iOS 10 warns when your Lightning port gets wet
Many mobile devices are water-resistant (some more than others), but they’ll rarely tell you when there’s a less-than-obvious danger. You might not find out that you’ve soaked something important until a gadget doesn’t work. Apple appears to have a solution, though: recent betas for iOS 10 will serve a warning when there’s liquid detected in your device’s Lightning port. Ideally, this gives you time to pull an accessory (and dry out your gear) before there’s any real damage.
So far, the feature is only known to work with newer iPhones like the 6s, 6s Plus and SE. We’ve reached out to Apple for confirmation of the feature and will let you know if it has something to say. With that said, it’s not at all shocking that Apple would go this route. It’s helpful to both the company and customers: you might rescue your device when there’s a close call, while Apple spends less time and money on repairs.
[Thanks, Kristy]
Source: Reddit (1), (2), EverythingApplePro (YouTube)
Whirlpool washer and dryer can order refills with Amazon Dash
If you hate having to swing by the store to get washing detergent and dryer sheets, Whirlpool has you covered. The appliance maker’s Smart Top Load Washer and Dryer can now use the Amazon Dash Replenishment Service to automatically re-order supplies. Once you’ve synced your Amazon account, you don’t have to lift a finger — the machines will estimate when you’re running low and ship accordingly. This is just one part of a smarter design (they already talk to your smartphone and Nest thermostat), but it could make the biggest difference.
Source: Whirlpool
Twitch streamer banned for shady betting on ‘Counter-Strike’
Recently, some high-profile video game streamers have been exposed as owning third-party gambling sites where players can bet on the outcome of matches for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive — an obvious conflict of interest. Last week, Twitch announced that anyone violating a game’s terms of service would be prohibited from broadcasting, and they’ve followed up by banning a prominent streamer who had 1.3 million followers.
James “PhantomL0rd” Varga, who has the seventh-largest following on Twitch, had his account suspended indefinitely over the allegations. Four days ago, YouTuber Richard Lewis released a video alleging that Varga had an ownership stake in CS:GOShuffle, the betting website he extensively used and promoted, and that he had asked the site’s technical administrator for typically-hidden gambling probabilities to increase his chances of getting valuable items.
To get around legal challenges, the game’s betting community used weapon “skins” as a secondary currency, since those digital items can be sold for real-world money on third-party sites. But it seems enough is enough: news broke yesterday that CS:GO’s creator Valve, previously silent on the issue, sent cease-and-desist notices to 23 gambling sites. It probably has something to do with getting included in two class-action lawsuits in Connecticut and Florida a few weeks ago for not doing enough to shut them down.
Source: Eurogamer
Tesla Master Plan pt. 2 explains how everyone gets an electric car
Back in 2006 Elon Musk casually revealed the plans for what Tesla Motors has mostly accomplished in the decade since, and now (after some teasing) he’s back with part two. While the original “Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan” explained how the company’s vision extended beyond its Roadster to cars that would become the Model S and Model 3, what’s next is even bigger. Besides adding a compact SUV and pickup truck to its model line, don’t expect to see any Tesla’s coming out that are cheaper than the Model 3. Instead, as Musk envisions, the rollout of fully self-driving automobiles will allow owners to put their car to work when they’re not using it, and make ownership economically viable for anyone.
Tesla Master Plan, Part Deuxhttps://t.co/XQeTlsoEdE
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 21, 2016
Tesla’s also working on a heavy duty cargo truck under the brand “Tesla Semi,” and a bus, both of which Musk expects to unveil in 2017.
Developing…
Source: Tesla Blog
Try a blue light filter on your phone or tablet, your eyes will thank you
You might pass over this feature if you have it, but your eyes would appreciate you trying it.
Some tablets and phones come with a feature built in called a blue light shield, or filter. I have one in right now for review from Acer with just that. And it’s absolutely magnificent.
It’s something I’ve never even thought about before, despite having heard all the warnings about how blue light can cause some pretty bad eye strain. But regardless of the actual science I can now say I’m 100% converted.
And you should be too. Your eyes will thank you for it.
First, a short bit of blurb from All About Vision:
Because short-wavelength, high energy blue light scatters more easily than other visible light, it is not as easily focused. When you’re looking at computer screens and other digital devices that emit significant amounts of blue light, this unfocused visual “noise” reduces contrast and can contribute to digital eye strain.
