Phiaton’s new BT 390 headphones are budget cans for your commute

 

Headphone manufacturer Phiaton has a new, entry-level model to its line of Bluetooth headphones: the BT 390. The BT 390s on-ear headphones costs just $79, and were specifically designed for commuting and travel, with a foldable design for easily stowing in a bag. 

It’s hard to say whether or not the BT 390s are a good deal without listening to them first, but the sub-$100 price tag, clean design, and claims of up to 30 hours of battery life are encouraging.

 

As part of the budget part of the proceedings, the BT 390s offer physical buttons for controlling playback and volume, instead of the touch panels on Phiaton’s higher-end models. Given that I tend to prefer hardware buttons for headphones, however, that’s not necessarily a bad thing in my book. The headphones also have an integrated microphone for answering calls, and can be directly connected to a phone or computer over 3.5mm if the battery dies. 

The article was published on : theverge

Chromebooks may get text notifications soon

 

Your text messages may show up on your Chromebook in the near future, according to screenshots published by ChromeUnboxed. A user found a toggle in the dev version of Chrome OS called “SMS Connect” which states you can get text notifications right on your Chromebook.

 

You have to activate a setting called “Enable Multidevice features” before SMS Connect will even show up in the dev version of Chrome OS, but don’t even bother — the feature isn’t active yet. Right now the toggle is a placeholder, but it could lead to some iMessage-like features for Chrome users in the near future. 

The feature could work in partnership with Assistant, which may be on its way to Chrome OS, or it may just work like standard text message forwarding. Either way, we should find out more about the feature in the next few weeks when Chrome 61 gets released.

The article was published on : theverge

A court in China is shaming people who owe money by telling everyone who calls them

One Chinese province is shaming people into paying their debts by forcing everyone who calls them to listen to a message about their overdue payments, according to newspapers in China and as reported on BBC radio. The Guanyun People’s Court in Jiangsu province has hit 10 people so far. When someone tries to ring those blacklisted, they are forced to listen to a prerecorded message before the call is put through.

"The user of the number you've dialed has been listed as someone who is avoiding debt repayments ordered by the Guanyun County People's Court. Please urge this person to fulfill their legal obligations. The Guanyun People's Court thanks you for your support,” the message says.

The newspapers report that simply changing phone numbers won’t work, as mobile phone numbers in China require name registration, so those messages would still follow you.

The new campaign is specifically focused on local business owners, and has so far only targeted people the court knows have the means to repay their debts, Wang Yong from the Guanyun County People's Court told The Paper.

The article was published on : theverge 

Meizu announces its new dual-screen Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus smartphones

After previewing the devices earlier in July, Meizu has officially announced its next flagship Android devices, the Pro 7 and the Pro 7 Plus. But before we dive into the nitty-gritty of the specs, we need to talk about the most unique feature from the Pro 7 line — a second AMOLED display on the back of the device. 

Meizu has shown off the second screen being used to display things like notifications, weather, time, music, and more. It also serves as a screen for taking selfies with the phones’ rear-facing cameras. While we’ll have to try out the Pro 7 in person to see if the second screen actually works in real life as more than a cool gimmick, the implementation does look pretty slick based on what we’ve seen so far. 

Beyond the second screen, the two phones seem to offer decent hardware. First up is the smaller 5.2-inch Pro 7, which offers a 1080p Super AMOLED display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and runs off a Helio P25 processor. The Pro 7 boosts almost all those specs up a bit, to a 5.7-inch QHD display, 6GB of RAM, a Helio P30 processor, and a choice of 64GB or 128GB of storage. The Pro 7 has a 3000mAh battery, while the Pro 7 Plus offers a slightly larger 3500mAh battery. Both phones support Meizu’s mCharge technology for faster charging. On the photography side of things, both phones over a dual-camera setup on the back with two 12-megapixel sensors, as well as a 16-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Meizu Pro 7 is will cost approximately $430, while the Pro 7 Plus will run for around $530. Both phones will go on sale in mainland China on August 5th, but no release information for other countries has been announced yet.

The article was published on : theverge

YouTube’s head of music confirms YouTube Red and Google Play Music will merge to create a new service

YouTube's head of music confirmed that the company is planning on merging its Google Play Music service with YouTube Red to create a new streaming offering. During a panel session for the New Music Seminar conference in New York, Lyor Cohen stated that the company needed to merge the two services to help educate consumers and bring in new subscribers.

