Will.i.am’s Dial smartwatch is now available for preorder through Three in UK

Will.i.am, the musician who has spent a lot of time and money making ill-conceived tech products, is launching pre-orders for his second smartwatch called the Dial exclusively through Three in the UK.

Dial is a voice-activated wearable that runs on an operating system called AneedA, which is also the voice assistant. The Dial’s design resembles its predecessor, the Puls, as it has a cuff band but with a slightly wider screen (1.63-inch AMOLED). It also features a 2-megapixel front camera, fitness functions, and the ability to text, call, and play music.

Speaking of music, the Dial comes with an “unlimited music service” featuring more than 20 million tracks. The service is called i.am+ and is free of adverts and monthly costs. In fact, Three is providing all streaming and downloads free of any data charges on all Dial plans, meaning you can download tracks and listen them without affecting your data allowance.

The Dial – which supports 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS – only works with a Three SIM card and operates completely untethered from a smartphone. It even has 32GB of onboard storage for music downloads or selfies taken with the front-facing camera. If any of this interests you, pricing for the device now starts at £22 a month with a £49 upfront cost.

Alternatively, you could get the Dial through Three in the UK for £25 a month with a £19 upfront cost on a 24-month contract. Pre-orders kick off 29 April.

Will.i.am

Uber affirms tipping drivers ‘is not expected or required’

In most parts of the world, tipping for certain services has been a long-standing tradition. Still, Uber made sure that was never the case between its riders and drivers, unless a yellow taxi was involved. But after a recent $100 million class-action settlement in the US, speculation grew that Uber would start encouraging tips. Not so fast. Today, in a Medium post and an email sent to users, Uber clarified that tipping isn’t expected or required, citing a hassle-free experience as to why it doesn’t give riders the option to add a tip to their fares.

“Nothing has changed. As we’ve said for many years, being Uber means you don’t need to tip,” Josh Mohrer, Uber’s NYC general manager, said in the email. “We decided against including [an option] because we felt it would be better for riders and drivers to know for sure what they would pay or earn on each trip — without the uncertainty of tipping.” That said, Mohrer did say you’re more than welcome to tip drivers, and they’re more than welcome to accept it, but you shouldn’t feel compelled to do so.

“Riders tell us that one of the things they like most about Uber is that it’s hassle-free,” he said. “And that’s how we intend to keep it.”

Source: Uber

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone relaunches failed Jelly app

Biz Stone’s resurrected Jelly app officially relaunched today, and where the original 2013 app was something like Instagram-meets-Yahoo Answers, Stone sees the latest version as a return to his original vision and an alternative to Google.

Unlike the first version, everything is anonymous and you don’t necessarily have to rely on your social network for answers this time around. “We think the future of search engines is just ask a question, get the answer,” Stone told TechCrunch. The goal is to save users those “ten or 15 minutes you didn’t have to spend looking around on links.”

Users can sign up to answer questions and, like other services, responses are rated based on whether or not they were actually helpful. But there’s a bit of artificial intelligence involved as well. “Yes, we’ve developed a routing algorithm,” Stone wrote in an announcement post on Medium. “Each query and every answer is freighted with metadata. But all this science is in service of getting you the right responses from the right folks.”

In other words: If you’re asking where to get lunch in Barcelona, for example, Jelly wants to make sure you get an answer from someone who has actually been there. Users will also be able to follow up with the person who answered their query, in case they need more information.

The app is live now in the App Store and on the web at askjelly.com.

Apple Maps Gains New Flyover Locations, Spotlight Suggestions Expand to Denmark, Norway and Sweden

Apple today updated its iOS 9 feature availability page to note the expansion of several iOS features to new countries.

Apple’s Flyover feature for Apple Maps has expanded to encompass Akron, Ohio and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, allowing Maps users to see photorealistic 3D views of the areas, with tools for zooming, panning, and rotating to get a closer look at notable landmarks and points of interest.

