💵 $1 Samsung deal from me, 🎧 Sonos headphones, 🧑⚖️ ChatGPT stole 'Her' voice, 📆 New Xbox in 2026, 🆕 Microsoft laptops
10 tech stories in the quickest format possible
🔥 Ending Sunday: The Discover Samsung Event ends this weekend, and that includes my $1 Samsung SmartTag2 deal. Details and codes below.
💵 Spotlight: $1 SmartTag2 deal + Samsung sales until Sunday
Samsung gave me and The Shortcut team 100s of discount codes for its clutch $30 SmartTag2 Bluetooth tracker so it ends up costing just $1 – and I’ve strewn 25 of the codes throughout this week’s newsletter. If you can find them quickly, you can get the gadget that, ironically, will help you find your keys, wallet, bag, etc.
While the 25 codes in this newsletter will likely be used up by the first 25 people who see them, you can request one from me on X and on Instagram. I’m giving the rest away all weekend to Samsung super fans (who screenshot their favorite Discover Samsung deal).
🖼️ Proof of happy followers: Tons of people have gotten the $1 Samsung deal already as I individually message winners.
This is part of the Discover Samsung Event where Samsung TVs, monitors, phones and even the PS5 SSD – the SSD I personally use – are on sale.
🐦 Ask Matt Swider on Twitter or Instagram for hand-picked deals from Walmart / Best Buy / Amazon / B&H / Samsung / Google / GameStop / Xbox / Microsoft Office (PC) / MS Office (Mac)
Today’s 10-story newsletter continues below the calendar ⤵️
📆 Your Tech Calendar
🟦 Shop now: Discover Samsung Spring sale begins
⚔️ Out now: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (Xbox Game Pass)
📃 OUT NOW: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door release date (preorder)
💥 TODAY: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is in theaters
🧸 May 31, Fri: Hypercharge: Unboxed on Game Pass
😎 June 7, Fri: Bad Boys: Ride or Die in theaters
🎧 June 5, Wed: Sonos Ace headphones release
🟩 June 9, Sun: Xbox Game Showcase w/ Doom & Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
💻 June 3, Mon: Computex 2024 begins in Taipei (we’ll be there)
🍎 June 10, Mon: Apple WWDC 2024 keynote
⚽ June 14, Fri: UEFA Euro 2024 begins
💻 July 18, Tue: New Microsoft Surface and CoPilot+ PCs release
🚀 July 10, Wed: Samsung Unpacked rumored
🥇 July 26, Fri: Summer Olympic Games begin
🎧 1. Sonos launches its first pair of headphones
Sonos has announced its first-ever pair of wireless headphones, the Sonos Ace, that can be worn outside for everyday listening or to create a dynamic surround sound experience at home. The Bluetooth headphones use a pair of custom 40mm dynamic drivers that Sonos claims will deliver precision and accuracy.
As you might expect, the Sonos Ace features Active Noise Cancellation and a transparency mode that Sonos calls “Aware”. The headphones use an array of six beam-forming microphones to actively counter outside noises in addition to isolation your voice for calls.
The Sonos Ace also supports Dolby Atmos with Dolby Head Tracking, but Sonos has said it will add a new TrueCinema feature that precisely maps your space to create a surround-sound experience in the headphones themselves.
The Sonos Ace will be available on June 5 and cost $449. There are two colors available: Soft White and Black.
📆 The Sonos Ace will be available June 5
💰 They cost $449 and feature 30 hours of battery life with Active Noise Cancellation
🔊 The Bluetooth headphones use a pair of custom 40mm dynamic drivers
🎧 It’s Sonos’s first-ever pair of wireless headphones made to be worn outside for everyday listening
1st batch of $1 Samsung SmartTag2 codes
Put the white Samsung SmartTag2 Bluetooth tracker in your cart and try these codes. There are 25 codes in this email. First come, first serve.
MLKQ9YQSO6
LKU7JYWC46
LBAQ9YWS46
LNKPJYQCOG
5EMQ9ZWSO6
If they get used, see how to get one on X and on Instagram. I’m messaging them one-by-one to my followers who confirm their interest. They expire Sunday.
🧑⚖️ 2. OpenAI pulls Scarlett Johansson’s voice after actress takes legal action
OpenAI is in hot water once again. The company is being sued by Scarlett Johansson for using a voice that sounds eerily similar to the Hollywood actress after she previously turned down OpenAI’s offer to voice its chatbot. Johansson released a lengthy statement explaining why she has sought legal action and has asked OpenAI to explain how it developed the voice assistant named ‘Sky’.
OpenAI has denied the accusation with the company’s CEO Sam Altman saying, “The voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johansson’s, and it was never intended to resemble hers. We cast the voice actor behind Sky’s voice before any outreach to Ms. Johansson. Out of respect for Ms. Johansson, we have paused using Sky’s voice in our products. We are sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn’t communicate better.”