“The important thing is combining YouTube Red and Google Play Music, and having one offering,” Cohen said when asked about why YouTube Red isn’t more popular with music users. He didn’t address whether or not the two apps would merge — but it seems very unlikely.

Right now, YouTube’s music ecosystem is unnecessarily complicated. There’s YouTube Red, which removes ads from videos and lets you save them offline, while also giving you access to Google Play Music for free. Then there’s YouTube Music, which anyone can use but it gets better if you’re signed up for YouTube Red. And YouTube TV is also a thing, an entirely separate thing, but not available everywhere yet. 

The merger has been rumored within the industry for months, and recently picked up steam after Google combined the teams working on the two streaming services earlier this year. 

In a statement to The Verge, Google said it will notify users of any changes before they happen. “Music is very important to Google and we’re evaluating how to bring together our music offerings to deliver the best possible product for our users, music partners and artists. Nothing will change for users today and we’ll provide plenty of notice before any changes are made.”

Cohen also noted that he wanted to collaborate more directly with the music labels and rights holders. “In my mind, the missing piece on building these businesses is collaborating with the [music] industry, and not just making deals and going away and seeing how it works.” The timeframe for the rebranded service is still unclear, but given the recent merging of the teams — and the fact that Cohen is openly talking about it — it may not be much longer before we see what Google has in store.

In some ways, merging the services won’t be a major change — paying for a subscription to either YouTube Red or Google Play Music gives you the other service for free. But in terms of offering a clear, simple, and compelling offering to consumers, combining the two makes a lot of sense. So much that you wonder why this hasn’t happened already.

The article was published on : theverge

eBay will soon let you shop using photos

 

eBay is introducing two new features for its mobile apps that use image matching to help customers search for products they might not be able to describe. The Image Search feature lets users shop by uploading a photo onto the app’s search bar. The Find It On eBay feature allows shoppers on any social media platform or website to share an image they like with eBay, which will then spit out listings matching the product. 

Both features are due this fall. eBay says at the time of launch, Image Search will be supported on both Android and iOS, while Find It On eBay will only be for Android devices — at least initially.

“eBay is at a technological advantage due to the rich set of user-generated images and item data we’ve accumulated through the years,” said Mohan Patt, vice president of buyer experience at eBay in a statement. “By applying machine learning technology, eBay can deliver a fast and reliable shopping experience backed by one of the world’s largest commerce data sets.”

eBay says it has a catalogue of around 1.1 billion items listed at any given time, and will leverage the latest advances in AI, including computer vision and deep learning, to enable the new features.

“We use a deep learning model called a convolutional neural network to process the images,” eBay said in a blog post. “The output of the model gives us a representation of the image that we can use to compare to the images of the live listings on eBay. Then, we rank the items based on visual similarity and use our open-source Kubernetes platform to quickly bring these results to you.”

The move makes a lot of sense for eBay as image-based searching becomes more and more prevalent as demonstrated by products like Pinterest, Google Assistant, and others. Image-based shopping has been a mixed bag in the past, though. Samsung’s Bixby has shown limited utility in our testing, unable to recognise a common light bulb, for example.

Will eBay live up to expectations shown in the video above? Doubtful, but we’ll know for sure in a few months.

The article was published on : theverge

Google is removing ‘OK, Google’ voice search from Chromebooks

Buried in the settings of Chrome OS has been an option to use an “OK, Google” prompt to start a verbal Google search. But according to a report from Chrome Unboxed, Google is deprecating that feature in an upcoming version of Chrome OS. 

The news gels with speculation (also from Chrome Unboxed) that Google is working on adding its digital assistant to its desktop operating system, including a rumored “Chromebook Eve” model that could have a dedicated Assistant key. 

Removing the voice search functionality from the “OK, Google” command would fit in with that nicely, freeing up the phrase for activating Assistant on a future version of Chrome OS, a role that Google currently uses it for on Android and Google Home devices. 

The article was published on : theverge

Fairphone retires its first phone after running out of money to keep making spare parts

 

Making hardware is hard, and making it sustainable is even harder. European mobile phone maker Fairphone is ending support for its first phone, the Fairphone 1, after the company announced it’s no longer able to afford making spare parts. This means it will no longer sell repair components for the model and will stop developing the software upgrade to Android 4.4.

In a blog post, CEO Bas van Abel wrote that the company has “reached a point where it is no longer possible to keep supporting” its first flagship phone.

“Due to the fast pace of change in the electronics industry, most of the original Fairphone 1 spare parts have now been retired by our suppliers. We’ve worked continuously to find new suppliers and convince them to keep making the parts,” he wrote. “However, after exploring every option within our financial means, the minimum orders required to produce new batches of spare parts is beyond what we can afford.”

