Posts Tagged: into
Fan-made mod turns ‘Half-Life 2’ into a fully playable VR game
If Half-Life: Alyx left you with an itch to revisit its seminal 2004 predecessor, now you can do so in virtual reality. On Friday, a group of fans known as the Source VR Mod Team released Half-Life 2: VR Mod. As long as you own the original, you can download and play the mod free through Steam.
While it’s currently in public beta, the mod allows you to play through Half-Life 2’s single-player story from start to finish. The Source VR Mod Team integrated a handful of features found in Half-Life: Alyx to modernize the experience and make it playable in VR. For instance, you switch between weapons using the same selection grid found in Valve’s 2020 game.
Other VR-minded tweaks include the addition of optional laser sights, over-the-shoulder ammo storage, manual reloading and two-handed weapon handling. There’s even support for room-scale movement. The Source VR Mod Team says the project isn’t finished, but that hasn’t stopped people from enjoying the experience, with the mod currently holding an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on 732 reviews.
Like Black Mesa before it, Half-Life 2: VR Mod has been a long time coming. As Eurogamer notes, the project was first announced in 2017 and went through development hell before remerging in 2021. The fact you can play it today is thanks to a recent influx of new team members who "revitalized" development.
FBI says investors should take precautions before putting money into decentralized finance platforms
Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting security flaws in smart contracts to steal cryptocurrency, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In an advisory it published on Monday (via Bleeping Computer), the agency warned investors of a significant uptick in attacks targeting decentralized finance platforms.
Between January and March of this year, hackers stole $ 1.3 billion worth of cryptocurrencies, with almost 97 percent of that money coming from DeFi platforms, the FBI said citing data from Chainalysis. That’s an increase from both 2021 and 2020 when DeFi-related thefts represented 72 percent and 30 percent the source of all stolen crypto. The agency has seen criminals employ a variety of methods to fleece DeFi platforms. In one case, hackers employed a so-called flash loan attack to steal approximately $ 3 million worth of cryptocurrencies. In a separate attack targetting a signature verification vulnerability in a platform’s token bridge, cybercriminals made off with $ 320 million.
Many of the most prolific hacks in recent months fall into those categories of attacks. For instance, the largest crypto heist ever saw the Lazarus Group, a North Korean state-sponsored hacking collective, target Axie Infinity. The group reportedly exploited a backdoor in a Remote Procedure Call node from Axie creator Sky Mavis to forge fake withdrawals using compromised private keys. More recently, a hacking “free-fo-all” saw Nomad bridge users lose $ 200 million worth of crypto due to a misconfiguration.
The FBI recommends investors take a handful of precautions before risking their money with a DeFi platform. You should research the platform you want to invest in, as well as the details of the smart contract they employ. Additionally, only put money down on a firm or company that has paid for independent code audits. You also want to avoid investment pools with extremely limited timeframes to join.
“Cyber criminals seek to take advantage of investors’ increased interest in cryptocurrencies, as well as the complexity of cross-chain functionality and open source nature of DeFi platforms,” the FBI said. “Investors should make their own investment decisions based on their financial objectives and financial resources and, if in any doubt, should seek advice from a licensed financial adviser.”
You can bend Corsair’s new OLED gaming monitor into a curved display
If you’re in the market for a new gaming monitor, one of the early decisions you need to make is whether to buy a flat or curved display. The two formats offer different advantages and frequently mean the difference between picking up an IPS or VA panel when considering an LCD screen. Corsair is developing a new monitor that would seem to offer the best of both worlds.
This week, the company announced the Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240, a 45-inch 3,440 by 1,440 monitor you can manually bend to switch between a flat panel and a curved screen. The prototype features a pair of handles on its sides that allow you to adjust the curvature of its LG-made W-OLED panel up to a maximum of 800R. You can even adjust the sides independently of one another – though there’s no practical reason for doing so.
The conventional wisdom when it comes to whether you should buy a flat or curved monitor is that the former is better suited for daily use and productivity tasks while the latter is ideal for gaming since it can make the experience feel more immersive. What will be interesting to see with the 45WQHD240 is just how durable it proves to be over time. Samsung’s foldable phones have a noticeable crease where you bend them open and their screen protectors are known to wear down. For a monitor that will likely cost thousands of dollars, no one wants to see those kinds of imperfections.
