Galaxy Note 7: The 10 tips and tricks you need to do immediately

How can I make my Galaxy Note 7 even better, right out of the box?

The Galaxy Note 7 is Samsung’s best phone ever, but it’s not perfect. Some of the out-the-box settings are a little strange, and others are downright frustrating. Here’s how you can make it the best possible experience — immediately!

• Turn off the icon frames
• Alphabetize your launcher
• Change your keyboard
• Set up Do Not Disturb
• Set up a Samsung account
• Customize your Always on Display
• Enable the Blue light filter
• Change the content scaling
• Set up the iris scanner
• Customize your Quick Settings

Turn off the icon frames

We’re not sure why Samsung decided to jazz up its app icons with white frames, but in order to reach some sort of consistency it did the same thing with all the other icons, too. We’re not impressed. Turn off the icon frames and get back your zen.

Open Settings.
Tap Display.
Tap Icon frames.
Select Icons only.

Alphabetize your launcher

Samsung maintains that your app drawer should be customized according to taste, but we think your app drawer should be alphabetized… for harmony. It’s easy to do it, too. Just remember that even after ordering the icons alphabetically, future app installs will append to the end of your app list, requiring you to perform the action regularly.

Open the App Drawer.
Tap the Menu button on the top right.
Tap A-Z.

Change your keyboard

Samsung has improved its native keyboard quite a bit over the last few years, but it is still not very good at predicting what you want to say — especially if you’re a fast typer. On the Note 7, the Samsung keyboard disables autocorrect and predictive typing by default, and won’t underline misspelled words. Instead of fighting with it, install the Google Keyboard and be a happier person — and a more accurate typer.

Open Google Play Store.
Search for Google Keyboard.
Tap on Install.
Tap on Open.
Follow setup instructions.

Set up Do Not Disturb

The Note 7 has a great Do Not Disturb function that allows you to set certain times of the day or night when the phone won’t produce sound or vibration when alerted. While you can activate DND manually, the best way to do it is to schedule it for right before you go to bed, and right before you wake up. It’s even possible to set it for certain days, so you can stay up late on weekends and still get notified.

Open Settings.
Tap on Sounds.
Tap on Do not disturb.
Activate Turn on as scheduled.
Change desired settings for Days, Start time, and End time.

Set up your Samsung Account

Yes, it seems unnecessary, and yes, it’s yet another account to sign into, but a Samsung account is increasingly important on a Galaxy device. For starters, it enables the new Samsung Cloud, which offers 15GB of free cloud storage and free backup of your contacts, calendar entries, photos, documents and more. It also facilitates the Secure Folder, powered by Knox, which is a great tool for storing confidential personal information within the phone.

You can set up your Samsung account when first setting up the Note 7, but in case you skip that step, you can do so anytime.

Open Settings.
Scroll down and tap on Cloud and accounts.
Tap on Accounts.
Tap on Add account.
Tap on Samsung account.
Follow setup instructions.

Customize your Always On Display

Depending on the carrier and country you purchase your device, your Galaxy Note 7 may have its Always On Display turned on or off. Either way, the feature is worth investigating for its myriad features. Leaving it on indefinitely has a negative impact on battery life, while customizing it to show your calendar entries is incredibly convenient. The choice is yours.

Open Settings.
Tap on Display.
Tap on Always On Display.
Slide switch to On (if necessary).
Tap Layouts. Choose a content type and theme.
Press back button.
Tap Set schedule.
Choose a Start and End time.

Set up your Blue light filter

One of the best new settings on the Galaxy Note 7 is its blue light filter, which cuts down on the sleep-affecting blue light generated from modern displays. The Note 7 goes even one step further and adds a Sunrise to Sunset toggle that enables the feature when the sun goes down and turns it off the following morning. It’s incredibly handy, and may just stave off that sleepless night.

Open Settings.
Tap on Display.
Tap on Blue light filter.
Slide switch to On.
Select Sunset to sunrise.

Use content scaling to fit more on the screen

The Galaxy Note 7 comes with a beautiful 5.7-inch QHD display, and one advantage of that high resolution is the ability to fit more on the screen at once — more text, more icons, and more images. But this denser content scaling is turned off by default, since for some people the text will be too small. Experiment with smaller content scaling and see if it makes sense for you.

Open Settings.
Tap on Display.
Tap on Content scaling.
Select Small.
Tap Done in the top right.

