Pebble Time and Pebble Time Round smartwatches both get $50 price cuts

Pebble has cut the prices of two of its smartwatch models by $50 each. The Pebble Time is now priced at $149.99, while the Pebble Time Round can be bought for $199.99.

Pebble also announced that people who bought either the Time or the Time Round on or after January 21 can get back the price difference by emailing the company at order@pebble.com. The email should have “Price Adjustment” in the subject along with the original order number for the smartwatch. Finally, Pebble says all of its devices have received improved European and UK prices.

See Pebble Time at Pebble

See Pebble Time Round at Pebble

NBC’s comedy streaming service arrives on Roku and Fire TV

NBC’s comedy streaming service officially went live back in January after a month-long preview. As of today, the monthly subscription is now available on two popular streaming devices. Roku and Amazon Fire TV owners can now take advantage of Seeso for genre-specific content. And yes, the $4/month service is also available on the Fire TV Stick. Seeso offers on-demand access to original series, late-night NBC shows, network series, movies and more. If you’re still waiting for Seeso to reach your streaming gadget of choice, NBCUniversal says it’ll be available on more platforms “in the coming months.” For now, the web, iOS and Android are the current alternatives to Roku and Amazon’s gear.

DJI’s New Phantom 4 Available Exclusively From Apple Through March 23

Drone manufacturer DJI has inked a deal with Apple that will see its latest drone, the Phantom 4, available exclusively through Apple retail locations and DJI flagship stores through March 23, reports Re/code. Pre-orders are available beginning today, and brick and mortar locations are expected to have the drone in stock starting on March 15.

Apple has long sold DJI products in its retail stores, currently offering the DJI Phantom 3. The next-generation Phantom 4, priced at $1,399, includes an Obstacle Sensing System that allows the drone to detect and avoid objects in its path.

It has a magnesium core to improve rigidity without increasing weight and it has better battery life. The Phantom 4 is able to fly for 28 minutes, 25 percent longer than the Phantom 3 Professional, and it has a new TapFly mode that lets users tap on their smartphones or tablets to send the drone flying in a specific direction.

With a revamped Vision Positioning System, the Phantom 4’s max effective altitude has been increased by 300 percent, and it performs better indoors. An ActiveTrack feature also allows it to stay locked on a moving target for tracking purposes, and the redesigned lens is said to “dramatically” increase sharpness.

The Phantom 4 will be available for pre-order from Apple or the DJI website starting today. Pre-orders have gone live on the DJI site but are not yet available via the Apple online store. The Phantom 4 will be in Apple retail stores on March 15, expanding to other retailers on March 23.

Tag: DJI
Discuss this article in our forums

Enter to win the future of tablets: A Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7-inch

A modern-tech marvel, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 is among best tablets on the market.

The second generation of the wildly popular Galaxy Tab S lineup has received rave reviews, and this week we’re taking excitement to the next level by giving one away through Pocket-lint Deals.

What makes this tablet so elite? Well, for starters, the massive 32GB of onboard memory, lightning quick Octa-Core processor, and the 9.7 inch Super AMOLED display set this particular model apart from many of its competitors in the tablet market. Great for both work and play, the Tab S2 comes pre-loaded with Microsoft Office, so you can tackle the professional essentials while enjoying unreal graphic-display playback of your favorite media. Thanks to impressive processing speed and onboard memory, multitasking is a breeze.

Winning is simple – Pocket-lint readers can just head to the contest page and fill out the online entry form with a valid email address, and you’re automatically entered. Share the giveaway on Twitter, and once you get some friends to enter, you’ll receive additional entries to win.

One registration per person please!

You’ll soon be able to play PS4 games on a PC or Mac

One of the big features that Microsoft introduced last year was the ability to stream Xbox One games over your home network to a Windows 10 PC and play them with very little latency. That meant you could play big, triple-A console titles in a separate room to the console, allowing a family member to carry on watching the main TV.

Now Sony is set to follow suit. What’s more it will offer a similar feature to Mac users.

PlayStation firmware v3.50 will include the ability to remotely play games on a PC or Mac.

You can already stream games to a PS Vita or PlayStation TV, as part of the PS4 Remote Play feature, but this will be the first time Sony has offered the same service on non-Sony devices.

READ: 31 best PS4 games every gamer should own

There’s no word yet on when the new firmware update will be available. The company will beta test other features from 2 March, but the Remote Play upgrade won’t be part of that build.

“You can look forward to it soon,” is all the company says on its US blog.

Other new features will include better social functions, such as online notification for when friends boot-up their consoles, or the option to appear offline when you log-in. The ability to stream live on Dailymotion will also be added with the full consumer release of the patch.

Mountain Athletics from The North Face helps you train for your outdoor adventures

The North Face is a well-established brand once you’re off the beaten track. Since the company’s foundation in 1966, it has been associated with some of the toughest events, from polar expeditions to mountain conquests. 