That’s about as much science as I can manage in one go, but the tl;dr is that it can strain your eyes. With that comes discomfort, potentially more than that depending on the individual. It’s not good to block all blue light, all the time, but at the right time it can help.
In my own use case, much of my tablet use nowadays is at night. Reading, light browsing, watching Twitch streams, consuming content of all kinds. Even with the brightness turned right the way down, it’s not long before my eyes are telling me to stop.
Enter the Acer Predator 8, a tablet crossing my path for review. Right there in the notification shade is a toggle for “Bluelight shield.” I figured i’d try it out and instantly my eyes felt better. The colors aren’t true anymore, but even that doesn’t seem too bad when you get used to it.
In fact, toggling the feature off and on again at night had a noticeable, and instant feeling in my eyes. Without the shield on I could feel my eyes straining at the screen. With it activated I felt much less strain and overall more relaxed. It’s led to being able to enjoy some evening content before bed without that horrible feeling in the front of my head.
The difference is instance, and very noticeable
If your phone or tablet has such a feature built in, I definitely recommend giving it a try if you’ve not done so before. If not, hit the Play Store and try an app such as Twilight to get similar effects and results.
I’m converted 100% now to the point where I’ve installed software on my PC to do the same thing when it gets late (because you never know when the day will end at Mobile Nations!) I don’t have any particular eye complaints, but this simple feature has already left me feeling a lot better while using my mobile tech.
Give it a try and see how you feel after. And if you’ve got any experiences or apps you think we should know about, do drop them into the comments below.
Verizon expected to crack down on unlimited customers using ‘extraordinary amount of data’
According to a new report, Verizon may be planning a crackdown of sorts on customers it deems to be using “an extraordinary amount of data” each month. Specifically, Droid Life reports that, according to its sources, unlimited data customers that Verizon flags as using too much data will have an opportunity to move to a different plan starting July 21.
From Droid Life:
According to sources of ours, Verizon is working on an Unlimited Data Plan Migration for the highest unlimited data users on their network. Starting tomorrow, July 21, Verizon will begin notifying users who have been flagged as using that “extraordinary” amount via mailer and through bill messages and explain to them their options to stay with Big Red.
According to the report, users who are alerted will have until August 31 to switch to a tiered plan, otherwise their line may be disconnected. If disconnected, the customer will have up to 50 days to reactivate with a new plan, the report says.
It remains unclear what Verizon would deem as “an extraordinary amount of data,” but we should know more if and when the carrier moves forward with its plans.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and S-Pen shown off in leaked video and render
Two new leaks – including a blurry hands-on video – have shown us what the Galaxy Note 7 might look like and feature.
The Galaxy Note 7 will be a new phablet from Samsung. It is a successor to the Galaxy Note 5, and Samsung has already confirmed it’s skipping the name “Galaxy Note 6” in order to line its next device up with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge flagships. Similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge, the Galaxy Note 7 will sport a dual curved edge display. It’ll be the first phablet to launch with the feature.
Venture Beat’s Evan Blass on Wednesday tweeted a leaked render of the device, and he included some information about it, such as the fact that there will be just one Galaxy Note 7 model, which contradicts earlier rumours about Samsung prepping a secondary Galaxy Note 7 with a flat screen. The curved screen of the Galaxy Note 7 will also be Samsung’s latest foray into smartphones with breakthrough form factors.
- Amazing Samsung Galaxy Note 7 leak shows full prototype
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Galaxy S7 edge vs Galaxy S7
- Samsung Gear VR 2 tipped for Galaxy Note 7 launch
Samsung’s Galaxy Note7 is a big bet that may pay off for the entire industry https://t.co/eIJk8V6biH pic.twitter.com/mLDhmEpvuB
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 19, 2016
The Korean company is reportedly developing new phones with foldable screens, for instance. Anyway, going back to the Galaxy Note 7, its newly-leaked render shows off a new hue for the phablet: Blue Coral. We can also see the phone’s dual curved edges, USB Type-C port, part of the camera sensors that house the iris scanner, a gold-type frame, embedded fingerprint sensor, and the push-to-eject S-Pen stylus.
The other leak, embedded above, comes from accessory maker Olixer. It filmed the device while testing new screen protectors. The quality of the video is obviously low resolution, but we can still determine stuff like the phone’s lack of bezels and the sheen of its sliding sides.
