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Weekly Rewind: RIP Chuck Berry, the newest iPhone color, Samsung's AI assistant Bixby

top tech stories 03 24 2017 chuck berry head
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A lot can happen in a week when it comes to tech. The constant onslaught of news makes it nigh impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of this week’s top 10 tech stories, from Apple’s highly anticipated red iPhone to Lexus’ new luxury yacht — it’s all here.

Apple has finally taken the wraps off the new ruby red ‘iPhone (RED)’

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On Tuesday, in partnership with nonprofit Product (RED), Apple added a brand new, ruby red iPhone model to its roster: the iPhone (RED). Like the company’s (RED) iPod Nano, Beats headphones, and Smart Battery cases, the launch promotes Product (RED)’s ongoing effort to combat HIV and AIDS, which remain among the globe’s worst health problems. More than 35 million people have died of the virus, and 37 million are infected each year, according to Product (RED).

Read the full story here.

Diets are not equal for all people; ancestral homelands can make a difference

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Proponents of specific food class-centric diets such as paleo, vegan, gluten-free, ketogenic, or the Mediterranean diet often tend to prescribe their plans for everyone. Not so fast, says a group from the University of California, Berkeley. Biologists at UC Berkeley and other institutions around the world have published research that shows genetic differences from natural selection based on dietary changes in Europe, Ars Technica reports.

Read the full story here.

Lexus floats a new brand idea: The high-performance Lexus Sports Yacht

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What is it with big-name carmakers and luxury sports yachts? Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, and Bugatti have all launched or shown concepts of yachts that are slick, fast, and extremely pricey. Now we can add Lexus to the gang with the Lexus Sports Yacht, which was recently introduced at the Miami International Boat Show.

Read the full story here.

What’s in a Name? Meet Bixby — the smart sidekick who’ll help you use your digital gear

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There’s a new name in artificial assistants, but Samsung argues this one won’t tell you dumb jokes or a weather forecast, nor will it look up facts for you online. This bright assistant is meant to improve your interactions with your digital life — not just with your smartphone, but with your washing machine, thermostat, vacuum cleaner, and more. It’s nothing less than a rethink of how we use our stuff.

“Philosophically, what we’re looking at is revolutionizing the interface,” Injong Rhee, head of research and development at Samsung Mobile Communications Business Group, told Digital Trends.

Read the full story here.

Novel braille smartwatch enables the blind to read notifications

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The Dot is a smartwatch with a unique interface that is able to translate basic notifications for blind users by dynamically reproducing braille on its specialized surface. It has been in development for the past couple of years, but mass production has finally begun, with the first orders set to ship out in April. Although braille has been a useful tool for those with limited vision for close to 200 years, in an age of touchscreens and smart devices, many of the world’s millions of visually impaired can be left out of the loop.

Read the full story here.

Studying brain waves while watching trailers can help predict a film’s success

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As an industry built around making money by guessing what the general population wants to watch, Hollywood has been trying to get into our minds for years. An experiment at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management may have cracked the best way to do this: by literally reading moviegoers’ brain waves.

Read the full story here.

Five legendary bands whose music wouldn’t sound the same without the late Chuck Berry

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We lost one of popular music’s most important and influential musical architects on Saturday, as Chuck Berry died at the age of 90. Berry’s profound lyrics, melodies, and guitar stylings are the very bedrock of all rock-influenced music made in the past six decades. Without the iconic St. Louis-born musician, the sounds coming out of your radio, streaming service, or record player would be profoundly different.

Read the full story here.

Osprey’s affordable new anti-gravity packs save your back without injuring your wallet

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Osprey set the standard in backpacking comfort when it introduced its cutting-edge Anti-Gravity suspension and back panel in 2015. The Atmos and Aura Backpacks were the first models to be equipped with Osprey’s AG technology, and were lauded for their ability to distribute the weight of the pack and make you feel like you were carrying less weight.

Now this revolutionary suspension system is making its way to other backpacks in Osprey’s lineup — new for the spring 2017 hiking season are AG versions of the popular Aether and Ariel line of long distance backpacks.

Read the full story here.

How Celebrity Cruises is using smartphones to put power in passengers’ hands

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Whether by plane, train, or automobile, our standard modes of travel are getting more connected. As each becomes another “device” within the Internet of Things, they are able to provide real-time information and personalization that wasn’t possible before. We can now add cruises into the mix.

