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📆 One week from today, Samsung’s big launch event will unveil new products
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💸 It’s offering a $50 instant credit with an email sign-up before July 10
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🙅♂️ There’s no commitment – you’re just RSVPing for reminders for a $50 credit
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💍 Can be used still-rumored Samsung Galaxy Ring, Watch, Buds, Fold, Flip
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🎁 Samsung is also offering a $5,000 Samsung sweepstakes
Next week’s Samsung Unpacked event comes with a nice perk: a $50 instant credit to the Samsung Store – if you sign up with your email ahead of time. This is its very normal no-commitment ‘reserve’ promotion that vanishes as soon as the new devices are announced (i.e. grab it by June 9).
Rumored for July 10: the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Ring, the Fold 6, the Flip 6, new Samsung Galaxy Watches and fresh Samsung Galaxy Buds to rival AirPods and AirPods Pro. RSVPing to Samsung’s reserve event isn’t a commitment. You’re basically signing up for e-mail reminders in exchange for a clutch $50 credit.
🧠 Pro tip: There is also an easy-to-miss $5,000 sweepstakes Samsung is running, but you need to check the box before you hit that submit button.
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🟦 🔥 $100 PlayStation Gift Card for $82
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🟩 $50 Xbox Gift Card for $41
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🟩 $100 Xbox Gift Card for $83
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🟩 50% off Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $26 (MSRP is $51 and may go up as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, $70, will launch on Game Pass in October)
➡️ I’ll put the codes at the very bottom of this page until they run out
Today’s 11-story newsletter continues below the calendar ⤵️
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🎆 July 4, Thur: 4th of July
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💰 July 8, Mon: Walmart Deals begin
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🚀 July 10, Wed: Samsung Unpacked
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🚨 July 11, Thu: Walmart Deals end
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⚽️ July 14, Sun: UEFA Euro 2024 finals
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📦 July 16, Tue: Amazon Prime Day begins
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🏈 July 16, Tue: EA Sports College Football 25 – preorder now
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🚨 July 17, Wed: Amazon Prime Day ends
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🏆 July 18, Tue: Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition – preorder now
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🎮 July 21, Fri: Asus ROG Ally X release date
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🥇 July 26, Fri: Summer Olympic Games begin
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📱 Aug 13, Tue: Google Pixel 9 & Watch 3 launch event
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📡 The Starlink Mini came in for review, allowing for satellite internet
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📐 It weighs just 2.5lbs, is the size of a laptop and fits into a backpack
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💰 $599 for the Starlink Mini and $30/mo for “Mini Roam” service
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🏃♂️ Speeds exceed 100Mbps with a 50GB cap ($1 per GB after that)
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📱 This is a preview of technology that will come to phones soon!
I just unboxed the Starlink Mini from SpaceX today, and it feels like a game changer for on-the-go internet. I was able to get more than 120Mbps by pointing the laptop-sized dish to the Northern Sky – I was getting internet from Space!
Is it $599 cool? We’ll see in my full Starlink Mini review coming soon. I already know that road trippers and tech nomads will love this compact internet dish.
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🎆 To test the Starlink Mini, I’m going to attempt to livestream on X the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks – it’s notoriously difficult to get any video out of the densely packed front row (even a 5G phone is no match). So, I may be the only source for the live stream if you don’t have NBC or Peacock at 9pm ET.
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💬 Nvidia created NPCs (non-playable characters) powered by AI
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🗣️ We talked to – and thoroughly tested – AI NPCs in an hour-long demo
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🎮 This technology is going to be a game-changer for video games
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📜 NPCs will feel a lot less scripted and more conventional
There are several reasons why Nvidia’s market cap briefly soared above Apple and Microsoft’s last month: it makes the best GPUs, has leaned into AI and autonomous vehicle chips early, and creates developer tools that push PCs forward.
For gamers, that’s going to soon translate into non-playable characters (NPCs) that can interact with you on a near-human conversational level. Kevin and I experienced Nvidia’s ACE (Avatar Cloud Engine) in a closed-door demo for nearly an hour. The premise is: what if NPCs could harness Large Language Models (think: something like ChatGPT-4o’s voice intelligence in every character) and respond to you like a real human, not a scripted robot? In a Hitman-like demo, could we trick NPCs to attain information to advance the game’s story?