Judging by its other specs, the 45WQHD240 will be a more than capable gaming monitor. Its 21:9 ultrawide panel features a 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms gray-to-gray response time and 99 percent DCI-P3 coverage. It’s also G-Sync compatible and can max out at 1,000 nits of brightness. The biggest downside is that it won’t support VESA mounting, but the included stand offers plenty of ports.
The Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 doesn’t have a release date or price tag yet. Given the feature set, it will probably be eye-wateringly expensive when it arrives. Corsair promised to share more details later this year.
SpaceX’s reusable Falcon Heavy rocket can now carry US spy satellites into orbit
SpaceX may soon handle some of the US government's highest-priority satellite missions. Bloombergreports the Space Force has certified SpaceX to launch top secret spy satellites using Falcon Heavy rockets equipped with reusable boosters. The move gives SpaceX more high-profile government missions, of course, but also promises to save federal money by reducing the costs of ferrying these satellites to orbit. The Space Force has already saved over $ 64 million for GPS missions by using reusable Falcon 9 rockets, Space Systems Command's Falcon chief Walter Lauderdale said.
The Space Force issued the certification in June, but didn't disclose the approval until now. SpaceX can carry spy satellites aboard Falcon 9 rockets, but they don't always have the power needed for heavier payloads. The first Falcon Heavy-based launch is expected sometime between October and December, when SpaceX will deliver a National Reconnaissance Office satellite.
This could represent a significant if temporary blow to rival rocket producers. The Boeing and Lockheed-Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance still hasn't received similar approval for a version of its Vulcan rocket using Blue Origin motors. Air Force officials are still reviewing the approach to 39 national security launches slated for fiscal 2025 through 2027. SpaceX isn't guaranteed to win business that would otherwise go to ULA, but its earlier certification could influence any decisions.
TCL Stylus 5G review: A clunky first step into the stylus smartphone market
If you’re a fan of Samsung’s Galaxy Note line or smartphones with a stylus in general, your options are limited these days. Samsung’s Note line has been discontinued in favor of putting the S-Pen in the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and LG has totally stepped out of the game. On the budget side of things Motorola […]
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Apple’s digital driver’s license drives slowly into Maryland
After Arizona, Apple is bringing support for driver’s licenses and IDs in the Wallet app to Maryland. Other states are expected to follow soon.
Wearables | Digital Trends
TikTok is diving into games
TikTok is pulling a Netflix by venturing into video games, testing them on younger audiences in Vietnam.
Mobile | Digital Trends
#VanLife: How a Sprinter van was turned into a mobile office
Take a tour of this completely outfitted Sprinter van that’s been converted into a rolling connected office by two remote web developers.
Mobile | Digital Trends
Apps are turning people into snitches, experts say
A new smartphone app will allow members of the public to submit evidence of speeding drivers to police forces.
Mobile | Digital Trends
Federal investigation into child sexual abuse targets TikTok
The Department of Homeland Security is said to have launched an investigation into TikTok over the platform’s handling of child sexual abuse material.
Mobile | Digital Trends
Sens. Sanders and Warren urge investigation into Amazon’s ‘no-fault’ attendance policy
A group of Democratic lawmakers led by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) want regulators to take a closer look at Amazon’s points-based attendance policy, which they believe may be punishing workers for taking legally protected time off. First reported by Vice, the letter to the Department of Labor and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission focuses on Amazon’s “no-fault” approach to absences, which adds points every time an employee misses work without giving advance notice, regardless of the reason. If workers reach a certain number of points, they are automatically reviewed for termination.
Under the company’s attendance policy, an employee whose child has suddenly fallen ill or who suffers a medical emergency would still be penalized. Employees who don’t report absences at least 16 hours before the start of shift receive two points on their record. If they give notice less than two hours before a shift, they receive two points and an “absence submission infraction”. If workers receive three absence submission infractions and eight attendance points, Amazon will consider firing them.
Lawmakers believe that Amazon’s attendance policy could violate current laws that allow workers to take sick, family, medical and pregnancy leave without advance notice. For example, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guarantees eligible workers unpaid leave for a variety of circumstances, including pregnancy or the need to take care of a sick family member.
“We field numerous calls from Amazon employees; while many workers know about Amazon’s punitive attendance policies, they describe never receiving information about the federal, state, and local laws that entitle them to legally protected time off—much less understanding how such laws apply in practice in their own lives,” noted labor rights group Better Balance in a letter to Congress.
Other companies with "no-fault" attendance policies have run into legal troubles in the past. Back in 2011, Verizon was ordered to pay $ 20 million after the EEOC found that the company's no-fault attendance policy made no exceptions for disabled workers.
