Kepler telescope finds its largest-ever batch of planets
If you think the Kepler space telescope has already spotted a lot of exoplanets, you haven’t seen the half of it… almost literally. After a lot of hype, NASA’s Kepler team has verified the existence of 1,284 new planets. That’s more than twice as many confirmed planets as before. Almost 550 from the new batch are big enough to be Earth-like rocky planets, while nine of them are in their host star’s habitable zone and have the potential to support life.
The key, the agency says, is the first-ever large-scale use of automated computation to determine the likelihood that candidates really are planets. If the chances are higher than 99 percent, a candidate makes the cut. It’s possible that some of the under-99 crowd includes planets, but researchers will have to conduct follow-up investigations to make sure.
Kepler and other telescopes are nowhere near making a comprehensive survey of the observable planets in our galaxy, and it’s not certain that you’ll get these kinds of bumper crops in the future. However, the data increasingly suggests that planets are abundant — there could even be “more planets than stars,” if you ask NASA’s Paul Hertz. Although the possibility of life-bearing planets appears to be much smaller, this at least raises the chances of locating another Earth-like world.
Source: NASA
Walgreens to launch web-based mental health assesments
Walgreens is taking an unprecedented step in combating America’s critical shortage of mental health professionals. The company announced on Tuesday that it is partnering with nonprofit Mental Health America will offer screenings through its website. The service will evaluate for depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD and a host of other mental illnesses. If any issues surface as a result of the screening, an MHA representative will be available to help the user find and schedule follow-up treatment nearby. The company is also working on a system to automatically upload notes from these conversations to the electronic records system at your primary care physician’s office. And, if there’s no qualified medical practitioner in their area, users will also have the option to discuss the matter with one of 1,000 state-licensed professional therapists or psychiatrists over the phone.
Take note, however, you’ll need to make sure this follow-up conversation is covered by your insurance otherwise it’ll run you about $60 on average. Still, that seems a small price to pay to get a handle on your mental health.
Source: Chicago Business
The second ‘Witcher 3’ DLC adds 30 hours of gameplay
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt made its debut a year ago with a massive open world, a dizzying amount of quests to complete and plenty of reasons to keep coming back. After its first DLC Hearts of Stone served up a massive chunk of new content late 2015, the latest expansion Blood and Wine is about to drop, with a breadth of new Witcher goodness for hardcore fans to devour.
Blood and Wine places players in the absolutely gorgeous land of Toussaint, where a bizarre beast lays dormant. It’s up to Geralt to take up arms against the creature who hides a secret, with over 90 new quests and 40 points of interest to discover as the narrative takes shape. A new dynamic system where eliminating enemies from their hideouts affects the rest of the world has been implemented as well. Topping it all off are an additional 14,000 lines of dialogue, nearly doubling the 8,000 featured in Hearts of Stone.
So there are plenty of enemies to decimate and land to do it within, but there are also 30 new weapons, 100 new pieces of armor and 20 new enemies to completely obliterate as well as 12 new mutations unlockable via New Game Plus. If you’ve already blown through everything The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt had to offer, there’s over 30 hours of gameplay here launching for PS4, Xbox One and PC on May 31. That’s also a ton more Gwent to play. You’re welcome for that reminder.
Source: Gamespot
WhatsApp has a new desktop app for Windows and OS X
WhatsApp users now have a better way to stay in touch from their PC, as it has released a desktop app for Windows and Mac users. News of the desktop app leaked out early after it was detected by the Twitter account WABetaInfo, which tracks changes in the service’s various clients. According to a company blog post, the desktop client is similar to WhatsApp Web in that it’s meant to be an extension of your phone, with synchronized conversations and messages. WhatsApp avoided the app stores available on either platform, choosing to make its desktop available for direct downloading, as long as you’re running Windows 8 (or newer) or OS X 10.9 (or newer).
Source: WhatsApp Blog
Uber lets New York City drivers organize, with limits
Although Uber drivers have been organizing for a while, getting Uber to play along with those organizations has been difficult when it doesn’t even want to treat workers as full-fledged employees. At last, though, there’s some progress. Uber has partnered with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers to create the Independent Drivers Guild, the first labor group the ridesharing company officially recognizes. The Guild gives New York City’s Uber drivers a collective voice in some issues, particularly when Uber kicks them out. It’ll also reduce rates on everything from insurance to legal services.
This victory comes at a steep cost. The Guild can’t actually unionize drivers (or have them treated as employees) for the next 5 years. That takes important labor issues off the table, including pay and workers’ compensation. Moreover, the Guild has agreed to help push for state law changes that would lower taxes on hired rides and shrink Uber’s expenses.
