a rubber silicone tube to complete the actuator. 

The actuators use conductive yarn for sensing so they can essentially “feel” or respond to what they grab. As proof of concept, the team developed several prototypes including an assistive glove, soft hand, interactive robot and a pneumatic walking quadruped, as shown in the video above. 

The new devices are considerably improved over older designs, incorporating programmed bending when inflated and the ability to incorporate feedback. “For example, the team used the actuators to build a robot that sensed when it was touched specifically by human hands, and reacted to that touch,” the team wrote. The glove could be worn to supplement finger muscle movement, adding extra force for grasping to help people with finger or hand injuries. 

The team plans to explore actuators with different shapes, and incorporate task-driven designs with target poses and optimal stitch patterns. “Our software tool is fast, easy to use, and it accurately previews users’ designs, allowing them to quickly iterate virtually while only needing to fabricate once,” said Harvard University’s Andrew Spielberg, an author on the paper. 

Flavored e-cigarettes are exempt from the FDA’s proposed menthol ban

American regulators may not have made a decision on flavored e-cigarettes, but that isn’t stopping them from cracking down on the conventional variety. The New York Timesreports the US Food and Drug Administration has proposed a ban on menthol-flavored cigarettes as well as any non-tobacco cigar flavors. Menthol both makes cigarettes more appealing to young smokers and magnifies the addictive qualities of nicotine, officials said, and banning it could both prevent the “next generation of smokers” while helping adults quit.

The potential rules won’t punish individual possession of banned cigarettes and cigars. You’ll have a chance to comment on the proposal between May 4th and July 5th, with the FDA holding “public listening sessions” on June 13th and June 15th to obtain more feedback.

Notably, the possible ban doesn’t include menthol e-cigarettes. The FDA is in the midst of reviewing all e-cigarette products and still allows sales of some menthol-flavored offerings. E-cigs reached the market before the FDA had the power to regulate them.

It’s easy to see the menthol ban shaping e-cig policy, however. An alliance of 31 states and territories is pressuring the FDA to limit flavored offerings, including menthol. They’re concerned about teens taking up e-cigs in large numbers (nearly a fifth of high schoolers had used them recently as of 2020), and see flavor bans steering youth away.

Producers might not be quite as thrilled. While Juul stopped selling mint-flavored e-cigs in 2019, it continues to offer menthol despite studies showing its popularity among young smokers. If a successful ban on conventional menthol cigarettes extends to e-cigs, brands like Juul may lose a significant portion of its customers regardless of age. Still, the FDA isn’t likely to be swayed — companies might not want to count on selling menthol smoking products of any kind in the long run.

Formula E Gen3: The world’s most efficient race car

Although some of the details have already been announced, Formula E officially unveiled its Gen3 car today ahead of this weekend’s Monaco E-Prix. Big changes are coming in terms of power and efficiency when the new cars hit the track next season, but t…

Sony may create PlayStation Plus game trials on behalf of developers

It emerged in a report this week that Sony appears to be asking developers to create time-limited trials for certain games for the new PlayStation Plus Premium service. It was initially unclear how much support Sony would offer studios for this purpose, but, according to Ethan Gach of Kotaku, the PlayStation Store team will actually set up the trials on behalf of developers.

This would put less strain on studios and prevent them from having to dedicate precious resources to create trials. However, Gach said some developers expressed worry that Sony will not share revenue related to game trials with them. Engadget has contacted Sony Interactive Entertainment for clarification.

Earlier this week, Game Developer reported that studios were informed about the new policy through Sony’s developer portal. It appears that games with a wholesale price of at least $34 will need to have a time-limited trial that runs for at least two hours and must be available to PS Plus Premium members for at least a year. The measure reportedly won’t apply to previously released games or virtual reality titles. Developers are said to have the option of offering custom game demos instead, as long as Sony gives them the green light.