The Weekly Authority: 📅 Google I/O 2023 date confirmed

⚡ Welcome to The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority newsletter that breaks down the top Android and tech news from the week. The 235th edition here with a Google I/O 2023 date, a first (unofficial) look at the Xiaomi Mi Band 8, the engineer who broke Twitter, Meta Quest price cuts, and more of this week’s top tech news.

⛄ It’s currently snowing in Scotland, but I’m feeling rather smug as I have no need to leave the house today and am spending the day writing and editing, with a mug of hot chocolate. Pretty nice!

Popular news this week

Google:

• Google confirmed I/O 2023 is happening May 10, with likely Pixel hardware launch.
• Late for a very important date: Users report Pixel Watch is not on time sometimes.
• Also: Here’s how many Pixel Watches Google shipped in 2022.
• Speaking of, here’s everything we know so far about Google Pixel Watch 2, and what we want to see.
• And the March 2023 Pixel feature drop isn’t here yet, but here’s what to expect.
• Google One makes a premium feature available to all, adds new layer of security.
• Pixel Buds Pro now have spatial audio with head-tracking support.
• Plus: Second Android 14 developer preview launches — here’s what’s new.
• Speaking of, Android 14 is hiding an emoji wallpaper maker for Pixels.
• And Android 14 takes idea from One UI, but makes it better.

Samsung:

• Earlier this week, it looked like Samsung could be working on a custom CPU for its phones, but the company later denied this.
• And Samsung Galaxy M14 5G launched: This is a budget battery beast.
• Last week we reported on the Galaxy S23 Ultra S Pen randomly disconnecting for some: Now Samsung has rolled out a fix.

OnePlus:

• OnePlus Ace 2V announced: An early look at the Nord 3?
• And OnePlus Nord CE gets Android 13, enters final year of security updates.

Apple:

• Apple will reportedly launch an M3-equipped iMac later this year.
• And Apple has announced a yellow colorway for the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus: It wouldn’t be the first yellow phone we’ve seen in 2023, (Poco X5 Pro, we’re looking at you).

Xiaomi:

• This is our first (unofficial) look at the Xiaomi Mi Band 8.
• And here’s everything we know about the Mi Band 8, and what we want to see.

Motorola:

• Motorola seems to be prepping a new flagship launch and renders of the rebranded phone just leaked.

Nothing:

• Nothing Phone 2 chipset accidentally confirmed by Qualcomm exec.
• Confirmed: The Nothing Ear 2 officially has a launch date — March 22 is the date to note.
• A thing of beauty? Nothing speaker leak shows off a peculiar design.

Microsoft:

• Microsoft has announced another AI event for March 16, focused on “the future of work.”

Audio:

• Spotify launches ‘entirely new’ home feed that’s very TikTok.
• Say ‘goodbye’ to the Sonos One and ‘hello’ to a new Sonos Era.

Social media:

• It looks like TikTok could be banned in the US.
• Meanwhile, Meta is planning thousands of layoffs as soon as this week.
• Facebook will finally let you access your inbox without the Messenger app: But it’s not simply just a case of listening to consumers after nine years.
• Musk apologizes for mocking and firing Twitter exec with muscular dystrophy.
• And spare a thought for the single engineer who brought down Twitter on Monday when every link on the platform broke.

Space:

• NASA’s Curiosity Rover views first dazzling “Sun Rays” on Mars.
• Wow: Hubble captures stunning movie of DART Asteroid impact debris.
• Mystery solved: Why do sun-gazing spacecraft get cloudy vision?

Elsewhere: 

• Apple dominates list of 2022’s top-selling phones, but what about Android?
• Speaking of, an Android phone now officially offers Apple’s Dynamic Island clone.
• And a major budget brand has hinted at its first foldable phones.
• Meanwhile, this phone received seven straight years of updates, besting Samsung.
• Huawei allegedly caught tracking MWC 2023 visitors at its exhibit.
• And first P60 Pro photo sample suggests Huawei could pick up where Pixel left off.
• On the subject of shady practices: Scammers are using AI voices to steal millions by impersonating loved ones.
• Tesla slashes Model S and X US prices by up to $10,000.
• A Dash-8 commuter plane flew for 15 minutes with a hydrogen fuel-cell engine, hopes to have a certificate for passenger flights by 2025.
• US Air Force awards $75.5 million contract for the world’s largest wireless ad-hoc network.
• Also: Scientists have mapped a secret hidden corridor in the Great Pyramid of Giza — where it leads remains a mystery.
• Scientists invent biomaterial that can heal tissue from the inside out.
• Plus: Researchers use AI to generate images based on people’s brain activity.