The company was launched with sustainability at its roots, focusing on using fair, conflict-free materials, good working conditions, and long product life. Fairphone allows its customers to replace individual parts of the phone if they break, such as camera modules and batteries. The Fairphone 1 was launched in May 2013, and up until July 2017, the company still offered spare parts and software maintenance. (It now only does so for the Fairphone 2, which was released in July 2015.) The company says it wants customers who own a Fairphone 1 to use the phone for as long as they can, offering maintenance tips by email.

Van Abel said that going forward, the company will “generate more working capital” to buy spare parts upfront so they can continue to have spare parts available for customers over the coming years.

The article was published on : theverge

The Porsche Design Huawei Watch is a beautiful, useless device

The first thing you should know: the Huawei Watch 2 isn’t good. The second thing you should know: the Porsche Design Huawei Watch 2 is very pretty. This is the crossroads we find ourselves at. 

Huawei announced the Porsche Design collaboration back in February, but there was no info on the price or release date. The watch, which has the same internals as the standard Huawei Watch 2 features a stainless steel case, a hybrid strap with red stitching, and custom watchfaces created by Porsche Design. Lionel Messi seems* to like it.

It also comes with an exorbitant price tag of €795 ($925) and no US release date. Should you buy it? No. Does it look nice? Sure. Does Lionel Messi even remember wearing the Huawei Watch? I doubt it.

The Porsche Design Huawei Watch 2 is available in Europe and the UK today.

The article was published on : theverge

AT&T–Time Warner merger reportedly moving forward at Justice Department

It’s been nine months since AT&T announced a deal to buy Time Warner — the media company that owns HBO and Warner Bros. — for more than $80 billion, and it’s starting to look like regulatory review of the deal is moving toward a conclusion and eventual approval.

Bloomberg reported this morning that the US Justice Department is beginning to explore what conditions could be placed on the combined company to remedy some anti-competitive concerns. The department’s exploration of merger conditions suggests that the agency is leaning toward an approval of the deal. However, Bloomberg describes the discussions as being in an early stage, suggesting a decision isn’t imminent.

The report doesn’t say what possible conditions are being considered, though it mentions a couple that opponents of the deal would like to see: a prohibition of AT&T prioritizing its own content online, and requirements that AT&T’s DirecTV offer competing premium channels, like Showtime, alongside HBO.

That the Justice Department would move toward an approval, with some light conditions, is not terribly surprising. Mergers like this are rarely blocked, and the Republican-controlled government isn’t likely to be interested in blocking the deal anyway. While President Trump argued against the merger on the campaign trail last year, he hasn’t done much to suggest an opposition to it lately (aside from tweeting insults at Time Warner-owned CNN).

Bloomberg points out that Trump’s antitrust nominee is still awaiting confirmation, and he could change the review’s outcome if he gets approved in time. The report says that he’s not a fan of putting behavioral conditions on mergers, like the ones the department is apparently exploring. But that suggests his possible arrival might only help the deal along — without any stipulations.

The article was published on : theverge

Russia is investigating fidget spinners after reports claim they ‘zombify’ youth

 

In a recent report, Russia-24, a state-owned news channel, suggests that fidget spinners are being used by Russian opposition parties in order to recruit young people. As reported by The New York Times, the reporters in Russia-24’s initial story say, “It is a mystery why it has become so popular in Russia right now. Who is promoting this to the masses so actively?”

The video segment says the toys were being distributed at a rally for opposition leader Alexei Navalny and in online ads that direct viewers to YouTube channels that promote opposition politicians. The reporters said that while the toy’s popularity was declining in the West, fidget spinners are more popular than ever in Russia. “As you can see here there is only writing in English, on the other side there is not a word in Russian,” says one of the show’s anchors during the report, presenting a new spinner in its packaging to the camera.

According to Newsweek, a second report on Russia-24 also aired on July 12th, directly saying fidget spinners were an “object for zombifying” and a form of “hypnosis.” The program featured a report from psychologist Svetlana Filatova, claiming that the spinners could help dexterity in children but otherwise “dulls” people’s minds.

The reports spurred Russia’s consumer protection agency, Rospotrebnadzor, into action, saying on Tuesday they would launch an investigation into the toy.

