Weekly Tech Recap - № 281 - Galaxy S21, Watchy, Intel NUC 11, Project Hazel, 250GB files on Microsoft 365
Samsung Galaxy S21
Galaxy Ultra, S21+, S21. © Samsung.
Since Samsung can’t keep a secret like Apple can, we knew just about all there was to know about the new family of Galaxy phones long before this week’s official presentation. However, one thing that was a surprise was the prices. And it’s a pleasant one! Each of the 3 new models is USD200 cheaper than the previous generation! For example, the S20 Ultra was USD1,400, while the S21 Ultra is USD1,200 (actually, USD1,199.99). All three models have an eight-core, 5nm 2.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, and all support 5G. The S21 has a 6.2-inch 2400×1080 424ppi display, while the S21+ has a 6.7-inch display with the same number of pixels (definition of 393ppi). The S21 Ultra has a 6.8-inch 3200×1440 516ppi display. Besides the larger display, the Ultra also supports Wi-Fi 6E and sports no less than 5 rear cameras, including a 108MP Main (!) and a laser autofocus. Another nice thing about the Ultra is its compatibility with Samsung’s Wacom technology-based S-Pen. All three models will be in stores on January 29.
⇨ Ars Technica, Ron Amadeo, “The Galaxy S21 is official, gets an across-the-board $200 price drop.”
2021-01-14
Watchy, an Arduino powered wrist computer
Watchy. © Squarofumi.
Watchy is a smartwatch with an e-paper screen whose design and software is open-source. Built around an ESP32 SoC, Watchy has a monochrome, 1.54-inch, 200x200 display, 4 buttons, and a 3-axis accelerometer with movement sensor. It has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE, to connect to APIs on the Internet and download data (for example, the weather, news, traffic, maps, Spotify, etc.). The battery can last up to 7 days. The ESP32 enjoys a large user base and offers a variety of development options (Arduino, Micropython, ESP-IDF, Zephyr-RTOS, etc.) Watchy comes with comprehensive documentation and examples of Arduino code that illustrate each hardware feature. New watch faces and examples of code are constantly being added to the GitHub repository. You can buy it preassembled for USD45 or build it from scratch: the KiCAD and Gerber files are available on GitHub, along with 3D models.
⇨ The Verge, Mitchell Clark, “Hack together your own e-paper smartwatch with this $50 open-source kit.”
2021-01-13
250GB files on Microsoft 365
OneDrive. © Microsoft.
Microsoft is upping file size limits on OneDrive, Teams and SharePoint, from 100 to 250GB. This is great news for everyone, but especially teleworkers who need to share large files on the cloud, like 4-or-8K video, CAD files or large scientific datasets. Microsoft says the new increased limit will start rolling out at the end of January and be universal by the end of the first quarter. And it includes OneDrive for personal use. Super handy to share that zip file with a large PC game with your friends! This is the second time Microsoft increases file size limits, which had gone from 15 to 100GB last July.
⇨ Microsoft OneDrive Blog, Ankita Kirti, “Gain more flexibility with 250 GB file size support in Microsoft 365.”
2021-01-12
N95 Razer mask
Project Hazel. © Razer.
The well-known maker of gaming computers and accessories already sold cloth masks for USD30, but, ahead of CES, Razer announced a far more ambitious project: a N95 mask with a transparent front to show the mouth (useful for communicating with deaf persons). The mask, code-named Project Hazel, has a microphone and external speakers so you can easily be heard. It has replaceable air filters on either side, with active ventilation that’ll block up to 95% of airborne particles, including COVID. When not in use, the mask goes in a charging case that sterilizes it with UV light. No release date or price have been announced. However, N95 masks must meet stringent certification standards to ensure filtering efficiency, a process that can take quite a while. And, last but not least, it comes with RGB LEDs. It wouldn’t be a Razer otherwise!
⇨ YouTube, “Project Hazel | World's Smartest Mask.”
⇨ The Verge, Cameron Faulkner, “Razer has created a concept N95 mask with RGB and voice projection.”
2021-01-12
Intel NUC 11
NUC 11 Enthusiast. © Intel.
Intel is updating its Next Unit of Computing (NUC) lineup of miniature computers with its 11th Gen processors, and it’s again including a gaming-focused model, the NUC 11 Enthusiast. Intel has also added a NUC Pro line and a NUC 11 board meant to be integrated into future computers. The NUC 11 Enthusiast, codenamed “Phantom Canyon”, promises gaming performance with a 28W quad-core i7-1165G7 and a GeForce RTX 2060. It comes with 8GB of RAM and a modest 128GB SSD. It has lots of ports despite its diminutive size, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 2.5GB Ethernet and six USB 3.2 type-A ports. Unlike the RAM and storage drive, the graphics processor is not removable, but you can upgrade your GPU through one of the Thunderbolt 4 ports. Configuration options start at USD1,350 for the kit version, where you provide the RAM, the storage drive and the OS. Available in March.
⇨ The Verge, Mitchell Clark, “Intel updates its NUC lineup, including a follow-up to its Hades Canyon gaming mini-PC.”
2021-01-14
