This homemade Star Trek Tricorder is powered by a Raspberry Pi

Posted on by Corbin Davenport

One of the most iconic devices from the science fiction universe of Star Trek is the Tricorder, a handheld device often used for scanning, analysis, and recording. There have been many officially-licensed toy Tricorders and Tricorder-themed phone cases over the years, but one dedicated tinkerer has made his own functional clone.

Imgur user Himmelen has posted photos of his homemade Tricorder, showing off a 3D-printed folding device that looks much like the prop from Star Trek shows and films (via HackADay). The top section has a small LCD screen and a USB port, while the lower half has a working button panel and another display.

“This is a fully custom cyberdeck-ish project ive been building during the pandemic that I’ve styled after a Tricorder from Star Trek,” the creator said in a Reddit thread. He mentioned the device is powered by a Raspberry Pi Zero, a small single-board computer, fitted with a GPS module and NESDR RTL-SDR radio. The keyboard alone is an impressive achievement, as it’s connected to an external Arduino Nano (another single-board device) that handles input, then sends the results to the Raspberry Pi.

If you want to check out all the photos, head on over to the full Imgur album. The Reddit thread also has a few more comments from the creator on the build process.

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Samsung’s next Galaxy Z Flip could have a different name than expected

Posted on by Corbin Davenport

Samsung’s product plans have shifted around over the past few months, partially due to ongoing supply chain issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the more recent global semiconductor shortage. A successor to the Galaxy Z Flip was expected to arrive alongside the Galaxy S21 earlier this year, but not only has it been delayed, but it could also get a new name.

There has already been speculation that Samsung would name its next clamshell-style foldable phone the ‘Galaxy Z Flip 3,’ even though it would only be the second product in the Z Flip lineup. Citing “several reliable sources,” SamMobile is now reporting that the next Z Flip phone will indeed be called the Galaxy Z Flip 3.

The reasoning could be to synchronize the generations across the Z Fold (which is expected to have a third entry this year) and Z Flip. Samsung pulled the same move with its Galaxy Note phones a few years ago, when it jumped from the Galaxy Note 5 in 2015 to the Galaxy Note 7 in 2016, so it should share generation numbers with the mainstream Galaxy S phones.

Whatever it ends up being called, the next Z Flip phone is expected to have a more powerful processor than the original Z Flip (big surprise, I know) and a 120Hz display. Certification documents for the phone reveal there will be two internal batteries: one 2,370mAh unit and one 903mAh cell.

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Discord plans to block NSFW communities and channels on iOS devices

Posted on by Corbin Davenport

Discord is one of the most popular messaging platforms in existence, with a focus on conversations in dedicated channels and communities (sometimes called ‘servers’) over 1-to-1 communication. However, there is now one catch to using Discord on iOS: servers marked as NSFW are inaccessible.

Discord announced a policy change yesterday (via The Verge), explaining that all adult content should be kept behind an NSFW (‘Not Safe For Work’) warning. The platform has allowed individual channels to be marked as NSFW for years, but now entire communities can have the warning. No one between the ages of 13 and 17 will be able to join or view NSFW communities. If communities with adult content don’t add the warning themselves, Discord may do it on their behalf.

More importantly, NSFW communities and channels will be blocked on all iOS devices, even for people over the age of 18. “iOS users aged 18+ will still be able to join and access NSFW communities on the desktop and web versions of Discord,” the company said.

The move is likely intended to keep Discord on the App Store, as Apple has historically blocked apps that feature or promote adult content. Tumblr famously banned all NSFW content from its platform in 2018, only days after Apple removed its app from the App Store. Tumblr was allowed to return to the App Store shortly afterwards, but not before the platform experienced a mass exodus of users upset at the NSFW ban.

Discord users are already criticizing the company for the new policy, for most of the same reasons that Tumblr users spoke out in 2018. Some believe the move could adversely affect LGBT+ communities (YouTube has a long history of this, for example), while others are concerned that many art communities could be incorrectly marked as NSFW.

It remains to be seen if Discord will lose any significant market share over its new policy. However, it’s not hard to see the platform as stuck between a wall and a hard place — Discord can either play by Apple’s draconian rules, or say goodbye to all iOS users.

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