Remote-controlled robot milks scorpion venom to aid in cancer research

Why it matters to you

Scorpion venom has potential as a painkiller and to aid in cancer therapies.

Scorpion venom is some of the most toxic on the planet and yet it has a handful of surprising medical applications — from use as immunosuppressants to cancer research. The problem is that one small mistake in the extraction method can have fatal consequences.

“The extraction of scorpion venom is a very difficult task and usually takes at least two experimenters,” Mouad Mkamel, a researcher from Ben M’sik Hassan II University in Morocco, said in a statement. “There are numerous risks including potentially deadly scorpion stings and electric shocks from the stimulators used to extract the venom.”

To mitigate the risk to humans and avoid harm to the scorpions, Mkamel and a team of researchers from the university designed a scorpion-milking robot. Dubbed the VES-4, the robot is lightweight and mobile so it can be used in the lab and out in the field. “It is designed to extract scorpion venom without harming the animal and to provide more safety for the experimenters,” Mkamel said, adding that the robot makes venom extraction quick and safe.

That is in contrast to current milking methods which may be hazardous to humans, harmful to the scorpion, or simply unreliable overall. Instead of requiring a human hand, which may be stung, the robot clamps down on the scorpion’s tail and stimulates it electrically, which causes droplets of venom to be released. The process is designed to not puncture the scorpion’s venom gland or injure its abdomen. While conventional methods require at least a couple people to ensure safety of experimenters and arachnid alike, the robot may be remotely controlled by a single researcher.

Scientists found a handful of applications for scorpion venom and a few potential uses as well, according to Wired. A study in 2011 showed that venom may be used to fend off malaria. Two years later, researchers demonstrated that venom works as a painkiller in grasshopper mice, which might help researchers design painkillers for humans. And in the future, venom may be used in cancer therapies by attaching to and illuminating cancer cells, doctors can better locate and assess the disease.

Samsung still needs more data to launch Bixby in English, report says

Why it matters to you

English-speaking Galaxy S8 owners will have to wait even longer for the digital assistant Samsung promised them well before the phone’s launch.

Things just aren’t getting any better for Bixby. The English-language version of Samsung’s virtual assistant was supposed to debut before the end of June, but that due date came and went without any noise. Now, the latest report from the Korea Herald may explain why.

Bixby’s inability to process English grammar and syntax is, in fact, the result of a lack of data, according to the article. This is not terribly surprising, given that the machine-learning models which underpin digital assistants thrive on repeated usage. If Samsung is trying to install Bixby with a deep understanding of the language, it will need an abundance of trials to make it possible.

That could explain why Samsung emphasized further beta testing in a statement made in May. “Bixby Voice benefits from time to further enhance natural language understanding,” a representative from the company told Digital Trends at the time, “and we are currently growing our user testing in the U.S. to prepare for launch.”

This is now the second major delay the virtual assistant has faced since Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S8 smartphone launched in April. The handset released alongside other Bixby features, such as Vision, Home, and Reminder, though the Voice portion of the software — easily the most significant aspect — was curiously omitted outside the South Korean market.

Koh Dong-jin, Samsung’s mobile chief, said the English version would be out by May. When that did not happen, the company turned everyone’s attention to last month.

The continued absence is even more striking considering Samsung’s bullish move to place a dedicated Bixby button on the side of the S8. One day, that key should trigger Bixby Voice. As of now, it still only leads to Hello Bixby, a Google Now-like card interface that aggregates weather, calendar appointments, news stories, and other areas of interest.

So where could Bixby be headed from here? Unsatisfactory responses from beta testing in the States seemingly instilled the company with doubt over a full release in June. Samsung will need even more time to catch up to Google, Amazon, and Apple in terms of data to perfect its assistant — and it was already well behind to begin with. Closing the gap has proved difficult, thanks to another roadblock mentioned in the Herald’s report.

According to an anonymous source referenced by the publication, geographic and language barriers have broken down communications between the American and South Korean development teams. That ironic twist means the Korean version has advanced at a far quicker pace than the English software.

Analysts expected Bixby’s English debut wouldn’t be delayed past the fall, but that possibility is looking more and more likely as Samsung’s struggles continue. Meanwhile, rumors suggest the company has been forced to push back plans for a stand-alone Bixby-powered smart speaker, similar to Amazon’s Echo, Google Home, and Apple’s upcoming HomePod.

Moto Z2 Force + Moto X4 leaks reveal Motorola’s 2017 flagships

Slim, modular high-ender for AT&T pictured, along with rumored ‘X4’ mid-ranger.

We’re about due a fresh round of high-end Motorola phones, and Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) has today given us a look at two new handsets — the Moto Z2 Force and Moto X4.

