Tech
Midjourney Builds a Scanner Capable of Delivering Detailed Body Maps During a Relaxing Spa Visit
Midjourney once built its reputation on turning short text descriptions into elaborate digital images. The company has now announced a sharp turn toward hardware that produces something far more personal: three-dimensional maps of what lies beneath a person’s skin. The new effort, called Midjourney Medical, centers on an ultrasound scanner designed to gather rich body-composition data in roughly a minute while the user stands in a shallow pool of gently lit water.
Founder David Holz detailed the concept in a lengthy blog post. The system lowers a person onto a platform, which gently descends via a ring of sensors floating in water. As the body moves, hundreds of thousands of small elements emit ultrasonic waves in all directions and capture the echoes that return. Different parts of the body, such as skin, fat, muscle, bone, and organs, have detectable effects on those waves. The massive amount of data that comes in, terabytes per second, is then fed into a cluster of computers, which reconstructs it all into clear 3D images and body maps.
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Some early prototypes have already collected scans from a dozen or more individuals. The technology makes use of miniature ultrasound modules from Butterfly Network, with dozens of them in each scanner. The AI then assists in determining how to convert those raw sound waves into usable images, as well as distinguishing between one part of the body and another. Currently, the output focuses on precise maps of body composition rather than actual medical diagnosis.
The physical experience is far more relaxing than an MRI. There are no large magnets or small tunnels in sight, only a shallow pool of pleasant light. A platform descends, your body passes through the sensor ring, and it’s over in a minute. Midjourney describes the entire experience as moving at a leisurely speed, similar to taking a warm bath. The laid-back atmosphere was all part of the idea. They plan to open a Midjourney Spa in San Francisco by the end of 2027, combining traditional wellness elements such as hot tubs and saunas with pools for the scanners. The idea is that you go there to relax, and as a bonus, you’ll leave with all of this health data that you can review, track, or share with your doctor.
According to Holz, the primary goal is to make the technology fast and simple to use, as well as to provide consumers with a wealth of relevant health information promptly and affordably. The scanner is designed to run roughly a hundred times faster than an MRI and produce images that match or even outperform MRI quality for body composition analysis. Plus, it’s non-ionizing and the entire thing is open water, so there’s no need to worry about the normal sources of discomfort.
They are still in early stages of development. The next year will be spent adjusting the hardware and software, conducting additional research, and developing a second-generation scanner. They want to open the first spa by the end of 2027 before expanding to additional locations in 2028. Longer term, they hope to have 50,000 scanners in place by 2031, with a monthly scan rate of a billion.
The US wanted to keep Chinese robots out. Beijing’s answer: do this, and we will hit back where it hurts.
China has threatened “resolute” retaliation after Washington moved to bar imports of Chinese-made humanoid robots. Its commerce ministry called the measure discriminatory and warned it “severely” damages trade relations, the New York Times and CNBC reported.
The ministry demanded that the US withdraw the decision, and threatened countermeasures if it does not. It accused Washington of “overstretching the concept of national security” and said the move disrupts global supply chains.
What the US actually banned
The trigger was an FCC order this week adding foreign-made “advanced robotic devices” to its restricted Covered List. It blocks new humanoids and robot dogs from the import approval they need to be sold in the US. Already-approved models can stay.
The rule is broader than it first looked. It sweeps up almost any new wireless, software-controlled robot over 4.4 pounds that can sense its surroundings, from robot lawnmowers to sidewalk delivery bots to Chinese robot vacuums. The FCC did not name China, but Chinese firms dominate the category.
Washington’s case rests on two fears. One is that connected robots could act as Trojan horses for data collection. The other is that robotics is strategically vital in an AI-driven economy. Chinese firm Unitree, one of the leaders, has already been flagged by the Pentagon over alleged military ties.
China’s leverage
The threat carries weight because China holds real cards. Analysts say the two obvious levers are rare earths, where China controls supply, and market access for US giants like Tesla and Nvidia. Both would sting.
The timing is also bad for Chinese robot makers. “This is bad news for Chinese humanoid producers planning their IPOs in the coming months,” said Counterpoint’s Marc Einstein. Unitree and Agibot have filed to go public, and Hong Kong-listed UBTech briefly fell more than 6 per cent.
The awkward truth
There is a catch that makes the ban tricky to enforce. It has become nearly impossible to build a competitive humanoid without Chinese-made parts, such as sensors and joints. China is also miles ahead on robots, running more factory robots than the rest of the world combined.
The clash lands at a delicate moment. Trump is due to host Xi Jinping in September, and tensions are already high. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has floated sanctions over AI model “theft”. Trump, for his part, hinted this week at a softer touch on AI controls to keep the US ahead.
Robots are now their own front in the tech war. The US has drawn a line around its market, and China is signalling that it can make that line expensive.