With the launch of Mountain Athletics, The North Face is shifting focus from the big event to the arduous preparation that precedes that summit attempt or epic climb. For all the glory that comes with heading into the wilds to beat a speed record along a Chilean trail, or open a new route up a rock face, there are weeks and months of training that come before.

It’s this preparation to which The North Face is now shifting its attention, launching the Mountain Athletics line. It is, principally, a sports apparel line that’s been designed specifically for the rigours of the intense training needed for mountain sports. 

This is sports wear that’s designed to give you the freedom of movement to complete specific moves for things like rock climbing, where regular sports wear might be impractical. For example, the tops are cut longer, so when you’re reaching high, you’re not left showing 4 inches of belly flesh.

There are practical hints across the line, with a range for women and men. Another example is the Dynamix Stretch Shorts for ladies, giving a durable outer layer combined with a flexible inner short, so you can workout without worrying about what your training gear is getting up to.

Mountain Athletics, however, is more than just a range of clothing. There’s an app to help monitor and guide your training, making sure you’re training smart as well as training hard.

There will also be training sessions from stores in London, Munich and Paris, run by fitness experts, to help motivate you and get you in shape for your next big challenge.

The Mountain Athletics range of apparel will be available from 22 February in The North Face stores and other retailers, as well as online.

Best Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P cases: Protect your new Google devices

Google’s Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P were announced after much speculation during an event in San Francisco at the end of September 2015.

The Nexus 5X is a 5.2-inch smartphone with a metal frame and a exchangeable polycarbonate rear, while the Nexus 6P is a 5.7-inch handset with a full metal body. Both feature rear fingerprint sensors and they both come with USB Type-C for faster charging and data transfer.

They are good looking devices but sadly, phones aren’t brilliant at surviving knocks and drops so if you want to keep your new Nexus looking its best, it’s a good idea to get yourself a case to ensure it is as protected as it can be.

If you’re planning to get your hands on either the Nexus 5X or the Nexus 6P, or you already have one of them, you’ve come to the right place.

We have rounded up some of the best Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P cases we have come across so far so you can make sure your new Google handset is protected. We will be updating this feature as more catch our eye so keep checking back if none of these tickle your fancy.

Check out the cases we have found so far here. 

How Xbox One backwards compatibility works: The Xbox 360 games list and more

Since last November, you have been able to play Xbox 360 games on an Xbox One. Not all of your old library of games are available presently, but there are more than 140 titles currently available. Xbox is also adding to this list regularly as each title has been checked and cleared for release.

But do you have to do anything different to get it to work? Exactly how will Xbox 360 games play on an Xbox One? And can you buy Xbox 360 games on an Xbox One? Here’s our handy guide to the feature.

How does Xbox One backwards compatibility work?

Microsoft first announced that it would be adding backwards compatibility to its current generation console during E3 2015 in June, and the initial wave of 104 games arrived in November last year.

The Xbox One is able to play Xbox 360 games through emulation software that makes the console think it’s a last generation machine for the purposes of playing older games.

When a supported Xbox 360 game is started on the machine, the Xbox One opens the emulator and, in all regards, the game works as if it was running on an Xbox 360. The 360’s opening screen appears first then the game will load.

All other aspects and features that would normally be available on an Xbox 360 are be available on the Xbox One too, including the hub (which can be opened through a simultaneous press of the menu and view buttons on the Xbox One controller). In addition, all new features of the Xbox One work, including the ability to take screen grabs and record and share video of gameplay.

READ: Xbox boss Phil Spencer explains why your fave Xbox 360 game is not backwards compatible… yet

Does Xbox One backwards compatibility cost me anything?

Although Sony opted for a paid route to play PS3 games on a PS4, through the PlayStation Now cloud gaming platform, Microsoft decided to offer its backwards compatibility for free as part of the November update at the end of 2015.

If you own a supported game already, you do not have to pay anything to play it on Xbox One.

Obviously, it costs to purchase new Xbox 360 games that work on the machine.

Does Xbox One backwards compatibility work with Xbox 360 games I bought through Xbox Live?

Xbox One backwards compatibility works with digital content as well as disc games. In fact, if you enter a supported disc into your Xbox One, the machine will download the game from Xbox Live first – although you will need the disc to be in the machine each time you play.

If you own a digital copy of a supported game it appears in your games list ready for download. Check your Games and Apps hub to see if any are listed on the far right of your already installed games.

Can I carry on with my previous Xbox 360 game saves on Xbox One?

If you originally set your Xbox 360 to save games to the cloud you will be able to download the save files to the Xbox One version and carry on. The cloud files are permanently associated with your gamertag so the Xbox One should do this automatically.

If you only saved your in-game progress locally, to the hard drive, you will need to restart your Xbox 360 and save them to the cloud instead. If you no longer have your Xbox 360, sadly you won’t be able to access the files.

