Deals: Anker One-Day Sale, Exclusive RAVPower Portable Battery Discount, and More

Last week, Amazon announced that its annual Prime Day sale event will be held one week from today, on July 16. Ahead of the event, Amazon has begun Prime Day countdown discounts, which today includes a collection of solid deals on Anker power banks, chargers, wireless chargers, and cables.

As with the upcoming Prime Day event, these Anker deals require you to have an Amazon Prime subscription to see the savings. Today’s countdown savings also include a 50-inch Hitachi 4K TV for $289.99, down from $379.99, 30 percent discounts on Ecovacs robot vacuums, and more. For the Anker deals, check out the list below and be sure to place your order before they expire later tonight:

• Powerline USB-C to A 3.0 Cable (3 pack, 3ft) – $10.98, down from $14.99

• Powerline+ Lightning Cable (10ft, Red) – $12.59, down from $17.99

• Wireless Charging Pad With 12W Wall Charger – $12.59, down from $22.99

• PowerCore 5,000 mAh Power Bank – $13.99, down from $19.99

• Roav by Anker 30W Car Charger – $15.99, down from $21.99

• USB Type-C Premium 5-Port 60W USB Wall Charger – $24.74, down from $49.99

• PowerCore II 20,000 mAh Power Bank – $39.89, down from $56.99

• PowerCore+ 26,800 mAh Power Bank with Charger – $89.99, down from $119.99

Elsewhere on Amazon, RAVPower is offering a super low price on its 16,750mAh dual-USB battery pack for the iPhone just for MacRumors readers, dropping the price tag to the lowest it’s ever been.

To get the deal, enter the code RUMORS010 at checkout, which discounts the charger from $26.99 to $21.99. This discount code will be good through tomorrow, July 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

As a reminder, our full list of exclusive RAVPower codes are still live as well, through July 31:

• Dual USB Car Charger with 3ft Lightning Cable – $8.39 with code RUMORS025, down from $11.99

• Ultra-Slim Wireless Charging Pad – $8.49 with code RUMORS083, down from $11.99

• 2-Pack 3ft + 6ft MFi Certified iPhone Cables – $11.99 with code RUMORS003, down from $15.99

• 40W 4-Port USB Wall Charger – $13.99 with code RUMORSC26, down from $17.99

• 10,000 mAh Portable Charger – $20.99 with code RUMORS077, down from $29.99

• 10,000 mAh Solar Portable Charger – $23.99 with code RUMORS082, down from $29.99

• 10W Fast Wireless Charging Pad – $23.99 with code RUMORS066, down from $37.99

• 22,000 mAh Power Bank with USB-C – $37.49 with code RUMORS009, down from $49.99

• 10,400 mAh 7.5W Portable Charger – $49.99 with code RUMORS080, down from $65.99

• 27,000 mAh AC Plug Universal Power Bank – $99.99 with code RUMORS055, down from $129.99

For more deals, including four free months of Apple Music for new subscribers over at Groupon, head over to our full Deals Roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Samsung Galaxy S10+ Expected to Have Triple-Lens Rear Camera and Dual-Lens Front Camera

While the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ were only released nearly four months ago, rumors have already surfaced about the Galaxy S10 lineup.

Galaxy S9
Korean website The Bell today reported that Samsung plans to release a trio of new Galaxy S smartphones next year, including the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, and a lower-priced version of the Galaxy S10. The latter device is expected to be the first-ever entry-level Galaxy S model, not a Galaxy A or Galaxy J model.

If that sounds familiar, it is because Apple is widely rumored to introduce a trio of new iPhones this September, including a second-generation iPhone X, a larger 6.5-inch version dubbed the iPhone X Plus, and a lower-priced 6.1-inch iPhone, with some but not all features of the iPhone X.

The report adds that the Galaxy S10+ will feature a triple-lens rear camera system and a dual-lens front camera system. The rear system is said to include the same 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and 12-megapixel telephoto lens as the Galaxy S9+, in addition to an all-new 16-megapixel 120º ultra-wide-angle lens.

Again, if that sounds familiar, it is because Apple is rumored to introduce at least one new iPhone with a triple-lens rear camera in 2019.

The standard-sized Galaxy S10 is expected to have a single-lens front camera and a triple-lens rear camera, while the entry-level Galaxy S10 is said to sport a single-lens front camera and a dual-lens rear camera.