Set up the iris scanner to unlock your phone

The Galaxy Note 7 has one major feature its S7 counterparts don’t: an iris scanner. Not only are iris scanners inherently more secure than a fingerprint sensor, but it also works in situations your thumbs do not: when it is raining, or when your hands are sequestered inside gloves. Enable the iris unlock by letting the phone take a scan of your eyes, and learn to love unlocking a different way.

Open Settings.
Tap Irises. Enter security code.
Tap Continue. Follow instructions.
Once setup is complete, press Turn on.
Toggle Web sign-in and Verify Samsung account if desired.

Customize your Quick Settings

When you first pick up the Galaxy Note 7, especially after coming from an older Samsung device, you’ll quickly see that the software is different in subtle but important ways. One of those areas of change is the new Quick Settings menu, which is much simpler and easier to use. But it is still powerful, and very customizable. Here’s how to do it:

Pull down the notification shade from top of the screen.
Pull down again on the two horizontal lines to expand Quick Settings.
Hold down on any icon for a second.
Drag quick setting buttons to desired place.

There’s much more!

We’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible on the Galaxy Note 7, and we’ll have lots more tips and tricks for you to make the most out of your new phone in the coming days.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

• Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
• The latest Galaxy Note 7 news!
• Here are all four Note 7 colors
• Complete Galaxy Note 7 specs
• Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!

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How to set up and use Google Duo

A simple cross-platform mobile video chat that actually works!

Duo is Google’s latest foray into video calling, and rather than basing it on your Google account or your email, it’s tied to your phone number, making it easier for you to chat with the contacts that are already in your phone. Google launched Duo on Google Play and on iOS so you can chat with friends on Android and Apple. The keyword for Duo is simplicity, and here’s how simple the app is to use.

• How to set up Google Duo
• Making a call in Google Duo
• Receiving a call in Google Duo
• In-call controls in Google Duo
• Google Duo settings

How to set up Google Duo

Download Google Duo from Google Play.
Open Duo.
Agree to Google’s Terms and Conditions for the Duo app.
If you’re running Android 6.0 or higher, you’ll have to accept permissions one-by-one at launch:

• Allow Duo to take pictures and video so that the app (and whoever calls you) can see you.
• Allow Duo to record audio so that the app (and whoever calls you) can hear you.
• Allow Duo to access your contacts so that it can see which of your contacts are on Google Duo and who you could invite to the service.
• Allow Duo to send and view text messages to that it can send invites to your contacts and so it can see the verification code you’ll receive in a few steps.
  

Type in your phone number to use with Google Duo.
Your phone will receive a text message to verify your number. Sometimes the app will read the verification code text message itself, but if it doesn’t, enter it manually. (If the SMS code doesn’t work, there’s an option to receive an automated voice call with the code.)
You are ready to use Duo!

Making a call in Google Duo

Tap Video Call.
Select the person you’d like to call from your contacts or type in the number you’d like to reach. Note: The number of your contact must include the country code, for example a U.S. number would be 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX.
Duo will call your contact, making your video visible with Knock Knock.
To end your call, tap the red phone button in the bottom center of your screen.

Receiving a call in Google Duo

When receiving a call in Google Duo, you will see what your caller looks like and what they’re up to if they have Knock Knock enabled.

• Swipe up on the call button to accept it.
• Swipe down on the call button to reject it.

In-call controls in Google Duo

Tapping the screen while in a Duo call will bring up controls for the call.

• To mute your microphone during a call, tap the mute button above your video preview in the bottom left corner.
• To switch cameras during a call, tap the camera button above the mute button on the left side of the screen.
• If you are connected to a Bluetooth headset, you can switch between Bluetooth and the internal speaker/microphone using the Bluetooth button above the camera button on the left side of the screen.

Google Duo settings

You can reach Google Duo’s settings by tapping the three-dot menu in the top-left corner of the app’s main screen and selecting Settings.

• If you don’t want the people you call to see you before they accept the call, you can slide the toggle for Knock Knock off.
• By default, the setting to limit mobile data usage is on, knocking down the video quality when you’re away from Wi-Fi, so if you want full video quality while you’re on the side of the road with a broken-down car asking your gearhead buddy what’s smoking under the hood, this is where you can enable it.

What is Intel Project Alloy? VR headset meets merged reality, minus the tether

Virtual reality is a big deal, but delving into the virtual world typically requires a tethered-to-PC solution. That’s where Intel Project Alloy does things differently: this all-in-one VR headset is designed without wires, with all its computational power and batteries tucked away inside. Is it set to be the ultimate VR headset?

