Volvo will conduct China’s largest test of self-driving cars

Volvo is about to embark on one of the greatest adventures in the history of self-driving cars… at leat, if everything goes according to plan. It’s planning an experiment in China (reportedly the country’s biggest to date) that will have as many as 100 autonomous vehicles driving on public streets in regular traffic conditions. Real-life tests aren’t completely novel — just ask Google. However, this would both offer a rare chance at a large-scale test and give Volvo a toehold in China’s increasingly hot self-driving car space.

The problem? Right now, there’s no firm course of action in place. Volvo says it’ll spend the “coming months” negotiating with Chinese cities to see which ones will offer the clearances and infrastructure to make these robotic rides feasible. You may not see this experiment begin for a long time, and its results won’t be ready for a while after that. Should everything come together, though, it could take humanity one step closer to hands-free private transportation.

Source: Volvo

Newegg to offer customer support via Facebook Messenger

Ever since Facebook Messenger started allowing businesses to chat with their customers (and vice versa), it’s been used as a means of customer support. A number of different companies have already started doing so — Hyatt, Sprint, Zulily and Everlane among others. Now online e-commerce site Newegg is in on it too. The retailer said in a statement today that you can simply strike up a conversation with a representative via its Facebook Page. You can also just search for “Newegg” within Messenger.

“Offering support via Messenger is the next important step to provide our customers the best possible mobile experience,” said Merle McIntosh, Newegg’s SVP of Sales and Marketing. Messages sent during business hours will be dealt with immediately, while those sent outside those hours will get a response the following day. So if you’ve been wondering why that shipment of yours has yet to arrive, go ahead and send them a message through Messenger — and maybe throw in a few angry emojis too if you feel like it.

Via: The Verge

Source: Businesswire

Google Testing Support for Native OS X Notifications in Chrome

Google’s Chrome browser has long supported push notifications, but it’s always used its own notification center instead of relying on the OS X Notification Center that was built into Apple’s operating system in 2012.

That may change in the near future, as Google is experimenting with the built-in OS X Notification Center. Available to all Chrome users as an experimental feature, OS X notifications can be turned on in the current version of the Chrome browser by inserting “chrome://flags/#enable-native-notifications” in the address bar and choosing the “enable” option.

It should be noted that a more current version of the feature is available through Chrome Canary, as the implementation on the release browser is 6-12 weeks behind the current state of development.

Native OS X notifications are more visually attractive than standard Chrome notifications and they’re also listed in the Notification Center window, something that wasn’t possible with Chrome notifications. OS X notifications coming from Chrome will also obey Do Not Disturb settings.

As The Next Web points out, the Notification Center feature is still in active development so users who choose to turn it on could run into some bugs. Google developers say work on OS X Notification Center integration is being actively pursued, but it is not “100% clear either way” whether support will become official as “certain roadblocks” could potentially prevent that from happening.

Tags: Google, Chrome
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BlitzWolf F1 Bluetooth 4.0 metal portable speaker is well worth its $34 price tag: review

If you’ve recently shopped for a portable Bluetooth speaker in the under $50 range, you probably saw a wide range of designs and features, from the fun (party disco ball) to the too cute (panda bear head) to the functional (water resistant alarm clock). There is A LOT to choose from. If you need a speaker for both work and play, the Blitzwolf’s F1 Bluetooth 4.0 wireless pocket speaker is a good choice. It meets the core requirements of connectivity, portability, durability, and, the all-important battery life with the looks and performance suited for both outdoors and indoors.

With a lightweight, sandblasted minimalist-designed aluminum body, and laser cut speaker holes, the F1, comes in grey, black or black/orange. It’s water resistant, dust-proof and shockproof which means it can handle some pool splashes and a little beating as it’s transported indoors and outdoors. At 8” in length, weighing 9.5 oz., the speaker doesn’t take up too much space in your bag but does add a little bit of heft, a small tradeoff for the sturdy metal casing.

