3pm EDT SpaceX update: New SpaceX launch video and video replays have been added embedded via YouTube and Twitter below, so you can rewatch the highlights, from liftoff on the Dragon Endeavor to docking with the International Space Station. Next up is a post-arrival news conference at the Johnson Space Center at 3:15pm EDT.
1:47pm EDT update: The live stream video just showed the Dragon Endeavor crew being greeted by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, NASA Johnson Space Center Director Mark Geyer, US Senator Ted Cruz, and US Representative Brian Babin on a video call from Mission Control in Houston, Texas.
1:30pm EDT update: The two NASA astronauts who went up on the SpaceX Dragon capsule yesterday have joined three other astronauts on the ISS (International Space Station): American Chris Cassidy and Russians Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner.
1pmEDT update: The hatch is now open (as of 1:02pm EDT on March 31), meaning the hatch between the SpaceX Dragon capsule and the ISS is open and the two NASA astronauts can float through the International Space Station.
The live stream continues below via a YouTube video, and it's happening after the two astronauts established pressure equalization in SpaceX Dragon capsule.
The SpaceX hatch is opening a little more than two hours after docking with the ISS. The SpaceX Dragon docking with the ISS was a success and happened autonomously, at first with a soft capture, then there were 12 latches around the docking ring that created a pressure-tight seal. An umbilical cord was then deployed to link the SpaceX Dragon and the ISS to share power and data – think of it has a giant USB-C cable in space.
It took a total of 19 hours for the SpaceX Dragon capsule to navigate to the ISS for docking on Sunday, following a successful SpaceX launch live stream. You can see a video replay of the liftoff below, along with four other can't-miss highlight videos.
SpaceX live stream video
Here's where you're able to watch the NASA astronauts float around in space board the SpaceX Dragon capsule. The live stream commentary has been brilliant, insightful and inspiring regarding the future of commercial space travel.
SpaceX video: see the NASA astronauts arrive at ISS
For the first time, NASA astronauts arrived at the International Space Station from a commercially-made spacecraft. Watch Doug and Bob join three other astronauts from the Dragon Endeavor (what they named their capsule after the launch).
SpaceX hatch opening video replay
The SpaceX hatch opened at 12:45pm EDT, a little more than two hours after the Dragon capsule first linked up with the ISS. NASA astronauts equalized the pressure between the two spacecrafts so that they could move to the ISS.
SpaceX docking with ISS video replay
You can see the ISS docking in this video below. It shows the SpaceX Dragon and ISS linking up in what's called a 'soft capture'. It happened autonomously, and then a set a 12 latches or hooks create a pressurized seal so that the two crafts orbit together.
This particular SpaceX video is of the more visually-pleasing soft capture (there's no good video vantage point for the more internalized hard capture with latches).
SpaceX toy dinosaur floating in zero gravity
You can't buy the "Ty Flippable Tremor The Aqua/Pink Sequin Dinosaur" on Amazon anymore. It's sold out after it was seen floating in space. The NASA astronauts took it onboard for their kids to see it experience zero gravity.
Best SpaceX video replays
All of the important SpaceX video replays are below, from launch to right now.
Both SpaceX and NASA are providing a bunch of footage – both live video and video replays – to capture this space mission. Here are the best videos to check out.
1. SpaceX launch video replay – see the liftoff again
Liftoff happened at 3:22pm EDT Saturday, and it was spectacular, especially after a nine-year hiatus for NASA launches on US soil. You can rewatch the launch again.
2. SpaceX Falcon 9 booster returns to Earth
Just beyond the T-0 countdown, we saw the SpaceX Falcon 9 booster return to Earth – and land successfully. Having a reusable rocket is a huge milestone for the future of space travel when it comes to cost.
Commentators on the SpaceX live stream compared the Space Shuttle era rockets falling into the ocean (and being scrapped) as throwing away an airplane engine every time a plane pulled into an airport gate. It's a great analogy to explain why what SpaceX pulled off on Saturday was a huge deal for space exploration.
3. Falcon 9 second stage separates from Dragon capsule
Here's some great footage of the Falcon 9 second stage rocket separating from the Dragon Capsule and falling back to Earth.
4. NASA astronauts' first video transmission
Right now, NASA astronauts are above Earth in the SpaceX-made Dragon capsule as you read this (they'll be up there for 19 hours), and they're wearing SpaceX-designed spacesuits. The US government's Space Shuttle program ended nine years ago and the private SpaceX has picked up where NASA left off. It's a giant step for space exploration.
5. Live views of the SpaceX Dragon orbiting the Earth
The SpaceX cameras were able to capture some amazing live views of Earth as the Dragon capsule orbited the planet on its way to dock with the ISS. Here's a short clip of exactly that.
The first hours of Saturday's SpaceX livestream felt like deja vu if you watched the SpaceX live stream Wednesday. But unlike that first launch attempt, Saturday's launch countdown didn't stop at T-minus 17 minutes. Instead, history was made.
It wasn't always clear that Saturday's launch would happen, even minutes before the launch window. "We are predicting a 50/50 shot of going this time," said NASA administrator NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine at the top of the SpaceX live stream. "But given the fact that we are in late May – in Florida – we have to take every shot that we can get." They're glad that they did, despite the gloomy forecast.
Saturday's SpaceX Demo-2 mission was a delayed and a second attempt, but it was always going to be historic, as it's happening at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It's the first such launch on US soil in nearly a decade – since NASA retired the Space Shuttle nine years ago. It's also the first time that a SpaceX reusable spacecraft has sent NASA astronauts into space. It's the birth of commercially-backed human space travel.
It's the birth of commercially-backed human space travel.
The destination of this SpaceX launch is the International Space Station (ISS) for a one- to four-month duration for NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, according to our friends over at Space.com.
SpaceX launch – as it happened on Saturday, May 30
The official Demo-2 SpaceX launch time, Saturday, May 30 at 3:22pm EDT, so the times across the continental US were 2:22pm CDT / 1:22pm MDT / 12:22pm PDT.
The UK SpaceX launch time was 20:22 BST. In addition to tuning into the video live stream, you were able to go outside soon afterward and maybe catch a glimpse of the SpaceX-built spacecraft in the night sky at around 20:40 BST.
In Australia, it was already Sunday morning, with the new launch time occurring at 5:22am AEST.
SpaceX launch weather concerns subsided
Up until the last few minutes of Saturday's SpaceX launch, weather was a concern. It wouldn't have been time, as we saw this play out on Wednesday: "The weather got us," admitted NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine in a somber 30-second Twitter video on Wednesday. "I know there was a lot of disappointment today."
Bridenstine went on to explain the reasoning behind what we all saw: the SpaceX launch was scrubbed just 17 minutes inside the launch window, with NASA hanging on until the last minutes in an effort to save its efforts. The weather didn't cooperate.
NASA has strict weather rules for clearing spacecraft launches and noted that three weather violations existed, including the chance of the craft triggering 'natural lightning'. If they would have been able to wait ten minutes beyond the countdown, they could have cleared those three violations, according to SpaceX and NASA officials.
Waiting even ten minutes wasn't an option, though. Both Saturday's successful launch and Wednesday's scrubbed launch had what's known as an 'instantaneous launch window', meaning due orbital mechanics a delay wasn't possible if the crew wanted to get to the International Space Station (ISS) on time and lock in accurately. Blame Newtown's law of universal gravity, if you'd like.
The good news is that everything technical with the SpaceX craft and NASA crew was 'go for liftoff' on both days when the hatch door successfully closed. Weather was the only concern, according to NASA during the live streams.
Even with all of the exceptional planning ahead of this SpaceX launch, NASA and SpaceX can't control the weather (not yet anyway). Florida, while normally sunny, does have frequent quick-moving thunderstorms (anyone who has ever visited nearby Disney World knows that), and that's what the crew faced Wednesday and most of Saturday until the final half-hour.
Another weather variable is the fact that the weather conditions need to be good everywhere this spacecraft might be. For example, if the crew had to abort anywhere along their ascent and come down, recovery crews would need to access the capsule, so it's more than just the immediate Florida launchpad that needs ideal weather.
What happened before the SpaceX launch
The live stream saw SpaceX founder Elon Musk visit suited-up astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken and exchange a few words before liftoff time. Sadly, there was no audio during this portion of the live stream on Wednesday.
Musk then greeted US Vice President Mike Pence, who is there to watch the launch, while President Donald Trump joined soon after. Hurley and Behnken traveled to the launch site in a Tesla Model X (Tesla being another company Musk founded). Both the President and Vice President returned to see the launch Saturday.
NASA continued to monitor the weather via data sensors around the launch site in an effort to get everything into 'the green position' on their maps. At the time, NASA said, "the weather is trending in the right direction," but as the countdown got to T-minus 17 minutes, favorability went the other direction.
This meant that the crew was seated in the capsule after crossing the crew access arm, and the crew arm had already retracted. Steam started to come off of the rocket before the launch was called off. It was that close to liftoff.
SpaceX spacecraft, SpaceX suits and NASA astronauts
NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are inside the SpaceX Dragon capsule, which sat atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for liftoff. It was situated on a launch pad at legendary Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida’s Cape Canaveral.
LC-39A was originally built for the Apollo missions and remodeled for the Space Shuttle program. Now it's home to the first space flight to send astronauts into space using a private aerospace company.
Hurley (the spacecraft commander) and Behnken (the joint operations commander) are NASA astronauts, engineers and both former members of US military (Hurley is a former marine, while Behnken was in the US Air Force).
The two-man NASA crew are not only be flying in a SpaceX-built spacecraft, but also outfitted in SpaceX pressurized suits, first shown off in 2017.
Update:Incoming video transmission from NASA astronauts 'Doug and Bob'. They have taken off their SpaceX spacesuits and sent a short video from far above Earth. We also have a bunch of prior videos below you can replay.
Watch the first video transmission from the NASA astronauts:
All of the important SpaceX video replays are below. Liftoff happened at 3:22pm EDT and, beyond the T-0 countdown, we saw the Falcon 9 booster return to Earth (and land successfully). You can rewatch the videos or tune into the live stream below.
Watch the SpaceX liftoff replay video:
How long is the SpaceX live stream? It'll take US NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken 19 hours to get to dock with the International Space Station. The new spacecraft lifted off on Saturday, returning American NASA astronauts to space from US soil for the first time since 2011.