Happy X4th of July pic.twitter.com/a03dq1XvIc

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 4, 2017

The Moto X4, rumored to be heading to Google’s Project Fi in the U.S., is reported to be an upper mid-tier phone with an aluminum unibody — though it’s hard to tell what exactly the back panel is made of in this latest render. In addition to IP68 water resistance, specs are said to include a Snapdragon 630 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 3,000mAh battery and a 5.2-inch 1080p display. For imaging, there’s a dual 8-megapixel plus 12-megapixel camera setup around the back.

Moto’s near-stock Android UI, based on version 7.1.1 of the OS, is preloaded — though notably absent is Moto Mod support. So it’s a little different from previous Moto X phones on the outside, while retaining the brand’s focus on user experience over raw hardware specs.

More: Moto X4 reportedly coming to Project Fi later in 2017

Moto Z2 Force for AT&T pic.twitter.com/N0h001Xema

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 4, 2017

If you want Moto Mods and high-end specs, you’ll need to look to the Moto Z2 Force. Blass gives us our first look at the new high-end Moto phone, which as previously reported is no longer a Verizon exclusive. The AT&T variant pictured above looks almost identical to last year’s Moto Z, which isn’t surprising given the size and shape requirements for Moto’s modular attachments.

As the “Force” moniker suggests, this phone should ship with Moto’s ShatterShield tech for drop resistance. A slide leaked back in May points to a 5.5-inch 1080p display and gigabit LTE support, meaning it’ll almost certainly run a Snapdragon 835 processor.

Motorola is in the midsts of a major shake-up under the ownership of Lenovo, and these new phones could give us our first glimpse of a new, unified Moto high-end.

Thoughts? Share them down below in the comments!

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 rumors: Specs, release date and more

Everything we know so far about the successor to Samsung’s ill-fated Note 7.

Oh boy. It’s time for a new Samsung Galaxy Note.

As you may remember, things didn’t go too well for the last entry in the Note series. And although the Galaxy S8 has enjoyed strong sales and critical praise in the meantime, Samsung will remain under intense scrutiny as it looks to relaunch the tarnished Note brand. That’s important for every market in which Samsung operates, but particularly so in Europe, which hasn’t seen a new Note since 2014’s Note 4.

So the next Note needs to be good, and it needs to not catch on fire. Beyond the obvious, the phone also needs to show us how the Note brand can coexist with the larger “Plus” variant of the Galaxy S series, if that’s to continue.

So far, most of the reliable info points to Samsung playing it relatively safe this year. The design, based on CAD leaks, largely mirrors that of the Galaxy S8+. Rumors point to similar specs with a modest RAM and display size upgrade, and a modest battery capacity downgrade. In the absence of the long-rumored in-display fingerprint scanner, the most exciting feature this year is likely to be the new dual camera setup.

Let’s dig into what we know so far about the Galaxy Note 8.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 specs

The most reliable info available on the Note 8’s internal hardware comes from VentureBeat’s Evan Blass — aka @evleaks on Twitter — who has a good track record with this kind of thing.

Other sources include Korean news site Osen, which reports that the Note 8 will come in 64GB and 128GB variants, and the HTML5Test database, which shows the Note running Android 7.1.1.

So the major spec changes from the Galaxy S8 include a larger 6.3-inch display, likely making the Note only slightly larger than the Galaxy S8+. The rumored 6GB of RAM should help the Note keep more apps in memory without reloading — an area where current Samsung phones don’t exactly excel. Meanwhile, the option of 128GB of storage will make the Note an ideal phone for gamers and heavy app users who don’t want to offload content to slower removable storage.

Aside from the S Pen, a new dual-camera setup with OIS could be the main reason to get excited about the Note 8.

The battery capacity — a mere 3300mAh, down from the 3500mAh of the S8+ — is likely a necessity because of the space taken up by the S Pen. Even though the Note 8 will be slightly larger than the S8+, there’s less space for a battery inside the chassis.

As for the dual camera setup — a first for a Samsung phone, though a long-rumored feature — the 12-megapixel resolution suggests Samsung might use the image sensor from the Galaxy S8 in its new phone, at least in the primary camera. And the optically stabilized secondary camera, at one time rumored to boast 3X telephoto capabilities, could produce significantly more detailed zoomed shots than the iPhone 7 Plus or OnePlus 5, both of which lack OIS in their telephoto cameras.

Those are just the raw hardware specs we know (or think we know) so far. The Note 8 is sure to introduce new software tricks as well — expect new capabilities for the S Pen, and perhaps some small visual changes from Samsung Experience 8.1 as we know it on the Galaxy S8.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 design + size

No convincing photographic leaks of the Galaxy S8 have appeared so far, and so the best we have to go on is this CAD render from Steve Hemmerstoffer (@onleaks on Twitter), which shows a Galaxy S8+-like design. This 3D image is based on the dimensions and specifications given to accessory makers, and shows a slightly boxier version of an S8+, with key hardware features like the S Pen, Bixby button and headphone jack.