Samsung appears ready to redesign its Galaxy SmartTag again. This time, the makeover could come at the expense of one of the SmartTag 2’s most practical advantages. SamMobile‘s latest report has shared the supposed design of the upcoming Galaxy SmartTag 3.
The smart tracker can be seen with a compact squircle-shaped body that resembles Samsung’s recent One UI icons and the shape used around newer Galaxy Watch displays. In comparison, the current SmartTag 2 looks a lot different, with a longer pill-shaped body dominated by a big integrated loop at one end. The leaked SmartTag 3 diagram does away with that loop entirely.
Samsung may remove the part I actually liked
This change could make Samsung’s next tracker look better, but it may also create the same annoyance AirTag owners have dealt with for years. Apple’s trackers require another accessory to attach the tracker to something. SamMobile says there appears to be no built-in lanyard hole on the SmartTag 3, meaning owners may need a separate case for keys, backpacks, or anything else without a pocket for the tracker.
It is an odd regressive change coming from the SmartTag 2. Samsung specifically redesigned its 2023 tracker around a large integrated ring that makes attaching it easy without buying another holder. It measures 28.8 x 52.44 x 8mm and weighs 13.75 grams, while also packing UWB, Bluetooth 5.3, and IP67 water and dust resistance.
The leaked SmartTag 3 also appears to restore a prominent button in the center. SamMobile speculates that it could once again ring a connected Galaxy phone or activate Modes and Routines automations.
The bigger upgrades remain a mystery
Samsung has yet to announce the tracker, and most of its internal specifications remain unknown. SamMobile expects Bluetooth, UWB, Samsung Find integration, and some level of water and dust resistance, along with suggesting Bluetooth 6.0 for improved tracking accuracy. But like with any leaks, these features aren’t official.
Battery life will also be worth watching. The SmartTag 2 uses a replaceable CR2032 battery and is rated for up to 500 days, with Samsung claiming up to 40% additional longevity in Power Saving Mode. A smaller squircle body with Ring LED lighting could certainly look smarter, but I’d much rather have that added convenience. With the Galaxy S26 FE and Galaxy Tab S12 series arriving later this year, we might see the tracker debut alongside these devices.
Food poisoning is no fun, which is why people often eye their fruits and smell their milk beforehand. But it’s impossible to detect every germ and toxin in the food you eat. That’s why a research team at UC Berkeley led by Ph.D. student Carla Bassil has been working on an “electric nose” that can “sniff” spoiled food and allergens.
The e-nose has 16 small gas sensors, each one meant to target different compounds and turn them into electric signals. “You can think of it like a set of digital taste buds, where each sensor on this chip responds uniquely to the various gas molecules presented to it,” Bassil explained (via UC Berkeley). The e-nose has been trained with machine learning (which is not the same as AI) to recognize those signals in a wide range of foods, including the smell of raw chicken and milk when they are fresh and when they’ve been left out of the fridge for multiple days. Right now, the e-nose can predict spoilage and allergens with a 92.6% accuracy. Unfortunately, there have been some challenges in getting the e-nose to be fully accurate.
The challenges with an allergen-sensing e-nose
The artificial nose is more powerful than any human nose, able to smell even 0.05 grams of walnut (the equivalent of one hundredth of a shelled walnut). Unfortunately, there are still a lot of difficulties with getting the nose to accurately detect smells. The e-nose’s sensitivity hasn’t been tested in foods that have more than one gas, meaning it may not be able to sense that tiny piece of walnut in a salad or baked good. It’s also unclear if it would be able to consistently sniff out spoiled food that’s in a fridge, where other foods (and their gases) are present.
The e-nose is also still learning how everything smells — detecting one smell is easy, but attempting to detect multiple smells with one chip has proven tricky. It currently gets confused between hazelnuts and peanuts, which means the compounds they produce could trigger the same sensor and be difficult to differentiate. A rotten boiled egg and raw chicken also release similar raised levels of gaseous compounds, making that another challenge for the e-nose.
For now, Bassil plans to keep testing the e-nose in more environments to improve its sensitivity and accuracy. Some day, it could be available as an app on people’s phones. This is not the only time that UC Berkeley researchers have revealed interesting prototypes, like this insect-sized jumping robot or this wearable sweat sensor.
I’m not the first to say this, but it’s a strange and heartbreaking time to be a teacher and parent of young children.
As a recent transplant to New Mexico, I admire the ways the state invests in children, regardless of their identities. Seeing these state policies in action has changed my perspective and made me think differently about what students deserve and how much better things would be if we chose to care for students and families more consistently.
