Tech News Today (December 22, 2023): Here’s a mix of tech news tidbits to digest on this Friday, from Galaxy S24 leaks to a launch date for Apple’s Vision Pro headset.
In today’s tech roundup, we’re covering Microsoft’s Windows 10 support end sparking e-waste concerns, Apple rushing to launch its Vision Pro headset, a major Twitter outage, Galaxy S24 camera upgrades leaked, and hints of new Android battery features. Let’s take a look.
1.Microsoft’s Windows 10 support end spurs PC e-waste concerns
Microsoft’s plan to end Windows 10 support in 2025 may spur 240 million personal computers to become e-waste, adding 480 million kg to landfills – equivalent to 320,000 cars, according to Canalys Research. Though many older PCs could still function beyond 2025, demand may fall without security updates. Microsoft will provide updates until 2028 for an unspecified fee. But based on past trends, upgrading may cost less than extending Windows 10 support, so discarding older PCs could rise as users migrate to newer devices.
2.Apple rushes to launch Vision Pro headset in February
Apple is rushing to get its Vision Pro mixed reality headset ready for a February launch, according to a new report by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg. Developers received an email this week encouraging them to test apps for the platform ahead of the release. Apple is also training retail employees on the Vision Pro starting in January, so stores are prepared when the headset hits shelves. The training will cover product features, ideal sales messaging, and recommendations for properly fitting the device using a custom head-scanning app. Despite challenges, Apple seems on track for its target February launch, according to Gurman’s inside look.
3.Twitter/X suffers major outage
X suffered a major technical outage yesterday around 11am. Users around the world were greeted with “Welcome to your timeline” instead of tweets, with outage tracker Downdetector recording over 70,000 reports. While some users could still see ads and their own tweets on profiles, the core experience of seeing tweets on the timeline was down. With X down, many users flocked to Facebook to express concerns and joke about the outage.
4.Galaxy S24 leaks reveal impressive camera upgrades
New leaks reveal key details about Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S24 lineup. The S24 Ultra will reportedly feature a 6.8-inch screen, 200MP camera, and an impressive periscope lens setup with 2x, 3x, 5x and 10x optical zoom capabilities. The S24 and S24 Plus are said to have 50MP main cameras and 2x and 3x telephoto lenses. All models will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and pack features like 8K video recording and an IP68 rating. If accurate, these leaks suggest the S24 series will be a major upgrade over the S23 with standout camera zoom and ultra-high-res photo capturing.
5.Android 14 beta hints at upcoming battery health features
Android users have long lacked easy access to battery health data unlike iPhone owners. But that may finally change based on recent Android 14 beta findings by expert Mishaal Rahman. The latest Android beta includes hidden battery health screens suggesting future support to show estimated battery capacity percentage compared to new. There are also battery health icons for reduced capacity and other states. Additionally, Android settings may provide tips on battery health like degraded capacity.
6.Apple cannot repair out-of-warranty watches during ban
Apple informed customer service teams that it will no longer replace out-of-warranty Apple Watch models in the US back to Series 6 due to its patent dispute over the blood oxygen feature. Customers with broken screens cannot get fixes from Apple, though software help is still offered. Apple reps were told to inform affected customers they’ll be contacted when hardware replacements are allowed again.
