We’re shutting down our comments … see you next week

A few months back, we rolled out a new comments system. This was, in the words of Douglas Adams, widely regarded as a bad decision.
But hey, every time we’ve changed commenting systems there’s been a strong reaction. The negative response wasn’t a surprise. There are bound to be some bumps in the road with any project that affects user engagement, but we knew we were creating a bigger and better way for readers to interact on Engadget.

However.

Recently, we’ve realized a few things: The first being that much like the work your contractor is doing on the kitchen, this grand plan is going to take longer than initially expected. And second (but more importantly), the comments have largely stopped fostering intelligent, informative conversations.

Now, clearly, not every comment or commenter is the same. But we’ve increasingly found ourselves turning off comments on stories that discuss topics of harassment, gender or race simply because so many of the replies are hateful, even threatening. Articles that mention Apple deteriorate into arguments of iOS vs Android, replete with grade-school name calling. Articles that don’t make mention of Samsung often include comments claiming that we are shills for Apple. Some commenters plain attack our writers or editors or other commenters. Some are outright threats. And that’s not even getting into the spam problem.

The thing is, we like having a comments section. It gives our readers a place to share their experiences, point out mistakes we’ve made, offer up different perspectives and provide more information. Our comments section can be an incredible place to visit, and we value that our readers take the time out of their day (often repeatedly) to participate. But we can’t take pride in a comment system that isn’t offering you the features you need to participate; that runs amok with racist, sexist or homophobic slurs and threats; or that takes joy in in-fighting and provoking fights.

A quality comments section should make it easy for users to contribute. A good comments section has users who feel a sense of duty and kinship, who act as a community. An exceptional comments section informs its readers, corrects authors and provides worthwhile insights in a polite and constructive manner.

This is not, by and large, what is happening in our comments section today. In order to reassess and push forward with a better system, we’re going to take a comment break. For the next seven days, none of the articles on Engadget will have an open comments section.

If we’re spending the majority of our days moderating comments, zapping spam and slaying trolls, we’re not spending that time improving the section for you. We want to make sure that our readers are getting the very best experience in our community. A week-long breather will give us the time to refocus our efforts.

We know there will be a lot of feelings about this, so let me try to anticipate some of your comments and questions:

Is this just censorship?
No — and no for a few reasons. One, we are not attempting to restrict your speech; you’ll still be able to comment via Facebook or Twitter, or share your deeper thoughts on Public Access. And two, this is our house. You can think of the comments section as a party we’re throwing in our own living room. When our guests start flipping over tables, spitting on the floor and insulting the guests, the party’s over.

You’re just doing this because because we disagree with you.
Again, no. We have zero issue with disagreements. It’s 100% okay with us if you disagree with our opinions or want to point out something we’ve overlooked or think there’s bias in an article. We rely on our commenters and community to holler if they see something amiss. There’s really no point in a comments section where everyone agrees. But we are 100% not okay with is insulting, demeaning, disrespectful, harassing or threatening behavior.

In the meantime, comments are open on our Facebook posts, and stories can always be shared on Twitter or via our tumblr page. If you see something that needs to be corrected, you can let us know here. If you have a tip for us please use tips@engadget.com.

Apple Lowers Out-of-Warranty Repair Price for Apple Watch Sport to $199

Following the announcement of the $50 price drop for the Apple Watch Sport on Monday, Apple has now lowered the cost of its out-of-warranty repair price for the aluminum-cased wearable from $229 to $199. The program serves Apple Watch wearers not supported by AppleCare+, or the limited one-year warranty of the device, which will be ending soon for early adopters of the Apple Watch.

The company still has a few rules about out-of-warranty service, with any Apple Watch that “has been broken into multiple pieces” remaining ineligible for repair. For more detailed descriptions of applicable devices, the company has a full Apple Repair Terms and Conditions document on its website.

Since the other tiers of the Apple Watch have not gotten a price drop, their out-of-warranty prices haven’t changed either. If an owner of either the Apple Watch or Apple Watch Edition lacks proper warranty, a repair will cost them $329 and $2,800, respectively.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Addresses GSM iPad 2 Activation Bug With Revised iOS 9.3, but Broader Issue Remains Unfixed

Last night, Apple released a new build of iOS 9.3 (13E236) designed specifically for the GSM iPad 2, addressing an issue that prevented the GSM iPad 2 from accessing Apple’s activation servers. After downloading iOS 9.3, some iPad 2 users received the following message: “Your iPad could not be activated because the activation service is temporarily unavailable,” a problem the update aims to fix.

There has been some confusion over the iPad 2 iOS 9.3 update, because there is a second separate activation bug affecting many older devices, including the iPad Air and earlier and the iPhone 5s and earlier.

