ROOT Humidifier doubles as a dehumidifier and air purifier

ROOT Humidifier doubles as a dehumidifier and air purifier

ROOT Humidity Conditioner Release

Humidity conditioners are essential, but there aren’t really many devices with such function. VLND (an Industrial Design Studio in South Korea) introduced a concept product design a few years back. This product design won a Bronze award at the International Design Excellence Awards in the United States.

Called ROOT, this Humidity Conditioner for CAIRS is ideal for places that have dry winters and humid summers. A humidifier must be available to keep the humidity at an ideal level, especially indoors. This device will prevent you from feeling dry and uncomfortable in winter, and it can also help to avoid summer sweating.

Designer: VLND Studio

Concept ROOT Humidity Conditioner


ROOT Humidity Conditioner for Cairs

ROOT does the job of keeping the optimum level of humidity. This device can also be used as an air purifier and cleaner, something we all need these days. An air purifier dehumidifier is a home appliance that many people can benefit from. It sucks in air from the bottom and then releases the purified air from the top.

The design was inspired by a traditional Korean brazier. The ROOT is a modern iteration, but instead of providing heat, it helps main the correct humidity level. The ROOT serves the same purpose as the other, creating a pleasant environment for people.

ROOT Humidity Conditioner Concept Design


ROOT can be used as both a humidifier or dehumidifier. It detects the humidity and performs various functions, depending on what is needed. It will dehumidify if the humidity level is too high. It starts to humidify when humidity drops. It comes with a water tank that may be filled depending on the humidity. You need to empty out the water when it’s filled with too much moisture in the air.

ROOT Humidity Conditioner Details

When the air is dry, you then need to fill the water tank for it to function and do the opposite of humidifying the surrounding. There are fine holes at the top of ROOT. There are lights that indicate the status of the device. The brightness of the device will vary depending on its air quality. If the light blinks, it’s a sign that the water tank is empty or full.

ROOT Humidity Conditioner Concept

The ROOT is designed to be placed in the center of a space instead of just being placed near the wall. It will perform better if it’s in the middle of the room. The design of this device is something like a furniture item. The device is not too boring, but also doesn’t seem overwhelming. It is one interesting piece that can complement the home interior with its industrial minimalist style. It has a wood texture that gives it a natural feel, while its chrome legs give it a more luxurious look.

ROOT Humidity Conditioner

ROOT Humidity Conditioner Design

ROOT Humidity Conditioner Design Concept

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Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater glitch allows you to skip ladder scene

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater glitch allows you to skip ladder scene

Hideo Kojima’s notoriously long set pieces can be no match for speedrunners’ game-breaking antics. On Tuesday, speedrunner Apel at last figured out how to skip the long ladder climb in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. As Metal Gear fans well and truly know, this is one hell of a climb otherwise, so Apel’s discovery is a public service.

In the exploit, Solid Snake assumes a T-pose after some menu glitching and — presto! — The swan jumps in the room over the ladder climb. This clip comes from the HD remake released in 2011 on PlayStation 3.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater first launched in 2004, and by then Kojima was really finding his groove as a game director. Two-minute ladder climbs are a classic Kojima scene. It is a two minute long one. Snake has just defeated a deadly sniper and must endure a slow climb up to the top. This is a far cry of the super-spy lifestyle Snake had vowed to live.

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Vicarious Visions officially merges with Blizzard, drops name

Vicarious Visions officially merges with Blizzard, drops name

Vicarious Visions, the makers of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2, has been fully merged into Blizzard Entertainment, the studio said on Tuesday. It said that the entire Blizzard Entertainment development team is still based in Albany, New York.

The completed merger means a studio founded 31 years ago will lose its name and original branding. Blizzard announced the merger last year, and workers were informed about the name change in October 2021.

We’ve officially merged with Blizzard Entertainment. The Blizzard Entertainment development team will continue to be based in Albany, NY. They are fully committed to Blizzard Games. We invite you to follow us @Blizzard_Ent

— Vicarious Visions (@VvisionsStudio) April 12, 2022

Vicarious Visions was founded in 1991 by brothers Karthik and Guha Bala, who sold the studio to Activision in 2005. Since then, Vicarious Visions developers have worked on ports for titles like Ultimate Spider-Man, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy. The studio is best known for the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2, and for supporting last September’s Diablo II: Resurrected.