Video replay for the SpaceX Falcon 9 booster return to Earth:
Video replay of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket separation from the Dragon Capsule:
Watch the ongoing SpaceX launch live stream via YouTube:
Right now, NASA astronauts are above Earth in the SpaceX-made Dragon capsule as you read this (they'll be up there for 19 hours), and they're wearing SpaceX-designed spacesuits. The US government's Space Shuttle program ended nine years ago and the private SpaceX has picked up where NASA left off. It's a giant step for space exploration.
The live stream commentary is brilliant, insightful and inspiring regarding the future of commercial space travel.
Here's a fantastic view from the SpaceX live video of the Dragon Crew fully separated and on the way to the International Space Station, at first rocketing, then boosting a key moments and finally floating their way to the ISS.
Okay, yes, it felt like deja vu today if you were like us and watched the SpaceX live stream this past Wednesday. But unlike that first launch attempt, Saturday's launch countdown didn't stop at T-minus 17 minutes. Instead, history was made.
It wasn't always clear that today's launch would happen, even minutes before the launch window. "We are predicting a 50/50 shot of going this time," said NASA administrator NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine at the top of the SpaceX live stream. "But given the fact that we are in late May – in Florida – we have to take every shot that we can get."
SpaceX and NASA officials were very glad to take that shot. You can see from SpaceX founder Elon Musk's most recent tweet, we're well underway, and there were plenty of cheers from the watch area surrounding the Florida launchpad.
Today's SpaceX Demo-2 mission was delayed and a second attempt, but it was always going to be historic, as it's happening at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It's the first such launch on US soil in nearly a decade – since NASA retired the Space Shuttle nine years ago. It's also the first time that a SpaceX reusable spacecraft has sent NASA astronauts into space. It's the birth of commercially-backed human space travel.
It's the birth of commercially-backed human space travel.
The destination of this SpaceX launch is the International Space Station (ISS) for a one- to four-month duration for NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, according to our friends over at Space.com.
SpaceX launch – as it happened on Saturday, May 30
The official Demo-2 SpaceX launch time was today, Saturday, May 30 at 3:22pm EDT, so the times across the continental US were 2:22pm CDT / 1:22pm MDT / 12:22pm PDT.
The UK SpaceX launch time was 20:22 BST. In addition to tuning into the video live stream, you were able to go outside soon afterward and maybe catch a glimpse of the SpaceX-built spacecraft in the night sky at around 20:40 BST.
In Australia, it was already Sunday morning, with the new launch time occurring at 5:22am AEST.
SpaceX launch weather concerns subside
Up until the last few minutes of Saturday's SpaceX launch, weather was a concern. It wouldn't have been time, as we saw this play out on Wednesday: "The weather got us," admitted NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine in a somber 30-second Twitter video on Wednesday. "I know there was a lot of disappointment today."
Bridenstine went on to explain the reasoning behind what we all saw: the SpaceX launch was scrubbed just 17 minutes inside the launch window, with NASA hanging on until the last minutes in an effort to save its efforts. The weather didn't cooperate.
NASA has strict weather rules for clearing spacecraft launches and noted that three weather violations existed, including the chance of the craft triggering 'natural lightning'. If they would have been able to wait ten minutes beyond the countdown, they could have cleared those three violations, according to SpaceX and NASA officials.
Waiting even ten minutes wasn't an option, though. This launch was what's known as an 'instantaneous launch window', meaning due orbital mechanics a delay wasn't possible if the crew wanted to get to the International Space Station (ISS) on time and lock in accurately. Blame Newtown's law of universal gravity, if you'd like.
The good news is that everything technical with the SpaceX craft and NASA crew was 'go for liftoff' on Wednesday when the hatch door successfully closed. So as long as this weekend's weather cooperates and doesn't trigger NASA's risk calculations, the mission will happen on Saturday. Weather was the only concern, according to NASA during the live stream wrap-up.
Even with all of the exceptional planning ahead of this SpaceX launch, NASA and SpaceX can't control the weather (not yet anyway). Florida, while normally sunny, does have frequent quick-moving thunderstorms (anyone who has ever visited nearby Disney World knows that), and that's what the crew faced Wednesday.
The SpaceX launch live stream had constant chatter from operators discussing rain conditions. They waited until a few minutes before the countdown expired to scrub the mission, hoping to pull it off. They got to T-minus 17 minutes before making the final decision. Saturday, May 30 will be the next launch date for the SpaceX launch.
Another weather variable is the fact that the weather conditions need to be good everywhere this spacecraft might be. For example, if the crew had to abort anywhere along their ascent and come down, recovery crews would need to access the capsule, so it's more than just the immediate Florida launchpad that needs ideal weather.
How to watch the SpaceX launch on Saturday
The official NASA and SpaceX YouTube accounts will be offering a live stream of the preparations, which they noted will feel like deja vu if you had already tuned in for the Wednesday launch.
We have the YouTube video embedded (at the top of the page) that is now¸ live. You won't have to travel very far. And don't worry, you don't have to tune into both the NASA and SpaceX live stream videos – they're offering the same content across the two live streams,
On Wednesday, we saw SpaceX founder Elon Musk visit suited-up astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken and exchange a few words before liftoff time. Sadly, there was no audio during this portion of the live stream.
Musk then greeted US Vice President Mike Pence, who is there to watch the launch, while President Donald Trump joined soon after. Hurley and Behnken traveled to the launch site in a Tesla Model X (Tesla being another company Musk founded).
NASA continued to monitor the weather via data sensors around the launch site in an effort to get everything into 'the green position' on their maps. At the time, NASA said, "the weather is trending in the right direction," but as the countdown got to T-minus 17 minutes, favorability went the other direction.
This meant that the crew was seated in the capsule after crossing the crew access arm, and the crew arm had already retracted. Steam started to come off of the rocket before the launch was called off. It was that close to liftoff.
SpaceX spacecraft, SpaceX suits and NASA astronauts
Now that it's Saturday, astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are back inside the small Dragon capsule, which sits atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It's situated on a launch pad at legendary Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida’s Cape Canaveral.
LC-39A was originally built for the Apollo missions and remodeled for the Space Shuttle program. Now it's home to the first space flight to send astronauts into space using a private aerospace company.
Hurley (the spacecraft commander) and Behnken (the joint operations commander) are NASA astronauts, engineers and both former members of US military (Hurley is a former marine, while Behnken was in the US Air Force).
The two-man NASA crew will not only be flying in a SpaceX-built spacecraft, but also outfitted in SpaceX pressurized suits, first shown off in 2017. They're back suited up again for Saturday's SpaceX launch.
The SpaceX launch was canceled on Wednesday due to weather concerns, and now the liftoff live stream has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 30 at 3:22pm EDT. We'll be carrying the SpaceX live stream here over the weekend.
"The weather got us," admitted NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine in a 30-second Twitter video. "I know there was a lot of disappointment today."
Bridenstine went on to explain the reasoning behind what we all saw: the SpaceX launch was scrubbed just 17 minutes inside the launch window, with NASA hanging on until the last minutes in an effort to save its efforts. The weather didn't care.
NASA has strict weather rules for clearing spacecraft launches and noted that three weather violations existed, including the chance of triggering 'natural lightning'. If they would have been able to wait ten minutes beyond the countdown, they could have cleared those three violations, according to SpaceX and NASA officials.
Waiting, even ten minutes, wasn't an option, though. This launch was what's known as an 'instantaneous launch', meaning due orbital mechanics a delay wasn't possible if the crew wanted to get to the International Space Station (ISS) on time and lock in accurately. Blame Newtown's law of universal gravity, if you'd like.
The good news is that everything technical with the SpaceX craft and NASA crew was 'go for liftoff' on Wednesday when the hatch door successfully closed. So as long as this weekend's weather cooperates and doesn't trigger NASA's risk calculations, the mission will happen on Saturday. Weather was the only concern, according to NASA during the live stream wrap-up.
It's the birth of commercially-backed human space travel.
This delayed SpaceX Demo-2 mission remains historic, as it's happening at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It's the first such launch on US soil in nearly a decade – since NASA retired the Space Shuttle in 2011. It's also the first time that a SpaceX reusable spacecraft will be sending NASA astronauts into space. It's the birth of commercially-backed human space travel.
The destination of this SpaceX launch is the International Space Station (ISS) for a one- to four-month duration for NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, according to our friends over at Space.com.
You, of course, may have more questions. What time is the SpaceX live streaming starting in your region of the world on Saturday now that it's been cancelled for Wednesday? What happened during the whole prep process (and will likely happen again on Saturday)? And who are the two NASA astronauts?
We have all of those answers below, as we wait for the SpaceX countdown – again.
SpaceX launch weather concerns delay liftoff
Even with all of the exceptional planning ahead of this SpaceX launch, NASA and SpaceX can't control the weather (not yet anyway). Florida, while normally sunny, does have frequent quick-moving thunderstorms (anyone who has visited nearby Disney World knows that), and that's what the crew faced Wednesday.
The SpaceX launch live stream had constant chatter from operators discussing rain conditions. They waited until a few minutes before the countdown expired to scrub the mission, hoping to pull it off. They got to T-minus 17 minutes before making the final decision. Saturday, May 30 will be the next launch date for the SpaceX launch.
Another weather variable is the fact that the weather conditions need to be good everywhere this spacecraft might be. For example, if the crew had to abort anywhere along their ascent and come down, recovery crews would need to access the capsule, so it's more than just the immediate Florida launchpad that needs ideal weather.
SpaceX launch time set for Saturday, March 30
The official Demo-2 SpaceX launch time is set for Saturday, May 30 at 3:22pm EDT, so the times across the continental US will be 2:22pm CDT / 1:22pm MDT / 12:22pm PDT. You may want to show up a couple of minutes ahead of time to take in the glory of the rocket lighting up and clouds of smoke launching it in the air.
The UK SpaceX launch time will be 20:22 BST. In addition to tuning into the video live stream, you should go outside soon afterward and see if you can catch a glimpse of the SpaceX-built spacecraft in the sky at around 20:40 BST – if that remains true on Saturday (that was the case for the Wednesday launch at least [we've adjusted the time due to the slight hour-and-eleven-minute change in launch time]).