Many warehouse workers have complained that Amazon neglected to inform them of their rights under FMLA or disability laws. The company has had a poor track record with how it treats workers at its many warehouses and fulfillment centers. A number of warehouses, in response to poor working conditions at the e-commerce giant, are currently pushing to unionize.
HTC aims to turn your carpool into a VR roller coaster
Holoride and HTC have partnered to bring immersive virtual reality experiences to your car.
Mobile | Digital Trends
SEC opens investigation into Elon Musk over possible insider trading
Elon Musk isn't about to catch a hoped-for break from the SEC any time soon. Sources for The Wall Street Journalclaim the SEC is investigating whether Musk and his brother Kimbal violated insider trading regulations with recent share sales. Officials are concerned Elon might have told Kimbal he planned to ask Twitter followers about selling Tesla stock, leading the brother to sell 88,500 shares just a day before the November 6th tweet. If so, the company chief might have broken rules barring employees from trading on undisclosed information.
Kimbal Musk has frequently traded Tesla stock at regular intervals under a plan. He didn't on November 5th, according to an SEC filing.
We've asked the SEC for comment. Tesla isn't available for comment as it disbanded its communications team sometime in 2020. Musk clearly isn't on friendly terms with the Commission, however, as he said a day earlier that he "will finish" a fight he believed the SEC started.
If the report is accurate, the investigation will add more tension to a years-long feud. It began in 2018, when the SEC took action against Musk over tweets about taking the company private. While Musk agreed to a settlement that included approval requirements for any financially relevant social media posts, that wasn't the end of the fight between the two. The SEC has been looking into Musk's tweets over the past few years over concerns production-related tweets weren't approved, and just days ago subpoenaed Tesla for information on the EV maker's processes for honoring the 2018 settlement.
Musk has publicly sparred with the SEC at the same time. This year, he accused the regulator of conducting a "harassment campaign" that unfairly singled him out and excluded the court from monitoring. The SEC denied the accusations. Whatever the truth behind those claims, it's safe to presume Musk won't welcome any new investigation with open arms.
Tesla’s latest update turns your EV into a boombox
Your Tesla could soon broadcast your taste in music to the world — if you have the right car, at least. Electrek notes that Tesla has released its promised holiday update, and the centerpiece appears to be a Boombox mode that pumps media outside as l…
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Hackers tricked GoDaddy into helping attacks on cryptocurrency services
GoDaddy’s 2020 security woes aren’t over. KrebsOnSecurity has found that hackers tricked GoDaddy employees into handing ownership or control of multiple cryptocurrency services’ web domains, inadvertently aiding attacks that brought sites down. It’s…
Engadget
Zoom is getting into ticketed online events
By this point in the pandemic, chances are you’ve already used Zoom to not only attend work meetings but to take part in classes and workshops. So it should come as no surprise Zoom plans to capitalize on that trend. The company has started beta test…
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Google may turn YouTube into a shopping destination
At some point in your YouTube watching career, you’ve probably dug into the description of a video to tap on an Amazon referral link. Whether you’re into tech, photography, gaming or almost any other hobby, most channels use those links as a way to g…
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Nikola founder resigns following SEC probe into electric truck business
Following a fraud accusation by a short firm and potential probe by the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), Nikola founder Trevor Milton is stepping down as executive chairman. “Nikola is truly in my blood and always will be, and the focus shoul…
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Turn your Amazon Echo Flex Mini Speaker into a Smart Clock for only $15/£15
If you’ve got an Echo Flex Plug-in mini speaker with Alexa built-in, you can make it even smarter with the Smart Clock accessory that turns it into, you guessed it, a smart clock that lets you set timers. The all-new Smart Clock accessory costs $ 15/£15 from Amazon, and simply plugs into the USB slot on […]
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Chromebooks just turned into much better gaming machines thanks to NVIDIA GeForce Now
Chromebooks aren’t known for being particularly gaming-friendly. They have access to the Google Play Store, which does open up quite a few games that you can play, but they’re usually either really not optimized for Chromebook hardware or clunky on that particular form factor. You can also almost completely forget about any true modern AAA […]
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Apple TV’s Ted Lasso turns a viral video into a pretty good sitcom
Part-way through the first episode of Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso, I realized that internet streaming has killed the fish-out-of-water-comedy. American shows can’t mock how the funny foreigners do things, since they’re just as necessary these days to a glo…
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Hitting the Books: How to huck a human into low Earth orbit
Astronauts may get the glory for successful spaceflights but they’d never even get off the ground if not for the folks at Mission Control. In Shuttle, Houston: My Life in the Center Seat of Mission Control, Paul Dye vividly recounts his 20-year caree…
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Adobe sneaks ads into Android’s share menu
Adobe is apparently planning on getting pretty aggressive on promoting their own apps, according to a recent leak from a test group. The leak shows links in Android’s share menu promoting installing Adobe’s own apps for certain files, which all seems to be linked to Acrobat Reader if it’s installed on your phone. Adobe ads […]
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Is Amazon TV the next live TV streaming service to get into a crowded market?