Last week, The Bell reported that the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ will feature an in-display fingerprint scanner, and possibly 3D facial recognition, similar to Face ID on the iPhone X. These would likely be the only biometric authentication options, as Samsung reportedly plans to exclude iris scanning on the devices.

Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ at Mobile World Congress next February and release the smartphones in March.

Tags: Samsung, Galaxy S10
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AT&T and Warner Media Leadership Outline Changes Coming to HBO Over the Next Year

On June 19, former AT&T executive and new chief executive of Warner Media John Stankey spoke to a group of HBO employees about changes coming to the premium cable company in the near future. The discussion was held in the wake of AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner, which owns HBO, and also included HBO’s chief executive officer Richard Plepler.

The telecommunications company previously stated that it would take a “hands-off approach” to running HBO, but The New York Times this weekend reported on Stankey’s speech and it sounds like that might not be the case. According to a video of the discussion, Stankey explained Warner Media’s intent to align HBO more alongside streaming companies like Netflix in order to increase its subscriber base, although he refrained from referencing Netflix by name.

This means creating more content that releases at a faster pace, in comparison to HBO’s current stable of limited Sunday night-focused shows. According to Stankey, the goal is to increase the hours per day viewers watch HBO, which is currently less than rivals like Netflix and Hulu because of HBO’s smaller catalog.

“We need hours a day,” Mr. Stankey said, referring to the time viewers spend watching HBO programs. “It’s not hours a week, and it’s not hours a month. We need hours a day. You are competing with devices that sit in people’s hands that capture their attention every 15 minutes.”

Continuing this thread, Stankey specifically stated that more hours of user engagement means that Warner Media can “get more data and information” to monetize through advertisements and new subscription options.

“I want more hours of engagement. Why are more hours of engagement important? Because you get more data and information about a customer that then allows you to do things like monetize through alternate models of advertising as well as subscriptions, which I think is very important to play in tomorrow’s world.”

As the discussion continued, Stankey appeared to have butted heads slightly with Plepler on the topic of HBO’s monetization, which Stankey believes can be increased through his new methods. Plepler claimed that the company is already a consistent moneymaker, to which Stankey responded: “Yes, yes you do… Just not enough.”

Stankey and Warner Media hope that an increased output of original content will boost HBO’s 40 million paid subscribers in the United States, which Stankey said as of now “was not going to cut it.” Comparatively, Netflix earlier this year had 55 million U.S. subscribers and Hulu in May had 20 million.

HBO’s business currently expands across paid cable add-on packages, the connected HBO GO app, and standalone HBO NOW app. Stankey said that Warner Media’s plans will kick off soon and “there’s going to be more work” for HBO employees over the next twelve months, which he called a “dog year.”

While Apple wasn’t mentioned in the discussion, the Cupertino company is another upcoming competitor in the streaming TV market, with plans to debut more than a dozen television shows beginning sometime in 2019. Although the distribution of these shows remains unclear, the company is rumored to be planning a bundle with original TV content, Apple Music, and more.

Tags: AT&T, HBO, Time Warner
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Apple Releases tvOS 11.4.1 for 4th and 5th Generation Apple TV Models

Apple today released tvOS 11.4.1, a minor update to the tvOS operating system designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 11.4.1 comes more than a month after the release of tvOS 11.4, an update that introduced support for AirPlay 2.

tvOS 11.4.1 can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System –> Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to the tvOS 11.4.1 automatically.

As a minor 11.x.x update tvOS 11.4.1 focuses on performance improvements and bug fixes to address issues that were discovered following the release of tvOS 11.4. Apple does not provide release notes for tvOS updates, so we may not know exactly what’s included in the new software.

tvOS 11.4.1 is likely to be one of the last updates to the tvOS 11 operating system, as Apple in June introduced tvOS 12, which will be released to the public this fall and is currently available to developers and public beta testers.

tvOS 12 introduces support for Dolby Atmos, a new zero sign-on feature, Password AutoFill from the iPhone, and new aerial screensavers created in collaboration with the International Space Station. More information on tvOS 12 can be found in our tvOS 12 roundup.
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Apple Releases New watchOS 4.3.2 Software for Apple Watch

Apple today released watchOS 4.3.2, a small update to the watchOS 4 operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 4.3.2 comes more than one month after the release of watchOS 4.3.1, a minor update.

watchOS 4.3.2 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General –> Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.

