Asus ZenFone 4 family arrives in North America

 

Asus’ ZenFone 4 smartphone family is now available in North America. The family includes the ZenFone 4 Pro, ZenFone 4, and ZenFone 4 Max. The Taiwanese company typically releases its products abroad before they become available in the US.

The three phones all have dual rear cameras and run on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. The ZenFone 4 Pro, the most high-end option of the three, costs $599 and boasts 6GB of RAM, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, and a bigger battery capacity than the other two phones. It also has a 1920 x 1080 OLED display.

Meanwhile, the ZenFone 4, which costs $399, is the only phone in the family with color options. It comes in midnight black or moonlight white, which sound a lot fancier than the Google Pixel 2’s down-to-earth options of kinda blue, just black, and clearly white. In the end, though, it’s still just black and white. Spec-wise, it’s largely similar to the Pro, but doesn’t have the OLED, runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, and its second rear camera is only 8MP.

At the lower end, there’s the ZenFone 4 Max that comes in a poetic-sounding deepsea black. It has two screen size options: 5.2 inches at $169, and 5.5 inches at $199. Both models have similar specs: the display is at 720 x 1280, the main rear camera is 13MP, and the front camera is 8MP. The 5.2-inch model runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor, while the 5.5-inch model has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor and a bigger battery than the 5.2-inch phone, which seems to justify the additional $30 cost.

The ZenFone 4 family goes on sale today at major retailers.

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Instagram is testing a stop-motion camera for Stories

Days after releasing its Superzoom creative tool into the wild, Instagram is testing another new tool to join it. Stop Motion is a camera tool that lets you take a long series of photos, which Instagram stitches up into a GIF that you can post in your story. Instagram confirmed it is testing the feature, which The Verge noticed as a new option inside the Story camera. 

The Stop Motion tool allows you to take a series of photos, but not to edit individual images. Once you’re done snapping photos, you tap “done” to gain access to story-editing tools like stickers and text. From there, you can post the stop-motion GIF to your story. 

After a year spent cloning almost every aspect of Snapchat, Instagram has turned to more experimental features. The success of its looping Boomerang format encouraged the company to introduce Superzooms, its Dramatic Chipmunk-style extreme close-ups. The Stop Motion tool could inspire similar creativity. 

As always, there’s no guarantee the tool will ever be released globally. But if it proves popular inside the test group, it could join Instagram’s family of creative tools inside the Story camera. 

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Samsung’s browser comes to all Android phones and gets an ad-tracking blocker

 

Samsung’s web browser is now available on all Android phones running Android 5.0 and above. In the same update, Samsung Internet is also getting a built-in ad-tracking blocker. Users on other Android devices can find the Samsung Internet app in the Play Store or Galaxy Apps store. Previously, Samsung Internet was only available on Samsung devices and Google’s Nexus and Pixel devices.

The browser’s new extension blocks invisible trackers, allowing you to browse privately. You can toggle on the tracking blocker, or if you’re in Secret Mode, the blocker will already be enabled by default. The extension is powered by Disconnect, a privacy protection company, which already makes a similar ad-blocking extension for Samsung Internet. 

With the new blocker, Samsung might have taken a cue from its competitors. Apple recently began restricting ad tracking on the mobile and desktop versions of Safari last month.

In this newest version, Samsung also announced the browser was getting a Night Mode and a High Contrast mode, for browsing with white text on a black background, to reduce eye strain.

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Russian groups made 1,100 YouTube videos during 2016 US election

Google says that a Kremlin-linked group spent $4,700 on advertising as part of a misinformation campaign during the 2016 US election. Russian groups also created 18 YouTube channels and uploaded 1,108 English-language videos — some of which were political, some of which weren’t — that racked up ​309,000 views during the election cycle. Google describes the findings as “limited activity” and says that it’s working “to prevent all of it, because there is no amount of interference that is acceptable."

The disclosure comes alongside announcements from Facebook and Twitter revealing the expansive reach that Russian propaganda had on their platforms as well. Facebook said Russian accounts reached 126 million people; Twitter said it had found more than 2,700 Russian-linked accounts. Russian groups’ use of Google first came to light earlier this month.