Connectivity with decent sound quality and battery life

Like most Bluetooth speakers, it easily paired with my phone without any issues, allowing me to immediately start listening to my test playlist. Operating it was straightforward. The F1 has five rubberized raised buttons, some which perform double duty: power, play/pause, Bluetooth status indicator/reject or answer call, volume up/next track, volume down/previous track.

To see what range it could handle, I listened to classical, rock, pop, country, hip-hop, and podcasts. I even used it when streaming “House of Cards” on my tablet (sometimes Doug mumbles). Considering the size, the speaker sound was very good, transmitting the highs and mids with no problem. No surprise: hip-hop—Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode” to be specific–sounded distorted when the low bass hit.

The 18 core dual 45 mm speakers aren’t designed to handle the deep bass intended for traditional speakers, but, frankly I don’t know any other Bluetooth speakers in this price range that could.

I want to note that the only time I had a problem with connectivity was when I was trying to pair with my sister’s two year-old laptop, but it was a Windows problem, unrelated to Blitzwolf. Fortunately, we had the cable that came with the speaker so we were able to connect and still amplify the sound of the video we were watching.

Since the F1 is also touted as a hands-free speaker phone, I used it for a few conference calls. It was great for listening in on the meetings, but not so great when I was speaking. The people on the other end couldn’t hear me very well even after I moved my mouth closer to the pinhole mic next to the power button. My voice was hard to hear—it wasn’t muffled, just too quiet. In a pinch, I’d use this for conference calls, knowing that I might have to switch to the mic on my phone when it’s my turn to talk.

I was surprised by the battery life as I don’t always expect speakers in this price range to perform very well in this area. (Maybe because I actually followed the instructions to fully charge it before using?) I did all of the above activities in one week and only needed to recharge once. The 1800 mAh lithium ion battery lasted about 10 hours each session before I needed to charge it again.

Summary

The F1 is a good portable Bluetooth speaker designed more for play rather than work. The sound quality is solid. At a $33.99 price, you can’t go wrong. And if you’re not happy, Blitzwolf stands behind its product with a 30-day money-back guarantee in addition to an 18-month warranty. If you are disappointed with the quality or have problems with the product, contact the customer-friendly Blitzwolf folks who wants to “turn that frown up-side down”.

Get the Blitzwolf F1 Bluetooth speaker for just $33.99 from Banggood.com.

Key Specs & Information

• Dimensions: 1.97” x 7.87” x 3.54”
• Weight: 9.5 oz
• Speakers: 18 core dual 45 mm with digital amplifier
• Battery & Power: 1800mAh lithium ion battery, 10-12 hours of playback; DC power, 4-5 hours to fully charge
• Warranty: 30-day money-back guarantee; 18-month limited warranty
• Other features: mic, 3.5 mm aux-in and micro USB ports
• Speaker comes with a micro USB charging cable, 3.5 mm audio cable, and wrist strap
• Tip: Manufacturer recommends fully charging the speaker before using it for the first time

Wazombi Smart Shades review – CNET

The Good Wazombi’s Smart Shades have a clever base mechanism. The coming interchangeable wheels will make the device more flexible, and the developing firmware has exciting possibilities.

The Bad Right now, the device is too limited to appeal to anyone without continuous-loop, beaded-chain shades. Plus, the sluggish speed makes remote control unappealing.

The Bottom Line Despite its limitations, Wazombi’s device shows some potential — especially as the hardware and firmware continue to develop. Keep your eye on it, because in a few months, this could be a great buy.

Visit manufacturer site for details.

Wazombi’s Smart Shades are a simple product. The body of the device sticks to the wall beside your window, you feed the line from your shade into the wheel of the device, and it turns to crank your shade open or closed. The device alone costs $90 (about £64 or AU$118), but another $20 (£14 or AU$26) will buy a solar panel to power it — as opposed to the included Mini-USB charger. A free iOS- and Android-compatible app sets schedules and, in the near future, automations.

