ICYMI: The 8 biggest tech stories of the week, from the Dell XPS 16 to Galaxy S24 leaks
If you struggled to restart in the first week of 2024 and missed the latest tech news, fear not: we've rounded up all of the week's big stories in one handy place so you can get back to the hibernation from January.
With CES 2024 on the horizon, which officially kicks off on January 9, we're starting to get some of the big releases pre-show announcements – including the Dell XPS 16 and LG's new 2024 OLED TV range.
In addition to CES, another big tech launch is approaching – and this week we also got the official launch date for the Samsung Galaxy S24 series. But perhaps more important than all these tech announcements is your 2024 fitness plan – and luckily we covered that too this week with our impressive range of Get Fit for '24 articles…
It's January and in the spirit of the season, Ny Breaking's fitness and wearables channel is firing out of the gate with a selection of great fitness content to kick-start 2024, no matter your current fitness level.
If you're just starting your fitness journey, you may not be ready for strenuous exercise yet – and that's okay. Our sleep editor tried it Walk 10,000 steps every day for a week instead of going to the gym, to show that you don't have to sweat to get healthier. On the other hand, if you're ready to go running for the first time, we have a beginner's guide to Couch to 5Kand a list of three of the best free fitness apps for runners now available.
Experienced runners may want to run their first marathon, or even take on a triathlon. Our news editor shares his expertise, writing 5 things you need to know before swimming in open waterand we have a selection of them Recipes for energy efficient air fryer recipes to fuel serious cardio sessions. And that's just the start of the great content on offer: check out the contents page to see all of our Get Fit for '24 articles as they come out.
Meta kicked off 2024 by announcing that its Quest 2 headset is getting a permanent price cut of $50 / £50 / AU$70 – making it as cheap as we saw during Black Friday 2023. You can also save on the official Quest 2 accessories like Meta's Elite Belt and carrying case, so you can upgrade your VR experience on a budget.
These record low costs make VR more accessible than ever, but also indicate that the Quest 2 is on the way. The Oculus (now Meta) Quest 2 single-handedly made VR mainstream, but now that its successor has hit shelves – the Meta Quest 3 – it seems the older model is disappearing. This lower price is likely to help Meta shift old devices before the headset is put to rest in the near future.
If you've ever wondered 'what Knives out on a cruise ship?' would look like, Hulu has the answer for you.
Death and other details, a new whodunnit series from Disney Plus' sister streamer, is a mystery thriller sure to pique the interest of fans of Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, and other esteemed fictional detectives. Aboard a luxury cruise ship, Violett Beane's Imogene Scott teams up with Mandy Patinkin's Rufus Coleworth to solve a locked-room murder case. Scott will also want to help Coleworth get to the bottom of this particular problem, as she has been installed as the prime suspect among many of the boat's crew and guests.
Shall Death and other details be buoyant enough to stay afloat and make it onto our list of the best Hulu shows? That remains to be seen. But if you're looking for a thrilling murder mystery to delve into, make sure you catch it on one of the world's top streaming services when it debuts on January 16.
Just a few weeks ago we predicted that your next car would probably come from a tech company – and as if to confirm our prediction, Xiaomi this week revealed more about its plans to topple Porsche and Tesla with its first EV.
On paper, the Xiaomi SU7 is an exciting car (or perhaps a smartphone on wheels), with fast charging capability (the 800V version can add a range of 140 miles in just five minutes), next-generation autonomous driving skills, and autonomous parking.
While we don't have pricing details yet, Xiaomi says the SU7 will go on sale globally after its initial launch in China this year.
Do you like using Google Maps as a navigation system while you are driving? Then you'd like to hear about an upgrade that was noticed this week by many users of the Android and iOS app.
If you are in a city or built-up area, it is now possible to see buildings in 3D while you drive – a feature previously unavailable in navigation mode. To see if it's rolled out for you, tap the Layers icon in the app and then tap '3D'.
Now when you type an address and click 'directions' you should see 3D buildings appear when you are in navigation mode and have zoomed in on the scene. It's a subtle upgrade, but one that should make it much clearer to see where you are and when you've missed your turn.
Dell's XPS laptops got a refresh this week ahead of CES 2024 – and the main arrival was the new 16-inch flagship, which replaces Dell's 15-inch and 17-inch models.
We've already spent some time with the MacBook Pro rival in our hands-on Dell XPS 16 review, which calls it a “high-end laptop that oozes luxury.” This is largely due to the combination of a 4K OLED screen, a much improved webcam, a great keyboard and an improved ventilation system.
But it's not all good news, with our initial verdict noting the XPS 16's unimpressive port selection, inaccessible taskbar and heavy build. Still, despite these negatives, Dell's laptop could be a strong candidate for our best laptop guide, otherwise it will be a near-perfect sidekick for professionals on the go.
This week, LG unveiled its 2024 OLED TV lineup ahead of CES 2024. The series includes its flagship wireless OLED, the LG M4, which uses a Zero Connect Box to eliminate the need for wires and will also feature LG's new Alpha 11 AI processor that promises improved performance, clarity and lossless, wireless Dolby Atmos when paired with compatible LG soundbars.
The LG G4 was also unveiled and features the same Alpha 11 AI chip as the M4. It promises similar upgrades to the M4 and now comes with a kickstand in the box (although regional availability is TBD). A third model, the LG C4, will also have higher brightness levels thanks to an improved chip, and all three models will also support 4K 144Hz for gaming.
Finally, the entry-level B4 model was announced, with a new 48-inch size and four HDMI 2.1 ports. More information will surely be revealed at CES 2024, so stay tuned for our coverage of the show.
The wait is over and we finally know the date for Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event. We expect to see the Galaxy S24, the Galaxy S24 Plus and the mighty Galaxy S24 Ultra on Wednesday, January 17 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT – that's 5am AEDT for our Australian readers.
We're not sure where Unpacked will take place and Samsung hasn't confirmed exactly which products we'll see, but with history as a guide, we know what to expect. It's no surprise that Samsung is already teasing AI features on the Galaxy S24, with Samsung's invite stating that “Galaxy AI is coming.”
If you click through to Samsung's page, you'll see that AI Zoom is also in the cards, and this could be Samsung's way of addressing recent rumors that the Galaxy S24 Ultra would shrink from a 10X zoom to just 5X zoom.