Google says that the $4,700 in advertising money came from the ​Internet ​Research ​Agency, which US intelligence has described as a group of “professional trolls” with close ties to Russian intelligence. The ads weren’t “narrowly targeted” to people based on factors such as their political beliefs or their location, Google says.

It’s not clear if the YouTube accounts came from the same source, but Google describes them as being “likely ​associated ​with ​this ​campaign.” Similar to the ads, Google says they weren’t targeted to specific users. “These ​channels’ ​videos ​were ​not ​targeted ​to ​the ​US ​or ​to ​any ​particular ​sector ​of ​the ​US population,” the company says. The identified channels have been suspended.

For now, Google hasn’t provided any real detail on what type of content these ads and videos were promoting. Facebook has previously said that Russian-linked ads promoted divisive content, but not strictly posts that directly promoted or attacked a candidate. Google says that it will continue to investigate and plans to launch “new initiatives to provide more transparency and enhance security," though for now it isn’t clear if that means disclosing what these Russian-linked ads and videos were actually about.

The company also said that it had detected “less than $35” spent through AdSense and Ad Exchange. It also discovered that Gmail accounts associated with Russian propaganda efforts were used to open accounts on other websites; Google says that it’s informing those companies of what it found.

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Samsung announces three new CEOs and posts record profits

Samsung Electronics CEO Kwon Oh-hyun unexpectedly announced his plans to step down earlier this month, citing the need for new leadership amid “unprecedented crisis,” and the company has now announced his replacements. There’ll be three leaders each with a specific area of focus — Kim Ki-nam heading up the components business, Kim Hyun-suk (HS Kim) running consumer electronics, and Koh Dong-jin (DJ Koh) in charge of mobile and IT.

Yoon Boo-keun (BK Yoon) and Shin Jong-kyun (JK Shin) are resigning altogether from their previous co-CEO roles after stepping back from direct control in 2015. It’s not clear whether any one of the new leaders will have an elevated status similar to Kwon’s — Samsung’s announcement describes the new arrangement as “maintaining the current three co-CEO management structure.”

Kim Ki-nam was already responsible for Samsung Electronics' overall semiconductor business, and variously in the past ran the memory division and was CEO of Samsung Display. Samsung describes Kim Hyun-suk as an expert in display technology, having helped lead the company to dominance in the global TV market. Koh Dong-jin was formerly the head of mobile R&D and took over from Shin as mobile leader in 2015.

“The next generation of leaders are well suited to accelerate the pace of innovation and address the demands of the connected world,” Kwon said in a statement. “They have proven track records with extensive experience and outstanding expertise in their fields.”

The news comes as Samsung announced its highest ever quarterly profits. It made 14.53 trillion won (about $13 billion) in operating profit off 62.05 trillion won ($55.4 billion) in revenue between July and September, beating the record of 14.1 trillion won set last quarter. The semiconductor business was the biggest driver — Samsung says that the Galaxy Note 8 helped the mobile business post strong shipments, but profit actually declined quarter-on-quarter because sales of lower-end models were higher.

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Google delaying some white Pixel 2 orders by a month

 

It looks like Google is having an even harder time keeping the Pixel in stock than it expected. Some people who ordered a white Pixel 2 and received an estimated ship date of late October are receiving emails saying their order has been delayed by up to a month. Multiple people who received the emails have posted about their frustration on Reddit, as was first picked up by Android Police.

To make up for the delay, Google is offering these customers a free Live Case, which normally sell for $40. It’s a nice savings for anyone who was planning to buy a case anyway, but that won’t necessarily make up for having to wait an extra month for something that was supposed to arrive just days from now — especially since orders are being delayed for the early-adopter crowd.

Based on Reddit reports, the issue seems to be limited to the 64GB model of the white Pixel 2. That model of the Pixel 2, along with nearly every other model, remains out of stock or on a multi-week delay from Google’s online store, so customers won’t have much luck getting a device sooner just by switching colors (unless they’re okay with 64GB black model).

While this doesn’t sound like a huge disruption in Pixel 2 shipments, it’s once again just not an amazing sign for how things are going. Google struggled to keep enough of the original Pixel in stock last year, and either it didn’t learn anything in the time since or couldn’t figure out how to scale up manufacturing capacity. Pixel 2 configurations started selling out within hours of the phone going on sale, and today’s news suggests that if you haven’t ordered one yet, you’re probably going to have to wait.