It’s tough to draw any firm conclusions from this early image, but what we can expect is a significantly chunkier camera bulge — and, as rumored, for the fingerprint scanner to retain its precarious placement to the right of the camera. Looks like fans hoping for that elusive in-display fingerprint sensor will have to wait for next year’s Galaxy S9.

And here comes your very first look at #Samsung’s #GalaxyNote8 (based upon factory CAD) on behalf of @91mobiles… https://t.co/UXyMmapO1x pic.twitter.com/ZoPeTSy3fq

— OnLeaks (@OnLeaks) June 27, 2017

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 release date

Samsung has typically announced new Note handsets in August or early September. While the Note 5 and Note 7 arrived earlier in the month, the most recent rumors point to the Note 8 breaking cover right before the Berlin-based IFA trade show in late August, at an event in New York City.

August 26 was claimed as Note 8 launch day in one recent leak from Korea, which would see the Note 8 launching just ahead of the noisy IFA launch season. And while August 26 is later than the past couple of Note launches, it would still allow Samsung plenty of time to get devices on store shelves before the iPhone 8 launch a month or so later.

Confirmation of launch day should come in early August, when press invites for the Note 8 event should start going out.

*What are you looking forward to seeing in the Galaxy Note 8? Share your thoughts down in the comments, and join the discussion on the Android Central forums!

How to Fix Your PlayStation Aim Controller Not Charging

If your Aim controller won’t charge, don’t panic. It’s easy to fix! .

We’ve all been there. We have plans for how to use our hot new piece of tech, yet when we try to go and use it, it’s not working properly. One of the more common issues seen is the failure to charge, which can be one of the most frustrating because you don’t have any error codes or flashing lights to aid you in your troubleshooting.

If this happens to your PlayStation Aim controller, though, there are some easy steps you can follow to get things straightened out.

Read more at VRHeads

PSA: Be careful when buying a Moto E4 case

Don’t buy the wrong Moto E4 case.

I’m really enjoying the Moto E4. For a phone that’s as inexpensive as $70 (but closer to $130 if you don’t want the Verizon version, or lock screen ads), it’s pretty unimpeachable.

So when doing research for the best cases to buy for Motorola’s new budget bandit, I noticed a trend: a lot of 1- to 3-star reviews on cases that hadn’t been out for very long. Turns out it’s one person preemptively putting out a very important warning: the case may not fit your phone.

Moto E4 specs

Motorola has released two versions of the Moto E4, a U.S., model XT1768, and an international version, model XT1760. Normally that wouldn’t be a big deal, since internal specs differ between regions all the time, but in this, ahem, case it does, since the two versions are visually different, too, making coverings incompatible between regions.

Take these two cases:

U.S. model (left) | international model (right)

The case on the left, the Cimo Premium Slim, is intended for the U.S. model. The way you can immediately tell is that it lacks a rear speaker. Other differentiating marks include the varied placement of the headphone jack on top of the phone and the microphone on the back, above the camera. The case on the right, the AnoKe Ultra Thin Slim (seriously, who names these things?) has an opening for the speaker on the back.

The international Moto E4 is also slightly thicker than the U.S. variant, so even if you can overcome the incorrect placement of the headphone jack and microphones, the phones themselves likely won’t fit properly in their opposing cases.

This issue doesn’t apply to the Moto E4 Plus (which is still not yet available) since both the U.S. and international models will be the same.

As long as you take a couple of minutes to ensure that your Moto E4 case is made for the right version, you should be fine, and this problem should sort itself out as Amazon begins stocking more cases for the U.S. variant. Until then — stay vigilant, friends.

See at Amazon

Protecting your OnePlus 5: A tempered glass screen protector is a good idea

Your choices are limited right now, but it’s worth considering a tempered glass screen protector to keep your OnePlus 5’s display in mint condition.

Tempered glass screen protectors are a great way to ensure any phone’s screen stays in great condition throughout its life span. But there are often comrpomises involved in picking one. Edge-to-edge screen protectors will generally leave a small air gap between the transparent area and the display, which can affect visibility. Clear tempered glass protectors that adhere directly to the display area can run into problems with the 2.5D glass used in many modern phones, like the OnePlus 5.

Film screen protectors like the one pre-installed on the OnePlus 5 are a decent, simple alternative, but they’re not quite the same.

Right now, since the OnePlus 5 is so new, there are only a handful of tempered glass screen protectors from reputable brands, so we’ll be updating this list as we go. Nevertheless, here are some early options if you’re looking to keep your OnePlus 5 screen in top condition from day one.

