Don’t like Twitter’s new algorithmic feed? Then turn it off.

Remember the uproar that was #RIPTwitter from a few weeks back? Well, conserve your internet outrage because, love it or hate it, Twitter’s new algorithmic timeline — the one that surfaces “tweets you are likely to care about most” — is now enabled by default. According to The Next Web, Twitter began rolling out the feature early this week and catching many users by surprise. The change comes after the company debuted the feature back in February as a then opt-in setting. Though, at the time, it did warn users this new feed would be automatically turned on as it rolled out.

The good news is that you’re not stuck with the setting which gives timeline priority to tweets from accounts you regularly interact with. You can easily head to settings to disable it. Or, if you’re the lazy type, simply refresh your feed and you should see the good ol’ reverse chronological timeline we all seem to cling to so fiercely.

Image credit: Twitter

Source: The Next Web

Apple Watch Predicted to Capture 50% Market Share in 2016 on 14 Million Sales

While the Apple Watch captured an impressive 75.5 percent share of the smartwatch market through its launch quarter last year, market research firm IDC predicts that watchOS will gradually cede market share to competing platforms such as Android Wear, Tizen, and Pebble OS over the next four to five years.

IDC forecasts that the Apple Watch software will capture 49.4 percent market share in 2016, but that figure is expected to drop to 37.6 percent in 2020. IDC expects global shipments of 237.1 million wearable devices in 2020, up from an estimated 110 million in 2016, as the wearable market continues to grow.

The decline in market share will not be indicative of fewer Apple Watch sales, as sales of the wrist-worn device are projected to rise from an estimated 14 million units in 2016 to 31 million in 2020. Comparatively, Apple sold an estimated 11.5 million watches over the final 8 months of 2015, based on combined IDC and Strategy Analytics data.

Instead, the wearable market is expected to become a more competitive landscape. IDC forecasts that Android Wear will remain the second most popular smartwatch platform, with an estimated 6.1 million sales and 21.4 percent market share in 2016 rising to 28.8 million sales and 35 percent market share by 2020.

IDC believes that Chinese smartwatches using real-time operating systems (RTOS) will trail in third place in the smartwatch market with 10.1 percent market share by 2020. Tizen, Android, Linux, and Pebble OS round off the list with estimated 6.6 percent, 5.2 percent, 2.8 percent, and 2.7 percent market shares by 2020.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2
Tags: IDC, Android Wear
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
Discuss this article in our forums

‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ Available Today on Apple TV, Sequels Coming Soon

After getting ported to the iOS App Store in 2013, the original Sonic The Hedgehog is making its way back to the living room today with a launch on the Apple TV App Store (via TouchArcade). The game is essentially the remastered iOS version optimized for Apple TV, and will let fans play classic Sonic with the all-new Apple TV remote.

Race at lightning speeds across seven classic zones as Sonic the Hedgehog. Run and spin through loop-de-loops as you collect rings and defeat enemies on your mission to save the world from the evil Dr. Eggman.

This re-mastered mobile version of the SEGA Genesis classic features the full “Sonic The Hedgehog” game.

In addition to the release of the first game on Apple TV, a few more Sonic games will be following suit in the coming weeks. On March 24, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 will launch on tvOS, while fans will be able to download Sonic CD a week later on March 31.

Sonic The Hedgehog is available now from the tvOS App Store for $2.99. It’s likely that the two upcoming games will be priced similarly.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums

Freeze ground beef in flat bags for faster thawing – CNET

Taylor Martin/CNET

Ground beef was on a killer sale at the market and you bought several pounds. Now you have a dilemma. You have to freeze it so it won’t spoil before you and your family can eat it all. But you also know that you’re going to put off cooking it for weeks or months because it’s going to take hours to thaw.

However, reddit user r0ckarong shared a way in which you can store and freeze ground beef so that it can be thawed in a matter of minutes, not hours.

To use r0ckarong’s method, all you will need are several zip-top bags.

Begin by dividing the beef into portions. Each zip-top bag should have enough ground beef inside for at least one meal. Place the beef in the zip-top bag, squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag.

Next, press firmly on the bag to flatten it out. You will need to work and knead the meat to flatten it out and have it fill the bag entirely.

Taylor Martin/CNET

Repeat this process for each portion of ground beef. When you’re finished and ready to freeze, the bags of ground beef should stack very neatly and save space.

When it’s time to thaw the meat, remove one bag of meat and place it in a bath of hot or ice cold water.

