Should autonomous vehicles save passengers or pedestrians?
Oh, humanity. New research published in Science shows that we, as a race, want to have our cake and eat it too when it comes to autonomous vehicles. Specifically, we’re totally okay with self-driving cars that will sacrifice their passengers in favor of not harming pedestrians — so long as we aren’t the passengers when that happens. What’s more, those surveyed would like other people to buy those self-sacrificing rides, but don’t want to buy one themselves, and don’t agree with the idea of enforcing regulations for them. Sure; this makes perfect sense.
The tough part here is designing the algorithms that will control these self-driving rides, and how to teach the artificial intelligence deal with unavoidable harm. Successfully doing so relies on a trio of what Science calls “incompatible objectives.” Meaning, the algorithms must be consistent, not cause public outrage and not discourage buyers. It’s tricky and raises the question of which lives are more important, those outside the vehicle or its passengers? When humans make split-second decisions, it’s out of instinct and self-preservation — not programming.
But if someone knowingly bought an autonomous vehicle that favored passengers over pedestrians, would they be held liable if a loss of public life occurred?
“I do not think concerns about very rare ethical issues of this sort […] should paralyze the really groundbreaking leaps that e are making in this particular domain of technology, policy and conversations in liability, insurance and legal sectors, and consumer acceptance,” assistant research scientist Anuj. K Pradhan, of UMTRI’s Human Factors Group, tells The Verge.
Again, this is all extremely early, but it’s for the best that the conversation is starting now, rather than, say, when we have a whole fleet of self-driving cars on the road. For more troubling morality questions, be sure to hit the source links below.
Via: The Verge
Source: Science
Omaker’s fully reversible micro USB cables are pretty sweet and well worth $13(review)
In the past year we have seen a major shift in USB connectors from micro USB type-C. One of the biggest advantages of USB type-C is the plug’s reversibility factor.
Micro USB has been the standard for the past five plus years, and its biggest downside has been the non reversible plug. The non reversible plug makes it difficult to plug the tiny micro USB port into the female end of electronic devices.
When I was in my twenties, it wasn’t much of an issue since my eyes were perfect. But now that I am in my mid thirties, I am finding more difficult to plug the micro USB cables into my devices. I end up scratching the bottom of my phones and other devices rather badly.
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge micro USB charging port
I’ve recently made the switch to reversible micro USB cables and love them. Not all of them are created equally, and Omaker’s cables are some of the best I’ve used so far.
Build and Usage
Omaker makes quality mobile accessories. I’ve used several of its products and have yet to be let down with a poorly made product. The reversible micro USB cables from Omaker have a standard USB type-A plug on one end with a nice braided sleeve over the cable to provide better durability. Many cables break at the connection point from the wire to the plug, but cables with braided sleeves tend to last much longer.
Where Omaker’s cables differ from other reversible micro USB plugs I have used, is the quality of the plug itself. There are quite a few manufacturers who claim to have reversible micro USB cables, but many of them fit too tightly. The precision required to get quality reversible micro USB plugs is high, and of the eight brands I have tried, only Scosche and Omaker ensure a smooth and comfortable fit. Others either fit too tight or loose. Omaker sits right in the middle and gets the fit just right.
Omaker reversible micro USB plug (bottom)
I actually purchased these cables to use, because my vision is getting worse with age. When I drive the last thing I want to do is fiddle with the cable I use to charge my Galaxy S7 edge. Omaker’s reversible micro USB cables are much safer to use in the car than the traditional micro USB cables. I’ve also replaced the traditional charging cables on my nightstand multi- port charging stand, because it’s especially hard to see at night when I am ready to charge my phone and tablets before I hit the sack.
Conclusion
Reversible micro USB cables don’t get as much attention as they should. While the industry is moving to USB type-C, there are still thousands of accessories, tablets and smartphones that still use micro USB. Omaker’s reversible micro USB cables are a pleasure to use and even make me wonder why didn’t someone do this sooner. If they did, we may not have even needed to switch to USB type-C to begin with.
I highly recommend Omaker’s reversible micro USB cables. You can get a pair for $12.99 on sale at Amazon now.
Chord Mojo review: The mobile DAC to beat
In the world of HiFi audio, there are select manufacturers associated with undisputed excellence. Chord Electronics is one of those. Its specialty is the dedicated sound processor, or digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The company delve into the mobile space with the Chord Hugo in 2014, which did spectacularly in the market. Only, the price made it a pipe dream for the majority of audio lovers.
