OnePlus one new phone equals Five
While smartphone rumors and debuts from tech icons like Apple and Samsung seem to soak up a lot of the limelight, other smaller phonemakers are turning out solid offerings in their own right, and one of them is Chinese tech firm OnePlus. And now, with summer fast approaching, we may see a new top-tier phone from OnePlus in the next couple of months.
OnePlus’s current flagship is the 3T, a capable Android phablet phone with a 5.5 inch screen, solid camera and impressive performance for its low price. Now, rumors indicate OnePlus could debut their next phone, the OnePlus 5, this summer. Details? The phone could have 6 to 8gb of RAM, 128 to 256gb of memory, a hot-rod Snapdragon 835 CPU and that must-have bezel-less AMOLED screen everyone loves.
Oh, and why isn’t it the OnePlus “4”? Because just like many American hotels don’t a 13th floor button in their elevators, “4” is considered an unlucky number in China. Also, rumor has it many OnePlus workers are big Robert Horry fans. No joke. Hit this link for all the rumors and details.
Still waiting for that first VR blockbuster
Not long ago, it seemed creating VR content was the future of… well, VR, and Oculus was one of the first to focus on making cool VR stuff with their Oculus Story Studio. Things change quickly in tech, and following Ocuclus’ acquisition by Facebook and the rise of VR content makers outside of Oculus, Story Studio is about to be no more. That’s the word from Oculus VP of Content Jason Rubin, anyway.
Oculus/Facebook has already sunk $250 million into VR content and was looking to invest $250 million more before making the call to wind down the award-winning creative lab. Now, they’ll work with external partners to create content, according to Facebook. About 50 people will be put out of work, but with the popularity of VR continuing to grow, we’re pretty sure they’ll find someplace to land and keep dreaming up crazy cool stuff to fill our headsets with.
It’s just like our work commute
What’s better than making really fast cars? Driving them really fast on a world-renowned racetrack, of course. And that’s just what Porsche did with their new 2018 9-11 GT3. The German performance car company dropped test driver Lars Kern in the hot seat and let him loose on the infamous 13-mile long Nurburgring circuit, which has become the benchmark course for testing sports car performance.
The result? A hot lap in 7 minutes, 12 seconds, a 12-second improvement over the previous iteration of the GT3. Wanna see how it’s done? Go here for the full and rather exhilarating ride-along video. Buckle up.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Close to the Metal (computers and such) on Tuesday, Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.
We shouldn’t fall into the easy trap of passing the new MagSafe for iPhone technology off as merely a branding exercise dripping in nostalgia to titillate long-term Mac fans. There are two reasons why. First, it may become one of the most interesting and innovative “Made for iPhone” official accessory ranges we’ve seen since the beginning of the program itself.
Second, we should also remember it’s the latest weapon in Apple’s ecosystem arsenal, designed specifically to keep you buying the iPhone for years to come, possibly including one of the most controversial rumored iPhones on the horizon.
What is MagSafe for iPhone?
What does MagSafe do? It’s a new way for chargers and accessories to attach and talk to your iPhone. The simplest accessory is Apple's own MagSafe Wireless Charger, a $39 charging plate that looks a bit like a thinner, oversized Apple Watch charging plinth. It uses magnets to clamp itself tightly against the back of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models, securely keeping it in place for accurate charger positioning.
On this Digital Trends Live, Greg Nibler hosts a look at the top trending tech stories of the day, including the continuing battle between developers and app stores, Amazon’s palm payment method, the first foldable PC, NASA's Crew Dragon Capsule launch, and more.
On this Digital Trends Live, host Greg Nibler discusses the top tech stories of the day, including TikTok's latest win, Roku’s new product, Prime Day dates, food service robots, and more.
Javier Botero