Runkeeper’s Running Groups keep you motivated
If you have running buddies, you know the advantages they bring — they’ll encourage you to run when you’d otherwise slack off, or when you just have to one-up a friend. And Runkeeper knows it. The Asics-owned developer has updated its Android and iOS apps with a Running Groups feature that, unsurprisingly, promises to keep you off the couch. As many as 25 people can participate in challenges (such as distance or the most runs), and there’s a group chat to either motivate your pals or trash-talk them when you emerge triumphant.
As VentureBeat observes, the tricky bit is getting everyone to settle on a single running app. You may use Runkeeper, but what if your friends use Endomondo or Nike+ Running (which, we’d add, already has a social feature)? Of course, that’s really the point. If Runkeeper can get you to settle on its app for your running circle, it’s going to get a few new users in one shot. Not that you’ll necessarily complain, especially if you find that solo runs just aren’t cutting it.
Source: Runkeeper Blog
Venmo opens up third-party app support to all
After allowing a limited number of customers to try out a special beta offering Venmo support with third-party apps in January, Venmo is now allowing all its users to pay for things in the same manner. In fact, starting tomorrow, July 27th, you’ll be able to use Venmo for a whole lot more.
The rollout includes ten new merchants, such as Poshmark, Boxed, Priv, Gametime, Munchery, Hop Market, Wish, Parking Panda, Dolly, Urgentil and Delivery.com. Not only will you be able to pay for your purchases in their entirety, but you’ll be able to split the bill with other buyers as well.
Venmo has been a favorite of Papa John’s customers to split the cost with others when buying pizza, but now that it can be used for additional purchases, it’ll likely be a service you’ll be hearing a lot more about in the future. According to Venmo, this is “just the beginning.” Check out the video below for a quick look at how making payments will actually work going forward.
Source: Venmo
5 things to know about Honor 8 in the U.S.
Huawei-owned Honor set to bring its A-game to the U.S. market.
Alongside a European launch in Paris later next month, it looks like the Honor 8 is headed to the United States, with an event scheduled for Aug. 16 in San Francisco. It’ll be the second Honor phone to hit the U.S., following the Honor 5X earlier in the year. That phone was a mixed bag, with sluggish performance, Android 5.1 out of the box and a smudge-prone, fingerprinty screen.
But the Honor 8 looks like a serious improvement, with flagship-class internals and build quality, backed up by a seriously improved software setup. So as launch day approaches, let’s come to grips with what you need to know about the Honor 8 in the U.S.
1. It’s essentially a Huawei P9
The Huawei P9 never made it to American shores, so the Honor 8 might be the closest thing (relatively) mainstream phone buyers get to experiencing the Chinese firm’s latest hardware. On the outside, the differences are plentiful, but internally the Honor 8 is almost a carbon copy of the P9. There’s a Kirin 950 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a unique dual rear camera setup, combining a color sensor and greyscale sensor for improved contrast, as well as depth-based after-effects.
It’s unclear whether the Honor 8 will benefit from the Leica-branded image tuning of the P9 — widely considered to be an exercise in branding, for the most part — but the underlying hardware appears to be the same.
Elsewhere, a 3,000mAh battery, USB Type-C connectivity and QuickCharge support add up to a capable collection of smartphone hardware — albeit hardware relatively unfamiliar to buyers in the United States.
2. Kirin in the U.S.?
In China (and, we’d expect, in Europe), the Honor 8 runs a Kirin 950 processor, made by the Huawei-owned Hisilicon. It’s a speedy high-end chip that we’ve seen in action in the Huawei Mate 8 — as well as being closely related to the Kirin 955 in the Huawei P9, which is essentially the same processor at higher clocks.
But we’ve yet to see a Kirin-powered phone sold directly in the U.S., for a whole mess of reasons relating to national security and Huawei’s alleged ties to the Chinese government. And it’s not clear what besides Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 would make a suitable replacement for the SoC. (Snapdragon 652 is architecturally similar, but based on a far less power-efficient 28nm process.) So it’d be a big deal if Kirin did finally come to U.S., both for future Honor handsets and Huawei in general. It could, perhaps, open the door to more powerful Huawei phones like the P and Mate lines making it to American consumers in the next year.
3. Expect the best EMUI yet
Huawei’s Android-based EMUI software has been a mixed bag. Some questionable design decisions, such as weird colored icon backgrounds combined with frequent software bugs and a frustrating notification system. As of the latest EMUI version however, things are starting to look up.
Like the Honor 8, the Huawei P9 comes with EMUI 4.1, based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. EMUI 4.1 is a big deal because it’s slowly chipped away at all the broken things about Huawei’s software, and even corrected design and aesthetic quibbles in recent updates. The Honor 5C, for instance, no longer forces old Google app icons on its users. (Hallelujah!) Slowly but surely, Huawei’s software is making progress.