There are days when my own children are crawling into my lap with a book while I continue to process footage of children suffering in conflicts on the other side of the world. My high school students are writing the kind of poetry that leaves me speechless, even as I privately wonder about their career options as artificial intelligence receives more investment than the arts. Yet, my experience in New Mexico has shown me that another approach is possible.
I have a unique vantage point, both as a parent and an educator who sees these challenges reflected in the lives of my students and their families. My local school district in New Mexico has yet to pivot to hybrid learning in response to the palpable fear parents felt, while the actions of federal agents created widespread fear in their community. My state is not banning books and restricting curricula. Instead, as a recent transplant to the state, I’m in awe of the ways New Mexico invests in children and our more vulnerable residents.
After the 2024 election, a shockwave swept through my school as students grappled with what another Trump presidency would mean for their futures. At the performing arts school where I teach, we have a high percentage of queer and trans students, a stark contrast to my previous school in California, where most LGBTQ+ students often chose to remain closeted until well after graduation. I grieve for what my previous students lost when they did not acknowledge or affirm their queer and trans classmates. In English class, they missed robust discussions; the depth their queer and trans peers bring to literary discussions, while leveraging queer theory, translates into highly analytical and more engaging coursework. In the scope of a school day, there were countless other ways all students missed a more complete experience, while their queer and trans peers chose safety in an environment hostile to their identities.
And while New Mexico is much less hostile to trans residents, I still can’t imagine what it would be like to be growing up in a world that constantly demands you to defend and fight for your humanity. Guaranteed care by the state means nothing if authority figures are consistently exposed to negative messaging about transgender people or if your lack of insurance prevents you from getting the life-saving care you need.
And yet, trans students in New Mexico are able to attend school in an environment with teachers who are largely committed to affirming a variety of gender identities, select curriculum that allows LGBTQ students to see themselves, bond with accepting and encouraging peers from across the gender spectrum, and learn from LGBTQ teachers who embody a hopeful future of what it means to be your full self in your career. This is all possible when a school doesn’t just accommodate gender and sexual diversity, but embraces it. Extensive research confirms the ways in which affirming environments like ours can be life-saving for LGBTQ teens, especially trans students.
Earlier in my career, I felt optimistic about my queer and trans students’ futures. Today, seeing my trans students grapple with the new political realities has renewed my commitment to making an optimistic future visible for them. In a past article, I reflected on my role as a teacher in presenting a hopeful future for my students during unhopeful times. There is no one for whom this is more crucial than our queer and trans students.
Ultimately, I wonder what it would look like for our world to care about children as much as the state of New Mexico does. What will happen when all children can attend high-quality early childhood education without adding to the financial burden of a growing family? What does it look like when gender affirming care is protected by law? Or when our lawmakers prohibit book and curriculum censorship? Or when we finally decide that school shootings do not have to be a certainty of American life?
I know these questions will remain abstract while we watch students as young as Liam Ramos fear for their lives. But we cannot have a different future if we are not imagining a better one in the present. I’m thankful for my students, past and present, who encourage my imagination.
This story is part of an EdSurge series chronicling educator experiences. These stories are made publicly available with support from the Learning Commons. EdSurge maintains editorial control over all content. (Read our ethics statement here.) This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
A Seattle game studio is collaborating with NASA to create a new educational video game that challenges players to plan, collaborate, and invent their way to building a virtual lunar colony.
Moonbase Y, currently under development at August Interactive, is a cooperative, exploration-focused online video game that puts players ages 13 and older in the role of the architects and engineers of a mission to return humanity to the moon. Step one is leaving Earth’s atmosphere, while step two is successfully landing on the lunar surface.
Once they’re actually on the moon, Moonbase Y players can craft items, research technologies, build their own virtual colony, and use all the usual collaborative tools found in online building games, all in a game that’s built on source images and data provided directly by NASA. To succeed, they’ll need to come up with their own solutions for the real-world problems that will confront an off-world settlement.
“There’s a whole generation of kids who may very well live and work on the moon,” said Sarah Kneller, August Interactive’s chief experience officer. “It’s imminent.”
Kneller describes Moonbase Y as a way to “not only let people imagine the future, but give them the tools to help create it.” It’s one thing to learn about the sciences and technologies required to construct a lunar colony, but it’s a better educational experience to actually let someone do it themselves.
As a video game, Moonbase Y can be summarized as a crafting-focused collaborative RPG that’s using up-to-date real scientific data. Any and every solution that players will have to come up with to build their colony in Moonbase Y is something that could at least theoretically work under real-world conditions.
According to August Interactive’s CEO Kristin Wood, NASA’s current goal is to have an inhabited lunar base by 2040, as a first step toward a crewed expedition to Mars. In order to do so, Wood said, “there are approximately 187 technologies that will need to be created.”
Moonbase Y isn’t an attempt to crowdsource those solutions. Instead, it’s an educational game that’s made to let players work on specific necessary skills in a collaborative environment.
