Tech Digest daily roundup: Jeep to launch two electric SUVs
Jeep will start selling two fully electric SUVs in North America and another one in Europe over the next two years. The new EVs, Jeep’s first, are part of the Stellantis brand’s plans to convert half of its U.S. sales and all of its European sales to battery-electric vehicles by 2030. They’re the first for the brand, and executives are promising that they’ll be fully capable of off-road travel. The new vehicles include the Jeep Recon, a four-wheel-drive midsize SUV about the size of the Jeep Wrangler and rival Ford’s gas-powered Bronco Sport. It will be produced at an undisclosed North American factory starting in 2024. No range, performance figures or prices were released. AP News
In a series of tweets and in a commercial, Samsung mocks Apple for its lack of a foldable device in its iPhone 14 lineup. Samsung even points out that its camera has had 108 megapixels for over two years, taking a slap at the Cupertino tech giant’s measly 48-megapixel sensor. This obvious rebuttal to Apple’s “Far out” launch event is very tongue-in-cheek. Samsung launched its Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 foldable phones last month to critical acclaim, and during Apple’s launch event, the company released a “Join the Flip” short film/commercial that features a young woman that is literally haunted by the Samsung Z Flip foldability. Laptop
Doctors have told health services to prepare for a new era of cancer screening after a study found a simple blood test could spot multiple cancer types in patients before they develop clear symptoms. The Pathfinder study offered the blood test to more than 6,600 adults aged 50 and over, and detected dozens of new cases of disease. Many cancers were at an early stage and nearly three-quarters were forms not routinely screened for. The Guardian
Apple made waves when it announced the beautifully massive, feature-packed Apple Watch Ultra on Wednesday, and many of our fellow tech sites gave into the hype. The Verge(opens in new tab) claims the $800 watch could make Garmin as a company obsolete, while Digital Trends(opens in new tab) put Samsung and the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro on blast, saying Apple gave it a template for a “real adventure smartwatch.” In the face of all this hyperbolic zeal, I want to strike a more nuanced approach here. Because on the one hand, I actually agree that Apple did with the Ultra what I wanted Samsung to do with the Pro in terms of adding more exclusive “rugged” features that cater to outdoorsy folk. Android Central
While iOS 16 is full of great new features, not everything Apple announced at WWDC is going to make it to your iPhone when iOS 16.0 arrives on Monday. Some, of course, just don’t work on older iPhones. But others are simply not destined to be a part of the initial release coming Monday, September 12. Rather, you’ll see them later this year in iOS 16.1, 16.2, or maybe even a later update. MacWorld
Although I’ve yet to see the AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) — known to most as the AirPods Pro 2 — in the flesh, Apple’s September event indicated that there’s plenty to get excited about when they do officially arrive on September 23. Thanks to the new H2 Chip inside, Apple’s next flagship true wireless earbuds offer better noise cancellation and battery life, which is why they were introduced by Tim Cook as “Apple’s most advanced AirPods yet”. TomsGuide
