Sky will begin 4K broadcasts on August 13th

When Sky launched its new Q service, blurring the lines between live TV and on-demand content, it also laid the groundwork to make the leap to 4K. However, while the top-end Sky Q Silver box has supported Ultra HD output from the get-go, we’ve only been given pretty vague assurances customers would be able to make full use of the hardware sometime this year. Turns out they won’t have to wait much longer, as Sky announced today that Ultra HD broadcasts will begin airing on August 13th.

Sky might have pipped Virgin Media to the post, but BT began showing sport in glorious 4K a year ago. If BT swung the first punch, though, then Sky is bouncing off the ropes with a heavy counter. In addition to showing 124 live Premier League games and from 2017, every Formula 1 race in Ultra HD, there will be over 70 4K movies available on Sky Cinema from the outset, including new blockbusters such as The Revenant and The Martian.

On top of that, a selection of documentaries and other factual programming, including some eye-watering Attenborough magic, and dramas such as The Young Pope and The Blacklist, not to mention other material in the realms of comedy and arts. Basically, it’s not exactly a lackluster launch lineup — there will be plenty to watch from day one — and best of all, it’s a free upgrade provided you have a Sky Q Silver box and the appropriate bundles (Sky Store rentals/purchases excluded). And since 4K broadcasts are being received via satellite, it places no additional burden on home broadband.

Customers will have to do one little thing to set themselves up, which amounts to digging through the set-top box video settings and changing the output to 4K. You’ll be prompted to do this the first time you try to view an Ultra HD broadcast and sent straight to the appropriate menu, though, so it shouldn’t be too much trouble. And if you bung on a footy match or anything else that’s showing in 4K, but on a different channel, the box will also prompt you to switch to the clearer broadcast.

To prepare Q Silver boxes for 4K, a UI update will begin rolling out at the end of July. New “Ultra HD” sections will be added to category menus where high-res content is available, but there are a couple of other tweaks that all Sky Q customers will see, even if they don’t have a Silver box. Most of these are geared towards bingeing. Once you start watching one episode of a show, the next one will begin downloading automatically in the background (this feature is coming to Sky+ HD boxes soon, too). And when one episode finishes, the next will automatically start after a 30-second countdown — Netflix style — during which time you can also tell it to get a move on, or stop it there before your session becomes an all-nighter.

And if there is no next episode, then the guide on the bottom rail will flag when it’s due to air so you can schedule a recording in advance. Jumping to specific points within a recording will become a little easier too. You’ll be able to swipe and hold on the fancy touchpad remote to quickly move back and forth through the timeline, or skip minute-by-minute with individual drags. Finally, Sky is also making a slight change to the sports content menu. The featured section will start promoting live, upcoming events, instead of simply highlighting past broadcasts to catch-up on. So, you know, you might heed the warning and be on top of a game or two instead of constantly finding out the scoreline from the group message thread.

Source: Sky Q

The new UK driving test will use a sat nav

Over the years, the standard UK driving test hasn’t changed all that much. Since 1996, learners have had to prove their road-worthiness by completing a set of multiple-choice questions and demonstrating decent hazard perception, but it’s always been about proving you’re a safe driver. In its biggest shake-up since the introduction of the theory test, the government will require new drivers to demonstrate their ability to navigate using a satellite navigation (sat nav) device in the hope it will promote safety, boost confidence and widen potential areas used for practical tests.

Under the new plans, the independent driving section of the test rise from 10 to 20 minutes. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) believes it will allow assessors to better judge a candidate’s ability to manage different road conditions and “manage and prioritise distractions,” which may include directions from a sat nav.

Because many drivers now automatically use the sat nav built into their car or assistive smartphone apps like Google Maps, the DVSA argues that “this change in driver behaviour should be reflected in the test.” Instead of having to bring their own device, the candidate will use a pre-approved sat nav provided by an assessor that will be fixed to their car. They’ll then be judged on their ability follow the directions provided, but won’t be asked to actually program it.