In Australia, it'll already be Sunday morning, with the new launch time occurring at 5:22am AEST. You'll have to wake up a bit earlier to catch this weekend's rescheduled SpaceX launch.
How to watch the SpaceX launch on Saturday
The official NASA and SpaceX YouTube accounts will be offering a live stream of the preparations, which they noted will feel like deja vu if you had already tuned in for the Wednesday launch.
We'll have one of the YouTube videos embedded at the top of this page when it goes live. You won't have to travel far. And don't worry, you don't have to tune into both the NASA and SpaceX live stream videos – they're offering the same content across the two live streams,
On Wednesday, we saw SpaceX founder Elon Musk visit suited-up astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken and exchange a few words before liftoff time. Sadly, there was no audio during this portion of the live stream.
Musk then greeted US Vice President Mike Pence, who is there to watch the launch, while President Donald Trump joined soon after. Hurley and Behnken traveled to the launch site in a Tesla Model X (Tesla being another company Musk founded).
NASA continued to monitor the weather via data sensors around the launch site in an effort to get everything into 'the green position' on their maps. At the time, NASA said, "the weather is trending in the right direction," but as the countdown got to T-minus 17 minutes, favorability went the other direction.
This meant that the crew was seated in the capsule after crossing the crew access arm, and the crew arm had already retracted. Steam started to come off of the rocket before the launch was called off. It was that close to liftoff.
SpaceX spacecraft, SpaceX suits and NASA astronauts
On Saturday, astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will be back inside the small Dragon capsule, which sits atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It's situated on a launch pad at legendary Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida’s Cape Canaveral.
LC-39A was originally built for the Apollo missions and remodeled for the Space Shuttle program. Now it's home to the first space flight to send astronauts into space using a private aerospace company.
Hurley (the spacecraft commander) and Behnken (the joint operations commander) are NASA astronauts, engineers and both former members of US military (Hurley is a former marine, while Behnken was in the US Air Force).
The two-man NASA crew will not only be flying in a SpaceX-built spacecraft, but also outfitted in SpaceX pressurized suits, first shown off in 2017. They'll back suited up again on Saturday.
There are enough Apple Watch 6 leaks and rumors out there that we expect a fresh iPhone-compatible smartwatch in 2020. But, no, we didn't just see it in a new video.
A clever fan-made concept video titled 'Introducing Apple Watch Series 6' is making the rounds on YouTube right now, and while this Concepts iPhone creation isn't the actual Apple Watch 6, it is worth your 60 seconds. Just temper your expectations later this year.
The concept video imagines the next Apple Watch as the one that finally sports an edge-to-edge display without any bezel and, apparently, without a change in the watch dimensions, according to the video description. If only.
We explored Apple's video archives and noticed that a lot of the tweaked footage is borrowed from the Apple Watch 4 reveal in 2018. That makes sense, as it's the last time that Apple changed up the sizing and bezel of its smartwatch, so the company was showing off the fullness display back then. This fan concept takes it to the max.
Doesn't back up Apple Watch 6 leaks, though
Here's the rub. While fan-made concepts are all well and good, they do fool plenty of consumers into thinking they're the real deal. More importantly, this isn't what we're expect from the Apple Watch 6.
More importantly, this isn't what we're expect from the Apple Watch 6.
In fact, all of the Apple Watch 6 rumors to date suggest few design changes. We may be in for new sensors for keeping tabs on your blood oxygen level and, in an effort to detect panic attacks, your overall mental health.
Both the Apple Watch 4 and Apple Watch 5 can detect sudden falls and Afib, so it's realistic to think that the company will round out its Watch's unique health prowess by expanding into mental health awareness.
Apple Watch 6 sleep tracking is expected, although we've pinned that for a feature in the last several Apple Watch hardware updates, ever since we wrote about Apple's acquisition of Beddit three years ago. This may be the year – for real this time.
Finally, there's the more farfetched Watch 6 rumor that argues that Apple has been busy adding Touch ID, either to the digital crown button or underneath the display. There's a very outside chance that the new iPhone SE 2020 won't be Apple's only mobile product with Touch ID this year.
Don't get us wrong, we'd like to see an edge-to-edge Apple Watch 6 display, but that hasn't been borne out in the leaks to date.
The new iOS 13.5 update for the iPhone has just launched and it's ready to end all of your troubles with using Apple's Face ID when wearing a face mask, and it seeds a way for your local public health agencies to develop contact tracing apps.
This very Covid-19-focused software update comes with official release notes, which begin with the most immediately helpful new iOS 13.5 feature: reducing the delay of showing the passcode menu on iPhones with Face ID.
This lets you type in your PIN from the get-go. What's interesting is that Face ID still seems to work when you're not wearing a face mask, so you don't have to manually switch back and forth between the two security methods in settings.
Face mask recognition is a relief for something that's been bugging us for the last two months. While Face ID, on everything from the iPhone X to the iPhone 11 Pro, is wildly advanced and secure, it doesn't deal with face masks well at all. That's been frustrating when you own one of the priciest of the best phones in the world.
Now, the ability to enter the traditional passcode from the start helps avoid having to awkwardly fail out of Face ID twice just to get to the passcode screen when unlocking your phone or buying something with Apple Pay.
iOS 13.5 will make life with a face mask a little easier.
iOS 13.5 launches contact tracing apps
Officially called 'Exposure Notifications' in the iOS 13.5 update, Apple (along with Google doing the same with Android) has baked in an API for contact tracing apps.
This framework will allow governments and public health agencies to develop apps that alert you if you've come into contact with someone who later tests positive for Covid-19 and that person anonymously logs their positive result into a database.
No, the actual contact tracing apps aren't here yet in iOS 13.5, but Apple and Google note that 22 countries across five continents have requested and received access to the API, while stressing that everything is being done to protect user privacy.
In addition to being contacted anonymously, the Exposure Notifications API uses Bluetooth Low Energy, not WiFi or other, more potentially identifiable means. The companies are working to make it impossible to create a digital paper trail, though privacy advocates still have concerns.
Apple and Google have also said that there are no plans to use this framework beyond the current pandemic.
Rounding out the new iOS 13.5 features are two smaller tweaks. The Medical ID data that's a part of the Health app can be securely shared with emergency services when you place a 911 call in the US. Right now, it's a US-only feature.
The second small perk to updating to iOS 13.5 involves Group FaceTime. You can prevent the video chat tiles from changing in size when a new main speaker takes the helm of the conversation.
We've download iOS 13.5 onto our iPhones and we will continue to explore it for any other hidden features and bug fixes that Apple may have made since iOS 13.4.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 is finally coming to Verizon, and while it's launching more than two months after the smartphone's initial debut on other American carriers, it has one new perk: faster 5G than the S20 on other networks – potentially.
Starting on Thursday, May 21, you'll be able to buy the 'Galaxy S20 5G UWB', as it's officially called. The 'UWB' stands for Ultra Wideband, which is Verizon's name for how it connects to the fast millimeter wave 5G spectrum.
The difference in 5G speeds on Verizon vs T-Mobile is stark. In our tests, 5G phones with millimeter wave (mmWave) have gotten peak download speeds of 1.9Gbps in New York City. Major caveat: the range is limited select city blocks among Verizon's 34 UWB-equipped US cities. You also have to be outdoors.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint, meanwhile, uses sub-6, the other form of 5G. We got slower speeds of 400Mbps, but at a greater range – it even works indoors. It's not as headline-pleasing, but it is reliable at a distance.
Verizon Galaxy S20 5G UWB price and colors
The Samsung Galaxy S20 5G UWB price won't see an increase through Verizon. It'll cost $999 or $41.66 a month for 24 months, according to the carrier. There's no increase in the price or the dimensions, despite inclusion of the mmWave radio.
It also has the same specs we saw two months ago: a 6.2-inch screen, 120Hz display refresh rate, 128GB of internal storage (with a microSD card slot), and a 64MP telephoto camera with Samsung's novel 30x 'Space Zoom'.
Verizon will sell Galaxy S20 5G UWB in three colors: Cloud Pink, Cosmic Gray and the Verizon-exclusive Cloud White. It's basically dropping the Cloud Blue color for white. Verizon already sells the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra, which came equipped with mmWave from the start.
The Amazon Prime Day 2020 date is reportedly happening in August 2020, not July, offering a one-month reprieve on what's normally an epic deals marathon.
That's the right move for everyone. People still need to save money – now more than ever – but this year's Prime Day has to be timed right: for consumers, for Amazon employees, for delivery workers, and for all of the manufacturers.
Officially, Amazon hasn't said much. There's just one line on its website: "Prime Day 2020 has not been announced." But Reuters threw up an exclusive in April, noting that it will be delayed until "at least August", citing internal meeting notes.
Amazon hasn't come to a decision, or publicized one at least. That said, everything points to August making the most sense – if Prime Day 2020 happens at all.
Everyone needs time to stay safe and recover
First and foremost, Amazon needs to make sure its employees aren't vulnerable to further Covid-19 infections before even considering a Prime Day 2020 date. There are a lot of unknowns that prevent that decision from happening right now.
So far, seven Amazon employees have died of Covid-19, reports the Daily Mail. The company needs to make sure its warehouse and contractors are safe, and so far we don't have all of the facts.
Amazon has an ongoing Covid-19 blog, which begins with a statement: "Our top concern is ensuring the health and safety of our employees, and we expect to invest approximately $4 billion from April to June on COVID-related initiatives getting products to customers and keeping employees safe."
Prime Day puts incredible strain on warehouse and delivery workers. We've talked to delivery people in the past who note that the actual deals dates aren't bad for them – it's the two days following sales that stress them out. Now imagine feeling that way during the tail end of a pandemic.
Likewise, consumers need to have a better understanding of how the economy will bounce back and ensure their jobs are safe before making big ticket purchases. Anyone recently laid off is undoubtedly less than eager to splurge in July.
But people still need to save... and sell
If consumers are really putting off big purchases and Amazon is prioritizing essential goods right now, there's going to be pent-up demand to both buy and sell by August. Or that's the hope for Amazon Prime Day 2020, at least.
