ABC News Today

⚡ Welcome to The Weekly Authoritythe Android Authority newsletter breaking down the week’s top tech and Android news. The 208th edition here, with the arrival of Android 13 for Pixels, Dead Island 2 news, Samsung market concerns and the mystery of Roanoke.

📦 This week I have been surrounded by so many boxes for my next move. No kidding, I could (and could) build a box fort!

Xiaomi:

• In addition to revealing its new foldable last week, Xiaomi introduced CyberOne, its new humanoid robot that stands 5.8 feet tall and likes to hand out flowers.

In another part:

• Peloton is raising prices, cutting jobs and says it will close many retail stores: The Bike+ will drop from $500 to $2,495, while the Tread will drop from $800 to $3,495. madness
• The $7,500 tax credit for Americans who buy electric vehicles isn’t as big as it sounds: an estimated 70 percent of electric vehicles currently available in the U.S. market won’t be eligible for the credit.
• And evidence supports that cars should have physical buttons, not just screens.
• Airbnb is rolling out “anti-party technology” to spot potential rule breakers when they book, using an algorithm designed to analyze various signals such as trip length, positive review history and weekend and weekday bookings.
• California’s ban on ‘addictive’ social media fails, but would have punished features that hooked kids.
• Meanwhile, the line between headphones and hearing aids is about to become more blurred as the FDA announces approval of over-the-counter hearing aids.
• Speaking of headphones, Adidas is now selling you a pair of solar headphones: the RPT-02 SOL can be charged in natural or artificial light (like your bedroom light) for up to 80 hours of playtime.
• Chinese scientists say maglev ‘sky train’ floats without power using permanent magnets.
• Colossal Biosciences, the company working to recover the woolly mammoth, is looking to revive the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, declared extinct in the 1930s.
• Did someone say Skynet? Google bots teaching to think for themselves.
• A robot dog with an RPG strapped to its back was demonstrated at the Russian arms fair.
• And Tesla’s humanoid robot is being built to mow the lawn: Musk says the Tesla Bot may be widely available within a decade to do “boring” tasks around the house. We can dream!
• Elsewhere, Adam Neumann of WeWork infamy has already secured a $350 million investment in his new real estate venture, Flow, valued at more than $1 billion.
• American Airlines is buying 20 of Boom’s supersonic Overture jets, expected to reach 1.3 kilometers per hour, which could fly commercially by 2029.
• Karma Police Calls: YouTuber’s Channel Banned After Viral Tantrum $2+ empanada enfurisma Spain.

• Wondering what to watch this week? Check out the best new TV shows to stream this week, including GoT spin-off House of the Dragon.
• Plus, we’ve got the best new movies streaming this week, from Shudder’s Alone with You to the heartwarming and hilarious International Falls.
• She-Hulk: Attorney At Law premiered Thursday on Disney Plus; before you watch it, why not take our quiz to see how well you know the MCU?
• MGM (owned by Amazon) is making a viral video show based on footage from Ring’s security cameras: Ring Nation will be “a modern, surveillance-tinged twist on America’s funniest home videos, starring Wanda Sykes as a presenter
• Bad Sisters landed on Apple TV Plus and MashableThe review calls Sharon Hogan’s dark comedy one of the streamer’s best shows to date.
• We saw a trailer for the road trip thriller End of the Road, and it looks pretty nightmarish, coming to Netflix on September 9.
• A trailer was also released on Wednesday, and our first look at the new Addams Family looks like fun.
• Speaking of nightmares, MashableThe Orphan: First Kill review is in, and we agree that it’s absurd that Orphan is getting a sequel, but we still can’t wait to see it, coming to theaters, digital, and streaming on Paramount Plus on August 19
• Sad news: actor Anne Heche has died at the age of 53 Evening StandardThe retrospective of his life and career includes a selection of his best films.
• Meanwhile, Netflix’s ad plan may block offline viewing, the code suggests.
• And Walmart Plus members will soon get Paramount+ streaming as part of their membership.
• Finally: Move over cable: Streaming takes cable’s throne for the first time in the United States.

