Bridge-Builders: Notes on Session 6 of TED2024

In Session 6 of TED2024, we heard from bridge-builders — inspiring speakers working to unite people across political divides, conflicts, differences and more.

The event: Talks from Session 6 of TED2024: The Brave and the Brilliant, hosted by TED’s Helen Walters and Dave Isay, the founder of StoryCorps and winner of the 2015 TED Prize

When and where: Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, BC, Canada

Speakers: Gabrielle Rifkind, David Finnigan, Ketakandriana Rafitoson, Spencer J. Cox, Daniel Lubetzky

Performance: The Jerusalem Youth Chorus (JYC) is a choral and dialogue program for Palestinian and Israeli youth in Jerusalem. JYC’s founder Micah Hendler and executive director Amer Abu Arqub discuss the impetus behind the program, how music creates cross-cultural understanding and introduce the chorus itself for a rousing performance.

Gabrielle Rifkind is director of the Oxford Process, an organization devoted to ending armed conflict with the tools of mass psychology and geopolitics, rather than the weapons of war. With inclusive negotiating strategies, she believes we can create a world where nations rush to the bargaining table rather than to their guns.

In the wake of his production Kill Climate Deniers, playwright David Finnigan received countless messages from everyday individuals defending their beliefs. While climate deniers still refuse to believe science, says Finnigan, they’re right about one thing: climate action requires us to change how we live — and that’s something we all should embrace.

In Madagascar, activist Ketakandriana Rafitoson empowers citizens to protect their rights in the face of systemic exploitation. In the absence of strong democratic traditions, her grassroots toolkit of citizen assemblies, legal aid and collective action is helping to organize Madagascar, one community at a time.

​​When he felt his faith in the peaceful transfer of power in the US eroding, Governor of Utah Spencer J. Cox reached out to his political opponent to produce a campaign ad — together. It sparked a nationwide conversation about bridging political divides and fostering a united society. On the TED stage, he shares three things we can all do to disagree without hate.

We’re being programmed to think every issue is binary: “us versus them.” But Daniel Lubetzky says the real enemy is not a person but a mindset: extremism that hijacks the agenda and foments division. He previews a new initiative that aims to bring together “builders” (instead of “dividers”) from around the world and across the political spectrum, to replace eternal conflict with practical problem-solving.

TED2024, held April 15-19, 2024, in Vancouver, BC, Canada, is a week of talks, discovery sessions, excursions, dinners, performances and more celebrating “The Brave and the Brilliant.” Special thanks to our strategic partners PwC, Adobe, Schneider Electric and Northwestern Mutual.

Provocateurs: Notes on Session 5 of TED2024

Bold ideas often meet resistance — but what if they were met with curiosity? Session 5 of TED2024 didn’t shy away from audacious ideas. Instead, it invited us all to embrace the discomfort of considering the impossible and unfamiliar, to find the courage to step into someone else’s shoes and assume goodness in those around us — because that’s what catalyzes imagination and possibility.

From the search for extraterrestrial life to the future of democracy, speakers delved into topics that challenge conventions and will spark conversation long after they stepped off the red circle.

The event: Talks from Session 5 of TED2024: The Brave and the Brilliant, hosted by TED’s Chris Anderson

When and where: Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, BC, Canada

Speakers: Avi Loeb, Bill Ackman, Alison Taylor, Andrew Yang, Bari Weiss, Scott Galloway

Performance: Xochimilco artist Xiuhtezcatl (or X) performed the songs “Careful” and “Veils,” seamlessly blending influences from his Indigenous and Mexican heritage with a fervent dedication to environmental activism.

The talks in brief:

Diving into theories around interstellar phenomena such as the Oumuamua asteroid, astrophysicist Avi Loeb suggests we haven’t found scientific proof of alien life simply because we haven’t dedicated the proper funding. He explores the research needed to find the higher intelligence potentially residing galaxies away, imagining a future where otherworldly knowledge helps improve life on Earth.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Bill Ackman, the founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, sits down with business professor Alison Taylor to discuss the activist investor playbook and how it applies to the social and political realms. They dig into free speech, Ackman’s notoriously long posts on X, the conversation around Harvard and DEI as well as the intersection of power, voice and wealth.

American politics has an incentives problem, says political reformer Andrew Yang. The current system caters to primary voters, which has created a disconnect between overall Congressional approval and reelection rates. How do we realign incentives to make government work for more people? Yang shows why nonpartisan primaries and ranked-choice voting could be the answer.

In an unflinching look at issues that widen the political divide in the US, journalist and editor Bari Weiss highlights why courage is the most important virtue — and shares examples of people who have wielded it. She urges us all to say what we believe in the face of conformity and silence.

NYU marketing professor Scott Galloway dissects the data showing that, in the US, younger people are worse off financially than their parents were at the same age. He shows the knock-on effects of this theft of generational wealth, asking: If we allow this to keep happening, do we really love our kids?

TED2024, held April 15-19, 2024, in Vancouver, BC, Canada, is a week of talks, discovery sessions, excursions, dinners, performances and more celebrating “The Brave and the Brilliant.” Special thanks to our strategic partners PwC, Adobe, Schneider Electric and Northwestern Mutual.

The Next Android Update May Add a New Way to Charge Wirelessly

Right now, there are two main ways to charge our devices: plug it into power, or charge it wirelessly using a Qi-enabled device. A lesser-known wireless charging standard, WLC, actually enables devices to charge over NFC—the same tech used for mobile transactions like Apple Pay and Google Pay. As it happens, Google appears to be working on bringing NFC charging to smartphones with its upcoming Android 15 update, but it's not clear why.

Android Authority's Mishaal Rahman discovered the feature in Android 15's first beta, which Google released last week. Rahman noticed Google added a new class to the system app that deals with NFC: NfcCharging. If that wasn't clear enough, Rahman found NfcCharging can start and stop charging via NFC, analyzes NFC charging info payloads, among other functions.

When would you use NFC charging?

We don't know what the timeline would be for adding NFC charging to Android, but there's no real reason to rush the tech at this time. Charing a device over NFC would be considerably slower than Qi wireless charging (or wired charging, of course), as the standard only supports charging up to 1W. Qi, on the other hand, has a maximum output of 15W, depending on the device and charger. It would take a long time to charge a modern smartphone via NFC. When you can fully charge a phone like the OnePlus 12 in just over a half hour, NFC charging doesn't seem particularly practical.

However, this standard could be more useful for smaller devices that use tiny batteries—think Bluetooth trackers or styluses. While NFC charging will still be slow, it could allow companies to put rechargeable batteries in products that currently use disposable ones. Imagine your Pixel passively charging an AirTag or a Tile tracker whenever they're next to each other, rather than throwing away the battery when it dies. If Google follows through with this tech and adds it to Android 15, it'll be up to the marketplace to take advantage of the standard in new products.

This isn't the first time we've seen a software update add a new wireless charging standard to smartphones. With iOS 17.2, Apple added Qi2 charging to iPhones, an improved version of Qi that allows for a magnetic connection with wireless chargers. That said, this Android update could enable NFC wireless charging from smartphones themselves, rather than allow smartphones to access a new way to charge.

The New Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Drops to $160

When it comes to the best Android tablets, Samsung's Galaxy Tab series has some of the best in class for many categories. The S9, S8, and S6 Lite series have great options for budget, midrange, and high-end tablets. But if there is one Android tablet that is best value for your money and considered "budget," it's the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ tablet. Right now, the Galaxy Tab A9+ starts at $159.99 (originally $219.99) after a $60 discount from Amazon, bringing it down to its lowest price yet per price checking tools, and is $10 cheaper than the recent "Big Spring Sale."

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ is considered one of the best-value Android tablets by PCMag, who gave it an "excellent" review. They named it their Editor's Choice for the best affordable Android tablet for its low price, large 11-inch screen, expandable storage, good performance, and ability to handle productivity tasks smoothly with Samsung's software aids. This Samsung tablet came out in 2023 and starts with 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor, and an 11-inch LCD screen with 1920 x 1200 resolution. You can get the 128 GB storage version for $209.99 (originally $269.99). Both versions have a 5MP front-facing camera and an 8MP on the back.

Most people will probably want more than the 64 GB of storage that the base model offers. If you already have storage at home, keep in mind that the tablet has a microSD slot for expandable storage. The battery will last for around seven hours of use, which isn't impressive, but for a budget tablet, it's expected.