Intel Project Alloy: No tether required

The premier VR headsets available today, such as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, require a hardwire tether to associated PC, which can get in the way of the experience. Project Alloy has no wires to tether to any external sources (unless you want a video out to a separate screen), instead putting the computational power and batteries inside the device. That makes it more like the Samsung Gear VR, but with greater computational power potential.

However, there are questions over this kind of design as it will surely be heavier than the competition, bringing its comfort into question. And what of heat dissipation? We’ll have to wait and see if Intel has cleverly designed the headset to avoid these issues, as graphics cards and high-end CPUs require some kind of cooling.

Intel Project Alloy: Multi-room tracking

The main point of difference that Project Alloy offers compared to its competition is the integration of Intel RealSense cameras. This means the headset doesn’t require any additional sensors placed around the room to detect its surroundings, unlike HTC Vive’s arrangement of dedicated sensors.

This means Project Alloy offers what Intel CEO, Brian Krzanich, describes as “multi-room tracking”, i.e. the ability to use it throughout any given space, not just a dedicated pre-scanned area.

The RealSense cameras can not only detect surrounding objects’ distance from the headset, they can also bring digital visualisations of them into the virtual space. So if you’re about to walk into your kitchen table, it’ll pop-up into your field of view.

However, RealSense’s depth perception isn’t foolproof just yet and the way these objects appear in view look like rough Photoshop cutouts rather than smoothly integrated virtual elements.

Intel Project Alloy: No physical controllers required

The ability for RealSense to visualise surrounding objects and bring them into Project Alloy’s virtual environment does bring another interesting prospect, though: you can use your hands as controllers, with each digit tracked and able to move through six degrees of mobility. Your actual hands can appear, digitally rendered, in the virtual world for reference.

So there’s no more clicking a controller button to, say, hold onto an object in virtual space – simply clasp your actual hand to hold onto virtual objects. Clever stuff – but it needs some tweaks, as the slightly fussy demonstration on stage at the 2016 Intel Developer Conference (IDF) made apparent when a push switch needed to be fisted into motion rather than accurately handled.

Intel Project Alloy: What is ‘Merged Reality’?

That real objects can be digitally rendered into the virtual world in real-time does bring another interesting ability to Project Alloy: merged reality, or mixed reality.

Pick up a physical object and, if it’s close enough to the headset’s RealSense cameras, it will also be digitally rendered into the virtual world. Almost like a reverse-engineered augmented reality, if you will.

As this process is refined it could mean more intricate input, with real-world objects directly correlating to the virtual world. Grab a paintbrush and make a detailed painting, say. For the sake of the demo at IDF, Intel used a one dollar bill, its corner used to lathe a virtual cylinder of gold into a new virtual object. Obscure demo, we know, but there’s wider scope for, say, puzzle games that require specific crafting in order to progress.

Intel Project Alloy: When will it be available and how much will it cost?

Project Alloy will be available to Intel partners from the second half of 2017. That likely means we won’t see a real-world consumer product until 2018 or even later.

Price is off the cards at this stage in time. It will be largely dependent on the compute power integrated in the product, we suspect. Whether it’s a one-size-fits-all specification is not yet known.

Google Duo video calling app: How does it work and is it free to use?

Google is going after FaceTime and WhatsApp and other video-calling apps with its own solution called Duo.

Duo is free to use and enables 1-to-1 video calls. It relies on your number, lets you reach people in your phone’s contacts list, offers end-to-end encryption, and has nifty features like Knock Knock, which lets you see live video of your caller before you answer. And it’s super easy to use, because the apps; interface is ridiculously simple. Here’s how Duo works, including details about how to get started and whether its safe to use.

Google Duo: What is Duo?

Google unveiled Duo at its Google I/O developer conference in May 2016. It has described Duo, which is free and available for iOS and Android devices in the US as of 16 August 2016, as a “simple video calling” app for everyone. It’s basically a FaceTime/WhatsApp/Skype competitor.

Google Duo: How does Duo work?

Getting started

First, download the app for your iOS or Android device. Once you open Duo, you’ll have to agree to Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. From there, you can designate whether Duo can send you notifications and access your microphone and camera.

Once all that is done, enter your phone number. Google will send you a one-time code via SMS that you’ll need to enter into Duo in order to verify your number. You must verify your number because your Duo contacts will use it to video call you, which is similar to how WhatsApp works.

You’ll then be brought to the app’s main interface: a screen that is split into two, with the top half showing you what your camera sees, and the bottom portion offering up a large video call button. When you first see this screen, you’ll be asked to give Duo access to your contacts.