If you opt to go with hot water, place the bag of meat in a bath of water approximately 102 degrees Fahrenheit (39 Celsius). If the water is too hot, it can actually start to cook the meat, which is not what you want. USDA sponsored research revealed that this thawing method moves the meat through the temperature range which microbes like to grow very quickly, meaning it’s safe, so long as you cook immediately after the meat has thawed.

If, on the other hand, you choose to do a cool thaw, you can simply place the meat in the refrigerator the night before you plan to cook the meat or make an ice bath in your kitchen sink. Place the meat in the sink and make sure to keep the temperature of the water below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius). Once the meat has fully thawed, promptly begin cooking the meat.

How to fix connectivity issues with the Amazon Echo – CNET

Sarah Tew

In recent months, the Amazon Echo has matured quite a bit. New skills being constantly added, new third-party integration with other smart devices and the ability to speak to order Dominos pizza have all made Alexa a staple in many homes.

That said, the Echo still is not fault proof.

Alexa hears and understands almost everything I ever say to her — to a surprising degree. However, starting early last week, I’ve had trouble hearing Alexa. It’s not a volume issue, though. Instead, it’s a problem with the Echo cutting out mid-sentence and skipping several words at a time.

When playing a round of Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock last week, Alexa said, “I chose [pause], but Spock [pause]-es scissors. Alexa 0, you 1.”

Intermittently, the Echo would continue to cut out and skip entire words — sometimes entire responses. If you are having a similar problem with your Echo, here is what you can do to try to fix it.

Reboot all the things

As with just about any gadget, when it isn’t working as it should, cut the power and try again. The Echo is no exception.

Amazon suggests powering down the Echo (by unplugging the power adapter), as well as performing a power cycle on your modem and router. Once the router and modem have fully powered back on, restore power to the Echo. Try streaming some audio or interacting with it heavily for several minutes to see if you can reproduce the issue.

Move the Echo

If you don’t have your Echo and router both centrally located in your house, you can solve more than one problem at once by relocating them. Try to position them away from other electronics and in a nice, central location. Also, place them both higher in the room. Routers tend to spread their signal downward, so higher is usually better.

Not only will you be bringing them closer together and strengthening the connection between the Echo and the router, but you will also be increasing the accessibility of the Echo from other parts of the house and the total reach of your router’s signal.

Amazon also suggests moving the Echo away from walls and metal objects. Place the Echo at least 8 inches (20 centimeters) from the wall or any possible obstructions.

Switch to 5GHz

A while back, I shared some tips for setting up a wireless network for use with smart home devices. I warned that 5GHz may cause problems, since not all smart home devices support the newer 5GHz channel. Typically, 2.4GHz is the safer option for better compatibility all around.

That said, if you have a dual-band router, try connecting your Echo to the 5GHz channel. This will likely decrease interference, strengthen the connection and it can even increase the range if you aren’t able to move your Echo and router any closer to one another.

Reset

Factory resets tend to fix a lot of problems with most electronics. But they’re not ideal. Rather than diagnosing the issue, it’s like starting with a clean slate. It rarely lets you know what the problem was, but as a trade-off, the slight hassle of having to set the device up again may fix any issues you were having entirely.

To factory reset the Amazon Echo:

• Use a paper clip, needle or other small, thin item and press in the reset button, positioned near the power adapter port at the bast of the Echo.
• Hold the button in until the light ring around the top of the Echo turns orange.
• Wait for the light to turn off and back on.
• Open the Amazon Alexa application on your phone or tablet to go through the setup process again.

As a last resort, contact Amazon or your ISP

If none of the above tips solve the problem, it may be a deeper issue with the hardware or your internet service provider (ISP).

First, try contacting your ISP to see if they have any resolution or are aware of an issue affecting multiple users. In general, a spotty connection is more likely than a hardware problem.

If that doesn’t help, as a last resort, reach out to Amazon customer service. Unfortunately, they will likely walk you through everything you’ve already tried before considering the possibility of any hardware issues. But they should be able to help diagnose the problem.

What you need to know about Motion Photo on the Galaxy S7 – CNET

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Sarah Tew/CNET

Samsung unveiled a new camera feature called Motion Photos alongside the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge last month at MWC.

Motion Photo is similar to Live Photos, which Apple introduced in the iPhone 6S line, but it’s not identical. Samsung’s version only captures video before the shutter button is pressed, not before and after the photo is captured as Apple’s Live Photos do. Additionally, there doesn’t appear to be an easy way to take a Motion Photo and share it with another user. Nonetheless, here’s what you need to know:

Motion Photo isn’t enabled by default on Samsung’s devices. To turn it on, open the Camera app and tap the Settings icon. The second option on the list will be for Motion photo, slide the switch to the On position.