How to Unlock Your Pixel With Your Pixel Watch

I’m a pretty big fan of what Google is doing with its Pixel Watch and Pixel phone lineup. These devices are some of the best ways to experience Android on a smartwatch or a smartphone, and Google is continually making things even better. One particularly useful feature that Pixel Watch owners can take advantage of is the Watch Unlock functionality, which Google introduced in late 2023.

It’s a pretty well-hidden feature in that Google hasn’t really actively advertised, and unlike the Apple Watch, which has watch unlock turned on by default, you have to manually activate the feature on the Pixel Watch.

How Watch Unlock works

Watch Unlock is a really handy feature that allows your smartwatch to effectively bypass your other lock screen security functionality. It's great for those times when you need to access your phone but don't want to go through the hassle of dealing with face unlock or putting in your passcode or fingerprint. In other words, you can maintain your phone's security in the event that it's stolen or misplaced, but when it's just you at the office or at home, you don't have to jump through those same hoops as long as your watch is nearby.

When enabled, Watch Unlock lets you bring your watch close to your phone, and then it unlocks it, and based on some of the other settings you have selected (which we'll touch on more in a moment), you'll be given instant access to your last-used screen, or you'll be able to swipe up to access your device without needing to put in an unlock code.

How to use Watch Unlock on Pixel Watch

Now that you know a bit more about Watch Unlock, let's talk about how to actually use it. The first thing you’ll need is a Pixel Watch or Pixel Watch 2 and a Pixel phone running Android 13 or higher, like the Pixel 8 Pro. Unfortunately, Watch Unlock on the Pixel Watch doesn’t seem to work with any other Android devices, so if you’re not sporting the complete pair, you’re out of luck on using this handy little feature.

It should also be noted that Watch Unlock on the Pixel Watch doesn’t offer quite the same functionality as it does on the Apple Watch, which is the place that I have the most experience with this feature. On the Apple Watch, you can use Watch Unlock to unlock both your phone and other Apple devices, but you can also use it to unlock your phone. The Pixel doesn’t offer this same capability, but maybe Google will add it in the future, as it is really nice not always having to put in a code on a tiny screen like those found on smartwatches.

If you have the needed devices—a Pixel Watch and Pixel phone—then you can take advantage of Watch Unlock by activating it through the following steps:

First, navigate to the Google Pixel Watch app on your Pixel phone. Tap Watch preferences > Security > Watch Unlock and toggle it on.

You can also turn it on in Android settings by navigating to Settings > Security & privacy > Device Unlock> Face & Fingerprint Unlock > Watch Unlock. Either method will send you through a set of on-screen instructions that end with Watch Unlock activated.

Now that Watch Unlock is activated, you can use it in a few different ways. Like I mentioned before, how quickly you access your phone after using Watch Unlock will depend on some specific settings. If you have Skip lock screen turned on in your phone’s settings, having your Pixel Watch on your wrist, unlocked, and near your phone will take you directly to your last used screen. If you don’t have Skip lock screen turned on, then it will unlock your phone, but still display the lock screen, requiring you to swipe up to access the rest of your device.

You Can Save Money on Car Repairs by Using a DIY Garage

Large swaths of the United States were built with the assumption that everyone who lived there would own a car, but that can be an expensive prospect—the average labor rate for auto repairs is hovering around $60 an hour, and can rise into the triple digits, depending on the make and model of your car.

At the same time, the skyrocketing cost of new and used cars means lots of people are hanging onto their vehicles for longer—the average car on the road today is now 12.5 years old, and older cars mean more repair bills.

If you’ve got a beater that needs work done but you can’t afford to bring it into the shop, there’s another option that can save you a lot of cash. All you need is some mechanical skills (or a friend with some skills) and the location of a DIY garage near you.

What is a DIY garage?

A DIY garage is a full-service car repair shop where you can rent a bay, a lift, diagnostic equipment (including computers), and tools, all for an hourly or daily fee. Some will also provide the guidance of certified mechanics—although many people rely on Youtube, manuals, and the free advice of their fellow DIY mechanics. But you do all the actual work on your vehicle, saving yourself a huge amount of money in labor costs.

It’s a fairly straightforward process:

• Determine your needs. Depending on the repairs you’ll be doing, you should make a list of all the equipment you might need. People use DIY garages for more than mechanical repairs—some folks repaint their cars, repair rusted roofs, or do other body work.

• Locate a DIY garage near you. There’s no national listing of DIY garages, so you’ll have to rely on a Google Search—this page has a preset search box that allows you to enter your zip code and see a list of DIY garages near you. (Here’s a list of DIY repair shops in the New York City area, for example.)

• Book your time and tools. Now you just book what you need and show up. DIY garages will supply everything you need in terms of tools, but you’ll need to supply parts and, of course, labor.

The costs of using a DIY garage

The fact that DIY garages can save you money doesn’t mean they won't still cost you some. Here’s what you can expect to pay in order to repair your vehicle at one:

• Base cost. If you just need a bay to work in, most DIY garages will charge about $20 to $50 an hour. For example, My Mechanics Place in Michigan charges $20 an hour for a basic bay, U Wrench It in New Jersey charges $24.99, while Your Dream Garage in Los Angeles charges $50 an hour. A lift bay will run you $30 to $35 an hour, and a paint booth is typically about $100 an hour. These prices sometimes include access to tools, but sometimes there’s an extra fee of $10 to $25 for that. Most DIY garages also have daily and even monthly rates, which can be a better bargain if you need that kind of time.

• Expert assistance. Many DIY garages offer the option of having a professional mechanic advise you through the repair for an extra fee. For example, U Wrench It will provide a professional to assist you for $55 an hour on top of the bay rental. This can be a great middle option if you’ve never done serious car repair before and you’re nervous about relying on videos and friendly advice.

Considering the costs of labor, a DIY repair done in one of these shops can save you a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars, depending on how much time it takes.

What to consider before using a DIY garage

A DIY garage isn’t the right solution for everyone, of course. A few things to consider:

• Insurance. If your repair stems from an accident and insurance is involved, your insurer may not approve DIY repairs and might require that the work be done in an approved shop. On the other hand, you might be able to keep some of the insurance money if they simply cut you a check for repairs and you do them yourself.

• Liability. Most DIY garages will require you to sign a waiver releasing them of liability if you are injured unless the shop is negligent in some way. State laws vary, but if a DIY shop is operating the law most likely places liability on the consumer. Make sure you know what happens if you’re injured, or if you somehow destroy your car while trying to repair it.

• Cost. If you rent a professional to help with your repair, your hourly costs may exceed what you’d pay in labor costs. If the average hourly cost for a mechanic is $60 and you’re spending $75 for a bay and professional help, you’re not actually saving any money at all.

• Quality. Saving money is great, but if your DIY car repair doesn’t hold up because you don’t know what you’re doing you’ll wind up in an even worse situation.

• Education. A DIY garage can also be a great way to teach yourself about car maintenance and repair. If you have a non-essential vehicle that you can tinker with, spending some time at a self-service garage is a hands-on way of learning.

If you’re reasonably mechanically inclined or have some experience fixing cars—or if you know someone who does and who is willing to help you out—renting a bay at a DIY garage can save you a ton of money while keeping your wheels on the road.

Mind Expanders: Notes on Session 2 of TED2024

AI is reshaping how we interact with the world around us and within us, expanding creative possibilities and bringing us closer together by dissolving barriers of all kinds. But anyone who’s paying attention can spot its obvious flaws and potential pitfalls.

From trailblazing platforms making software accessible to micro-robotics revolutionizing health care (including a mind-blowing demo you won’t want to miss), Session 2 of TED2024 explored the frontiers of tech with visionary entrepreneurs, scientists and creators. They offered glimpses of what good AI could do for the world when governed with empathy and curiosity.

The event: Talks from Session 2 of TED2024: The Brave and the Brilliant, hosted by head of TED Chris Anderson and creative technologist and host of The TED AI Show Bilawal Sidhu

When and where: Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, BC, Canada

Speakers: Vinod Khosla, Fei-Fei Li, Thomas Dohmke, Niceaunties, Alex Luebke, Vivek Kumbhari, Helen Toner

A special challenge: President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund Andrew Steer announces the AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge, a groundbreaking initiative set to distribute up to $100 million in grants to harness AI in the fight against climate change and nature loss.