OnePlus tempered glass screen protector

OnePlus’s official tempered glass screen protector for the OnePlus 5 covers the entire surface of the phone, with cutouts for the proximity sensor, camera, earpiece and fingerprint scanner.

This screen protector is rated for 9H hardness, meaning it can go toe-to-toe with keys and even knives and survive unscathed. It’ll cover the full area of the display, so you don’t need to worry about any unsightly edges cutting into your screen.

As is normal with this type of screen protector, the border extends 0.9 mm over the edge of the panel, so tight-fitting cases may cause issues.

See at OnePlus

Orzly tempered glass screen protector (2-pack)

Orzly’s tempered glass screen protector for the OnePlus 5 is almost identical to OnePlus’s official offering, with the same 9H hardness rating and cutouts for all the vital areas. Once again, it’ll protrude ever so slightly around the top of the panel, which is worth bearing mind if you plan in pairing it with a case of any kind.

The main difference here, though, is the price, as Orzly’s screen protectors are available in a 2-pack from Amazon for $10.99 with free shipping. That gives you a spare if you mess up the installation, or if your first meets with an untimely demise.

See at Amazon

Orzly film screen protector (5-pack)

The OnePlus 5 comes with a film screen protector pre-fitted on the display, and if you don’t mind the slightly plasticky texture, these are a decent, cheap option. Should you wish to replace an old film screen protector with a fresh one, Orzly sells a 5-pack of these for $6.99 with free shipping on Amazon.

A film screen protector isn’t the most glamorous option, but you can’t argue with the price, nor the simplicity of installation compared to some tempered glass options. Film protectors like these are also more likely to play nicely with bulky cases than glass screen protectors, because they’re significantly thinner.

See at Amazon

OnePlus 5

• Complete OnePlus 5 review
• OnePlus 5 specs
• Which OnePlus 5 model should you buy?
• Camera comparison: OnePlus 5 vs. Galaxy S8
• The latest OnePlus 5 news
• Join the discussion in the forums

OnePlus

Everything you need to troubleshoot Google Daydream

Dealing with issues in VR can be frustrating, but we’ve got the fixes you’re looking for.

There isn’t a lot that can go wrong with Google Daydream. Like Cardboard before it, this platform is designed to be as simple as possible so you can just go and enjoy great games and videos. That said, occasionally something can go wrong and we’re here to help. Consider this everything you need to have a successful Daydream experience every time!

Read more at VR Heads!

Surprise: Samsung is building a Bixby-powered AI speaker

Samsung is developing its own voice-activated smart speaker incorporating its Bixby virtual assistant, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

Codenamed ‘Vega’, the AI-powered speaker will be Samsung’s offering in a market already crowded by the likes of Amazon and Google, with Apple and Microsoft recently announcing their plans to get in on the action too, through HomePod and Invoke.

Very little beyond the Vega name is known about the development — according to WSJ its features and specs are yet to be decided, and there’s no sign of a release date. To stand out in an already squeezed market it’ll certainly need to boast something impressive.

In a blog post from March, Samsung executive vice president Injong Lee laid out the company’s aspirations for Bixby, and it seems likely Vega will be incorporated into these ambitious plans.

“Starting with our smartphones, Bixby will be gradually applied to all our appliances. In the future, you would be able to control your air conditioner or TV through Bixby. Since Bixby will be implemented in the cloud, as long as a device has an internet connection and simple circuitry to receive voice inputs, it will be able to connect with Bixby,” Lee wrote.

However, Bixby has proven something of a headache for Samsung so far. Despite centering a lot of its marketing around the feature during the launch of the Galaxy S8, Samsung eventually released the phone without Bixby in the US — it’s only gradually being rolled out now, and is unlikely to be completed before the second half of July, according to WSJ sources.

If Samsung can get on top of its existing Bixby issues and offer something unique with its debut smart speaker, then Vega could be a hit. The market is crowded, but there is demand. The number of Americans using voice-activated speakers will reach about 36 million this year, according to eMarketer — over double last year’s figure.

Source: Wall Street Journal

When tech nostalgia goes too far

Nintendo had a bonafide smash on its hands with the NES Classic. And it looks like the SNES mini console will fly off of store shelves just as quickly. But it’s not the only company looking to cash in on your nostalgia. Nowadays, there are reboots of TV shows like Twin Peaks and MST3K. Oh, and how about Netflix’s Stranger Things, a series that’s basically a love letter to the 80s? These are all examples of nostalgia products done right. But not everything we’ve seen in recent years has been as great as you would have hoped. Because, seriously, do you really want one of the Furbys pictured above watching you sleep? And who would be caught dead toting around a Tamagotchi in 2017?

You know what, maybe that is you, and who are we to judge? But if you ask us, these 10 things probably took our retro obsession a little too far.