As a 4.x.x update, watchOS 4.3.2 is minor in scale, focusing on bug fixes and under the hood performance improvements. No major new features were discovered during the beta testing period.

watchOS 4.3.2 may be one of the last updates to the watchOS 4 operating system now that Apple has shifted its focus to watchOS 5. watchOS 5 is available to developers and will see a public release this fall.

Introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, watchOS 5 brings a push-to-talk Walkie-Talkie mode, support for automatic workout detection, a Podcasts app, new features for the Siri watch face, and more. For full details on what’s coming in watchOS 5, make sure to check out our watchOS 5 roundup.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4, watchOS 5Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
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Apple Releases iOS 11.4.1 With Bug Fixes

Apple today released iOS 11.4.1, the fifteenth update to the iOS 11 operating system that was first introduced in September 2017. iOS 11.4.1 comes more than a month after the release of iOS 11.4, a major update that introduced support for Messages in iCloud and AirPlay 2.

iOS 11.4.1 is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings –> General –> Software Update. Eligible devices include the iPhone 5s and later, the iPad mini 2 and later, the iPad Air and later, and the 6th-generation iPod touch.

iOS 11.4.1 is a minor update that’s been introduced to address bugs that have been discovered since the launch of iOS 11.4, with no new features discovered during the beta testing period. According to Apple’s release notes, today’s update fixes an issue that prevented some users from viewing the last known location of their AirPods in Find My iPhone and it improves the reliability of syncing mail, contacts, and notes with Exchange accounts.

Today’s iOS 11.4.1 update may be one of the last updates that we see to the iOS 11 operating system.

At its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple introduced iOS 12, the next-generation version of iOS. iOS 12 brings improvements like Group FaceTime, Screen Time for monitoring iPhone and iPad usage, Do Not Disturb improvements, Grouped Notifications, new Memoji and Animoji options, and more, with full details available in our iOS 12 roundup.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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Apple Releases New 11.4.1 Update for HomePod

Alongside the release of iOS 11.4.1, the latest update to the iOS operating system, Apple has also released new 11.4.1 software that’s designed for the HomePod.

The new HomePod software will be installed automatically on the HomePod after you update to iOS 11.4, but you can also manually update and check your software version by following the instructions in our HomePod software how to.

According to Apple’s release notes, the 11.4.1 update for the HomePod includes “general improvements for stability and quality,” with no further details provided.

The new software comes over a month after Apple released the 11.4 update for the HomePod, which introduced stereo support and multi-room audio functionality through AirPlay 2.

Related Roundup: HomePodBuyer’s Guide: HomePod (Buy Now)
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MIT’s Cheetah 3 robot doesn’t need sight to navigate stairs

When we first met the Cheetah, a four-legged robot built by engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the machine was, frankly, not all that fascinating. Sure, it could run pretty quickly for a robot. But at 10 mph, the Cheetah was hardly as impressive as Boston Dynamics’ line of robo-dogs, nor could it keep up with its living, feline counterpart.

Four years on, the Cheetah has made some progress thanks to its MIT engineers. Now dubbed the Cheetah 3, the robot’s current version can leap onto tables, handle rough terrain, and even use blind locomotion to navigate. By developing the machine to get around without the use of cameras, the engineers hope to create a robot that can “feel” its way through a room, no matter how dark an environment may be. In the real world, this ability could make the robot suited for reconnaissance and search and rescue missions.

“Blind locomotion is [locomotion] without vision,” Sangbae Kim, a mechanical engineer at MIT and the robot’s designer, told Digital Trends. Vision-oriented movement obviously seems natural to most humans, but it’s data intensive and noisy for machines. In comparison, movement can also be oriented by proprioception (a sense of one’s own body in relation to the world) and vestibular organs (those which help maintain balance). “Most research robots rely too much on vision and don’t utilize the other two enough,” Kim said. “Before we integrate the vision, we want to have robust behaviors first.”

The Cheetah 3 needs some help from humans to navigate blindly (it relies on manual commands for direction and speed) but it’s capable of tackling obstacles, such as stairs, autonomously. It does so by using sensors and algorithms to orient its body to its environment. For example, the robot uses a contact detection algorithm (which helps the robot determine when to move a particular leg) and a model-predictive control algorithm (which helps predict how much force the robot should apply to a given leg).

The Cheetah 3 weighs in at about 90 pounds, with four legs, a determined gait, and exposed wires and circuity. Each of its knee joints are invertible, meaning they can flex and bend in the opposite direction, which lets the robot adjust its stance to gain better balance and perform other double-jointed tricks. Among its new tricks, the Cheetah 3 can also jump onto a 30-inch desk, recover from being pushed, and twist.

