Smart home
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag+ With AR Launched: All the Details
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag+ price, availability
At the launch event in January, Samsung announced that the Galaxy SmartTag+ price has been set at $39.99 (roughly Rs. 3,000) for a single unit or $64.99 (roughly Rs. 4,800) for a two-unit pack. As per a blog post by Samsung published on April 8, the Galaxy SmartTag+ is announced to be progressively available from April 16, with US availability in the coming weeks. Details about the India pricing and availability are yet to be revealed.
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag+ specifications
As compared to Samsung Galaxy SmartTag, based on Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 (BLE) technology, the Galaxy SmartTag+ is equipped with both BLE and UWB technology that allows it to pinpoint the location of the missing item with greater accuracy. The tag can be attached to items such as a backpack or keychain. As per Samsung, the Galaxy SmartTag+ has a Bluetooth range of up to 120 metre without obstruction.
Galaxy SmartTag+ is compatible with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone running Android 8.0 or higher, RAM of 2GB or above and opt-in for location tracking through the SmartThings Find service of the SmartThings app. Furthermore, the device uses AR technology that visually guides the user towards the missing item using the smartphone’s camera. This can be done by using the AR Finder feature of the SmartThings Find service, provided in the SmartThings app.
“The AR Finder guides you with an easy-to-follow interface on your UWB-equipped smartphone, such as Galaxy S21+ or S21 Ultra,” the company says. This feature shows the users how far away they are from their Galaxy SmartTag+ and points them in its direction. Furthermore, if you are close enough to the tag’s location, and yet can’t find it, you can produce a loud ring to pinpoint its location. This is quite helpful in situations like when your keyring slips under the sofa.
Moreover, as a part of Samsung’s smart device lineup, the Galaxy SmartTag+ allows you to control smart devices easily. For example, if you forgot to turn off your smart AC and you’ve already left the house, you can quickly turn it off with the device rather than running back home. Furthermore, Samsung SmartThings app allows the users to choose different functions when they press or hold down the tag button.
Smart home
Samsung Is Bringing Metaverse Game Wilder World to Its Smart TVs
A free-to-roam metaverse ecosystem, Wilder World is primarily a competitive racing game that launched for alpha testing in December 2023 and will begin a wider rollout this year. The team behind the game announced its partnership with Samsung via an official post on X on Wednesday.
In Samsung’s next sale of exclusive Web3 TV bundles, fifteen select buyers will get Wilder World NFTs as rewards. Through this partnership, the metaverse game expects to add new players to its ecosystem.
Samsung, catching up with the advancements in emerging technologies, is essentially looking to connect with a newer generation of customers. The Seoul-based company is hence integrating Web3 elements like the metaverse and NFTs with its newer range of products.
Samsung has long maintained its lead in the television market. In 2023, the company reportedly occupied a 30.1 percent market share of televisions sold globally, which was slightly higher than the previous year’s 29.7 percent. With its new initiatives, Samsung could directly bring Web3 technologies to its vast user base.
This is not the first time that the tech mammoth has taken a Web3-friendly approach. In April 2023, for instance, Samsung teamed up with Crypto.com to bring asset trading services on devices from the Galaxy Z fold series.
In 2022, Samsung tied up with partners Theta Labs and Nifty Gateway to get NFTs to its smart TV and smartphone ecosystems.
In fact, the same year Samsung introduced the world’s first TV-based NFT explorer. Later that year, the company started rolling out smart TV models that came with features like NFT buying and management.
Smart home
Apple Said to Be Exploring Foray Into Home Robotics, Developing Products
According to the report, the iPhone maker is reportedly working on two potential products. The first one is a robotic device that sits atop a table and moves a display around using robotics. The second product, which is also in development, is a mobile robot that can follow a user around their house. These products are not ready to be launched, but the former is said to be in a more advanced stage than the mobile robot, as per the report.
Development of hardware for the robotics project was reportedly overseen by Matt Costello and Brian Lynch, Apple executives who work on the company’s home products. The company is said to be looking for its next product to generate additional revenue, following the launch of the Apple Vision Pro earlier this year.
The Bloomberg report also states that Apple was planning on a three-pronged approach for new products in the coming years. One of these — a autonomous car said to be in development for over a decade — has been cancelled, while the company continues to focus on smart home and mixed reality products, such as the first-generation Apple Vision Pro.
The rumoured robotics-enabled products from Apple would likely compete with existing products from companies like Amazon’s $1,599 (roughly Rs. 1.33 lakh) invitation-only Astro robot that is available in the US. There’s currently no word from Apple — the company is known for keeping its products and services under wraps until they are ready to be announced — on plans to develop or sell smart home products equipped with robotic features, and it is possible that these initial devices might never be sold by the company.
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Smart home
Apple to Face Lawsuit Claiming AirTags Are Weapon of Stalkers
About three dozen women and men who filed the suit alleged that Apple was warned of the risks posed by its AirTags and argued the company could be legally blamed under California law when the tracking devices are used for misconduct.
In the three claims that survived, the plaintiffs “allege that, when they were stalked, the problems with the AirTag’s safety features were substantial, and that those safety defects caused their injuries,” Chhabria wrote.
Apple had argued it designed the AirTag with “industry-first” safety measures and shouldn’t be held responsible when the product is misused.
“Apple may ultimately be right that California law did not require it to do more to diminish the ability of stalkers to use AirTags effectively, but that determination cannot be made at this early stage,” the judge wrote in allowing the three plaintiffs to pursue their claims.
A spokesperson for the company didn’t immediately return an email requesting comment on the ruling.
Apple was accused in the case of negligently releasing the AirTag despite warnings by advocacy groups and others that the product would be re-purposed for surveillance. “With a price point of just $29 it has become the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers,” according to the complaint.
Apple developed a feature that alerts users when an AirTag might be tracking them, but that and other safety measures aren’t enough, according to the suit.
Tile Inc. is facing similar allegations that its tracking devices connected to Amazon.com Inc.’s Bluetooth network lack adequate protections against stalking.
The case is Hughes v. Apple, Inc., 3:22-cv-07668, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).
© 2024 Bloomberg LP
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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