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Verizon offers up to $300 toward the iPhone X with device trade in for customers on unlimited plans

 

Hot on the heels of Sprint’s iPhone X deal, Verizon has unveiled its own discounts for the iPhone X. The carrier is offering up to $300 toward the new phone, assuming you meet a fairly specific set of conditions.

To qualify, you’ll have to be either a current subscriber to Verizon’s “Go Unlimited” or “Beyond Unlimited” plans, be eligible for a device upgrade, or be a new subscriber to one of those plans.

Next, you’ll need to purchase an iPhone X through Verizon, which costs $41.66 per month. (If you’re an existing Verizon customer who is upgrading, don’t forget to tack on a $30 upgrade fee, too.)

Lastly, you’ll need a recent smartphone to trade in; the discount you get will be dependent on what phone you trade in:

• For $300 off: iPhone 6S or 6S Plus, iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, Google Pixel XL, LG G6, Moto Z2 Force, Galaxy S7 or Edge, Galaxy S8, or S8 Plus
• For $200 off: iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, iPhone SE, Google Pixel, LG G5, LG V20, Moto Z Force, Moto Z Droid, Moto Z2 Play, Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, or Galaxy Note 5
• For $100: iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, HTC 10, Moto Z Play, Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note Edge, Galaxy Note 4

Lastly, assuming you’ve done all that, the discount itself is paid out over 24 months, so you’ll need to stick with the iPhone X for two full years. If you decide that you want to pay up the full balance of the phone or switch off the unlimited plan, you’ll stop getting your money back.

But assuming you meet all those qualifications, and are planning on buying an iPhone X through Verizon, $300 off might help ease the sting of Apple’s $1,000-plus price tag.

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Microsoft drops its US government lawsuit following revised gag orders

Microsoft says it will drop its lawsuit against the US government after the Department of Justice agreed to change the way data like email is obtained in warrants for government agencies. Gag orders have typically been used to keep data providers like Microsoft silent, and not inform customers when their cloud data has been searched or inspected by authorities. Microsoft originally filed its lawsuit last year, arguing that the government’s gag-ordered searches of Microsoft accounts violates the constitutional right to free speech.

“This new policy limits the overused practice of requiring providers to stay silent when the government accesses personal data stored in the cloud,” explains Brad Smith, Microsoft’s chief legal officer. “It helps ensure that secrecy orders are used only when necessary and for defined periods of time. This is an important step for both privacy and free expression. It is an unequivocal win for our customers, and we’re pleased the DOJ has taken these steps to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans.”

The new policy will limit the use of secrecy orders, and set defined periods for them. Microsoft says the new policy will “make sure that every application for a secrecy order is carefully and specifically tailored to the facts in the case.” While Microsoft has convinced the DOJ to change its policy, it’s now putting the pressure on Congress to act. “Today’s policy doesn’t address all of the problems with the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA),” says Smith. “We renew our call on Congress to amend it.”

Microsoft is also in the middle of another legal tangle with the US government. The Supreme Court will hear an appeal from the US government over Microsoft’s legal fight to block authorities from accessing information stored in a company data center in Ireland. Authorities want to access data that’s stored in Ireland, and Microsoft has argued that because the data was stored outside the US, it was subject to Irish rather than US law, regardless of the company providing the infrastructure. A lower court ruled that Microsoft has "no remaining lawful obligation to produce materials to the government,” and the appeal will now be decided by the Supreme Court.

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Facebook is testing subscriptions for Instant Articles on Android

 

Facebook has announced it will be testing news subscription models over the next several weeks for Instant Articles across the US and Europe, but only on Android devices. In July, news broke that Facebook Instant Articles would soon allow paywalled content, and in August, Facebook confirmed it would be adding subscriptions for Instant Articles.

Publishers participating in the test include Bild, The Boston Globe, The Economist, Hearst-owned properties The Houston Chronicle and The San Francisco Chronicle, La Repubblica, Le Parisien, Spiegel, The Telegraph, Tronc (The Baltimore Sun, The Los Angeles Times, and The San Diego Union-Tribune), and The Washington Post.

