Today We Watched, Read, and Listened to (so you don’t have to):

324 articles, 8 podcasts, 14 press releases, 457 tweets, and 7 YouTube videos

1. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G Dated and Priced

Samsung released the details of its hotly-anticipated, but intensely-expensive Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G phone today. It's set to launch on September 18 and cost $1999.99. That's $2K in our book, which is a LOT of scratch.

2. Apple and Google's Contact Tracing App Released

Google and Apple launched their jointly-developed "Exposure Notifications Express" app, which lets local governmental agencies use the contact tracing technology without having to build their own apps. Mazel tov!

3. Animal Crossing Gets Biden-Harris Campaign Signs

Gamers are now able to grab some campaign signs from the Biden-Harris camp and place them in their little towns. It might not change anyone's mind on who they'll vote for, but it's a clever way to connect to younger folks, for sure.

🦑 Go Deeper

Sure, lots of companies are capitalizing on the current pandemic and releasing high-tech air purifier masks. But do they work? Sascha Brodsky spoke with an expert to find out in this deeper dive.

Video games sales are up quite a bit as compared to last year, with games like Animal Crossing providing a respite from pandemic woes. Even in May, sales were up 18%, with hardware sales increasing by 34%. It's likely higher now.

🤓 Nerd Out

"Bananarama got it right back in the '80s." - Rob LeFebvre, Senior News Editor

Mars? Pssht. What about a mission to Venus in 2023? Private company RocketLab wants to head to the bright "star" in our sky to search for signs of life, and we are here for it. (Share on Twitter)

💎 You Know You Want It

Onewheel to rule them all

Image: Onewheel

We want to jam down the road (or rugged trail system) for 18 miles on a Onewheel XR, a slick cross between a Segway and skateboard. With speeds up to 20 miles per hour, you'll rocket your way to your destination. Just be sure to wear a helmet (and some wrist guards), ok?

🚀 Facing the Future

I, Robot, indeed

Right now, big tech companies all use AI for tasks that use massive datasets. The future, though, may let smaller companies (maybe even individuals) buy time from artificial intelligence as-a-service companies, paying for AI time like we do for Cloud backups now. Heck, we need AI to help us organize our closet.

🗞 Extra! Extra!

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