The second activation bug, which spurred Apple to stop signing iOS 9.3 for multiple products yesterday, prevents older device owners from activating their iPhones and iPads if they can’t remember the Apple ID and password originally used to set up the device.

While the iPad 2 iOS 9.3 update fixes the first activation issue, it does not address the second activation bug that affects many more devices. Apple has not resumed signing iOS 9.3 for older devices, so many customers who have an iPad Air or earlier, iPad mini 2 or earlier, or iPhone 5s or earlier are not able to download and install iOS 9.3 if they have not done so already.

Apple has said it is working on a fix for the second activation issue, which will be released in the form of a new update to iOS 9.3 in the next few days. Until that time, customers who have an older device will need to remain on iOS 9.2.1.

Related Roundup: iOS 9
Tag: iOS 9.3
Discuss this article in our forums

New Apple Watch Bands Now Available for Personal Pickup

The new Apple Watch bands that were introduced at Monday’s “Let Us Loop You In” event are now available for personal pickup from Apple’s online store, letting prospective buyers check in-store stock levels and arrange for in-store pickup after purchasing online.

Apple has been selling the new Apple Watch bands in retail stores since earlier this week, but prior to today, there was no way to know if a particular store had a specific band available for purchase.

Many bands that will not ship for several weeks from the online store, such as the Gold/Royal Blue Woven Nylon band and the Yellow Apple Watch Sport band, are immediately available in Apple retail stores across the country. There are some bands, like the 38mm Scuba Blue and Gold/Red Woven Nylon, that appear to be in shorter supply and are not available at most stores.

The Woven Nylon bands, available for $49 in Gold/Red, Gold/Royal Blue, Royal Blue, Pink, Pearl, Scuba Blue, and Black, are a new product line that just debuted this week. Apple has also updated the Sport Band, Modern Buckle, Leather Loop, and Classic Buckle with new spring color choices and introduced a new Black Milanese Loop.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums

Forget the freezer, this is how you should be storing your coffee – CNET

When it comes to storing coffee, everyone has their own opinion about how to do it best. Some people keep the coffee in the can or bag and leave it in the cabinet. Some vacuum seal it and throw it in the freezer. Some never give it any thought at all.

It doesn’t have to be overly complex. This is how you should store coffee.

Stop freezing coffee beans

Taylor Martin/CNET

In most cases, storing coffee in the freezer is a waste of time, especially if you’re a daily drinker.

If you buy your coffee off the shelves of a grocery store, the odds that it’s already stale when you purchase it are quite high. Coffee is only considered to be fresh for up to two weeks after its roast date. Some argue it will remain fresh for up to a month off roast. That time frame is severely shortened if the coffee is preground.

Most larger coffee brands, however, do not offer a roasted on date on their packaging, and many of those coffees have likely been sitting on the shelf for months.

About a month ago, I saw a bag of Counter Culture coffee in a nearby grocery store with a roasted on date of sometime in early August 2015. The most fresh bag of Counter Culture there was already three months old.

So if you purchased a bag that had been sitting on the store shelves that long and took it home to freeze it, you would be trying to maintain the freshness of coffee that is already stale.

Further, freezing coffee introduces a few problems. Humidity levels inside a freezer fluctuate and coffee beans are very porous. If you do not store the coffee completely airtight, the coffee beans will be subjected to moisture and can take on the flavors of other frozen items around it.

All of that said, there is at least one scenario where freezing coffee beans does make sense.

If you purchase your coffee fresh from a local roaster but are a very light drinker and can’t finish an entire pound of coffee before it goes stale, you may want to consider freezing some of the coffee. Remove as much as you think you can drink in approximately two weeks and place it in an airtight container. Vacuum seal the rest and store in the freezer. Only open it once you’ve run out of fresh coffee and allow it to completely thaw before opening the vacuum sealed bag.

How you should store coffee

Taylor Martin/CNET

When buying whole bean coffee fresh, it’s best to keep in mind how much you can drink in following two to three weeks. If you can’t finish an entire pound or 12 ounce (340.2 grams) bag, see if the roaster sells 8 ounce (226.7 gram) bags.

Once you’ve purchased the coffee, you can decide which common storage method works best for your needs.

• Most people simply keep the coffee in the bag it was in when they purchased it. Better coffee packaging is on the rise and roasters are starting to use bags that come with zip-top seals. But even standard gusseted bags will suffice if you can go through the whole bag within a few weeks.
• My personal favorite way to store coffee is in Mason jars. In many ways, it’s hardly any more beneficial than keeping the coffee the bag, but it’s easier to access, looks nicer and stores or stacks better. If, like me, you have multiple coffees on hand at all times, it’s the most cost-effective and organized way to store coffee.
• Vacuum-sealed containers, such as a Planetary Design Airscape. are arguably one of the best ways to store beans, but they don’t come cheap. They are containers that typically hold between 1 and 1.5 pounds (453.6 and 680.4 grams) of coffee, and they retail for between $15 and $45 per container. You add the coffee to the jar, press the lid down onto the coffee to force as much air out as possible and lock the lid in place. These containers typically come with a one-way valve to allow carbon dioxide to escape but to keep oxygen out.