Facebook says they will be comparing two different models: one that allows for 10 free articles before a subscription is needed to see more content, and a “freemium” version that allows publishers to dictate which articles are free and which live behind the paywall. When someone decides to subscribe, Facebook says the publisher will handle the transaction and keep 100 percent of the revenue.

Recode reports that Facebook is only testing Instant Articles on Android because Apple has rules about subscriptions within apps that call for the company to keep up to 30 percent of money that is generated from in-app sales. Although purchasing a subscription will happen outside of Instant Articles, Apple still considers it in-app as Facebook acts as the catalyst for the transaction.

When Instant Articles was introduced in 2015, publishers were wary as the format provided less revenue (fewer ads, keeps readers on Facebook instead of directing to the publisher’s site, etc.). But, many were lured to the format for reasons like faster load times and the assumption that they would get so much distribution in Facebook’s News Feed that volume would make up the difference.

Since then, a multitude of issues have prevented Instant Articles from taking off. Facebook itself made algorithm decisions that deprioritized Instant Articles, and the introduction of features like a video tab on its app further tamped Instant Articles’ reach. Despite efforts on Facebook’s part to appease publishers amid these changes — like allowing for more display ads and sponsored posts for publishers like The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune — it wasn’t enough, and they abandoned the platform.

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Essential Phone is $100 off at Best Buy

 

Remember the Essential Phone; the all-screen smartphone with 128GB of storage and magnetic accessories that Andy Rubin announced in May? That was a long time ago in phone years, and well before a spate of other bezel-less devices including the iPhone X, Galaxy Note 8, LG V30, Mi Mix 2, and others made their debuts (not to mention the Google Pixels). Well, the unlocked Essential PH-1 is now on sale at Best Buy for $599.99; $100 less than the price asked by both Sprint and essential.com. 

It might not be essential, but at this price the Essential Phone might be nice to have.

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Sharp made a mini version of the Essential Phone, just uglier

 

Sharp's newest Aquos-branded phone, the Aquos R Compact, looks a lot like the Essential Phone, except with worse design. It features the same top notch as Essential, but has larger bottom bezels and a real home button. I'm usually super into Sharp's Aquos phones, but that's not the case with this one. I just want a glorious bezel-free display.

Still, we can at least give props to Sharp for innovating on a smaller phone. Most of these bezel-less displays show up on larger devices. It actually debuted the top notch design with its earlier (and bigger) Aquos S2.

Here are the rest of the phones specs, even though it won't be available outside of Japan. Note that refresh rate, which is the same as the iPad Pro.

• 4.9-inch Full HD display with a 120hz refresh rate
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor
• 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage
• 16.4-megapixel rear-facing camera; 8-megapixel front-facing camera
• 2,500mAh battery
• USB-C
• Bluetooth 5.0
• Android Oreo with a custom skin

It comes in four colors: gold, silver, black, and white. We don't know about pricing yet, but it'll be out in December through Softbank. 

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Razer made a webcam with a selfie light for streamers

Razer launched two new products today for streamers: the Razer Seiren X portable microphone and the Razer Kiyo webcam with a selfie light. These two products are Razer's latest attempt to become the popular choice for microphones and webcams, which people normally don't go to it for.

The Razer Kiyo webcam comes with an adjustable ring light with twelve white LEDs, which you can control to twelve levels of brightness. It has a four-megapixel camera that can record up to 1080p at 30 fps or 720p at 60 fps, and it’s compatible with popular streaming tools XSplit and Open Broadcaster Software. The Kiyo comes with a 1.5 meter braided cable terminating in a USB 2.0 connection. It’ll sell for $99.99.

The webcam looks good in theory, but it faces an uphill battle for adoption, as most popular streamers don’t seem to have any major lighting problems and therefore, might not need a selfie light. A lot of Razer’s older streaming equipment, like its original Razer Seiren Elite microphone, don’t have the best reputation for quality either. Many gamers prefer the Blue Yeti for a microphone but still get Razer mice and mechanical keyboards.

 

Razer’s newest attempt at breaking into the microphone market for streamers is the Razer Seiren X, a USB microphone that’s mechanically fastened to dampen vibrations. It has a removable desk stand and zero latency monitoring to remove audio lag. The Seiren costs $99.99. 

