Month: September 2021

Third-gen folding-screen Android irons out kinks with water resistance, faster performance and lower price The flip phone continues its march back towards the mainstream thanks to Samsung’s folding-screen technology. Now cheaper, smoother, water resistant and more durable than last year’s model, it may leave you questioning why you would buy a standard phone at the …

Galaxy Z Flip 3 review: Samsung’s cheaper, better hi-tech flip phone Read More »

The ambitious new look at SpaceX’s first all-civilian flight, the streaming platform’s first real-time docuseries, takes reality television to space The rise of commercial space travel is here, and for the vast majority who cannot afford its millions-plus price tag, streaming platforms are here to capture it. Starting this week, Netflix will air the first …

‘The point is ambition’: are we ready to follow Netflix into space? Read More »

Netflix’s new documentary series sells the first all-civilian flight to space as an exercise in philanthropy, but it’s little more than a privilege-fuelled puff piece for the billionaire’s adventures While I’m still able – “allowed” is possibly the verb I want – I would like to register my objection to adverts masquerading as legitimate streaming …

Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space review – does Elon Musk really need the free PR? Read More »

Wear OS 3 watch ups ante for Android wearables, now faster and feature-packed with body-fat scanner The Galaxy Watch 4 is Samsung and Google’s attempt to combine efforts and compete with Apple’s smartwatch – and it gets about 80% of the way there. The Android smartwatch comes in two designs and four sizes, starting at …

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 review: the new Google smartwatch Read More »

As activity tracking goes mainstream, an arsenal of consumer technology is rolling out for sleep. But how much do these interventions help? At 2.16am, I stumble to the bathroom. I catch a glimpse of myself. The light from the red bulb is flattering – I’ve been told to eliminate all blue light on my nocturnal …

Electric sleep: the gadgetry tracking and hacking the way we rest Read More »

TikTok, Twitter and Facebook among companies bringing in new measures worldwide that protect children TikTok has turned off notifications for children past bedtime, Instagram has disabled targeted adverts for under-18s entirely and YouTube has turned off autoplay for teen users: moves seemingly triggered by Britain introducing a new set of regulations aimed at protecting children …

Social media giants increase global child safety after UK regulations introduced Read More »

The pandemic prompted a surge in the use of workplace surveillance programs – and they’re not going away any time soon David, 23, admits that he felt a twinge of relief when the first wave of Covid-19 shut down his Arlington, Virginia, office. A recent college graduate, he was new to the job and struggled …

Bosses turn to ‘tattleware’ to keep tabs on employees working from home Read More »

Is that little flickery square in the corner of the screen the real me? Something has become clear. I need to face up to my face. I’ve taken precisely two selfies in my life, and have long shunned mirrors. My face is a thing that I wear on my head, for protection of health and …

Zoom meetings mean you have to face your own face Read More »

The site in Boca Chica, south Texas is surrounded by protected lands that host a huge range of local wildlife including turtles and hundreds of bird species Everything seemed normal as SpaceX’s Starship juddered into the sky over south Texas last March, tangerine flames and white smoke pluming behind it. But roughly six minutes into …

Elon Musk’s SpaceX launch site threatens wildlife, Texas environmental groups say Read More »

While the west is unlikely to follow the three-hour gaming limit for children, developers would be unwise to dismiss it too quickly Being a parent can feel, at times, like leading an authoritarian nation of one. You control what your subject can read, who they can speak to and what they can do; you deal …

Why the industry should heed China’s crackdown on video game players | Alex Hern Read More »