What's selling today? Our data shows that people are adjusting to the sudden work-from-home lifestyle by buying webcams and monitors. They're by and large sold out. It's not just face masks and cleaning supplies flying off store shelves.
Consumers have been putting off big ticket purchases until they know more about the economy's recovery and how safe their jobs are long-term. That confidence is more likely to start to return in August than July.
Manufacturers, meanwhile, have inventory sitting in warehouses, and many rely on the annual Prime Day sales push to counteract a sleepy July. Companies have also delayed product announcements. There's pent-up demand on both ends.
Anything beyond August runs close to Black Friday
Pushing Amazon Prime Day until "at least August", as Reuter reported, doesn't mean it'll actually happen in August. It could happen later or be scrapped entirely.
But here's our thinking: delaying the Prime Day date beyond August runs the risk of happening in a crowded season.
In September, we expect Apple to announce the iPhone 12 (which it won't be on sale through Amazon) and control the media narrative (not to mention the the budget of consumers).
How about October or beyond? Well, that runs into an even bigger risk: Black Friday 2020 and Cyber Monday happen in November. Sure, they're at the end of November, but retailers begin their sales push on November 1 or sooner.
August is the Goldilocks month for Prime Day
July may be too soon for the safety of Amazon workers and for consumer confidence to return. People will need haircuts in June more than they need a new 4K TV or a laptop at a discount. But anything from September onward seems too late to have the impact that Amazon and manufacturers need.
That leaves August as the best option for Prime Day 2020. When will Amazon finally announce the official Prime Day date? We don't typically find out about the date until two weeks before it happens, so even if it was July, we wouldn't know today.
In fact, Jeff Bezos and company may not know when to launch Prime Day internally. Amazon is likely waiting on the same data regarding new Covid-19 infection rates and consumer confidence that we're all waiting on.
In a shift toward normalcy, some Apple Stores in the US will reopen for business next week, following a nearly two-month-long hiatus brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Apple Stores will resume operations in four states: Idaho, South Carolina, Alabama and Alaska, according to CNBC. These US stores will join recently reopened retail locations in other countries: Germany, Australia and China. There's no timetable set for Apple Stores in the UK reopening.
How many stores are reopening in the US? The exact number is unclear, but at first it'll be no more than six – that's how many of Apple's 271 US stores are in those four states. Globally, Apple has 510 stores.
A new reality for Apple Store shoppers
When we said 'a shift toward normalcy', that comes with change. Apple Stores will put in place new social distancing rules, like limiting the number of visitors in the store at one time and suggesting customers use its in-store pick up options.
Apple Stores in the US, like we've seen in other countries, will require temperature checks for employees and customers on the way in, and employees will need to wear face covering, according to CNBC. There's no telling if 'face coverings' means a face mask or the Apple-design face shields that went out to medical workers (or both).
Initially, Apple's store will focus on fixing products. In addition to repairing devices broken during the pandemic, Apple likely has a backlog of recently fixed iPhones, iPads and MacBooks waiting to return to people at its Genius Bar. After all, plenty of people weren't able to pick up their devices in person before the March shutdown.
Time passes quickly, and that clichéd saying even applies to the state-of-the-art Apple Watch 5, which is accurate up to 50 milliseconds of the global time standard, according to Apple.
It’s the 5th anniversary of the original Apple Watch, which, on Friday, April 24, 2015, launched to hype, long lines, and limited quantities. I was there to interview the first people in line in the US and rush home to write an in-depth Apple Watch review.
We nailed it when we called this iPhone-connected wrist hugger “Apple’s most personal gadget” in a review, jointly written by myself and TechRadar's Global Editor-in-Chief Gareth Beavis. We also forecasted more daring designs to come eventually, including a more stunning circular sequel to compete with Motorola’s then-critically acclaimed Moto 360 (2014). That still hasn't happened.
Let's analyze our review, notes and some dated launch day photos, as the first Apple Watch turns five.
We were there. Browse through the slideshow from the 2015 Apple Watch launch day, including photos of the first people to buy the Apple Watch in-person in the US.
Nailed it: ‘Apple’s most personal gadget yet’
"Apple Watch is ticking away on my wrist right now, and while it’s no longer called the iWatch, it really is my watch and Apple’s most personal gadget yet."
I loved starting the review with this opening line, which paid tribute to the long-rumored ‘iWatch’ name, and segued into highlighting how intimate it was to don the then-brand-new Apple Watch.
It was a novelty in 2015; a square-shaped iPod nano-like device was strapped to my wrist all day and became a gateway to being served important notifications, beamed from my pocketed iPhone (the still-rather-new iPhone 6). I could set the digital watch face (there were just ten faces at the time), and I was able to track my every move with unique-looking activity rings (which translated into ‘stop writing, start standing’). It felt personal.
The original Apple Watch came in two sizes – like it does now, but the sizes were smaller than on the Apple Watch 5: 44mm and 38mm measured vertically.
It was also customizable compared to other gadgets. Here are all of the original Apple Watch cases and bands, which we meticulously laid out ahead of the launch day. We wrote an in-depth guide, detailing the differences between them all.
Every single Apple Watch case and strap combination available on launch day.
This TechRadar-compiled graphic includes the extremely pricey and discontinued 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition you probably forgot about. With so many swappable strap types and colors, it only added to the distinctive charm of this brand new tech.
The personalization trait has only become more true today: Apple packed additional health sensors into Apple Watch revisions. The Series 1 and Apple Watch 2, launched in 2016, and the Apple Watch 3, launched in 2017, detect low- and high heart-rates as well as irregular rhythms (Afib). The Apple Watch 4 in 2018 added fall detection and an ECG (Electrocardiography) feature.
The Apple Watch – with reminders to stand up, move around, and simply take deep breaths when life gets a bit too crazy – continues to be Apple’s most personal gadget and a steady companion for iPhone users five years later.
The Moto 360 (left) came out seven months before the Apple Watch (right). Circular smartwatches mirror that traditional watch look, but Apple's square-shaped design fits more on the screen.
Rare miss: Needs to be circular
"All of Apple's flowery marketing rhetoric about reinventing the classic watch look - from digital crown to complications - didn't end up translating into that traditional round watch design, which is one of my largest criticisms with the form factor."
Apple didn’t create a circular Apple Watch in 2015 and, at the time, I was disappointed. Now, in 2020, and five similar-looking Apple Watch iterations later, I don’t care nearly as much.
Things looked very different to me in 2015. In the seven months leading up to the Apple Watch, I was wearing the Moto 360 (2014), and it was simply stunning. Motorola’s forward-thinking circular take on the smartwatch idea made this third Android Wear watch an instant hit.
The Apple Watch vs many of the early Android Wear watches
I recall reviewing the first of two simultaneously launched Android Wear watches – Samsung Gear Live – while our now-Deputy Editor John McCann reviewed the LG G Watch. We, a dynamic duo in the early smartwatch days, both cited that these early watches sported incredibly boxy designs that impressed... absolutely no one. Motorola took the smartwatch idea in an exciting new circular direction, so it felt like the Apple Watch dialed things back.
I stand by the fact that circular smartwatches look the part of a traditional watch better than a square watch with curved corners. But the functionality of a round touchscreen doesn’t always work well when you swipe – it feels like corners are cut, as I’ve experienced on other elegant-looking circular watches.
Apple proved it didn’t have to mirror the classic watch look and, instead, invented a fashionable look of its own. Would I like to see the company rival the circular Samsung Galaxy Watch? Yes, but only if Apple’s UI worked on a circular watch just as well as it does right now.
It's a notification hub, and we loved – and still love – that feature.
Nailed it: beaming iPhone notifications to a watch is a 'wonderful convenience'
"Beaming apps like Messages, Mail and every iPhone notification to an always-on-hand gadget is a wonderful convenience."
Apple nailed this perk from the beginning, and so did I when when I said beaming notifications to our wrist a ‘wonderful convenience’. Some people complained ‘this or that app’ wasn’t on the watch, but seeing notifications at a glance was – and remains – the best Apple Watch feature.
OK, other smartwatches of the era did relay notifications, too, but Apple’s interface was refined, even in watchOS 1. Want proof?
This was the stark contrast I saw in our review testing: Android Wear displayed at maximum of eight words of a text message (anything more was cut off) and usually the top of someone’s forehead in an outdated Hangouts profile picture (it's often not like the near-perfect demo photo about). Apple, meanwhile, used a slick animation dominated by the green Message icon and the person’s name (or their phone number if they weren’t in your contact list). That was it – at first. This information then automatically slid up to reveal almost the entire text message.
The big green Messages icon and the person’s name flashing on the watch face were key to Apple claiming this win. Here was a typical scenario circa 2015: At dinner, I’d feel a vibration on my wrist while in a real-life conversation with someone, gently turn my wrist to quickly glance at the watch face, and immediately know two things: Green bubble icon? This is a text. Someone I didn’t need to talk to right away? I could instantly dismiss the text in my brain and get back to the real-life conversation. From day one, this felt leagues better than showing a portion of a text, someone’s name, and their broken photo all at once on a tiny watch face.
Miss from others: 'Apple Watch battery can die after 3 hours' (but we nailed it)
"Apple Watch battery can die after 3 hours"
A lot of other publications – NOT ours
I’m struggling to come up with another miss from our Apple Watch review, so I’m using this as a chance to highlight the most sensationalist launch window headlines, written by others, that I saw and tried to counter with actual explainers. It’s fit for modern times five years on, right?
Something we didn’t do was run a headline like “Apple Watch battery can die after 3 hours”. That’s a real headline. And plenty of other sites that ran similar headlines. It’s technically true and makes for great clickbait – using the power-hungry phone call feature drained the battery in 3 hours (instead of 18 hours). But, in my five years of using an Apple Watch, I’ve never gone past 45 minutes on a call. I use the feature in smaller chunks, when cooking dinner or washing dishes.
The Apple Watch dead in 3 hours? Yes, in theory, but don't believe the sensationalist headlines out there.
The truth is, the original Apple Watch battery lasted ‘all day’ as Apple had promised and, at times, longer. If you kept a routine sleep schedule and didn’t push the heart rate monitor like a fitness guru, I saw a day-and-a-half of power. Things improved with the Apple Watch Series 2, 3, and 4, though I’ve found the Apple Watch 5 does die on me slightly faster than the Series 4 did when the always-on screen is enabled.