All the same, it’s a big win for drivers that rarely have much recourse outside of lawsuits or jumping ship to work for rivals like Lyft. They’ll get to communicate with Uber’s management more often, and the firm says that savings from the reduced taxes would go into a benefits fund. While it’s far from a perfect deal, it could make all the difference for regular drivers who have to fret over time off and lost wages.
Via: Wired
Source: Uber Newsroom, Independent Drivers Guild
WhatsApp Launches Desktop App for Mac OS X
Facebook-owned WhatsApp today announced the launch of a desktop app for Mac OS X, allowing users to easily carry on their conversations from their computers natively. The move comes several months after debuting a web version of its popular chat service.
Today we’re introducing a desktop app so you have a new way to stay in touch anytime and anywhere – whether on your phone or computer at home or work. Like WhatsApp Web, our desktop app is simply an extension of your phone: the app mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device.
The new desktop app is available for Mac OS 10.9 and above and Windows 8 and supports native desktop notifications, keyboard shortcuts and more. The app also syncs to users’ mobile devices, which means that notifications and conversations are mirrored in the desktop app.
To download the free app, WhatsApp users have to go to whatsapp.com/download from their desktop browser. Once the app is downloaded, users will be presented with a QR code. To scan the code, users will have to use the WhatsApp app on their phone, going into the app’s settings and clicking “WhatsApp Web” to activate the QR code scanner.
Tag: WhatsApp
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The ZUS Kevlar USB cable by nonda is the last you’ll ever need (Lifetime Warranty)
Charging cables are essential to keeping our mobile products powered up. If we want to stay powered, even with a portable battery pack, we need to bring along our cables.
The biggest problem with cables is they all break over time. The more you use them, and the more you bend them, the faster they will break. Sometimes the cost isn’t the worst part about this fact, but there is an off chance that you might be stuck without a charging cable if yours suddenly decides to give out.
Google Pixel C connected and charging with the ZUS type-C cable.
That’s where Nonda comes in to save the day. They have built a cable so strong that they actually dare customers to break it. Nonda offers suggestions on letting your dog pull at it, tow a car with it, etc. Why? Because Nonda’s new ZUS cables, offered at Indiegogo, are made with Kevlar which is the same material used in bulletproof vests.
Build and Usage of the ZUS Kevlar Cable
The ZUS Kevlar charging cable is different from other cables since it is designed to last a lifetime. Many charging cables break from flexing and bending too many times, which destroys the internals of the charging cable. Nonda designed a cable reinforced and protected with 3M’s Kevlar to ensure it lasts forever.
In bend tests, the ZUS cable survived over 50% longer than Belkin’s cables. That does mean the ZUS cables actually reached a breakpoint, but the difference here is that nonda offers a full lifetime guarantee of its cables. It also offers twice the lifespan at half of the MSRP.
I did a destruction test of a standard plastic coated micro USB cable and the ZUS Type-C cable by running them both into my Dyson vacuum cleaner. I first ran the microUSB cable through the vacuum for five seconds, and the plastic coating melted off exposing the internal wiring. The cable still worked, but probably won’t have much life left in it at this point.
Where the ZUS cable gets interesting, is once I sucked it up into my vacuum, it literally locked up the brush wheel and melted my vacuum belt which snapped. The Kevlar protection was so strong that it didn’t give at all, and miraculously came out unscathed.
I then went on to pull on the cable as hard as I could, and tied it to a 10 pound dumbbell I have in my office. I swung it back and forth and the cable still worked great with my LG G5.
The ZUS cables are extremely well made and are intelligently designed. The USB A portion of the plug sits at a right angle, which helps it fit into tight spaces better. It also provides more protection against flexing at that point which should increase its lifespan as well.
Summary
The ZUS cables by nonda come in three varieties – micro USB, Lightning, and USB Type-C. All of them are built to the same standards and each come with a Lifetime Warranty. Nonda is offering a few different backing options at Indiegogo, and you can get one cable for as little as $15 with shipping expected in July.
The USB Type-C cable I used charged my Nexus Pixel C, LG G5, and Xiaomi Mi5 all without issue. The ZUS cable is the strongest cable I have ever used and will be my charging cable of choice, especially when I travel.
Get the ZUS cable at Indiegogo.com. Or learn more at nonda.com.
Specs
- 56K Ohm Resistor
- Vbus IR drop of less than 500mV
- GND IR drop of less than 250mV at 3A
- Micro USB, Lightning, Type-C
- $15
Xiaomi Mi Max Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun shows off the company’s new 6.4-inch Mi Max. His hands, too, looked small.