Former Vicarious Visions Studio head Jen Oneal was appointed Blizzard’s executive vice president for development in January after Vicarious Visions was merged into Blizzard. The following July, when Blizzard president J. Allen Brack stepped down in light of a workplace discrimination and harassment lawsuit brought by California regulators, Oneal and Mike Ybarra took Brack’s place leading Blizzard. Oneal left that position shortly thereafter. A Wall Street Journal article later stated Oneal said she doubted Activision Blizzard leadership in the light of multiple discrimination and sexual harassment investigations.

In January, Microsoft announced its intention to acquire Activision Blizzard in a landmark $68. 7 billion deal, which will face scrutiny from regulators with the Federal Trade Commission. Chief executive Bobby Kotick also is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice over potential insider trading, the Journal reported.

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Apple’s AR headset possibly delayed until 2023

Apple’s AR headset possibly delayed until 2023

A new report from Jeff Pu suggests that Apple’s AR headset will be further delayed and will likely only launch at the beginning of the next year. That’s not really a huge delay as the most recent rumors pointed at a late-2022 release, but it’s still not great.

Apple's AR headset possibly delayed until 2023

Perhaps supply chain constraints and the fact that Apple doesn’t want to release its first AR device in limited stock forced the company to push back the date again. Initial expectations sit at around 1 to 1. 5 million sales in the first year, which is quite an ambitious goal. So scarce stock from the very beginning won’t be good for the company’s first headset of such kind.

Although AR and VR glasses aren’t a new thing, Apple’s solution, which is tipped to cost around $2,000, will be the first one in the premium segment and that’s another reason not to release the device in limited quantities from the start.

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T-Mobile US is bringing back the Unlimited Google Photos storage

T-Mobile US is bringing back the Unlimited Google Photos storage

Last year Google stopped offering unlimited photo backup, which saved photos at a reduced quality, after discontinuing the original quality storage that was available to Pixel buyers. Now there’s a way to get it back, however, instead of being exclusive to Pixel owners, it will only be available to T-Mobile subscribers in the US.

The $15 a month plan will become available on April 26. It combines a 2 TB Google One subscription ($10/mo from Google, $100 for the year) with unlimited storage for photos and videos at full resolution.

Note that this only applies to the main account holder, meaning that if you have a family plan, only one of you is getting unlimited storage. The 2 TB storage can be shared with up to 5 people, though.


T-Mobile's Google One offerings, including the 2 TB + Unlimited Google Photos deal

T-Mobile’s Google One offerings, including the 2 TB + Unlimited Google Photos deal

This offer comes with all the usual perks of Google One, e.g. the ability to back up your phone to the cloud, getting extended trials for Google services (YouTube Premium, Stadia, etc. You will also receive a VPN for Android or iOS, along with a couple of other goodies. These perks can also be shared with up to 5 people.

If you’re interested, you can check out more details about the new plan over on T-Mobile.com. If you don’t need that much storage (especially for photos), T-Mobile also has an exclusive 500 GB One tier for $5 a month. Google only offers three paid tiers: 100 GB for $2/mo, 200 GB for $3/mo and 2 TB for $10/mo.

By the way, Google Fi subscribers don’t have access to such a deal, which suggests that T-Mobile is footing the bill for the extra storage.

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Waze gets new Retro Mode in latest update

Waze gets new Retro Mode in latest update

Retro Mode is a new feature on navigation app Waze that lets you set vibes based on past decades. There’s a 70s mode that transforms your car avatar to a flower van and adds a DJ as you navigator while the mood is set to a lava lamp. The 80s theme has a racer sports car as your avatar and an aerobics instructor as the navigator as well as a boombox as your mood emoticon. The 90s mode brings a two-door SUV as you car avatar, a pop-star navigator and a desktop PC as your mood.

Waze gets new Retro Mode in latest update

Music streaming service TuneIn is partnering with Waze to deliver curated playlists based on the different modes. Users in the US and Canada get 90s hits, those in France are treated to 80s music while the UK gets the 70s tunes. For a short time, the new Waze Retro mood is now available worldwide in English and Portuguese. If you want to test the new features, please update your app to the most recent version. Then go to the My Waze menu within the app.