There is something small I failed to put into the 1st gen Apple Watch review that I would have liked to let Apple know about. So if I could make an amendment – five years after the original review – here it is:
I called the inductive charger ‘clever’ – and it is – but over the years, whenever I have forgotten my Watch charger on a trip, I always think, “It would’ve been better if its cable was a Lighting cable plugged into the disk-shaped inductive charger.” That way, I could buy an extra charging disk, leave it in a small pocket of my backpack at all times, and, if I ever forgot my main Apple Watch charger, I’d always have that extra disk to charge my Apple Watch via a Lighting cable. It’d be easier to store a small disk than the cable-tied inductive charger we have now, and it’d give me more cable length variety. Maybe Apple can do that with USB-C for the Apple Watch 6.
Nailed it: Apple Watch's fitness aptitude had yet to be realized in 2015
"It's far too basic to be considered a rival to a Garmin or Polar device, and for the new user it doesn't have any way of helping you get fitter."
Apple made a point to tout health and fitness tracking in the lead up to the Apple Watch launch – I recall Apple execs Jay Williams and Jay Blahnik taking ABC News behind the scenes at its secret lab. They had employees, all wearing Bane-like breathing masks to record vitals, running on treadmills and doing yoga. Apple was serious about fitness, but the first Watch left us wanting.
“We’re just beginning,” said Williams in that 2015 ABC interview. “The impact on health could be profound.” That comment foreshadowed better fitness tracking in subsequent Apple Watch models. Those masked runners must have kept running in that secret lab.
In our tests, we found the Apple Watch 3, with GPS built-in, to offer accurate distance readings on runs in which we also used a calibrated Garmin running watch. Likewise, the heart rate monitor became more precise in the Apple Watch 4 and 5 releases.
Loud noise alerts and menstrual cycle tracking are some of the newest additions along with the aforementioned low/high heart-rate notifications, ECG and Afib alerts, and fall detection. Apple’s software can also take into account if you’re using a wheelchair – we don’t see this level of commitment to accessibility on many non-bespoke watches. Apple has come a long way since the original Watch, which, remember, wasn’t technically waterproof and lacked GPS entirely.
We sat on it and gave the first Apple Watch a definitive 'good but work-in-progress' score – and we're still happy with it.
Wrap-up: we gave it 3 1/2 stars – and got it right
"It's a time-telling and time-saving convenience, though one that still requires a nearby iPhone and a hefty sum to buy."
The first Apple Watch held a lot of promise and, at the time, was considered the best smartwatch available. But, after much deliberation, we gave it 3 1/2 stars out of 5. Looking back five years later, that was the right score.
It was certainly a four-star idea, but we can’t review ‘promise’ or the concept of something that’s bound to be great in the long run. I gave the Samsung Galaxy Fold the same score for this very reason. It’s the best foldable phone I’ve tested and paves the way for a tremendous future. But that’s not what people are going to buy today.
We could tell that the Apple Watch had room to grow, and it’s done just that. The Apple Watch 3 price drop puts it at an obtainable price for most people with all of the core features you’d want, while the Apple Watch 5 gives early adopters more perks that make it a four-star innovation.
Update: Our things to do list has been refreshed to include another fun and free idea now that Google Stadia has a two-month free trial. Check what's new below.
We've completely reorganized our in-depth things to do just list in case you're stuck in self-isolation and quickly growing bored. We have 35 fresh ideas for you.
Everything mentioned here can be done at home. Think of it this way: we're your digital tour guide to help you ride out the coronavirus outbreak, and the world's seemingly indefinite confinement. Let us be your distraction from today's surreal situation, as we point you in the direction of entertaining and productive activities.
Finding things to do at home when bored has become the premier challenge we didn't foresee when making 2020 predictions. We'll keep doing our bit to help make self-isolation bearable, and keep you safe, as we all ride out these challenging times.
1. Watch Pixar's Onward for free with Disney Plus
Pixar, known for its big-budget CG films, is settling for a small screen premier with its latest movie: Onward. Disney launched it came out for digital purchase on March 20, while Disney Plus subscribers, as of April 3 in the US and Canada, can watch it for free (at no extra cost besides the Disney Plus subscription, of course).
We've opined that this weekend is best time to subscribe to Disney Plus (see the free trial offer above), at least in North America. Everyone else, like those in the UK, can still soak in episodes of the Mandalorian, The Imagineering Story and The Simpsons.
2. Watch at-home movies that released early
There are a number of big movies that are supposed to either still be in theaters or weren't due to be available on demand until much later. Theaters are closed down, so major studios have turned to streaming them to you at home early.
We've put together a series of short videos to help keep you entertained and informed at home – see below for our roundups of the best headphones, webcams and tablets, advice on cleaning your phone and more...
3. Watch 'Tiger King' rule Netflix with absurdity
Update: Tiger King is apparently getting more content, but the sequel won't be on Netflix. The Joe Exotic will next be seen on US TV network Investigation Discovery. Also, one of the stars of the streaming series is also teasing another episode of the show on Netflix, although that has yet to be confirmed.
Everyone is watching the new Netflix series Tiger King, and even if your video quality has been downgraded, it's worth streaming all seven episodes. It's our new favorite true crime documentary, surpassing The Staircase (also a winner if you haven't seen it).
Right away, Tiger King and its colorful characters border on being so ridiculous, you'd swear they're not true. PSA: we've known some big cat lovers who couldn't stand watching it for more the five minutes, so, for them, we suggest February's rave documentary miniseries instead, HBO's McMillions.
4. Watch Quibi to see if the new service is any good
Quibi just launched and everyone's immediate first question is: what in the world is Quibi? Fair question, especially if you didn't see the Quibi Super Bowl commercial. It's a mobile-only streaming video service with big Hollywood names attached to it – in front of and behind the scenes. All of the short videos here work in landscape or portrait, and they're run time is just long enough to watch on your lunch break.
This is everyone's second question: Is Quibi worth subscribing to? Our ongoing Quibi review notes that there's a Quibi free trial that lasts 90 days, and right now that's the best asset of the service. The current lineup of shows can be hit or miss, and we're going to need time to come to a verdict on this evolving mobile streaming platform, especially as new creators come onboard.
The world need comedy right now, and late-night comedians are providing just that this week after a brief hiatus due to coronavirus self-isolation. No, they're not in their usual studios, but Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and James Corden are yucking it up at their respective home. The production quality, well, that varies. But the laughs are authentic enough that is has some charm.
Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have been our saviors boredom, consistently giving us the easiest new recommendations in our weekend things to do list updates.
We've outlined five new shows and movies on the two streaming services (which you likely have already – if not, there's an free Prime Video trial above). Included a new movie called Coffee and Kareem starring Ed Helms (The Office, The Hangover). If sinking into a fresh comedy is what you need right now, you'll find it on Netflix. Amazon Prime Video, meanwhile, has the 1950s Rio de Janeiro-set Invisible Life and new sci-fi drama Tales from the Loop.
Nothing eats up more time than a good, long TV series, but because movies typically have bigger budgets and higher production value (outside a select few TV shows), we're switching it up (and also we ran out of TV shows to watch this weekend). Now is the perfect time to go through an entire movie franchise – in order.
There are a couple different ways to watch the Marvel movies in order, and we have the links to where you can watch most of the 23 Marvel movies (Disney Plus being the easiest way to watch a majority of them). If you're looking for things to do during the coronavirus self-isolation, this will take you a total of 60 hours.
You probably didn't pay much attention to Apple TV Channels, which launched along with Apple TV Plus late last year, but now it's important – now that we're running out of TV shows and movies to stream for free.
Epix, the small US premium network, is free until May 2, giving you almost a month with the channel that has a catalogue of movies you may have missed.The Elton John biopic Rocketman, the comedy The Hustle and the first Avengers movie are all free to watch. Missed The Lincoln Lawyer? It's worth it (and free, too), and so our older James Bond flicks.
Original shows on Epix include a new War of the Worlds series, Godfather of Harlem, Berlin Station, and Deep State. The best part is that while Apple TV Channels offers a few premium channel free trials (ShowTime Anytime, History Channel Vault and Smithsonian Channel Plus, the Epix trial doesn't require you signing up or inputting a credit card number at all.
9. Rewatch the iHeart Living Room Concert
Coronavirus and self-isolation knows no bounds – royalty, movie stars and musicians have been affected by this novel virus. With many performers forced to cancel tours, iHeart Radio and Fox came up with an idea: stream a concert from celebrity homes.
It raised $8 million during and after the streaming concert, with the money going to the First Responders Children's Foundation and Feeding America. The actual video is free, but you may need a cable login or VPN to watch it, depending on your location.
The hour-long video is hosted Sir Elton John, with performances by Alicia Keys, the Backstreet Boys, Billie Eilish, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, Mariah Carey and Tim McGraw. Don't miss: Dave Grohl does a wonderful acoustic version of the Foo Fighters' "My Hero" and it's dedicated to selfless caretakers fighting Covid-19.
10. Sign up for Google Stadia's two-month free trial
Google is lending a hand to self-isolators, offering a two-month free trial to Google Stadia, its game streaming service. This opens you up to nine free games, including GRID, Destiny 2: The Collection, Thumper, GYLT, SteamWorld Dig 2, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech, Serious Sam Collection.
Our Google Stadia review notes that your mileage may vary depending on how your connection fares during this unprecedented work-from-home era. Faster speeds will get you better lag-free performance and 4K resolutions (although you have to switch it in the app, as it's set to 1080p by default on the free account).
11. Pre-order Final Fantasy 7 remake
It took 23 years to get a proper Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but it couldn't have come at a better time. This now-fabulous-looking jRPG is ready to eat up the rest of the self-isolation lockdown period, no matter how long it goes.
The official FF7 remake release date is Friday, April 10, although some retailers have broken the street date (like, weeks ago!). People were hoping this would mean that Square-Enix would launch the digital version early, too, but that hasn't happened.
Our new game of the week is Capcom's Resident Evil 3 remake, and it dates back 21 years, when the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis first launched in 1999. Today, it's a very different experience: we played it in 8K at over 60fps (though there are some big sacrifices), and tested its performance with today's biggest graphics cards.
