Google, Uber, Ford, and others team up to push for U.S. self-driving car regulations

Google is teaming up with a number of other companies to try to push U.S. lawmakers to pass regulations for self-driving cars. The company, along with Uber, Ford, Lyft and Volvo have now formed the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets coalition.

Reuters reports:

The group said in a statement it will “work with lawmakers, regulators and the public to realize the safety and societal benefits of self-driving vehicles.” The coalition said David Strickland, the former top official of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the top U.S. auto safety agency that is writing new guidance on self-driving cars, will be the coalition’s counsel and spokesman.

Google has been testing self-driving cars in several locations in the U.S, including parts of California, Texas and most recently in Arizona.

BlackBerry Priv gets Android Marshmallow, more battery life and data control

BlackBerry fans have had a tough time of it lately with app support abandonment. But they can rely on the flagship Priv handset to keep pushing forward with the latest update bringing Android 6.0 Marshmallow to the phone.

While WhatsApp and Facebook support were dropped for the BlackBerry OS, and since then BB10 was announced as killed off all together, the Priv is still up to date thanks to its Android operating system. It looks like Android support is going well though, relatively, since this update only appeared on the likes of Samsung phones a few months back.

The Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for the BlackBerry Priv brings with it a host of features, some of which are designed for BlackBerry only.

There’s customised personal data permissions, allowing users determine what information an app can access. This can be controlled for each app allowing control over personal data. S/MIME support is included for a deeper level of security thanks to offering digital signatures and encryption options for emails. The BlackBerry Keyboard has been enhanced for better accuracy. Finally there’s more battery life thanks to Android’s Doze feature.

The BlackBerry Priv Android 6.0 Marshmallow update is out now and can be downloaded the software now.

READ: Android 6.0 Marshmallow tips and tricks

T-Mobile continues the good times with 2.2 million new customers

T-Mobile’s hot streak isn’t ending any time soon. The magenta-hued carrier has posted results for the first quarter of 2016 that suggest its strategy of loading on perks is paying off. It racked up 2.2 million total new customers, over 1 million of which were highly coveted postpaid (regular subscription) users. For context, Verizon added “just” 640,000 postpaid users in the same quarter — although T-Mobile’s 65.5 million total customers still pales in comparison to Verizon’s 112.6 million, it’s catching up. The jury’s still out on AT&T and Sprint, which respectively post their figures later today (April 26th) and on May 3rd, but they’ll have a high bar to clear.

Its bottom line is doing well, too. Its total revenues are up over 10 percent to $8.8 billion, and it made a tidy $479 million in profit. That’s peanuts next to the profits of its biggest competition (Verizon took in $4.4 billion this quarter), but no mean feat for a carrier that still thrives on cost-conscious prepaid users.

And crucially, T-Mobile is predicting a rosy future. It’s dramatically increasing its expected postpaid subscriber additions this year from a minimum of 2.4 million to at least 3.2 million, and now expects to rake in at least $9.7 billion in earnings for 2016 compared to its previous estimate of $9.1 billion. Whatever you think of T-Mobile, it’s clear that the network doesn’t expect anyone to slow it down for a long, long time.

Source: T-Mobile

Dining with the electric fork that could save lives

This prototype fork can help you eat less salt and could save lives. It sends a gentle electric current to your tongue as you eat, fooling tastebuds into experiencing a salty, (sometimes sour) taste — even when there’s little to no salt in the food itself. Despite the awkward notion of willingly putting an electric current into your mouth, the “electro-fork” can potentially tackle some legitimate health issues. According to the World Health Organization, we consume 10 grams of salt a day — double the amount it recommends. This increases one’s chances of hypertension, heart disease, strokes and more. So, in the interest of my health (and morbid curiosity), I went for a taste test.

The fork isn’t particularly high tech, with the parts costing less than 20 bucks total, including a battery to power it. At the base, there’s a dial allowing you to toggle between three intensity levels. At the prototype stage, there’s remit here for a greater range of sensations, but even so, three settings is enough for my uneducated palate. There’s definitely a “your mileage may vary” caveat here, because even without electric cutlery, what’s salty for one person might seem barely seasoned to someone else.