In developing the two products, Razer says that it sought top streamers from Twitch and YouTube for input and to test out early prototypes. Both are designed for portability so streamers can travel and game. The two products are available for purchase on Razerzone.com and in stores worldwide by the end of the year.

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iPhone Upgrade Program members can get a ‘head start’ when upgrading to an iPhone X

 

Preorders for the iPhone X begin on October 27th, and supplies are expected to be limited. If you’re a member of the iPhone Upgrade Program, you might have a chance to streamline the ordering process when preorders begin. 

Apple announced that members of the program can get a head start on the ordering process on Monday, October 23rd. The banner points members to the Apple Store app so that they “can speed through checkout on 10.27.” 

This doesn’t mean that IUP members are jumping the line, but getting members through the program’s loan eligibility process. That should let those members streamline their checkout process on Friday by eliminating a couple of steps ahead of time. 9to5Mac notes that this appears to only apply to existing members, and doesn’t “necessarily guarantee launch day inventory.” 

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Hori’s new miniature PS4 controller looks adorable

Do you think the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 controller is too big? Then Hori’s new adorable-looking Wired Mini Gamepad might just be the controller for you. 

The miniature controller works like a regular DualShock, with all the buttons and triggers that you’d expect. Even the touch pad is there, sort of: there’s a dedicated button to simulate a click on top of the controller, and a “TP” button on the bottom that lets you use control sticks to simulate the gestures. And while it’s a wired controller, the cord is three meters long (or just shy of 10 feet), so unless you’ve got a really huge living room, it should reach your couch just fine.

The new controller is the latest in a series of officially licensed PS4 controllers that Sony is releasing, following the first pair, which launched last December. Along with the Hori Wired Mini Gamepad, there are also new options from @PLAY and Nacon, which are decidedly less interesting, but worth a look if you really hate Sony’s own controller option for some reason.

The Hori Wired Mini Gamepad is set to launch on November 6th, although no price has been announced yet. 

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Amazon’s Alexa can now recognize different voices and give personalized responses

The battle of the smart speakers has become a constant back and forth between Amazon and Google. Back in April, Google Home gained the ability to recognize individual voices, which allows the device to personalize its response for everyone in your house or apartment. This way, you’ll get your calendar briefing or curated music playlists when asking Assistant for them, and Google won’t mix up contacts when you call someone with the Home speaker. Today, Amazon announced that Alexa can now do the same thing. 

You can set up voice recognition using the Echo, Echo Dot, or Echo Show. Users are asked to read aloud 10 phrases, and Alexa will then use that data to create a voice profile. After that’s done, voice profiles work across other Echo devices and “most” third-party party Alexa-enabled devices.

“Once you set up the feature, Alexa will learn your voice (versus your spouse/partner/roommate’s voice) and be able to deliver a more personalized experience,” a company spokesperson told The Verge. “Today the feature is available for calling/messaging, flash briefing, shopping, and the Amazon Music Unlimited Family Plan, and it’ll be rolling out to additional Alexa features in the future.” Amazon says voice recognition will get “smarter over time” the more it’s used. The company also notes that touch-to-talk devices (i.e. Fire TV remote and the Amazon Tap) do not support voice profiles.

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Essential will start shipping the white version of its phone next week

 

Essential plans to start shipping the white version of its phone next week. The company just began sending emails out to people who still have a preorder on the white model saying that the phone “is ready and we will start shipping next week.” It also tweeted out that the phone would be available in white through Best Buy, Amazon, and Sprint.

The announcement puts the white version of the Essential phone nearly two months behind the black model, which started shipping on August 25th. It’s not clear what accounted for the delay — whether it’s a matter of getting the materials right (not unheard of: years ago, Apple delayed the white iPhone 4 by 10 months) or just making sure enough of any model of the phone would be available at all.

Essential’s announcement also follows news that the phone’s camera has been updated to hopefully take better photos and that a beta of Android Oreo and several other new features would arrive in the coming weeks. With Apple, Google, and Samsung all announcing flagship phones since Essential shipped, the company has had a hard time keeping eyes on its first and only device. With the white model finally arriving and some updates coming soon, Essential may be trying for something of a soft relaunch to get itself back in the spotlight.

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