Warning, the game's plot line of a city infected with a biological weapon may hit too close to home right now, but it's even better than Resident Evil 2 remake, in our opinion.
13. Play Doom Eternal to make life seem less chaotic
In March, two new video games came out that couldn't be more different, and we're thankful for the variety provided by Bethesda Softworks and Nintendo.
This ride through Hell is one of the best experiences you'll have in 2020.
Doom Eternal is a beautiful, but brutal reinvention of the first-person shooter series that actually makes life at the moment look... not so bad. This ride through Hell is one of the best experiences you'll have in 2020. Our full Doom Eternal review agrees, with a five-star rating and an Editor's Choice award. It's fast-paced at 60fps and has surpassed our expectations even when it played it in 8K with a $2,500 graphics card.
14. Play Animal Crossing to forget about life's chaos
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is on the other end of the spectrum – it's a ready to lull you into a sense that nothing is wrong whatsoever like a good ASMR. This is fine. Everything is fine, says main character Tim Nook. Nintendo's cute social life sim is ideal for today's self-isolation situation. Read our Animal Crossing: New Horizons review and think happy thoughts.
One thing to note: while the new Animal Crossing is a must-have Nintendo Switch-exclusive, Doom Eternal is available on a wider set of platforms: PCs, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and even Google Stadia.
15. Apple Arcade's latest is built for the whole family
Our best Apple Arcade games list now includes Crossy Road Castle, a platform title that thrives on its four-player local multiplayer gameplay (fear not, single-player is a choice, just in case confined at home alone). The frantic action reminds us of all the New Super Mario Bros. games and the old Castle Crashers game that never made its way to iOS somehow. Developer Hipster Whale provides the next best thing.
What's great about a game like Crossy Road Castle is that it's easy to get the entire family in on the multiplayer action thanks to Apple's family share feature. You're able to share this game with anyone in your iCloud family, and we just re-upped out Apple Arcade subscription (it's $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$7.99 a month) to do just that.
Normally, our things to do at home when bored list includes live streaming sports games, especially baseball at this time of year. That's all caput thanks to this self-isolation period, and the brief thought of teams playing without crowd was quickly scrapped when NBA players started testing positive for coronavirus.
Here's the next best thing – and one that keeps everyone safe: you are the one going through the season playing at your favorite sports teams in various video games. No Wimbledon? No problem.
17. Take a trip... to a virtual museum or national park
You can't go outside to do small things like go to a movie theater, never mind make much bigger plans like embarking on an expedition to another country. Trust us, it's a much better idea to stay at home during this coronavirus outbreak.
Highlights include Machu Picchu in Peru (without the walking), The Louvre Museum in Paris (Mona Lisa told us to says "Hi"), and the Georgia Aquarium in the US (without all of the school students somehow completely blocking the giant Beluga whales).
18. Discover a new podcast
Podcasts are by-and-large free and often strike the right balancing between being entertaining and informative. Notable podcasts including This American Life, Serial, and Stuff You Should Know – they're consistently in the top 50 on podcast platforms.
If we can be a bit biased for a second, you should really check out Noise Cancelling, the best new tech podcast around. This is our new weekly podcast that talks about what's happening in tech, expanding on the daily written coverage of TechRadar.
19. Trivia is back in session, right on your phone
There are multiple ways to partake in trivia, even though your local bar is closed. First up is HQ Trivia (iOS and Android), the once-popular live game show app that shut down in February. It's back at 9PM ET, at the exact time we need it. No, you won't find Scott Rogowsky hosting this 'trivia train' but Matt Richards was at the helm of Sunday's first game and regular quizzes followed.
Shut-down bar trivia companies have transitioned to Twitch streaming due to self-distancing rules. Prominent brands include King Trivia (Sundays and Wednesdays at 10pm ET / 7pm PT) and Geeks Who Drink. It was one of the social of the things to do weekly in-person that has survived in a whole new isolation-friendly format.
Final Cut Pro X and Logic Pro X are free for 90 days, meaning you have three months to make a movie or produce a song about your life in confinement courtesy of Apple. That's enough time to learn advanced techniques like color-grading without having to pay $299 / £299 / AU$499.99 for FCPX or $199 / £199 / AU$319.99 for Logic Pro X. While Adobe Premier Pro CC has become popular on Windows machines, Final Cut Pro is still king of Mac computers when it comes to making videos.
21. Read one of 100 top ebooks
Do this... but indoors or away from people, please.
It's easy to put off reading books when life gets busy and you have a commute. But you're probably free from your commute if you're working from home. So basically you have no excuse to flip through a few pages of an ebook.
Where do you start? That's sometimes the hardest part, but we've been impressed with Amazon's 100 books to read in a lifetime list. Not all will be your cup of tea, but there's something here for everyone and most ebooks are conveniently discounted.
Not a fan of reading? Hate the sound of your own voice in your head? Audible is the best remedy for that. The Amazon-owned audiobook company still offers a free 30-day membership. The best parts? Both ebooks and audiobooks are delivered instantly and Amazon won't run out of inventory on either.
22. Buy a webcam to chat with friends (and maybe work)
We've seen a dramatic uptick in usage of video conferencing services and apps, and that has caused everyone to rummage through their drawers to search for that long-lost webcam. Like us, you probably can't recall the last time you saw it. Or maybe it's sitting in your locked-up office.
Either way, we have a solution to get you up to speed: we've created a list of the best webcams for 2020 so you can chat with friends and work from home. Supplies of webcams is strained, so we're also highlighting where webcams are still in stock, too.
Self-isolation gaming isn't all about video games and trivia. Traditional board games have also begun to migrate to the online sphere for distant friends and families. The age-old cure for boredom? Board 'em.
You can utilize a webcam to play certain bored games (ones that don't require you to keep secrets, while some games, like those on Tabletopia (paid and free), bring the experience online. Don't forget, your smartphone or tablet has multiplayer-friendly board games, too.
24. Play 'Cards Against Humanity' online with friends
You might not be able to get together to play games with your friends and family in person like usual, but you can still play Cards Against Humanity online with a variety of services that feature virtual cards. There are three options in our guide, and they offer a safe way to play while remaining in self-isolation.
We're also highlighting the physical version of the game, just in case you're confined with family or roommates and want the real deal.
25. Organize your digital life
Among the best things to do this week are those 'adulting' digital clean-up tasks that you never got around to doing before the Covid-19 outbreak. Now is the best time to tackle them. No excuses. In fact, here's a running list to help you get started:
App overload on your laptop and phone: Your laptop and smartphone's home screen is full of files and apps you never use, and they're taking up more space than you probably realize – so prune them.
Social media purge: You likely have too many social media 'friends' you don't intend to share everything with (it's a privacy risk), and you probably follow too many accounts that aren't actually of interest to you anymore. It's time to do a purge. Also, take care of embarrassing posts from yesteryear. That's not you anymore.
Sort your photos into albums: Your photos aren't organized in albums, making it harder to show off vacations pics when it really matters. Never say "Hold on, let me just find it..." in a social setting. You know, whenever we do that again.
Delete bad photos: If a quarter of of your camera roll consists of throw-away shots that you'd never post and doubles you never got around to deleting, you should tash those needless photos and videos.
Go zero inbox: The biggest task of all: your email is overstuffed. It's time to fulfill that zero inbox goal and make your life easier every morning you wake up to fresh junk email. We use a service called Mailstorm to help bulk delete email.
We launched a series of how to clean articles, which is timely given you've probably put this off for a long time in the lead up to the coronavirus outbreak. It's among the top things to do if you haven't wiped-down your filthy, germ-collecting gadgets.
A quick amendment to that last suggestion on our things to do list: we own a lot of gadgets to clean and that makes it hard to conserve cleaning supplies. That's why we're keeping an eye out for things like Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, and cleaning clothes. Other things to consider are compressed air and DW40, all of which we've used on gadgets and mechanical devices we own, smart and dumb.
28. Buy a robot vacuum
One of the best investments we made during last year's Black Friday was to buy a discounted robot vacuum. With us cleaning our home more than ever, it's extremely convenient to have a device to shoulder the burden.
We're also standing away from the dust and dirt that can get kicked up in the air, not behind the barrel of a traditional vacuum. You'll want to check out our best robot vacuum buying guide and our highlighting of robot vacuum sales to get the best vacuum at a decent price.
29. Exercise while safely self-distancing
Getting exercise is crucial given our suddenly-even-more-so sedentary lifestyles. You, like us, may have a hard time staying motivated, and it's understandable. That's why we've turned to fitness trackers to keep reminding us that we haven't moved nearly enough while in self-isolation. They work at home or, if your government allows it, when going outside.
The best thing to do at home mirrors what we liked doing when going out: eating. It's a harder now, sadly, with grocery store delivery time slots backed up globally and services like Instacart and Amazon Fresh facing employee strikes.
Now is your chance to become a master chef with the best meal prep kits delivering step-by-step recipes to you along with the necessary ingredients. Blue Apron is our favorite in the US, while HelloFresh is available in both the US and UK.
If you're not ready to flex your culinary skills, there are food delivery services in the US and similar takeaway apps in the UK that will get you ready-made foods from the restaurants you'd normally visit. You order get breakfast, lunch and dinner, and you'll be supporting many of the distressed restaurants in your area.
32. Support your local restaurant with take-out orders
We have a list of the best food delivery services in the US and food delivery apps the UK, and these guides have become all the more important in 2020 as local restaurants are hurting during the Covid-19 lockdown. While stocking up on food from grocery stores is important, so its supporting your favorite restaurants with food delivery and take-out orders that want to stay in business and keep workers employed. Buying gift cards is also a way to help show your support.
33. Don't forget to feed your pets
Self-isolation can be rough on your pets
You can also buy pet food online, so it's not just people food that you're able to have delivered to your front door. That's good news for your dog, cat, etc.
We've been highlighting various stores in the UK and UK in our guide, with names like PetCo and PetSmart sending our deliveries in the US. The UK includes stores like Pet-Supermarket, Pets at Home, and even Amazon among the top choices.
Most airlines and hotels are offering free cancellations or at least vouchers in light of the coronavirus outbreak, although phone lines are jammed. This happened to us twice on a recent visit, leaving us with penalties both times. The good news is that most companies will right their wrongs – eventually.
