Live in a yellow submarine on Google Maps

Google wants to help you remodel your house one sticker at a time. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch, but the search giant is adding options to customize locations (including your abode and where you work) within Google Maps by adding a whimsical icon to it. You can totally tell people you work in a lighthouse, pirate ship or a even live in yellow submarine, so long as you don’t mind sharing it with a few musical insects, that is. What’s more, you can add labels to just about any destination now so can get push notifications about what traffic and travel time will be like to, say, the grocery store during rush hour.

However, based on what Google says, it sounds like you can only apply stickers to where you earn and bake your bread — nowhere else. Folks with iOS devices will have to wait for this because it’s only available for Android users at the moment.

Source: Google Latitude blog

Five for Friday: Apps to keep your days straight.

Many of us live by a schedule. We have many things to do, and most of us are not lucky enough to have a personal assistant or a secretary to

Jenn-Air Connected Double Oven Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The Jenn-Air connected oven is available, but its integration with Nest won’t begin until summer 2016.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Does it get a little too hot in the kitchen when you cook? A new smart home collaboration will help keep things cool automatically.

A connected wall oven from luxury appliance brand Jenn-Air will work with the popular Nest Learning Thermostat beginning this summer, the company announced Thursday at the Architectural Digest Design Show in New York City. This means you can set the Nest to turn down the temperature by a degree or two if the thermostat detects that you’re using the oven, which ranges in price from $3,549 to $5,199. The Nest will also work with the Jenn-Air Connected Double Wall Oven’s app to send you an alert if your oven is on, but the Nest detects that you’re not home.

This collaboration is a natural evolution for Jenn-Air’s parent company, Whirlpool, which announced at CES 2016 that a Whirlpool range and dishwasher would work with Nest. The Whirlpool Corporation’s partnership with the smart thermostat, along with the Whirlpool dishwasher’s compatibility with the Amazon Dash replenishments, show that the company is aggressive in integrating its kitchen products (from the luxury lines to the more mainstream brands) into the larger concept of the connected home.

The Jenn-Air connected wall oven ranges in price from $3,549 to $5,199 depending on finishes and whether you pair the single oven with a built-in microwave or another wall oven.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Whirlpool’s choice of companies to work with is also (for lack of a better word) smart. Amazon recently announced new developer tools for its virtual assistant, Alexa, that will let you sync Alexa-powered gadgets like the Amazon Echo smart speaker with the Nest. It’s not too much of a stretch to wonder if you’ll eventually be able to ask Alexa if your oven’s on.

Jenn-Air began shipping its connected oven in December. Even without the integration with Nest, the oven has an impressive app and interface. You can use a feature called the Culinary Center that will ask for information about what you’re cooking (from your desired level of doneness to the type of pan you’re using) and recommend cook settings for the dish. From the app, you can send those settings directly to the oven so it will be ready to cook to your preferences when you get home. These features are promising, but the connected oven’s price will put them out of reach for a lot of folks. I’d like to see the Whirlpool Corporation incorporate some of the features from the Jenn-Air’s app into the app for the connected and less expensive Whirlpool connected oven when it’s released late this year.

Features

• 7-inch LCD touchscreen
• Oven available as a single unit or paired with a built-in microwave or second wall oven
• Users can set a cooking sequence (for example, bake for an hour, broil for five minutes, keep warm for 20 minutes) directly on the oven or the app
• Includes connected temperature probe

Breville Barista Express review – CNET

The Good The semi-automatic Breville Barista Express brews better espresso than more expensive machines. It’s comparatively easy to use and keep clean, plus it has an attractive stainless-steel design. It also has a built-in burr grinder for hassle-free coffee ground dosing.

The Bad The Breville Barista Express requires some effort to operate compared with fancy super-automatic machines.

The Bottom Line The attractive, user-friendly Breville Barista Express makes delicious espresso, with outstanding value in a pricey category.

In my experience, there are two types of espresso drinkers. The first set doesn’t care where their elixir comes from, how much it costs or how it’s made, as long as they get it fast. A second group dreams about duplicating espresso alchemy at home, on the cheap, and are more than willing to get their hands dirty. If the latter sounds like you, then the semi-automatic $600 Breville Barista Express espresso machine is a dream come true.

