Reviews

While the initial euphoria and bewilderment around foldable smartphones has ebbed, the excitement is pretty much alive. After the innovation, it’s time for brands to grab the new tech by the horns and show us what we, the consumers, can do with it, and how it can help us improve our lives. This is why we’re seeing newer options in foldables now, and more brands jumping into the fray. Motorola is an old hand though, and its latest Razr 40 Ultra comes in as a follow-up to previous models in the Razr series… the same range…

What’s happening? There’s currently nothing stopping someone taking the selfie you posted online last week and editing it using powerful generative AI systems. Even worse, it might be impossible to prove that the resulting image is fake. The good news is that a new tool, created by researchers at MIT, could prevent this.  How does it work? The tool, called PhotoGuard, works like a protective shield by altering photos in tiny ways that are invisible to the human eye but prevent them from being manipulated. If someone…

In 2018, cooling consumed about 2,000 terawatt-hours of energy globally. In 2050, that could grow to 6,200 TWh. The difference, 4,200 TWh, is roughly the same amount of energy the entire US electrical grid supplied in 2022. So if things don’t change, we’ll need to build enough renewable energy not only to replace all the fossil fuels still on the grid, but also to power a metric boatload of air conditioners.  Hot off the press The good news is that there’s a ton of room for improvement in air-conditioning technology.…

The tool, called PhotoGuard, works like a protective shield by altering photos in tiny ways that are invisible to the human eye but prevent them from being manipulated. If someone tries to use an editing app based on a generative AI model such as Stable Diffusion to manipulate an image that has been “immunized” by PhotoGuard, the result will look unrealistic or warped.  Right now, “anyone can take our image, modify it however they want, put us in very bad-looking situations, and blackmail us,” says Hadi Salman, a PhD…

The Realme C53 is a budget-focused smartphone that boasts the segment’s first 108MP camera, setting it apart from the competition. On top of that, the phone is equipped with a fluid 90Hz refresh rate display, a long-lasting 5,000mAh battery, and a convenient side-mounted fingerprint scanner. With storage options of up to 128GB and more exciting features, the Realme C53 shines on paper. In our review, we delve into how it performs in real-life scenarios and, most importantly, whether it can outperform its rivals, including…

A surprising set of materials could soon help make more efficient air conditioners that don’t overtax the electrical grid on hot days. As extreme heat continues to shatter records around the globe, demand for air conditioning is expected to triple in the next few decades. That’s why the race to build more efficient air conditioners has become increasingly urgent.  Although some companies focused on improving existing designs, others are looking to entirely new systems that use materials called desiccants. The hope is…

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4 was a big upgrade over the Galaxy Z Flip 3. It managed to turn, what was a more fashion-forward foldable, into a very useful and practical smartphone with major improvements to its cameras and battery life. With the new Galaxy Z Flip 5, Samsung has added even more features to the mix. There's now a bigger cover display with its own widget-based interface, a new processor and improvements to the cameras. I got to spend some time with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 at the Galaxy Unpacked launch event,…

As seen in the numerous rumours and leaks leading up to Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event, there aren't many changes to this year's Galaxy Z Fold 5 when compared to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 4. The new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is easily overshadowed by the smaller and more accessible foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, which has received more notable upgrades. This year's Galaxy Z Fold 5, focuses on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, and a new hinge design meant to reduce the sharp crease that's visible on the outgoing Fold…

To take a step back: Shein doesn’t operate like traditional consumer brands. Instead of owning factories that make products for it exclusively, the company works with a vast network of independent Chinese factories. Most times, these factories create the designs, manufacture the products, and sell them to Shein, entrusting the platform to deal with other processes, like listing, customer service, and shipping.  Shein offers these suppliers a steady stream of overseas orders. In exchange, it buys the products at very low…

Rather than small silica beads, Blue Frontier’s cooling technology relies on a salt solution that’s so concentrated, it can pull moisture from the air.   Here’s how Blue Frontier’s cooling system works: first, a stream of air passes through a channel and over a thin layer of desiccant, which pulls moisture out of the air. Next, the now-dry air goes through an evaporative cooling step, which lowers the temperature of the air (basically the same way sweat cools your skin).  In the evaporative cooling step, the air is…