Fully Charged: Sphero’s off-road Ollie launched, Samsung’s 105in curved 4K TV is bendable, and new Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer footage
End this IFA week strong by filling your brain with quick-hit tech news
Sphero’s Ollie robot on sale
We were quite taken with the Sphero 2B when we saw it at CES back in January, as it rebooted the original smartphone-controlled ball with a tubular design, a massive speed boost, and an off-road friendly design. Rightly so, it’s been given its own branding for release, and now the Ollie is on sale.
The Ollie is still controlled via an app, but this little wonder can reach speeds of up to 14mph, and it’s designed to be tossed around – so really, take it outside to somewhere jagged and bumpy and let it rip. Hitting an obstacle at the right angle will send it flying and spinning gloriously until it lands safely and continues rolling along.
Sphero’s latest connected toy can be purchased now for £79.99 the company’s website and will begin shipping on 15 September, and there’s more fun on the horizon in the form of swappable tyres and even a Bluetooth-connected ramp coming soon.
READ MORE: Meet the rugged Sphero 2B
Samsung’s curved 105in 4K TV is now bendable
Back in July, we scratched our collective heads at word of a Samsung 105in curved 4K UHD set that was planned to retail for US$120,000 – that’s about £73,500. Who might be buying such a thing? Is there no end to such extravagance?
Apparently not. CNET spotted a surprising thing at IFA this week: a newly bendable version of that same 105in set, which means users can watch it either curved or flat. Samsung apparently hasn’t pinned down a price point just yet, but surely such a convenience won’t be a free addition to the existing value proposition.
READ MORE: Samsung’s curved 105in 4K UHD TV priced at US$120,000
Scope out seven minutes of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer
November’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare looks to represent the big shake-up that the shooter series has needed for at least a couple of years now (even if it does seem curiously similar to Titanfall in spots), and multiplayer is always a huge component of the experience – so we’re extra excited to see this far-future take on it.
Check out seven fresh minutes of official footage, which digs deep into the various perks of the exoskeleton, details the ample customization and Pick 13 system, and shows off some of the maps and modes you can expect to explore later this year.
[Source: YouTube]
Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer