LeapFrog LeapStart preview: Embracing tech and phyiscal books for kids

Anyone who has kids and owns a tablet will understand how alluring a touchscreen device is for little’uns, even as young as four. However, while many adults might be streamlining their lives to be more digital, there’s still an element of magic in a normal, paper book, especially in the eyes of children.

The LeapFrog LeapStart, which will be available for £34.99 from 15 July, is an interactive learning centre for children aged two to seven that combines the best of both worlds. It has a stylus pen that recognises elements in dedicated physical books and speaks aloud to aid reading or for other educational purposes.

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The device itself is available in two formats, one for Preschool and one for Primary School level kids. The latter, which we saw during a private demonstration, is robust and comes with a pen that allows for finer control.

It is directly aimed at children aged five to seven.

The Preschool edition, for two to four year-olds, is rounder and has a carry handle. The stylus is a bit chunkier for smaller hands and the tip is not so pointy.

The LeapStart works by placing a book in the centre of its clamshell design and the pages have markers that, when tapped by the pen, starts an interaction – be that reading the page or asking a question.

For example, a geography section might ask a child to find different flags or landmarks of specific countries. All interaction is performed aloud through the built-in speaker or headphones, with a socket included.

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The battery is rechargeable through a USB port.

There will be 16 add-on books available initially, in different categories and suited for different educational levels. They are priced at £9.99 each and are for nursery, preschool, reception and year one children respectively.

The LeapStart device comes with a taster book with several different sections lifted from the more in-depth separate activity books.

First Impressions

It’s great to see that children are still being encouraged to read tangible, physical books. Indeed, you can’t keep our own kids away from them. And adding a tech aspect to learning will always enhance the process.

We only saw a prototype model of the LeapStart, but even that was robust enough for small kids, without being too heavy for them to carry.

It will be good to see the final model when it is available.

At internetmatters.org parents can find all the advice they will need to keep their children safe online. Designed specifically for parents, the site offers a wealth of up-to-date, unbiased information and advice about how to deal with online safety. Parents can learn about the latest issues and technologies, get great tips on how to talk about online safety with their children and get the best advice on dealing with issues and taking action. Created with experts, Internet Matters provides detailed information, but also signposts to best-in-class resources from individual expert organisations. Our goal is to ensure parents can always access the information that they need, in a format that is clear and concise.

Apple App Store and Google Play are changing: How will that affect you?

Apple has said things are changing for its App Store, and, in response, Google might change its app store too. 

A lot of these new changes pertain to app developers – but all of the changes speak volumes about what’s happening in the world of apps, including whether Apple and Google are encouraging their developers to update apps and create more subscription-based apps, and how they might be looking to drive more traffic to their app stores.

Shortly after Apple announced its plans to overhaul parts of the App Store, another report suggested Google plans to shake up at least one aspect of the Play Store too. We’ve explained everything below to help you better understand what’s happening with both app stores and whether any of this will have an affect on you.

How is Apple’s App Store changing?

Phil Schiller, who serves as Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing and took over the App Store 6 months ago, recently revealed to both The Verge and LoopInsight that some major changes are coming to the App Store. He said his team has been working to improve the app review process, its business models, search adverts/ app discovery.

Keep in mind Apple has announced these changes just days before its annual Worldwide Developer’s Conference.

• According to The Verge, Apple has a 70/30 revenue split with developers and that will stay in place. However, subscription-based apps that keep a user subscribed for more than a year will get an 85/15 split in the developer’s favour.
• Apple will open up the ability for all apps to be subscription-based, so developers in all categories can soon offer their apps at a monthly fee, rather than a single download price. Previously news apps were primarily included in this subscription-based business model.
• LoopInsight added that all app developers will soon be able to create region-based pricing and choose from “one of over 200 subscription price points”. This new system is coming to subscription-based apps too. You will, therefore, need to re-authorise any subscriptions prices should a developer choose to add them, or even just raise prices.
• Apple plans to break away from the long-standing tradition of not displaying adverts in the iOS App Store’s search results. Schiller said Apple will only accept adverts from developers in the App Store, and all adverts will be handled through an auction system with no minimums and no exclusives – making it fair for both big developers and small developers.
• Apple will add a “Share” button to every app’s 3D Touch menu on the home screen, allowing the latest iPhone owners to tap the Share button and post a download link to social media.
• Finally, Apple referenced its app review process. Schiller admitted half of the apps submitted to Apple are now reviewed in the first 24 hours and that 90 per cent are reviewed within 2 days.

How is Google Play Store changing?