Movies/TV

• Free Guy is getting a sequel, but Ryan Reynolds doesn’t think it’s needed.
• If you’re in the mood for lighter viewing, we’ve rounded up the best comedies on Peacock, from Poker Face to We Are Lady Parts.
• We saw the first trailer for animated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and it looks epic, in theaters August 4.
• A teaser also dropped for Silo, Apple’s post-apocalyptic drama, landing on Apple TV Plus May 5.
• YouTube is killing the overlay ad format: That is, the ad that covers the bottom of a video on desktop. Does that mean more pre-roll video ads, then?
• We’ve got the best new streaming movies this week, including Mortal Kombat and Serena.
• Kevin Feige and Patty Jenkins Star Wars films no longer in the works at Lucasfilm, Taika Waititi still working on his.
• Elsewhere, Jon Bernthal will return as The Punisher for Daredevil: Born Again, also starring Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, out next year.
• And reviews are in for Daisy Jones and The Six: Empire calls it “solid but slightly underwhelming,” while The Guardian says, “Not even Elvis’ grandkid can save this 70s rock’n’roll saga.”
• Also: The Super Mario Bros. movie got its final trailer before an April release.

Gaming: 

• The Meta Quest Pro and 256GB Quest 2 are getting significant price cuts: The Pro will be $999.99, while the 256GB Quest 2 will drop to $429.99.
• Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda set to be replaced by Takashi Kiryu.
• And Hogwarts Legacy PS4 and Xbox versions delayed to May 5.
• Elsewhere, Halo Infinite Season 3 (Echoes Within) kicked off on Tuesday, with new maps, modes, and a new weapon.
• Still getting to know your PS5? Check out these 9 things you didn’t know your next-gen console could do.
• Plus: PS5 system update with Discord support, improved 1440p, is available now.
• Meanwhile, it’s a solid month for Xbox gaming as Game Pass adds Dead Space, Ni No Kuni II, and more.
• Microsoft claims UK’s CMA has overcounted potential impact of Call of Duty exclusivity.
• Peridot, the Tamagotchi-like game from Pokemon Go dev Niantic, will launch in May.
• Finally: Starfield delayed again to September 6, Starfield Direct showcase announced for June 11.

Reviews

• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review: The boss of Android — “An ultra-flagship that doesn’t back down.”
• Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review: This one is just right — “The Goldilocks phone of the Galaxy S23 family.”
• Sony Xperia I IV review revisited: The good and bad six months later — “Sony’s expensive flagship has improved with age, but is that enough?”
• Vivo X90 Pro Review: Creature of the night — “Is this flagship phone worth getting over Apple, Samsung, and Google’s best?”

Features

• Android 14 update tracker: When will your phone get it? “We know Pixels will get it first, but what other phones will get Android 14? And when will it arrive?” (Android Authority).
• The excellent Galaxy S23 has me excited for the S23 FE: “The Galaxy S23 FE could distill Samsung’s 2023 winning formula in an even more affordable package” (Android Authority).
• Cheeky! This phone has a ‘plump butt’ beauty filter: “Is this beautification feature all it’s cracked up to be?” (Android Authority).
• The mining industry’s next frontier is deep, deep under the sea — “Companies are diving to the bottom to scoop up metals essential for our EV-driven future. But how much ocean are we willing to sacrifice?” (Wired).
• Get the inside story of how ChatGPT was built from the people who made it — “Exclusive conversations that take us behind the scenes of a cultural phenomenon” (MIT Technology Review).
• Inside the suspicion machine: “Obscure government algorithms are making life-changing decisions about millions of people around the world. Here, for the first time, we reveal how one of these systems works.” (Wired).

Weekly Wonder

Today’s Weekly Wonder is inspired by Wired (and h/t to The Hustle), who wrote this great piece on why the floppy disk just won’t die. It also reminded me of this joke about the kid who thought a floppy disk was a real-life version of the save icon.

Despite the last major manufacturer ceasing production in 2010, floppy disks are still alive and kicking across many industries, being used in a surprising amount of tech.

• According to Wired, floppies are still used across the airline industry to update planes, including some Boeing 747-200s, newer 747 and 767 variants, Airbus A320s, and some business jets.
• The Pentagon used computers with floppy disk drives for its nuclear weapons system until 2019.
• Floppy disks are also widely used in embroidery machines and CNC tools designed for cutting metal and wood.
• Recently we saw a video of Chuck E. Cheese’s animatronics using floppy disks.
• San Francisco’s subway also uses 5-inch floppies for its train control system.
• Until last year, the disks were even used for official government procedures in Japan.

Now that they’re no longer being made, floppy disk supplies are dwindling and could run out in the near future. There’s already been a price hike: Tom Persky, owner of Floppydisk.com, sells 3.5-inch floppies from his California warehouse at $1/disk. Meanwhile, 8-inch floppies are close to extinction, selling for $5 per disk in boxes of 10.

This makes me feel old. Who else remembers using a computer with a floppy disk drive in their youth?

Tech Calendar

• March 15: Samsung event (TBC, could see Galaxy A34 and A54)?
• March 16: Microsoft “Future of Work” AI event
• March 17: Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon lands (Nintendo Switch)
• March 22: Nothing Ear 2 launch event @ 10 AM ET
• May 5: Hogwarts Legacy lands on PS4 and Xbox
• May 10: Google I/O 2023

Tech Tweet of the Week

Something extra: Enjoy reminiscing about the worst video game voiceovers ever (Stop it! Don’t open. That. Door!)? Then you’ll love this archive of bad video game voice-overs.

Have a great week!

Paula Beaton, Copy Editor.