Fortunately, Chord didn’t take too long to follow up with an alternative, dubbed the Mojo. The name may be humorous, but this compact DAC is all serious when it comes to performance. Despite being a fraction of the size and cost of the Hugo, there’s little in the way of compromise in sound quality. Quite an achievement. Let’s examine if Chord’s Mojo is the real deal.
Design
Mobile audiophiles will be pleasantly surprised when they open the Mojo’s box. Serious DACs are known to be sizable (high-end manufacturers typically put sound quality above all else), so to see one smaller than a deck of cards from a company like Chord is surprising. We’ll see if its ambition paid off in our audio discussion later in the review.
The Mojo’s design is fairly basic but with some nice, original flare. It’s a rectangular block, made from Aluminum and a smooth, black finish. The edges are rounded for an even more refined look and great in-hand feel. There are these swooping cutouts on the top for the buttons and Chord logo, and the Mojo’s signature is front and center.
Bottom of Mojo has rubber feet at each corner.
The buttons are an interesting design choice. All three (volume up/down and power) are semi-transparent balls that light up to indicate statuses (we’ll talk about that the functionality shortly). They sure look cool and snazzy in person, but may be too flashy for folks who prefer discretion. I’m just glad that Chord realized to recess them slightly in the chassis, to reduce the chance of accidental presses (although, it does happen occasionally with handling).
The Mojo is laid out with output on one end and input on the other. The compact and mobile nature of the Mojo means that the 3.5mm headphone jack is the only means of output. Considerately, Chord packs in two ports, so that you can share the audio experience with a friend.
On the input side, we have a few more options. The standard digital input is handled by a microUSB port. There is an additional microUSB port, as a dedicated charging port. This is great, because you’ll still be able to use the Mojo if it runs out of battery (assuming that you have a power source nearby). Since it’s microUSB, you’ll be able to use the same power bank that you carry around for your phone/tablet. The other input options are Optical or Coax.
Under the charging port is a small LED light that remains lit in use and indicates three different statuses – charging (white), good battery (green), low battery (red).
Functionality
The Mojo is made for mobile use, so this means that support for Android and Apple devices are in tow. As long as your Android phone has no problem outputting audio via OTG (there should be no worry with newer phones) and you have a microUSB-to-microUSB cable that can do it, then you’re ready to just plug in and go. Unfortunately, Chord doesn’t include said cable, which is a bit of an oversight in my eyes. Such a mobile-focused device should include it. Instead, you get a short USB-to-microUSB. Fortunately, cables are generally cheap (or you can buy a USB-to-microUSB adapter). But still.
The Mojo isn’t complicated to use, but there is a bit more than meets the eye. When you turn it on (holding down the power button for a couple seconds), you’ll see what may be an intimidating display of lights from the round buttons. It’s important to know that the volume has a wide range of fine tuning, and the colors are the visual indication of where you are. Some may question Chord’s design, but there’s a method to the madness. A volume knob wouldn’t give you as much fine control. A huge benefit of this is the Mojo’s power support. It can minimize its output to suit super sensitive headphones (like the Shure SE846) or be powerful enough for demanding full-size headphones (like the Sennheiser HD 800). That’s very impressive, especially when you think about the device’s size.
A drawback can be that there’s a lot of volume steps to go through, but Chord also thought about this. You can hold down on a volume button to quickly move through the range. But a problem with the color indication is that you’ll have to get used to what colors mean what volume. Chord separates the range by 10 different colors, starting at red and ending in white.
There are a lot more volume steps than that, though. So each color gets a couple steps (indicated by a change in brightness) until to moves to the next color. What’s more, there are two full cycles between the minimum and maximum volume. In the first cycle, the “+” volume ball will remain one color (red), while the “-” ball will cycle through the set of colors. Then after it hits white, the second cycle begins, indicated by both balls cycling through the colors simultaneously.
First volume cycle
Second volume cycle
This system may sound complicated, but it’s really not. And the DAC remains at the volume you leave it at, so unless you’re switching headphones, it shouldn’t matter. Still, I’m not a fan of the ball system and feel like it should be more intuitive. And there’s a couple problems with the implementation. The balls are free to spin, for no reason at all. That results in an unflattering rattle when you handle the unit. Additionally, you can’t turn off the lights. Chord lets you switch between two different brightness levels (by simultaneously pressing the two volume balls), but even the lower setting is way too bright in a dark environment. I listen to music in bed and it’s quite annoying.