What games are available with Xbox One backwards compatibility?

Microsoft released a list of the 104 Xbox 360 games originally, but more have been added over time. These include The Witcher 2 and Halo: Reach.

There are now more than 140 titles available as part of the backwards compatibility scheme.

The company’s plan is to eventually support every game it feasibly can bar a few that cannot be made compatible due to requiring additional accessories to run. These include games like the original Guitar Hero and Rock Band series, plus any that worked with the original Kinect. Even if you have the Xbox One Kinect, it will not be compatible with previous Xbox 360 Kinect games.

There is good news however for Xbox Live Gold members. They already get two free Xbox One games a month as part of the Games with Gold service that is part of their subscription. They will also now get two free Xbox 360 games a month too – the games that are effectively still offered to Xbox 360 owners with a Gold subscription.

With the March dashboard update, you will also be able to purchase and download Xbox 360 games as if they were Xbox One titles.

Here’s a full list of the Xbox 360 games that are currently available with backwards compatibility for Xbox One (as of February 2016):

• A Kingdom for Keflings
• A World of Keflings
• Aegis Wing
• Age of Booty
• Alan Wake’s American Nightmare
• Alien Hominid HD
• Assassin’s Creed II
• Asteroids & Deluxe
• Banjo Kazooie
• Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
• Banjo-Tooie
• BattleBlock Theater
• Bejeweled 2
• Bellator: MMA Onslaught
• Beyond Good & Evil HD
• Blood of the Werewolf
• BloodRayne: Betrayal
• Borderlands
• Braid
• Call of Juarez Gunslinger
• Carcassonne
• Castle Crashers
• CastleStorm
• Centipede & Millipede
• Condemned: Criminal Origins
• Counter-Strike: Go
• Crazy Taxi
• Deadliest Warrior: Legends
• Defense Grid: The Awakening
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution
• DiRT 3
• DiRT Showdown
• Discs of Tron
• Doom
• Doom II
• Doritos Crash Course
• Dungeon Siege III
• Earthworm Jim HD
• Fable II
• Fable III
• Fallout 3
• Feeding Frenzy
• Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown
• Galaga
• Gears of War
• Gears of War 2
• Gears of War 3
• Gears of War: Judgment
• Golden Axe
• Halo: Reach
• Halo: Spartan Assault
• Hardwood Backgammon
• Hardwood Hearts
• Hardwood Spades
• Heavy Weapon
• Hexic HD
• Hydro Thunder
• Ikaruga
• Iron Brigade
• Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad
• Jetpac Refuelled
• Joy Ride Turbo
• Just Cause 2
• Kameo: Elements of Power
• Kane & Lynch 2
• Lego Batman
• Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
• Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
• Lode Runner
• Lumines Lives!
• Mass Effect
• Metal Slug 3
• Metal Slug XX
• Might & Magic Clash of Heroes
• Mirror’s Edge
• Missile Command
• Monday Night Combat
• Monkey Island: Special Edition
• Monkey Island 2: Special Edition
• Motocross Madness
• Ms Pac-Man
• Ms. Splosion Man
• Mutant Blobs Attack!!!
• N+
• NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
• Nights into dreams…
• Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
• Pac-Man: Championship Edition
• Pac-Man: Championship Edition DX+
• Peggle
• Perfect Dark
• Perfect Dark Zero
• Phantom Breaker:Battle Grounds
• Pinball FX
• Plants vs. Zombies
• Portal: Still Alive
• Prince of Persia
• Putty Squad
• R-Type Dimensions
• Rayman 3 HD
• Sacred Citadel
• Sam & Max Save the World
• Sam & Max Beyond Time & Space
• Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co.
• Sega Vintage Collection: Golden Axe
• Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World
• Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage
• Shadow Complex
• Skullgirls
• Small Arms
• Sonic CD
• Sonic The Hedgehog
• Sonic The Hedgehog 2
• Sonic The Hedgehog 3
• Soulcalibur
• South Park: The Stick of Truth
• Space Giraffe
• Spelunky
• Splosion Man
• Super Meat Boy
• Supreme Commander 2
• The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
• Ticket to Ride
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2
• Torchlight
• Toy Soldiers
• Toy Soldiers: Cold War
• Trials HD
• Tron: Evolution
• Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon
• Viva Piñata
• Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise
• Wolfenstein 3D
• Zuma
• Zuma’s Revenge

Panasonic ALL Connected speaker system expands, bringing waterproof and network CD player options

Panasonic’s multi-room speaker system is called ALL Connected. There are a wide range of products in the family, spanning everything from soundbars to individual speakers. For 2016, the system has expanded and updated, bringing with it additional options to give you more flexibility in how and where you listen to your music.