“There has been an aggressive promotion of so-called spinners among children and teenagers in Russia recently,” the agency said in a statement. “Taking into consideration the anxiety among the community of parents and teachers, Rospotrebnadzor, in cooperation with child health research institutions, will study the effect spinners are having on children, including the possible negative impact.”

While fidget spinners have actually posed problems — Bluetooth-enabled models have been reportedly exploding, several US schools have banned them as being distracting, and Kim Kardashian releasing her Daddy Money Fidget Spinner to some, signified the Biblical end of times — that they are being used as a zombifying recruiting tool for vulnerable youth seems laughable, even for Russia.

The article was published on : theverge

Surprise: pairing your Segway hoverboard to an app isn't a great idea

 

Hoverboards are still a thing, apparently, and they're still terrible. Researchers at IOActive have found that security oversights in the Ninebot by Segway miniPRO hoverboard could allow an attacker to remotely track hoverboard riders, circumvent safety locks, remotely execute code, and even take over the machine. 

Thomas Kilbride, embedded devices security consultant at IOActive, tested his Ninebot over eight months and found that exploiting even a single vulnerability could yield full control of the hoverboard. He details his findings in a vulnerability report. The bugs primarily relate to an unsecured Bluetooth connection and the hoverboard's companion app. Since the disclosure, Ninebot has patched the bugs with an app update.

Users have to set a PIN to pair with their hoverboard, although Kilbridge found that the PIN never actually changes from the default of "000000." Because of this, he could pair over Bluetooth and track communication between the hoverboard and its app. He could also apply his own firmware update to the device, so an attacker could do the same with modified and potentially malicious firmware. But perhaps most worrisome of Kilbride’s findings is that the companion app tracks riders’ locations through their phones’ GPS, along with other riders in the area, making their locations easily accessible to someone who knows what they’re doing.

While your hoverboard definitely isn't harboring your most sensitive data, it still isn't reassuring to know that some random person could take control of your hoverboard. Although that really is the most 2016 situation that could happen. Now we just need someone to investigate Bluetooth fidget spinner connections.

The article was published on : theverge

Kylie Jenner is the face of new Balmain-branded Beats earbuds and headphones

 

French fashion house Balmain is releasing its own version of Beats Powerbeats 3 Wireless earbuds and Beats Studio Wireless over-ear headphones. If you're like me — which I hope you're not — your mind immediately went to the Kardashians after reading "Balmain." Congrats! You've successfully been conditioned to associate the two brands with each other. And, of course, keeping with the Balmain / Kardashian connection, Kylie Jenner is the face of these new Beats products. The entire landing page for the headphones is dedicated to Jenner wearing them.

I particularly like the quote Jenner provides on the page:

No matter what you're going through, when you put on a song that you love, and that you just connect with, it can change your whole mood and just lift you up. Even if it's just for a few minutes...I love that escape music gives us.

It's true. The escape is good. Both the earbuds and headphones are available in two colors: safari and khaki. The safari looks sort of rose gold-ish while the khaki looks more brown than green. The sets are available through Apple and Balmain with Apple only carrying the safari color. The headphones cost $599.95 and the earbuds cost $249.95, which is nearly double the price of the non-Balmain version.

The article was published on : theverge

Microsoft confirms it’s cutting Windows 10 updates for Atom PCs

Microsoft has been preventing PCs with Intel Atom Clover Trail processors from obtaining the latest Windows 10 Creators Update. While many devices with Intel’s Atom Clover Trail chips were released in the Windows 8 era, Microsoft offered a free Windows 10 update to keep the tablet / laptop hybrids up-to-date. ZDNet revealed earlier this week that compatible drivers are preventing owners from updating to the Windows 10 Creators Update, and Microsoft has now confirmed to The Verge that it no longer supports Intel Atom Clover Trail processors for its latest Windows 10 updates.

“They require additional hardware support to provide the best possible experience when updating to the latest Windows 10 feature update, the Windows 10 Creators Update,” explains a Microsoft spokesperson. “However, these systems are no longer supported by Intel (End of Interactive Support), and without the necessary driver support, they may be incapable of moving to the Windows 10 Creators Update without a potential performance impact.”

Microsoft says it will be offering the older Windows 10 Anniversary Update to Intel Clover Trail devices instead, and the company “will provide security updates to these specific devices running the Windows 10 Anniversary Update until January of 2023.” This date aligns with the original Windows 8.1 extended support period, which means that these older devices will still be supported with security updates but no new Windows 10 features.