Aloysius Low/CNET
With Apple proving that there’s still demand for smaller 4-inch phones with its iPhone SE, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is thinking otherwise. The company announced on Tuesday a 6.4-inch big-screen phone, and as silly as such a large device sounds, the company seems to think there’s demand for its Mi Max.
No doubt this is due to its low price, with the base model starting at 1,499 yuan ($230, £160 or AU$315 converted) and the highest-end phone, with 4GB RAM and 128GB of storage, going for a song at just 1,999 yuan ($350, £210 or AU$420).
Now, Xiaomi’s not the first Chinese company to go big: Huawei did it with the 6.8-inch P8 Max. This phone feels way too large for me, but I may change my mind over the next few days once I spend more time with it. My early impression, however, is that it’s troublesome to use. This isn’t a phone you can wield one-handed, like the bastard swords of yore, this is a strictly two-handed affair. My thumb got quite a good stretch trying to reach to the other edge of the screen but still failed to reach.
Thankfully the phone has a feature called palm rejection. This means that if your palm accidentally grazes the display while you’re holding the phone, the phone will ignore that as an input. This means you won’t accidentally scroll down the Web page you’re looking at, or turn on your caps lock when you’re typing. In my experience, this is really important in larger phones.
Specs and key features
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 hexa-core processor
- 4GB RAM and 128GB of onboard storage
- Xiaomi’s new MIUI 8 Android skin
- Fingerprint scanner on the back
- 16-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front
- 4,850mAh battery
A huge phone for all your video viewing needs.
Aloysius Low/CNET
The Mi Max has quite a few things going for it. It’s big and beautiful, and Xiaomi has wrapped it in classy metal. It feels hefty due to its size, but it’s only 11 grams (0.4 ounces) heavier than the iPhone 6S Plus, and while I do like it, those with smaller hands may find it a tad cumbersome. The 6.4-inch display sports a full-HD resolution and colors are bright and vibrant. It could just be the perfect phone for watching videos, and is more likely to fit in your pants pocket than, say, a slightly larger 7-inch tablet.
The Mi Max is one of the first phones to sport Xiaomi’s MIUI 8 software, which sports a new design based on colors and geometric shapes that change according to the context. Different months in the Calendar app will have a different color, for example, while if you’re using the audio recording app, the color changes based on the input volume. Animations have also been tweaked to feel more fluid and natural, while a new font called “Mi Lan” has been added. While the font’s more for Mandarin characters, there’s also one for the English alphabet.
It’s not hard to dismiss the Mi Max due to its ridiculous size — only the Huawei P8 Max is bigger — but perhaps Xiaomi is to be commended for giving big-phone lovers what they want. The phone is currently available only in China, but expect this to launch in India next and other markets in Southeast Asia where Xiaomi has a presence. It’ll likely only be available online in the US, UK and Australia.
The Mi Max makes the iPhone 6S Plus look small in comparison.
Aloysius Low/CNET
Fitbit Zip review – CNET
The Good Affordable; tracks steps, distance and calories burned; up to six months of battery life.
The Bad It doesn’t track sleep or stairs climbed.
The Bottom Line The Fitbit Zip is still a great entry-level tracker for people that don’t want to wear a wristband.
It has been almost four years since the Fitbit Zip was first released, and yet the affordable tracker still remains one of our favorites. That’s because for $60, £50 or AU$80 depending on your locale (even less if you shop around), you get a tracker that does all the basics. It can track steps, distance and calories burned. All of this information, including the time of day, can be viewed on the device’s small LCD display, or on the Android or iOS app.
Unlike many of Fitbit’s other trackers, the Zip isn’t worn on the wrist. The tracker comes with a silicone sleeve that can be clipped to your belt, pocket or bra, which makes it one of the most discreet trackers on the market today. It’s not pretty, but it works…and it’s the best affordable way to get into the Fitbit scene.
The affordable yet capable Fitbit Zip
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Why we like it?
While the Zip lacks some of the bells and whistles found in other devices, such as tracking sleep and stairs climbed or displaying notifications, it remains one of the cheapest entry points to the Fitbit ecosystem. The Fitbit app app is easy to use and provides tools to help you stay active. In addition to viewing all of your activity data, you can track what you eat and even compete with friends and family members in daily or weekly competitions.
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Sarah Tew/CNET
Another highlight of the Zip is that it never has be charged. It uses a traditional coin battery that will last between four and six months. You will eventually need to manually replace the battery, but they’re incredibly cheap — you can get a 10-pack at Amazon for around $6.