4. Competitive pricing
The Honor 8’s Chinese price comes in at the equivalent of around US$340. There’s no guarantee the U.S. price will directly match that of the Chinese model — in fact, taxes and shipping costs will almost certainly push it higher — but it at least gives us a baseline to work from.
Regardless, we’re looking at what should be a sub-$400 phone with hardware broadly in line with many of 2016’s flagship phones. Unlike the Honor 5X, this is no watered-down mid-ranger, despite its likely price point.
5. Dual cameras
Huawei has previously used the Honor brand to experiment with crazy camera features, but these often haven’t made it to devices in the West (the sole exception was 2015’s Honor 6 Plus). This time around, the Honor 8 looks to have inherited the Huawei P9’s dual-camera setup, which uses two Sony sensors in tandem in an effort to produce sharper pics with better contrast. Along with that you’ve got dual-LED flash and laser autofocus, and a wealth of software-driven effects (including fake bokeh!) from the Huawei camera app.
Initially the Huawei P9’s camera produced mixed results, particularly in low light. However successive software updates have improved things significantly, and while it’s not going to beat the Galaxy S7 in a head-to-head fight, it’s impressive in its own right.
That kind of camera performance in a sub-$400 smartphone could be a big deal, and a much needed differentiator.
We’ll learn more about the Honor 8’s U.S. debut at the launch event on Aug. 17, so stay tuned!
MORE: Honor 8 preview
BlackBerry DTEK50 hands-on: Stuck in neutral
BlackBerry’s second Android phone, the DTEK50, has a vexing name and a lack of star appeal. But it’s also cheap.
I have been fielding radio interviews since mid-2013 about the inevitable demise of BlackBerry’s smartphone business, and each time since then I say, “Sure, this may be it,” and each time I am left wondering whether the company’s stubborn tenacity is its blessing or its curse.
In the DTEK50, BlackBerry may have finally solved the solution to its hardware profitability problem: a low-stakes handset based on the reference design of an existing product, the Alcatel Idol 4, with a software experience that brings the Priv’s impressive amalgam of near-stock Android and a homegrown app suite to a price more palatable to the average IT manager.
Hardware impressions
At first glance, this is an Alcatel Idol 4 — yes, the still-unreleased cheaper version of the Idol 4S — with slight changes, particularly to the phone’s back. A 5.2-inch 1080p LCD display covers the phone’s otherwise-uninteresting front, and it is, like the rest of the hardware, adequate but largely unimpressive. Colors are vibrant, and white balance, which can be adjusted through the settings, is slightly too warm out of the box. Thankfully, BlackBerry decided to set the phone’s DPI — the amount of content shown on the screen — fairly high, which is a nice change fro the average device in this price range.
More: BlackBerry DTEK50 specs
The phone costs $299, and it feels like it: Aluminum chamfers and a rubberized textured back are highlights, but its near-weightlessness is not an asset. Still, the back does not creak like its Priv predecessor (which cost nearly three times as much), and despite the gimmicky nature of the front and back being offset from the bezels to mimic layers, there is a solidity to the chassis that I appreciate.
Unfortunately, the DTEK50 inherited a now-standard negative trait of Alcatel’s recent product lineup: a power button located on the top left, which is sure to vex the vast majority of the right-handed user base.
Even worse, where the power button exists on most phones — right side middle — is a convenience key that, after unboxing the phone, I depressed like an idiot for 10 seconds before realizing it didn’t power on the phone. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen such a button on an Android phone — Samsung’s Galaxy S Active line famously added one a few years ago — but BlackBerry hopes that you’ll use this one to quickly open its Hub, or its Calendar, or — mercifully — BBM.
Around back, you’re looking at a 13MP rear camera, which doesn’t have the same pedigree as the Priv’s 18MP shooter, but upon first impression the DTEK50 exhibits a fair approximation of what a $300 phone in 2016 offers. A full review will reveal specifics, but at least BlackBerry’s camera app has received considerable performance improvements since the Priv’s debut last year.
The phone costs $299, and it feels like it.
The DTEK50’s spec sheet is largely identical to that of the Alcatel Idol 4, which means its middle-of-the-road inclusions are somewhat mired by a quickly-aging Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor and 16GB of internal storage (which is, thankfully, expandable via microSD). In its announcement, BlackBerry hedged against the naysayers by claiming that the phone’s 3GB of RAM will keep things running smoothly over the long haul, but after a few minutes tapping away on the company’s first-party keyboard, it’s clear the phone is severely underpowered.
Software impressions
First, the good news: the DTEK50 runs Android 6.0.1 with the very latest security patch from Google (July 5th, as of writing), which is considerably more encouraging than some upcoming phones asking twice as much.
I have gone on the record as being a fan of BlackBerry’s Android apps.