With Motion Photos now enabled, any time you capture a photo your phone will record a couple seconds of video leading up to the shutter button being pressed.

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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

When viewing photos in Samsung’s Gallery app, you can identify Motion photos thanks to a play icon in the top-right corner of the screen. Touching the icon will bring the photo to life.

Unfortunately, sharing the photo will strip out the video portion and send only the final picture. I’ve tested sending through email, Dropbox, as SMS and a Hangouts attachment with no luck. For now, it appears, you’ll need to physically show your Motion photo to a friend or family member.

Keep in mind, Motion Photos will take up more storage space on your device than a standard photo. If you’re OK with the current lack of sharing capabilities, then leave the feature enabled. Otherwise, leave it turned off until Samsung lets you easily share a Motion Photo.

Change the Galaxy S7’s lock screen app shortcuts to apps you actually use – CNET

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Jason Cipriani/CNET

You may have noticed two app shortcuts on the lock screen of your Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge. Samsung sets up shortcuts to the Phone and Camera apps by default, but gives you the option to change which apps appear with just a few taps.

And since you can quickly double-press the home button to launch the Camera app — from any screen — it doesn’t really make sense to have a Camera shortcut icon on the lock screen.

Instead, set the app shortcuts to apps you actually use, such as Spotify or Facebook.

Here’s what you need to do:

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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

• Open the Settings app.
• Tap on Lock screen and security under the Personal section.
• Next, select Info and app shortcuts.
• Tap on App shortcuts.

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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

A preview image of your current lock screen setup will appear at the top, with the respective app icons in each lower-corner of the device’s screen. Select left or right shortcut, and then pick the app you’d like to have a shortcut to on the following the screen.

Alternatively, at the top of each shortcut’s page, you can turn the respective shortcut off.

With your custom apps set, you can wake your device and launch one of your apps by sliding the app icon up, towards the top of the screen.

For more Galaxy S7 tips and tricks, check out our complete guide here.

Everything you need to know about Amazon’s Alexa – CNET

If you’re a regular here on CNET, you might have noticed something:

We spend an awful lot of time talking about Alexa.

It’s not without good reason. In the less than two years since she debuted as the artificial intelligence housed within the Amazon Echo smart speaker, Amazon’s voice-activated virtual assistant has seen her popularity — and her prominence — skyrocket. The Echo is one of Amazon’s top-selling gadgets, a frequent sellout, and 2015’s most impressive piece of technology, per CNET’s own Dan Ackerman. Alexa doesn’t show any signs of slowing down in 2016, either. Demand for the upcoming Amazon Echo Dot is so high that deliveries are already backed up several months.

The list of everything that Alexa can do is growing rapidly, too, thanks in part to Amazon’s open approach to the software that powers her. She’s become such a capable in-home assistant that we’ve made the Echo a centerpiece (if not the centerpiece) of the CNET Smart Home, the living lab where we test out the modern connected living space.

In short, we think Alexa is a pretty big deal. If you want to know more about her, you’ve come to the right place.

What is Alexa, and how does she work?

Alexa is a “virtual assistant,” which isn’t a new concept in tech. Chances are you’re already familiar with Siri, Cortana, Google Now or Watson — or with any of the countless fictional virtual assistants we’ve seen portrayed in the last half century or so’s worth of sci-fi flicks.

There’s an array of microphones around the top of the Amazon Echo that can hear you even if you’re across the room.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Alexa and other real-life virtual assistants aren’t as smart as Ironman’s Jarvis (or as frightening as HAL 9000 in “2001: A Space Odyssey”), but their intended function is largely the same — voice-activated computing powered by artificial intelligence. Ask a question, get an answer. Give a command, get results.

Still, Alexa manages to set herself apart. Unlike mobile-based virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa is centralized within dedicated, in-home Amazon devices — most notably the Amazon Echo, an always-on, always-listening Internet-connected speaker. To use Alexa, you just say her name (or “Amazon” or “Echo,” your other two “wake word” options) then ask a question or give a command.

The Echo’s far-field microphones can hear you even if you’re across the room, and once they hear you say the wake word, Echo will send the audio of your question or command up to the cloud. From there, Amazon’s servers will figure out what you want and how Alexa should respond.

Other Amazon devices — namely the Amazon Tap and Amazon Fire TV voice remote — require you to press a button in order to wake Alexa up. This is because those devices aren’t hardwired like the Echo. Listening for a wake word 24/7 is a major battery drain.

Here’s everything the Amazon Echo can do…

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What can Alexa do?

