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TWB Podcast: iPhone X discontinued?, Galaxy S9 first look, 50 Cent’s bitcoins

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Apple iPhone X discontinued: After a week of rumors, it seems that Apple may indeed be discontinuing the current version of the iPhone X. KGI Securities predicts that this will occur later this year, when potential replacements for the X make their way into the market. This would be the first outright discontinuation of an iPhone since the 5c. The speculation is based around less than stellar sales, combined with a general consumer impression that the notch at the top of the phone leaves them with less usable space, than the iPhone 8. Or, it could be because it’s $1000 and that’s just a lot more than most people are willing to lay out for a phone.

Samsung Galaxy S9 first look: According to multiple sources, Samsung is set to debut the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 25th. Leaked images of the potential phones show what Samsung may be bringing to the table. According to The Korea Herald, both a fingerprint scanner and an improved iris camera lens to help recognize faces in varying environments will be included. However, the main changes appear to be in the cameras themselves, with the S9 Plus having a vertically stacked, dual lens camera on the back. Further speculation is that the Galaxy S9 will also have stereo speakers, which would be a big improvement over the S8.

50 Cent’s bitcoins: As though he weren’t wealthy enough, rapper 50 Cent has revealed that he has actually been sitting on 700 bitcoins for a few years. With his 2014 release of Animal Ambition, he had stated that he wanted to stay with the times and allowed fans to purchase his album with bitcoins. Back then, a single bitcoin was worth $660. Now, with the price over $10,000 a piece currently, he’s sitting on almost $8,000,000.

Amazon Go Store goes public: If you live near Seattle, you now have the chance to try out the Amazon Go Store, for yourself. It is designed to provided a quicker way to shop, without having to deal with an actual checkout line. You scan a QR code upon entering the store, then are tracked by multiple cameras. It’s not without some glitches, but overall it seems that customers are enjoying the experience.

Home cleaning robot that will bring you a beer: The promise of a future of robots handling your every day tasks, may finally be on the horizon! Aeolus Robotics debuted just such a robot at CES 2018 and it’s designed to be scaled up in abilities. Using sophisticated AI, it can recognize thousands of objects. Hopefully it can tell the difference between an IPA and a Pilsner, when it’s fetching you a beer.

Each week, we gather a round table of tech experts from the Digital Trends staff, along with the occasional celebrity guest, to discuss all things tech. Topics range from the big tech stories of the week to predicting the future, all while maintaining a somewhat civil decorum. Throughout the show we answer your questions.

This week’s episode features Juliana Jara, Hanif Jackson, Caleb Denison, and Greg Nibler.

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Greg Nibler
Greg Nibler
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Greg has worked as a Host, Producer, and Writer in radio and television since the early 2000s, working for such companies as…
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