The Barista Express offers just enough adjustable controls and manual settings that you feel like a real barista when using it. It’s also simple to operate, performs as well as machines costing hundreds more, and grinds beans right into its portafilter. Of course a gadget like this isn’t for everyone since it requires some effort and patience to operate. Those who demand their concentrated coffee fix with a minimum of fuss (and who are willing to pay for it), a fully automatic machine like the $3,000 Philips Saeco GranBaristo Avanti and $2,500 Krups EA 9010 will be more your speed.

Breville’s Barista Express makes premium…
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Design and features

Measuring 16 inches tall by 13.5 inches wide and reaching a depth of 12.5 inches, the Breville Barista Express is roughly the size of a standard drip coffee maker but about twice as wide. Compared with compact espresso machines such as the De’Longhi Dedica and Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista, Breville’s espresso maker is larger and physically more robust.

Aside from its girth, on looks alone Breville’s machine gives the impression that it means business.The stainless-steel chassis, and the the hefty steel portafilter and handle attachment help its appearance, but the large bean hopper, companion burr grinder, and pressure gauge really seal its serious looks. You usually only see those features on premium semi and super automatic espresso makers.

This machine has a real pressure gauge.

Chris Monroe/CNET

It’s the pressure gauge that most communicates the Breville’s brewing chops. Placed front and center on the control panel, the circular dial displays whether the internal pump is pushing hot water through your coffee grounds within the optimal pressure range.

Too little force and water will flow through the grounds too quickly, missing much of its potential flavor, and resulting in under extracted and sour-tasting espresso. Too little hot water flow under high pressure will likely yield espresso liquid with a bitter flavor. Cheaper espresso machines tend to lack pressure gauges either to cut costs, or mask that they have inconsistent performance.

Adjust the grind amount.

Chris Monroe/CNET

To the left and right of the dial are large circular buttons for “Power,” “Filter Size” and “Program,” along with two for choosing to brew single or double espresso shots. Here too is a knob for setting the amount of coffee grounds the grinder will produce automatically for either single or double-sized espresso filters.

To make life easier, ground coffee drops directly into the Barista Express’ steel portafilter. From there it’s a cinch to gently press (or tamp) the portafilter’s contents down (Breville includes a metal tamper) and twist the entire apparatus (handle, filter and all) into position under the machine’s single brew head.

Grounds drop right into the portafilter.

Chris Monroe/CNET

A swivel-joint mounted steam wand along with a hot water nozzle live to the right of the brew head, both activated by a large knob on the machine’s right side. On the far left of the unit sits a grind size selector that boasts 18 settings including “coarse” on one end and “fine” on the other. Other thoughtful touches include a drip tray that’s easy to clean and a removable water tank with its own sturdy handle.

Pull shots like a barista

I admit that at first all the Breville Barista Express’ knobs, buttons, and dials were intimidating. Thanks to the detailed manual, after pulling just a few practice shots I had the basic process down. First I filled the bean hopper and the water tank. Next I dropped a double-walled, double-shot filter into the portafilter basket (I always prefer double shots) and pushed it backward into the grinding cradle.

Fill the grinder’s bean hopper.

Chris Monroe/CNET

One short push and release hits a button at the back of the cradle telling the grinder to automatically fill the filter basket to the size you’ve selected, single or double. Also factored in is what grind amount setting you’ve selected, controlled by the grind amount dial. You can grind manually into the portafilter too by pushing it back and holding it in place. Releasing backwards pressure off of the portafilter handle stops the grinder.

Finally you tamp down your grounds, swivel the portafilter into place to lock it under the brewhead, then hit the single or double espresso button. With any luck a thick, concentrated stream of espresso liquid will flow into your glass or cup. Keep in mind that many factors can affect your espresso pull quality. These include the coarseness and amount of grounds used, how hard a tamp you exert, and whether the machine has been properly primed right before you brew.

Michael Kors Access Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Michael Kors

It’s been a busy week for Android Wear. We’ve seen new watches from Fossil, Nixon and now Michael Kors. The fashion designer announced the $395 Michael Kors Access smartwatch this week at Baselworld, an annual watch and jewelry trade show taking place in Switzerland.

The Access is an Android Wear-powered smartwatch for fashionistas, complete with exclusive watch faces designed by Michael Kors and support for interchangeable metal, leather and silicone straps. It has a round display that’s not a complete circle. Like the Moto 360, the watch includes an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust display brightness, which is the reason for that black bar at the bottom of the screen.

Other specs weren’t announced, although the watch likely features ether an Intel or Qualcomm processor with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage for apps and music. Aside from the design and some unique watch faces, the Access can do everything other Android Wear watches can do, which means you can view personalized Google Now cards and notifications for emails, calls, texts and app alerts from your Android or iOS device.