Intel’s Atom processors were supposed to offer better battery life for smaller and cheaper tablet / laptop devices running Windows 8.1. A lack of good performance meant most consumers decided to purchase Intel’s Core series machines, and Intel eventually gave up on Atom last year. HP’s Envy X2 was one of the more popular Atom-based devices, but not many were widely used.

The article was published on : theverge

Lenovo’s Yoga Book now comes in new red and white colors

Lenovo just announced some new colors for its Yoga Book 2-in-1 at Lenovo World this year. Now, in addition to the existing black and gold models, you’ll be able to pick up the laptop hybrid in new ruby red and pearl white options. 

The new models don’t change anything on the inside. The same touch panel keyboard / Wacom stylus pad is there, as is the regular screen, both still decked out in black. But if you’ve been looking to pick up a Yoga Book and want a more colorful option, the new red and white variants should get the job done.

Both colors are expected to ship in September, and should be available for both the Windows 10 and Android versions of the device, which still start at $549 and $499, respectively. 

The article was published on : theverge

Some OnePlus 5s are reportedly rebooting after dialing 911

Some OnePlus 5 users are unable to call emergency services on their devices, according to user complaints on Reddit. A handful of OnePlus 5 owners have complained that the device will reboot itself once 911 is called, preventing them from reaching emergency services. 

Reddit user Nick Morrelli noticed the glitch after he tried to call 911 to report a building fire in Seattle, and other users have reported that the OnePlus 5 is unable to dial 911 (or 999 in the UK, as another user reported) without rebooting. While most users haven’t reported having the issue, any percentage of devices not being able to reach emergency services is a major issue for OnePlus. 

In a statement to The Verge, OnePlus says it’s looking into the problem. “We have contacted the customer and are currently looking into the issue. We ask anyone experiencing a similar situation to contact us at support@oneplus.net."

The article was published on : theverge

Adobe updates Lightroom for iOS with Apple Pencil and 3D Touch support

Adobe pushed out some pretty substantial updates to its Photoshop Lightroom iOS apps today that contain support for Apple’s Pencil stylus and 3D Touch finger editing. Now, if you’re using Lightroom on an iPad Pro with the Pencil, you can apply pressure with the tip of the device to selectively apply changes to brightness, exposure, and other settings. Adobe is calling this the Brush Selection tool, and it also works on iPhones with 3D Touch. Just press harder with your finger on the screen over the desired area to achieve the same effect.

Lightroom is also getting a few design tweaks to make it easier to use. You can now change sharpness and noise reduction more easily from the detail tab, and the app has been redesigned to have a more sensible layout on the iPad. For iPhones, Lightroom now features an in-app camera mode that will automatically tell you which parts of an image are over-exposed so you can compensate with changes in exposure in-frame before you capture. On top of these iOS improvements, Adobe also announced a fully redesigned Android version of Lightroom out today, with an Android-native interface.

The article was published on : theverge

WhatsApp messages are being blocked in China

 

 

WhatsApp users in China are experiencing trouble using the app to send photos, videos, and sometimes even texts. Security analysts confirmed that it was the Chinese government’s doing, according to The New York Times. This partial block of the Facebook-owned messaging app could mean an eventual full ban of the app in China, or the ban could be lifted later on.

If WhatsApp gets permabanned, it would join a list of banned sites that only grows longer by the day. In the past few months, outrageous stories of censorship have continued to pour out of the communist country, including China forcing three major websites to stop streaming video and audio content and auditing sites as if they were someone’s red-flagged tax returns. 

The 19th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party that convenes in the fall will only worsen matters, as the Chinese regime often follows a pattern of cracking down more severely just before an official event so that all looks good on camera and nothing controversial gets captured. 

Full censorship of WhatsApp would aid Chinese native WeChat’s business, which is already the more popular option in China. Native businesses have often benefited from Chinese censorship. Google leaving China did wonders for competing search engine Baidu, and Weibo prospered by the lack of other microblogging sites like Twitter. Facebook has not responded to comment.

The article was published on : theverge

Nintendo's Switch Online smartphone app is now available

 

After launching the Switch without an online service to speak of, Nintendo has released the iOS and Android app that will be required for much of the system's internet functionality. Nintendo Switch Online will handle voice chat, game invites, and various other features for games that support the app; Splatoon 2, for instance, has its own ranking and information service called SplatNet 2. 

Splatoon 2 won't be released until Friday, and until then there isn't really much you can do with the Nintendo Switch Online app; it's launched a few days earlier than expected. The service is free for the rest of the year, but from 2018 Nintendo will charge $19.99 yearly — that fee will also give you access to an as-yet unspecified library of classic Nintendo games.