Quite a bit, as it turns out. Here’s the basic rundown.

• Stream music: Ask Alexa to play a song, artist, album, playlist or genre, and she’ll stream it from the Amazon Prime Music Library. She’ll also work with services such as Pandora and Spotify, as well as Internet radio services such as iHeartRadio and TuneIn.
• Read the headlines: Aside from streaming your local NPR or ESPN affiliate over the Internet, Alexa can curate a “flash briefing” of headlines and audio clips from the news outlets of your choice on the topics you care about. Just ask her for the news.
• Keep tabs on traffic and the weather: Alexa will happily read off the forecast, or let you know if there’s an accident jamming up your morning commute.
• Set timers and alarms: You can tell Alexa to wake you up every weekday morning at 7 a.m. or tell her to set a kitchen timer.
• Control your smart home: Alexa features native compatibility for Philips Hue and Lifx smart bulbs, Belkin WeMo smart switches, connected thermostats such as the Ecobee3 and the Emerson Sensi, and the Wink, Insteon and SmartThings connected home platforms. Pair her up with your devices, and you’ll be able to ask her to turn things on and off.
• Answer your questions: Alexa can look up basic facts, solve math problems, make conversions, or even tell you a joke. She’s also well-versed in movie references and loaded with Easter eggs.

Beyond those native capabilities, you can use the Alexa app on your smartphone to download additional “Skills” for the virtual assistant. Skills are like the apps of Alexa, and each one teaches her to do something new. Some come from big brands, including a pizza-ordering Skill from Domino’s, a ride-flagging Skill from Uber, and a financial management Skill from Capital One. Most, however, are smaller offerings that provide niche utility, like a guitar-tuning Skill or a Skill that reminds you of crafting recipes in Minecraft (and yes, there’s a Skill that’ll teach Alexa to make a fart noise upon request).

Many of these third-party Skills pertain to the smart home, and allow Alexa to control even more kinds of connected devices. Unlike her native capabilities, however, the Skills require “invocation words” that tell Alexa what Skill you want her to activate. So, you’ll need to say things like “Alexa, ask Scout to arm my security system.”

What does Alexa work with?

All in all, here’s a running list of all of the compatible smart home gadgets Alexa can control:

Native support:

• Philips Hue LEDs (on, off or dimming — no color changes)
• Lifx LEDs (on, off or dimming — no color changes)
• Belkin WeMo Switches
• Belkin WeMo Light Switches
• Insteon Hub-connected devices (lights and switches)
• SmartThings Hub-connected devices (lights and switches)
• Wink Hub-connected devices (lights and switches)
• If This Then That (IFTTT)
• Ecobee3 Connected Thermostat
• Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Thermostat
• Nest Learning Thermostat (coming soon)
• Honeywell Lyric Connected Thermostat (coming soon)

Skill support:

• Automatic Labs Connected Driving Assistant
• Lifx LEDs (full color control)
• Fitbit
• Scout DIY Security
• Skybell HD Video Doorbell
• Garageio
• Vivint
• HomeSeer Home Automation
• Stringify
• Rachio
• D-Link Wi-Fi Smart Plugs
• TP-Link Kasa
• Ooma Smart Home Phone System

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The battery-powered Amazon Tap is one of two new Alexa devices.

James Martin/CNET

Where can I learn more about Alexa?

Glad you asked. Our full review of the Amazon Echo would be a good place to start, though you might also be interested in our first looks for the Amazon Tap and Amazon Echo Dot. We’ve also got a wealth of handy how-tos that’ll help you get more out of Alexa:

• How to craft custom Alexa commands using IFTTT
• How to pre-order Amazon Echo Dot without an Amazon Echo
• How to get Alexa to order you a pizza
• How to set up and use multiple Alexa accounts
• How to connect Lifx bulbs with Amazon’s Alexa
• How to link Alexa with your Ooma phone system
• How to delete your Alexa voice data from Amazon’s servers
• How to make Amazon Echo an even better music streamer

Alexa has also played a pivotal role in our CNET Smart Home project — you can read all about it in the following build-out posts:

• Siri vs. Alexa in the CNET Smart Home
• Alexa-powered smart lighting in the CNET Smart Home
• Here’s how IFTTT can help the CNET Smart Home
• Putting IFTTT to work for a smarter smart home (part two)
• Giving brains to the CNET Smart Home’s kitchen
• Alexa brings voice to smart home security
• A smart garage for the CNET Smart Home
• Hanging Alexa the keys to the CNET Smart Home

A trio of big Alexa announcements from Amazon…

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How can I get Alexa?