The talks in brief:

Vinod Khosla is a self-proclaimed techno-optimist who believes in the power of “foolish ideas.” He shares his predictions for how technology will continue improving human lives, discussing expanded medical care through AI doctors, a massive robotic workforce, planes that can travel 4,000 miles per hour and more.

AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li proposes that the progress of AI’s understanding of spatial intelligence – the ability to derive predictions and insight from objects’ relationships to one another – is catalyzing robotic learning, bringing us closer to a world where AI not only sees and creates but also interacts with the world around us.

Software development has long been the purview of specialized workers. By removing the barrier between programming languages and human ones, GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke shows how AI is poised to change that forever. He demos never-before-seen software his team has been developing that promises to empower people to create code using just their spoken words — in any language.

From sushi-bedecked cars with legs to elderly women wearing cat-shaped masks made of cereal, artist Niceaunties’ surreal “Auntiverse” — a mind-bending homage to “auntie culture” prevalent in Asian communities — charmingly showcases the creative potential of human-AI partnerships.

Meet PillBot: a wireless micro-robot that can go inside the human body and take a look around. In a (literally) stomach-turning demo, engineer and entrepreneur Alex Luebke swallows a PillBot and physician-scientist Vivek Kumbhari navigates it around his stomach with a game controller, showing how the device allows direct visualization of internal organs and could move us past the age of invasive, expensive endoscopies.

No one understands AI — not even experts, says policy expert Helen Toner. But that doesn’t mean we can’t govern it. She makes the case that people and policymakers need to push for more research into AI interpretability (measuring what these systems can do) as well as regulations that require AI companies to share what they’re building and why.

TED2024, held April 15-19, 2024, in Vancouver, BC, Canada, is a week of talks, discovery sessions, excursions, dinners, performances and more celebrating “The Brave and the Brilliant.” Special thanks to our strategic partners PwC, Adobe, Schneider Electric and Northwestern Mutual.

Des images spectaculaires de l'éruption en Islande depuis un mois !

L’éruption débutée le 16 mars dernier sur la péninsule de Reykjanes, en amont de la ville de Grindavik, se poursuit. C’est la seconde éruption la plus longue des sept qu’il y eut pour l’instant depuis la réactivation volcanique dans ce secteur en 2021. Un imposant cône éruptif s’est construit,...

Éruption des Galapagos : la lave a parcouru 14 km et se déverse dans l’océan

L’éruption commencée le 2 mars dernier sur l’île inhabitée de Fernandina se poursuit et depuis le 7 avril, la longue coulée de lave qu’elle alimente est parvenue dans l’océan Pacifique ! Cette rencontre entre la lave et l’océan construit une plateforme littorale qui s’étend déjà sur plus de...

Gemini Ultra Might Not Be Coming to OnePlus and Oppo Devices After All

Update (April 12, 2024): OnePlus has issued a correction for their original announcement: The company says their press release mistakenly announced that "Gemini Ultra Large Model" would make its debut on OnePlus 12, when the press release should have said "Gemini Models" instead. As Gemini comes in three models (Nano, Pro, and Ultra), it's not clear which models will make their way to OnePlus 12. So, it's still possible OnePlus plans to integrate Google's most powerful AI model on their smartphones, but we won't know until the company officially confirms what "models" means.

The original article is as follows:

The OnePlus 12 might have launched without support for AI earlier this year, but it seems OnePlus and Oppo (both owned by BBK) have big plans for how they want to support AI going forward: Both OnePlus and Oppo have announced that they will introduce features powered by Gemini 1.0 Ultra to their smartphones.

Gemini Ultra is the most powerful AI that Google has to offer, and so far, it hasn't been included on any smartphones—not even Google's own Pixel 8 Pro, which instead sports Gemini Nano. It was hard not to compare the OnePlus 12 to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra when I reviewed the two phones earlier this year, but the OnePlus could soon offer an even more powerful suite of AI features than Galaxy AI currently does, as Samsung opted for Gemini Pro, not Gemini Ultra.

Neither company announced a specific date for when we can expect to see Gemini Ultra on OnePlus and Oppo phones, or even any explicit information about which smartphones from the two companies will sport the Google-powered AI. However, we do know that they are aiming for "later this year."

After the launch of its latest smartphones, OnePlus has already started to introduce features like AI Eraser, which works very similarly to Google's own Magic Eraser on the Pixel phones and in Google Photos. That feature isn't powered by Google's AI, though, so it's unclear if it will get an upgrade down the line or if it will continue to use the model it already relies on.

Either way, the OnePlus 12 is sure to become an even more appealing flagship device for Android users once Gemini becomes available on it and other OnePlus devices. The companies say they plan to bring a slew of generative AI features to the table, including generative photo editing, chat assistance, and tons of other features that are already found on the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8 lineups.

La nouvelle génération de ces IA aura la capacité de raisonner !

Cette semaine, les entreprises OpenAI et Meta se sont toutes les deux exprimées sur les nouvelles versions de leurs modèles d’intelligence artificielle qui devraient sortir bientôt. Dans les deux cas, ils annoncent une nouvelle capacité de raisonnement, une étape cruciale sur le chemin encore...

Comment le cycle du carbone a permis l’oxygénation, lente mais certaine, de la Terre

Si l’on sait que l’oxygénation de la Terre est liée au développement d’algues photosynthétiques et à la saturation des puits d’oxygène, une nouvelle étude montre que le cycle du carbone aurait également joué un rôle majeur, voire décisif, dans cette histoire.

The Android 15 Beta Is Now Available

Google is officially moving Android 15 to its next milestone with the release of the first Android 15 Beta. The company behind Android shared the news today in a blog post, releasing some details about the new features, as well as when it expects to hit platform stability in the 15th iteration of the Android operating system.

Android 15, of course, is the next version of Google's phone-based operating system, and it will continue the ongoing trend of offering new AI features for Android users to take advantage of. The Android 15 Beta will only be available on select Pixel devices at the start, with the list of supported devices including:

• Pixel 5a

• Pixel 6

• Pixel 6 Pro

• Pixel 6a

• Pixel 7

• Pixel 7 Pro

• Pixel 7a

• Pixel Tablet

• Pixel Fold

• Pixel 8

• Pixel 8 Pro

Android 15 has been available in the Android Developer Preview since February, but now Google is opening the virtual floodgates to get early adopters involved, too. Some new features coming to Android 15 include an edge-to-edge display mode for apps by default, which should make it easier for developers to create apps to show content behind the system bars.

Google is also upgrading the NFC experience on Android 15 to provide a more seamless and reliable experience for tap to pay. A big change, too, will allow for better archiving and unarchiving of apps, which should help with cleaning up your Android device, though it will still require some input from developers there. You can get a look at all the Android 15 features we know about so far, but most of them seem to be aligned with making the operating system more efficient for users.

Beta releases are expected to continue throughout the rest of April, May, and June, though Google says it hopes to reach platform stability by the end of June. This would be the lineup for a fall release for Android 15, which is also when we expect to see the latest Pixel devices becoming available, based on past releases.

Of course, Google is still playing the full list of new features close to its chest, and we don't expect to learn more about everything the tech giant has in store until Google I/O later this year. But if you're interested in testing out the latest version of the Android operating system as Google expands it, you can download the Android 15 Beta to applicable devices starting today.

Un séisme devrait bientôt se produire à cet endroit sur la faille de San Andreas

La région de Parkfield, en Californie, pourrait bien connaître un nouveau séisme de magnitude 6 dans les prochains mois. C’est ce que laisse penser une nouvelle étude, qui a analysé les signaux sismiques qui caractérisent le cycle de rupture de ce segment de la faille de San Andreas.

Tesla lance un nouveau Model Y avec 600 km d'autonomie sur une seule charge

Tesla lance sur le marché européen sa Model Y « Grande Autonomie ». Moins onéreuse que la version intégrale la plus autonome, cette propulsion pourrait rouler durant 600 kilomètres sur une seule charge. Un record pour la gamme.

My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+

Until the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+ tablets released in 2022, Android users struggled to find good tablet options to integrate with their Android devices. The main problem with these tablets back then was their expensive prices. Now, both tablets are much more affordable, with the Galaxy Tab S8 tablet starting at $418.56 (originally $699.99) after a 40% discount and the Galaxy Tab S8+ starting at $549.99 (originally $899.99) after a 39% discount. Both are currently at their lowest prices yet, according to price-checking tools.