When you plug in your source and fire the music up, you’ll also see the power button turn a certain color as well. This is a visual indication of the sampling frequency that your source outputs. The color range is the same as discussed before, red for a low frequency (44 kHz) and up to 768 kHz/DSD rates on white. You’ll have to check the manual to know what color means what specific frequency, if you care about that kind of thing.
I also feel it’s important to mention that the unit can emit considerable heat. It’s warm in normal use, but if it’s a bag/case, the temperature can jump up pretty quickly. The worst is when you’re using it while charging at the same time. It doesn’t get hot enough to burn you, but it is quite alarming. I’m surprised it can operate with that kind of heat.
The Mojo’s battery life is decent and more or less what I’d expect from a device this size. It’s said to provide up to 10 hours of playback, but of course, that depends on your volume level. I use sensitive earphones (so I don’t ask for that much power) and I saw around 8-9 hours of life. My beef is with the charging. It charges at only a 1A rate, so it takes a whole 4 hours to get from empty to full. It’s even slower if you’re using the DAC while charging at the same time. The 1A standard also means that the charging port doesn’t play nice with a lot of today’s mobile device chargers (it rejects ones it doesn’t like). I don’t always want to charge the DAC from my computer.
Sound
*I used the Shure SE846 and Sennheiser IE 800 earphones for my review.
When we’re talking about a DAC, what ultimately matters is the audio quality. I’ll straight-up say that the Mojo’s sound overshadows any of my complaints about the design. The Mojo is simply a wonder. Let’s talk about what that means.
The immediate term that most reviewers expel when describing the Mojo’s sound is “musical”, and I see why. According to Head-Fi.org’s sound glossary, “Musical” is defined as “A sense of cohesion and subjective ‘rightness’ in the sound”. That “rightness” in sound is precisely the standout feature of the Mojo. The thing is that regardless of how detailed a DAC can be, many fail to capture music’s true essence. The nature of sound in a live performance is much different than what audio gear reproduces, no matter how good it is. But that’s the goal, and that’s the aim that Chord takes. I’m not saying that Chord’s devices can fully do that (none can), but its effort is very noticeable and a huge differentiating factor from other DACs out there. There’s substantial pleasure in a sound that’s not only detailed, but sounds “right”. I’ve never felt so engaged in music from my headphones, and I fell in love instantly.
That said, the lushness of sounds isn’t the only thing done right, but their imaging is spread out wonderfully. I don’t think the Mojo has the widest reaching soundstage out there, but when all the dynamics are filling the space around you, it’s of little consequence. Details are equally excellent across the spectrum as far as I can tell. I would say that the iFi Micro iDSD portable DAC I’ve reviewed (a strong competitor) is slightly more detailed towards the upper end of the spectrum, but really, at this point it’s hard to tell. I think the musicality factor is much more a plus.
I want to call the Mojo’s sound signature slightly warm (slight emphasis on bass), but that may be a result of its musical nature. The bass is strong/impactful, but it in no way overshadows. No frequency range in the spectrum is recessed; they all shine with detail and depth. But I have to say that not everyone likes a strong bass, and there’s no analog bass control on the unit.
Final Thoughts
To sum up the Mojo: A solidly built, compact, portable DAC with some questionable design choices that get overshadowed by stupendous, somewhat unrivaled sound. Chord Electronics did a magnificent thing here, and despite some distinct and valid complaints in the design, this is simply the best DAC on the market that you can take on the go.
The Mojo does cost a pretty penny, at $600, but this is the kind of DAC for an end-all setup (assuming you have invested in a high-end headphone). You won’t regret the Mojo.
‘Banner Saga 2’ gets bigger and badder with Survival Mode
The Banner Saga 2 builds upon Stoic’s brilliant Viking-fantasy universe, and it’s about to get a little bit bigger. Survival Mode is available today as a free update to Banner Saga 2, allowing players to assemble teams from a large swath of existing heroes and then pit them against enemies in 40 back-to-back, turn-based strategy matches. Once a hero dies, he or she is gone for good, but each victory grants players a form of in-game currency called Renown, allowing them to add fresh fighters to their teams. Items drop during combat and there’s a 30-second timer keeping the matches moving quickly.
Banner Saga 2’s Survival Mode features the game’s three difficulty levels and it supports leaderboards.
“Survival Mode is something we’ve been working on behind the scenes for a while now,” Stoic technical director John Watson said in a press release. “This is an entirely new experience within Banner Saga 2. Our goal was to create a fun, tactical game mode where fans can play from a different perspective which focuses on strategy and the hard cost of death in combat. We modified how the combat worked from the core game based on feedback from our community and put it through a closed beta to make sure that it was fun.”