“We want a 13-year-old to understand they don’t have to be a rocket scientist [to contribute],” Kneller said. “They can say, ‘There is something I’m good at that matters.’” Wherever someone’s talents lie, from hard sciences to soft skills, they could be a part of a project like this. No one is irrelevant.
That’s part of Moonbase Y’s deliberately hopeful tone. From the ground up, the game is being built as a deliberate act of optimism. While it’s possible for a player’s colony to fail, that’s part of the learning process. You can always start again, and this time you’re a little smarter for having had the experience. This is a tough job, but that’s part of the fun.
“As entertainers, it’s really easy to sell the terrifying outcome… this mental model that the future is bleak,” Kneller said. As a result, Moonbase Y is purposefully swinging hard in the other direction.
Kneller used to work for Valve Software in Bellevue, Wash., where she spent more than a decade as an executive producer for Dota 2’s esports circuit. She left the company in 2023 to co-found August Interactive.
Other team members at August include Wood, a former CIA officer turned tech entrepreneur; CRO Mike Ambinder, a former research scientist for Valve who specializes in experimental psychology as it applies to game design; and creative director Jon Pierre Yousef, a Florida-based artist who’s contributed to franchises such as Fortnite and Call of Duty.
In addition to Moonbase Y, August Interactive released its first professional project on July 21. Spire is a “performance intelligence layer” that analyzes users’ style of play in competitive video games and gives players tips on how to improve. The idea behind Spire is to smooth out the onboarding process for multiplayer games like Rocket League or Dota 2, in order to make them more accessible for new players.
Moonbase Y is currently in production at August Interactive, with no stated release window.
When the weather’s been playing ball with plenty of sunshine and blue skies, one of the best ways to round out the day is by setting up a projector, whether that be in your garden or in the great outdoors when you’re surrounded by trees and fauna, and kicking back with a film. While you have a variety of options from using a laptop or tablet, the only way to enjoy a truly cinematic experience is with one of the best outdoor projectors.
While the best projectors are perfect for recreating the feeling of going to the cinema but from the comfort of your own home, there’s a lot more to consider when picking up a projector that’s meant to withstand use outdoors. For starters, durability is key, and so an official rating of dust and water resistance can go a long way to making sure that a projector isn’t going to fall foul of the elements.
The brightness of the bulb also needs to be a fair bit higher than usual to accommodate for the natural light which could get in the way of the image clarity. On top of that, a projector needs to be portable, ideally with a handle included to make moving it from one location to another an easy prospect, whilst the built-in speaker needs to be loud enough to carry sound.
To make sure that each outdoor speaker sent to our offices is able to succeed in those aforementioned areas, we take the devices outside and put them through a range of tests to see how well they perform. This involves using the projectors in an available garden or outdoor space, so you can get a concrete sense of what it’s like to own each one before you ever part with your hard-earned cash.
Only the projectors that pass all of our tests are then considered for entry on this list, so every single device here is heartily recommended by our team of experts. Alternatively, our round-up of the best portable projectors is well worth checking out if you’re after a device for camping as those picks are less likely to weigh you down.
Best Outdoor Projectors at a glance
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/We test projectors by, well, watching lots of movies on them. But not just movies: we watch sports and TV programmes to get a sense of how they work in terms of motion, sharpness, detail and overall image fidelity. Depending on the projector, we’ll test them in a bespoke home cinema room or in our own rooms and gardens to see if they live up to the manufacturer’s claims about their performance.
If it’s an HDR projector, we’ll watch plenty of HDR content to determine if colours are correct and whether the projector can do a decent approximation of HDR. If it’s a gaming projector we’ll test the latency to determine how responsive it is.
We’ll also assess the projector in terms of its size and whether it needs a dedicated installation, as well as how much noise it makes during operation and whether that can be a hindrance to watching content. Are they easy to use? And do they require more expert knowledge to operate are considerations we also take into account.
With our reviewers knowledge of previous projectors tested, they’ll be considered to what’s come before to determine whether they offer good value, regardless of how much or how little they cost.
Very high brightness
Lens shift
Excellent contrast and colours
The JMGO N3 Ultimate is an extremely flexible and quality portable projector.
Setup is where it pulls ahead of similarly specced rivals. The motorised gimbal stand lets you pan and tilt the image using the remote, which takes most of the frustration out of finding the right position, whether you are setting up in the garden or moving between rooms.
Proper lens shift is brilliant to see, as you can get a square picture without the need for digital adjustment. Picture performance is the strongest argument for spending this much. At a peak of 5800 ISO Lumens, it is one of the brightest portable projectors we have tested. The 20,000:1 contrast ratio delivers rich, punchy colours, and Dolby Vision support ensures the best quality in content that supports the HDR format.