Since April 2015, UK transport research body TRL has run a trial on the new test and found that learners are now spending more time on fast dual carriageways and using sat navs with their driving instructor when learning, which in turn made them more confident on the road. The public will now be invited to comment on whether they agree with the proposal ahead of the August 25th deadline.

Via: The Guardian

Source: GOV.UK

Nest Releases Outdoor Security Camera, Mobile App Update in the Works

Google-owned Nest has unveiled Nest Cam Outdoor, its first new product since co-founder Tony Fadell left the company.

The outdoor home security camera is similar to last year’s Nest Cam – now called the Nest Cam Indoor. The wired outdoor Cam captures 1080p HD video and features a two-way mic, 20-foot infrared night vision, and a 130-degree wide-angle viewing lens.

In addition, the Nest Cam Outdoor features waterproofing and a more rounded design, while a magnetized disc on the rear of the camera fixes it to external surfaces, such as house guttering.

Both cameras carry the same price tag of $199 and work with the Nest mobile app, which the company says will receive a redesign later this month. The app offers encrypted video streaming as well as additional $10-per-month, subscription-based video features, including upcoming features like wide-angle camera views and human profile detection.

The camera doesn’t work with Apple’s HomeKit, but Nest says it will work with Google Home, despite the camera running on its own proprietary platform.

The new camera signals Nest’s ongoing commitment to developing smart home products on its own, despite being acquired by Google in 2014 and its co-founder and former CEO leaving the company last month. Speculation regarding Fadell’s departure revolved around recent issues at Nest, including a long length of time between product releases and software issues with the Nest Protect smoke detector that led to a recall.

Tony Fadell is credited as one of the original creators of the iPod, heading up the project as senior vice president of the iPod division at Apple from 2006 to 2008. He still holds a role as “advisor” to Nest, and left a two-year roadmap for the company’s new CEO Marwan Fawaz, a former Motorola executive.

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Google Photos App Updated With Burst Photo Support and New Cropping Tool

Google has updated its mobile photo and video cloud storage app Google Photos with a couple of new features, including burst photo support and a new cropping tool.

The 1.12.1 update means users can now make full use of the iPhone’s burst mode capability by holding down on the app’s on-screen shutter release button, as well as crop newly shot photos on the fly.

In addition, the company says Google Photos now loads faster, and users can expect reduced battery and cellular data usage when using the updated version on the go.

Google Photos was originally released last year to complement the company’s web-based photo service. According to Google statistics, 200 million users have stored 13.7 petabytes of photos on the cloud platform, which offers unlimited storage.

The service supports videos in 1080p resolution and photos up to 16 megapixels, but recompresses images to increase upload speed. Meanwhile, users subscribed to a paid Google storage tier can upload 4K video and higher resolution photos.

Other app features include a visual search tool that can distinguish people, places and things without the use of tags, a movie, collage and animation creator, photo and video editing tools like filters and lighting adjustments, smart albums, Live Photos and Chromecast support.

Google Photos is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

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‘Pokémon Go’ Now Available in the UK App Store

Pokémon Go has become available in the U.K. App Store this morning as the ultra-popular game continues its much-anticipated rollout across Europe.

With the smash hit’s release last week initially limited to the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, iOS users in other countries have been left waiting for the game to show up in regional App Stores around the world. The title received its German debut yesterday and other European countries are expected to follow suit this week.

The delay has been put down to developers Niantic desperately trying to deal with the crippling overload of its servers due to the game’s massive popularity. The craze sweeping nations has reportedly caused issues for some users already playing the game, while many of those still waiting have been duped into downloading and installing fake versions.

Shares in the Japanese company Nintendo have seen a huge jump since the release of the augmented reality game, gaining more than 50%. Shares closed 16% higher on Thursday, making an overall increase of 56% since the release and putting Nintendo’s market value at $34 billion. The global phenomenon is already the biggest mobile game in U.S. history.