As of now, you’ll find Alexa in the Amazon Echo, Tap and Echo Dot smart speakers, which sell on Amazon for $180, $130 and $90, respectively. You’ll also find Alexa in the voice remote for Amazon Fire TV, which costs $100. Your cheapest Alexa option? Get the $40 Amazon Fire TV Stick and upgrade the standard remote to an Alexa-enabled voice remote for an extra $10.

Third-party manufacturers can also incorporate Alexa into their own products thanks to the fact that Amazon offers Alexa’s software to anyone who wants to put it to use. That means that the makers of any device with speakers, microphones and an Internet connection could add Alexa in with just a few lines of code.

We haven’t seen any of these third-party Alexa devices roll out — at least not yet. There’s a smart kitchen speaker and family organizer called Triby that stands to be the first when it arrives later this year. We’ll keep a close eye on it and any other Alexa devices as they’re announced.

Got an Alexa question for us, or a tip you’d like to share? Leave it in the comments below!

How to watch March Madness online – CNET

Screenshot by Dan Graziano/CNET

It’s March Madness time. Millions of people will tune in online and through cable or satellite providers over the next three weeks to watch the best college basketball teams in the nation face off.

There’s a total of 67 games, all of which will be streamed online and broadcast across CBS (the parent company of CNET), TNT, TBS and TruTV starting on Thursday, March 17. The championship game is scheduled for Wednesday, April 6, and will air on TBS.

Here’s how you can tune in on all of your devices:

Don’t have time to sit on the couch and enjoy the games? Head over to the NCAA’s March Madness Live website where you can catch all of the action live.

Unfortunately, you will be required to enter credentials from a participating cable or satellite provider to watch games that are being broadcast on TNT, TBS and TruTV. The NCAA is offering a three hour preview for people without a cable subscription, although you may want to save it for the championship game or two Final Four games.

Meanwhile, games being broadcast on CBS will be available to all for free, but will only be viewable on the Web and through the NCAA March Madness app unless you log in. Once logged in, however, you will be able to watch all games through apps on Windows 10, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku players.

Cordcutters

All hope isn’t lost if you aren’t a cable or satellite subscriber. As mentioned above, CBS games are streamed on the Web and through the mobile app for free. If you rather watch them on your TV, you can pick up a digital TV antenna to access CBS over-the-air. The hottest clips and highlights from the tournament will also be posted on the official NCAA March Madness YouTube channel.

Another option is to subscribe to a streaming service such as Sling TV or PlayStation Vue, both of which include access to TBS, TNT and TruTV (Vue also has access to CBS in select markets). Both services offer a 7-day free trial that you could sign up for prior to tip off and use to watch the first week of games. Alternately, you may want to wait to begin the trial until later in the tournament to see potentially better match-ups, such as the two Final Four games or championship game.

There is also no commitment with both services, so you can sign up for a month of access and enjoy all the games on your TV before canceling. Sling TV is available for $20, while PlayStation Vue starts at $30 a month (or $40 depending on your market).

How to watch the Apple iPhone event on March 21 live – CNET

Apple will be holding a press event on March 21 at its headquarters in Cupertino, where the company is widely expected to announce new devices.

As usual, the rumor mill is kicking with speculation about what exactly will be introduced — we expect the big news next week will be a 4-inch iPhone unofficially called the iPhone SE, in addition to a new 9.7-inch iPad.

CNET will be on location to cover the news as it breaks, and you can tune in to CNET’s live coverage here, where our team of experts will be reporting from the event. The CNET preshow starts at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET with Brian Tong and Lexy Savvides, and the actual press conference will begin at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.

Apple’s March 21 event

• iPhone SE: What we expect
• Apple’s next iPad: All the rumors
• Live coverage: Apple’s March 21 event
• All the Apple news so far

Here’s what time that is in your local time zone.

As it has done in the past, Apple will be live-streaming the event for Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, Mac and Windows 10 users. Here’s how you can tune in:

Apple TV: You can view the event on second-, third-, and fourth-generation Apple TV devices running software version 6.2 or later. This can be done by clicking on the “Apple Events” channel on the device’s main menu.

iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch: The event can also be viewed by clicking on this link from an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch that’s running iOS 7 or later and using the Safari mobile Web browser. Mac and MacBook users on OS X 10.8.5 or later can tune in by clicking on this link using Safari version 6.0.5 or later.

Windows 10: Apple will also allow Windows 10 users to watch the stream, but you can only do so using Microsoft’s Edge browser. Windows 10 users can access the stream by clicking on this link.