Live TV streaming services are a dangerous game to play. We’ve seen big names fold out of the market, like Sony’s PlayStation Vue, despite offering a great service. We’ve also seen reliable services consistently increase pricing, like from Sling TV and even YouTube TV, all thanks to thorny deals with the actual content providers. It […]
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Will Samsung integrate Google Duo into regular smartphone messaging?
A new rumor has suggested that Google Duo might be getting a new kind of integration, starting with the Galaxy S20 launch. Apparently there have been talks between Samsung and Google to implement an ability to quickly send Google Duo video messages right inside of Samsung’s SMS messaging application, putting video chatting on a whole […]
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Vizio gets into the OLED market and beefs up their focus on gaming-friendly TVs
Vizio is easily one of the most popular TV manufacturers in the market, and they’re more than happy to compete in whatever segment they can. Whether that’s smaller budget-friendly sets, mid-range TVs aimed at cord-cutting enthusiasts, or the high-end market for someone chasing the perfect home theater, Vizio usually has an option available. They’re finally […]
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[Deal] Power into 2020 with these discounted Anker accessories
Christmas has come and gone which means that you’ve either been gifted a new device or that you wish you had instead of receiving yet another pack of handkerchiefs, socks, or ties. If you need to keep your new smartphone or tablet charged up or simply want to buy the present you wished you’d received, […]
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Netflix and Disney+ get integrated into Google Play Movies & TV
Google Play Movies & TV can be more than just a storefront to buy digital content. It can also keep all of your movies and TV shows from all of your streaming services in one place, making it easy to access everything from one place. It works with quite a few different services, but so […]
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Microsoft merges all of their mobile productivity apps into one Office hub
Microsoft has announced that they’ll be taking their existing Word, Excel, and Powerpoint applications on Android and iOS and merging them into a single Office app. Fortunately there’s no loss of functionality with this change, but it should make things a little more fluid on your phone and take up less space, too. Alongside this […]
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Samsung has combined RAM and ROM into one package for even smaller, more efficient devices
Samsung has made a big move towards even smaller, more efficient mobile devices. They currently offer LPDDR4X RAM in up to 12GB packages for tons of memory in mobile phones, and they make high-speed, eUFS storage to hold everything a device could need, but now they’re combining the two for even bigger space savings. Innovation […]
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Malware uses web apps to turn PCs into conduits for attacks
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OnePlus TV is official, and shows why OnePlus probably shouldn’t have gotten into TVs
OnePlus not only announced the OnePlus 7T today, but they also took the wraps off of the highly anticipated OnePlus TV. It’s pretty much a standard high-end TV set, but with attention to just the weirdest details. It looks like it’ll be a small launch at first, so it might just be a way for […]
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Anker crams a Fire TV into a soundbar, in case you really don’t like Android TV
Anker has announced a new Nebula Soundbar that wants to do a little more than just make your TV sound better. Nope, this soundbar is more in line with JBL’s Link Bar, but with Amazon Fire TV instead of Android TV, for better or worse. It’s cheaper, too. The Nebula Soundbar is a 2.1 soundbar […]
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Weirdest IFA 2019 news: Samsung wants to turn your phone into a Square reader
Samsung hasn’t had a huge IFA 2019 (they rarely do) but they did talk about the relaunch of the Galaxy Fold. Aside from that, they’ve been pretty quiet. The might take home the award for weirdest announcement after this one, though. A new feature called SoftPOS aims to turn your Samsung smartphone or tablet into […]
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Hackers broke into a contractor for Russia’s spy agency
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[Prime Day Deal] Jump into Amazon’s ecosystem with these discounted Fire TV sticks, tablets, and Echo devices
It’s Amazon Prime Day(s) again, and this year the retailer is holding it over two days instead of one. We’ve covered the price reductions on Anker Accessories here and a whole host of other well-known brands in this constantly updated mega-deal post here, but what about Amazon itself? Well, as you would expect, the online […]
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Facebook may combine your News Feed and Stories into one carousel
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J.J. Abrams will turn Stephen King’s ‘Lisey’s Story’ into an Apple TV+ series