Once you’ve chosen your storage container, place it in a cool area, away from light. As long as you grind it right before you brew and finish the whole container within the following two or three weeks, you will never need to freeze your coffee again — unless you want to deodorize your freezer.

Need to sharpen a knife? All you need is a coffee mug – CNET

Taylor Martin/CNET

Too many of us toss our knives in the dish washer, rarely sharpen them and continue hacking away at food as the edges of their expensive cutlery dull to near butter knife status.

If there’s ever a time when a knife is too dull to work with, and you don’t have a dedicated sharpener handy, all you need is a coffee mug.

Choosing your mug

Obviously, you will need a knife or two, so gather any you will be working with. You will also need a ceramic cup or bowl. Most ceramic dishes have an unglazed rim along the bottom. This is the most crucial part.

Just about any unglazed ceramic will do, but the larger the edge, the more room you will have to work with.

How to sharpen a knife with a mug

Keep in mind that this isn’t exactly a standard way to sharpen a knife, and you probably shouldn’t rely on it as a long-term method of sharpening. However, it will certainly do if you have no other sharpener on hand.

To sharpen a knife on a ceramic dish:

• Place the dish upside down on a level working surface. This will expose the unglazed rim.
• Select one of the knives you will be working with and grab it by the handle. Use your non-dominant hand to hold the ceramic dish in place.
• Place the heel of the knife blade against the rim and hold it at a 30 to 45 degree angle, depending on the knife and the existing bevel. Slowly pull the edge of the knife across the ceramic rim from the heel of the blade to the tip.
• Repeat this step 5 to 10 times, flip the blade over and repeat the steps for the other side of the blade.

There should be some residue left on the bottom of the cup. This is a clear indicator that it’s working and that it’s shaving off extremely small bits of metal from the blade.

Continue this until the blade is sharp enough to use. Rinse the knife to remove any residual bits of loose metal and you’re ready to go.

Audeze Sine review – CNET

The Good The swanky, sturdily built Audeze Sine is among the smallest and most affordable headphones to use planar magnetic drivers. It offers very revealing, spacious sound in a closed-back design. For an extra $50, you can get the company’s Cipher Lightning headphone cable, which plugs directly into your iOS device’s Lightning port — making it iPhone 7-ready.

The Bad The headphone’s a little heavy — comfortable, but not extraordinarily so. Included 3.5mm headphone cord doesn’t have an integrated remote and microphone.

The Bottom Line The Audeze Sine is a fantastic headphone that will appeal to anyone looking for truly high-end sound that isn’t incredibly expensive.

The Audeze Sine is a special headphone. At $450 it’s one of the least expensive headphones that use planar magnetic drivers, which tend to sound very coherent and spacious, with low distortion. If “planar magnetic drivers” sounds Greek to you, you’re in good company. Ultimately, what matters is that it’s a totally different technology than what you find in nearly all other mainstream headphones. If you want the technical details, check out Inner Fidelity.

But what you should know it that what makes this headphone (and the Oppo PM-3) special is that — in a world where most planar magnetic headphones have open-back designs — the Sine has a closed-back design. In fact, it’s one of the few planar magnetic models that’s optimized for mobile use — it’s being marketed as the world’s first “on-ear” planar magnetic headphone.

Open-back models generally offer more open, airy sound, but they also leak sound, which makes them less than ideal for use in the presence of other people.

While it doesn’t it sound as rich or open as Audeze’s higher end open-back over-the-ear models — some of which cost in the thousands and are audiophile favorites — it’s one of those headphones that sounds so good you want to go back and listen to your music collection to hear the little details that lesser headphones don’t reveal. It’s just a great-sounding headphone.

Audeze Sine headphones come in two versions: one with a traditional miniplug and one that adds an Apple Lightning connector.

Sarah Tew/CNET

It’s worth mentioning that although Audeze calls this an “on-ear” headphone the earcups fit around my ears — barely anyway. But I don’t have a big head, so the earcups will indeed sit on some people’s ears.

Ready for iPhone 7

The Sine is very attractively designed, with a leather covered headband and earcups and sturdy metal parts. It folds flat into an included storage pouch. The thick tangle-resistant flat headphone cord detaches and iPhone users can swap out the standard analog cable for Audeze’s Apple-approved Cipher Lightning cable. That creates an all-digital connection and has a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) built into the headphone’s remote and overrides the iPhone’s internal DAC. It slightly boosts the sound — and sound performance — while drawing a little power from your iPhone.

