5 tips every Snapchat user should know – CNET

Alina Bradford/CNET

If you’re new to Snapchat, you’ve got a lot to learn. The app does little in the way to help new users navigate the platform, leaving you clueless about tools and features seasoned snappers use daily.

Here are five features and tips every new Snapchat user should know.

1. Those chat emojis have hidden meanings

You’ll notice emojis appear next to your friends’ names in the chat window. They seemingly show up and change at random, but there are hidden meanings behind them.

You can check out what each friend emoji means by going to Settings > Additional Services > Manage > Friend Emojis.

If you click on the default emoji in this list, a menu will appear where you can change the emoji associated with each meaning.

2. Get more out of the color picker

If you look at color picker for the pencil tool, you’ll see there are no black and white options. They exist — they’re just hidden.

To grab the black pencil tool, hold down on the rainbow tool (color picker) and drag your finger to the left side and bottom of your phone screen. Hold down on the rainbow tool and drag you finger to the top-left of the screen for the white pencil.

3. Create a blank canvas

Sometimes you just want to share cute drawings or text. For that, you’ll need a blank canvas. Use your finger to cover your camera lens and take a picture. The snap will be a red, blank canvas to draw on with the pencil tool. For a black canvas, lay your phone on a dark surface and capture a snap.

4. Flip the camera midsnap

While taking a video, tap on the camera button to switch from your front-facing camera to get some face time in your snap.

5. Get unlimited text

Work around Snapchat’s text limit by going to your phone’s notes app and creating a blank note. In the note, press the return button several times to create blank lines. Hold your finger on the screen and choose “Select All” and “Copy.”

Back in Snapchat, press and hold in the text box on your snap and select “Paste”. You just pasted a larger text box into your snap that you can fill with a bunch of text. To use it, tap on each blank line and type away.

Dozens of new emojis are headed your way soon – CNET

We’re getting a sneak peek at new emojis coming later this year thanks to Google. The latest developer preview of the mobile OS (code named Android N) includes completely redesigned emojis, plus brand-new designs for both Android and iOS that should arrive in the next few months.

Google took some design cues from iOS, redesigning its emoji faces to look simpler and more human-like. You’ll also soon be able to pick a different skin color for many of the people emoji, such as the princess, boy, girl and construction worker.

These new emojis will very likely be available with the official release of Android N, whenever that happens. Until then, let’s take a look at the most noticeable emoji upgrades and see what’s new with each.

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CNET

Police officer

The strange blob police officer is gone and now we have something that looks a bit more human. In fact, it bears an uncanny resemblance to the iOS police officer. The drawback is that the original Android emoji doesn’t appear to have a gender, while the new one skews male. Come on, Google, women can be cops too.

Face throwing a kiss

The head-tilting blob gets a sleeker look here, while maintaining that classic pucker-up face. I’m a big fan of Google’s take on faces, which are far cuter than the Apple ones.

Poop

Look, I’ve never liked the poop emoji and the original Android one is the worst I’ve seen. The new Android one looks way too enthusiastic for a pile of poop, but it’s a good improvement.

Runner

The new Android running guy emoji has clothes! And he’s running in the same direction as the iOS runner. They could be twins if not for the different colored hair. While the details add a lot more the the emoji, I’m irked that we still only have a running man and not a running lady.

Information desk person

The “whoop it up lady” (not her real name apparently) gets perhaps the best makeover of them all. The original emoji looks like some kind of cartoon creature flight attendant that I never want to serve me. The new emoji is better in every way and conveys the same excitement and attitude of the iOS version.

Sushi

The differences here are subtle, but Google scaled back on the cartoonish look for something a bit more lifelike. Notice that shading in the rice and grain marks in the salmon (or is it tuna?). Those are two pieces of nigiri I’d love to eat.

New emojis, not just for Android

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Clockwise from top left: bat, pregnant woman, cartwheel, nauseated face, pancakes and avocado.

CNET

The Unicode Consortium, the organization that sets the design standards for emoji across all platforms, is slated to launch a new set of emojis in mid-2016. Last year we got the much-desired taco, burrito and unicorn and this year’s emojis include an avocado, gold medal, croissant, shark and call-me hand.