In Thailand, Apple Maps users now have access to traffic information, bringing the total number of countries with traffic data available to 34.

Finally, Spotlight Suggestions have expanded to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, making the feature available in 19 countries. Spotlight Suggestions show suggestions from the Internet, iTunes, the App Store, Maps, and more when conducting a spotlight search on an iPhone or Mac.

Tag: Apple Maps
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A Bluetooth speaker to withstand the elements: WAE Outdoor Rush review

As the weather gets increasingly nicer we find ourselves venturing outside more and more. Some of us have a lot of yard work to catch up on before we can chill on the back deck and take in the smells and sights of spring. Others, though, we’re already looking forward to cookouts and relaxing poolside.

Regardless of what we’re doing, one thing that tends to be constant, is our desire to have music on in the background. Be it some old school classics while the family gathers around a bonfire, or hip hop while we mess about in the garage, we like our tunes. Indeed, we’re always bringing along some form of portable speaker; music on a phone is just no good.

One speaker we’ve had the privilege of testing out is the WAE Outdoor Rush, by Hercules. This little guy is not only small in stature, but he’s also IP67-certified against dust, sand, snow, and rain. That’s right, he’s good for a dip in the pool; it withstands submersion up to one meter for a half hour. Not that I was able to test it out, but the grilles are specially treated with a nickel electroplating process to hold up to salty seawater.

The WAE Outdoor Rush isn’t much bigger than a 20 ounce water or soda bottle, but it puts out quite the sound. In fact, we found that it gets louder than we feel comfortable with.

Generally speaking, we wouldn’t want to necessarily play music as loud as it gets in our small gatherings or outdoor hangouts. Moreover, there’s a 1/4-inch screw thread that lets you connect the speaker to a bike mount or standard attachment. You’d never find us riding around with this much sound hitting us in the face.

Although there’s somewhat of a triangular shape to the speaker, music comes from only one of the faces. Should you mount it on your handlebars, you can direct the sound to play toward you and not broadcast your impending arrival.

Sound quality is impressive considering the size, but it can definitely get distorted at the highest volumes. Again, we’re not comfortable with that level of audio as it is. Keeping it at about fifty percent was more than enough to fill the yard or room with music. At a beach, with white noise from the ocean, however, we might appreciate setting it louder. Playing EDM, hip hop, podcasts, audiobooks, and a host of other audio types were pleasurable. There’s certainly a case of “don’t let the size fool you” going on here.

Across the top of the unit are eight buttons, many of which you’d expect to see. In addition to the power and volume options, there’s also play, pause, track advancements, and Bluetooth (for pairing).

Rounding things out is a button for FM, too. Yep, the WAE Outdoor Rush also comes with a built-in FM tuner. You’ll need to download and install the app so you can edit and toggle channels, but doing so is quite easy. An added touch we appreciated is the indicator light for FM and Bluetooth to show connectivity.

On one end of the tube you’ll find a cap that screws in tightly. Open it up and underneath is a USB port so you can charge your phone with an additional 500mAh of juice. The microUSB port is where you’ll plug in to replenish the internal battery. Also present is the 3.5mm headphone or auxiliary input port. The screw-on cap is a nice touch in that it comes with a tether so you won’t lose it, and the waterproof feature in the process.

Battery life is rated at 12 hours of playback which we found to be rather accurate. For us, we get in the habit of charging up every few uses, just to be safe. There’s no indicator light to let you know how much is left; we’d rather error on the side of safety.

We’ve tested a lot of Bluetooth speakers over the years, many of which tend to receive favorable marks. The WAE Outdoor Rush is definitely one of those devices which we’d have no problem endorsing.

You can learn more about the Hercules WAE Outdoor Rush at Hercules.com. Retail pricing is listed at $129.99 with availability expected soon.

HP Spectre x360 (2016) review – CNET

The Good Two years running, the HP Spectre x360 offers incredible value for the money. Its slim, premium aluminum frame houses a speedy processor, comfortable keyboard and touchpad, plenty of full-size ports, a beautiful touchscreen and a surprising amount of battery life under the hood.