Right now, Wazombi’s device has some serious limitations — in particular a reliance on continuous-loop, beaded chain shades. The base technology is inelegant. But it’s also clever, and has potential. Wazombi is aware of many of the limitations it has, and plans fixes for most of them over the next few months. Though I would pass on the product right now, Smart Shades is worth keeping an eye on as it develops.

Wazombi’s clever device smartens your shades…
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The design of Wazombi’s Smart Shades is simple, but that simplicity introduces three problems:

• The device only works with hard-to-find and often-expensive continuous-loop, beaded-chain shades. If you don’t have these already, Wazombi’s gadget isn’t worth it.
• The wheel only turns so quickly, so opening or closing a shade can take from 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the weight of the shade. Though that isn’t much of an issue for automation, it makes remote control annoying and inconvenient.
• The price is higher than competitors like the $80 Teptron Move (slated for next month) or the $90 FlipFlic, which includes a solar panel (out next January).

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Chris Monroe/CNET

Wazombi plans to fix the first two issues within the next three months — the first with affordable wheels personalized for different shade-types, the second with an adjustable turn speed. When those changes come, the device will be much improved.

Other exciting possibilities for Wazombi will come with further updates. The ability to automate shades based on the intensity of the sunlight entering the window — as measured by the solar panel — will be a big addition. And it should be active through a firmware update within the next few months.

After working with Smart Shades for a couple days, though, it seems like a clever product that lacks polish and flexibility. Hopefully, those will come as more features develop. But for now, unless you have continuous-loop, beaded-chain shades, I recommend waiting.

Bethesda says anyone can try Doom beta on 15 April, confirms DLC packs

Everyone will be able to get a taste of the new Doom’s multiplayer portion in less than two weeks.

Bethesda has announced an open beta that will run from 15 April to 17 April. Unlike past betas, which were limited in their availability, everyone with a Windows PC, Xbox One, or PlayStation 4 can join and experience the same content as the closed beta. That includes two modes (called Team Deathmatch and Warpath) and two maps (called Heatwave and Infernal).

Doom is a reboot of the Doom series, as well as the first major installment of the series since Doom 3 came out in 2004. Keep in mind this early access to Doom is all about the multiplayer component. The upcoming first-person shooter, which is developed by id Software and published by Bethesda, won’t get a full release on Windows, Xbox One, and PS4 4 until 13 May.

Bethesda also announced that id Software is planning both free and paid additions to Doom’s multiplayer component following the launch of the game. SnapMap, for instance, which is the mode that allows you to create multiplayer content, will get free content updates like map modules. Multiplayer will also receive free updates in the form of new game modes.

Id software will deliver three premium multiplayer DLC packs after launch as well. These will bring a number of new maps, hack modules, playable demons, weapons, and more. The first DLC will be available this summer.

Each DLC pack will cost $14.99 (£11.99), or you can get them all with the Season Pass for $39.99 (£29.99).

How to make your GIFs load fast every time – CNET

Alina Bradford

Have you ever excitedly turned a video into a GIF…and then realized it took forever to load on your phone? Or didn’t load at all?

It sucks the joy right out of GIF-sharing. An unoptimized GIF can look jumpy and strange and even look pixelated or jittery. The good news is that you can make fast-loading GIFs with just a few tricks.

Delete excess frames

The main reason why your GIFs load so slowly is likely because you have too many frames in the GIF.

Next time, delete one frame for every two that you use. Reddit user MichaelTunnell found that this method makes GIFs much faster and fixes the problems that can come from opening the GIF in different browsers. Just make sure you aren’t deleting an important frame, like a frame with text or a significant action, for the best look. Video & GIF Memes for Android lets you upload video you shot on your phone and edit frames.