The metallic handle is a necessity. To complete the circuit for the fork, you need to strongly grip it while depressing a button closer to the fork head. It means you have to hold it kind of like a shovel, which makes things slower. It’s awkward to grip and the button is in the wrong place. If or when the device gets a redesign, I hope the company puts the button on the side of the fork instead. If development continues, the device should hopefully get even slimmer. The team behind the project says it’s also looking into metal chopsticks with a similar concept, if the technology can be made to fit such a narrow device.

According to tests so far, one of the biggest challenges is getting diners to put something with an electric current in their mouth. Me? I had no such problem.

The fork (or whatever utensil the tech goes inside) isn’t a solution just by itself. For anyone with hypertension or other conditions that require little or no salt in their diet, you have to start with no-salt food. The fork — and the current it carries –merely help substitute for the salty deliciousness your tastebuds are missing. When its inventor, Hiromi Nakamura, began her research around six years ago, it was aimed at augmenting or changing taste with electric current. The health angle only became obvious later, adding a more serious reason to continue the project.

Researchers have teamed up with a clinic which is helping to test the fork with those that would benefit from consuming less salt. (However, given the small amounts of electricity involved, it’s not recommended for anyone who’s pregnant or has a pacemaker.) According to tests so far, one of the biggest challenges is getting diners to put something with an electric current in their mouth. Me? I had no such problem.

A video posted by Mat (@thtmtsmth) on Apr 17, 2016 at 8:39pm PDT

I sat down to eat chicken breast and fish sausage. It’s not a perfect test because both contained some salt to begin with, but even at the lowest “level” on the fork, the charge added a sharpness and strength to the taste. Aside from holding the fork like maniac, you have to ensure that the the fork connects with your tongue to complete the taste circuit.

It’s another weird quirk to the eating experience. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to sample foods with zero salt, but the salty sensation is there when I put the fork in my mouth without any food. (Of course I did such a thing.) Naturally, there’s that metallic taste that comes with doing so, and the utensil also helps add a certain sourness to cuisine.

The team has already arranged several short-term “No Salt Restaurant” pop-ups to demonstrate the fork. Everything in the menu had little to no salt, but still included items you’d actually want to eat, like pork cutlet, curry and even a dessert. In fact, researchers have developed hundreds of no-salt recipes for foods that usually contain it. Garlic, ginger and pepper also helped to augment taste when there’s no savory NaCl to assist.

While testing continues, there will be more pop-ups, and as the creative team at J. Walter Thompson explained to me, while they aren’t demonstrating the fork outside of Japan yet, it’s definitely a global problem: New York City has had its own salt reduction initiative since 2010, while in India high sodium is the cause of over one quarter of all deaths by disease. It’s early days, but the electro fork could help.

Source: Lab Tokyo

YouTube will soon show six-second ‘Bumper’ ads before videos

Unless you employ an ad-blocker, you’re probably used to seeing pre-roll ads on YouTube videos. You can normally skip the longer spots if they’re not really your thing, but a new format launching today, which Google calls “Bumper” ads, will bypass that reflex by keeping things short. Like, six seconds short. They’ll launch in May and are designed to appear before videos that you watch on your smartphone or tablet.

Google Product Manager Zach Lupei refers to the new Bumper ads as “little haikus of video ads.” With Vine stars now posting six-second sponsored placements to their accounts, YouTube is adopting a similar strategy to engage with younger, mobile-first audiences. Audi Germany and Atlantic Records are already on board and have been testing the new format (we’ve included an example below).

Given that some of Atlantic Records’ videos were uploaded more than six months ago, it’s safe to say that YouTube has spent some time putting the finishing touches on its new service. The company tells potential advertisers that Bumper ads work best when combined with other YouTube ads, suggesting that brands will soon place ad spots of varying lengths in an attempt to grab your attention.

Source: Google Adwords Blog

Sonos gains Amazon Prime Music streaming in Europe

After a six-month beta period in the US, Sonos has integrated Amazon’s Prime Music service into its Sonos Controller app in Europe. That means if you’re a Prime subscriber in the UK or Germany, you can now access and stream Amazon’s library through the Sonos speakers in your home. It joins Spotify, Apple Music and a mixture of other streaming services that have already partnered with the high-end speaker brand. Amazon will be hoping its own integration can be the tipping point that gets Prime subscribers to ditch its rivals and rely solely on its own music streaming chops.

