Sky Kids app lets you download shows for the open road

It’s hot and you still have another few hours on the road. The kids are starting to fidget and have already grown tired of Minecraft: Pocket Edition on their iPads. What to do? Well, if you’re a Sky subscriber, there’s always Sky Kids. The child-centric streaming app launched in March and is getting a handy new feature today — offline playback. So before you set off in the car, you can download a bunch of episodes (or seasons) to keep them entertained. The catch? You’ll need a Sky Go Extra or Sky Multiscreen account. Otherwise, you’re still reliant on Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G streaming.

Source: Sky

Pluto stamp earns world record for traveling 3 billion miles

“Pluto: Not Yet Explored” is the envy of all stampkind. It has officially earned a Guinness World Record for the farthest distance traveled by a postage stamp after journeying for 3.26 billion miles aboard the New Horizons. NASA stuck it aboard the probe when it took off in 2006 but has since issued new ones celebrating the spacecraft’s successful exploration of the dwarf planet.

The “Pluto – Explored!” series features an image of the probe itself and a photo it took of the celestial body that shows its famous heart-shaped region. Cute, but they still got nothing on that one lucky piece of paper that’s now on its way to Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69. By the time it reaches the icy rock that might be one of the oldest objects in our solar system, the stamp would have added a billion more miles to its journey.

While it took almost a decade for the stamp to reach Pluto, it still got there at an incredible speed: New Horizons went past the moon within nine hours, whereas the Apollo 11 took three days to get to its destination. Guinness World adjudicator Jimmy Coggins said that if the Pony Express tried to deliver a letter to a destination 3 billion miles away, “they would be swapping ponies out for the next 47,000 years…”

Via: Space

Source: USPS, NASA

Deezer Music Streaming Service Launches Nationwide in the U.S.

French music streaming service Deezer officially opened its doors to the U.S. market on Tuesday, meaning for the first time, anyone in the States can sign up for a $10-a-month subscription.

Previously the service was only available to U.S. customers if they owned a Sonos system and paid $20 a month for Deezer Elite, or if they signed up to promotion deals through Bose and Cricket Wireless.

A Deezer Premium+ subscription offers similar features to Apple Music and Spotify, such as unlimited streaming of its 40 million-track library, machine-generated and human-curated playlists, offline listening, and access to music lyrics. Over 40,000 podcasts and radio stations (including personalized station service Flow) are also included.

Deezer offers an ad-supported free tier in other countries, but users in the U.S. only have access to the paid tier. A 30-day free trial is available however.

iOS users can avoid the App Store surcharge for signing up to the service through the Deezer app ($12.99 per month) by visiting the website instead, where the Deezer Premium+ 30-day trial is also available. Users then pay $9.99 a month and can cancel anytime. The Deezer Elite high-definition service remains exclusive to Sonos speaker owners.

Deezer currently has over 6 million users worldwide, about half that of Apple Music and around a fifth of Spotify’s total paying customers. The service will also have to compete with the likes of Tidal and Google Play, as well as online radio station Pandora, which currently has over 80 million free monthly listeners.

Tag: Deezer Music
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Brazilian Supreme Court Upholds WhatsApp Users’ Right to Encrypted Chat

WhatsApp was forced offline in Brazil yesterday after Facebook failed to provide a court with chat logs related to a criminal investigation – only for the block to be lifted hours later.

The blocking order by Brazilian judge Daniela Barbosa came after Facebook argued that it could not provide the court with the requested data since all messages relayed through the service are end-to-end encrypted.

Barbosa apparently took issue with the nature of the response, accusing Facebook of treating the country like a “banana republic” and criticizing WhatsApp for replying to the court via email and in English, “as if this was the official language of this country.” She then ordered the company to pay $50,000 per day until it complied with the court order to release the information.

However, in a matter of hours, the judge’s order was struck down by the country’s Supreme Court, which ruled that the lower court’s order to ban WhatsApp was unreasonable and disproportionate. As TechCrunch notes, the ruling suggests Brazil’s highest court favors an open internet, even if that means embracing encryption.

This is the fourth time a judge has ordered that WhatsApp be taken offline in the country, only for access to be reinstated soon after. The last order occurred in May and blocked the messaging service in Brazil for 72 hours, affecting over 100 million people.

“In recent months, people from all across Brazil have rejected judicial blocks of services like WhatsApp,” said a WhatsApp spokesperson. “Indiscriminate steps like these threaten people’s ability to communicate, to run their businesses, and to live their lives. As we’ve said in the past, we cannot share information we don’t have access to.”

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: WhatsApp
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BT down: this is why your broadband isn’t working

If you’re trying to get online with BT Broadband today, you might be experiencing some problems. The provider has confirmed that it’s suffering from network issues that are affecting subscribers across the UK. Website reporting service Down Detector has collated thousands of complaints from across London, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Leeds, Leicester, Bristol and Nottingham.