Shortly after The Verge and LoopInsight published Schiller’s App Store plans, Re/Code claimed Google will also move from a 70/30 split to 85/15 for subscriptions-based apps in the Play Store. Only Android app developers won’t need to keep a subscriber for more than a year. Google will immediately offer the new split to developers. It’s been testing the change for a over a year with some entertainment/video services.

Google hasn’t yet confirmed when it plans to roll out the new pricing plan.

How does any of this affect you?

In terms of the changes coming to the Apple App Store you will likely see more subscription-based apps and games appearing. Developers will not only want to update their existing apps so that they can charge monthly fees rather than a single upfront price, but they’ll also want to create more apps and games that use the subscription business model.

This, in turn, could make them more money and Apple more money. Keep in mind Apple said it is now approving submitted apps at a faster pace. So, with apps updating and new apps appearing, you might yourself going to the App Store more, downloading more, and subscribing more. You may even begin seeing adverts for these new apps when searching.

If you see an advert for an app, then you download and ultimately love that app, Apple has said you will be able to tap a “Share” button via the 3D Touch menu on your home screen to post a link to it on social media.

As for Android users, you will likely see a flurry of app updates so that they become subscription-based apps, and you may even see more subscription-based apps appearing in Play Store. Google just gave developers a reason to invest in Android as much as they do for iOS. Google likely realises it needs to stay competitive in order to keep developers happy and creating.

Samsung Galaxy TabPro S review: Taking on the Microsoft Surface Pro

Not so long ago Samsung pulled out of the laptop market in the UK, which came as a bit of a shock. It also showed the electronic manufacturer’s hand and forward-thinking, to some degree, given that tablet and laptop markets have largely converged in recent years thanks, initially, to the Microsoft Surface.

The Galaxy TabPro S is Samsung’s direct response to this evolution. A slender 2-in-1 with a keyboard in the box that, given the device’s 12.2-inch screen and Windows 10 operating system, feels like a new-generation laptop in many respects. It leverages the maker’s well-established tablet-making skills – we’re looking at you Tab Pro 12.2 from 2014, which in hindsight was ahead of its time – and brings that into to the modern world in an even more in-demand form.

The question, then, is whether Samsung’s attempt at the 2-in-1 tablet-meets-laptop is a step beyond the likes of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Lenovo Yoga 900, iPad Pro, imminent Huawei MateBook, et al. But given that the TabPro S employs an Intel Core M chipset does its lack of power compared to many of its competitors mean it misses the required punch to be considered best of the bunch?

Samsung Galaxy TabPro S review: Design

The thing that sets Core M apart from many other chipsets is that it doesn’t need fan cooling, which typically means a less bulky build in devices in which it’s used. The TabPro S’s 7.9mm thickness (or thinness, more to the point) is similar to a high-end Galaxy phone, squeezing its way under the limbo bar and onto the super-slender shortlist. Although, these days, it’s all so close that a little power negated for the sake of bulk isn’t out of the question: the Surface Pro 4 is only 8.4mm by comparison, for example, and 0.5mm is barely measurable on your average school ruler; while the iPad Pro is 6.9mm, but what’s a millimetre between friends?

The Pro S’s finish is accomplished, but not quite to S7 edge smartphone levels. We like the metal edging and the folds that make this tablet look like it’s been almost trouser-pressed in the most elegant of ways. It’s a far shout from the earlier and more plasticky Samsung tablets, with no sign of faux leather anywhere.

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On the ports front things are kept simple: there’s a USB Type-C for charging (or transferring files, but not both at the same time) and a 3.5mm headphones jack. No separate power, no full-size USB to be seen, which saw us getting a bit stuck from time to time, when using the Pro S as a full laptop replacement for this review. In that regard the TabPro S is very much Samsung’s iPad Pro competitor. And in the same regard that also means there’s no microSD port, so you’ll need to designate internal storage in advance – our 128GB SSD model ought to hold plenty of files and footage, given that is laptop-like in capacity (a pricier 256GB model is also available).

Seeing as we’re mentioning Apple, what’s distinctly different about the Pro S, particularly for a Samsung tablet, is that it runs Windows rather than the Android operating system. So while it may look like an ultra-enlarged phone from afar, it feels altogether different in use – which we think is more practical. Tap and swipe the screen like a tablet (although not on the setup screens, which made us think it was broken – it wasn’t), or magnetically clip the keyboard into place with ease using the pogo pin to use keys and trackpad – it marries those two worlds together rather successfully.

Samsung Galaxy TabPro S review: Keyboard included

That included keyboard-meets-cover, however, presents various niggles. Sure, it attaches with ease and is then immediately in use without needing to make a connection, but the squat keyboard means a small trackpad that’s hard to use given its scale, and the obvious lack of a micro-adjustable kickstand are all things that come up short during use.

The stand does mean the Pro S is self-standing, though, but in either a very upright or slovenly low-slung manner that won’t be suitable for all situations – it’s a bit like the original Surface in that regard (i.e. now years behind the current design curve). Detaching it to use it as a cover also isn’t especially elegant either, given where the magnetic pin is positioned relative to the rest of the stand; simply it can’t be folded forward, you’ll need to disconnect the two parts and line things up. Still, it’s all functional, it just lacks refinement.

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Then there’s the actual keys themselves. They’re plasticky, their travel isn’t great, and the compressed key-to-key layout leaves a lot to be desired, despite being full-size keys. We know it’s not a full-blown laptop, but that can be felt in use: the S Pro feels closer to a mini Notebook from years ago, rather than an ultra comfortable typing experience.

Also of note is the lack of a stylus. There’s not one in the box and, despite the promise of one in the future, the C-Pen accessory still hasn’t surfaced to purchase. It should, it’s just a case of when. But given the £849 starting price, its absence doesn’t see Samsung undercut Microsoft’s Surface price point, all things considered.

Samsung Galaxy TabPro S review: Screen

With a 12.2-inch screen, the TabPro S is of a similar scale to the 12.3-inch Surface Pro 4 and a little more compact than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The Samsung’s Super AMOLED panel is made-up from 2,160 x 1,400 pixels, giving it a better-than-HD resolution, but not quite as much pixel-stashing as the aforementioned Microsoft and Apple devices.

Does a resolution behind in the numbers game mean poor results? Not at all. The TabPro S has the relevant resolution for its scale, delivering crisp images that are bright given the panel technology used (AMOLED means pixels can be individually activated, for a clean and bright image). However, colours appear a little oversaturated and hyperreal, which, depending on how you look at it, could be seen a downside.

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Thing is, extra pixels would mean extra power-drain. And we’re happy to shed a few pixels from the already decent density here for the sake of longevity, especially in a device that’s meant to be used when on-the-go. It’s here that Samsung strikes a decent balance: we’ve been getting around 8.5-hours use per charge, which is about a third better than what the Surface Pro 4 was kicking out during our testing (but not the 10.5-hours max that Samsung claims – although we suspect that’s possible in pre-set scenarios).

That’s a standard office day when running usual tasks – for us that’s email, web browsing, word processing, and similar – without fuss. As an added incentive there’s fast-charging available via that USB C-Type port, meaning a full battery from dead in just two-and-a-half hours; or worthwhile top-ups in just a matter of minutes if you’re dashing between sockets in different places. However, you’ll need a sufficient plug for fast-charging to be realised, the Pro S won’t re-juice anywhere nearly as quickly if you plug it into, say, a second laptop’s USB port to draw the power.

Samsung Galaxy TabPro S review: Performance

That longevity isn’t necessarily a surprise, though, as we’re talking Intel Core M here (and in its bottom-rung M3 derivative), not Intel Core i levels of power. If you’re a Photoshop fiend then, fret not, it’ll operate on the TabPro S, as our trial download confirmed, but it won’t be as quick at batch processing as, say, a higher-end Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Still, it’s not a restricted app version as you’ll be stuck to on Android or iOS devices.

However, given the Samsung only comes in this configuration, and with just 4GB RAM, that’s all you can get. Shame there’s not 8GB on board to help assist that performance, especially given where phones are headed these days and, not forgetting, the Pro S’s £849 starting price. Sure, by and large you’ll be paying £1,200-ish for Core i devices with more RAM, but Samsung’s positioning isn’t as competitive as we might have anticipated.

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And let’s not forget Apple. Comparing the Samsung is tricky, given Apple’s choice to use its mobile iOS platform and, therefore, limit on “heavier” installs. For our money the Samsung’s use of Windows 10 is more practical as an out-and-out laptop replacement – even if that’s not an operating system for all tastes – because Windows 10 is, first and foremost, a desktop operating system with all that offers out of the box.

Point being: the Galaxy TabPro S performs the day-to-day stuff well, using a decent screen, with longevity that’s commendable. That might make it sound almost average in many respects, but we’d take the additional usage time of this device over the Surface Pro 4 and think the flexibility of Windows 10 (despite its hiccups) that lacks on the iPad (iOS) and MateBook (Android) will suit crossover personal and business users all the more.