Banner Saga 2 hit PC and Mac on April 19th, and it’s scheduled to land on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on July 26th. It’s due to hit mobile this summer, as well. The original Banner Saga landed in 2014 and it was a breath of fresh Nordic air.
Hubble discovers a new ‘dark vortex’ on Neptune
Researchers gazing through NASA’s hardworking, time-bending Hubble space telescope spotted a new storm brewing on Neptune last month. As the space agency confirmed today, research astronomers analyzing telescope data at the University of California at Berkeley discovered a new “dark spot” on the planet — only the third since Voyager 2 first spotted one in during its 1989 flyby.
The dark spots or vortices are actually high-pressure weather systems and they accompanied by bright companion clouds, presumed to be methane crystals formed when the surrounding air is pushed up over the vortex. In this case, it was the companion clouds that were spotted first and pointed researchers towards the dark spot itself.
“Dark vortices coast through the atmosphere like huge, lens-shaped gaseous mountains,” UC Berkeley researcher Mike Wong said. “And the companion clouds are similar to so-called orographic clouds that appear as pancake-shaped features lingering over mountains on Earth.”
Also like Earth’s weather systems, the dark spots are constantly changing in terms of size, shape and stability. Unlike those on Earth, however, they can last for years and the vortex spotted by Voyager 2 was actually about the same size as the Earth itself.
Finally, in other Hubble news today, NASA announced they’ll be extending the contract for science operations on the space telescope. With the extension, Hubble will continue to be in service through at least June 30, 2021, although NASA believes it will continue to be “an outstanding general purpose observatory” well into the 2020s thanks to some upgrades performed by shuttle astronauts back in 2009. In 2018, Hubble will be joined in orbit the James Webb Space Telescope, which will become our new flagship observatory in space.
The best IFTTT recipes for international travelers – CNET
It’s officially summer — aka vacation season. There’s no better way to vacation than with streamlined, barely-there tech.
IFTTT, or “IF This, Then That,” is an online automation service that connects apps and services so that certain actions can be set up to automatically trigger other actions. I know that sounds complicated, but it actually makes your life less complicated by automating simple tasks that you would otherwise spend valuable minutes doing.
IFTTT is especially helpful when you’re traveling, because it’s difficult to juggle all of your tech, social networks, and photos while you’re exploring a different city or country. That’s why we’ve come up with several IFTTT recipes that will help keep your travels simple and stress-free. (Each of the images below is linked to its respective recipe; just click and all will be revealed.)
Make an offline travel file on Evernote
You probably keep all of your travel information in your email account (maybe you even have a special “travel” folder). But to access your email account, you need the internet — and if you’re traveling overseas you may not have that luxury. With IFTTT, you can set up a recipe that will pull all of your travel docs from your email account and put them in a handy, offline-accessible Evernote notebook.
Back up your vacation photos to the cloud
The good news about using your smartphone as your primary camera is that you can use IFTTT to automatically back up your vacation pictures to the cloud service of your choice.
For iPhone users:
For Android users:
Collect photos from your traveling companions
Your traveling companions — including people you meet along the way — will most likely have more photos of you than you do. Collect all of these photos in the cloud storage service of your choice with an IFTTT recipe that grabs Facebook pictures you’re tagged in.
Make a travel log
If you use Foursquare’s Swarm app to check in to local hotspots when you’re traveling, this IFTTT recipe will automatically log each check-in to your Google calendar.
And if you have a mother who likes to see what you’re doing while you’re adventuring overseas, this recipe will send her an email every time you tag a check-in with #mom. (This isn’t just for suck-ups — if you’re traveling alone, it’s always a good idea to keep someone informed of your whereabouts.)
Get your public transportation game on
Get a map of the Underground when you arrive in London:
Or a map of the Metro when you arrive in Tokyo:
Boston:
New York (Android and iOS):
San Francisco:
3 ways to estimate how much propane you have left – CNET
It’s finally summer, which means it’s time to break out the grill, slap some patties on it, and have your first backyard cookout of the year. But how do you know how much propane is left in the tank? Most propane tanks don’t come with a gauge to let you know how much fuel is remaining. And you definitely don’t want to run out and have to make a trip to the store in the middle of cooking.
Fortunately, there are actually a couple ways to quickly check the level of propane before firing up the grill. Here’s how it’s done.