These new designs will be available for both iOS and Android, and we should see them on phones with the next iOS and Android updates.

I’m already excited about the bat and avocado, plus this black heart speaks to me. Which new emojis do you want to see and which are your favorites? Let us know in the comments.

Ehang Ghost 2.0 VR Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Joshua Goldman/CNET

Ehang commanded attention at CES 2016 with the Ehang 184, a battery-powered octocopter capable of autonomously flying a single passenger for 23 minutes at about 60 miles per hour. Though you likely won’t see a 184 flying overhead anytime soon, the Chinese startup’s Ghost 2.0 camera drone, which was also at the show, is heading to stores by the end of April.

The Ghost 1.0 drone got its start as an Indiegogo campaign in early 2015 and although this update doesn’t look too different from the original, a company spokesperson told me there are improvements throughout, starting with how it’s controlled.

Like the first one, the Ghost 2.0 is mainly piloted with an iPhone or Android phone and not a traditional RC controller. You pair your device with a pocket-sized transmitter called a G-Box and using your phone’s internal accelerometer and gyroscope you just tilt your phone in the direction you want the Ghost to fly. You can also use the Ehang Play mobile app to plot the Ghost’s course as well as have the drone follow you. Basically, Ehang fine-tuned the entire user experience — from the app to the connectivity to the performance — from the first version.

The big selling point for many, though, will be the company’s new VR goggles. Promising a zero latency video feed from the onboard camera, the goggles will not only give you a first-person view from the sky, but you’ll be able to control the camera angle just by moving your head.

The Ghost 2.0 will be available in an Aerial version for $599, which includes a three-axis gimbal for use with a GoPro Hero3 or Hero4 camera or similar style action cam. The VR version comes with the aforementioned goggles and a gimbal-stabilized 4K-resolution camera for $1,099. Both include a 12-month warranty and 24/7 customer support. Pricing for UK and Australia wasn’t available, but they convert to about £420 and £770, or AU$775 and AU$1,400.

Marshmallow rolls out to the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+

If you’re rocking a Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ on T-Mobile, you’ll want to check for an update, as the carrier is now pushing Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow to the curved smartphone. Of course, once updated, your T-Mobile Galaxy S6 edge+ will have access to all of Marshmallow’s goodies, including Doze Mode, granular app permissions and more.

Since the update only just began rolling out, it may take some time to show as available for download. Still, if you’d like to check manually, you can do so in the “About Device” section of the Settings menu. After you update, you should see your system software version bumped up to G928TUVU2DPD1.

Have you received the Marshmallow update on your T-Mobile Galaxy S6 edge+ yet? Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below and on our forums!

Cheers, Rob!

Apple confirms that it is no longer supporting Quicktime for Windows

Back in the day, a not-insignificant number of Windows users ended up with Apple’s Quicktime software installed on their computers, thanks in large part to iTunes. It’s been a long time since it’s been necessary for either the web or iTunes, though, and as such the software is pretty out of date — not to mention a security threat. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security recommended Windows users uninstall Quicktime because of potential security holes, and now Apple is echoing that advice. The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has confirmed it’ll no longer update or support Quicktime 7 for Windows. Details to remove the offending software from your computer can be found here.

As Apple notes on its support page, it’s been a long time since Quicktime was necessary for iTunes — that changed with version 10.5, which was released way, way back in October of 2011. And while Quicktime used to serve up a web video, it’s similarly been deprecated and replaced by technologies like HTML 5. So for most users, there’s basically no reason to have the app installed anymore. Given its status as a potential security threat and the lack of any updates coming from Apple, we’d go so far as to say you should get it off your computer as soon as possible.

We’ve reached out to Apple to confirm that it has ended support for Quicktime on Windows and will update this post with any other details.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Netflix added a record 6.74 million new subscribers in Q1 2016

Netflix recently added more than 130 countries to its world service map, and now it’s revealing the effect of that expansion: a record number of new subs.