The Bad While attractive, it’s a little chunkier than some of the competition. The glossy screen can generate distracting reflections — the price you pay for touch — and the 15-inch model’s speakers sound muddy.

The Bottom Line If you’re looking for a full-featured Windows laptop with major bang for the buck, the HP Spectre x360 is it.

“Which Windows laptop should you buy?” That’s no longer a tough question: these days, I almost always recommend a Dell XPS 13 or an HP Spectre x360. When these notebooks first hit shelves last year, they offered more style and performance than we’d ever seen for under $1,000.

In 2016, none of that has changed. The only difference is a new generation of Intel processors that are slightly faster. And I like it that way.

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The 13-inch HP Spectre x360.

Josh Miller/CNET

Starting at $999 (£849, AU$1,999), the 13-inch HP Spectre x360 has everything I need in a thin-and-light laptop. I don’t ask for much: just a comfortable, lightweight machine with great looks, long battery life, plenty of speed and an excellent selection of ports.

I’ve been using the Spectre x360 for weeks now, and it ticks every one of those boxes. It’s like an Apple MacBook Air with a slightly worse touchpad, but more connectivity and a far better screen — one that bends over backwards to become a Windows 10 tablet in a pinch. Literally.

One big difference for 2016: there’s a new 15-inch model that starts at $1,149. I tried both the 13- and 15-inch models, and they’re practically identical. That’s a very good thing. (From here on out, you can assume my notes apply to both models unless I specifically say otherwise.)

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13-inch vs. 15-inch.

Josh Miller/CNET

Why do I love HP’s laptop? Keep on reading.

Amazon’s hardware and cloud services helped it beat Q1 earnings expectations

Amazon has posted its fiscal first-quarter earnings, and unlike the year-ago quarter, it hasn’t posted a massive loss but rather a 28 per cent yoy growth.

The company reported net revenue of $29.1 billion for the period that ended on 31 March, whereas this time last year it recorded a $53 million loss. It also posted a net income of $513 million, or $1.07 a share, which is the most profit its ever seen during a quarter, and Amazon’s CEO seems to think its devices are the reason why it’s doing so well.

“Amazon devices are the top selling products on Amazon, and customers purchased more than twice as many Fire tablets than first quarter last year,” Bezos said in a statement. “Echo too is off to an incredible start, and we can’t yet manage to keep it in stock despite all efforts. We’re building premium products at non-premium prices”.

Despite the Fire phone from a few years ago, Amazon is becoming known as a stellar gadget-maker. However, the company’s most profitable biz is still its Amazon Web Services cloud computing division, which posted a profit of $604 million and a revenue of $2.6 billion, a 64 per cent year-over-year increase.

But not everything was on the up and up. Amazon’s international business lost $121 million in operating income last quarter, but that’s less than the $158 million it lost in the year-ago quarter. Still, international revenue grew to $9.57 billion from $7.75 billion, also beating expectations.

Wall Street analysts had expected Amazon to post earnings of 58 cents per share on $27.98 billion in revenue, according to a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate, meaning the online retailer completely toppled their expectations.

These quarterly results mark the first time since 2012 that Amazon has turned a profit in four straight quarters. As a result, shares spiked more than 10 per cent in after-hours trading.

Google’s OnHub router uses IFTTT to automate your life

Google’s $200 OnHub router arrived last year, delivering fast WiFi in a device that touted an easy setup and automatic security updates. In the months following its arrival, the company has also added features like guest mode and band steering. Today, OnHub became even more useful as Google announced that the device now supports automated recipes from IFTTT. For the uninitiated, IFTTT uses formulas called recipes to automate certain behaviors based on things like a device’s location, time of day or some activity.