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Video calling

Every time you open Duo, you’ll see the camera view/video call button screen. To start making a video call, tap the video call button on this screen (when you use the app later on, you’ll also see quick-hit buttons for your recent and frequent contacts next to and below the video call button). A contacts screen will then pop up, from which you can search for contacts by name or number as well as invite friends to Duo. Your friends will need to install Duo for them to be able to video call you using Duo – which sounds obvious but is worth mentioning.

OK, so once a friend has Duo installed, hit the video call button, then find your friend on the contacts screen, and tap his or her name. The first time you call, Google will tell you “Smile! Knock Knock is on”, along with a notice that says your friend – if he or she has you as a contact – will see you appear on their phone while you’re ringing. In other words, don’t assume your friend can’t see you while you’re ringing them, because they can, and that could lead to some embarrassing situations. (Your friend can’t see you while ringing you, though.)

So, whenever you video call a friend, you’ll see a screen that warns your video is a visible, then you’ll see the name or the number of the person you’re video calling, and an end button, all of which is superimposed onto a view of whatever your camera sees (likely you). When a friend calls you, and you happen to be using your phone, you’ll see an incoming video call screen, which includes a view of whatever his or her camera sees, a name or the number of your friend, and buttons to either answer or end the video call. If you’re not using your phone, you may simply get a notification that says a video call is incoming, but that depends on your notification preferences.

Once you answer a video call, or if your friend answers your call, you’ll see the actual video call screen, which includes a view of whatever his or her camera sees and five buttons. These buttons include a button to change audio source, a button to toggle between your front and rear-facing cameras, a mute button, a button/round thumbnail of your camera view (which you can tap to enlarge and thus minimise your friend’s camera view to the round thumbnail), and an end call button. It’s all pretty straightforward, to be honest.

When you or your friend end a call, you will be brought back to the camera view/video call button screen, where you’ll then see quick-hit buttons for your recent and frequent contacts next to and below the video call button. Keep in mind if you don’t have someone in your contacts, the quick-hit buttons for your recent and frequent contacts will simply show their phone numbers, and tapping any of these number buttons will prompt you to either add the number to your contacts, start a video call, remove it from this list, or block the number.

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Manage preferences

While on the app’s main interface (the camera view/video call button screen), tap the three-vertical-dots button in the upper right-hand corner. You’ll then see options to go to Settings, Help, and Feedback. Tap the Settings option. Under this menu, there are several settings you can change, including the ability to turn off Knock Knock. You can also limit your mobile data usage, enable your phone to vibrate while ringing (Android only), unregister your phone number, and block numbers, among other things.

Google Duo: Is Duo free to use?

Yes. Duo is completely free to download and use.

Google Duo: Can you disable Knock Knock?

Yes. Duo has a feature called Knock Knock that lets you see live video of your caller before you answer. You can disable this feature under the Settings menu within the app (which we explain above in Manage preferences).

Google Duo: Can you do group video calls?

No. Duo is a 1-to-1 video calling app.

Google Duo: Can you sign up without a phone number?

No. Duo needs your phone number. The app lets you reach people in your phone’s contacts list. No separate account is required.

Google Duo: Is Duo fast and reliable?

Supposedly. Here’s what Google has to say:

We’ve built Duo to be fast and reliable, so that video calls connect quickly and work well even on slower networks. Call quality adjusts to changing network conditions to keep you connected – when bandwidth is limited, Duo will gracefully reduce the resolution to keep the call going smoothly. For video calls on the go, Duo will switch between Wi-Fi and cellular data automatically without dropping your call. You can start your call at home, and continue seamlessly even when you head out the door.

Google Duo: Is Duo safe?

Yes. Duo video calls are end-to-end encrypted.

Want to know more?

Check out Google’s announcement blog post.

Windows 10 introduces holographic apps for all, coming 2017

It’s barely been a minute since Windows 10 Anniversary Edition arrived, but now Microsoft is looking ahead to its next W10 feature update: holographic apps.

Announced at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF), executive vice president for Windows and devices, Terry Myers, introduced the update, saying that “all Windows 10 devices will include a holographic shell,” which is geared towards compatibility with Microsoft HoloLens and the just-announced Intel Project Alloy.

READ: What is Intel Project Alloy?

Windows 10 wants to position itself as the ultimate operating system platform for augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR), with headset compatibility opening up a new world of potential.

As the Microsoft promotional video shows (below), there is scope to run both 2D and 3D applications at the same time in your new virtual office environment, aiming for a seamless transition between the two.