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Sony is trying to avoid turning into the next HTC
Sony is easily one of the most prestigious electronics companies in the world, but that hasn’t ever really helped their mobile division out. Their smartphones, while good, struggle with marketing and competitive pricing, and just never seem to have that “it” factor to compete with heavy hitters from Samsung and Apple. Sony doesn’t really have […]
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‘Anthem’ patch taps into NVIDIA’s AI-powered antialiasing
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Nintendo’s Labo turns the Switch into a perfect VR gateway
Nintendo proved that its cardboard Labo kits could actually be decent gaming accessories — especially for kids. But the idea of using Labo to bring VR to the Switch sounds even more far-fetched. Could an under-powered system with a low-resolutio…
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NASA reveals Bennu asteroid is spewing particles into space
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Scientists can turn regular seawater into hydrogen fuel
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Walmart is stepping into the tablet game with a kid-friendly Onn Tablet
Android tablets aren’t in a great place, especially at the high end, but there’s still room for specialty devices, aside from the offerings from Samsung and Huawei. Walmart is looking to get in on that action, at least according to an FCC filing of a store-brand kid-friendly tablet. This tablet will be launched under Walmart’s […]
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LIVE TOMORROW: Tune into the BRIT Awards 2019, featuring George Ezra, Dua Lipa and Jorja Smith on YouTube
For the sixth consecutive year, for those outside the UK, YouTube is letting you in on the action with a livestream of the show from the O2 Arena in London. Just tune in at youtube.com/BRITs on your favorite screen—whether that’s your mobile, tablet or TV—tomorrow, February 20 at 11:30 a.m. PT / 2:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. GMT. Following the show, no matter your location, you can watch and rewatch the performances on YouTube Music.
Adding to tomorrow’s excitement, YouTube star and global sensation, Todrick Hall, who has 2.9 million subscribers, will present the YouTube Livestream, giving people outside the UK incredible behind-the-scenes access from the show, while providing a front row seat to the drama, gossip, and artist interactions. Vick Hope will join Hall as co-host; and once the show is over, they will continue broadcasting an everyone’s-invited Official After Party on YouTube, recapping the biggest moments from the night.
This year, nominated stars like George Ezra, Dua Lipa, The 1975, Little Mix and Jorja Smith—who either got their start on YouTube, launched albums on the platform, or have used it to grow their fanbases to a global level—are set to perform. Be sure to tune in to see their show-stopping, on-stage renditions of their beloved hits.
For the second year running, comedian Jack Whitehall will be bringing his brilliant jokes and outrageous capers as the event’s host to make the night one you’ll never forget. After all, what could be better than a mix of top-rated musical talent and hilarious antics to make for an unforgettable night?
And as a special treat for Londoners who didn’t score tickets to the O2: select winners from the night will be projected gloriously onto County Hall and Old Billingsgate to make for a magical, one-of-a-kind YouTube Music moment atop the Thames. There will also be a chance to see your favorite nominees and winners celebrated on billboards throughout the country, and YouTube adverts showcasing the official BRITs content on the YouTube Music App.
Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive of BPI & BRIT Awards said, “The BRIT Awards is the most spectacular night in music, showcasing the exceptional talent of a diverse range of British artists at home and around the world. We have seen tremendous growth in the digital and social reach of the BRITs, and partnering with YouTube once again for our live stream of the show enables us to introduce British music to a global audience that is growing all the time.”
And in case you missed it, after the show you’ll find performances from the artists on a special, exclusive YouTube Music BRITs playlist. But for those who want to enjoy the BRIT Awards LIVE—don’t forget to tune in at youtube.com/BRITs on February 20 at 11:30 a.m. PT / 2:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. GMT.
—The YouTube Music Team
The Honor View 20 squeezes lots of quirks into a gorgeous body
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Half of phishing sites trick you into thinking they’re ‘secure’
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LG has jumped into the foldable phone game with a planned CES 2019 reveal
We’ve been hearing about Samsung’s (vaporware) foldable phone, known as the Galaxy X, for an eternity now. But it looks like an actual reveal (or some kind of info) might happen next week at Samsung’s Developer Conference 2018 in San Francisco. However, a surprise entry in the foldable phone game is LG, which plans on […]
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