Samsung Unpacked August 11th; New MacBook Pro Coming; Dropbox-Free Auto Pix Upload; HBO Max-Free Shared Streaming of Shows Within Snapchat

As rumored, Samsung has officially announced its next Unpacked event for August 11th. Theverge.com notes the stream will run starting at 10 AM EST. Expected updates will include freshened Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 handsets. Also, as previously leaked, new Watches, which will now run on Watch OS, as Samsung gives in on Tizen. The Google ecosystem just has so many more apps. As for the phones, the Z Fold 3 will gain support for the S Pen (which is also getting a refresh.) The Z Flip 3 gains a bigger screen. Much more to come no doubt, during the event on the 11th. 

Apple’s MacBook Pros running their own silicon will start production 3rd quarter, rocking whatever Apple calls the chip…M2 or M1x have both been rumored. According to 9to5mac.com, the Pros…which had been expected out earlier…were delayed by complications with the new mini-LED display. The screen uses 10,000 mini-LEDs, which provide much greater control of localized backlighting, allowing higher brightness and deeper blacks. The combination boosts the contrast ratio, as well as using less power. There are conflicting rumors about the new Pros having either a max of 32 or 64 Gigs of RAM…sorry, power users, we’ll have to wait for more leaks or the actual rollout to find out which!

With Google dropping unlimited uploads to its photo service, Dropbox has swooped in to try and steal users. Engadget.com reports that Box has allowed the functionality starting now for all Basic (i.e. free) users. A cool feature for a freebie…you can specify folders to back up of your photos, keeping them better organized in the cloud backup, too. (iOS only right now, but Android coming.) Password manager can also now store debit and credit card info, though heaven knows why anyone wants to upload that or banking passwords to the cloud! 

Streaming services have seen a drop-off since more people are returning to commuting and office spaces. Netflix did barely beat its numbers for the quarter, but is concerned about not adding new users. Now, HBO Max has bowed a new scheme to lock in users…shared streams on Snapchat. Techcrunch.com says HBO Max is partnering with Snap to bring free episodes from its original programing to Snapchat users in the U.S. The episodes will stream via a Snap Mini — the company’s bite-sized third-party apps that live within Snapchat. The experience will offer users a way to watch top titles, including both new releases like the rebooted “Gossip Girl” as well as fan favorites like “Game of Thrones,” among others, while chatting with friends.