The Galaxy S8 tablet starts with 128GB of storage and comes with an 11-inch LCD screen with 2,560 by 1,600 pixel resolution. The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 chipset and it handles wifi 6E. PCMag says they got about 7.5 hours of juice when they were reviewing the tablet.

The Galaxy Tab S8+ is bigger than the regular Tab S8. It has a 12.4-inch AMOLED display with 2,800 by 1,752 pixel resolution. It also has a bigger battery, giving you about an hour or two more of life, depending on use. The Tab S8+ also has the option of 5G connectivity, which the regular Tab S8 lacks. The RAM, storage, ports, operating systems, 13MP rear and 12MP front cameras, and wifi are the same. Both tablets also come with an S Pen stylus.

If these tablets lack the power you're looking for, the sharper Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra offers more in almost every department, and it's $400 off right now.

How to Set Up a VPN on Your Android

VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) route your internet access through a different server somewhere in the world—they can spoof your location, stop other parties (including your internet provider) from seeing what you're doing online, and encrypt your data, so it's harder to intercept and analyze.

You'll find plenty of articles on Lifehacker on the benefits of VPNs and some of the best VPN deals you can find online, and these tools can be installed on your Android phones and tablets as well as Windows, macOS, and iPhones.

Do you need a VPN on Android?

Once you install a VPN on Android, everything you do online gets routed through it, whether that's through apps or your mobile web browser: Your VPN app gets its hooks quite deep into Android, to manage all your online traffic. Calls and texts aren't affected, but messaging apps that connect to the web (including WhatsApp and Signal) are.

We've already touched on some of the benefits of VPNs: Routing your traffic across different, secure servers in this way means it's well-protected from the company that provides your internet, as well as the authorities. It also means you can change the location your Android phone appears to be in, if you need to (although a lot of streaming apps are wise to this now).

What VPNs don't do, however, is make you anonymous. If you're logged into Instagram or Amazon or Google, they're still going to know what you're up to—a VPN doesn't mean that no one can see anything you're doing on the web or inside apps.

It's your call as to whether or not you need a VPN, bearing in mind that these services come with a slight hit to the speed of your internet connection, and may cost you some money. They're most valuable if you spend a lot of time on public wifi networks (like coffee shops and hotels), where it's more likely that other devices are trying to get a peek at what you're up to.

How to choose an Android VPN

The process of choosing a VPN for Android is the same as it is when you're choosing a VPN for any other platform: Take your time, do as much research as you can, and take advice from the people you trust. (Speaking of trustworthy, we have our own lists of the best VPNs and the best free VPNs you can get right now.)

One key feature to look out for is a zero logs policy, which means no records are kept of your browsing—and ideally, you want a zero logs policy that's independently audited. Remember that while governments, internet providers, and law enforcement agencies won't be able to see your activity online, your VPN company will—so you need to pick one you trust.

It's also worth checking on the number of servers a VPN offers around the world, and the number of devices you can have connected to the VPN service at once (if you need coverage beyond your Android phone or tablet). You might also find you have a VPN included as part of another subscription: Google One or Proton Unlimited, for example.

Generally speaking, paying for a VPN gives you extra peace of mind that your VPN provider of choice isn't making money out of you in another way. That said, there are a handful of reputable free VPN providers out there, which are listed in our best free VPNs for Android guide. You'll have to put up with some restrictions on the free plans, such as limits on speeds or the number of servers you can connect to.

Set up a VPN on Android

The process of setting up a VPN on Android is simple and straightforward, once you've picked the VPN you'd like to use. While the exact steps vary depending on the VPN you decide to go with, I'll walk you through installing NordVPN on Android—it's one of the better VPNs out there, and our NordVPN vs ExpressVPN guide tells you more about it.

Find the VPN you want in the Play Store (NordVPN for Android in this case), log in, and you can then pick a VPN server to connect to: With NordVPN, you can also tap Quick Connect to use a server near your current location. The first time your VPN app connects to the web, Android will ask you to confirm that you trust it.

To view VPNs available on your device and switch between them, from Settings choose Network and Internet then VPN (Pixel phones) or Connections, More connection settings, and VPN (Galaxy phones). When a VPN is active, you should see a key icon in the status bar, and your VPN app of choice may display a permanent notification too, telling you which server you're connected to.

Tap the gear icon next to your current VPN to configure it (to set it to always be active, for example). You can also tap the + (plus) icon in the top right corner to enter details of a VPN server manually, but these only apply if you've using a Virtual Private Network provided by your employer or another organization—most users won't need this screen.

Néandertal organisait sa « maison » de la même façon qu’Homo sapiens

Une preuve de plus que Néandertal possédait les mêmes capacités cognitives qu’Homo sapiens. Une nouvelle étude montre que les deux espèces organisaient leur habitat de façon pérenne et bien définie, avec des zones dédiées au repos et d’autres aux activités du groupe.  

This New Samsung Tablet Comes With a $100 Amazon Gift Card

Samsung has refreshed the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite a couple times since its initial release in 2020: It was revamped in 2022 and again this year. The 2024 Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is currently $329.99 on Amazon, which isn't a particularly good value for your money compared to other mid-range tablets available. However, Amazon is throwing in a $100 gift card, which makes this a more enticing deal.

The 2024 Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is not yet available on Samsung's own website in the U.S. (only see the international product page is visible). The tablet debuted internationally in March but has only recently been available in the U.S. solely through Amazon, available for Amazon Prime and immediate shipping.

At its current price, the Tab S6 competes with the 10th-generation iPad, which you can find discounted for $349.99 (originally $449). Both are mid-tier tablets, but the newer Tab S6 includes the $100 gift card and is two years newer, which can mean a lot in terms of ongoing support via software updates.

The S6 Lite's 64GB storage model starts at $329. You can double the storage to 128GB for $80 more, but you can't increase the 4GB of RAM. It comes with a 10.4-inch LCD screen with a 2,000 by 1,200-pixel display resolution, a new Exynos processor, a slim metal design, dual AKG speakers with Dolby Atmos, an external memory MicroSD slot of up to 1TB, an 8MP rear camera, a 5MP front-facing camera, and up to 14 hours of battery life.

The main difference between the 2022 model and this one is the new processor over the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G, two more hours of battery life, and the newer Android 14 OS out of the box. The design, S-Pen, screen, and 4GB of RAM are the same. If those things are not important to you, the 2022 version for $159.15 might be a better deal (or even the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+); just keep in mind that newer models will get more years of software updates than older ones.

How to Use Google's New 'Find My Device' Service to Track Your Stuff

On Monday, Google officially rolled out its Find My Device network for Android—not to be confused with Apple's Find My network, of course. But the similar names are appropriate in this case, since Google's new service works just about the same as Apple's—and Tile's, for that matter. Google's service helps you find devices you've left behind or misplaced by leveraging the greater network of Android devices.

How does Android's Find My Device work?

Find My Device allows you to find the approximate location for any connected, compatible device by relying on a network of over one billion Android devices around the world. (At the onset, however, Find My Device only works in the United States and Canada.)

When you leave behind a connected device, those devices can passively connect to any nearby Android phone through Bluetooth. That connection updates the device's location in the Find My Device network, giving you a good idea of where that device is—at least, where it was the last time an Android user came within Bluetooth distance of it (roughly 30 feet). If you have a Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro, this works even when your device is offline. If your phone loses all its battery, you can still locate it using Find My Device.

But it's not just other people's devices that can help you find your missing items: You can also use your personal devices to find others. If you're close enough to the missing device, you'll see a Find nearby option appear, which walks you directly to your device's location using an on-screen radius. Your Nest devices can also act as beacons for your missing devices: If they're close enough to one of your Google smart home devices, that will help you locate those missing items as well.

For now, Find My Device only works with Android phones and tablets, but Google will expand the network to support compatible Bluetooth devices starting in May. That includes Bluetooth trackers from Pebblebee and Chipolo, and Google says companies like Motorola, Jio, and Eufy will be making compatible tags later this year. Google will also let you share items with other people, so you can share a TV remote with your friend who is house sitting, or your keys with someone borrowing your car.

How about the security of Find My Device?