The issue is linked to BT’s DNS servers, which help route traffic on the internet. Some users have reported that if you change your DNS server to Google’s Public DNS addresses (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4), you may be able to get back online. VPN connections may also work too. We’ve contacted BT to ascertain how long it expects connections to be down, we’ll update this article when we know more.

Some BT Broadband customers have reported problems accessing websites this morning. Sorry, we’re aware of a problem & working to fix asap

— BTCare (@BTCare) July 20, 2016

Android Auto is heading to Koenigsegg, Lada, and Borgward

Upcoming Koenigsegg, Lada, and Borgward cars will feature Android Auto in-car infotainment systems. Koenigsegg is the most notable addition in the list, with the luxury manufacturer joining the likes of Lamborghini and Maserati in supporting the platform.

As spotted on Reddit, the latest addition brings the total number of manufacturers that have committed to Android Auto to over 50. Borgward is an interesting vendor in the list, as the company shut down in 1961. The brand has seen a resurgence last year, introducing new SUVs that will be available starting 2018. When it comes to Lada, Top Gear has you covered.

There you go folks. No reason not to buy the Regera now.

All About Android Auto

• Getting started with Android Auto
• List of compatible phones and cars
• Android Auto news
• Apps that work with Android Auto
• Join the Android Auto discussion!

Sky Q features coming to Sky+, here’s what to expect in Homepage refresh

Sky isn’t just concentrating on Sky Q these days, after all the vast majority of its customers have Sky+HD boxes. Sky Q might be getting 4K soon, but Sky+ customers will also benefit from a user interface refresh that’ll add several features to tie their boxes in with Sky’s premium service.

The latest software update has started rolling out to customers now, with everyone expected to have received it by the end of August. You might be one of the lucky few to see it on your Sky+HD box already. You need to have it hooked up to the internet to receive the update, but if you do and it’s still not arrived, you will get it over the next month.

So what new features are included? Here we explain what you will see on your box after the update.

Sky+HD changes: Redesigned Homepage

As well as look nicer, with a new design, the new Homepage gets an editorially curated Top Picks section. This is something that has been part of the Sky Q proposition from the start.

Top Picks will give you recommended viewing suggestions from a swathe of entertainment channels, including Sky Atlantic and Fox. It will also include TV box sets, sporting highlights, kids’ favourites and other content from throughout the catalogue depending on which channels and services you subscribe to.

Sky+HD changes: Download next

Another feature Sky Q customers will be making use of is the ability to download the next programme in a series while you are watching the previous one. For example, if you are watching Entourage from the box sets section, the next episode will download to your Sky+HD box automatically as you watch so you can just continue binge viewing.

Sky

Sky+HD changes: Continue watching

A Continue tab will be added to the Planner. It gives you the option to pick up from where you last left off in a series.

• What is Sky Q, how much does it cost and how can I get it?
• Sky Q review: The future of multi-room television?
• How to get your Sky Q box ready for 4K Ultra HD movies, sport and TV
• Sky Q summer update detailed: 4K Ultra HD, new episode pointers and more

Sky+HD changes: Viewing progress bar

A new blue bar appears across recordings in the Planner. It shows how far you’ve previously watched of a specific programme.

Sky+HD changes: Radio

The Radio section now has its own tab in the TV guide.

Sky+HD changes: Search

Search is now located at the top of the Homepage.

Sky+HD changes: Services Homepage

The Services Homepage has been redesigned and the Sky Guide can now be customised. The Services button on the remote control now gives you direct access to Accessibility, Parental Control & PIN, Radio, Settings Options, Get Sky Products, My Account and the Help menus.

You might find a few other small tweaks and fixes in the update. Sky will also bring further updates and features in time as it continues to support its boxes.

Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC headphones review: Make some noise

It was 18-months ago that we reviewed the excellent Audio-Technica MSR7 over-ear headphones – and might impressed we were. Now it’s the turn of the MSR7NC which, as those additional two letters in the name denote, are the noise-cancelling version.

These wired headphones – there’s no Bluetooth wireless here, unlike some of the competition – stick to hard-wiring to deliver hi-resolution audio levels of listening, while sticking to a familiar design.

Priced at £250 are they worth the extra cash compared to the standard MSR7 model? We’ve been using a pair for a month to get the lowdown.

Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC review: Design

The NC take the refined look of the MSR7 and simplify things further. The blue/red accent highlights of the originals are gone, instead its very much a mono black-and-silver finish. If you’re not a fan of overstated headphones, then they’ll be the perfect look.

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The earcups do each brandish large Audio-Technica logos, which are matte in finish to avoid looking garish. There are “L” and “R” markings on the outer sections that we think should be hidden away on the inside edge rather than for all to see – but at least they aren’t the literally spelled-out “left” and “right” markings as per the original MSR7.

The overall build is of good quality: the aluminium and magnesium housing feels solid, avoiding the plastics the company is often guilty of using en masse in its lower-spec models, while the ear cup padding is ample for a comfortable fit.