The result: NPCs feel like they’re about to come alive like Ryan Reynolds in the movie Free Guy (we tried to get them to break the fourth wall several times). Here’s Kevin’s in-depth write-up:
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🇯🇵 Japan sets record for the fastest commercially available internet
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😲 It’s managed to achieve download speeds of 402 Tbps
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😍 It means you could download a 50GB video game in milliseconds
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💨 Average US internet speed: 219 Mbps (1.8m times slower)
Those with slow internet, look away now! Japan has set a new record for the fastest commercially available internet in the world. A team has reached a mind-blowing internet speed of over 402 Terabits per second, which means you can download many of the best PS5 games in a matter of milliseconds.
The new record of 402 Tbps by Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology beats the previous records of 321 Tbps in October 2023 and 226 Tbps in March 2022.
As impressive as the achievement is, the reality is that the vast majority of devices wouldn’t even be able to take advantage of the blisteringly fast speeds. But that doesn’t mean we can’t dream that one day we’ll never see “Buffering” again.
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📈 Nintendo is confident Switch 2 stock will be in plentiful supply
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✋ It should stop scalpers from buying up all of the consoles in stores
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👏 Nintendo: semiconductor shortages are over; won’t impact manufacturing
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📆 Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to launch in March 2025
Nintendo is confident it’ll be able to stop scalpers in their tracks when it launches the successor to the Nintendo Switch console. Company president Shuntaro Furukawa said the best countermeasure to resellers is to produce sufficient numbers to meet customer demand – which seems pretty obvious but somehow escaped both the PS5 restock and PlayStation Portal restock craze (we’ll see about PS5 Pro soon).
Furukawa said that Nintendo is considering taking additional steps to stop scalpers, such as pursuing anti-scalper laws in regions that allow them. He also said that supply should be in good health now that the semiconductor shortage has finally ended.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to launch in March 2025 and could be Nintendo’s most expensive console to date. It’s also tipped to be backward compatibility with the best Switch games, which will please those who have built up a large library of titles.
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🙌 Capcom has shared that Resident Evil 9 is in development
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🗣️ The announcement was made by Resident Evil 7’s director
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💡 Koshi Nakanishi says he’s figured out what to do after Resident Evil 7
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💰 Capcom released Resident Evil 4 remake last year to great success
Capcom has announced that the next installment in the Resident Evil franchise is in development. Resident Evil 7 director Koshi Nakanishi made the announcement during Capcom Next, the company’s summer showcase.
“We’re making a new Resident Evil,” Nakanishi said. “It was really difficult to figure out what to do after 7. But I found it, and to be honest, it feels substantial. I can’t share any details just yet, but I hope you’re excited for the day I can.”
Capcom has successfully remade older titles in the Resident Evil series and recently launched Resident Evil 4 to rave reviews. Resident Evil Village, which is technically Resident Evil 8, was also well-received and is one of the top PSVR 2 games you need to play.
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💰 Apple may include a lower-resolution display for its cheaper Apple Vision
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🤝 The company has reportedly reached out to Samsung and LG
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📉 The Apple Vision Pro costs $3,499 and sales have waned in the US
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🌍 Apple recently launched the Apple Vision Pro in more countries
Apple is reportedly looking to launch a cheaper version of its Apple Vision Pro headset, and to cut costs, it appears that the company will use cheaper, lower-resolution displays to achieve that goal. A report says that Apple has contacted Samsung and LG about supplying micro-OLED displays, which have a lower pixel density than the current Sony displays used in Apple’s $3,499 headset.
Sales of Apple’s AR headset have waned despite fairly positive Apple Vision Pro reviews. Most of the criticism was aimed at the device’s weight and price, but it seems like Apple is taking that feedback on board to deliver a more affordable device.
Apple recently launched the Vision Pro in more countries, including Japan, Hong Kong, mainland China and Singapore. It’ll launch in the UK, Canada, and more markets on July 12. The visionOS 2 update is due out this fall and that rumored cheaper Apple Vision is expected sometime in 2025.