The global phenomenon has been blamed for several robberies of distracted mobile phone players, but the game’s cartoon characters have also reportedly helped U.S. police improve strained community relations and even arrest wanted suspects.

We’ll update this article if Pokémon Go appears in other App Stores around the world today.

Direct link to Pokémon Go on the U.K. App Store.

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Android Pay lands in Australia

Android Pay has made its debut in Australia. Google’s contactless payments service works with American Express and Visa credit cards from over 25 banks and credit unions, including ANZ, American Express, Macquarie, MyState Bank, and Teachers Mutual Bank. Support for Bendigo Bank and ING Direct will be added soon, as well as MasterCard cards.

Here’s a full list of all the banks and credit unions that support Android Pay:

• American Express
• ANZ
• Bank Australia
• Bank of Melbourne – Coming Soon
• Bank of Sydney
• Bank SA – Coming Soon
• Bendigo Bank – Coming Soon
• Beyond Bank
• CAPE Credit Union
• Central West Credit Union
• EECU
• First Option Credit Union
• Goulburn Murray Credit Union
• Holiday Coast Credit Union
• Horizon Credit Union
• ING Direct – Coming Soon
• Intech Credit Union
• Laboratories Credit Union
• Macquarie Bank
• Mystate Bank
• Northern Inland Credit Union
• People’s Choice Credit Union
• QT Mutual Bank
• Queenslanders Credit Union
• RAMS – Coming Soon
• South West Slopes Credit Union
• St George Bank – Coming Soon
• Sydney Credit Union
• Teachers Mutual Bank
• The Mac
• The Rock
• WAW Credit Union Co-Operative
• Westpac – Coming Soon
• Woolworths Employees’ Credit Union
• Wyong Shire Credit Union

With Android Pay, you’ll be able to use contactless payments at your favorite outlets and within apps:

You will be able to use Android Pay everywhere contactless payments are accepted, including your favourite shops like Coles, Domino’s, 7-Eleven and more. Just wake your phone and tap as you would with your card. It’s that simple. And businesses across the country with contactless terminals don’t need to do anything else to be able to accept Android Pay in store.

In a few days time, you will also be able to speed through checkout using Android Pay in your favourite apps — including Catch of the Day, Deliveroo, Domino’s, EatNow, Hotel Tonight, Kogan.com and many more.

For a list of all the merchants that accept Android Pay in Australia, head here. To get started with the service, you’re going to need to download the app from the Play Store, and add a card from a qualifying bank.

Lenovo dresses up the Vibe K4 Note in wood

Lenovo is launching a variant of the Vibe K4 Note with a wood back in India. The phone is now available on Amazon for ₹11,499, ₹500 more than the standard model.

Other than the wood back, there’s nothing new on offer with the K4 Note, which sports a 5.5-inch Full HD display, MediaTek’s octa-core MT6753 SoC, 3GB of RAM, 16GB storage, microSD slot, dual-SIM, 13MP camera, 5MP front shooter, front stereo speakers, LTE, and a 3300mAh battery. The phone picked up the Marshmallow update at the end of May.

The K4 Note has certainly turned out to be a popular handset in the budget segment, with Lenovo seeing over 750,000 sales since it debuted the phone earlier this year.

See at Amazon

Google Keyboard gets custom theme options in latest update

After adding one-handed mode and the ability to adjust keyboard height in version 5.0, Google Keyboard is picking up an update to version 5.1 that brings custom themes.

The update adds 15 themes in different colors, including black, red, green, blue, and more. You also have the option of adding your own background image as the theme, as well as setting the transparency of the background. Ability to remove key borders is also new in this update.

The update is gradually making its way to users, so if you don’t see it right away, hold tight. It’s coming. And it’ll be great. If you don’t have Google Keyboard installed, grab it from the Play Store.