I’d still recommend the Zip over the Fitbit One because it costs less, and if all you’re looking for is a basic clip-on tracker, this does the job fine. While the One adds sleep tracking, you are required to place the tracker in a bulky wrist strap each night.
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Sarah Tew/CNET
Should you buy one?
You don’t need to buy a Zip to enjoy the Fitbit experience. You can use an iPhone and many Android devices with the Fitbit app to track steps, distance and calories burned. You get all the benefits of owning a Zip, but without having to shell out extra dough for the actual device. If you don’t always have your phone with you, though, and don’t want to pay up for (or want) a wristband like the Fitbit Charge HR, the Zip could be right for you.
Looking for another Fitbit device? Check out this guide to find the one that’s right for you.
LG G5 vs LG G4
The LG G5 marked a dramatic departure from the norm for LG, with their latest flagship offering being the first to feature an all metal build. As significant as the change in build material is, what makes the G5 stand out from the crowd even more is its modular nature, possible courtesy of a removable bottom chin, allowing for other useful add-ons to be attached.
The LG G5 is certainly very different, but are these differences enough to make it a worthy upgrade from its predecessor? We find out, as we take a comprehensive look at the LG G5 vs LG G4!
Buy LG G5 on Amazon
Buy LG G4 on Amazon
Design
As mentioned, LG completely changed the formula with the G5, not only when looking at the build quality, but also with regards to the design. The full metal build makes the G5 feel more premium than any of its predecessors, but it has to be mentioned that with the coat of primer and paint, the G5 does unfortunately fall short when compared to its metal brethren. An aspect like design always comes down to individual preference, but many will agree that the G5 isn’t exactly the most attractive phone that LG has produced.
Of course, the big story here is the modular capabilities that the device comes with. The bottom chin can be removed by the simple press of a button, and allows you to attach different modules in its place. Some of these modules, which LG calls “Friends,” include the Cam Plus, a camera grip with physical button and controls, and a Bang & Olufsen Hi-fi audio DAC, that provides higher quality audio. The removable chin means that you also have access to the battery, so despite the change in design and build quality, LG still managed to retain staple features like a replaceable battery, which is something that quite a few users will appreciate.
On the other hand is the LG G4, and when looking at these two smartphones side by side, its hard to imagination that these are part of the same flagship series, and only a year apart. The G4 is made entirely of plastic, or leather and plastic for those who opt for the leather back cover options. The G4 seems to also be the last LG smartphone to feature the company’s signature curved body and display, which is certainly a shame, as the curve not only allowed for a unique look, but also favorably contributed to the handling experience. The G4 also comes with a replaceable battery, which can be accessed in the more traditional manner of simply removing the back cover.
Another big different between these phones can be found in the button layout. The G5 retains the rear-mounted power button from the G4, but the volume rocker has now been moved to a more standard location on the side. The latest LG flagship has a smaller overall footprint compared to its predecessor as, which is understandable, given that it features a slightly smaller display.
As far as one-handed usability is concerned, the G5 does provide the better handling experience, but the G4 isn’t far behind either, courtesy of its curved back, and ultra-thin bezels along the sides of the display up front.
Display
The LG G5 comes with a 5.3-inch IPS LCD display with a Quad HD resolution, while the G4 features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD screen, with the same resolution. Apart from the additional screen real estate that is available with the G4, both these displays are comparable in terms of quality. You get good viewing angles, brightness, and color reproduction with both, but it has to be said that neither can be considered the best display out there.
The display of the G5 does exhibit much cooler tones when compared to the G4, but that is something you will only notice when have the two devices side by side. The other big difference is that the LG G5 comes with an Always On display, that can show you the time, notifications, or a custom message.
Performance and hardware
Under the hood, the LG G5 comes with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, clocked at 2.15 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 530 GPU and 4 GB of RAM. This is the latest and greatest that is available, and powers all other current generation flagship smartphones as well, so it’s no surprise that the phone is extremely fast and responsive.
On the other hand, the LG G4 is powered by the older hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, clocked at 1.82 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 418 GPU and 3 GB of RAM. While this remains a reliable processing package, and the G4 does still perform very well, it obviously doesn’t hold a candle to the far more powerful G5, and the generally snappier performance that you get with the latter.
32 GB is the only storage option available with both, and both smartphones also come with expandable storage via microSD card, for up to an additional 200 GB. Things remain largely the same in terms of hardware, but the LG G5 does come with a fast and accurate fingerprint scanner that is embedded into the power button on the back. LG has also made the switch the USB Type-C with their latest flagship.
