6 things in tech you need to know this week
From brick phones to Bitcoin, we’ve dug through the dirt to find the most essential tech stories
The tech world runs at a preposterously fast pace, in a non-stop surge of releases, updates and news stories. In an effort to help you keep up, we’ve dug through the dirt to find the 6 most essential tech stories in the world this week.
Nokia’s near-indestructible ‘brick’ phone, the 3310, was the definitive handset of the early noughties – set for a nostalgic re-release this spring. With a boisterous battery life and the thick skin needed to survive a drop on the tarmac, will a new model outlast its flashy touchscreen competitors?
As we entered March, the notorious digital cryptocurrency Bitcoin – known for its anonymous payment system and criminal affiliations – surpassed the value of gold for the first time. A single Bitcoin is now worth $1,268, overtaking the precious metal’s $1,233 an ounce.
With one of the highest murder rates in the US, Chicago has turned to technology to protect its citizens, spending a reported $1m on a new high-tech initiative. Several hundred audio-sensors are spread throughout its more dangerous districts, alerting local police to gunshots in real-time via a smartphone app, Shotspotter.
Far from Nokia’ nostalgic simplicity, ProTruly’s new ‘Darling’ smartphone is able to record live footage in all directions, courtesy of its bulging camera lens. Given the steady rise of VR headsets and Youtube’s support of 360-degree footage, even a luxury model like the Darling (priced at $800-1,300) could be placed to become an industry staple.
March 3rd saw the highly-anticipated launch of the Nintendo Switch, a handheld/home console hybrid, but legions of customers took to social media to complain about glitching screens and connectivity issues. Time to switch?
The next-generation in meteorological computing is being prepared for use in 2020, shifting responsibility for forecasting away from the UK’s Reading base. The €50m development complex will rise from the ashes of an old tobacco factory in Bologna, Italy, promising accurate 15-day forecasts.
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