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🤖 YouTube is rolling out a policy change to combat AI-generated content
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😖 Users who have their likeness or voice stolen can file a takedown complaint
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🤔 AI-generated content has become more and more convincing
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👏 The policy change comes shortly after YouTube announced a community notes-like feature
AI and deep fakes are getting more sophisticated with each passing month, posing a new problem for platforms to tackle as they attempt to stop disinformation from spreading. That’s why YouTube has introduced a new policy change that lets users request a takedown of AI-generated or other synthetic content that simulates their face or voice.
You’ll have seen countless deep fakes online of someone speaking words they would obviously never say. And even though the majority of AI-generated content is clear to many, countless others are deceived.
This new policy should at least stop bad actors and people’s voices and likenesses from being exploited. YouTube also recently announced that it’ll soon borrow one of X’s best features in the form of community notes, letting users and an algorithm flag additional information that may be relevant to viewers.
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📸 Apple might be planning to include “cameras” in future AirPods
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🥽 Infrared cameras may improve spatial computing via Apple Vision Pro
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🎧 It’s likely the higher-end AirPods Pro models will support the feature
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📆 Apple could mass-produce the new AirPods by 2026
The next iteration of Apple’s AirPods could include infrared cameras that are designed to work in conjunction with the Apple Vision Pro. The wireless earbuds will be able to improve spatial experiences while wearing Apple’s headset and could launch in 2026.
The IR camera will be able to detect environmental image changes, such as recognizing in-air gesture controls. You’ll also be able to pinpoint audio in a 3D space more accurately and with greater precision.
If you’ve been eying up the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) for a while, Amazon Prime Day 2024 is likely to include a discount on Apple’s popular wireless earbuds, so don’t miss out.
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🍎 Apple has updated its list of vintage products
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🔈 The first HomePad, original AirPods and iPhone X are now vintage
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📆 The label is usually given to products that stopped being distributed more than five and less than seven years ago
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🔨 All three products can still be serviced at Apple stores and authorized repair shops
Did you know you might be in possession of some vintage Apple products? No, we’re not talking about the Apple Macintosh 128K or even an old iMac G3. Apple has classified its first HomePod, which was released in 2018, and the original AirPods from 2016 as “vintage” products.
Apple has also added the iPhone X to its list, but before you go proclaiming that you’re in possession of rare products that are hard to find, Apple refers to products as vintage if it stopped distributing for sale more than five and less than seven years ago. That doesn’t explain why the HomePod has been fast-tracked, however.
You can still get these products serviced, too. Apple and authorized repair shops can keep your aging devices in tip-top shape for many more years to come. Once they become classed as “obsolete”, then you’ll just have to cross your fingers and hope they continue to work.
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☁️ Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to Amazon Fire TV sticks
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🤯 You’ll be able to play the best Xbox games on a device that costs $49
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🎮 All you need is a Bluetooth controller and Xbox Game Pass
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📆 Xbox Cloud Gaming on Amazon Fire TV sticks will launch in July
Ahead of Amazon Prime Day 2024, Microsoft made the timely announcement that Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to Amazon Fire TV sticks. You’ll be able to play the best Xbox games without the need for a console on a device that costs $49.99, or $59.99 if you opt for the Fire TV Stick 4K Max.
Being able to play Xbox games on a device that costs $60 is an exciting proposition, but remember, you will need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and a Bluetooth controller. Still, that’s a heck of a lot cheaper than buying an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S.
The announcement comes shortly after a patent was discovered for Microsoft’s mothballed Xbox streaming stick. Like the Amazon Fire TV stick, the mini console would let you play Xbox titles without the need to splash out for a dedicated console.
We’re expanding our discount codes for paid subscribers as a pack-in. It’s sort of like CD-ROM pack-ins for subscribers of magazines.
😬 Can’t afford it? Totally fine. I’m opening up more ways to be a paid subscriber for people who can’t spare the $5/mo ($4.16/mo) to keep us going. Support us in other ways by referring your friends & family to The Shortcut. Help us grow!
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🟦 $100 PlayStation giftcard for $82
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🟩 $50 Xbox Gift Card for $41
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🟩 $100 Xbox Gift Card for $83
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❎ Xbox Game Pass discount 50% off $26 (Microsoft’s MSRP is $51)