At £2,999, it is expensive, but it’s a brilliant choice whether you want to watch inside or out. If the cost puts it out of reach, there are strong alternatives lower down, but for those who want the most capable all-in-one option here, this is it.
Very portable
Generally picture quality
Premium looks
Not the longest battery life
Doesn’t have the brightest picture
Google TV lacks major UK services, like BBC and Channel 4
Don’t worry, if you mistook the Dangbei Freedo for some kind of podcast microphone then you’re not alone. Based on first appearances, particularly when stowed away in the upright position, the Freedo looks nothing like a projector but that’s part of its charm, as it’ll seamlessly blend in with your decor when not in use – exactly what you want from a portable projector.
Speaking of portability, the Dangbei Freedo is one of the most versatile projectors we’ve ever used, so if you do take it with you on a camping trip then you won’t have any issues in getting it set up at just the right angle. The hinge provides 200 degrees of movement so if you need the image to be a little higher than usual as it’ll be a better fit for the screen you have, then the Freedo is more than happy to accommodate. You don’t even have to be a fairly competent projectionist either as the onboard automatic keystone correction can adjust the corners and sizing of the image to suit the screen that you have set up, taking all the guesswork out of the process. There’s also a 6W speaker built in so you don’t have to worry about bringing a separate one just to hear what’s happening onscreen.
In spite of its portability, the Freedo still manages to put out an image that can compete with much larger projectors. The 1080p resolution is nice and crisp, and when paired with the 500 lumens of brightness onboard, the Freedo is capable of some surprising contrast levels, which can make for a very cinematic experience under the stars.
For when you’re closer to home and watching something in the garden, there’s Google TV onboard for easy streaming via all of your go-to services. The homepage does a great job at collating all of the key content across the major streamers, so you’ll be given no shortage of inspiration if you’re on the lookout for your next watch. The fact that all of this comes with a price tag of just £449 is just too good to pass up, making the Dangbei Freedo an instant win for buyers on a budget.
Sharp, detailed image
Proper surround sound
Bright enough to make the most of HDR
Calling the Anker Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro just a projector doesn’t quite do it justice. This is a full home cinema system, with real surround sound that happens to be portable – well, with the caveat that it’s huge and even comes with a trolley handle and wheels. And, at £4499, it sits at the very top end of what you’ll find on this list.
The headline feature is detachable wireless speakers for the front and rear, which means genuine surround sound from a projector setup rather than the single-point audio most rivals offer. Watching Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the results were genuinely impressive, with gunshots and effects coming from all around.
A subwoofer lives inside the main chassis and it absolutely earns its place during action sequences. Explosions carry real physical weight, and the overall effect is about as cinema-like as outdoor projection gets.
Where a lot of portable projectors fall apart in daylight, the X1 Pro holds its own. The tri-laser system is capable of 3500 ANSI lumens, which is bright enough to get a watchable picture without drawing every curtain in sight, and Dolby Vision HDR brings the kind of dynamic range that makes that brightness count.
Smart features are well covered too. Automatic focus, keystone correction and screen fit are all on board, and Google TV is built in so every streaming service you rely on is accessible directly from the projector without needing an external device (well, bar iPlayer). At 32.8kg it is a substantial projector to move around, but the built-in handle and wheels at least make that manageable. If your budget stretches this far, the X1 Pro is the most complete portable outdoor cinema system we’ve tested.
Impressive image quality for the price
Simple setup with AF and keystone correction
Long-life, lamp-free LED light source
Low input lag
No integrated smart TV platform
Fan noise is difficult to ignore
Built-in audio is poor
The Optoma PK32 is exactly the type of projector that’s very unassuming at first glance – it’s very compact which could give off the impression that it’s underpowered, and the £799.99/$1299 price tag is a fair bit cheaper than what premium-level projectors tend to ship with. On both of these fronts, the PK32 exceeds expectations by offering outstanding value with picture quality that’s right up there with some of the best.
You’re getting 4K HDR picture quality that is wonderfully detailed – when we booted up Spider-Man: Far From Home, we were impressed by the dynamic range on display, particularly early on throughout the scenes in Venice which showed off tons of natural light alongside clear doorways and alleyways that might have come through poorly on less capable machines.
As you would want for an outdoor projector, the brightness available here is fantastic. Rated at 1110 ISO lumens, you can pick up a strong image when projected on to a screen, although we don’t recommend using the PK32 during the day when there’s a ton of natural light around. What really surprised us, particularly given the price point, is just how well the Optoma PK32 works as a gaming projector. The input lag on show is minimal, as we recorded 4.6ms at 1080p/240Hz and 18.3ms at 4K/60Hz – exactly what you want to stay one step ahead of the competition. If you fancy a few rounds of Mario Kart World with friends after dark then this is a great option.