The video-streaming service just posted its first-quarter results for 2016. And buried between a bunch of boring financial stats, Netflix announced that its customer base has reached 46.97 million in the US and 34.53 million internationally, for a total of 81.5 million subscribers. That’s an increase of 6.74 million over the three-month period that ended 30 March.

Those numbers also mean 42 per cent of Netflix’s customer base is now outside the US. Despite these results, Netflix’s share price still dived 12 per cent in after-hours trading simply because the company forecasted next quarter won’t be as stellar. It only expects to add 2 million new customers overseas, whereas analysts are expecting 3.45 million new subs.

Netflix expects to add 500,000 new customers in the US next quarter. For comparison, it added a record 5.59 million subscribers last quarter, with a majority of them coming from outside the US.

As for that boring financial stuff, Netflix reported $1.96 billion in revenue in Q1. It also recorded $49 million in operating income, a huge dip from $92 million for the same period last year.

Netflix is blaming that dip on the cost of its international expansion.

See Earth in stunning 4K from the ISS

Check out some of the most gorgeous footage ever caught of Earth. NASA astronauts have beamed down stunning 4K footage of our planet from the ISS using a RED Epic Dragon digital camera and posted it on their YouTube channel.

This isn’t the first ultra-high definition video sent from the ISS: NASA sent the RED camera up back in January 2015 and started uploading 4K video to YouTube last June. Most of the videos in NASA’s UHD archive are of experiments done inside the space station. It’s cool to watch bubbles wiggle in zero-G, but it pales compared to a carefully-framed shot of the globe spinning underneath the camera.

Of course, you’ll only be able to experience UHD if your display goes up to 4K, or 3840 x 2160 resolution. You’ll have to manually click the quality sprocket on the YouTube screen and choose 2160p to see video in its proper format. And if you want to download any footage from the archive, go nuts — but a 4-minute clip in 4K will take up half a gigabyte.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: YouTube

What’s on your HDTV: ‘The Revenant,’ ‘Better Call Saul,’ ‘Game of Thrones’

As the NBA and NHL playoffs get into gear, it’s also time for the second season of Better Call Saul to wrap up. Meanwhile, The Revenant is ready on both Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray, while Star Fox Zero is coming home on Wii U. Of course, the big hitters this week are HBO’s Game of Thrones and Silicon Valley, but before those arrive Sunday night we can expect the full third season of Deadbeat on Hulu, Thunderbirds are Go on Amazon, and a new Patton Oswalt comedy special on Netflix. Finally, after the season finale of Broad City, check out Ilana Glazer in the Time Traveling Bong mini-series. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

Blu-ray & Games & Streaming

• The Revenant (4K)
• Ip Man 3
• Silicon Valley (S2)
• Love 3D
• Haven (final season)
• Veep (S4)
• And Then There Were None
• Dirt Rally (PS4, Xbox One)
• Invisible Inc. (PS4)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Eclipse DLC (PS4)
• Galaga (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
• Dig Dug (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
• Ms. Pac-Man (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
• Overpower (PC – Early Access)
• Don’t Starve Together (PC – Linux, Mac & Windows)
• Lumo (PS4, Xbox One)
• Star Fox Zero (Wii U)

Monday

• Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (season finale), CW, 8PM
• Supergirl (season finale), CBS, 8PM
• Dancing with the Stars, ABC, 8PM
• The Voice, NBC, 8PM
• WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
• American Dad, TBS, 8:30PM
• 12 Monkeys (season premiere), Syfy, 9PM
• Mapplethorpe, HBO, 9PM
• The Magicians, Syfy, 9PM
• Damien, A&E, 10PM
• Blindspot, NBC, 10PM
• Better Call Saul (season finale), AMC, 10PM
• Billion Dollar Wreck, History, 10PM
• Talking Saul, AMC, 11PM
• Bitten, Syfy, 11PM

