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The Morning After: Sonos stops using 'recycle mode' to brick old devices
And James Bond is back with Nokia.
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.
James Bond movies have an... interesting dynamic when it comes to product placement. In recent times, there have been fewer Aston Martins and Rolexes. There was that awkward Virgin Atlantic flight (oh, hi Richard Branson), the Heinekens and the weird glut of Sony devices; in recent years, it has been a Sony Pictures co-production. That is, until now. With the delayed-due-to-coronavirus No Time to Die (the most millenial of Bond movie titles) there's a new partner, which means new money-making opportunities.
And here comes Nokia. Well, here comes Nokia phone owner HMD. It was Bond's mobile brand of choice a few decades ago -- Daniel Craig used a Nokia 8800 in 2006's Casino Royale. Now Nokia's are, apparently, back, even if James isn't brandishing one, yet.
A forthcoming Nokia ad will include Lashana Lynch's character, 00 agent Nomi, completing a mission with the help of the company's as-yet unannounced 5G flagship phone. It doesn't quite have the gravitas of Bond, however, but I'll withhold judgment until I see the ad.
Sony once offered millions to Craig to pose with its latest phone ahead of the release of Spectre, a few years ago. That didn't happen. According to a leaked email, Craig wasn't on board, apparently noting that: "James Bond only uses the 'best...' the Sony phone is not the 'best.'"
How much does HMD have to spend on marketing?
-- Mat
The Engadget Podcast: Coronavirus hits tech and a chat with 'Cosmos' Ann Druyan
This week on the Engadget Podcast, we dive into the many ways the coronavirus is affecting the tech industry, all the while remembering to wash our hands and not touch our faces. And for something completely different, Devindra chats with Ann Druyan (starting at 26:59), the co-creator of Cosmos, on the show's incredible new season. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Pocket Casts or Stitcher.
Sonos kills its device-bricking 'recycle mode'
A Sonos spokesperson confirmed that the Trade Up program will continue, but recycling mode is no more. If you want to get the 30 percent discount, you just need to prove you own one of the eligible "legacy" products by validating its serial number. Once that's done, you can apply the discount to anything Sonos is currently selling at its online store.
Japan's life-size 18-meter Gundam statue can move (a little)
It will move. As the latest Gundam statue gets prepped to go on show in Yokohama later this year, we're learning that the mech will not only light up like its predecessors -- it'll move a bit, too. Japanese media got a tour of the Gundam's leg 'bones,' as they crept forward. If anything, the tour proved that full-scale robot suits are a thing of the distant future, sadly.
TCL made a phone prototype with a roll-up screen
TCL paid a visit to New York to show off its latest smartphone prototypes, and while this included a tri-fold tablet, the more interesting of the pair is what the company says is the "world's first rollable extendable display smartphone concept." In short, the device has a roll-up extension to the screen, using similar tech to the roll-up TVs we've seen over the last few years.
When fully extended, the display is 7.8 inches. In its original "closed" state, the phone is 6.75 inches. When you need to put it away, the screen rolls and wraps around the rear of the device. It slides inside the phone, though, and perhaps crucially, the display isn't exposed when closed. While we only handled dummy devices for now, it's another vision of the future of mobile devices.
Does the Xbox Series X make gaming PCs obsolete?
On paper, the Xbox Series X's sheer power blows away most gaming rigs today -- but what does that mean for PC enthusiasts? To be honest, there's still plenty we don't know about the Series X or what the state of PC hardware will be later this year. But based on Microsoft's spec dump last week, we can start making some educated guesses. Read on to let Devindra Hardawar guide you away (or toward) the next big console race.
Project Sandcastle shows you can install Android on an iPhone 7
Yes, you can get Android on an iPhone, in very specific circumstances and with a lot of compromises.
The next Mars rover is named 'Perseverance'
Right now, you can explore the Martian surface by zooming in on a giant 2GB panoramic image made of shots taken by the Curiosity rover. In the future, we'll get data back from a new Martian rover, dubbed Perseverance. It will set off for the red planet in July.
But wait, there's more...
Oppo's Find X2 Pro rivals the Galaxy S20 Ultra with 10x hybrid zoom, 120Hz display and 5G
Electric skateboard maker Boosted announces 'significant' layoffs
Bang & Olufsen's Beosound Balance is a $2,250 statement speaker
What does the end of Elizabeth Warren's campaign mean for big tech?
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