We’ve seen a handful of fashion-forward smartwatches hit the market in the past year from Tag Heuer, Fossil, Huawei and Motorola. The Access will be offered in two models: a gold version that the company says is for women and a sporty one for men.

The Access will start at $395 in the US, and arrive in Michael Kors stores and select department and specialty stores around September of this year. International pricing wasn’t announced, but the US price converts to about £270 and AU$520.

The price is wrong: Family Sharing confuses the App Store – CNET

One of my roles as a dad is iOS Game Scout. In an effort to get my daughter to take a break from one of the many Toca Hair salon games she plays and my son to step away momentarily from Minecraft, I bring games to their attention that have, in my estimation, some sort of artistic or educational value. Monument Valley was a big hit last year with both, and Alto’s Adventure is the latest game I’ve suggested that has resonated with both of them.

My daughter has her own iPad and Apple ID, and I’ve set us up with Family Sharing so we can share apps and movie purchases. This week, I noticed something odd when I went to install Alto’s Adventure on my daughter’s iPad. I found it on the Top Charts list, and it appeared as though the App Store insisted she pay for it even though I had already paid for it on my iPhone. Instead of the iCloud download button that you usually see for apps that you have already purchased but are not currently installed on your device, Alto’s Adventure — and other apps that I had purchased — simply listed the price.

I wanted to avoid paying double for the app, so I first checked Family Sharing in Settings > iCloud but all family members were present and accounted for and logged in. I then checked that I had the toggle switch on for Share My Purchases for my profile in iCloud > Family. Nothing looked amiss.

Next, I restarted the App Store app, but that didn’t do the trick either. Then I logged us both out of iCloud and then back in. No dice.

It turns out that we did nothing wrong with our Family Sharing situation. The confusion lies with the App Store itself. Apple wants you to drill down in the Purchased tab of the App Store to make family app purchases. The default view on the Purchased page are the apps you installed yourself, but you can tap My Purchases in the upper-left corner to bring up a small Family Purchases panel. It lists all of the family members in your Family Sharing plan. On my daughter’s iPad, I tapped on my name and on this page Alto’s Adventure and the other apps I had purchased each showed a Free button to install them.

Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET

I found it strange that on the main pages of the App Store app — Featured, Top Charts and even via Search — Alto’s Adventure listed a price of $2.99, while on the Purchased page it listed the app as Free. I wondered if Apple really was going to charge me twice for the same app, so I searched for a handful of apps on my daughter’s iPad that I had already purchased and tapped the price button for each, and guess what I found. The apps installed for free. I checked my iTunes purchase history and confirmed that I was not double billed for any of them.

My wife is a part of our Family Sharing plan, too, and I double-checked this situation with her iPad. Same thing — no double billing. But what I also found out is that for apps I had already purchased, she could tap their price button and the app would install right away without asking for her Apple ID password. And on my daughter’s iPad, previously purchased apps would install without sending me an approval request.

This means that they never need to drill down to my Purchased page in the App Store app. If a paid app begins installing without asking for a password or permission, then it means I already paid for it. And if a paid app asks for a password or permission, then it’s an app I have not previously paid for and installed.

Apple could certainly clear up this confusion by listing the little iCloud download button or the Free button for apps that a Family Share member has already purchased.

In the end, my advice to Family Sharing members is to ignore the price button listed for app you know someone in your family already purchased; you won’t be billed twice. And if you are the cautious type, you can always jump to the Purchased page in the App Store for the person in your family that bought the app, where it will clearly show you can download the app for free.

For more, learn how to get started with Family Sharing.

How to prevent your stand mixer from splashing – CNET

Alina Bradford

The best tip for preventing messes when using a stand mixer is to start it on a low speed and work your way up to a faster speed. If you’re like me, though, you still make a mess no mater how careful you are. I’ve tried various ways to contain splatters and have found two ways that work well.

Drape the bowl

The easiest is to cover your stand mixer and bowl with a kitchen towel while you mix. This works great, but if you are mixing something that can stain, like berries or beets, your towel can get ruined.

Make a lid

The solution to the staining problem is creating a lid for your mixer. Simply cut a hole in any plastic lid that is bigger than your stand mixer bowl and place it on top of the bowl when mixing. You can use an old plastic lid that has lost its container, or you can recycle a lid from a thrift store for just a few cents.

