Gadgets
Samsung will release Pokémon-themed Galaxy Buds 2.
Following the release of its Pokémon-themed Galaxy Z Flip 3, Samsung is returning to the Pokémon well. This time, the South Korean company is focusing on its accessories, with one of its most recent products, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2, serving as the theme. While there are few details about the upcoming Pokémon bundle, there is plenty to look at, as the Pokémon Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 already has an official product page with a plethora of images.
The Galaxy Buds 2, a Pokéball shell, and a Pokémon sticker will be included in the set. Once attached, the Pokéball shell will house a standard Galaxy Buds 2 case, locking it in place. Users will be able to open the Pokéball with the press of a button once it has been secured inside.
The set will include a sticker in addition to the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 and Pokéball. That’s right, you won’t get the entire set shown in the promotional image. Instead, when you buy it, you will receive one sticker at random. There are ten popular stickers featuring characters such as Pikachu, Squirtle, Jigglypuff, and others. If you’re lucky, you’ll get your hands on the hologram Mewtwo sticker, which is the rarest of the bunch.
Although pricing is not yet available on the website, SamMobile reports that the bundle will cost 134,000 Korean Won, or approximately $105. While the price is reasonable, if previous Samsung and Pokémon collaborations are any indication, this will be a limited product that will sell out quickly.
Unfortunately, when the Pokémon-themed Galaxy Buds 2 will be available for purchase is unknown. However, like the Galaxy Z Flip 3 collaboration before it, the product will only be available in South Korea. There is no word on when it will be available in other parts of the world.
Gadgets
Which Pixel announcement from Google I/O 2022 was your favorite?
At Google I/O 2022, so many Pixels were announced that Google could form a complete image.
Google I/O 2022 has come and gone, and there were numerous announcements made during the two-day developer conference. However, Google’s Pixel was the star of the show, with a slew of Pixel announcements to get us through the summer, fall, and even 2023.
Google I/O 2022 has come and gone, and there were numerous announcements made during the two-day developer conference. However, Google’s Pixel was the star of the show, with a slew of Pixel announcements to get us through the summer, fall, and even 2023.
The Pixel Buds Pro will be released alongside the Pixel 6a this summer, giving us the long-awaited ANC Pixel Buds. They have a battery life of up to 31 hours with the included charging case, support wireless charging, and look great.
Google was also kind enough to give us a sneak peek at the Pixel devices that will be available this fall. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will look similar to the Pixel 6 series, and they will not have a matte finish, as we were initially told (to the dismay of many). We only know that they will use a next-generation Tensor chipset and have similar camera setups. We probably know even less about the Pixel Watch, which will be released alongside the next-generation flagships. It will run Wear OS, have LTE connectivity, and be the first Wear OS device to integrate Fitbit. Nonetheless, it’s exciting to know that the long-awaited Pixel Watch is finally on the way.
Finally, Google gave us a sneak peek at the upcoming Pixel Tablet. It has a simple design that doesn’t scream “premium,” but it apparently will compete with the best Android tablets on the market. Unfortunately, we won’t see the launch until 2023. Still, it demonstrates Google’s commitment to improving the Android tablet experience, which is why Andrew Myrick’s favorite announcement at Google I/O was the Pixel Tablet.
So, how about you? Which Pixel announcement was your favorite? To share your thoughts, please leave a comment on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Featured
The Companies Who Actually Developed Flying Hoverboards
A hoverboard was once a fictional levitating board used to transport a person from one place to another. As seen in the movies, this is the future to replace all modes of personal and public transportations. Scientists and engineers endeavor to make it a reality, but there come many challenges. An average flying hoverboard has to be lightweight, consume less fuel and should be able to fly for a longer time to cover long-distance travel. There have been a lot of prototypes that became successful at some point, but were not launched commercially because of their limitations being in the developmental stage, the exorbitant price, and pose risks to users.
Some companies are investing a lot of money to make it work publicly. Here are some of the prototypes that had been developed so far:
1. Jet-Powered Hoverboard by Zapata
Franky Zapata always dreamt of flying, but because of his disability of being a color-blind, he was never qualified for being a helicopter pilot. After being disqualified, he didn’t stop there and focused on jet ski racing and later he founded his own jet ski company Zapata Racing. But even after making a career in jet ski business he never gave up on his dream. Using various models of jet engines from an airplane and a platform, he designed EZ-Fly, which was capable of flying 80mph (129kph) at an altitude of 9,000 feet (2,743 meters). Along with the hardware and computer program, Franky developed a steady algorithm to keep the board as steady and safe as possible to fly. This prototype is still at the development stage and costs around $200,000 to $250,000.
2. SLIDE Hoverboard by Lexus
The world-famous Japanese luxury car company, of course, tried their luck in this futuristic innovation. It was originated from a corporate project to develop a premium sedan. Inspired by the movie Back to The Future II, Lexus has announced the Lexus SLIDE hoverboard. It was built for scientific achievement, and not for public sale. This slide relies on Flux Pinning and Meissner effect. And this all worked because of the superconductors inside the board. Superconductors are conductors that have no internal resistance as long as they are kept below a certain temperature. It creates a magnetic field by passing an electrical current between the ground the board. These magnetic forces between the board and ground repel each other and so the board is lifted above the track. It was tested by a pro skateboarder Ross McGouran at a custom-built skate park in Barcelona, Spain.
3. Omni Hoverboard
Catalin Alexandu Duru, a Canadian inventor tested a new type of propeller-based hoverboard prototype and achieve a world record. Omni doesn’t use magnetic field technology and instead, they focused on quadcopter technology. Their startup Mark-1 already made a world record for the longest hoverboard flight and they are already working on Mark-2. Mark-1 prototype can fly up to 1min 30sec for the distance of 905ft but they are constantly improving their system and technology to last their battery for a longer time. Currently, they are working on flight efficiency and stability until their batteries become powerful enough for commercial use. The only drawback of this propeller-based technology is it makes the hoverboard very noisy.
4. Hendo Hoverboard
Arx Pax, the company behind the Hendo Hoverboard tried to make the futuristic fantasy of riding on a hoverboard across the town. They are mainly focused on harnessing the power of electromagnets in developing their hoverboard technology. The basic premise in this technology is called Magnetic Field Architecture (MFA). It uses disc-shaped magnetic hover engines located at the bottom of the board which works on a custom-made track that allows the board to levitate by using magnetic fields which unfortunately limits its application. Moreover, it’s battery only lasts just a few minutes, and the price for the hoverboard starts at $10,000.