• Hogwarts Legacy has been pushed back to February 10, 2023, but Switch users will have to wait a little longer.
• But there’s good news for Switch fans, as Nintendo won’t be raising the price of the handheld just yet.
• Meanwhile, Nintendo plans to increase the supply of the Switch by reducing its packaging: a smaller box means the company can ship more units.
• Take Two reveals a new Lord of the Rings game, promising something different, but it’ll be a while before we hear anything, with the game expected to launch sometime in 2024.
• And some Dead Island 2 news with leaked images and a release date, plus story details: February 3, 2023 appears to be the date in your diary, with the game supposedly set in LA .
• Saints Row hits PC, PlayStation and Xbox on Tuesday (August 23) and you can check out the story trailer before it lands.
• The latest Humble Bundle includes most of the Resident Evil back catalog, plus a 50% off coupon for Resident Evil Village.
• Meanwhile, this month’s Xbox Game Pass loses Hades, gains Immortals: Fenyx Rising (August 31) and indie gem Coffee Talk, plus sci-fi visual novel Opus: Echo of Starsong (August 25).
• With cable has a great guide to playing games from your Netflix account.
• And if you’re planning to trade in your PS4 for a PS5, our guide will tell you everything you need to know.
• Disney and Marvel will hold a game presentation on September 9 at Disney’s D23 expo, with new game announcements and some news for Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and updates on upcoming titles like Marvel’s Midnight Suns.

• Razer Kishi V2 review: Still the best Android gamepad (for now) – “The Kishi V2 is a great way to transform your phone into a portable gaming machine, although the undercooked companion app and the “continued omission of a headphone jack leaves the door open for new challengers to do better” (Android Authority).
• Sony LinkBuds S review: “If you’re looking for a more affordable pair of wireless buds with good sound, extensive intelligence and impressive noise cancellation, the LinkBuds S tick those boxes” (Trusted reviews).
• Samsung QE55QN85B review: “There’s a lot to like about the Samsung QE55QN85B, but then again, there’s a bit to be irritated about” (Trusted reviews).

The wonder of this edition: Two things that happened this week in history, starting with texting in an Excel spreadsheet…

Texting spreadsheets was never a thing

Cast your mind back to the summer of 2002. Twenty years ago this week, Nelly’s Dilemma hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, following its June release. That means it’s also been 20 years since we saw Kelly Rowland in the song’s video.

• In the video, Rowland uses a Nokia 9210 communicator to text her boyfriend.
• The phone opened lengthwise, revealing a color screen and a full keyboard.
• But instead of sending a normal text, Rowland appears to be typing a message into her phone’s spreadsheet app.
• If that seems a little strange to you, you’re not alone. How would the SMS actually reach someone?
• Nelly apparently explained in a 2016 interview that texting via a spreadsheet “was the thing at the time.”

Maybe I’m showing my age here, but from what I remember, it definitely wasn’t “the thing”. If you want to think about it (or if you actually remember it being a thing), I’d love to hear from you!

Also: The Roanoke Mystery

On August 18, 1590, the governor of the Roanoke Island colony returned from his supply trip to England to find his settlement deserted and without a trace of the 100 settlers he had left behind. There were no signs of violence.

• The only clue was the word “CROATOAN”, carved into the palisade surrounding the settlement.
• At first, it was thought the group might have moved on to Croatoan Island, about 50 miles away, but a search of the island turned up nothing.
• To this day, the fate of the colonists remains a mystery.
• In 1998, archaeologists found evidence of an extreme drought in the area between 1587 and 1589. The settlers may have abandoned the camp, but where did they go?
• Other theories believe they were absorbed by a Native American tribe, the Croats.

There are tons of fascinating podcast episodes about Roanoke, from in-depth explorations of true history to fictional horror shows like Roanoke Falls. You can listen to the best podcast apps for Android, and while you’re at it, why not check out the best podcasts released in 2021.

Technical calendar

• August 23-28: Gamescom annual computer and video game convention, Cologne, Germany
• September 1: OnePlus 10T (US) pre-orders open
• September 2-6: IFA Berlin
• September 10 at 9 p.m. CEST: Ubisoft Forward Showcase
• September 29: OnePlus 10T on sale
• October 6: Pixel 7 launch? (to be confirmed)
• October 13: Pixel 7 on sale? (to be confirmed)
• November 8: Skull and Bones release date on Xbox Series S/X, PS5, PC, Stadia and Luna
• November 9: God of War: Ragnarok launches on PS4 and PS5

Something extra: This might be the cutest thing you’ve seen all week — check out this red panda cub.

Paula Beaton, Copy Editor.