That means if — as many suspect — the iPhone 7 that we expect to be announced in September drops the standard headphone jack, the Audeze Sine will be one of the first wired headphones to be compatible with it.

That Lightning cable is included in the $500 bundle of the headphones (along with the standard cable with a 3.5mm plug). Along with the inline remote, the Lightning cable has an integrated microphone for making calls with your iPhone. However, the standard cable with a 3.5mm plug does not have an integrated remote or microphone, which is too bad.

Vizio E series (2016) Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Vizio

For years I’ve been asking for a dumb TV. Vizio’s 2016 E series is one step closer to the dumb dream.

One of the company’s mainstream models for 2016, the E series follows Vizio’s new smart TV design edict: Get rid of the onscreen smart TV menu system entirely, and replace it with Google Cast, the popular streaming platform exemplified by devices like the $35 Chromecast. Vizio is calling it SmartCast.

If you want to watch Netflix on the E series, you’ll have to use the Netflix app on your phone or tablet and “Cast” to the TV. The same goes for any other streaming app — except the handful that aren’t supported by Cast, notably Amazon (which was available on previous Vizio TVs). Don’t have a phone or tablet handy in the living room all the time? Then either use a device like a Roku or Apple TV, or buy a different TV.

That’s because, unlike the step-up P series and M series, the E doesn’t include a free tablet remote, so you’ll have to use your own device for SmartCasting. These TVs also depend on Vizio’s SmartCast app (free for Android and iOS) for settings and other controls. I’m assuming the E comes with the simplified remote found on the P series, but Vizio hasn’t confirmed as much yet.

Pricing, size and availability information have not been announced, and Vizio has declined to give us any yet. Here’s what we know.

Vizio E series features

• Full-array local dimming with 12 zones
• 4K resolution
• Google Cast compatible

Local dimming should enable the E series to match the very good image quality of its predecessor, one of our favorite TVs from 2015. Of course I don’t expect it to be as good as the M or P series, which have more zones and other image quality perks like HDR, but in past years the E has outperformed many budget and mainstream-priced LCD TVs that lack dimming entirely.

Other details revealed on the web site include dual-band 082.11ac Wi-Fi, an HDMI cable in the box and a new design with a “textured bezel.” Like the other SmartCast TVs, the E series lacks a built-in tuner, so if you want to watch local broadcasts via antenna (as opposed to cable, satellite or streaming) you’ll need to buy a third-party tuner.

Here’s how Vizio’s 2016 TVs stack up.

VIZIO’S 2016 4K TV LINEUP

We’ve asked Vizio for more details and we’ll update this article when we get them.

Microsoft readies a universal Skype app for Windows 10

Microsoft is developing a new version of Skype that works across all Windows 10 devices, including desktop PCs, tablets and smartphones. At the moment, it’s called the rather convoluted “Skype Universal Windows Platform Preview,” and will be available to Windows Insiders in the coming weeks. The first build will be focused on the desktop and include most of Skype’s usual features, such as group chats, one-to-one voice and video calls. Group voice and video calling are noticeably absent, but Microsoft has promised to add them “in the next couple of releases.”

The app will eventually replace the Skype “integration” that Microsoft has been working on for Windows 10. A consumer preview of this was released last November, unbundling video and messaging into two separate apps. Microsoft has reconsidered its approach, however, and will now take a different tack: “As the screen size gets bigger — large tablets, two in ones and PCs, for example — and you begin to use the apps, expectations shift and people want to limit app clutter,” the Skype team said in a blog post. That led to a single purpose app with a “simplified” look and feel.

The existing Skype apps for Windows 10 will still be available, for now. Microsoft wants to “streamline” its desktop experiences, however, and says it will slowly bundle them all into its new universal app. The new version doesn’t look all that different, but its underlying code is important because it’ll eventually scale to Windows 10 Mobile too. If Microsoft’s smartphone platform is ever going to take off, a decent Skype app is a must.

Source: Skype (Blog Post)

Amazon shows you how to make an Echo with Raspberry Pi

If you’re into messing with hardware and have some basic programming skills, you can put together an Amazon Alexa device of your very own. Amazon has even put together an official guide to do so on GitHub, Lifehacker reports. You’ll need to snag a Raspberry Pi 2 and a USB microphone to make it happen, but you’ve probably got the other required hardware (a micro-SD card for storage, for example) lying around. Unfortunately, due to limitations with Amazon’s Voice Services, your creation can’t listen for trigger words like Echo and Echo Dot. Instead, you’ll have to hit a button to issue commands.
This isn’t the first DIY Amazon Echo project, but it’s notable since it comes officially from Amazon. The GitHub guide is also fairly detailed, so you can probably follow through it even if you don’t know what all the commands mean. It could be a fun project for anyone who wants to learn a bit more about hardware.

Via: Hacker News

Source: Amazon (GitHub)