Cut the hole using a pair of kitchen scissors since normal craft scissor aren’t usually strong enough for cutting plastic. You want the hole to be around 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) in diameter so that the mixing mechanism has enough room to circulate while the bowl opening is as covered as possible.

You won’t be able to get your whisk through the hole in the lid, so you will need to put the attachment through the hole in the lid and then attach it to the mixer.

B&H Photo to sell unlocked LG G5 starting April 1

B&H Photo has announced that it will begin selling the LG G5 unlocked starting on April 1. B&H says that it will offer the unlocked G5 in two colors — Titan or Silver. And while the retailer hasn’t yet provided pricing information, interested buyers can sign up to be notified when the smartphone is in stock.

There’s no word yet on whether B&H Photo will be carrying any of the LG G5’s modular components (dubbed “Friends” by LG), but we’d expect to hear more as the sale date approaches. For now, if you’re interested in picking up an unlocked LG G5 from B&H Photo, you can look forward to the retailer opening up orders starting at midnight on April 1.

See at B&H Photo

LG G5

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• LG G5 CAM Plus module
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• The G5 has an always-on display
• LG G5 keeps the SD card, shuns adoptable storage
• Join the LG G5 discussion

Sony ‘PlayStation 4.5’ rumored with upgraded graphics; will Microsoft follow suit?

Microsoft’s Xbox leader Phil Spencer recently hinted that the Xbox One might get hardware upgrades in the future. Now a new report claims that rival Sony is planning to release an updated version of its PlayStation 4 console, with more powerful graphics hardware.

Kotaku reports:

“Based on conversations with developers who have spoken with Sony, this ‘PS4.5’ will include an upgraded GPU both to support high-end 4K resolution for games and add more processing power that can enhance the games supported by PlayStation VR, the headset Sony will launch this fall. It’s unclear if ‘PS4.5’ is an official name or just a nickname that developers have been using. One developer jokingly called it the ‘PS4K’ while telling me about the device.”

The report didn’t offer any information on when the “PlayStation 4.5” might be released or how much it would cost.

In his comments a few weeks ago, Spencer offered up these hints on the Xbox One’s possible upgradable future:

“We can effectively feel a little bit more like we see on PC, where I can still go back and run my old Doom and Quake games that I used to play years ago but I can still see the best 4K games come out and my library is always with me. Hardware innovation continues while the software innovation is able to take advantage and I don’t have to jump a generation and lose everything that I played on before.”

Spencer clarified some of his statements on the Major Nelson podcast a few days later, stating:

“Am I going to break open my console and start upgrading individual pieces of my console? That’s not our plan,”

However, it is possible Microsoft could release some kind of graphics module for the Xbox One to increase its performance, similar to the recently revealed Razer Core, an external graphics enclosure for increasing the visuals on notebooks and other PCs on the low hardware end.

Why is there PlayStation stuff here?

You are undoubtedly confused by the existence of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR articles on Android Central. Yes, we are aware the PlayStation 4 does not run Android. But we do use our Android phones to interact with the PlayStation 4, some more than others (looking at you, Xperia owners with your awesome Sony app). We’re also talking a lot more about VR lately, and the PlayStation VR is just as big a part of that conversation as the Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, or Oculus Rift. Yeah, it stretches things outside of Android a little, but it’s also going to be a lot of fun. Enjoy!

• Gaming with Second Screen apps
• Hands-on with PlayStation VR
• Specs comparison: Playstation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Gear VR

The Xiaomi Yeelight is a great bedside lamp

Xiaomi’s Yeelight is a perfect fit for those of us who want a simple — and affordable — smart lamp.

Smart lamps have been around for a while. Many of us have stand-alone bulbs that can be controlled with a remote, or even a full-on smart lighting system like the Philips Hue, and it’s usually the first step folks make when they start thinking about a connected home.

Xiaomi is a player in this space (as well as every space it seems), and they sent me one of their Yeelights to take a look at. I’ve been using it for a bit, and I have to say I’m impressed.

Meet the Yeelight

The Yeelight is a smart, Bluetooth Low Energy multicolor table lamp marketed as a bedside fixture. It has a clean cylindrical design, and you can control it with your smartphone or through a few controls on the top of the unit. The light output and features pit it against something like the Philips Hue Bloom, and the quality of materials and construction are equally top-notch. While the Yeelight is plastic and not glass, it’s very well built and the plastic used works well with the metal base. There are some major differences between the Yeelight and other smart lighting systems, though, and they can be the deciding factor when buying a smart light of any type.