Tuesday

• New Girl, Fox, 8 & 8:30PM
• The Voice, NBC, 8PM
• NCIS, CBS, 8PM
• The Flash, CW, 8PM
• Real O’Neals, ABC, 8:30PM
• Containment (series premiere), CW, 9PM
• Deadliest Catch, Discovery, 9PM
• Brooklyn Nine-nine (season finale), Fox, 9PM
• Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., ABC, 9PM
• The Outsiders (season finale), WGN, 9PM
• Chicago Med, NBC, 9PM
• The Grinder, Fox, 9:30PM
• The Night Manager (miniseries premiere), AMC, 10PM
• Stitchers, Freeform, 10PM
• Awkward, MTV, 10PM
• Chicago Fire, NBC, 10PM
• Beyond the Tank, ABC, 10PM
• Tosh.0, Comedy Central, 10PM
• Not Safe with Nikki Glaser, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
• Faking It, MTV, 10:30PM

Wednesday

• Deadbeat (S3), Hulu, 3AM
• The Path, Hulu, 3AM
• The Fashion Fund, Amazon Prime, 3AM
• Survivor, CBS, 8PM
• Rosewood, Fox, 8PM
• Heartbeat, NBC, 8PM
• Empire, Fox, 9PM
• Criminal Minds, CBS, 9PM
• The Americans, FX, 10PM
• The Last Panthers, Sundance, 10PM
• Catfish, MTV, 10PM
• Broad City (season finale), Comedy Central, 10PM
• Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, CBS, 10PM
• Nashville, ABC, 10PM
• Underground, WGN, 10PM
• Time Traveling Bong (series premiere), Comedy Central, 10:30PM

Thursday

• Grey’s Anatomy, ABC, 8PM
• The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 8PM
• Strong, NBC, 8PM
• Bones, Fox, 8PM
• WWE SmackDown, USA, 8PM
• DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, CW, 8PM
• The Odd Couple, CBS, 8:30PM
• Scandal, ABC, 9PM
• The 100, CW, 9PM
• The Blacklist, NBC, 9PM
• The Eighties, CNN, 9PM
• Mom, CBS, 9PM
• 2 Broke Girls, CBS, 9:30PM
• Inside Amy Schumer (season premiere), Comedy Central, 10PM
• Archer, FX, 10PM
• Rush Hour, CBS, 10PM
• The Catch, ABC, 10PM
• The Real World, MTV, 10PM
• Orphan Black, BBC America, 10PM
• The Vikings (spring finale), History, 10PM
• Time Traveling Bong, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
• Adam Devine’s House Party, Comedy Central, 12:30aM

Friday

• Thunderbirds Are Go (S1), Amazon, 3AM
• Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping, Netflix, 3AM
• The Amazing Race, CBS, 8PM
• The Vampire Diaries, CW, 8PM
• Caught on Camera, NBC, 8PM
• Last Man Standing (season finale), ABC, 8PM
• Dr, Ken (season finale)
• Grimm, NBC, 9PM
• Shark Tank, ABC, 9PM
• Hawaii Five-0, CBS, 9PM
• Motive, USA, 10PM
• Banshee, Cinemax, 10PM
• Time Traveling Bong (season finale),. Comedy Central, 10:30PM
• Vice, HBO, 11PM

Saturday

• Outlander, Starz, 9PM
• Amy Schumer presents Rachel Feinstein: Only Whores Wear Purple, Comedy Central, 10PM
• Party Over Here, Fox, 11PM

Sunday

• Bordertown, Fox, 7PM
• Once Upon A Time, ABC, 8PM
• The Simpsons, Fox, 8PM
• Little Big Shots, NBC, 8PM
• Call the Midwife, PBS, 8PM
• Madam Secretary, CBS, 8PM
• The Girlfriend Experience, Starz, 8PM
• Bob’s Burgers, Fox, 8:30PM
• Game of Thrones (season premiere), HBO, 9PM
• Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (season premiere), CNN, 9PM
• Rebellion (Part 1 of 3), Sundance, 9PM
• House of Lies, Showtime, 9PM
• Fear the Walking Dead, AMC, 9PM
• The Family, ABC, 9PM
• Grantchester, PBS, 9PM
• The Carmichael Show, NBC, 9PM
• The Good Wife, CBS, 9PM
• Crowded, NBC, 9:30PM
• Dice, Showtime, 9:30PM
• Silicon Valley (season premiere), HBO,10PM
• United Shades of America (series premiere), CNN, 10PM
• The Last Man on Earth, Fox, 9:30PM
• Mr. Selfridge, PBS, 10PM
• Elementary, CBS, 10PM
• Girls, HBO, 10PM
• Quantico ABC, 10PM
• Veep (season premiere), HBO, 10:30PM
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11PM