In the case of OnHub, you can set up IFTTT to send you an email when your kid gets home from school and their device connects to the router, for example. Because the recipes work with a host of apps and connected devices, you can make connecting to your WiFi network trigger things like turning on Philips Hue lighting when your phone is in range. There’s also OnHub-specific recipes for things like prioritizing your Chromecast while streaming or giving a Nest Cam more bandwidth when it senses motion. IFTTT integration for OnHub is available now, so you can start setting up those tasks whenever you’re ready.

Source: Google

The Wirecutter’s best deals: The Pebble Time Round

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. Read their continuously updated list of deals at TheWirecutter.com.

You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot — some of these sales could expire mighty soon.

Pebble Time Round

Street price: $200; MSRP: $200; deal price: $150

This sale on our budget pick drops it to an even better price. This is the first time we’ve seen a great sale on this model, and it’s available on most of the colors, except for Silver. Originally the deal was down to $144 and it has since risen a bit to $150.

The Pebble Time Round is our budget pick for the best smartwatch for Android phones. Kevin Purdy said, “Most reviewers (Wired and CNET, to name two) found the Time Round to be the best watch that Pebble has made, but a bit pricey at its original price of $250. At its new $200 price, it has just enough smartwatch functionality, and good enough looks, to make it a worthwhile companion to your Android phone.”

Garmin Vivosmart HR

Street price: $150; MSRP: $150; deal price: $130

Here’s the first discount we’ve seen on our favorite fitness tracker since its release. This deal is good for $20 off the street price. Shipping is free for Prime members.

The Garmin Vivosmart HR is our pick for the best fitness tracker. Amy Roberts said, “The Garmin vivosmart HR narrowly edged out the also-good Fitbit Charge HR because it tracks everything the Charge HR does but offers more features for around the same price. Its larger, always-on, customizable touchscreen display is easier to read and interact with; it’s completely waterproof to 50 meters (as opposed to just “splash-proof”) for worry-free use in the shower or pool; and it’s impressively accurate in measuring distance traveled, despite a lack of GPS.”

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II Mirrorless Camera Body

Street price: $550; MSRP: $650; deal price: $450

This is a $100 drop under the best price we’ve seen on a new model of this camera. This price is for the body only, and while we consider the street price on it to be $550, it’s been sitting at $600 since the start of April.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II is our pick for the best mirrorless camera under $1,000. Amadou Diallo said, “The Olympus E-M10 II offers impressively fast focus, built-in image stabilization, and access to a wide range of quality lenses. It delivers great-looking images in a conveniently small and light package.”

Anker PowerPort 4 USB Wall Charger

Street price: $26; MSRP: $50; deal price: $20 with code QAAUTP8Q

Make sure to use the code QAAUTP8Q for the white model, or L7PU4JGO for the black model. We haven’t seen too many discounts on this version so this is a nice discount.

The Anker PowerPort 4 is our runner-up pick for the best multiport USB wall charger. Nick Guy said, “This newer version of our top pick looks a bit nicer, is slightly more powerful, and has folding prongs that are great for travel. It doesn’t cost much more, but it’s not a necessary upgrade for most people.”

Deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.

Apple Music for Android Gains Support for Music Videos, Family Billing Plan

Apple today updated its Apple Music app designed for Android devices, adding support for family memberships and watching music videos, features already available in the iOS version of Apple Music.

Starting today, Android users have access to music videos in the Apple Music app, such as Taylor Swift’s live 1989 World Tour video. Since the launch of Apple Music, Apple has focused some of its attention on music video content, and in recent months, its video push has been expanding. In the future, Apple is expected to introduce a full television show to promote Apple Music, starring Apple executive Dr. Dre.

Today’s Android update also allows Android users to subscribe to or upgrade to a family subscription plan, which allows up to six family members to access Apple Music content for $14.99 per month.

Apple Music for Android launched in November of 2015, marking Apple’s the release of Apple’s first major app for Android users. The Android app is available in all the countries where Apple Music for iOS is available and allows Android users to subscribe to Apple Music and listen on Android-based devices.

The Android Apple Music app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store for free. It comes with a free three-month Apple Music trial.

Tag: Apple Music
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