The only thing working against the PK32 is that there isn’t a native smart platform built into the projector, so you’ll have to hook up a laptop, tablet or console in order to enjoy some entertainment. If you prefer this method of control then you won’t have an issue here, but for those who want the streaming experience to be as seamless as possible, you’re better off with one of its competitors.
Good value (for an outdoor TV)
Full range of apps including iPlayer
Clean, vibrant picture in daylight
Automatic brightness adjustment
Blacks look a bit purplish
Can’t be bothered to set a projector up each time you want to watch outside, an outdoor TV could be your answer, and the Samsung The Terrace QE65LST7D is ideal for shaded areas (it can’t be used in full sun).
For shaded installations, the Neo QLED panel does an impressive job. Pushing up to 2000 nits, it is bright enough to cut through glare and still deliver punchy, detailed pictures. Local dimming lifts the contrast further, and an ambient light sensor adjusts brightness on the fly as conditions shift, so you are not constantly fiddling with the settings when clouds roll in or the afternoon light changes. Tizen OS means you get a full roster of streaming apps including BBC iPlayer without needing a separate streaming stick. There is also a built-in HD Base-T receiver, so you can run an Ethernet connection back to a transmitter and keep all of your source equipment indoors. Three HDMI inputs handle direct connections as well, and Samsung includes two remotes in the box.
Sound is better than you would expect from an outdoor set, with a 40W system that stays clear and gets loud enough to carry across a garden without straining. The IP56 weather seal rounds things out, shrugging off dust and water spray so the elements are not a concern. For a more permanent solution to watching outside, this TV is great.
The most pressing need for an outdoor projector is brightness. A projector with a brightness of 2000 lumens so the image isn’t washed out by ambient light when projected on a screen.
Learn more about how we test projectors
FAQs
Test Data
JMGO N3 Ultimate
Dangbei Freedo
Anker Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro
Optoma PK32
Samsung The Terrace (2026)
Full Specs
JMGO N3 Ultimate Review
Dangbei Freedo Review
Anker Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro Review
Optoma PK32 Review
Samsung The Terrace (2026) Review
Manufacturer
JMGO
Dangbei
Anker
Optoma
Samsung
Screen Size
–
–
–
–
65 inches
Size (Dimensions)
229 x 308 x 274 MM
109 x 131 x 239 MM
435 x 343 x 761 MM
238 x 215 x 120 MM
1710 x 215 x 1035 MM
Size (Dimensions without stand)
–
–
–
–
1710 x 215 x 1035 MM
Weight
6.95 KG
1.4 KG
32.8 KG
2.2 KG
36 KG
ASIN
–
B0DM8X8L1P
–
–
–
Operating System
–
–
–
–
Tizen OS3
Release Date
2026
2024
2026
2025
2025
First Reviewed Date
18/06/2026
–
14/02/2026
–
13/07/2026
Model Number
JMGO N3 Ultimate
–
Anker Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro
–
Samsung The Terrace QE65LST7D
Model Variants
–
–
–
–
55-inch, 75-inch
Resolution
3840 x 2160
1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
3840 x 2160
3840 x 2160
Projector Type
–
DLP projector
Portable
Portable short-throw
–
Brightness Lumens
5800
450
3500
1100
–
Lamp Life
20,000 hours
–
30,000 hours
30000
–
Contrast Ratio
20,000:1
–
5000:1
250,000:1
–
Max Image Size
300 inches
180 inches
300 inches
200 inches
–
HDR
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Types of HDR
Dolby Vision, HDR10
HDR10, HLG
Dolby Vision, HDR10
HDR10, HLG
HDR10+
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
60 Hz
60 Hz
60 Hz
–
Refresh Rate TVs
–
–
–
–
60 – 120 Hz
Ports
2x HDMI 2.1 (one with eARC), USB
HDMI, USB
HDMI, USB-A, 2x USB-C
–
3x HDMI 2.1, 1x USB-A, Ethernet, 3.5mm audio out, optical S/PDIF, HD Base-T
HDMI (2.1)
–
–
–
–
3
Audio (Power output)
25 W
6 W
200 W
–
40 W
Connectivity
–
–
–
–
Wi-Fi 5, Ethernet
Colours
–
–
–
Black
–
Display Technology
DLP
DLP
DLP
–
QLED
Projector Display Technology
3Channel laser
Single-chip DLP
Triple Laser DLP
–
–
Throw Ratio
0.88-1.71:1
1.2 : 1
0.9:1 – 1.5:1
–
–
3D
Yes
–
Yes
–
–
UK RRP
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$2499
$549
$4999
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€2499
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Jeremy Bernier has spent years fixing clogged pipes. Now he’s trying to fix another everyday frustration: shopping local.