🧑⚖️ OpenAI is being sued by Scarlett Johansson
🤔 The actress believes the company used her voice to develop “Sky”
🤖 Sky is one of the company’s voice assistants
🙇♂️ OpenAI denies the claim and has removed the voice from its products
📱 3. Your old iPhone is now worth more with Apple trade-in – but not for long
If you’ve been mulling over whether to upgrade to a newer iPhone model, now could be a good opportunity to do so. Apple is increasing the maximum trade-in prices of older handsets until June 3. The offer applies to models from the iPhone 11 onwards, giving you up to $30 more depending on the phone you’re trading in.
Once your trade has been confirmed, you can either mail in your old phone or drop it off at your nearest Apple Store. Your phone will then be either refurbished and sold to another customer or recycled if it’s in particularly rough shape. Trade-in values range from $170 for the iPhone SE (3rd gen) and $650 for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
💰 Apple is boosting its trade-in prices for a limited period
📱 Get up to an extra $30 when you trade in your iPhone before June 3
👍 You can get up to $650 when you trade in an iPhone 14 Pro Max
🔜 Apple will launch the iPhone 16 in September this year
🤔 4. Humane is seeking a buyer, months after launching its AI Pin
It’s fair to say that the Humane Ai Pin hasn’t been the success the company was hoping for. Similar to the Rabbit R1, the device was widely panned by tech reviewers for its underwhelming performance, lack of features, and unfinished state. However, that hasn’t stopped Humane from hunting for potential buyers.
Led by former Apple employees Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, Human is “seeking a price of between $750 million and $1 billion”, according to a Bloomberg report. That might be ambitious based on the $699 AI Pin’s reception, though Human was valued at $850 million by investors in 2023.
🤝 Humane is seeking potential buyers
💰 The company is looking for a price of between $750 million and $1 billion
👎 The Humane AI Pin launched and received generally negative reviews
🍎 The device was created by former Apple employees and costs $699
2nd batch of $1 Samsung SmartTag2 codes
Put the white Samsung SmartTag2 Bluetooth tracker in your cart and try these codes. There are 25 codes in this email. First come, first serve.
TLEHJYQSOG
5GWWJZWSO6
LRVRJYQC46
PL6P9ZWC46
LWW7JYWCOG
If they get used, see how to get one on my X and on my Instagram. I’m messaging them one-by-one to my followers who confirm their interest. They expire Sunday.
💻 5. Microsoft’s AI and Qualcomm-powered laptops are here
Microsoft announced a new lineup of Surface devices with the Surface Pro Copilot+ PC and Surface Laptop 6. Both devices are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors, and Microsoft claims the shift from Intel delivers dramatic performance improvements.
Microsoft says the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite means the new Surface Pro Copilot+ is 90% faster than the Surface Pro 9 it replaces. The new Copilot+ PC is also supposedly capable of 40 trillion operations per second compared to 18 trillion Apple M3, according to Microsoft. Prices start at $999, though you’ll need to pay more for the optional OLED display.
The Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro are also Arm-powered devices. Both touchscreen displays offer Dolby Vision IQ HDR support with a 120Hz refresh rate. Microsoft claims the new Surface Laptop is 80% faster than the previous generation and battery life has increased up to 22 hours of local video playback. The Surface Laptop also starts at $999 for the 13.8-inch or $1,999.99 for the 15-inch model. Preorders are open now and will begin shipping on June 18.
🤯 Microsoft’s new Surface devices sound impressive
💪 They’re powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X and Snapdragon X Elite chips
💰 Prices start from $999 for both models and AI is integrated heavily
📆 Preorders are open and the devices will begin shipping in June
🆕 6. Google's AI Overview suggests putting glue in pizza sauce, eating rocks
Google used to be the home of facts, truth, and information, settling any debate within a few minutes. “Google it,” people used to say. However, the search giant’s pursuit of AI has led to one of the most valuable resources of information becoming about as useful as a chocolate fireguard, and genuinely dangerous too.
Google is really puts the die in diet. 🤦♂️ 🤦♂️ 🤦♂️
The company’s new AI Overview summaries, which accompany traditional searches, are spewing out misinformation. When asked “cheese not sticking to pizza”, Google’s AI Overview recommends using glue. Seriously.
“Add some glue,” says Google. “Mix about 1/8 cup of Elmer’s glue in with the sauce. Non-toxic glue will work.”
In another scenario I tested this week, Google’s top answer suggests that eating rocks is part of a “healthy, balanced lifestyle.” In an earlier suggestion, the formerly reliable search company’s AI Overview recommended drinking urine, but only “2 litres” of the “light-colored urine.” Google is really puts the die in diet. 🤦♂️ 🤦♂️ 🤦♂️
This won’t be the last time we see AI provide a bizarre answer, but Google needs to take extra precautions to stop the spread of misinformation before people look elsewhere to get the answers they’re after.