If you’ve used the Priv, the software experience is the same: a powerful home screen that in many ways resembles a hybrid of Google Now and Action Launcher (in a good way), and a bevy of first-party apps that I can only describe as excellent. I have gone on the record as being a fan of BlackBerry’s Android apps, from the Hub, which has improved considerably since last year, to its minimalist calendar and notes apps. And all of these apps are updated directly from Google Play, a means of distribution that BlackBerry has utilized often.
Then there’s DTEK, the phone’s branding namesake, the foundation for BlackBerry’s claim of “the world’s most secure Android smartphone.” While the average consumer may balk at BlackBerry’s intention to sell this directly through distribution channels like Amazon, the real sales volume is going to come by bundling the phone alongside BlackBerry’s suite of enterprise management tools like BES 12. DTEK (the app) puts a friendly face on a narrative that BlackBerry is desperate to convey to potential customers: Android may be secure, but with this phone you’ll never have to worry about being compromised again.
The Accessories
Of course, with every BlackBerry phone, there are the accessories. I got to try three cases that will be available alongside the phone when it launches on August 8: the Smart Pocket; the Smart Flip Case; and the Hard Shell. There will also be a Swivel Holster, because of course there will be.
All three cases are well-made and, between $24.99 and $34.99, in line with what you’d pay from Otterbox or Incipio.
The Bottom Line
At this point, I’m cautiously optimistic about the state of BlackBerry’s device business. John Chen has said again and again that he has no qualms shutting down the whole project if it fails to turn a profit, though he stubbornly keeps pushing back that due date. And while this is certainly a BlackBerry phone in name, we’re expecting a more traditional keyboard-sporting Android device by the end of the company’s fiscal year, which could take us into early 2017.
As for the DTEK50 itself, it appears to be a decent phone that will likely be severely hampered by an underpowered processor. I hope to be proven wrong by the time I write the review, but I doubt it.
More: BlackBerry DTEK50 pre-orders have begun, ships August 8 for $299
See at BlackBerry
Star Trek in real life: Best Starfleet gadgets and toys you can buy
Trekkies have a lot to be excited about right now.
A new film, Star Trek Beyond, just opened in cinemas across the world, and CBS recently announced at San Diego Comic-Con the name of its upcoming TV series based on the Star Wars franchise, along with giving us a first look at the new Discovery starship that will grace the show. Star Trek: Discovery is the name of the 2017 CBS All Access series, and it is set to debut in January.
As for Star Trek Beyond, it premiered on 22 July in the US and was directed by Justin Lin and written by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung. It is the thirteenth Star Trek film and the third installment in the reboot series, following Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). Actors Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto reprised their roles as Captain Kirk and Commander Spock, respectively.
- Watch the first trailer for Justin Lin’s Star Trek Beyond here
- Google only went and made a Star Trek communicator
- Incredible Trekkie flat goes on sale, you can boldly go buy it
For hardcore Trekkies, the new film, TV show, and starship are a dream come true. So, to help them savour the moment (and possibly go where no man has gone before), Pocket-lint has compiled a gallery full of Star Trek-themed gadgets and toys, including everything from cosplay-worthy TNG pajama sets to a Bluetooth-enabled Original Series communicator.
That’s right – say it with us: shut up and take my money!
Click here to browse the gallery.
PlayStation’s Adam Boyes now runs the ‘Killer Instinct’ studio
Key PlayStation exec Adam Boyes already said he was leaving Sony to return to game development, but it’s now clear that he’s making this switch in style. Iron Galaxy Studios has confirmed that Boyes will become its CEO as of August 8th. That’s right — one of the PlayStation world’s best-known figures is now working for a developer whose best-known work involves the Microsoft-exclusive Killer Instinct reboot. It also created Wreckateer, an early showcase for Kinect, and played a big role in producing the hilariously simple fighting game Divekick.
As to why Boyes is coming aboard? Iron Galaxy founder Dave Lang says it’s all about helping the company spread its wings. Boyes can “expand and evolve” the studio’s publishing work, freeing Lang and new Chief Product Officer Chelsea Blasko (an Iron Galaxy veteran) to focus on in-house game creation. You might just see the company become a bigger player in the game business.
Source: Iron Galaxy Studios (PDF)
Electro-Harmonix brings ’80s synth sounds to your iPad
The likes of Korg and Moog have their own synthesizer apps for iOS devices, and now there’s a new option for loading up a virtual instrument on those mobile devices. Electro-Harmonix has released a version of its Mini-Synthesizer EH-1600 for iPad and iPhone that delivers a digital re-creation of the ’80s analog gear. The original had pretty basic controls, but it was responsible for some fairly iconic synthesizer sounds like you’ve heard from Rush, Van Halen and more.