The article was published on : theverge

Bixby voice support is rolling out to US Samsung Galaxy S8 users toda

 

It seems that Samsung believes Bixby voice is ready for primetime. The company just announced that the voice capabilities of its digital assistant are now rolling out to US Galaxy S8 and S8+ owners. Bixby's voice capabilities have been available in the US as part of an opt-in beta test, and Samsung says that feedback has led to faster response times, improved comprehension of varied phrasing around the same question, better hands-free operation, and more. Over 100,000 users of the flagship devices have enrolled in the early access program and issued over 4 million voice commands. Also, Samsung says Bixby can now read aloud your latest SMS messages and emails — if you use its stock apps on the Galaxy S8. 

Bixby can be activated with a push of the dedicated Bixby button located on the side of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, or by saying “hi Bixby.” Like Siri and Google Assistant, Bixby can handle alarms, send texts, and so on, but its real power lies in the ability to access granular phone settings or — in supported apps — automatically move through several menu screens to perform commands that Google Assistant simply can't do. Samsung says that deep learning should allow Bixby to improve over time as it begins to recognize users’ preferences and ways of speaking. 

The results of our first look at Bixby's voice features were very mixed and pretty rough, but that was on the very first day of the beta period. Has Samsung made noticeable improvements and advancements? Is the Bixby button now justified? Soon all Galaxy S8 users will be able to form their own conclusion. 

The article was published on : theverge

Google Play Music is making New Release Radio available to all users

Google Play Music has offered New Release Radio exclusively on the Galaxy S8 as an “early access feature” since June. The station will work similarly to Spotify’s Release Radar, by offering you a personalized stream of music based on your tastes.

That’s changing this week, though, as Google announced that it’s opening up New Release Radio to all Google Play Music users. According to Google, New Release Radio uses your listening preferences to select tracks from recent singles and album releases from the last two weeks, curating a constantly updated station of new music for you.

New Release Radio is available to all Google Play Music users, too. So, whether you’re a free radio listener or a paying subscriber, you’ll be able to take advantage of the new feature. The station will update itself daily, so you’ll always have something new to listen to. (Release Rader on Spotify only updates once a week.)

New Release Radio should be rolling out now to all users in the Google Play Music app. 

The article was published on : theverge

ZTE launches a $99 phone with a fingerprint sensor

The latest phone to hit AT&T Prepaid is probably the best deal on the service. The ZTE Blade Spark is a $99 Android device with pretty average specs for a $99 phone, with the exception of the fingerprint sensor on the back. 

Usually with prepaid devices you have to give up the security that fingerprint sensors provide if you don’t want to spend over $100 (at least in the US), but the Blade Spark gives you security at a decent price point. As for the rest of the device, well, it’s as boring as you would expect:

• 5.5-inch 720p HD display
• Snapdragon 425 quad-core processor
• 16GB of storage, 2GB of RAM
• 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
• 3,140mAh battery, Android 7

You can purchase the ZTE Blade Spark from AT&T Prepaid for $99 online and in stores.

The article was published on : theverge

Samsung Game Live app will let you live stream from your S8 to Twitch, Facebook, or YouTube

 

Samsung has a new app for its Android smartphones called Game Live, which lets users live stream games to Twitch, Facebook, or YouTube, as spotted via Android Police.

The app itself looks like it does exactly what it says on the label: users can launch a game, log into their streaming service of choice, and start streaming. Game Live allows streams up to 4GB in size, which Samsung says should get you "around 200 minutes at high quality,” with longer times available with lower resolutions.

Users will be able to stream with either game audio, a microphone input for commentary, or both. You’ll also have the option to save the stream locally to your device when it’s finished.

The app is available now through the Samsung’s Galaxy Apps store. It should work on recent Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or up. However, it doesn’t seem that the app runs on non-Samsung hardware.

The article was published on : theverge

This device will let you record all calls on an iPhone

Recording phone calls on an iPhone can be a pain. You either have to pay for an app that probably only works through a custom dialer (or the phone app, which doesn’t help if you need to make a call through WhatsApp, Skype, or a different service), or you end up using a tape recorder or another phone to record the call over speaker. But PhotoFast is attempting to fix this problem with its Call Recorder adapter.

The Call Recorder plugs into the Lighting port on your iPhone and can record calls made on the device through services like Skype, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Line, Viber, and WeChat. The device uses .m4a format for the recordings, and you can choose to save the files to your local storage or a microSD card.