🤖 Google’s AI is spreading misinformation while it destroys the web for publishers
😮 The company’s new AI Overview is providing some bizarre answers
🤦♂️ Google recommends putting glue on your pizza and eating rocks
🐶 It also claimed that a dog played in the NBA
3rd batch of $1 Samsung SmartTag2 codes
Put the white Samsung SmartTag2 Bluetooth tracker in your cart and try these codes. There are 25 codes in this email. First come, first serve.
5TOXJYQSO6
LMT79YQC46
5PCPJYWSO6
5NA79YWCO6
PLYHJZQSOG
If they get used, see how to get one on my X and on my Instagram. I’m messaging them one-by-one to my followers who confirm their interest. They expire Sunday.
💚 7. The next Xbox could launch in 2026, beating the PS6 to retail
Microsoft could launch the next Xbox console in 2026, giving it a head start over Sony’s PS6. Sony is widely expected to launch the PS6 in 2027, which could give Microsoft some much-needed breathing room, similar to the strategy we saw with Xbox 360.
We know that Microsoft is working on a new Xbox console and that it will deliver “the biggest technological leap ever in a generation”, according to Xbox president Sarah Bond. But Microsoft is also planning to make Call of Duty 2026 a day-one release for the console. That alone could tempt people into picking up Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox instead of waiting for the next PlayStation.
📆 The next Xbox console could be released in late 2026
🤔 That’s expected to be earlier than the PS6, which is due out in 2027
💪 Microsoft has already said it is working on its next console
🔜 Sony is due to launch a PS5 Pro this year
4th batch of $1 Samsung SmartTag2 codes
Put the white Samsung SmartTag2 Bluetooth tracker in your cart and try these codes. There are 25 codes in this email. First come, first serve.
LWBQ9YWS46
LSRR9YWCOG
5BSX9YQCO6
LU679YWS46
5NGP9ZWCO6
If they get used, see how to get one on my X and on my Instagram. I’m messaging them one-by-one to my followers who confirm their interest. They expire Sunday.
🎮 8. PSP 2 will be able to run PS4 games
Another PSP 2 rumor has emerged, giving more weight to the existence of a new PlayStation Portable. A Russian journalist, who correctly revealed that PlayStation exclusives would come to PC, confirmed that Sony is preparing a new PSP for release and that the handheld will be able to play PS4 games.
If Sony can open up the entire library of PS4 games to players, that could also give the handheld hundreds of games at launch. But Sony will also want to make sure its handheld stands out from the competition. It could offer perks such as cloud saves, allowing you to take your progress with you when you’re finished playing on PS5, or Remote streaming, similar to the PlayStation Portal.
🤔 Another Sony PSP 2 rumor is circulating online
👏 The handheld will reportedly be able to play PS4 games
👍 Sony will want to ensure its handheld stands out from the competition
🆚 The rumor comes amid talks of an Xbox handheld
👏 9. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door review roundup: 'a masterful remake’
Nintendo isn’t afraid to dip back into its library to revive older titles, and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is another successful example. The 20-year-old GameCube title has been remade for Nintendo Switch and it holds up just as well today as it did two decades ago, achieving a Metacritic score of 88 after 68 reviews.
Even though the Switch has entered its seventh year on sale, Nintendo continues to spoil owners with fantastic games. It’s not let up, even though the Nintendo Switch 2 is due to release early next year. That’s great news for existing Switch owners and those who are eyeing up Nintendo’s console, as the Switch 2 will reportedly be backward compatible.
😁 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door has a Metacritic score of 88 after 68 critic reviews
👍 It means the game has received generally favorable scores
🆕 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a remake of the GameCube title from 20 years ago
📆 The game is out on May 23 exclusively for Nintendo Switch
😮 10. Hellblade 2 review roundup: 'a stunning feat of video game art'
It’s been a long wait for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, but it’s finally now available on Xbox and PC as part of Xbox Game Pass. The game was first shown during the Xbox Series X’s reveal in 2019 and promised to be a visual showcase for the hardware. It’s certainly lived up to that expectation, but its lack of gameplay has led to an eclectic mix of scores.
Still, the game will be considered a critical success for Microsoft, as it’s achieved a score of 81 after 86 reviews. Unfortunately, no physical version of Hellblade 2 is available, so you’re stuck buying it digitally or playing it through Xbox Game Pass.
🙂 Hellblade 2 has a Metacritic score of 81 after 66 critic reviews
👍 It means the game has received generally favorable reviews
⚔️ Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is a sequel to 2017’s action-adventure game
📆 The game is out now on Xbox and PC and as part of Xbox Game Pass
5th batch of $1 Samsung SmartTag2 codes
Put the white Samsung SmartTag2 Bluetooth tracker in your cart and try these codes. There are 25 codes in this email. First come, first serve.
LCWQ9YWC46
LRUQ9ZWC46
5BWR9ZWSO6
L9KHJZQCOG
5LTWJYWSO6
5YX89ZQCO6
If they get used, see how to get one on my X and on my Instagram. I’m messaging them one-by-one to my followers who confirm their interest. They expire Sunday.