But we’ll have to wait until December this year to learn about the developer-side specification for such apps, while the consumer update itself won’t roll out until 2017.

Even by then, will such an update lure people to buy VR/AR/MR devices in the first instance? And will those people want to use such devices at all times when running Windows? We have our doubts.

But, hey, you can have a virtual pet dog.

Ford plans to have fully autonomous cars on the road in 5 years

At the Ford Research and Innovation Center in Palo Alto, California the automaker announced it would have a fully autonomous car on the road with a ride sharing service in 2021. CEO Mark Fields said self-driving cars will be as important to Ford as the assembly line. “We’re designing the first generation of autonomous vehicles specifically for ride sharing and ride hailing,” Fields told the audience.

During the event Fields said, “today we’re no longer just an auto company, we’re also a mobility company.” The CEO stressed that its regular vehicles will continue to be available for folks that still want to drive. The company just sees ” Smart Mobility” as an additional revenue stream. So the F150 and Mustangs aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Ford CTO Raj Nair talked about how automaker decided to stop worrying about incremental steps and go full bore with self-driving vehicles. “We abandoned the stepping stones of driver assist technologies and decided to take the full leap to fully autonomous,” Nair said. He also said the carmaker would triple its development fleet by the end of the year (to 30) and triple it again next year.

As for autonomous vehicles being ready for the general public, Nair said it’ll be at least a couple years after the ride-hailing service goes live before you can buy your very own self-driving car because of the costs.

The five year plan to have a fully autonomous car on the road was hatched four years ago. “We’ve been at this for a long time and it gradually became apparent to us that the stepping stone approach was not going to work,” Ken Washington vice president of research and advanced engineering for Ford told Engadget.

Like other automakers, Ford has been moving aggressively into the ride sharing and autonomous car market. Earlier this morning it announced that it would be doubling its presence in Silicon Valley from 130 to 260 researchers by the end of 2017. It also invested $75 million into Velodyne for its LIDAR system.

As for how people will be able to actually hail these self-driving cars, Fields said that everything is on the table, “We may do things on our own. We may partner with others.” In five years, we’ll find out.

Intel’s Joule is its most powerful dev kit yet

We’ve seen plenty of unique dev kits from Intel, including the SD card-sized Edison, but not one as powerful as this. Intel announced Joule today, a tiny maker board that will allow developers to test RealSense-powered concepts and, hopefully, bring them to the market faster than before. The company says the tiny, low-powered Joule would be ideal for testing concepts in robotics, AR, VR, industrial IoT and a slew of other industries. And it also looks like it could be an interesting way for students to dabble in RealSense’s depth-sensing technology in schools.

There will be two Joule kits to choose from: the 550x, which includes a 1.5GHz quad-core Atom T5500 processor, 3GB of RAM and 8GB of storage; and the 570x, which packs in a 1.7Ghz quad-core Atom T5700 CPU (with burst speeds up to 2.4GHz), 4GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. Both models include “laptop-class” 802.11AC wireless, Intel graphics with 4K capture and display support, and a Linux-based OS.

Microsoft is already using Joule for its robotic companion “Bamboo,” which reminds kids with diabetes to check their blood sugar levels, while the French company EyeLights is using it to power a heads-up display for police motorcycle helmets. The Joule kits will be available today for IDF attendees, soon at Intel’s online store and they’ll reach retail partners in September.

Update: Intel reps tell me the Joule 570x is selling for $369, no word yet on how much the cheaper model will cost. Clearly, they’re aiming for much more sophisticated tinkerers than the $35 Raspberry Pi.

Source: Intel

Tom Clancy’s ‘Jack Ryan’ is now an Amazon exclusive series

Tom Clancy’s famous fictional CIA agent Jack Ryan is back in action after 2013’s critical and commercial disappointment Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Amazon has greenlit a 10-episode series, exclusive to Prime Video, that will star John Krasinski, of The Office fame, as the titular hero. Plot details are scarce, though it seems the series will be an origins story, with Ryan being an up-and-coming CIA analyst fighting terrorist groups.

This is the first time the Jack Ryan franchise is being turned into a series. But, there have already been five movies with four actors portraying the protagonist — Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine. This a big pickup from Amazon as it looks to take on Netflix and make video streaming a major draw for a Prime subscription. Jack Ryan will be joining Amazon’s already impressive lineup of shows that includes the likes of The Man in the High Castle, Transparent, and Hand of God. But, there’s no word yet on when Jack Ryan will make its Prime Video debut.

Source: Amazon