For incoming calls, there is a record button directly on the Call Recorder which will automatically start a recording once you press it. It also comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack, so it can double as an adapter. The PhotoFast Call Recorder is available through Indiegogo’s product marketplace — which is for products that are already shipping — for $125. Shipping is expected to take one to two weeks.

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Kingdom Hearts 3 is coming out in 2018

Kingdom Hearts 3, the long awaited third major installment in the epic Final Fantasy and Disney crossover RPG series, finally has a release date, although it remains somewhat ambiguous for now. At the conclusion of a new Toy Story-themed trailer of the game shown off at Disney’s D23 expo today, developer Square Enix revealed that the game would indeed be coming out in 2018. Even better news: from the footage shown off of Sora and pals Donald and Goofy teaming up with Woody and Buzz Lightyear, the game looks fantastic, with an even deeper and zanier battle system and ultra-polished visuals. 

The news should overjoy Kingdom Hearts fans would’ve waited nearly 13 years for a sequel to the second major game in the series. It should also assuage the fears of those dreading the worst: that the game would simply never make it out of development hell, or in a worst case scenario get canned for good. But Square Enix — which wrapped up long and tortuous development cycle for Final Fantasy XV, its other highly anticipated RPG — appears better equipped to get its most anticipated titles out the door at last. 

The article was published on : theverge

Amazon is reportedly working on a messaging app called Anytime

Amazon.com is reportedly working on launching its own messaging app called Anytime, according to a report from AFTV News. The retail giant has begun to survey its customers about potential features, although it’s not clear what form the final product will take.

AFTV News explains that Anytime appears to be “an all-in-one feature rich service that could even rival social networks,” with a focus on messaging, voice and video calls, and photo sharing, with users able to apply filters to pictures and videos, @mention other users, use sticker and Gifs, and play games. Users would be able to call (audio and video) other individuals or groups, contact businesses to order products or make reservations. According to the images taken from the survey, the service be secure and encrypted, and would work on a variety of desktop and mobile devices.

 

Amazon has already made inroads into the messaging and communications market in recent months. Earlier this year, it announced Chime, a video conferencing app for its business users, designed to compete with existing services such as Skype for Business or WebEx. Amazon also recently added voice calling and messaging features to its Alexa-equipped devices. Anytime appears to be a more ambitious product, one designed to compete against messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp. We’ve reached out to Amazon for comment, and will update if we hear back. 

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Samsung expected to release coral blue S8 through Best Buy

 

A coral blue version of the Galaxy S8 might be released through Best Buy, potentially as early as tomorrow. Droid-Life reports that the retailer holds exclusive rights to the color and will carry it in both carrier — Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint — and unlocked versions. Although Best Buy hasn't publicly announced this yet, Droid-Life says its source suggests the phones could arrive tomorrow.

Samsung released the S8's predecessor in this color last year, too, albeit later in the year. It's also already announced a pink version for release in Taiwan. Hopefully that colorway shows up in the US eventually, too.

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Apple might let you stream your iPhone’s home screen with iOS 11

 

Apple is planning to release a screen-recording feature when it publicly rolls out iOS 11. Beta testers have already played around with it, and yes, it's cool and easy to use. Now it seems the company is considering rolling out an ancillary feature that might let people start live stream broadcasts from their home screen. 

The Next Web reports that in the third beta version of the new OS, Apple has added a "start broadcast" option. The button currently does nothing, although some people have suggested it might eventually work with AirPlay. But as The Next Web points out, there's already an AirPlay mirroring button in the Control Center, so it'd be redundant. 

I'd also guess that in actuality, this feature is for third-party apps. Screen sharing is ideal for gaming live streams and even for business meetings. It would make sense for Apple to make it easy to share content across platforms, although I have no idea which developers are incorporating this functionality into their apps, if any. I guess we'll only find out when the beta fully works, or when iOS 11 is released to the public this fall.

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Google Home can now stream the music you’ve uploaded to Play Music

 

You can now listen to music you’ve uploaded to and purchased from Google Play Music — not just free radio stations or, if you’re a subscriber to All Access, whatever’s available on-demand. That’ll come as welcome news to people who’ve stored hard-to-find albums (stuff that’s typically absent from the big streaming services) and other music that’s important to them in Google’s cloud. Previously, as Android Police notes, using Play Music as Home’s music source was very limiting for free users. 

Even better, Google will give preference to your uploaded and purchased tracks and prioritize those over some random radio mix when you ask to play a certain artist. There are still exceptions, like if you tell Google Home to just play a genre or music for a particular mood or activity. In those cases, it’ll still behave as it did before. 

