August, 2016

• 11 August

  Samsung plays up Galaxy Note 7’s iris scanner

  

  Samsung’s mobile chief is singing the praises of the iris-scanning technology built into the upcoming Galaxy Note 7. “Iris-scanning is the safest security technology at the current level,” Koh Dong-jin said, according to a story in the Korea Herald on Thursday. That’s because within 18 to 20 months of birth, your iris becomes fixed and …

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• 11 August

  Creepy phone charger looks like it will strangle you in the night

  

  Nope nope nope nope nope nope. No matter how attached I may feel to my cell phone, this creepy charger is never, ever entering my home. For one thing, it costs more than $6,000 (about £4,600, AU$7,800) on Etsy, where Japanese artist Mio Izawa is selling it. But really, you could pay me $6,000 and I wouldn’t — well, I …

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• 11 August

  Darth Vader returns in new ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ trailer

  

  When fans first heard that “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” would be getting reshoots to make the darker tones a bit lighter, some wondered if the end product would be the kind of Star Wars movie worthy of a lightsaber salute. On Thursday, Disney and Lucasfilm released a new “Rogue One” movie trailer that put those worries on hold. …

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• 11 August

  No need to #SaveTwitter: The social network is not shutting in 2017

  

  Twitter descended into a meta-frenzy Thursday morning as rumors spread that the social network would be shutting down in 2017 due to problems with cyberbullying. Users of the site panicked to such an extent that #savetwitter started trending. But it turns out that Twitter does not need saving after all. Fortunately for the avid tweeters of the world, the rumors …

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• 11 August

  The HDR screen of the Galaxy Note 7 could be the next big thing for phones

  

  Forget the questionable iris scanner and finger-twirling stylus. One of the most intriguing new features in Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 smartphone and Notebook 7 Spin laptop is HDR compatibility. High dynamic range video can look even better than conventional high-def and 4K video, with brighter highlights and more dynamic colors. Up until now, the feature was only found in a …

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• 11 August

  Google FCC filing hints at high

  

  It looks like Google Fiber‘s next step for high-speed internet supremacy will be wireless. Google In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission, the company outlines plans to experiment with the 3.5 GHz band, spectrum that could “help relieve Wi-Fi congestion — improving the experience of consumers accessing the Internet over wireless broadband.” The request for experimental authorization includes testing …

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• 11 August

  Stay cool with a DIY refrigerator that traps Han Solo in carbonite

  

  Star Wars fans everywhere know what happens when you cross paths with Darth Vader on Bespin. When poor Han Solo was dipped in carbonite for safe transport to Jabba the Hutt in “The Empire Strikes Back,” we all waited with bated breath for “Return of the Jedi” hoping our favorite space smuggler survived. (He did!) Related stories Han Solo mini-fridge …

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• 11 August

  Snapchat draws ire over ‘racist’ filter

  

  Now playing: Watch this: Snapchat removes racially insensitive filter 1:20 Enlarge Image Snapchat is in trouble once more over a filter seen by many as racist. John Clarke/Twitter/screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET A Snapchat filter depicting the facial features of an Asian person has stirred up controversy yet again for the photo and video sharing service. Rolled out on Tuesday, the …

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• 11 August

  Vizio upgrades TVs to work with both HDR formats (hands

  

  Vizio produces some of CNET’s highest-rated TVs, and high dynamic range video is our favorite image quality improvement since high-def itself. Now Vizio’s 2016 HDR sets can access the full slate of HDR TV shows and movies. A software update rolling out now to 2016 Vizio M-series and P-series TVs fulfills the company’s promise, made when the sets launched earlier …

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• 11 August

  Crazy GIF shows Chinese divers achieving the impossible

  

  The same week synchronized divers Chen Aisen and Lin Yue won gold at the Olympics, they may end up being crowned GIF kings too. The athletes from China currently star in a GIF that’s even more mind-bending than those speedy midair flips that got them some gleaming new hardware on Monday. Related stories #PhelpsFace meme claims early gold at Rio …

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