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It's Monday, February 10, 2020.

Hey, good morning!

The future of MWC, the world’s biggest phone show, gets even murkier. It’s all due to the increased threat of the coronavirus. While the GSMA, the body that runs the event, says everything’s utterly fine and that it has a strategy about avoiding handshaking, LG is out, ZTE won’t have its press conference and Amazon announced that it was also dropping from the show. Xiaomi has shrunk its plans, while rumors swirl that other Chinese companies have sent their execs and staff to Europe early, ensuring a two-week (sort of) quarantine of their own before the show actually starts.

This week kicks off with Sony announcing it’s withdrawing from MWC 2020, too. It’ll make its announcements (presumably a new phone) in a YouTube stream from the safety of some studio somewhere.

--Mat

The Aqua offers luxury sea travel without the usual environmental guilt.

Bill Gates is the first to buy a hydrogen-powered 'superyacht'

Bill Gates' investments in eco-friendly tech apparently include one of the more conspicuous symbols of his wealth. The former Microsoft chief has ordered the world's first hydrogen fuel cell-based "superyacht." The roughly $644-million, 370-foot boat has five decks, space for 14 guests and 31 crew members and even a gym, but it runs on two 1MW motors fuelled by supercooled hydrogen tanks.

Sinot even uses gel-based fire bowls to keep passengers warm outside instead of burning coal or wood. It won't be a fast mover with a 17-knot top speed (19.6MPH), but its 3,750-mile range should be enough for cross-ocean travel. Aqua isn't expected to reach the sea until 2024 -- hopefully in time for our Waterworld future.

The company scooped itself two days before its event.

Samsung revealed the Galaxy Z Flip in an Oscars ad

Nope, there really isn’t much more to say until we handle one ourselves. But if you like ads, here you go.

The event is still happening, but it's quickly losing companies.

Amazon is the latest to pull out of MWC over coronavirus worries

Amazon has withdrawn from the tech trade show over the "outbreak and continued concerns" around the virus. The company was going to the late-February event to push Amazon Web Services rather than anything consumer-facing, but it's still a big blow when MWC has already lost multiple companies.

These six essential auto accessories are all on sale

Genetic defects might have played a part.

'Resurrected' mammoth DNA helps explain why the species went extinct

Reviving the woolly mammoth is still a tall order. However, technology might be far enough along to help explain why the elephant precursor went extinct in the first place. Scientists have 'resurrected' genes from a population of mammoths that survived on a Siberian island until around 4,000 years ago to see what might have contributed to this relic herd dying out. They compared genetic material against both other mammoths and Asian elephants to look for problematic mutations based on known genetic behavior. There were issues with male fertility, neurological development, insulin signalling and even the ability to smell flowers. The study doesn't, however, provide a full explanation for why woolly mammoths finally died out. Most of them (along with other species) were wiped out by a changing climate that eliminated the tundra they needed to survive.

But wait, there's more...

1. This blood-drawing robot might be more accurate than humans

2. Netflix films won just two Oscars after 'Parasite' swept major awards

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Engadget Email Newsletter

Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts

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It's Saturday, February 08, 2020.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Why wait until Tuesday to find out what Samsung will unveil? A tipster sent us these pictures of what appears to be Samsung’s next foldable phone. The Galaxy Z Flip has appeared in earlier leaks, but these are the clearest real-world shots we’ve seen. Other than that, if you look below we have Friday’s other major stories plus some highlights from all of last week.

Samsung’s Unpacked event will take place ahead of MWC 2020 -- probably a good thing, considering how companies like NVIDIA, Ericsson and LG have already dropped out of the mobile show because of concerns about the coronavirus outbreak. I’ll wait to find out how much it costs before I get too excited, but the extra-tall device could be cheaper and easier to handle than the Razr. I gotta admit, I’m not worried about the midrange specs, dual-lens camera or what its external display can show -- I just want to go back to hanging up on calls by flipping my phone closed. I miss it so much.

-- Richard

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It's not just an app problem.

The Engadget Podcast: How tech (and humans) failed the Iowa caucus

This week on the Engadget Podcast, Devindra and Cherlynn chat about what exactly went wrong for Iowa's Democratic Party. The mysterious app from an unknown progressive tech firm was mostly to blame, but it was also helped by some good old fashioned human error. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Pocket Casts or Stitcher.

Roll some more of that test rack footage.

How reliable is the Motorola Razr, really?

The other day, CNET strapped Motorola’s new flexible handset into a test bench and experienced issues after about 27,000 folds. That’s fewer times than you might expect to open and close the $1,500 handset in one year. Now, Motorola has responded with footage of its own and some explanations about why the other test might not reflect real-world use. The new Razr only just went on sale, so we don’t have extended experiences to draw on yet, but hopefully, this goes over better than Samsung’s first Galaxy Fold attempt.

Looking for a new show to binge-watch this weekend? All nine episodes are available now.

Apple TV+'s Mythic Quest is 'Silicon Valley' but for game devs

According to Devindra Hardawar, this new comedy on Apple TV+ is “sharp and funny enough to keep non-gamers hooked, it actually tackles major issues facing the industry, and at times, it's surprisingly sweet and poignant.” It’s produced by Ubisoft and made by some of the folks behind It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia so you’ll have some idea of what to expect. Plus, it’s already greenlit for a second season. Read the full review and then give it a look.

These six essential auto accessories are all on sale

GM is pulling out all the stops in its electric vehicle push.

LeBron James helps GMC pitch its Hummer EV in a Super Bowl ad

GM thinks it has a simple way to drum up hype for its future GMC Hummer EV: give it the kind of celebrity endorsement that sports fans would notice. No less than LeBron James is pitching the company’s all-electric pickup truck -- even if he’s not a pro football player.

Don't expect to see more of the Hummer in this ad than you have so far. Instead, this is more about the EV's combination of raw power with near silence... and, of course, equating James' basketball dominance with the Hummer's performance. The machine should produce a 0-to-60 time of about three seconds, and may not go on sale until fall 2021.

Change is good.

15 years in, Google Maps is getting a whole new look

Google Maps launched 15 years ago this week (in beta, of course). Not surprisingly, Google is using this as an opportunity to launch a few updates to its massive mapping service. That includes a new icon plus a navigation system at the bottom of the app that eliminates the old “hamburger” button menu you’re probably familiar with. The Live View feature that lets you use your phone’s camera to get augmented reality directions is also upgraded, and now it can tell you exactly how far away things are. There are other new features, too, check them all out here as they start rolling out on Android and iOS.