You can also use the YouTube video editor to cut down some frames. This option is found under Advanced Settings > Enhancements > Trim. Once there, use click on the frame you want to trim, click on the Split button and drag the tab blue tab that appears on the frame to the left to remove the frame. Click on done. Then, to make it into a GIF, copy the YouTube link into the Giphy GIF creator or another online GIF creator. The video will be converted into a streamlined GIF.

Try color reduction

Another easy way to reduce a GIF’s size is by minimizing the number of colors used in the GIF.

Use your app’s color reduction tool to reduce the number of colors in each frame to 256 or less for the best speed. Most apps with this feature have a box where you type in the number of colors you want your GIF to use or a slider to adjust the number accordingly.

Your app doesn’t have this option? Upload your video to GIFCreator.me to adjust the colors.

Compress your GIF

Once you have your GIF just the way you want it, it’s time to reduce its size some more. Compression diminishes the file size of the GIF without reducing its quality, making it load more quickly. Simply upload your GIF to a site like GIF Optimizer or Ezgif.com to use their free compression tools.

7 quick cool ways to make a GIF

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​How to stream PlayStation 4 games to your PC or Mac – CNET

Sony

We’ve all been there. You want to play your PlayStation 4, but someone else is using the TV. There’s no need to throw a fit or start an argument. Sony has released an update for the PS4 that allows you to stream games right to your PC or Mac. It’s similar to the streaming feature on the PlayStation Vita.

The Remote Play feature should work on most desktops and laptops. Machines running Windows 8.1 or higher and OS X Yosemite or higher are supported. Your computer must also have at least 2GB of RAM, a 1,024×768-pixel or higher resolution display, and at least a 2.4GHz Core i5-520M processor

Sony recommends that for best performance you also have an Internet connection with upload and download speeds of at least 12 Mbps. You can check your connection speed here.

Here’s how to set up Remote Play on your PC or Mac:

Step 1: Update your PS4

• Head to Settings
• Select System Software Update
• Select Update (if available)

Dan Graziano/CNET

Step 2: Enable Remote Play on the PS4

• Head to Settings
• Click Remote Play Connection Settings
• Select the check box to Enable Remote Play

Step 3: Set the PS4 as your primary system

• Head to Settings
• Click PlayStation Network/Account Management
• Select Activate As Your Primary PS4
• Tap Activate

Step 4: Change the PS4’s power settings

• Head to Settings
• Click on Power Save Settings
• Select Set Feature Available in Rest Mode
• Make sure the box that reads “Stay Connected to the Internet” is enabled
• Make sure the box that reads “Enable Turning on PS4 from Network” is enabled

Dan Graziano/CNET

Step 5: Install Remote Play on your PC or Mac

• Click this link to download Sony’s Remote Play software on your PC or Mac
• Follow the instructions to install the software

Step 6: Game time

• Launch the Remote Play software on your computer
• Click the Start button in the Remote Play software
• Sign in to your PlayStation account
• The software will then search for your system. It should have no problem finding it as long as your PS4 is turned on (or in Rest mode) and connected to the Internet
• Connect your DualShock 4 controller to your computer using a Micro-USB cord and start gaming.

Spigen is offering a variety of Galaxy S7, S7 edge and LG G5 cases for under $4

Spigen is hosting another sale on its Amazon store, bringing the price of a variety of cases down to less than $4. The accessory maker is offering a number of case options for the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge and the LG G5. Each case has it’s own coupon code, with prices either at the $2.99 or $3.99 mark. There are protective cases, slim cases, clear cases and even wallet cases available in this deal.

Here are the various case options, broken down by phone.