With water
One of the quickest ways to approximate the fill level of a propane tank comes from the “Fix It Home Improvement Channel” over on YouTube. All you need is a bit of hot water.
- Fill a cup or a small bucket with hot water from the tap.
- Pour the water down the side of the tank.
- Run your hand down the side of the tank and feel for a cool spot.
The top of the cool spot is the fill level of the tank. What’s happening here is the liquid propane inside the tank is absorbing the heat from the water, which makes the metal wall of the tank cool to the touch, whereas the tank wall above the fill line will be warm.
This doesn’t give you a very accurate measure of how much propane is left, but rather a decent approximation. It’s certainly enough to let you know whether or not you should head to the store before starting to cook.
By weight
Of course, if you’ve been dealing with propane tanks for a long time, you can approximate whether it’s time to get it refilled simply by picking it up. But to get a better idea of how much gas is remaining, you will need a scale.
All propane tanks come with a few numbers stamped on the handle — most commonly the WC (water capacity) and TW (the weight of the tank when it’s empty). Most propane tanks for grilling weigh around 17 pounds (8 kilograms) when empty and hold roughly 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of propane.
To measure how many pounds of propane are remaining, weigh the tank and subtract the tare weight. For instance, if you weigh the tank and have 27 pounds (12 kilograms) total and have a tare weight of 17 pounds (8 kilograms), you have 10 pounds of propane — approximately half a tank — remaining.
Buy a gauge
Quirky
That said, if you want to keep track of your propane tank’s fill level, you can invest in a gauge. Propane tank gauges come in several different forms.
- Inline pressure gauges install between the gas line from the grill and the cut-off valve on the tank. These gauges work on pressure and give a readout letting you know when the tank is full, low or empty.
- Analog propane scales work much like luggage scales, except they’re already tared for the for the weight of the tank. Slip the hook through the handle of the tank, pick up and read the remaining gas level.
- Digital propane tank scales work by constantly weighing the tank and provide a digital readout of remaining cook time and gas fill percentage. The Quirky Refuel even gives you a readout on your smartphone.
These gauges and scales range from about $10 (£6.81 or AU$13) to $50 (£34.05 or AU$66) and might prove useful if you do a lot of cooking on the grill.
GE GTD45EASJWS dryer review – CNET
The Good For a modest price, the GE GTD45EASJWS dryer provides relatively short cycle times and removes water from wet clothes with impressive speed. The dryer also comes equipped with moisture sensors that automatically shut the machine off to avoid overdrying.
The Bad The GE GTD45EASJWS dryer lacks steam modes and other specialty cycles. The bare-bones appliance doesn’t have a display or status lights and uses all-mechanical controls, many of which feel frail and cheaply made. Also, the dryer’s control panel is mounted in back, which rules out stacked configurations or placing the machine on a pedestal.
The Bottom Line The budget-friendly yet high-performance GE GTD45EASJWS dryer makes a lot of sense for penny pinchers, but those who expect higher quality design, controls and features should look elsewhere.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
The $650 GE GTD45EASJWS dryer is a throwback to an age before laundry appliances resembled sleek home-theater gear or digital computer systems. Judging from its all-mechanical knobs and dials (not to mention the lack of a screen or even lights), this machine could easily be a relic from the 20th century. Don’t be fooled by the GE GTD45EASJWS’s antiquated looks, though, because inside its hospital-white facade are powerful components capable of pulling moisture away from wet laundry loads in short order.
This isn’t a showcase product suitable for your dream home laundry room. For that, you’ll have to spend at least twice as much on artfully designed dryers like the $1,100 Electrolux 600 series and $1,500 LG DLEX 5000. Still, while the GTD45EASJWS dryer is devoid of trendy steam cycles or the myriad of fabric-specific modes that you’ll get with other modern competitors, the appliance’s basic abilities also mean it’s dead simple to operate. If you’re in the market for a new dryer but must stick to a strict budget, this GE model is worth a serious look.
Design and features
If I didn’t remove some of its packaging myself, I could have easily confused the freshly minted GE GTD45EASJWS dryer with a laundry appliance from decades past. This contraption cuts a classic profile meant to match traditional top-loading washing machines and has controls placed on a back-mounted panel. It contrasts the modern trend of appliance makers who now favor front-loading washers and dryers with forward-facing controls. As a result of the old-school control layout, this dryer doesn’t support pedestal upgrades or stackable arrangements to save space or create more storage in your laundry room.
