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Weekly Rewind: Emoji freeze iPhones, Tesla taps solar power, Samsung scandals soar

top tech stories 01 20 2017 samsung corp head
Flickr/Samsung
In the tech world, a lot happens in a week. So much news goes on that it’s almost 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 Tesla’s giant Gigafactory to how we really feel about autonomous cars — it’s all here.

This nasty string of emojis can potentially render your iPhone useless

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Be careful next time you send your best pal a string of emoji: You could end up rendering his iPhone useless. A killer three-character combination of emoticons, discovered first by YouTube channel EverythingApplePro, can crash and freeze certain models of iPhones and iPads.

Read the full story here.

DJ stream: Tidal’s Track Edit feature lets you manipulate any song you want

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If you ever wanted listen to Prince’s Purple Rain at a slower tempo or Adele’s Hello at a higher pitch, you are in luck. Tidal recently updated its mobile app with a new feature, Track Edit, allowing users to alter any song in the streaming service’s massive catalog.

Read the full story here.

Arrest warrant sought for Samsung VP, as bribery scandal deepens

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Samsung Group is embroiled in a political scandal that has dominated headlines in South Korea recently. It’s one of several major conglomerates accused of making donations to non-profit foundations in exchange for political favors, which in Samsung’s case may have smoothed the path for a controversial merger, which was approved in July 2015.

Read the full story here.

The Nevada sun will power Tesla’s gigantic ‘Gigafactory’

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Since kicking off the project in 2014, Tesla has claimed its massive “Gigafactory” near Reno, Nevada, will be the largest lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facility in the world, and that it will achieve that feat using renewable energy. Now we have some idea of the scale of Tesla’s commitment to that.

Read the full story here.

Microsoft’s mighty morphing mobile device would be a great Surface phone

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One of the more interesting Microsoft announcements of late 2016 came at its WinHEC event, where the company announced that full Windows 10 support is coming to ARM processors along with Windows desktop app support. That means that Windows 10 will benefit from processors that perform well but put minimal strain on batteries.

Read the full story here.

Fortress Clothing promises to keep you dry and warm in wet and cold weather

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One of the best ways to stay warm during cold weather is to keep dry. Whether it’s rain, snow, or sweat, there is always something to fend off. Garments have claimed to be both waterproof and breathable before, but most such fabrics typically become overwhelmed by water. This leads to a build-up of moisture that causes you to get cold.

Read the full story here.

Camera drone captures kitesurfer’s scary encounter with a great white shark

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Kitesurfing in Australia recently, Isabelle Fabre had an unexpected encounter with a great white shark. It’ll likely be a story she dines out on for many years, and thanks to her friend back on the beach capturing the entire incident with a camera drone, she’ll have some dramatic footage to show, too.

Read the full story here.

Most Americans doubt the safety of autonomous cars, study says

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As 2017 gets underway, it almost seems like self-driving cars are a foregone conclusion. Several automakers and tech companies are testing prototypes, and a handful of car companies have promised to put autonomous cars into production in the next few years. But is the American public ready for them?

Read the full story here.

Flexible football helmet absorbs hits like a car bumper, could put an end to concussions

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Despite the fact football continues to enjoy immense worldwide popularity (estimates put fan numbers at or above 400 million), the sport remains under constant scrutiny for its approach —or lack thereof— to concussions. The NFL finally acknowledged the negative impact concussions have on its billion dollar business and opted to start awarding research grants geared towards finding a solution. One such company that took the NFL’s greenbacks and ran is Vicis, a Seattle-based firm who just debuted an innovative new helmet.

Read the full story here.

How much RAM does your PC need? Probably less than you think

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Random Access Memory, usually shortened to “RAM” or simply “memory,” is one of the most important parts of any computer. But how much do you need? Current new PCs and similar devices range from around the 2GB mark, to 16GB or more. How much memory you require will depend on two factors, including what you want to do, and how much you’re willing to spend. This article will focus on computers running a desktop operating system, such as Windows, MacOS, and Chrome OS.

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…
Visible just made its unlimited 5G plan better than ever
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Digital wireless service provider Visible has announced upgrades to its premium Visible+ phone plan. The highlight is a new Global Pass feature that allows Visible customers to use their phones in 140 countries worldwide.

The Visible Global Pass offers unlimited talk and text services, along with 2GB of high-speed data, for a flat rate of $10 per day. Visible+ members can also enjoy a free Global Pass usage day every month. The activation process can be done through the Visible app.

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The OnePlus Watch 2 is the Wear OS smartwatch I’ve been waiting for
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The OnePlus Watch 2 -- the company's first Wear OS watch -- has entered a market that Samsung dominates. However, OnePlus' popularity as a smartphone brand can be expected to bring small, yet meaningful changes that benefit not only OnePlus users, but all of the Wear OS segment in general.

For almost a decade, Samsung and Apple have predominantly been the default options if you want a smartwatch that is actually useful and goes beyond flashy features. With Samsung shifting gears and migrating from its own Tizen OS to the (relatively) more universal Wear OS platform and Google releasing its own Pixel Watch after struggling with an identity crisis in the smartwatch world, the platform has much more traction than it did a few years ago. As OnePlus carves its way into the segment, it has the opportunity to entice people who don't wish to live within Samsung's limitations when using a Galaxy Watch with another brand's phone.

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Buying an iPad Mini today? You need to know about this deal
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If you've had an eye on iPad deals for the latest model of the Apple iPad Mini for a while now, this may be the offer that you've been waiting for -- a $100 discount from Best Buy on the tablet's Wi-Fi, 64GB model, slashing its price to $400 from $500. It's still pretty popular years after its release, so we don't expect stocks of the device for this sale to last long. If you're thinking about taking advantage of this bargain, you better push through with your purchase as soon as possible to make sure that you don't miss out on the savings.

Why you should buy the Apple iPad Mini 2021
The latest generation of the Apple iPad Mini was released in 2021, but it's still featured in our roundup of the best iPads because it's the model that you should buy if you want a smaller and more compact version of Apple's tablets. Its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display is smaller than the screens of its peers, but it's still big enough to enjoy watching streaming shows and browsing websites, while allowing you to use the device with one hand. Unlike its predecessor, there's no Home button, so the Touch ID sensor is instead built into the power button at the side of the Apple iPad Mini 2021.

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