Imagine that you’ve sat down to watch the game, and are waiting on your friends — or the food you ordered — to show up. Instead of having to pull out your phone to check their ETA, you’ll now be able to get live updates directly on your TV, thanks to a deal between Samsung and the location-sharing service Glympse to bring the app to select Samsung Smart TVs.
Glympse lets users send a link to their contacts via short message service (SMS) technology that enables real-time tracking of their location, and will even offer suggestions for the best possible routes for driving or public transportation. Glympse is also used by companies like Comcast to send customers updates to better gauge arrival times for technicians.
To begin getting Glympse notifications on their Samsung Smart TV, users can simply download the app to their TV and link their phone number. The TV will then display Glympse alerts received from their contacts — no more having to whip out your phone to double check if the Pizza Hut delivery is on its way. While the app is required in order to send SMS messages containing Glympse links, the links themselves can be opened without having to have the app installed.
Glympse users can also group their various devices, including their Samsung Smart TV, into Glympse family groups, which allow users to check in with their current location, sending a notification to all other devices included in the group. This can be set up directly on the TV by sending invitations using contacts’ phone numbers.
While Glympse is now available on numerous Samsung devices, including the Galaxy S7, Gear S2 and S3, and Family Hub devices, this marks the first time the service will be available on smart TVs. These devices join a growing number of other devices and services that now offer support for Glympse’s service, including Google, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Garmin, and even car manufacturers like Mercedes, Land Rover, and more.
Glympse is available now from the Samsung TV app store.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.