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Google and Samsung are making phone repairs a lot more accessible

Google and Samsung are making phone repairs a lot more accessible


While they aren’t making phones that can be repaired easily, Samsung and Google have made big strides in making them more durable.

Smartphones have become more than just a luxury item that the wealthy can afford. However, there are a number that are affordable and that are worth the investment. Some of these mobile devices have been as important as computers and have almost become part of our daily lives. Smartphones are designed to break down, unlike most other tools like laptops or PCs. While they are possible to repair, the expense of replacing a phone can sometimes make it more expensive. This is not to mention the time-consuming process of returning a phone for repair, which can sometimes lead to privacy violations. Smartphone repairs can add to the stress of a broken phone, but two of the world’s most famous tech companies are trying to change the status quo and make these devices easier and more affordable to fix than ever before.

Designer: Google


Google and iFixit team-up

Smartphones are constructed today in such a way as to prevent them from falling apart. The phones are also protected from liquids and dust that could otherwise cause damage to the interior. The side effect of making it more difficult to open up these phones for repairs. Gone are the days when you could simply pop off the phone’s back to change the battery. These days, you risk cracking the glass rear right at the start of the repair process.


That’s not the only consideration when repairing a phone, though. First-party repair services are often expensive and limited, especially for phones with limited availability like Google’s Pixels. Although there are some third-party companies and more advanced users who can repair phones themselves, this practice is strongly discouraged. It’s not always easy to find genuine parts. Most companies won’t sell them to anyone outside the company.

Google is trying to challenge that business model and has partnered with iFixit to sell those replacement parts, ranging from batteries to displays to cameras and more. This, of course, means that Google is giving blanket permission for anyone to repair their own Pixel phone, a trend that is thankfully gaining traction among the big smartphone makers. Apple kicked it off last year, and Samsung followed suit earlier this month, teaming up with iFixit as well.

Images: iFixit

Of course, this presumes that the phones are designed to be easily repaired, which isn’t generally the case. The Google Pixel 6 Pro, however, does diverge from the path that most phones take and have a few places where it does help facilitate self-repairs. Although we are far from perfect, some companies won’t punish you for fixing your phone by yourself.

Samsung Recycled Replacemnts

Samsung is already ahead of the self-repair game, but it might be doing something extra special to really drive the sustainability message home. Making replacement parts easily accessible is definitely a good thing, but that also comes with the risks of increasing e-waste even more. This new program could cause more harm than its intended purpose, as electronics can be thrown away and easily replaced.

According to industry reports, however, Samsung might have a simple solution to that as well. Samsung has made a lot about recycling and upcycling and might use the same process to replace parts. In other words, Samsung might introduce a program where it will provide certified recycled parts to be used for repairs and replacements.

Designer: Samsung

In addition to the environmental benefits of such a program, using recycled parts could also be advantageous to consumers. These parts could reduce repair costs by as much as half. Not only does it make self-repairs more accessible and affordable, it also encourages such a culture of repair in opposition to current business models. Hopefully, both Google’s and Samsung’s efforts will bear good fruit so that they become role models on how to make smartphones more sustainable in the long run.

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Sony’s PlayStation VR2 headset may have been delayed to next year

Sony’s PlayStation VR2 headset may have been delayed to next year

Sony’s original PlayStation VR came out in late 2016 and is quite old at this point. This January the company finally announced plans to release version 2, revealing the design a month later. Sony never committed to a particular launch date, however, but the assumption was that it will come out this year.

That may be wrong, Ross Young (of Display Supply Chain Consultants) reports that the PlayStation VR2 is coming out next year. It’s not clear what caused the delay, not even if this is a delay – 2023 may have been the original target. However, missing the holiday season could affect sales.

Sony's PlayStation VR2 headset may have been delayed to next year

The PSVR2 is designed to work with the PlayStation 5, communicating over a single USB-C cable. That cable will carry 4K HDR imagery at 90 Hz or 120 Hz. The headset hardware is upgraded with a wider 110° field of view (up from 100° FoV on the original) and a much sharper image thanks to two OLED displays with 2,000 x 2,040 px resolution (vs. a single 1,920 x 1,080 px panel). Two IR cameras for eye tracking give the option for foveated rendering.