We know that you are concerned about your travel plans. We are experiencing unprecedented call volumes and ask that if you're not traveling within the next 72 hours, please wait to call. If you are traveling between now and April 30th, we have new options to change or cancel your trip online.
Expedia Group
There are some important tips. Airlines and travel sites like Expedia.com are asking customers to call them about changes no more than 72 hours before departure.
The thinking is that people with immediate travel plans still in jeopardy will have a chance to get through. Online cancellations weren't possible (probably made it harder to cancel) before when we tried in March, so companies are adapting.
You'll also want to cancel or pause your gym membership and make sure Groupon extends the expiration dates of your coupon vouchers. It's the little things that end up being costly when you forget about them.
35. Track wasteful recurring expenses
You're probably paying for more subscriptions than you realize, and getting charged a hefty fee every month. That's where the Truebill budgeting planner app becomes a handy tool. It dives into you bank and credit card accounts in order to figure out which recurring expenses you get hit with every month.
Here's what floated to the top of our accounts: Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime. Are we really getting use out of all of them? How all of about those Apple subscriptions? iCloud storage (do we really need that much cloud space?) and Apple Arcade are taking small amounts from our bank accounts monthly.
We've found Truebill to help highlight these expenses. and it's free to monitor your accounts. It starts costing money if you want the service to do the legwork and cancel or negotiate your payments for you.
We'll keep this list of things to do updated as the weeks of confinement continue and so long as we feel we're offering helpful advice. We're not in a global call to arms, but a worldwide call to couch – and we understand that can be difficult if you run out of fun ideas. We often give people buying advice, but we're just as happy to deliver enjoying advice.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is the best modern-day foldable flip phone I've tested, and it didn't take a whole 24 hours to determine that. OK, sure, it has only one flip-style rival so far, the new Moto Razr, but the Z Flip beats in it in every category that matters.
Walking around New York City with both phones attracted a lot of attention. People couldn't fathom how a smartphone with a large screen – 6.7 inches in the case of the Galaxy Z Flip – could bend in half. They wanted to fold and unfolded it themselves to be sure.
I love testing gadgets for TechRadar that spark imagination, from Google Glass to the DJI Osmo Pocket all the way through to the Samsung Galaxy Fold. The formula is always the same: people are awe-struck, ask "what is this?" and upon being filled in, begin to spout off ideas of how they'd use this technology in their lives once it becomes more readily available.
This is what I found in my first 24 hours with the Galaxy Z Flip.
1. The Z Flip is much better than the Moto Razr
The Razr wins on nostalgia – that's what I've heard in person and via Twitter. It didn't matter that I said Samsung's foldable has longer battery life, more superior cameras, and a slightly stronger thin glass screen. Them: "Razr for me. I remember having one." Me: "Yeah, but..."
The Z Flip has a larger 3,300mAh battery (the Razr has a capacity of 2,510mAh), and it's much easier to recommend a phone that will get you through a whole day. That said, I'm more likely to tell people to stick with the Samsung Galaxy S20 series – the S20 Ultra has a hulking 5,000mAh battery if they don't crave something as unique as the Z Flip.
The Razr cameras were what I struggled with most. In the poor light of a dim restaurant, the autofocus just refused to work. Moto's Night Vision mode helped brighten things up, but when a lot of shots came out blurry, it really didn't matter.
The Galaxy Z Flip has three cameras (front, rear wide and rear ultra-wide) and all of them take superb photos, even if they aren't going to match the quality of the S20 cameras. The Z Flip also includes Samsung's new 'single-take' mode that captures a variety of photos and videos at the same time over 10 seconds. It's useful even if it does surface a lot of so-so shots along with a few winners.
2. I took it on a tour – and it turned heads
Carrying around the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip makes a statement: "I have something brand new that you haven't seen before", and that hasn't happened with any new iPhone in quite a while. It used to.
I took it to two offices, a radio station and a restaurant, and everyone wanted to see it fold and unfold. Most people wanted to try it themselves – at least one person was too anxious about potentially breaking it to give it a whirl.
The 1.1-inch Cover Display, while small, always proved to be a popular way to take selfies with one hand, even if it's not very effective at framing a shot. There's excitement about foldables as a refreshed product category. Smartphones are getting a second act.
The best part is probing people's imagination with the Z Flip. "I could fit that and my AirPods Pro in the same pocket," a friendly stranger opined to me at a restaurant. I'm sure Samsung would've loved if they said that about new Galaxy Buds Plus, but, hey, maybe they just converted an iPhone 11 user with this phone.
3. Its specs fall between the S10 and S20 series
"Is this Samsung's best phone?" That's one of the most frequent questions I've been getting from people when carrying around the Z Flip. The answer is both yes and no.
It's Samsung's best concept for the future of smartphones, tied with the Galaxy Fold, which I found to be more productivity-focused, but far too expensive and likely to be bested by a Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 in the near future. (I called the Fold 'the most forward-thinking phone you shouldn't buy.'). Neither is 'best' based on specs and performance, though.
I hardly care about chipset speeds these days. Today's phones are fast enough, and when we review something on TechRadar, we're less about speed than whether it suits everyday tasks. It's more about the end value of getting tasks done, getting photos that look good the first time around, and the longevity of the battery in a single charge. That stuff actually matters.
The Z Flip aces all of this with specs that, for the most part, fall in between what I've experienced on the S10 and new S20 series. Tellingly, its chipset, the Snapdragon 855 Plus, is the souped-up version of the S10 and Note 10's 855 chip, but not quite the S20's new Snapdragon 865 chipset. With a healthy 256GB of internal storage, a solid 8GB of RAM and three cameras, we end up with Samsung's most cutting-edge-looking phone with great, but not 'the best' specs.
4. Everyone wants to see it flick open
Folding the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip with two hands isn't fun; quickly snapping it open and folding it down again with one hand is how to show off this stylish new phone.
It's actually not easy – flicking the seemingly-spring-loaded Razr is way simpler – but that's due to the fact that Samsung's hinge is meant to keep it propped open at any angle along 180 degrees.
I did like sitting the top half of the phone screen upright, allowing the bottom half to rest on a table, as if this were a laptop. This is something the Galaxy Fold couldn't do, and Samsung has designed Flex UI software around it.
Taking a video call puts the camera screen on the top screen unobstructed, while the mess of controls all rest on the bottom half of the screen. This also eliminates me very awkwardly leaning over a desk or table to do hands-free video calls while I'm working on a keyboard.
So yes, it's possible to flick the phone open with style by using a lot of force but it's not exactly easy to do and there's good reason for that.
5. This seems like just the beginning
I can't tell if the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is for me – I need more than 24 hours with the new phone to decide its practicality, test its cameras, and drain its battery a few times. There's still a lot more testing to be done, and that's why you'll have to wait for our full review.
The best gadgets change lives – they don't all have to be revolutions like the iPhone, but when they make your daily life a little better, even if it's by fitting in your pocket a little easier than your previous device. That's when tech, often fairly maligned, makes us happy.
I'm a believer in the Galaxy Fold design, as I've long wanted something the size of an iPad mini that I can use on the train and shove in my pocket without always having to stow it in a bag. I'm hoping that Samsung continues with that design, too, for the productivity users out there like myself.
But the Z Flip? It's the most chic phone I've seen in my time reviewing smartphones, and I love reclaiming pocket space when it's folded up like a clamshell. There's room for two foldable designs, and this one brings back some of the things we loved and missed about flip phones.
Yes, officially, Apple keeps things vague, saying that "iPhone, Wearables and Services drove all-time record revenue." But we dove into the sales numbers and put on our analyst hat on to examine Apple's bounce back from last year's declines.
Why is this important? If Apple shifted its strategy recently (which we think it did), it's likely to continue down this path to maximize profits. Here's what we found.
1. Apple Watch 3 was too cheap to ignore
Apple cites 'wearables' as a key revenue driver and, to us, that translates into sales of the Apple Watch 3. Yes, the new Apple Watch 5 likely drove a chunk of revenue given its higher price, but most people didn't needed an always-on screen – they wanted to buy into the idea of an Apple Watch at a reasonable price.
The Apple Watch 3 at $199 / £199 / AU$319 became too difficult to ignore for people who skipped over the smartwatch during the last five years, or were stuck with the original Apple Watch and in a dire need to upgrade to the watchOS 6 software.
Apple doesn't break down Wearables sales (in fact they're lumped into 'Wearables, Home, and Accessories'), but the company did say it had trouble keeping up with Watch 3 production, according to Reuters, and that the Apple Watch accounted for 75% of all wearables purchases in its latest quarter.
Winning strategy? Think about it: when the Apple Watch first launched, it cost $349 / £299 / AU$499. Almost five years later, we have a wholly better smartwatch in the Apple Watch 3, one that is $150 cheaper than 2015's technology. Apple Watch finally became affordable, and that's been a win-win for everyone.
Apple's AirPods – also lumped into the Wearables category – were popular this past Black Friday because there were three kinds on sale at once (technically four kinds, as we often found the original AirPods 1st gen on sale for ridiculously cheap).
Apple is known for expensive gadgets, but it has begun to appeal to a wider range of consumers who want to buy into the true wireless earbuds phenomenon. There's something for nearly everyone with the AirPods without wireless charging, AirPods with wirelessly charging, and its top-of-the-line AirPods Pro.
Winning strategy? Apple continued to tout its prestige as a premium brand with its noise-canceling AirPods Pro, yet it kept in stock two other versions of the AirPods for a cheaper price – at least when it could make enough of them.
3. That iPhone 11 camera rocked
"I wish Apple would release a Pixel." Someone actually said that to us after seeing the Google Pixel 3 camera quality in 2018. And we knew exactly what they meant. It was clear that Apple needed to play catch-up to hit a 'super cycle' of upgrades.
It did just that in September 2019 when the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max launched with superior cameras, matching or exceeding the photo quality of flagship Android smartphones in 2019. The Pixel 4 didn't wow us nearly as much.
Apple introduced a triple-lens camera with the two iPhone 11 Pro models, and a photo-fixing Night Mode on all three new iPhones. We don't take many Slofies with the front-facing camera, but Apple marketed this slow-motion video feature as if it was the next big thing. Well played.