The control panel harkens back to classic 20th century design.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
The GE GTD45EASJWS dryer’s panel lacks LED indicators, a display, or lights of any kind. It’s downright spartan compared with the confused mess on GE’s own GFDS260EFWW model, and appears a half-century behind the cutting-edge consoles you’ll find on the Electrolux EFME617S Perfect Steam and LG DLEX 5000. The GE GTD86ESPJMC, another dryer with a rear control panel, benefits from an updated design that sports eye-catching blue LEDs, and a smoothly spinning cycle dial.
This GE GTD45EASJWS dryer’s cycle knob is anything but smooth. It takes a surprising amount of force to rotate and makes disconcerting grinding sounds while you do so. Whether the cause of the dial’s jarring motion is due to gears, sprockets or chains, turning this control feels unpleasant, to say the least.
The main cycle dial handles the dryer basics.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Garmin Vivoactive HR review – CNET
The Good A wealth of features including all-day activity tracking, smartphone notifications, built-in optical heart-rate sensor, GPS, multiple sport profiles and always-on display; can be worn in the shower and while swimming.
The Bad Bulky design. Occasional connection and syncing problems. Confusing mobile app.
The Bottom Line The Vivoactive HR’s versatile, multipurpose function and design make it one of the better smart GPS fitness watches on the market.
I’ve had a busy month. I’ve been running, cycling, swimming, rowing and hiking. And I’ve done all of this while wearing a single watch, Garmin’s Vivoactive HR. Unlike many of Garmin’s other products, the watch won’t appeal to just athletes. It’s an everyday fitness band, but with smartwatch elements. It gives Fitbit a run for its everyday-fitness money, and is a compelling solution for anyone with an active lifestyle.
The Vivoactive HR seems to be able to do it all. There’s all-day activity tracking (for things like steps, floors climbed, calories burned and sleep), smartphone notifications from your iPhone or Android device, a built-in optical heart-rate sensor and GPS for tracking a variety of activities. In addition to the ones I mentioned above, the watch can track golf, downhill and cross-country skiing, indoor cycling, indoor rowing, walking, strength training and even paddle boarding.
Hands-on with the Garmin Vivoactive HR (pictures)
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Even more impressive is that it can do all of this without having to be charged each night. The watch will last up to eight days, or around 13 hours with an active GPS signal. I typically got about a week, but that included five days of GPS workouts of between 40 and 50 minutes.
It’s pretty clear that I’m a fan of the Vivoactive HR. It’s a watch that active consumers will really enjoy and the $250 (£210, AU$400) pricetag is pretty reasonable (given all it does), but there a few things you need to know before you go out and buy one.
The design won’t appeal to everyone
I really liked the slim design of the original Vivoactive, but the HR model is nothing like the original. It’s similar to the Fitbit Surge, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. The watch is big and bulky, and it’s not something you would want to wear to the office, let alone a wedding.
It’s not all bad, though. The Vivoactive HR is waterproof up to 50 meters. It also has an always-on display, which is easy to read outdoors, but can look a little dull when inside.
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Sarah Tew/CNET
Wrist-based heart rate is getting better, but it’s not perfect
The heart-rate sensor on the back of Vivoactive HR will be good enough for most people. It’s relatively accurate on easy runs and when measuring resting heart rate (it does so continuously throughout the day). It’s also a lot more convenient than wearing a chest strap.
But, like all wrist-based heart-rate solutions, it’s not perfect. I did notice a slight delay of between five to seven seconds when compared to heart rate data recorded on a Polar H7 chest strap, but that’s pretty standard for wrist-based sensors. I also found that it fluctuated when doing a hard interval workout, although it didn’t perform as badly as some other devices (like the Gear Fit 2, for example).
YouTube announces mobile live broadcasting coming ‘soon’ for everyone
Though the likes of Periscope and Facebook Live are the talk of the town right now in mobile live video broadcasting, YouTube is now ready to get into the game. Taking to the YouTube Creator blog, Google has announced that live broadcasts will be coming to the YouTube app “soon” and that it’ll be “more reliable than anything else out there.”
Though YouTube makes the point that its service offered live streaming for events since 2011, it has sorely lacked the latest hot feature of direct broadcast from your phone — the only way to go live to YouTube from your phone directly was to have one of the few that supported the feature, namely recent Sony and Samsung phones.
With this change, everyone with the YouTube app will be able to start broadcasting live to millions of people (well, at least potentially) with no extra strings attached. The thought of “better late than never” certainly applies here, but with Facebook Live already showing huge growth in such a short period, you have to wonder how YouTube will catch back up and win over users.
AIVAnet 