Samsung Galaxy TabPro S review: Cameras and audio

You’re thinking of using your 12.2-inch tablet as a camera? Sound the crazy alarm. However, the TabPro S can cater for your needs, with two 5-megapixel cameras, one front, one rear. They’re ok, they take pictures, but nothing to shout about. The main use, realistically, will be the front camera for Skype calls and the like, which it’s adept enough to handle.

Last up there’s audio quality. The speakers – those little drilled holes in the left and right sides of the tablet – are actually fairly decent in terms of volume, although they’re not as loud as the iPad Pro and not knock-it-out-the-park in terms of quality. But what did you expect?: this is a slender tablet and doesn’t have the capacity for a top-end sound system.

Verdict

Overall, Samsung’s first bash at a laptop-replacement tablet gets plenty of things right. It runs full Windows 10, lasts for a full working day, has a bright and colourful screen (although it’s not class-leading in terms of resolution), and a solid design compared to Samsung tablets of old.

It’s not perfect though: the included keyboard cover has a tiny trackpad, isn’t designed especially well for folding up quickly, and its two-position stand options are restrictive (not a patch on the Surface Pro’s kickstand design).

As ever, price is a major factor. At £849 with the keyboard cover included, it’s pitched squarely against the Surface Pro 4. Thing is, the Samsung lacks a stylus in the box, nor can its Intel Core M3 chipset and lowly 4GB RAM match some of the more powerful competition (although it lasts longer than many).

Whether the Pro S the 2-in-1 for you depends on what you’re looking for. Not one manufacturer has yet perfected this emerging market, and with each showing their individual strengths and weaknesses, this Samsung feels on par with much of the competition in its own way. If it was more affordable it might be an even more attractive option though.

Now TV 4K box and “more” to be announced on 29 June

Sky has sent out press invites to an event on 29 June where the new Now TV box will be unveiled.

However, the new set-top-box, already revealed to be 4K-ready, will not be the only announcement. The invite states that there will be “so much more than that”.

The invite arrived in the form of a snazzy video, the content of which we’ve screengrabbed and presented in our gallery above. It uses Now TV branding throughout and confirms the new set-top-box will be one of the topics of discussion.

The extra news looks to have something to do with the existing Now TV subscription packages, as the current entertainment, movies and sport passes are pictured in their iconic, coloured forms.

READ: Sky Q to get 4K Ultra HD TV shows and movies from summer, Now TV too

This could refer to the company’s previous suggestion that the new Now TV box will also sport a digital tuner and become a direct rival to YouView. It will therefore offer the entire range of digital terrestrial channels, plus the Sky services supplied over the internet to effectively offer access to a Sky system without the need for a satellite dish.

It could even offer more than most with 4K Ultra HD connectivity and content on its way too.

We’ll find out for sure on 29 June. Pocket-lint will be in attendance at the launch event and will reporting on any news that comes from it.

Nike’s The Switch Euro 2016 short film is stealing the net, find out why here

Nike has released its Euro 2016 tie-in video and it is a work of brilliance; Spark Brilliance, in fact,

As part of its Spark Brilliance campaign, The Switch stars Cristiano Ronaldo and several other footballers, including much of the England team, in a six-minute short film clearly inspired by Freaky Friday.

During an England v Portugal match, Ronaldo collides with an English ball boy and they are switched into each others’ bodies. Hilarity ensues.

There are some great moments throughout the film, which is clever enough to make you forget you’re actually watching an advert.

We particularly like the first moments Ronaldo meets his new family, or when his counterpart takes control of the supercar in the Real Madrid forward’s garage.

You can watch the full short film here, embedded from Ronaldo’s own Twitter channel. It’s being shared all over the internet at the moment, so you’re bound to come across it sooner or later.

The Euro 2016 football championships start in France tomorrow. Sportswear brands often pull out all the stops with their short movies and ads, but this is certainly one of the best we’ve seen.

It’s a shame Ronaldo’s Champions League final performance wasn’t quite as good as his on-screen one here.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 could feature Iris Scanner

If rumours are to be believed, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which is the name we now believe the Note 6 will be given, will see the company again demonstrate its ability to pack in as much as possible into a smartphone. It could make it the biggest, best and most powerful smartphone yet.

Not content with just having a front-mounted fingerprint sensor, it seems the Korean tech manufacturer is now looking to build a Mission Impossible-style eye scanner into its next big mobile device. 