Winning strategy? iPhone 6 holdouts, stranded without a way to upgrade to iOS 13, finally had enough reason to upgrade to the iPhone 11, which had a camera that we found performed markedly better and, importantly, looked different. That hypnotic, trypophobia-triggering iPhone Pro cameras set the stage nicely.
Bonus: Apple doggedly pushed its trade-in program to reduce the advertised iPhone 11 price, which made it seem much cheaper. In the US, carrier-subsidized iPhones at one time cost $199 (carrier plans cost more over time), and while we aren't back to that price, consumers aren't being alarmed by the full retail price either.
The Samsung CES 2020 booth is chock full of gadgets, but the best thing that we saw there was Bot Chef, a pair of robotic arms that cooked us a salad on command.
Samsung Bot Chef is proof that the company is taking the arms race to get robots into your budding smart home very literally at CES 2020. I was able to watch Bot Chef rummage through cabinets, pour ingredients into a pan, and mix them up to create a tofu salad, using AI and computer vision algorithms.
The verdict? It tastes like the future.
The sesame tofu salad that Bot Chef made in the kitchen alcove at the Samsung CES booth is one of 35 salad recipes it's programmed to whip up. Greek salad, chicken avocado salad, and walnut apple salad sound like even more of a challenge for what the company calls its gourmet collaborative robot, or 'cobot.'
Sure, it had an aproned human assistant prep dishes of cabbage and spices, then cut carrots and bell peppers, but the robot arms did the heavy lifting – adding oil, sorting ingredients and doing the pouring calculations – and that was amazing to witness. The human really didn't need that apron after all.
How Samsung Bot Chef worked at CES 2020
The Bot Chef demo at the Samsung CES booth began with a simple voice command: "Hey, Bot Chef, let's make a salad." Tofu was chosen over something like chicken, as there's a decidedly strict 'no fire' rule at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Okay, that's fair.
The two white robot arms hung at attention from a set of kitchen cabinets, like an under-the-cabinet can opener redesigned for 2020. Bot Chef has six degrees of freedom, four main arm joints, and three fingers to pinch and hold various kitchen utensils. Its diameter and reach is meant to mimic that of human arms.
Once it knew which salad we were hungry to eat (within the CES safety guidelines), a kitchen screen detailed the next steps. There were separate tasks for the left arm, right arm, and human chef, all while the robot voice walked the human chef through the recipe.
Too often, with today's voice assistants, it's the other way around: we have to do all the talking with somewhat specific commands. Not only is Bot Chef the one serving up the steps it knows today, it can download new skills as time goes on.
When it learned a new skill on-the-fly
A live demo of a skill being downloaded happened when the human chef asked the Samsung Bot Chef to make coffee (while it was cubing a slab tofu – so kind of cruel). Bot Chef said it didn't know how, so the human chef asked it to download that skill.
All of a sudden, Bot Chef began interacting with a traditional coffee machine on the kitchen countertop – one of the perks of Bot Chef is that it's able to learn how to manipulate everyday appliances that aren't traditionally considered 'smart'.
When it picked up a knife and opened a cabinet
Bot Chef was in the middle of cubing the long slab of tofu using a sharp cutting tool, and this was, of course, the opportune time for the human chef to test its safety protocols. It slowed down and then stopped its dicing when he got too close, and the Bot Chef employed a friendly buzzer sound to denote that something was amiss.
So, yes, Bot Chef can pick up knives and cut food, but no, its safety mechanisms won't lead to stabbing accidents – or intentional incidents for that matter: our robotic co-chef isn't programmed to seek complete kitchen dominance, says Samsung.
What it can do, and which left the CES crowd astounded, was reach up to open one of the overhead kitchen cabinets. The human chef changed up the recipe midway through the process – apparently our sesame tofu salad needed a little kick.
Amazingly, Samsung Bot Chef was able to maneuver more than 180 degrees above its mount to snag a bottle of Sriracha hot sauce from the closed cabinet. Its fingers are finely tuned enough to know the difference between just picking up a bottle and squeezing it – and best of all, it put the bottle back when it was done and closed the cabinet door.
How much will Samsung Bot Chef cost?
Our No. 1 question about Bot Chef is "How much will it cost?" We didn't get a specific answer, but it won't be entirely unapproachable, according to Samsung's part-time human chef / full-time spokesperson.
"In order for this technology to really make an impact in our everyday lives, it needs to be affordable," he said, explaining that Bot Chef's maximum payloads should be enough for it to handle full bottles of olive oil and other everyday kitchen items. This isn't meant for industrial lifting, and that should keep the price down.
"That's why we've engineered these robots from the ground up, using custom gearboxes and electronics that will help their price tag read more like a kitchen appliance than a luxury car," Bot Chef's assistant added.
One could justifiably argue that the real cost of robot chef technology like this will be in human chef careers. But the natural counterargument is that it'll free-up chefs from a bunch of menial tasks so that they can focus on the creative aspects of the cooking process – and, like self-driving cars that still require a human behind the steering wheel, at least for now, this robot chef is dependent on a human a co-chef.
In many ways Bot Chef felt like the most futuristic technology on show at the Samsung CES 2020 booth, despite being situated among the company's screen-based 5G phones, 8K QLED TVs, giant Wall TVs and rotating Sero displays.
There's something refreshing about a tech product in which the screen isn't the lead story, and the primary mission of which is to offer humanity, quite literally, a helping hand. The rest of Samsung CES booth is mesmerizing, but this demo is genuinely thought-provoking.
Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2020 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.
The TCL foldable phone isn't ready for prime time, but this concept may be the most important smartphone at CES 2020 because of the company's ethos.
"This is TCL," said Stefan Streit, proudly unveiling three flashy-looking traditional smartphones under $500. Streit, the Chinese company's global marketing manager, reminded us that this attractive price ceiling includes 5G smartphones.
The TCL 10 5G for under $500 sounds surprising, but it's not – it's ripped from TCL's TV playbook. The critically acclaimed TCL Roku TV 6 Series is a high-end 4KTV that competes with normally expensive Samsung, LG, and Sony TVs at a fraction of the price. This has caused TCL's rivals to either price drop their sets or make cheaper variants.
That's exactly what the TCL foldable phone can do: introduce more competition. It can offer an alternative to the Samsung Galaxy Fold, Huawei Mate X and Moto Razr, but it can also put pressure on Samsung and others to compete on price.
Here's a gallery of the TCL foldable phone as we tested it out for the first time:
It'll be a while before TCL goes foldable
It's true, the TCL foldable phone concept isn't ready to release soon. The hinge and foldable screen crease feels far from perfect, the software is buggy, and it includes no front-facing camera at the moment (though, no awkward notch cut out either). We did, however, like the prism back of the device.
The hardware that was in our hands at CES 2020 was using Qualcomm's mid-range Snapdragon 660 chipset and Android 9 Pie, so it's not on par with the company's TCL 10 series phones, which use the Snapdragon 700 chips. It's also not nearly as sleek as the Mate X due to heavy bezel and the screen size is smaller than the Galaxy Fold. But, again, this is a concept phone, and specs change and designs get refined all the time when smartphones are seen this early.
Simply, its presence at a trade show means it can usher in an age of affordable foldable phones sooner than anyone had expected. This would address one of our biggest complaints when we had in our Samsung Galaxy Fold review: it cost too much.
Even if you don't want the TCL foldable phone when it finally launches, it should still thrill you. Its presence is going to push the entire foldable phone market to compete, and that's a beautiful thing when the Galaxy Fold costs $1980 right now.
Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2020 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.
We may be a few days into 2020, and only a matter of weeks away from the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S11, but Samsung isn't quite done with its Galaxy S10 range of phones, having just unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite and Galaxy Note 10 Lite.
These two new Lite phones are set to bring features from the normally pricey flagship S10 and Note 10 series to a new, budget-conscious audience – we say 'set to' because Samsung is yet to disclose the exact S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite prices.
Samsung has confirmed that we'll see both new phones at CES 2020, a month and a half before Samsung is expected to reveal the Galaxy S11 (which could also be called the Galaxy S20). For now, here's what has been confirmed about the S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite specs and features
Don't let the Lite name fool you: the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite has a 6.7-inch display that's larger than those on the S10e, S10, and S10 Plus (the latter tops out at 6.4 inches). Its size matches the Galaxy S10 5G, though the resolution is dialed back to 1080p.
The front-facing camera shifts to the center of the Super AMOLED Plus Infinity-O Display. As on the Note 10, it's top-center aligned instead of the normal S10's right-aligned selfie camera. Unlike on most Samsung phones, this is a 32MP front camera.
There are even bigger changes to the rear cameras of the Galaxy S10 Lite, starting with a 48MP wide-angle lens with an f/2.0 aperture and Super Steady OIS. The ultra-wide camera here is 12MP with an f/2.2 aperture (not the typical 16MP). There's also a 5MP macro f/2.4 lens for close-up photography.
The Galaxy S10 Lite dimensions are 75.6 x 162.5 x 8.1mm and it weighs 186g, so it isn't small and light as the 'Lite' name may suggest. It is, however, heavy in terms of specs, with a Snapdragon 855 chipset, 4,500mAh battery, and a choice of 6GB or 8GB of RAM with 128GB internal storage.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite specs and features
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite has the same 6.7-inch Full HD+ display as the S10 Lite, with the main physical changes being the size and rear camera configuration. This phone measures 76.1 x 163.7 x 8.7mm and weighs 199g.
Of course, it also has an S Pen tucked inside of the body, which is universal on all Note phones. If the Note 10 Lite indeed has a cheaper price than the Note 10, this opens up Samsung's stylus to a much wider audience than the usual businessperson demographic (maybe one that would actually appreciate taking remote selfie with the wand-like S Pen).
The camera configuration is rather different from the setup on the S10 Lite: there's a 12MP wide-angle camera with dual-pixel autofocus, an f/1.7 aperture and OIS, an ultra-wide 12MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture, and a 12MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture and OIS.
The front camera is 32GB here and again center-aligned, and there are 6GB or 8GB of RAM options, with 128GB internal storage to match the S10 Lite. However, the 10nm chip seems to be the Samsung Exynos chipset instead of the Snapdragon 855.
We'll be at CES 2020, where we'll likely learn the S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite prices, and hopefully be able to get our hands on the phones early next week.
Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2020 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
