A lot can happen in a week when it comes to tech. The constant onslaught of news makes it nigh impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of this week’s top tech stories, from Bill Gates’ smart city to a movie shot on an iPhone — it’s all here.
Count down to Black Friday with our favorite deals available right now
Calling Black Friday the Super Bowl of commerce is like calling the sun “kind of hot.” Every year, on the morning after Thanksgiving, consumers across America wake up at the crack of dawn, bellies full of half-digested turkey, and sprint to their favorite stores hoping to nab items at ridiculously low prices.
While there are some people who revel in the consumer chaos, most of us are just looking to save a little bit of cash as we head into the holiday season. So if you’re trying to avoid the madness altogether, join us as we count down to Black Friday with our favorite deals available right now.
Read: Count down to Black Friday with our favorite deals available right now
Shot on an iPhone, Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Unsane’ is set for a 2018 release
Iconic director Steven Soderbergh is no stranger to employing unique, abnormal methods to produce films. After bursting onto the scene — and winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival — at age 26 with 1989’s Sex, Lies, and Videotape, he has made a litany of unorthodox movies. These include the surreal pseudo-biopic Kafka and films like Schizopolis and Bubble, which defy traditional narrative structure.
With Unsane, set to release in March 2018, Soderbergh is up to his old tricks — or, more accurately, he’s breaking out some new ones. Deadline reports that Soderbergh apparently shot the film on his iPhone (no, we don’t know what model). The film is a thriller, so perhaps it’ll turn out to be one of those found footage-style affairs.
Read: Shot on an iPhone, Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Unsane’ is set for a 2018 release
Lamborghini Urus ‘Super Sport Utility Vehicle’ will pack a tremendous punch
The Lamborghini Urus is unlike any car in the automaker’s illustrious 54-year history — and not just because it’s an SUV. You might remember the 1980s LM002, which made the Mercedes-Benz G-Class look pedestrian by comparison. While the LM002 was a sledgehammer of a truck, the Urus is shaping up to be as precise as a surgeon’s scalpel. And, it’s poised to become the brand’s best-selling model by a long shot.
We’re just a few weeks away from the Urus’ debut, so official details about it are beginning to trickle out. Here’s everything we know about the first Lamborghini off-roader of the 21st century.
Read: Lamborghini Urus ‘Super Sport Utility Vehicle’ will pack a tremendous punch
Sky watchers, get your popcorn ready: A guide to the Leonid meteor shower
Right on the heels of the first total solar eclipse to hit the United States in nearly 40 years is yet another celestial treat. The annual Leonid meteor shower will peak late in the evening on Friday, November 17 and into the early morning hours of Saturday, November 18. If the conditions are just right in your neck of the woods, you won’t want to miss it.
While some companies are already working on creating massive artificial meteor showers, using microsatellites and a series of ornate “pellets,” the naturally occurring events are certainly more impressive to behold. That said, here’s everything you need to know about the (shooting) star-studded event.
Read: Sky watchers, get your popcorn ready: A guide to the Leonid meteor shower
The 6-inch OnePlus 5T costs $500 and you can unlock it with your face
The OnePlus 5T will be available starting on November 21 in countries all over the world, including the U.S, Canada, France, Spain, Germany, U.K., China, and Hong Kong. There’s only one color option, and it’s Midnight Black.
The best thing about OnePlus phones, however, has historically been the price. In the U.S., it will set you back $500, or 500 euros in Europe, or 450 british pounds in the U.K. It’s $20 more in the U.S. than the OnePlus 5, but it stays the same in many other countries overseas. That’s still a lot of money considering the low price of the original OnePlus One, but you’re getting performance and specifications that match most $650+ flagship smartphones.
Read: The 6-inch OnePlus 5T costs $500 and you can unlock it with your face
Bill Gates is building his own city, and he’s loading it with smart tech
Bill Gates used his smarts to become one of the most successful people on the planet, so it only makes sense that he would make a smart city. Earlier this month, a group headed by Gates’ investment group Cascade Investment LLC purchased a large plot of land just outside of Phoenix, Arizona to build this vision of a smart future.
The vision for Gates’ smart city is one with “high-speed digital networks, data centers, new manufacturing technologies and distribution models, autonomous vehicles, and autonomous logistics hubs,” according to a statement from Belmont Partners, the real estate developer on the project. Few people live in the area now, but Belmont said in a statement the projected population of the smart city will be comparable to Tempe, Arizona, which is home to more than 182,000 Arizonans.
Read: Bill Gates is building his own city, and he’s loading it with smart tech
Somnox is a robotic pillow that lulls you to sleep by ‘breathing’
Thanks to the plethora of stories about sex robots in the news, you would be forgiven for misunderstanding us when we tell you that the key to a good night’s sleep may be going to bed with a robot. In fact, we’re referring to the Somnox sleep robot, a newly launched soft robotic pillow that is designed to be the perfect sleep companion to help you get some quality shut-eye.
The kidney-shaped huggable bot breathes steadily along with you, providing a physical sensation that, its creators claim, will subconsciously influence your own breathing rhythm. If that’s not enough, it can also offer up some soothing audio to help you relax.
Read: Somnox is a robotic pillow that lulls you to sleep by ‘breathing’
With hydraulic stilts and solar power, this ‘hurricane-proof’ home defies nature
After a decade of relatively tranquil seas, the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was literally one for the books. Nearly two months after Irma ravaged Puerto Rico, more than half of the country is still without electricity — a true testament to the power of this storm system. Unfortunately, as surface ocean temperatures continue to rise, we can only expect more powerful storms in the future. With this in mind, perhaps this ingenious floating “hurricane-proof” home will allow humanity to better weather the challenges of an increasingly tempestuous planet.
Architect Koen Olthuis and housing startup Arkup recently unveiled a series of “livable yachts” at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Olthuis’ architectural firm, Waterstudio, has produced floating structures for the past decade. We’ve covered flood-proof homes in the past, but these floating structures have been designed to handle not only rising waters but also the powerful winds (up to 156 miles per hour) associated with Category 4 hurricanes.
Read: With hydraulic stilts and solar power, this ‘hurricane-proof’ home defies nature
The RipRow balance board will whip you into mountain biking shape
What do you get when you mash up a pedal-free exercise bike, a rowing machine, and a balance board? Quite possibly something like the RipRow, the mountain biking training tool you never knew you wanted, but now may find yourself desperately keen to get hold of.
Now that we’re firmly out of summer and veering rapidly in the direction of winter, the thought of using your cold and wet weekends to go mountain biking suddenly becomes a lot whole lot less appealing for most of us. It’s also important to hold onto your core strength, coordination, balance, and sense of confidence on a bike during the off-season months. This is where the rugged-sounding RipRow comes into play. While stationary gym bikes have been around for a long time, a machine that’s built specifically with mountain biking in mind has been in much shorter supply. Until now, at least.
Read: The RipRow balance board will whip you into mountain biking shape