Google says all location data, including aggregated device location reporting, is end-to-end encrypted, so no one should be able to see your items' locations but you, not even Google. That goes for the people whose devices are sharing their location with your items: Their data is end-to-end encrypted, so you can't see that it was their device that shared the location, and they can't see they shared it to your device. The company even asserts that if one of your devices can help find your missing item, it will disregard all aggregated location data in favor of using your device as a tracker.

Google also says it doesn't start saving location info until it senses multiple devices around yours, and limits the number of refreshes to minimize the risk of malicious real-time tracking. In other words, the feature works great for stationary objects, such as keys left behind in a coffee shop, but it won't offer live updates if you left those keys in the back of a taxi. In addition, if you're near your home and have you address tied to your Google account, your device won't contribute to the crowdsourced location data used to locate other devices.

Finally, Find My Device works with the established anti-stalker protocols both Android and iOS are a part of. If your device detects a strange tracker, it will alert you and offer instructions on how to find and disable the tracker.

How to use Find My Device

To get started, you'll need an Android device running at least Android 9, and the Find My Device app from the Play Store. Alternatively, you can log into the Find My Device site on desktop.

If you're looking for your own device, you can hit Continue, but if you're helping a friend, choose Sign in as guest and have your friend plug in their credentials. From here, choose the device you want to find: You may need to confirm your device's PIN or provide your Google password instead. Once confirmed, this action will send a notification to that device.

Now, you should see your device on the map. You can choose to get directions to your device, or, if you're close enough to the device, you can use the Find nearby feature.

You have a few other options as well: You can choose to play a sound from your device, which will make it ring at max volume for five minutes (be careful with this one). You can also lock your device with your PIN or password using Secure device to make sure no one can access it: If you use this feature, you can leave a message for anyone who finds your device to help get in contact with you.

Finally, if you can't find it, you can delete the device from your account.

La viande artificielle bientôt dans la gamelle de nos animaux de compagnie ?

Les animaux de compagnie sont de gros consommateurs de viande et, dans le contexte actuel de réduction de nos empreintes carbone, les industriels du marché de la nourriture pour chiens et chats sont en plein boum, comme en témoigne cette marque britannique qui s'apprête à lancer sur le marché la...

Développement de la 6G et de l'IA : « Nous cherchons à développer une IA économe en données et capable de raisonner comme un humain »

En Finlande, l’université de Oulu met le paquet sur le développement de la 6G, mais aussi des IA. Futura y a rencontré Mehdi Bennis, l’un des chercheurs, responsable du développement d’IA révolutionnaires et très différentes de celles promues par OpenAI et Google.

It's Not Just You, Google Pixels Are Glitching Right Now

Look, I know there's a joke that nobody uses a smartphone as a phone anymore, but I don't really think that's true. In between the relentless spam calls, there are still plenty of reasons your smartphone needs to be connected to your carrier's network. As much as data-driven communication platforms have changed the game, traditional phone calls and SMS-based text messages are still part of daily life, even in 2024.

So, when your Pixel decides it no longer wants to reliably connect to your carrier's network, it's going to throw a bit of a wrench in your life. If this sounds like your experience with your Google-made smartphone, you aren't alone—a lot of Pixel owners are experiencing network issues right now, across Pixel devices.

As reported by Android Authority, more and more users are complaining about their Pixel phones not working as, well, phones. Users will miss phone calls entirely, and only notice after they see the call went directly to voicemail, while text messages don't appear as they're received, but rather pop in all at once in batches. It's affecting multiple types of Pixel, as well, including Pixel 7a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 8, and Pixel 8 Pro.

In a Google Support thread about the issue, users blame the March 2024 update for causing this chaos, and suggest the April 2024 update didn't include a patch for it, either. (It isn't present in the release notes.) One alleges this update somehow messed with the phone's IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), which is responsible for powering different communication standards on the Pixel. One commenter goes so far as to say the SMS issues have nearly driven them to iPhone, saying, "Google - are you getting the message?"

We don't know exactly what is causing this network issue with Pixel, and it's not affecting each and every Pixel user, as this Android Police commenter would like readers to know. But there are enough Pixel devices experiencing network problems around the world that this seems to be an issue Google can address. I've reached out to Google regarding the issue, and will update if I hear back.

In the meantime, it seems like the only temporary workaround is to toggle wifi off and on again, to essential toggle wifi calling off and on again as well. Reports suggest the workaround will allow calls and texts through as normal, but only temporarily, as the issue does seem to come back in time.

Refurbished Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable Tablets Are Starting at $379.99 Right Now

Some tablets are powerful enough to do the work of your laptop—the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable is one of them. For a limited time, Woot is selling refurbished i5 and i7 Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable tablets starting at $379.99. The deal goes on until April 14, 2024, at 2:59 a.m. ET or until the tablets sell out.

Keep in mind that these tablets are refurbished, so they might come with signs of wear, but they were all inspected and serviced to work properly. They also come with a three-year Dell warranty, according to Woot. Woot only ships to the 48 contiguous states in the U.S. If you have Amazon Prime, you get free shipping; otherwise, it’ll be $6 to ship. 

The tablets come without their keyboard and pen, but after checking price-tracking tools, you can get them for a record-low price of $112.99 (originally $199.99) on Amazon after a 44% discount. If you were to buy these tablets from Dell with their keyboard and pen, the i5 would run you $1,979, bringing your savings to $1,486. The i7 goes for $2,345.28, so you'd save $1,742 getting it refurbished with the keyboard and pen from Woot and Amazon, respectively.

These Windows tablets came out in 2021 with an "excellent" review from PCMag. They have a kickstand so you can prop them up while you work, a 13-inch 1,920 by 1,280 LED touchscreen display, decent speakers for a tablet, and a battery that will last you over 12 hours.

The i5 comes with 8GB of RAM, and the i7 comes with 16GB of RAM. If you can afford the extra $120, the bump in processing and RAM power is well worth the price (not to mention doubling the storage as well). With that kind of processing and RAM, these tablets can replace most laptops. They also come with Windows 11 Pro and wifi 6A, making it a great option for anyone looking for productivity and portability.

Dents limées et crânes déformés : découverte d'un rituel d'appartenance chez les Vikings

La découverte de nombreux squelettes portant des incisions volontaires sur les dents révèle que les modifications corporelles étaient une pratique existante chez les Vikings. Des chercheurs suggèrent qu’il pourrait s’agir d’un rituel indiquant l’appartenance à une confrérie de marchands.

One UI 6.1 Breaks Some Galaxy Displays (but Now There's a Fix)

Samsung recently released One UI 6.1 for older Galaxy devices, shipping Samsung's big Galaxy AI features to phones like the Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra. However, while features like Circle to Search and translation tools are great to have, they're not worth much if your display is unresponsive.

TechRadar noticed Galaxy users complaining about their displays not functioning following the One UI update on both Reddit and Samsung Community forums. On Reddit, the OP says that after installing version 6.1, their display is totally unresponsive to touch inputs. The only way to get things working is by using the S Pen. Restarting the device doesn't help, either. The OP of the Samsung Community forums thread tried wiping the whole phone, and still the display was unresponsive.

[Update April 5] When this news dropped, the cause of the issue wasn't clear. The leading theory was that One UI 6.1 somehow broke compatibility with third-party displays, as both OPs linked above used non-OEM parts in their affected Galaxy devices. It seemed highly unlikely that Samsung would brick third-party displays on purpose, but since companies have engaged in what's known as parts pairing, it didn't seem unreasonable that Samsung accidentally made these non-Samsung parts unresponsive.

However, Samsung has since commented on the issue, and it's not a third-party display problem. In a post on its Korean Community website, the company claims the issue stems from compatibility problems with "some Google app features." In particular, Samsung highlights Google Discover as the culprit causing touchscreen issues with One UI 6.1.

Whatever is causing the issue, there's also a fix: Samsung says you need to update your Google app to its latest version, delete its data, then restart your Galaxy.

How to fix the One UI 6.1 screen-breaking bug

Update your Google app from the Play Store as you typically would. (You can search for the Google app, then hit Update.) Now, to delete its data, go to Settings > Applications > Google > Storage, then hit Delete data. Restart your Galaxy, and the display should be back to normal, at least according to Samsung.

Unfortunately, Samsung doesn't seem to have a solution for those of you with totally unresponsive displays, as getting to these settings requires some level of input. Hopefully, Samsung issues an official update to patch the issue altogether. You could revert back to One UI 6 in the meantime, but you will lose your data, so if you can get your phone working using the S Pen, that might be the better approach for now.