The U.S. Navy veteran and owner of Nerd Plumbing and Drain has founded MODRA, a Seattle-area startup that is designed to let shoppers browse inventory from nearby retailers and have purchases delivered the same day.
The 46-year-old says the idea struck him earlier this year after he needed a collared shirt in Portland and discovered there was no easy way to find one nearby and get it delivered.
MODRA’s AI-powered shopping assistant, “Savvy” — named after his firstborn daughter — is designed to learn customers’ sizes, style preferences and budgets to recommend products that fit their tastes. It is working on securing retail partners, with plans to launch in the Seattle area in September. MODRA plans to contract with local independent drivers, similar to marketplaces like Uber Eats or DoorDash.
He’s carving out a niche in a larger market that includes some big players, such as Amazon with its 30-minute Amazon Now delivery service for grocery and convenience items. And Bernier acknowledges he’s an unlikely tech founder. “I’m a blue-collar guy by trade,” he said.
While his Navy background taught him discipline, accountability and how to perform under pressure, his plumbing background also is helping him run MODRA. The experience “taught me that customers do not care how complicated the operation is behind the scenes,” he said. “They care whether you solve their problem and keep your word.”
We connected with Bernier for this latest installment of GeekWire’s Startup Spotlight.
In 50 words or less, give us your startup’s elevator pitch.
MODRA is an on-demand retail marketplace that lets customers shop nearby stores, boutiques, malls, and national retailers through one app, then have purchases delivered quickly. Savvy AI learns each customer’s style, size, budget, and preferences to create a faster, more personal shopping experience.
What problem are you obsessed with solving?
I’m obsessed with making local retail as convenient as ordering food. People should not have to search five websites, call stores, drive across town, and hope an item is available. MODRA is meant to bring all of that into one experience.
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What surprised you after talking to customers?
What surprised me is that speed is only part of the problem. People also want confidence.
They want to know what is actually available nearby, whether it will fit, whether it matches their style, and whether they are making the right choice. Convenience gets people interested, but personalization and trust are what make the experience valuable.
How has AI changed the way you build your company?
AI has allowed me to move much faster than I could have with a traditional startup team.
I’m a blue-collar guy by trade. I know how to build businesses, solve problems, market, and create the vision, but I’m not a backend engineer. My founding engineer is actively building the technical side of MODRA from that vision, while AI helps me with research, strategy, operations, communication, and testing ideas.
What’s one thing people misunderstand about your startup?
People may hear “fast retail delivery” and think MODRA is simply DoorDash for clothing. Delivery is only one part of it.
MODRA is a retail marketplace, discovery platform, logistics network, and personalized shopping experience. The larger vision is to help retailers compete in the same-day economy while giving customers one place to discover and buy what is available around them.
What’s the toughest decision you’ve made in the past year?
The toughest decision has been committing fully to building a technology company while continuing to run Nerd Plumbing and Drain.
A plumbing company generates revenue today. A startup requires you to invest time, money, and energy into something that is still being built. I had to decide whether this idea was worth taking seriously enough to act on it. Two weeks after getting the idea, I started building. On May 16, MODRA became a Delaware C corporation.
What’s the one piece of advice you give to other entrepreneurs?
Do not wait until you feel qualified.
I came from the Navy and the plumbing industry, not Silicon Valley. I’m an idea guy and a problem solver. When I do not know how to do something, I find the right person, learn what I can, and keep moving.
You do not need to know everything. You need a clear vision, the willingness to work, and enough humility to bring in people who are stronger where you are not.
We’ll know our company has made it when…
Opening the app to find and receive something from a nearby store feels as normal as ordering dinner. I also want retailers to see MODRA as an essential sales and delivery channel, and I want Savvy to become a shopping assistant people genuinely trust.
Tech
Google plans to produce up to 15 million AI chips by 2028, rivaling Nvidia’s total accelerator volume
Rumor mill: Google is planning a sharp increase in production of its in-house AI chips, a move that could put it on par with Nvidia in total accelerator volume within the next few years. According to a research note from Fubon, Google plans to deploy between 12 million and 15 million ninth-generation TPUs by 2028.
If those numbers hold, Google’s output would be in the same range as Nvidia’s projected shipments. Fubon estimates that Nvidia supplied 8.2 million data center GPUs in 2026 and could reach 12.4 million by 2028. That would mark a notable shift, with a single cloud provider producing a volume of AI accelerators comparable to the leading merchant chip supplier.
The TPU v9 will use four compute dies, in line with the industry’s shift to multi-die designs, while Google’s planned production is expected to more than double capacity requirements compared with 2027 levels. Packing multiple large dies into a single chip requires advanced interconnect and packaging, and producing them at scale adds complexity.