Besides a range of fairly conventional speakers in the SC-ALL9 and SC-ALL6 – a large and medium speaker that replace the ALL8 and ALL3 – there’s the SC-ALL05.

The ALL05 has a unique feature in its waterproofing. Although it’s not really designed to be used underwater, the proofing means you can use it outdoors in the rain, or in the bathroom without the worry of water damage.

Pocket-lint

Although compact, this is a stereo speaker, meaning you’ll get a little more definition than you might from a mono speaker. To give this speaker more versatility, it also has a battery that will give you around 6 hours of use, making it perfect for picnics, the garden or ad hoc use around the house. 

For those with a CD collection that’s begging to be played, Panasonic has added the SC-ALL7CD to the collection. This larger, flattened player incorporates a CD player, meaning you can play your CDs not only locally, but across your other networked ALL speakers too. 

You can also use the ALL7CD to rip your CDs, storing them on the internal drive and again giving local or network access. These can be ripped for high-res playback, although that will only give you five CDs; opt for MP3 and you’ll be able to store up to 25. That means you can keep your essential music ready for easy access.

Pocket-lint

Within the ALL7CD, which also incorporates a DAB radio and offers USB playback, there are 2x 50kW dome tweeters combined with two twisted acoustic ports, aiming to give you rich, room-filling, sound from its compact form.

Both these interesting additions to the ALL Connected range come with complete multi-room compatibility, so you’ll be able to add them into an existing network, or just use them as standalone devices, ready for future expansion.

There’s no word yet on price or availability.  

DJI’s Phantom 4 comes with obstacle avoidance and ‘speed’ mode

Smarter, leaner, faster, stronger? That’s the promise with DJI’s Phantom 4, announced today, in what appears to be the most significant upgrade to the range yet. DJI’s flagship consumer drone doesn’t just get an aesthetic make over (though it did finally get one, of sorts), it also sports some new technology not even found on many pro craft: obstacle avoidance. There’s also a new vision-based smart follow feature and a bevy of other upgrades. Let’s get right into it.

The first feature we have to talk about is the obstacle avoidance. DJI calls it an “Obstacle Sensing System” and it uses two front-facing cameras (which you can spy in the landing gear) that allow it to spot objects and gauge their distance, so the Phantom 4 will automatically fly around obstacles, maintaining the original trajectory, or just hover if it can’t figure out an alternative route.

Naturally this only works if the Phantom is flying forwards, so you still need to take care when flying backwards (make sure you’re insured, obviously). It’s also unclear at this stage how responsive, or how fast the system will kick in. Or, of course, how it compares to the Intel-backed system we saw at CES. We do, however, look forward to testing it.

For a long time, DJI’s Phantom was lacking autopilot features that almost all other camera drones offered, such as follow mode and smart camera tools. The company did add them in the end, but now it’s running with it. With the Phantom 4, you can pick any subject in view on the DJI app (that receives the livestream from the drone’s camera), select it, and the Phantom will follow it, keeping it in frame. This means you could follow a bike, car, animal, anything that the drone can see, without having to use a ground-based GPS/location device (like other quadcopters require).

A similarly “smart” use of the camera and location sensors is “TapFly.” As the name suggests, tap on a location on the video stream, and the Phantom 4 will fly to it, avoiding obstacles along the way. Similar ideas exist in 3rd-party applications, but now the Phantom has it baked right in. The camera itself also gets a minor upgrade with new optics, so images should be a little sharper.

What about that new look though? Well, taste is subjective, of course, but it kinda looks leaner from above, but a bit more chubby in profile. We’re glad to see the Phantom evolve though, if just so there’s an easier way for people to know we’re flying the latest and greatest and not *shudder* last year’s model. Which we still love btw.

There’s one more significant upgrade with the Phantom 4. The bad news is there’s yet another new style of battery (so if you already have a Phantom, your collection of cells won’t work). The good news is that the Phantom 4 can fly for up to 28 minutes on one charge. That’s more or less double what you could get out of the Phantom 1 or 2 carrying a camera, so it’s not to be sniffed at. If you do want to burn through the power, then DJI introduced a new “speed mode” that’ll let you do just that. The new top speed is apparently 45 miles per hour (or 20 meters per second). That’s about 10 mph up from the Phantom 3, though we’re not sure you’ll be seeing any at the DRL just yet.

Now the big question: the price? The Phantom 4 will cost $1,399. That’s about $150 more than the Phantom 3 cost at launch — a price that has now fallen to about $1,000. DJI likes to try and keep the new Phantoms priced similar to the model before, and this model’s not far off, but there’s a good chance if you’re willing to wait a few months, you might be able to get a better deal.

Also interesting to note that DJI isn’t continuing its two-tiered Professional/Advanced model approach. For now, there’s just one choice of Phantom 4, and you can pre-order starting today. Apple retail stores will stock them starting March 15, and everywhere else at the end of the month.