A leaked screenshot showing beta software in Samsung’s Galaxy Beta Program has revealed a new option in the security and privacy settings. This option, translated, says “use iris”.

Although hardly definitive and difficult to verify as genuine, it’s not the only indication that Samsung is going to use your eyeball to unlock your next phone. 

Priceraja

READ: Samsung Galaxy Note 6 / Note 7: What’s the story so far?

An Indian site, Zauba, regularly showed lists of products imported into its homeland. One particular shipment document revealed Samsung has sent 200 units of an “IRIS CAM” from South Korea to India, for use in a mobile phone of some kind. 

While it might be jumping to conclusions somewhat, there have been previous rumblings online that Samsung’s next big S-Pen equipped smartphone will have an eyeball scanner.

And although it may seem as though it would be a pure gimmick with the sole purpose of giving the Android phone-maker bragging rights over its rivals, there’s evidence to suggest that an iris scanner would be far more accurate, and more secure than a fingerprint sensor. 

Previous rumours have suggested Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Note 6 / 7 at an event on 2 August, exactly one month before IFA conference kicks off in Berlin.

Other rumoured features include a huge 6GB of RAM, 5.80-inch QHD AMOLED screen, dual cameras and a 4,000mAh battery with fast-charging support. We also expect it will come shipped with an S-Pen stylus, running Android Marshmallow and look very similar to the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. 

Now you can use an Nvidia Shield TV as a Plex media server

We’ve always been fans of the Nvidia Shield Android TV box, with its 4K output and gaming prowess. We’ve also always loved Plex and the excellent way it catalogues and presents our media files.

Now the two are combining in a way that is every Plex fan’s dream; you no longer have to use a PC or NAS drive to act as a Plex media server, soon you can now do it all on an Nvidia Shield TV instead.

Plex already has an excellent Android TV app, which works on the Nvidia Shield TV, but the box is also capable of transcoding video in real time, including H.264, HEVC and MPEG2 formats. That means you can store your media on its hard drive, or a memory device plugged into one of the USB ports, and use it as the server.

The Shield TV can be spec’ed up to 500GB, so there’s plenty of space for your movies, TV shows and music. And everything will be presented in typical Plex style, with full metadata.

READ: Nvidia Shield Android TV review: 4K and gaming meet in powerhouse box

Plex will gain the new ability when the Shield TV gets a firmware update later this month. The Plex app on Google Play will then have media server aspects added, although they will on work on the Nvidia device thanks to its power under the hood.

Plex has also revealed that it is looking to add media server capabilities to other devices in the future. They need to be capable of accelerated transcoding, but there should be other platforms highly spec’ed enough to cope.

Finally, we’ll be able to watch shows through Plex apps without having to leave our computers on in the background.

Google’s Larry Page is secretly developing a flying car

Remember all of those dystopian futures where our skies are filled with grimy flying cars spewing smog across the land? The co-founder of Google is hoping to make that future a reality, at least according to Bloomberg. It’s published a report claiming that Larry Page has been secretly bankrolling Zee.Aero and Kitty Hawk, two California startups working on developing a serious flying car. While the former is based on the edges of Google’s Mountain View campus, Page’s involvement has been considered a secret, until now.

According to ten (ten!) sources familiar with the matter, Zee.Aero has developed a pair of prototype aircraft which it tests regularly. It has a facility close to a runway in Hollister in southern California, where locals claim to have seen weird craft hovering overhead. The report describes them as plane-like vehicles, with propellers in the rear — one small enough for a single person, the other seemingly more capacious. Last year, website LongTailPipe found a patent detailing the firm’s thinking, with rotor blades lining a plane-style cockpit. As top-secret as the project is, Zee.Aero engineers have been known to show off their skills, breaking the cruising record for unpowered flight at the 2013 Red Bull Flugtag.

Zee.Aero engineers breaking the world record for unpowered flight.

Kitty Hawk, meanwhile, was apparently spun out by Page as a competing project, led by Sebastian Thrun, founder of Google’s X Lab. Thrun is also famous for being one of the minds behind the search engine’s self-driving car project way back when. Page apparently believes that two companies, competing directly with each other, will help get the job done faster. The smaller firm is working on something closer to a quadcopter drone, reminding us of EHang’s 184 passenger drone.

Unfortunately, Bloomberg believes that merely reporting on Page’s involvement with both firms might kill his dreams dead. It claims that the Google co-founder said that, if his connection was made public, he’d withdraw in an instant. Although maybe he’s better off directing his energies toward a mode of transportation that’ll help solve the problems more people face today, like mass transit.

Source: Bloomberg