As mentioned, you don’t need a smartphone to use the Yeelight, though not all features are available without one. On the top of the unit you’ll find a power button, a “scene” button and the top of the fixture is touch-sensitive and can be used to change the brightness by gliding your finger in a circular pattern. A tap of the scene button will change the Yeelight from “White” mode, to “Hue” mode to a blooming mode that cycles through 16 million colors. As a stand-alone lamp, it’s one of the most sophisticated we’ve seen.

Of course most people will want to use their smartphone to control the Yeelight, and that’s easily done. Xiaomi has a dedicated app in Google Play for the Yeelight, and while it’s not the most well-designed app you’ll ever install it is functional and easy to use.

Inside the app, you can control the same basic functions that the fixtures top-mounted controls provide, as well as a lot more, all by swiping your finger on the intuitive interface. Besides setting the color and intensity of the 16 million color Osram RGB LEDs (color temperature can range from 1700K to 6500K in the white mode as well) you can set things like a sleep timer, a wake-up timer that gradually increases the brightness starting 30 minutes before your set time as well as schedule on and off times or a night mode that cuts the intensity for a softer glow. If you choose to sign up for the optional Xiaomi account, you can even connect to your Mi Band or through the WeChat service to enable some additional features. You can connect multiple Yeelights to the app, though each must be controlled individually. The only issue I take with the app (other than the decidedly not Android looking design) is that paring the Yeelight was more difficult than it needed to be. It seemed to take longer than it should have, and the lack of feedback to let you know things were still working made it tempting to halt the process and start over. Don’t do that — let it run and you’ll be fine.

Can it replace my nightstand lamp?

Certainly! In fact, that’s how Xiaomi markets the Yeelight. While at full intensity it’s fairly bright — I’d compare it to a 40 watt tungsten bulb — it can also be dialed back to create a much more subdued glow. It has most all the features you’s want in a smart bedside fixture. The multiple colors and pulsing effects make it a perfect companion for any adult activities you and a partner may have planned, and the sleep timer feature and the gradual wake-up feature make the Yeelight excellent at it’s intended use — beside your bed. If you’re still using a traditional light in your bedroom, the Yeelight is the perfect way to get started with smart lighting.

The Yeelight is equally at home on an end table or anywhere you would want a light that doesn’t need to be extremely bright, and you would enjoy some smart control. The soft white output at it’s dimmest setting makes for a perfect accent lamp in the living room or den. You don’t have to relegate the Yeelight to the bedroom.

How “connected” do you want to be?

The Yeelight and a Hue Bloom

The footprint, light intensity and RGB features of the Yeelight are comparable to a Philips Hue Bloom, but a Hue system has one major advantage over the Yeelight — the Hue Hub and WiFi controls.

With a Hue system, you can control multiple lights, multiple zones or individual lights from your phone or a remote or even something more advanced like a home automation control center or a computer. The Hue system was designed to be integrated into an automated home rather than be a stand-alone product. You can’t, for example, set up a Yeelight to work with an Amazon Echo for voice control or integrate with TV programming to change colors while watching a movie. The Yeelight is a Bluetooth device, and that sort of functionality simply can’t be supported.

Of course since the Yeelight is a smart Bluetooth device, there is the possibility that Xiaomi can build more features into the app itself. While remote operation isn’t possible outside the 30-foot Bluetooth LE range, features like caller ID or a mode that pulses to the beat of your favorite music are certainly possible. But don’t buy the Yeelight counting on what could happen. If you want more than a stand-alone smart light fixture, you’ll be better off going the more expensive — but more functional — route with a smart WiFi hub enabled system.

Should I buy a Yeelight?

As mentioned above, that depends on what you want from a smart lamp. If you’re looking for something inexpensive (at the time of this writing the Yeelight is about $65) that you can plug in beside your bed on on an end table but still get the smart features that you want, the Yeelight is an instant buy. If you want a more automated and integrated system, the Yeelight isn’t going to suit your needs as well.

I always like to end any review with the answer to one simple question — would I buy this product with my own money?

I did. Having one for each side of the bed works perfectly for my wife and me, and we don’t miss any features that we would have had if we added a couple more Hue lamps to our setup. We also saved a lot of money by not buying another pair of Hue Blooms. I’m really glad I got to try the Yeelight, because I would have just bought two more Hue Bloom lamps (which are excellent and highly recommended as well) and paid for features I didn’t need at the bedside. I’m confident in recommending it to anyone.

See the Yeelight on Amazon