Galaxy S7

• Wallet S (Black) – $3.99 w/ code R8299QCW
• Ultra Hybrid (Crystal Clear) – $2.99 w/ code 8TYCERNN
• Tough Armor (Gunmetal) – $3.99 w/ code HVXCFTKC
• Thin Fit (Black) – $2.99 w/ code WAFBVJ6Z
• Slim Armor CS (Gunmetal) – $3.99 w/ code VTZ8SBXV
• Rugged Armor (Black) – $3.99 w/ code G4RI8T9O
• Neo Hybrid (Satin Silver) – $3.99 w/ code JGE38PIR
• Neo Hybrid Crystal (Gunmetal) – $3.99 w/ code Y2MNV4YI
• Liquid Crystal (Crystal Clear) – $2.99 w/ code 2TGZ6XTE

Galaxy S7 Edge

• Wallet S (Black) – $3.99 w/ code UNKQG5NW
• Ultra Hybrid (Crystal Clear) – $2.99 w/ code VWOKJEL3
• Tough Armor (Gunmetal) – $3.99 w/ code AJF3MX2K
• Thin Fit (Black) – $2.99 w/ code ZWRSEVXW
• Rugged Armor (Black) – $3.99 w/ code F92GV3LS
• Neo Hybrid (Crystal Clear) – $3.99 w/ code MGT9LEJR
• Liquid Crystal (Crystal Clear) – $2.99 w/ code D2R3SQ34
• Neo Hybrid (Satin Silver) – $3.99 w/ code YTLE3CWX

LG G5

• Thin Fit (Black) – $2.99 w/ code SYG4PR9J
• Ultra Hybrid (Crystal Clear) – $3.99 w/ code 485ZJ5DF
• Neo Hybrid (Satin Silver) – $3.99 w/ code 3TNWELR2
• Neo Hybrid (Crystal Clear) – $3.99 w/ code BE5THFZ2
• Wallet S (Black) – $3.99 w/ code QFI5BIEE

If you are interested in any of these deals, you’ll want to act quick as we don’t know how long they will last. Be sure to let us know which ones you pick up in the comments!

Can you use a Chromebook offline?

It’s more than a web browser. Your Chromebook can run real apps without an internet connection.

Chromebooks have a reputation of being an online-only machine. While that was true when they first came out, things have changed. There’s no doubt that having a connection to the internet is the best way to use a Chromebook — or any laptop for the most part — but Chrome OS has evolved and there are plenty of apps that let you do your thing while you’re not online.

Since the introduction of what Google called “Packaged Apps” it’s been fairly easy to build applications for Chrome that can be self-contained and run everything locally. Chrome has a file system, and programs can store data and retrieve it as needed. We tend to think of Chrome as a browser, but it’s more. It’s a full fledged application platform, and designed to let third party programs run outside of what we call the browser window. You don’t have to do things the same way Microsoft or Apple does to bring “real” applications to life, and Google — as well as plenty of others — are doing just that.

If you visit the Chrome store, you’ll find a nice selection of games, text editing and writing tools, entertainment features and utilities that don’t need an internet connection to run. You’ll even find tools web developers can use to package their own applications to work with Chrome while the user is offline. Familiar companies like Autodesk and Amazon have apps to use offline, you’ll find code editors for just about any language, and you can even play Cut the Rope without a network connection. All the apps you’ll find aren’t great (another thing you’ll find on any platform) and there are some serious holes in the selection if you need to do professional-level video, photo or audio editing. But with apps like Kindle and Evernote and Pocket available, as well as being able to play music and movies while you’re not connected, you’ll find plenty to do without a WiFi connection.

Google is well represented here, too. You can pin movies and TV shows through Google Play Movies and TV, use your calendar and email just like you would on any laptop offline, and you can even set up Google Drive to keep local files in sync with the same cloud you would use on any other computer — including your phone. And enabling offline mode in Google Docs allows you to use apps for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations any time you like that can easily be kept in sync online when you do have access to the internet.

Of course, every laptop is better with an internet connection. The web is the platform of the future, and we see Microsoft and Apple making their web services better every year, and making great ways we can use them from our computers. Google has a leg up here because they have been an internet-first company since the beginning. As they continue to improve Chrome — and get users familiar with the idea of Chromebooks by getting schools and businesses on board — the gap between Chromebooks and “real” laptops, whether genuine or perceived, will continue to close.