But hey, the speaker just got more useful for fans of Google’s free music storage — and anyone that actually buys their tunes from Play Music. Per the announcement on Google’s product forums, the expanded Play Music functionality is rolling out to all regions where Home is available. 

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The Galaxy Note 8 might be announced on August 23rd

 

We reported on a rumor last month that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 would be announced in August. We're now getting further confirmation on that time frame from two Korean publications. The Bell reports that the announcement date will be August 23rd, while another source, The Investor, says a Samsung executive would only confirm the month of August — not a concrete date. 

Still, this is a lot of talk about August, so at this point, I think it might be safe to assume next month is the right timeline for the Galaxy Note 8, especially given that past Note devices have historically been announced late in the summer. Evan Blass at VentureBeat speculates that the new device will have the same 6.2-inch screen as the Galaxy S8 Plus, but will be differentiated by a dual-camera system, as well as its signature S Pen.

The dual-camera system could be positioned horizontally, Blass says, and be comprised of two 12-megapixel sensors. The fingerprint sensor will also likely be next to the cameras, just like it is on the S8. Blass also reports that the phone will cost €999, or slightly over $900 in the US. It might be released in black, blue, and gold. August isn't so far away, so I imagine we should be getting event invites soon. 

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Vivo announces its X9s and X9s Plus phones with dual selfie cameras

Chinese phone maker Vivo debuted two new smartphones in China this week: its X9s and its X9s Plus. Both phones are slightly upgraded versions of the earlier X9 devices. These new models include larger batteries, slightly wider bodies, and run Android Nougat. Like the older versions, they also have dual selfie cameras. The specs haven’t changed much, but here’s what you can expect from the X9s Plus, which costs 2,998 yuan, or about $440:

• 4,015mAh battery
• Android Nougat
• 5.85-inch Full HD AMOLED display
• 16-megapixel rear-facing camera; 20-megapixel / 5-megapixel front-facing cameras
• Front fingerprint sensor
• 4GB of RAM; 64GB of storage

The regular X9s features similar specs but has a smaller display and battery. It also includes dual selfie cameras, which Vivo appears to be using to create a background-blurring, or bokeh, effect.

Other companies are also experimenting with dual selfie cameras. LG, Oppo, and Alcatel have built dual front-facing cameras into their devices, but they typically use them to capture wider shots. 

You maybe haven’t heard of Vivo, or aren’t as familiar with the name, but the company is trying to change that. One analyst firm says it’s the fifth most popular smartphone maker in the world, with most of its market concentrated in China and India. The company’s trying to up its recognition through sponsorships, like the next two World Cups, so you might soon be hearing more about Vivo.

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The Oculus Rift and Touch bundle is on sale for $399

 

The Oculus Rift and Oculus Touch are getting a big (but temporary) price drop: for the next six weeks, the VR headset and motion controller bundle will sell for $399, nearly a $200 discount to the normal price. It’s part of Oculus’ summer-long attempt to promote the Rift, now that it’s been out for over a year. According to Oculus VP of content Jason Rubin, the sale is meant to draw people who “may have been sitting on the sideline because of price,” and entice people who may not have been considering the Rift to look at its growing app and game library.

The summer sale follows a permanent price drop this spring, when the Rift and Touch each got $100 cheaper. (This new sale doesn’t affect buying them individually — the Rift alone will still be $499, and Touch $99.) Echoing what we heard back then, Rubin promises that the current-generation Rift is still far from the end of its lifespan. “Somebody who goes out and buys a Rift [on sale] is not going to find themselves with hardware that’s outdated any time soon,” he says. “The Rift is going to be driving a lot of enjoyment for people for many years.”

Rubin says that’s because “the hardware is not holding up VR adoption. It’s price and content, and now that we've kind of gotten to the point where we feel comfortable with content, we're continuing to attack price.”

Buyers will still need a gaming computer to use the Rift, and there’s no bundle discount for them as part of this sale. However, Rubin notes that the price of an Oculus-approved PC has dropped steadily over the past year, especially after Oculus introduced a lower minimum specification — you can now get one for around $650. (The Rift also works with some gaming laptops now, which also makes it more appealing to people who have more money but don’t want a desktop.) “The PC is very quickly not becoming the expensive part of the VR equation,” he says. “And we want to make sure that the VR hardware itself isn't an expensive part of the equation. So we're headed toward mass-market pricing.”

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