(All times listed are ET)

Apple Pay Expands to Singapore Through American Express Partnership, Visa Support Coming Soon

Apple today updated its website and its Apple Pay support document to note the expansion of the Apple Pay payment service to Singapore. With the addition of Singapore, Apple Pay is now available in six countries, including Canada, China, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Apple Pay is available in Singapore through a partnership with American Express, first announced by Apple in October of 2015. By partnering with American Express, Apple has brought Apple Pay to Singapore, Canada, and Australia and will expand it to Hong Kong and Spain later this year.

According to Apple’s Singapore website, Apple Pay is currently available to American Express users in the country. American Express cardholders can add their credit cards to the Wallet app by opening the app and tapping on the “+” button or using Settings and tapping “Add Credit or Debit Card.”

Apple Pay is limited to cards issued by American Express, but the website says Apple Pay support will expand to major credit and debit cards from top banks “soon.” Visa is listed as a credit card partner that will support Apple Pay in Singapore in the future, as are the following banks: DBS, UOB, and Standard Chartered.

Apple Pay is available in a range of retail locations in Singapore, including Starbucks, FairPrice, StarHub, Uniqlo, TopShop, and Shaw Theaters, along with other stores that have NFC-equipped payment terminals. Additional partners like BreadTalk, Cold Storage, FoodRepublic, Giant, and more will be adding support for Apple Pay soon.

Apple Pay will also soon be available within apps, with Uber and HomeAway Asia set to be two of the first apps that will offer Apple Pay support in Singapore.

iPhone 6, 6s, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, and SE users can now use Apple Pay in retail stores, and with the Apple Watch, Apple Pay is extended to the iPhone 5, 5c, and 5s. Apple Pay within apps is available on the iPhone 6, 6s, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, SE, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, and both iPad Pro models.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
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Apple Celebrates Earth Day With Selection of Apple Music Playlists

Apple kicked off its Earth Day celebrations last Thursday, outfitting retail employees with green shirts, decorating Apple Store logos with green leaves, and launching an “Apps for Earth” promotion that will see in-app purchases from partner apps donated to the World Wildlife Fund.

Apple is also celebrating Earth Day, which takes place on Friday, April 22, with a selection of Earth-inspired Apple Music playlists. There are five playlists available, each with a collection of 22 to 25 songs spanning a wide range of genres and musical tastes, as outlined below.

• Celebrating Mother Earth – From sun and sky to seas and trees, musicians pay tribute to the natural world in this set of uplifting tunes. Songs included are from artists like The Beatles, Coldplay, U2, Peter Gabriel, Michael Jackson, John Denver, and Cat Stevens.
• Power Off – Laidback, moody, contemplative tunes for when it’s time to chill. Songs included are from artists like Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Sia, Adele, Maroon 5, Ryan Adams, and Alicia Keys.
• From the Roots – Rustic. Earthy. Unplugged. Timeless. Revel in this mix of straight up classics from rock’s most iconic artists and their acoustic guitars. Songs included are from artists like Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Bon Iver, Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen, and The Who.
• Recycle: Covers – Anything goes when these legendary tunes are given a brand-new touch. Songs include well-known covers from a number of artists like The White Stripes, David Bowie, Adele, Johnny Cash, Yo La Tengo, Saint Etienne, and Smashing Pumpkins.
• Amor a La Naturaleza – What better way to pay homage to the natural world than with songs that celebrate the wonder all around us? In honor of Earth Day, these eclectic, electrifying Latin alternative artists do just that. Songs included are from artists like Alex Ferreira, Ana Tijoux, Ekhymosis, Nicola Cruz, Astro, Bomba Estéreo, and Chancha via Circuito.

The five Earth Day Apple Music playlists are available to all Apple Music subscribers and can be found under the “New” section.

Tag: Apple Music
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