The LG G5 comes with a 2,800 mAh battery, which is slightly smaller than the 3,000 mAh unit found with the G4, but things are about the same when it comes to battery life. Both smartphones can comfortably allow for a full day of use, but you won’t get much more than that from either. Both devices also come with fast charging capabilities, so if you are running low on battery, you can get back to a full charge very quickly. Finally, both batteries are also removable, so if battery life is a concern, you always have the option of carrying around spares.
Camera
Both the LG G5 and G4 use the same 16 MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS, but with the G5, LG has also tacked on a secondary 8 MP shooter with a wide angle lens, which allows for some incredible looking wide angle shots. This secondary camera is a lot of fun to use, and is by far one of the best features of the LG G5.
LG G5 camera samples
There are some subtle differences when it comes to the camera software, with the G5 coming with a few extra features modes, such as Multiview mode, which lets you use all three cameras at once, or Snap mode, that can be used to record a string of 3 second clips. Other than that, the camera application remains the same, with both featuring simple and auto modes, and if you are looking to dive in a little deeper, there is a robust manual mode with DSLR-like granular control over aspects like white balance, ISO, shutter speed, and more.
LG G4 camera samples
With both phones featuring the same 16 MP primary shooters, the assumption would be that the image quality would also be similar, but that is surprisingly not the case. Both take very sharp photos with a lot of detail, but the post-processing with the cameras is slightly different. The G5 creates images with more contrast and more vibrant colors, resulting in much darker shadows and less detail in these areas. On the other hand, the G4 goes in the opposite direction, with images coming with less contrast and slightly less color, but you do get a brighter shot overall, with more detail in the shadows. The only drawback here is that because of the brighter image, you are also getting overblown highlights.
Software
On the software side of things, both the LG G4 and LG G5 are running Android 6.0 Marshmallow but with two completely different versions of LG’s interface. The G4 comes with an older version of G UI which is packed with a ton of features that may or may not be all that useful, and it feels a lot more intrusive, with a lot of these features being activated by default. With the G5, the new LG UX may still not be the best interface out there, but it is a big improvement over previous iterations. It is still very cartoonish, with its brightly colored icons, but the overall aesthetics look a lot cleaner and more streamlined.
With the G5, LG also got rid of some features like Dual Window, and have hidden features like the QSlide apps and Smart Bulletin, but are still available for those who want to use them. The biggest change that has been made is the removal of the app drawer, which can certainly take some getting used to, and leaves users dependent on folders to keep things organized. Of course, you always have the option to download a third-party launcher from the Google Play Store to bring back the app drawer, and LG has an official option available as well, downloadable from the LG SmartWorld app.
Specs comparison
| Display | 5.3-inch IPS LCD display Quad HD resolution, 554 ppi |
5.5-inch IPS LCD display Quad HD resolution, 538 ppi |
| Processor | 2.15 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Adreno 530 GPU |
1.82 GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Adreno 418 GPU |
| RAM | 4 GB | 3 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB expandable via microSD card up to 200 GB |
32 GB expandable via microSD card up to 200 GB |
| Camera | 16 MP rear camera, f/1.8 aperture, OIS 8 MP rear camera, wide angle lens, f/2.4 aperture, OIS 8 MP front-facing camera |
16 MP rear camera, f/1.8 aperture, OIS 8 MP front-facing camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 GPS + GLONASS NFC USB 3.0 (USB Type-C 1.0) |
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.1 GPS + GLONASS NFC USB 2.0 (USB Type-C 1.0) |
| Battery | 2,800 mAh removable |
3,000 mAh removable |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Dimensions | 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm 159 grams |
148.9 x 76.1 x 6.3 – 9.8 mm 155 grams |
Gallery
Final thoughts
So, there you have it for this closer look at the LG G5 vs LG G4! The big question here is whether the LG G5 brings enough to the table to be considered a worthy upgrade from its predecessor, and the answer really depends on how much you want all the new features that the G5 brings into the picture, such as the modular design, the dual rear cameras, and the fingerprint sensor.
The LG G4 does everything we expect from a smartphone really well, allowing for smooth performance, a great viewing experience, fantastic camera, and good battery life. With the G5, LG has certainly made improvements to all of those aspects, and something like its modular capabilities can prove to be quite compelling as well. All said and done, the LG G5 is definitely worth the upgrade, but if you do decide to stick with the G4, you can rest assured that you still have a more than reliable daily driver.
Buy LG G5 on Amazon
Buy LG G4 on Amazon
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