Anyway, DSCC is predicting a huge jump in sales of VR headsets this year, despite the delay of both the PSVR2 and Apple’s rumored headset. The target for the industry is to ship over 15 million panels (it’s hard to say how many headsets this works out to – some use one panel, others two).

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Samsung and Virgin Media O2 Deploy Multiple Live 4G and 5G Sites

Samsung and Virgin Media O2 Deploy Multiple Live 4G and 5G Sites – Samsung Global Newsroom

Companies expand their 4G/5G collaboration on live network in the U.K., progressing from lab to field

Samsung Electronics and Virgin Media O2 announced today the companies have successfully completed the deployment of multiple live 4G and 5G sites in the U.K., advancing the next phase of their collaboration. In tandem with this deployment, the companies also completed the first 5G data call on Virgin Media O2’s commercial 5G network, using the sites.

 

Field trials were jointly carried out on the sites — located in Tamworth and the Peak District, England since the start of this year. They followed successful lab tests conducted in October 2021, validating the capability and performance of Samsung’s 4G and 5G solutions on Virgin Media O2’s commercial network.

 

In addition, these field tests demonstrated interoperability between Virgin Media O2’s 2G/3G/4G networks and Samsung’s latest 4G and 5G solutions, and validated use of Samsung’s Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) capabilities, should they be required.

 

Samsung provided its latest network solutions for trials including 4G radios, 5G Massive MIMO radios and baseband units. The solutions cover a wide range of Virgin Media O2’s spectrum holdings, from low- to mid-band (800MHz, 2.1GHz and 3.5GHz). Specifically, Samsung delivered its 5G 64T64R Massive MIMO radios for the 3.5GHz spectrum, a major 5G spectrum band for the operator’s network.

 

Samsung’s 5G 64T64R Massive MIMO radios are commercially deployed on a large scale in global markets, currently providing mobile service to millions of customers. This solution, in combination with Samsung’s baseband unit, will deliver improved coverage and higher data capacity to enhance 5G customer mobile experiences.

 

The Samsung radio solution used for this trial can also be O-RAN compliant with some configuration changes and additional support, making it ready to leverage the multiple benefits of the new technology in the future.

 

“Samsung is excited to extend our network collaboration with Virgin Media O2 in the U.K., advancing from lab trials to now delivering 4G and 5G in commercial networks out in the field,” said Francis BJ Chun, President and CEO, Samsung Electronics U.K. “We look forward to playing a major part of the diversification of the network equipment supply chain in the U.K. market.”

 

“We are pleased to build on our previous collaboration with Samsung, delivering another 5G milestone in our push to developing Open RAN technologies,” said Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2. “We will continue our collaborative efforts with Samsung to explore the possibilities of 5G and push the technology further to deliver superior end-user experiences for our customers.”

 

Open RAN technology has been at the forefront of Virgin Media O2’s network infrastructure strategy for over two years, with its first trials announced in early 2020.

 

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio from fully virtualized RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company is currently providing network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users around the world.

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Former Xiaomi India director under investigation for breaching foreign exchange laws

Former Xiaomi India director under investigation for breaching foreign exchange laws

Manu Kumar Jain, former managing director of Xiaomi India, is under investigation over possible breach of India’s foreign exchange laws, Reuters reveals, quoting two sources with direct knowledge.

The executive, currently global VP and residing in Dubai, UAE, is already in India but did not respond to a request to comment.

Manu Kumar Jain, Xiaomi Global VPManu Kumar Jain, Xiaomi Global VP

India’s Enforcement Directorate is looking into the relationship between the Chinese company Xiaomi and its Indian division. Fund flows between the two entities are being reviewed, and that includes royalty payments.

The agency requested documents back in February, including details on foreign funding, shareholding, funding patterns, financial statements and key executives running the business, reported Reuters.

The attack on Xiaomi is yet another step India is taking amid rising tensions with its neighboring country. Previously, scrutiny involved raiding the brand’s office in India in a separate investigation over alleged income tax evasion. Other Chinese makers were raided as well.

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