In the near term, Kim and his colleagues are developing the Cheetah for use in disaster relief situations or for tasks that are difficult or dangerous for humans to perform. They plan to add an arm to allow the robot to manipulate objects around it.

The researchers will demonstrate their robot in October at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots in Madrid, Spain.

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Futuristic bandage can monitor wounds and deliver drug treatment

A smart bandage, capable of monitoring a wound and delivering periodic drug treatments, has been developed by a team of researchers at Tufts University. Currently just a prototype, the technology detailed in a recent paper in the journal Small could someday help transform medical treatment, enabling a doctor to more closely monitor her patient’s condition, while more actively treating it.

“What we have demonstrated is a flexible smart bandage that has your drug cocktail in it,” Sameer Sonkusale, a Tufts engineering professors who led the project, told Digital Trends. “It senses how the wound is healing and delivers the drug in real time in appropriate quantity to make it heal faster.”

As lifestyle diseases like obesity and heart disease increase, so too do cases of chronic wounds, which heal at unpredictable rates and in disorderly stages. Chronic wounds present a challenge to physicians, who must identify the underlying cause of the chronic states, while monitoring and treating the wound to avoid infection.

Tufts University

“Increasing cases in diabetes and obesity has resulted in an epidemic of chronic wounds,” Sonkusale said. “Chronic wounds are one of the leading causes of amputations outside of war settings. We believe smart flexible bioelectronic technology has the potential to improve the health outcome of these wounds.”

The smart bandage developed by Sonkusale and his team uses sensors to detect subtle biomarkers that signal wound healing. A microprocessor reads data captured by the sensors, communicates with a mobile device, and can direct the bandage to release medication if deemed appropriate.

For example, Sonkusale said, “It can sense whether it is getting enough oxygen. Is it at the right pH level, which is a sign of abnormal healing? What is the temperature near the wound? Is there any inflammation? All of this info is communicated to a central processor where the doctor has programmed drug release such as an antibiotic, or growth factor, to improve healing. This closed loop ‘sense-then-respond’ bandage is probably the first of its kind.”

Over the passed few years, researchers have demonstrated various next-gen bandages that can detect infections and track how well a wound is healing. These futuristic patches haven’t yet made it to the market and Sonkusale acknowledges that his still has plenty of development ahead, but, once complete, he envisions a wide range of use cases involving chronic wounds.

“It has applications in bed sores, burns, and surgical wounds,” he said. “It can reduce complications from infections and reduce the number of amputations. And all of this is possible because your bandage intervened appropriately at the right time to make your wounds heal faster.”

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Bixby is bringing up-to-date sports scores to Samsung phones with TheScore

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Bixby hasn’t exactly been the runaway success that Samsung hoped for when it introduced its own smart assistant last August. Unlike other A.I. assistants, such as Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Microsoft Cortana, Samsung Bixby was meant to anticipate users’ needs and almost serve as an extra set of hands, editing photos, sending messages, and composing emails on command.

It was also slated to eventually control smart home appliances and Internet of Things devices, but so far, it seems as though it’s a bit less useful than we’d hoped for. But things may be looking up for the smart assistant, especially now that it’s growing its roster of third-party integrations. This week, TheScore announced that it will be bringing live sports scores and news from top sports leagues like the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, and EPL to Bixby.

While this may not seem like much, the move does represent an attempt by Samsung to make Bixby more applicable to users’ lives. Given the global popularity of sports and the frequency with which fans turn to their smartphones for updates, the addition of TheScore could serve Bixby well. The feature will make its debut in Bixby Home come August, and will allow users to create customized notifications based on sports or teams. However, it’s unclear how far-reaching the feature will actually be. On “select” Galaxy devices, you’ll be able to swipe right on home screens in order to get the most recent sports coverage.

Hopefully, Bixby will begin playing a larger role in our lives in the next several weeks. Samsung should be unveiling the Galaxy Note 9 in August, at which point the smart assistant should take center stage. This new flagship phone should feature an enhanced version of Bixby, named Bixby 2.0. Gray Lee, head of the A.I. Center under Samsung Research, has told the Korea Herald that the platform will be upgraded with enhanced language processes, improved noise resistance, and quicker response times.

Furthermore, Samsung has said that it plans to connect a total of 14 million products with Bixby this year and aims to connect them all by 2020. We’ll just have to see if it makes good on these promises.

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