The app comes with 22 presets and offers users the ability to store any custom settings as well. While the original Mini-Synthesizer was a monophonic instrument, this digital version is a polyphonic synth, meaning that you can play four notes at the same time rather than just one. There’s a switch to toggle between modes though, so you can still get the classic tones alongside the new functionality. The company also expanded the keyboard to a full 88 keys, too. In total, there are 12 sliders and 9 switches for tweaking pitch, filters, delay, reverb and more inside the app that has a look that closely resembles the physical instrument. And yes, you can use the mobile software with connected MIDI devices.
If you’re looking to give it a shot, the app will set you back $2.99 for the iPhone version and $4.99 if you’re looking to use in on an iPad. Don’t worry Android users, the synth will arrive for Google’s OS in late September. For now, you can hear what the app is capable of in the video below.
Via: Fact Magazine
Source: App Store
Milky Way’s spinning ‘halo’ helps reveal how galaxy formed
Out beyond our solar system are billions of other planets, starts, moon rocks and solar systems. Beyond that, however is an enormous, hot, gaseous halo of matter. It stretches for hundreds of thousands of light years, and could be the key to sorting out why there’s not as much matter in the Milky Way as scientists estimate there should be. Now, scientists have learned something new about this layer of gas: It’s spinning at almost the same rate as the rest of our galaxy.
The halo is typically thought of as stationary, researchers at the University of Michigan were able to record it in motion by measuring changes in light wavelengths. Contrary to common belief, they found the halo was spinning in the same direction as the galaxy’s stellar disc and, at 400,000 mph, almost as fast.
“This flies in the face of expectations,” Edmund Hodges-Kluck, assistant research scientist at the University of Michigan, explains. “People just assumed that the disk of the Milky Way spins while this enormous reservoir of hot gas is stationary — but that is wrong.” It’s more than an interesting footnote, too. Hodges-Kluck says the rotation serves as a clue to how the galaxy was formed in the first place. “It tells us that this hot atmosphere is the original source of a lot of the matter in the disk.”
Armed with this new information, researchers will be able to learn how that matter got from the outer halo to the core of the galaxy. The same data may also be able to help predict the future of the Milky Way. That, however, will take years of further research — not that the team is scared of that. “We can use this discovery to learn so much more,” says University of Michigan professor Joel Bergman. “The rotation of this hot halo will be a big topic of future X-ray spectrographs.”
Source: NASA
Tesla parts ways with chipmaker behind its Autopilot system
In the wake of a fatal Tesla Model S Autopilot accident in Florida, the all-electric automaker has announced it is parting ways with Mobileye, the company behind the image recognition hardware that powers the semi-autonomous system. As Recode reports today, Tesla will most likely be moving forward by building its own computer vision chips in-house.
In a quarterly earnings call, Mobileye CTO Ammon Sashua explained his company will continue to support Tesla’s current products, including “a significant upgrade of several functions that affect both the ability to respond to crash avoidance and to optimize auto-steering in the near term.” In the future, however, Mobileye will be working directly with manufacturers rather than providing an OEM solution.
At a Gigafactory event, when asked about the companies parting ways, CEO Elon Musk said, “Us parting ways was somewhat inevitable. There was nothing unexpected from our standpoint.”
Earlier, DIY self-driving expert George Hotz also told Recode the Mobileye system “is so easy to reproduce” that Elon Musk and company shouldn’t have trouble building their own version. And it’s likely that the right talent is already there at Tesla’s headquarters in Palo Alto — in January, the company hired former AMD chip engineer Jim Keller to lead Autopilot’s hardware engineering team. In the meantime, the company is continuing to educate drivers about the current limitations of the Autopilot system.
This post has been updated with comment from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
‘Second Life’ removes support for Oculus Rift
When Second Life patched in support for the Oculus Rift, Linden Lab was cautious to pitch its online world as a haven for virtual reality. “We’re trying not to make too big of a deal out of it,” Linden Lab CEO Ebbe Altberg said in 2014. “It’s still early.” That beta support went through several iterations over the years — but now it’s gone. Earlier this month, Linden Labs removed VR support from Second Life, and the company can’t say when or if it will be back. The problem? It just wasn’t good enough.
According to a Linden Lab community manager, the virtual reality ‘project viewer’ was always an experimental feature. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t living up to the company’s standards. “Due to some of the inhernet limitations with [Second Life],” the company explained, “it may well not be possible to achieve the performance needed for a good VR experience.” Fair enough — Linden Lab’s virtual world is over 13 years old. Making it play nice with new technology can’t be easy.
That doesn’t mean the company is giving up on virtual reality, though. Back in 2014, Ebbe told us that Linden Lab was hard at work developing a VR-focused spiritual successor to Second Life — something he hoped would serve as a creative playground for virtual reality enthusiasts. Today, that exists as Project Sansar, and while it’s still only just taking applications for its beta, it’s clear this is where the company’s VR ambitions currently lie.
Via: UploadVR
Source: Second Life
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