Carnival revealed its connected Medallion technology, which helps passengers tailor experiences to their needs. And now Celebrity Cruises is following suit, and it’s using the smartphone as the starting point. We recently visited Celebrity’s Innovation Lab, in Miami, to look at some of the things the company has in store.

Read the full story here.

Hackers demand Apple pay up or millions of iCloud accounts will be wiped

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A group of hackers is allegedly trying to extort Apple by holding its customers’ data for ransom and threatening to remotely wipe iCloud accounts connected to both iPhones and iPads if the demands are not met. The group self-identifies as the “Turkish Crime Family,” and is demanding either $75,000 in Ethereum or Bitcoin or $100,000 in iTunes gift cards, according to a report from Motherboard. Not only that, but the hackers gave Apple an April 7 deadline to meet the demands — or else they will start wiping both phones and iCloud accounts.

Read the full story here.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Best Samsung Galaxy S22 deals: Save big on unlocked models
The back of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus.

For a couple of years now the Samsung Galaxy S22 has made for some of the best phone deals you can shop. This includes both the Galaxy S22 and its big brother in the lineup, the Samsung Galaxy S22+. These phones have been out for a little while now, and they’re getting more and more difficult to find brand new. We’ve managed to find a few deals available on both the Galaxy S22 and the Galaxy S22+, however, and there are several ways to save on refurbished models out there. We’ve rounded up all of the best Samsung Galaxy S22 deals taking place at a number of different retailers, so read onward for all of the details on how to save.
Samsung Galaxy S22 deals at Samsung

Samsung isn’t currently carrying very many older models of the Samsung Galaxy S phone. You’ll find some newer models like the recently released Samsung Galaxy S24 there, but if you’re looking for something from the S22 model lineup all you’ll find is a Galaxy S22 renewed model. It’s offering some great savings, however, as you can claim it for just $679 with up to $300 in trade-in savings.

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Best Apple Watch deals: Series 9 and Ultra 2 discounted
Someone wearing an Apple Watch Ultra 2, showing the Modular Ultra watch face.

The Apple Watch has become one of the best smartwatches on the market. And while Apple deals are traditionally somewhat difficult to come by, the Apple Watch has always been a good Apple product to turn to for some savings. That’s certainly the case right now, as some of the best smartwatch deals are on various Apple Watch models, and several models are offering substantial savings. From the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to older Apple Watch models that come in at relatively low prices, we’ve tracked down all of the best Apple Watch deals taking place right now. Read onward and you’ll find plenty of details on how to save, as well as some information on which Apple Watch may best suit your needs.
Best Apple Watch SE deals

The first-generation Apple Watch SE, which was released in 2020, and the second-generation Apple Watch SE, which was rolled out in 2022, are the most affordable ways of getting an Apple Watch. They don't give up too much in order to keep costs low compared to their more expensive peers though. The Apple Watch SE 2, in particular, still provides comprehensive fitness tracking features, a comfortable fit, and excellent software as it can be updated to Apple's latest watchOS 10.

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Best Samsung tablet deals: Discounted tablets as low as $184
Recent apps view on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

Samsung makes a huge lineup of quality yet affordable tablets, many of them in competition to be among the best tablets, and many more often found among the best tablet deals. With a wide set of prices ranging from budget to premium, a Samsung tablet makes a great investment for almost anyone who enjoys the touchscreen form factor. There are quite a few Samsung tablet deals worth shopping right now, and we’ve done the heavy lifting of tracking down the best. Among them you’ll find discounts on the likes of the budget tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite and the high-end tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab S9. So whichever end of the tablet spectrum you fall on, or if you land anywhere in between, read onward for more details on the best Samsung tablet deals available right now.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 -- $184, was $230

If you need a bigger screen, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is another solid budget option. It is 10.5 inches and runs a much better 1920 x 1200 resolution, which also makes it a better option for watching content. It does have a much smaller capacity at 32GB, although you can always expand it with a MicroSD, so it's not a dealbreaker. That said, the 3GB of RAM is very much within the limits of what's going to give you a smoother experience, but it's the sort of compromise you deal with when going for a larger screen at a budget price.

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