Le changement climatique impliqué dans des troubles neurologiques !

Le changement climatique nuit non seulement à l’environnement, mais aussi à notre santé neurologique. Avec un peu de retard, la neuroépidémiologie climatique représente désormais un pan de la recherche. Des scientifiques ont évalué l’effet de l'ouragan Sandy – qui s’est abattu sur New York fin...

GPT-4 serait bien plus persuasif qu’un être humain !

Des chercheurs suisses ont étudié la capacité de GPT-4 à changer l’avis de personnes qui discutent avec l’IA. Il suffirait de quelques informations rudimentaires sur les participants pour qu’elle devienne beaucoup plus persuasive qu’un être humain.

Ces squelettes vieux de 2 500 ans révèlent un massacre au cœur des Andes péruviennes

L'archéologie met souvent en exergue les pans d'histoire des plus brutaux que peuvent traverser des sociétés. Au cœur du Pérou, une équipe de chercheurs a découvert plusieurs dizaines de squelettes présentant un détail sordide : ils portent la marque de violents affrontements ayant causé...

Android 15 Might Introduce Satellite-based Emergency Messaging

Google might be working on a beta version of its Google Messages app that supports satellite messaging, following in the footsteps of Apple, which already has a similar feature.

Within the beta version of Google Messages, version 20240329_01_RC00, 9to5Google pointed toward the following strings of text that indicate a forthcoming emergency messaging feature:

• "To send and receive, stay outside with a clear view of the sky"

• "Satellite messaging may take longer and can’t include photos & videos"

• "You can message with anyone, including emergency services"

Apple's version of satellite messaging, called Emergency SOS via satellite, lets you text emergency services or roadside assistance when you don't have cellular or wifi coverage or can't dial 911. It seems like Google's implementation may work similarly to Apple's.

The one thing that makes Google's version of satellite messaging distinct, if the above strings do actually pan out, is that it seems like you can message other people in your contacts, not just emergency services. In theory, in an emergency, you could send a message via satellite to emergency services and also to your friends and family, so they know what's going on.

We'll learn more about this potential new feature in the coming months as Android 15 will most likely be released in the fall, sometime around the Google Pixel 9 series launch.

Cancers évitables : cinq habitudes comportementales à modifier

Tabac, alcool, alimentation déséquilibrée, sédentarité, exposition au soleil, voici les cinq facteurs de risques qui peuvent conduire à développer un cancer plus tard. Cinq comportements sur lesquels il est possible d'agir. En changeant quelques unes de ces habitudes, la moitié des cancers...

Macabre découverte : une communauté précolombienne massacrée au cœur des Andes péruviennes

L'archéologie met souvent en exergue les pans d'histoire des plus brutaux que peuvent traverser des sociétés. Au cœur du Pérou, une équipe de chercheurs a découvert plusieurs dizaines de squelettes présentant un détail sordide : ils portent la marque de violents affrontements ayant causé...

All Three Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Models Are $100 Off

Samsung tablets have dominated the market (and provided the best user experience) at least since the Galaxy Tab S8 series came out in 2022. With the release of the new Galaxy Tab S9 series, the S8 Ultra has gotten cheaper, and Samsung has released more of the "best tablets" for Android users.

If you're looking to pick one up, right now the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, Galaxy Tab S9 FE+, and Galaxy Tab S9 FE are all $100 off on Amazon. Here is which one is right for you.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE

Samsung makes FE versions, or "Fan Edition," of certain cell phones, earphones, and tablet devices. Think of them as devices that integrate better within the Samsung ecosystem and have features that the company's biggest "fans" have requested. The Galaxy Tab S9 FE is one of them, and also the budget version of the latest Tab S9 series.

This sale covers the wifi-only version, so it's not compatible with cellphone carriers. It comes with 128GB or 256GB (both are $100 off their respective list prices), and you can always add more storage with a microSD card. The tablets have 6GB or 8GB of RAM, and both are rated IP68 for water and dust resistance, with 10.9-inch screens, an 8MP front camera and 12MP rear camera, and a battery life of up to 18 hours.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+

If you want more premium experience, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ offers it. The S9 FE+ has a bigger 12.4-inch screen with a higher 2560 by 1600 resolution. It has the same Samsung Exynos 1380 processor and Android 13 operating system as the S9. The camera is also the same, save that it also offers an ultra-wide view for both the rear and front camera. The battery will provide up to 20 hours of juice, and the you can choose between 8GB of RAM in the 128GB storage version, or 12GB of RAM in the 256GB model. The S9 FE+ is an "excellent" tablet according to our pals at PCMag, and well worth the upgrade if you are looking for the best midrange Android tablet on the market.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

The best tablet for Android power users is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, but you'll have to pony up $1,200 to get it. This S9 Ultra tablet comes with 12GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, the largest AMOLED 14.6-inch display of the bunch, with 2560 by 1600 pixels of resolution, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip processor, and wifi 6E. It comes with the Samsung S pen, plus a Samsung Book Keyboard cover. There are two 12MP front-facing cameras and two 13MP rear cameras, with an 8MP ultra wide on both the front and rear. PCMag also gave this one an "excellent" review. If you're looking for the best Android tablet you can get right now, it's the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

Il pourrait bientôt ne plus avoir assez de contenu sur Internet pour entraîner les IA !

Pour entraîner les intelligences artificielles comme ChatGPT, il faut de grandes quantités de données. Plus les modèles de langage derrière les chatbots se complexifient, plus ils nécessitent de données. Selon un article du Wall Street Journal, les entreprises spécialisées dans l’IA pourraient...

Dune est-il plus que de la science-fiction ? La réponse avec James-Webb ! (MAJ)

Le James-Webb est destiné à catalyser un bond dans l'étude des exoplanètes, en particulier pour aider à analyser leur atmosphère en quête d'une vie ailleurs. Pourrait-il découvrir des Arrakis comme dans le roman Dune de Frank Herbert ? Réponse...

The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra Tablet Is $400 Off Right now

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra came out in 2022 and was widely regarded as the best Android tablet available until it was eclipsed by the Tab S9 Ultra last year. Right now, Best Buy is offering the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra for $699.99 (originally $1,099.99). This matches its all-time lowest price, according to my favorite price-tacking tools.

Despite not being the latest and greatest Samsung tablet, it is still one of the best Android tablets you can buy right now, especially if you're looking for a deal. The S8 Ultra comes with a 14.6-inch display, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of internal memory, and a 2960 x 1848 screen resolution . The tablet is only available in the Graphite color and comes with the S-Pen stylus and a free month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

The tablet has an AMOLED display and has surprisingly good sound for a tablet. While the S8 Ultra doesn't come with a keyboard, you can get the official one from Amazon used for $99. Although the tablet has 5G capabilities, this is the wifi-only version, so you can't take it to your cell phone carrier to add 5G.

If you've used or owned tablets before, you're probably used to screens on the smaller end. This model's 14.6-inch screen is one of the largest tablets Samsung has made—and is larger than many compact laptops—so if you're expecting a small portable tablet, think again. This is a productivity-focused tablet that can double as a laptop with its screen size, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, plus the ability to get a full keyboard.

Dune est-il plus que de la science-fiction ? La réponse avec James-Webb !

Le James-Webb est destiné à catalyser un bond dans l'étude des exoplanètes, en particulier pour aider à analyser leur atmosphère en quête d'une vie ailleurs. Pourrait-il découvrir des Arrakis comme dans le roman Dune de Frank Herbert ?

Patient bizarre : il manque de mourir dans sa salle de bains après une réaction allergique au froid

Un homme de 34 ans s’est retrouvé dans le coma à la suite d’une réaction allergique à l’air froid. Une pathologie pas si rare qui se déclenche lors d’une exposition au froid, même si les cas sévères, comme celui-ci, demeurent exceptionnels.

Shazam for Wear OS Now Works Even When Your Phone Isn’t Around

Shazam, the Apple-owned song recognition service, now works on your Android smartwatch, even if your phone isn't with you—with a couple caveats. Once you update Shazam on Wear OS, you'll be able to use it to identify songs directly on your smartwatch. This was first reported by 9to5Google and is a significant development for people with Wear OS smartwatches.