The Galaxy Note 7 will debut on 2 August. Check out Pocket-lint’s rumour round-up for more information about the device, including other leaks.
GOP and industry agree: Tech has a messaging problem
The government and the technology industry agree: They need to do a better job educating the public. During a policy forum hosted by The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) at the Republican National Convention this week, members of Congress and several industry veterans admitted that they have not done enough to dispel myths around technology, nor have they found the proper way to push Americans towards degrees in STEM fields. Congressman Blake Farenthold from Texas said that, “everyone still wants an MBA,” even though you’d probably make more money with a degree in engineering.
It’s unclear exactly how many STEM jobs there are out there waiting to be filled. Estimates vary from 400,000, according to Erin Egan at Facebook, all the way up to 1.4 million by 2020, according to Code.org. Regardless, it’s clear there aren’t enough graduates with the appropriate degrees to fill those roles. Especially since, as Robert D. Atkinson (president of the ITIF) points out, “everything is becoming a tech industry.” Unsurprisingly, Michael Gallagher, President and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), believes part of the solution is gamification. He argues that when you use a video game style interface, kids stay engaged and learn quicker. But, it will take more than earning badges to hook kids early and keep them interested in science and technology. Representative Michael Turner of Ohio says we know how to teach STEM; our challenge is motivation.
The messaging problem goes beyond promoting STEM degrees, though. The industry is losing the PR war over controversial technologies like GMOs and artificial intelligence. Egan, Facebook’s Vice President of US Public Policy and Chief Privacy Officer, is quick to admit that “we as a technology industry need to be doing a better job” of communicating with the public. She says that people are concerned that robots are going to take all their jobs and artificial intelligence is going to enslave the human race, but those are myths. These narratives make for great television and movies, but they’re simply not realistic, according to Egan.
James C. Greenwood, President and CEO of the trade group Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), latched on to the fear of GMOs in particular. He argued that even many in congress don’t quite understand what a genetically modified organism is. This has led to fear that modified corn is poisoning us or that modified fish will demolish populations of native species, which he claims is simply untrue.
Farenthold argues part of the problem is that both the industry and law makers “have a bad habit of getting into the weeds too fast.” He says that most Americans only need a 30,000-foot view of the issues. So perhaps part of the solution is to keep it simple. As he explained, “you don’t need to understand the blockchain to understand encryption.”
Facebook Live now lets you hide comments, stream for longer
If you’ve been waiting for Facebook Live to offer bigger, longer broadcasts, this is your week. The social network just announced updates for its broadccasting platform that will allow longer, full screen videos with less distractions. Soon, the company says that all users will be able to broadcast for as long as four hours per session, more than doubling the length they could stream without sacrificing VOD archives.
Facebook is also enabling a “video-only” mode that hides viewer comments and reactions. Swiping right will clear the screen for a distraction-free broadcast, temporarily removing viewer interaction from the equation. Finally, the update will enable broadcasters to go live in full screen — but this feature varies by OS: iOS will be able to broadcast in ful lscreen from both portrait and landscape mode, but Android users will have to wait for an update for the latter orientation.
These features will be rolling out to select users soon, and general users over the coming weeks.
Gorilla Glass 5 will save your phone from even bigger falls
It’s been about two years since version four of Corning’s ubiquitous protective glass rolled out, and Gorilla Glass now protects some 4.5 billion devices across the planet. So, you can probably thank Corning if your phone has ever survived a tumble onto the sidewalk. This fall, Corning will start protecting new devices with its toughest version of Gorilla Glass yet. According to the company’s own lab tests, a Gorilla Glass 5 smartphone screen will survive a 1.6-meter drop (about 5 feet, 4 inches) on its face around 80 percent of the time.
“We recently did a survey, and it’s fairly obvious that everyone drops their phone. We find that the average height is over a meter high,” Corning’s Senior VP Jim Steiner explained to TechCrunch. “Based on our internal data on drop events, our data shows that Gorilla Glass 5 outperforms 4 by 1.8-times.”
On the other hand, the latest version is about on-par with version four in terms of scratch resistance. (Which the company tests by putting the phone in a purse, and then tossing the purse in a tumbler barrel.) The new glass is already commercially available and the company expects it to start showing up on retail devices later this quarter.
Finally, for the masochists out there, Corning has put together a cringe-inducing sizzle reel of scratches and drop tests. Be warned, the video is not safe for klutzes:
AIVAnet 