Nokia bought Withings to take on Apple’s Healthkit

Nokia just re-entered the consumer market by acquiring well-regarded fitness tracker manufacturer Withings, but why now, and why wearables? Nokia President Ramzi Haidamus explains that Nokia has been developing a digital health strategy called WellCare, something that sounds similar to Apple’s HealthKit. He says that the acquisition of Withings — which makes not only wearables, but also scales, blood pressure monitors and other medical devices — will accelerate its plans.

“WellCare is a trusted, secure and simple-to-use experience built around data and insight that are pulled through tracking devices. And it is this insight that informs patients, physicians and caregivers about their health,” says Haidamus. Nokia has been researching the initiative for the last two years, but the acquisition gives it an instant boost into the market. The Finnish company will get Withings’ broad lineup of fitness trackers, but also gain its medical expertise. “We’re paying for the company, but in reality it’s Withings that’s going to be running the entire digital health business at Nokia,” says Haidamus.

The Withings Aura sleep sensor

Nokia seems to be borrowing strategy from both Apple and Fitbit, but Haidamas emphasized that tracking is just a piece of the puzzle. “The tracker [alone] is just something that’s not interesting, frankly. So that’s what’s so attractive about Withings … they have the blood pressure stuff, they have regulated products that are essential to the true monitoring of your health.” Of course, it will have a huge job playing catch-up with Apple in medical research, as over half of the top US hospitals are trying out HealthKit.

Nokia will also pursue environmental monitoring to boot, a la Nest. “There’s much to be said about people’s lives by monitoring their environment as well as their body, whether it be air or temperature monitoring, a sleep monitoring system or a security camera,” says Haidamas.

The Withings name has a huge cachet in health and wearables, so it’s not necessarily a given that the brand will disappear. “That’s too early to tell, but it’s certainly a key question,” says Withings CEO Cedric Hutchings, who will lead Nokia’s new digital health business. Haidamus added that the company is conducting a “thorough and broad brand research” project. However, given Nokia’s much more recognizable brand, it stands to reason that the Withings name might fall. That might not please its fans, but the company isn’t broadly known like Nokia — for most people, the only fitness tracker that likely comes to mind is Fitbit.

The purchase price seems low for a company like Withings — suggesting that it was experiencing cash-flow problems that precipitated a rescue purchase. Hutchings refuted this, saying that the sale to Nokia wasn’t forced, but a decision taken on what was best for Withings. “[The acquisition] is about accelerating our roadmap of products and solutions for digital health,” he says. However, he wouldn’t disclose the state of the company’s finances or the number of wearables it has sold to date.

We’re told there will be no layoffs or other effects on Withings’ 200 employees located in France, the US, UK and Hong Kong. “We’re adding our team onto theirs, and we’re going to invest on top of it. So this is more a growth story,” says Haidamus. Hutching adds that his team is “enthusiastic and optimistic” about the acquisition. “We’re highly proud of being a pioneer in this field and with more resources, we’re motivated about what’s coming next.”

Sony Xperia X and Xperia XA hit the UK with pricing and release date

The Sony Xperia X and Xperia XA mid-range phones are hitting the UK shops with pricing at last. They’re here to replace the Xperia Z line once and for all.

The death of Sony’s Xperia Z leaves space for the new Xperia X range. While the X Performance is the top model for this range, which is yet to hit the UK, the Xperia X and Xperia XA are mid-range and upper-mid-range smartphones that aim to take on the affordable yet well powered Huawei’s of the world.

The Sony Xperia XA will cost from £239 while the Xperia X will be £499, the variation of which is reflected in the specs.

The Sony XA features a 5-inch 720p display, MediaTek Helio P10 processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage plus microSD expansion. There are 13-megapixel and 8-megapixel cameras plus Android 6.0.1 in the package, which will begin shipping from Amazon on 10 June. This comes in black for £279 or lime gold or white from £239.

The higher end Xperia X has a 5-inch display with 1080p resolution, Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor backed by 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage. The rear features a hybrid autofocus 23-megapixel camera and there’s a 13-megapixel selfie snapper in the front. This is expected to ship from 20 May.

US release dates and pricing have not been announced yet.

READ: Sony Xperia X Performance

Hover Camera is a safe and foldable drone that follows you

“Follow me” is an up-and-coming feature on consumer drones, and then you’ve also got those that are foldable for the sake of portability. Very few devices carry both advantages, but Beijing startup Zero Zero Robotics has already gone further with its Hover Camera. As the name suggests, this drone is mainly for aerial photography and videography, but what makes it even cooler is the fact that its propellers are fully enclosed by a strong carbon fiber frame, thus making it the safest drone we’ve ever played with. As you can see in our hands-on video after the break, you can literally grab it whenever you like without sacrificing any of your fingers to the drone gods.