You can get the latest Shazam update from Play Store and use the app whether your phone is with you or not. Another new feature is the ability to instantly sync recognized songs across devices. Once you open the app, you'll have to tap the Shazam icon for it to start listening to the music playing around you. Note that Shazam on Wear OS still requires internet to function. If your watch is offline, the app will log the songs you try to identify, and name them for you once you're back online. You can then listen to these songs on the music streaming service of your choice. 

Google ships a built-in music identifier feature with Wear OS, and that's still faster than using Shazam on your Android smartwatch. Your Google Pixel smartphone ships with a neat Now Playing feature that automatically identifies songs playing around you. It would be nice to have this feature added to Wear OS, but the unfortunate reality is that Google has slowed down the pace of development on the smartwatch platform. 

For some people, Shazam may work out to be a better alternative to the built-in Wear OS song recognition feature because you can sync that across platforms and have it automatically add identified songs to a Spotify playlist. It's good to know that Apple is investing in Shazam's development on platforms it doesn't own (RIP Dark Sky's Android app).

This USB Docking Station for Teslas Is on Sale for $32 Right Now

This docking station for the 2021-2023 Tesla Model 3 or Y is on sale for $31.99 right now (reg. $39.99). It requires no assembly or modifications, fitting snugly into your center USB console without interfering with the sliding covers and storage boxes. The docking station has one USB-A and one USB-C port and retractable Lightning and USB-C cables to connect up to four devices at once. You could connect your game console or laptop to use your Tesla’s screen or power up your devices up to four times faster than your car’s wireless charger with 27W power output.

You can get this docking station for the 2021-2023 Tesla Model 3 or Y on sale for $31.99 right now (reg. $39.99), though prices can change at any time.

Inde : découverte du plus grand impact de météorite des derniers 10 000 ans !

Une nouvelle étude confirme que la structure de Luna, en Inde, serait bien liée à la chute d’une météorite il y a près de 7 000 ans. Il pourrait ainsi s’agir du plus grand cratère d’impact des 10 000 dernières années.

Plus les animaux sauvages sont stressés, plus le risque de pandémie augmente chez nous !

L'origine des pandémies est liée de manière quasiment systématique au déplacement d'animaux sauvages. Pour éviter les pandémies, il suffit de protéger la faune dans son habitat naturel, selon une nouvelle étude effectuée à partir d'observations issues du monde entier.

Bluffant : cette intelligence artificielle parle de vive voix et réagit à vos émotions

Hume vient de dévoiler Evi, sa nouvelle IA dotée d’une intelligence émotionnelle qui détecte vos émotions et y répond. Sa capacité à tenir une conversation de manière naturelle de vive voix est bluffante.

Un énorme cratère d'impact vieux de 7 000 ans découvert en Inde !

Une nouvelle étude confirme que la structure de Luna, en Inde, serait bien liée à la chute d’une météorite il y a près de 7 000 ans. Il pourrait ainsi s’agir du plus grand cratère d’impact des 10 000 dernières années.

OnePlus Now Supports Backups to Google Photos

I was really impressed with the OnePlus 12 when I tested it out earlier this year, and it looks like OnePlus is continuing to improve upon the solid foundation it has built. The latest version of OxygenOS 14, OnePlus’ Android 14 update, has added the option to integrate the OnePlus Photos app with Google Photos.

This allows photos to be more easily backed up to the cloud, though OnePlus hasn’t mentioned whether or not it will offer support for the ProXDR quality option available on higher-end OnePlus devices. OnePlus owners could already download the Google Photos app and complete a backup, but this will do it without requiring any additional apps to be downloaded. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there is any kind of two-way sync for albums, which would be nice.

To enable the new setting on OnePlus devices, you’ll first need to update to OxygenOS 14. That operating system is available on OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 11 devices, as well as on the OnePlus 10T and OnePlus 9. OxygenOS 14 is also available on some mid-range devices, like the OnePlus Nord 2T and Nord 3.

Once upgraded to the latest version, you can find the setting in the OnePlus Photos app. Open the built-in Photos app and select Settings > Backup with Google Photos, and then tap it to activate it. 9to5Google did report some issues with getting the backups working, most notably that they had to force quit the app an then reload it to make things work correctly after enabling the setting.

Every Android 15 Feature We Know About so Far

We’re expecting to finally hear more about Android 15 when Google I/O hits in May—but we already know a good bit about what the new operating system will entail, thanks to Google’s Android Developer Program, which has allowed developers to access Android 15 on select devices for the past couple of months.

Chief among the changes coming to Android 15 is the inclusion of some new improvements to the UI and UX. Each of the options noted below has either been highlighted by Google itself or showcased in a released build for Android 15.

New features coming with Android 15

Notification cooldown

Google will now let you control the amount of notifications that an app can send you. This should help cut down on spammy notifications from games and other social apps while also allowing you to still get your important notifications. Based on the settings seen in screenshots, you have a couple of different options you can use here, including applying the cooldown just to conversations or to all your notifications.

Partial screen sharing

Android 15 will also allow you to select specific windows that you want to record, allowing you more privacy when it comes to recording something to show off. This feature was first enabled on Pixel devices with Android 14 QPR 2, but it’ll become a widespread Android feature with Android 15.

Satellite connectivity

Google continues to lay the groundwork for better satellite connectivity, and Android 15 will allow you more options. Apps will now be able to use APIs that can detect when your device is connected to a satellite, which will help your phone tell which network you’re connected to more easily.

Universal toggle for keyboard vibrations

You’ll also now be able to toggle off all keyboard vibrations with a universal option in settings.

New camera controls

Google is changing how the camera controls look in Android 15. The look of the camera app is changing slightly, and new extensions will provide more control over low light enhancements as well as more precise control of the flash intensity.

High-quality webcam mode

Android 15 will now provide a higher quality mode for using your phone as a webcam. This feature was first made available in Android 14, but it provided low-quality footage. This new setting should hopefully alleviate those quality concerns. 

Better security for sensitive notifications

Many apps still rely on text messages to provide authentication codes. While it isn’t the safest option out there, Google is at least trying to make them a little safer by blocking third-party apps from being able to read your incoming text notifications when they may contain sensitive information like one-time passwords (OTP).

Better continuity on foldables

Android 15 will also provide more continuity features for foldable phones, allowing you to reopen apps more easily when you close your device.

Multi-accessory Bluetooth tile in Quick Settings

Using multiple Bluetooth accessories can be frustrating on Android devices, as you often need to go into the settings to work with them. In Android 15, though, you’ll soon be able to access all your Bluetooth devices from the Quick Settings tile, making it easier to work with multiple accessories.

Easier audio sharing with Auracast

Auracast is getting an update in Android 15, too. You’ll now be able to share and connect to nearby Auracast-supported devices without having to pair them up completely.

Toggleable taskbar for large-screen Android devices

Google is also updating its persistent taskbar on some larger-screen devices. It first introduced the taskbar in Android 12L, but it shrunk it down in Android 13. Now, you’ll be able to choose to make the taskbar permanent in Android 15, if you want it to be available all the time.

Updated cover screen support

Phones running Android 15 will also have better cover screen support, allowing apps to transfer data to the covers of flip phones like the Z Flip more consistently. 

Support for virtual MIDI 2.0

Google is also adding support for virtual MIDI 2.0 devices in Android 15. This is a huge improvement to the initial support for connecting MIDI 2.0 devices via USB, which Google introduced in Android 13. This will now allow users to control synthesizer apps as a virtual MIDI 2.0 device just as they would with a standard USB MIDI 2.0 device.

Health Connect updates

Android 15 will also get some new Health Connect updates, though Google hasn't specified exactly what will change or be improved just yet. All we know is it will support new data types across nutrition, fitness, and more.

Improved loudness control

With Android 15, Google is officially introducing support for the CTA-2075 loudness standard, which will help developers avoid having inconsistencies with loudness. This should help cut down on the amount of constant switching between volumes when moving between different types of content, both when using speakers and headphones.

New performance features

Google is revamping how the Android system provides access to the Android Dynamic Performance Framework (ADPF), which developers rely on for games and more intensive apps. This provides those apps with more direct access to the thermal and power systems on the device. With updated ADPF features, Android 15 will provide a new power efficiency mode, as well as reports for GPU and CPU work durations, and even the option to adjust the frequencies of the GPU and CPU to meet new workload demands. Google is also introducing new thermal headroom thresholds in Android 15, to help with possible thermal throttling.