Fit is an important factor. With the ATH-MSR7NC you’ll want to make sure they’re accurately positioned for the optimum listen, given their scale, but we’ve not found them to slip around to excess during long periods of listen. And given how many times we’ve worn them for hours at a time, we’ve always felt comfortable and fresh after – the fit doesn’t pinch to excess, while the audio isn’t fatiguing.

Pocket-lint

In the box there’s also a soft carry case, plus two 1.2m cables (one adds mic control for phones) and even an airplane adaptor, should you need it. There’s not the 3m cable of the original MSR7, though, which is a shame for home listeners wanting to wire-up to a system from a distance.

Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC review: Hi-res audio

Whether you’re listening to regular MP3s from your smartphone, vinyl via an amp, or hi-res audio from a dedicated player, the Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC over-ears will cater for all – just like the originals did; the sound between the two models is indistinguishable in passive playback (we’ve got both pairs side-by-side).

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With 45mm drivers behind each earcup, said to deliver a frequency response from 5-40,000Hz, there’s the scope for brain-wobbling bass through to the high-end titters that extend beyond the range of human hearing – but within the necessary range to deliver hi-resolution audio, should you have such file formats available (or the likes of Tidal streaming).

As we said of the originals, despite this wide frequency range the MSR7NC over-ears don’t overdo things: they’re all about a neutral, balanced listen. You won’t get insane bass-in-yer-face excess, but rather a taut, balanced experience.

We can’t think of much we’ve not put to task through the MSR7NC. From the hammering heavy metal of Gojira, to the latest Hospital records albums, plus a little rewind back to Jamie XX’s original album – the MSR7 deliver enough grunt in all the right areas, including ample spatial sense from those large earcups.

Going on the more mellow, sedate front (well, ish), we’ve also pushed high-res Bjork through the cans to pick up the nuance of vocal harmonies and string-led pieces. Post-classic, if you will.

So whether you like classic, rock, pop, underground or anything else in-between (or even all genres), then these Audio-Technica headphones are prime candidates for all. It’s not often you’ll find headphones that can cope successfully across such a range.

Pocket-lint

Just as before, however, there’s a slight mid-high-end “push” that seemingly enhances sibilance; s-es and t-s can catch, while those over-compressed pianos might crackle a touch (in part that’s down to the mastering process). But that’s about as much as we can try to moan about – and it’s not really a heightened issue here beyond the competition.

Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC review: Noise-cancelling

Now it goes without saying that the reason to buy the NC version of the MSR7 is for their noise-cancelling. Which, frankly, isn’t the most dramatic that we’ve ever heard – when we first received the headphones we weren’t sure that it made much difference, which is why extensive real-world testing has been so important, such as on plane journeys.

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Overall it’ll depend on what you want from noise-cancellation. On the one hand there are headphones like the Sony MDR-100ABN which make your ears feel like they’ve been sucked into a air-tight vacuum, with impressive removal of external sound, but which decimate the balance and, frankly, are awful in their passive format. Other go-to travelling cans like the Bose QuietComfort QC35 are also great to drown out the outside world almost entirely.

By comparison the Audio-Technica MSR7NC sound captivating in their passive form, as we’ve highlighted above. With noise-cancelling activated surrounding “hisses” will be cut-out or partially subdued – the typical hum from trains, hiss from planes or (that lesser known nuisance) rush of air from cooker extraction fans. So it’s less dramatic than some, but makes for a more comfortable listen.

There’s another point to give the MSR7NC’s noise-cancelling some extra love: the microphone arrangement seemingly avoids that “tearing” sound you’ll get from blustering wind, which is typical of most, if not all, competitors we’ve come to test. That, for on-the-street use, is an added bonus.

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Oh, and the on-board battery life lasts for up to 30-hours per charge via the microUSB connector. It’s as straightforward to operate as you could want too: a switch on the left earcup indicates charging (purple light) and active (blue light).

Verdict

Having used the Audio-Technica MSR7NC headphones for dozens of hours, if not hundreds, we continue to be drawn back to them as our go-to over-ear headphones. The reason is simple: they’re comfortable and they sound great – whatever we’ve thrown at them.

Now the NC part of the equation is what some will love, while others will see as a slip-up. On the one hand the subtle ability of the noise-cancelling is great for travelling, its no-nonsense operation and long-lasting on-board battery all being positives. On the other hand, if you prefer more dramatic noise-cancelling that extensively drowns out external sound then these probably aren’t he over-ears for you.

So they’re certainly excellent, but without a Bluetooth wireless feature or colour accent options for that extra level of visual interest, they (along with their higher price point) might make you think about purchasing the original MSR7 instead.

For us, though, the NC’s balance of noise-cancelling subtlety paired with big audio ability makes them ideal for the discerning listener. There’s a definite level of subjective opinion as to how these over-ear cans score, but for us they’re full-marks just as the originals were. One not to be overlooked.