The Hover Camera comes in at only 238 grams, which is just below the FAA’s limit for mandatory hobbyist drone registration. It’s small as well: When the propeller wings are folded, it’s about the size of a VHS cassette tape. Once you open it up, you’ll see all four propellers with brushless motors, all of which are apparently developed in-house. A company rep point out that to enable precise control in such a small device, off-the-shelf components just wouldn’t work.

Likewise, the A.I. algorithm is also built from ground up, and it relies on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Flight platform which is running at full speed all the time. Despite this, Zero Zero Robotics’ design is able to reuse some of the downward airflow to cool the chipset; and a single charge will last for about eight minutes, after that you can easily swap out the battery at the top.

For these reasons alone, MQ Wang, CEO of Zero Zero Robotics and a PhD graduate at Stanford University, isn’t worried about his product being copied. “It’s a lot harder to build things of this size versus bigger things. Something of this size needs to be built from ground up… We use a completely proprietary algorithm, as we’re squeezing every single drop of juice out of the Snapdragon 801; and we don’t use open source code because it’s not good enough.”

The main camera at the front takes 13-megapixel stills as well as 4K video, and it comes with a dual-tone flash which might come in handy. Since it’s only on a single-axis gimble, it uses electronic image stabilisation which is still being fine-tuned. There’s also a downward-facing 3-megapixel camera and a sonar underneath to help stabilise the drone itself. Wang said you can expect the Hover Camera to achieve similar level of image quality as modern high-end smartphones.

The Hover Camera doesn’t come with a controller; it’s all done with your fingers and a couple of virtual buttons in the mobile app, as long as you’re connected to the drone’s WiFi hotspot. A single finger drag controls the camera’s pitch and the drone’s yaw, and a two-finger drag controls the altitude and horizontal direction. There are also two dedicated buttons for moving forward and backward. Obviously, the app provides a live video stream, and it also lets you grab a 720p copy of the 4K videos stored in the drone’s 32GB internal memory; you’ll need to use a micro-USB 3.0 Type B cable to transfer the original copies to your computer.

At the moment, the app offers a few features: there’s the self-explanatory 360 Pano mode, along with face tracking and body tracking. To start the tracking modes, simply toggle video recording mode in the app, and once you see a bracket locked onto you, just start recording. The tracking worked well when I walked around either indoor or outdoor, but once I started running, it struggled to catch up. As you can see in our hands-on, video quality is also not quite there yet at the moment, but the company promises that all will be fixed by the time this device launches. You can also expect more cool features like gesture control and orbiting mode to be added later, though there’s no word on when these will be made available.

Zero Zero Robotics has yet to reveal a price for the Hover Camera, but it’s aiming for somewhere below $600, which seems pretty reasonable given its capabilities and materials. The beta trial is now open and if all goes well, we’ll be seeing this drone hitting the market some time this summer, followed by a whole range of other robotic products from this ambitious startup of some 80 people.

Source: Zero Zero Robotics

TalkTalk relaunches TV Store with lowest price promise

TalkTalk may’ve already renamed the video streaming service it acquired from Tesco last summer, but today marks something of a formal relaunch. The TalkTalk TV Store, formerly known as Blinkbox under Tesco’s wing, still serves exactly the same purpose. Like Amazon Instant Video, the Sky Store or Wuaki.tv, users can rent or buy movies and TV shows to watch on multiple devices, no subscription required. The most important change today is pricing, with TalkTalk now claiming to be the cheapest place to catch new releases like Star Wars: The Force Awakens. While that’s technically true, TalkTalk has simply matched Amazon’s pricing, so they share the title together.

The TalkTalk TV Store is open to all, and available on PCs, smartphones, tablets and LG/Samsung smart TVs. Existing TalkTalk broadband and/or TV customers get a few added conveniences from now on, however. First off, they can use their existing TalkTalk login details for the service, and any rentals or purchases will simply be added to their usual monthly bill. This kind of persistent account also means those with a YouView set-top box in their living room can start watching something on the big screen and pick up where they left off on a smaller one. Just a couple of features that make the store a little more compelling than Amazon’s alternative, if only for existing TalkTalk customers.

Source: TalkTalk