Ability to archive apps in the Settings

A new archive option will be available in Android 15, providing more user control over how you handle archives for different apps. Google currently only lets you run archiving through the Google Play Store. However, this new setting will let you archive or unarchive apps within your phone’s settings directly.

Privacy changes

Google is also updating the privacy features in Android 15 by updating it to the latest version of the Privacy Sandbox, as well as adding in a new file integrity feature to help keep files working smoothly. Android 15 will also now detect when your screen is being recorded, to help cut down on malicious apps trying to capture your screens without your permission. You’ll also now have to authenticate your identity with biometrics or your passcode when changing the USB mode on your phone. This will help protect you from malicious computer commands.

Of course, there are likely to be more reveals of features that users haven’t spotted in Android 15 as we move closer to Google I/O and Android 15’s eventual release later this year.

Google Pixel Is Getting the iPhone’s Swipe-to-search

Google is making a big change to the Pixel Launcher, and it’s one of the new features of Android 15 I’m most excited about. In the latest Developer Preview for the new version of Android OS, Google has changed up how you trigger the search functionality in the Pixel Launcher, making it much easier to quickly find apps.

Launchers are one of the most important parts of your smartphone experience because they provide the main playground for where your home screen and apps are displayed. As such, having a good launcher can completely change how easily you use your phone. And the new functionality to Pixel Launcher, which is what many Pixel users have, enables the search function to open when swiping up from the bottom of the screen.

This might seem like a small change, but it’s actually one that will help make moving to Android much easier for iPhone users. Now, when using the Google Search bar at the bottom of the screen, you’ll be able to tap on it and search for an app right from your home screen. You’ll also be able to enable swipe up to start search, a new functionality similar to the swipe down to search feature that Apple includes in iOS.

Having used an iPhone as my daily driver for the past four years, one of the biggest hurdles I had to deal with when switching to Android for my Pixel 8 Pro review was the fact that I couldn’t swipe to search. Instead, I had to go in and find my apps manually, which was really annoying and time consuming. This functionality was available in some third-party launchers, like Nova Launcher, but the Pixel Launcher's base options didn't offer it.

By changing how you search in the Pixel Launcher, Google is making it easier than ever to find the apps that you want. It’s a small quality-of-life change that will drastically change how you interact with your phone, and one that will make the already great Pixel 8 Pro even better.

Aside from updating search, Android 15’s Developer Preview 2 will also add in a new sub-menu for the setting, and some speculate new settings may be added, since the only thing there right now is the swipe to search function.

It has only been a couple of months since Google officially revealed Android 15, and we expect to learn more about it and the upcoming Pixel 8a during Google I/O later this year.

What the Pixel 8a Could Look Like, According to Recent Leaks

The Pixel 8 Pro remains one of my favorite Android smartphones of the past year, and so far the Pixel 8a looks to follow in its footsteps. Now, new reports from Android Authority have revealed what we can likely expect to see from the upcoming affordable Google device, and it has raised some interesting questions about the entire lineup as a whole.

According to Android Authority’s sources, the Pixel 8a will sport the same Tensor G3 chip found in the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8, both of which were released last year. Google has also improved the display from the Pixel 7a, as the source claims the Pixel 8a will sport a 120Hz OLED panel with 1,400 nits of peak HDR brightness. That matches the specs already seen on the base Pixel 8, though the display will be slightly smaller at 6.1-inch compared to the 6.2-inch display found in the base Pixel 8.

This upgrade means that the Pixel 8a will look very similar to the Pixel 8, both in design and visual fidelity. It will also sport the same 2400 x 1080 resolution, though it will have a 128-pixel corner radius at native resolution compared to the Pixel 8’s 102-pixel. Of course, all of this is based off of information provided to Android Authority, and until Google officially announces the Pixel 8a’s specs, we won’t know for sure if what we’re looking at is true or not.

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If you're in the market for a Pixel smartphone:

• Google Pixel 7a

• Google Pixel 8

• Google Pixel 8 Pro

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Android Authority’s sources also claim that the Pixel 8a will feature DisplayPort output support, another long-requested feature that first appeared in the main Pixel 8 series. The Pixel 8a will also reportedly feature the same camera setup as the Pixel 7a, though there’s nothing wrong with that camera setup, and Google does most of the heavy lifting for your photographs with its machine learning and built-in AI functionality.

While the Pixel 8a will feature Google’s Tensor G3, it will be slightly different than the one found in the base Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. The silicone die inside the chip is the same, sources claim, but the plastic package around the chip will differ, with the 8a using an integrated package on package setup (IPoP) instead of a Fan-Out Panel Level Packaging (FOPLP). This shouldn’t affect the performance or anything, ultimately, but we’ll see for sure once we have the device in hand.

Having spent so much time with the Pixel 8 lineup, I’m extremely interested to see how the Pixel 8a makes itself stand out from the base Pixel 8. Sure, it will be more affordable, but going forward, Google will need to figure out some way to make these two devices feel different, especially if they’re going to look similar and perform so similarly. It does make me wonder if the company is gearing up to drop the base Pixel in its lineup and instead push the A series with the Pro series, but we’ll see how things play out in the long run.

The reports also indicate that the Pixel 8a will be more widely available than previously A Series Pixels, with the electronic warranty label including new regions such as Finland, Hungary, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and more. Again, we'll have to wait for Google to officially reveal the Pixel 8a and its specs to confirm all of this, but it won't be very surprising to see all this information proven true in the coming months, perhaps even at Google I/O.

The Best Samsung Smartphone You Can Buy Right Now

Capturing nearly 20% of the global market, Samsung has become one of the leading makers of smartphones in the world, with the devices to back it up. The company continues to deliver quality devices and introduce new features, most recently with the well-received Galaxy S24 Ultra.

The new Galaxy is the company's flagship, but it has other models at lower prices that may be enough for your needs. Here are my picks for the best Samsung smartphones on the market in 2024.

Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is excellent on the hardware front, with a 6.2-inch AMOLED display and a capable 50MP camera. but its software is more interesting, introducing the AI features included with Galaxy AI

There is an argument to be made for the more expensive models in the S24 lineup, but for most people, the Galaxy S24 is more than enough phone to get the job done. It features the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 found in pricier models, and the 8GB of RAM will be more than enough for most daily tasks.

The Galaxy S24 typically retails for $799.99, though you can sometimes find it on sale, especially on Amazon.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

If you’re a fan of foldable phones and want the latest and greatest that Samsung has to offer, last year’s Z Fold 5 is what's on offer. This foldable device features a 7.6-inch screen when open, and a 6.2-inch display when it's folded closed.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is available in both 256GB and 512GB storage variants, with a main 50MP photo camera. Being a foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 isn’t cheap; you’ll need to shell out as much as $1,919.99 if it isn’t on sale.

If you want the functionality of a foldable but a little smaller, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is also worth considering.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

If you like the Galaxy S24, but want something a little bigger, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the best Samsung phone for you. Equipped with a 6.8-inch AMOLED display, the Galaxy Ultra S24 is the big daddy of Android smartphones. The included S-Pen can be used to take notes, and the Galaxy AI features allow you to translate phone calls in real time, circle to search for items in photos, and more.

The embedded Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 can power intensive gaming (the 12GB of RAM helps). It should keep your games running smoothly, even when you’re multitasking.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra typically retails for $1,300, depending on model, but it can often be found with small discounts on sites like Amazon.

Samsung Galaxy A54

Though those flagship phones are nice, Samsung also produces worthy mid-range and budget-friendly devices. If you want much of the appeal of a Samsung for less, then the Galaxy A54 is a good choice. This budget-friendly phone offers a fluid 6.4-inch AMOLED display, a 50MP main camera, and expandable storage with 6GB of RAM. The included 5,000mAh battery last you a day.

The Galaxy A54 typically retails for under $500, but you can often find it on sale for as low as $340, making it one of the most appealing and affordable Galaxy phones on the market—though unfortunately, it doesn’t come with access to any of the Galaxy AI features Samsung recently introduced.

Le prix Abel 2024 va au Français Michel Talagrand, un maître de la théorie des probabilités

On ne sait pas très bien pourquoi Alfred Nobel n'a pas créé de prix dans le domaine des mathématiques. Plusieurs prix ont été ensuite introduits pour pallier ce manque et l'un des plus célèbres est le prix Abel, du nom d'un mathématicien norvégien de génie. Cette année, il va au Français Michel...