Gadgets & Tech – Spoken Edition

Sprint says it will fix your cracked Galaxy screen for just under 50 bones, and you don’t have to be a Sprint customer to benefit. According to its website, Sprint is running the promotion through February 9 for the following models: Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8+, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S9+, and Samsung Galaxy Note8. There are some caveats, however. Sprint says the phone must be in working condition and notes that not all screens are repairable.

A San Diego jury ruled this week that Apple must pay Quarter Hill Inc.’s Wi-LAN a cool $85 million in a patent infringement case that’s been ping-ponging around the courts since 2014, Bloomberg reports. Wi- LAN , a Canadian tech developer , has been lobbing similar lawsuits at the biggest names in tech for the better part of a decade now ( to varying degrees of success) over its patents for Bluetooth and other wireless communication technology .

Just a few short days ago, Sonos dropped the bomb that some of its older products would no longer receive software updates starting in May 2020. In the initial announcement, Sonos reasoned that the ‘legacy products’ were all reaching the end of their useful life. It then told users they could either recycle the products through its Trade Up program or simply keep legacy devices as they were, understanding that they would eventually lose functionality over time.

Motorola released a whole slew of YouTube videos Sunday about its new Razr, a revamped throwback to its mid-2000s flip phone of the same name, in celebration of the phone’s pre-order launch. But with them came a disclaimer about the foldable phone: “Screen is made to bend; bumps and lumps are normal.” Pre-sales became available today exclusively through Verizon at $1499, though the phones won’t ship out until Feb. 14, according to Verizon’s website, and not on Feb.

Over the years, Google’s become somewhat notorious for killing off its projects, beloved or otherwise. The most recent cas ualty happened today, with the announcement that the company’s backing off of a controversial search engine update—one that made organic search results and paid-for placements nearly impossible to distinguish.

If you spend your life living under a rock you might have missed one of the recent obsessions amongst the young’ns: sequin-covered pillows, plush toys, and even clothing that change color when you rub your hand across them. It’s a completely pointless experience, but also an incredibly satisfying one that’s actually inspired a clever hacker to make a clock that tells the time in sequins. Understanding why the Sequino was created is an act of futility.

Tech billionaire Jack Ma has donated $14.5 million to help develop a vaccine for the new coronavirus that has killed at least 170 people and sickened over 7,700. Ma is China’s wealthiest person with an estimated $41.8 billion, which means that his donation is roughly equivalent to the average American household donating $33. Ma founded Alibaba, the world’s largest online retailer, and is often compared to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Gizmodo provides information and articles related to technology, design, and social trends. A SpokenEdition transforms written content into human-read audio you can listen to anywhere. It's perfect for times when you can't read - while driving, at the gym, doing chores, etc. Find more at www.spokenedition.com

Gizmodo provides information and articles related to technology, design, and social trends. A SpokenEdition transforms written content into human-read audio you can listen to anywhere. It's perfect for times when you can't read - while driving, at the gym, doing chores, etc. Find more at www.spokenedition.com

Gizmodo provides information and articles related to technology, design, and social trends. A SpokenEdition transforms written content into human-read audio you can listen to anywhere. It's perfect for times when you can't read - while driving, at the gym, doing chores, etc. Find more at www.spokenedition.com