Manufacturing capacity is likely to be a constraint. Fubon’s analysts suggest that TSMC alone may not be able to meet Google’s demand, pointing to a potential role for Intel Foundry.
Recent reports support that view, indicating that Intel has already secured orders to produce millions of TPUs after Google tested its advanced packaging capabilities. That relationship would make sense given the design requirements of chiplet-based processors. Packaging technologies differ across manufacturers, and package designs built around Intel’s EMIB or EMIB-T are not directly compatible with TSMC’s CoWoS-L.
Google has been building its own AI chips for roughly a decade, steadily increasing their role across its infrastructure. What began as a way to support internal workloads has grown into a broader strategy that includes its cloud business. If Google reaches its 2028 target, it would likely become the largest single user of AI accelerators. That does not mean it will stop buying from Nvidia, but it would give the company far more control over its compute stack and supply.
Performance comparisons between TPU v9 and Nvidia’s next-generation systems, including Rubin and Rubin Ultra, are not yet available. But the scale of Google’s plans signals confidence in its approach and suggests that competition in AI hardware is increasingly about deployment volume, not just chip performance.
ASUS has announced the India price and availability of the ASUS Pad, its latest premium Android tablet. The device, which was first unveiled at Computex 2026, will go on sale in the country from August 6. It comes with a 12.2-inch 2.8K OLED display, MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset, and a 9,000mAh battery.
Asus Pad Specifications
ASUS has given the Pad a 12.2-inch 2.8K dual-layer OLED display and delivers up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness. The display also covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color space. TUV Low Blue Light certification helps improve viewing comfort, and ASUS Pen 2.0 is supported for writing and drawing. The tablet has a 6.5mm slim profile and weighs 523g. Buyers also get a protective folio case in the box.
The ASUS Pad is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset. It pairs the processor with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM for smooth everyday performance. The device can be bought with 128GB and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. However, the storage can still be increased through the use of a microSD card up to 1 TB. ASUS uses the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset to power the tablet for performance. The device runs Android 16, has 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and comes in 128GB and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage variants. It also supports storage expansion of up to 1TB via a microSD card.
ASUS includes a 9,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. The company says the battery reaches 50 percent charge in about 30 minutes. The tablet also offers a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera that supports face unlock. Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and a USB Type-C port handle connectivity. It also features an accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, and hall sensor. For audio, ASUS has included a quad-speaker setup with Dolby Atmos 360-degree cinematic sound. The tablet also comes with GlideX for sharing files across Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. GlideX supports both wired and wireless connections. These features can make the tablet suitable for entertainment, learning, productivity, and creative work.
ASUS Pad Price, Variants, and Availability
ASUS has launched the Pad in two storage variants in India. It is available in the 8GB+128GB variant for Rs. 45,990 and in the 8GB+256GB variant for Rs. 49,990. It will be available for purchase from August 6 on the following platforms: Flipkart, ASUS eShop, ASUS & ROG Stores, Reliance Digital, and authorized retailers. ASUS is also providing up to 12 months of No Cost EMI at Rs. 3,833/month.
cyber-crime
APUC investigating after criminals claim historical data theft
Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC) says attackers gained unauthorized access to historical data in a cyberattack earlier this month.
The Scottish education procurement body said it immediately contained the mid-July intrusion and was investigating claims that some of the data had been stolen.
“We recently discovered suspicious activity on our IT systems involving unauthorized access to certain historic data,” an APUC spokesperson told The Register. “We took immediate action to contain the incident and are investigating the scope of it, working alongside external technical specialists. There has been no operational disruption to our day-to-day activities.
“We are aware that the group responsible for the unauthorized access has claimed to have taken some historic data from our systems. We are investigating this as a matter of priority. We have notified the relevant authorities and will continue to cooperate with them.”
APUC is Scotland’s procurement center of expertise for universities and colleges, and one of eight members of UK Universities Purchasing Consortia (UKUPC).
These organizations negotiate agreements with approved suppliers, allowing member institutions to buy goods and services without running a separate procurement exercise each time.
APUC arranges these deals as Framework Agreements – pre-vetted terms under which Scottish universities and colleges can place orders with approved suppliers.
The organization lists hundreds of Framework Agreements covering contracts collectively worth hundreds of millions of pounds.
APUC confirmed the attack after sources approached The Register with information about the incident.
Those sources claimed APUC received an extortion demand from the criminals behind the intrusion, although we have not independently confirmed that detail.
The Register understands that the crooks claimed to have stolen APUC data dating back 20 years, and gained admin access through an employee account.
We asked APUC about these claims, whether ransomware was involved, and whether it could identify any inaccuracies in the information we received. The spokesperson did not address those questions.
At the time of writing, APUC did not appear on any of the major ransomware or extortion groups’ data leak sites. ®
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