Uber Will Begin Picking Up Pittsburgh Users in Self-Driving Cars This Month

After years of planning, and testing phases over the last few months, Uber this month will begin allowing customers in Pittsburgh to summon self-driving cars from within its ride-hailing app. As noted by Bloomberg, “no automotive or technology company has yet achieved” the public launch of a self-driving service, passing rivals Google, Tesla, and Ford, who have so far only performed tests in the field.

Uber’s new program isn’t entirely “driverless,” however, since the company is still placing trained engineers in the driver’s seat, “as common sense and the law dictate,” to oversee each trip and ensure the passenger’s safety. There will also be a co-pilot in the front passenger seat to take notes while the test trips take place, and everything will get recorded by cameras inside and outside the vehicle “so that any glitches can be ironed out.”

On the passenger side of things, once users hail the specially modified Volvo XC90 sport-utility vehicles, they’ll see a tablet computer in the backseat that comes stacked with information to tell them that they’re in an autonomous vehicle and educate them on exactly what’s happening. Although unspecified, it appears that riders won’t know they’re being paired with a driverless car while in the Uber app, but the ride will be free of charge “for the time being.”

According to Uber’s engineering director Raffi Krikorian, “the goal is to wean us off of having drivers in the car, so we don’t want the public talking to our safety drivers.” The company also thinks the new technology could greatly cut down on the cost of trips for riders, which it sees as a major opportunity. Still, there are hiccups in the system the company has to fix before all of this progress can happen.

On a recent weekday test drive, the safety drivers were still an essential part of the experience, as Uber’s autonomous car briefly turned un-autonomous, while crossing the Allegheny River. A chime sounded, a signal to the driver to take the wheel. A second ding a few seconds later indicated that the car was back under computer control. “Bridges are really hard,” Krikorian says. “And there are like 500 bridges in Pittsburgh.”

Uber’s cars haven’t had any fender benders since they began road-testing in Pittsburgh in May, but at some point something will go wrong, according to Krikorian. “We’re interacting with reality every day,” he says. “It’s coming.”

Apple itself was the source of multiple self-driving automobile rumors, beginning last year, but ultimately it’s believed that the company’s first foray into the vehicle industry most likely won’t be autonomous, with further generations down the line more likely to include the technology. All the same, over the summer it was reported that Apple is taking a “two-prong approach” to the Apple Car, focusing more heavily on creating its own autonomous driving system rather than the hardware manufacturing of the vehicle itself.

You can read Bloomberg’s full report on Uber’s autonomous vehicle launch in Pittsburgh right here.

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Best cheap cases for OnePlus 3

What’s the best cheap case for OnePlus 3?

The OnePlus 3 is an inexpensive phone, but you of course still want to protect it. That being said, you might want to match what you spent on the phone to what you’ll spend on a case, relatively speaking.

So, if you’re not in for the expensive, bulletproof cases, then opt for one (or all) of our favorite cheap cases for the OnePlus 3. Cheap doesn’t have to mean bad!

• TUDIA slim-fit Heavy Duty Extreme
• Spigen Rugged Armor
• Love Ying Crystal Clear Ultra
• OnePlus Protective Cases
• Cruzerlite Bugdroid Circuit case
• Ringke Fusion

TUDIA slim-fit Heavy Duty Extreme

Even though you’re opting for an inexpensive case, that’s no reason to skimp on protection. The TUDIA slim-fit Heavy Duty Extreme comprises two layers: an inner layer of shock-absorbing TPU and an outer layer of hard polycarbonate.

You have raised edges around the front of your phone to protect the screen when you place it face-down, and you’ve got a raised edge around the camera lens so that you won’t be taking photos of just cracks any time soon.

This case’s cutouts are quite precise, so you won’t have to worry about taking it off to charge or take photos, and it fits snugly, making that TPU inner layer more effective.

The Heavy Duty Extreme comes in matte black, metallic slate, mint, and rose, so choose one to match your style.

If you want an expensive case feel with great protection for around $13, then the TUDIA Heavy Duty Extreme is the case you want.

See at Amazon

Spigen Rugged Armor

Spigen just makes great cases. I’ve had an used quite a few of them and they always fit just right. The Rugged Armor case is the perfect blend of solid protection and a slim fit that doesn’t add much bulk or weight to the OnePlus 3.

Some cases, especially those with polycarbonate backs, can be slippery to hold, but the Spigen Rugged Armor case is made entirely of soft TPU, with a textured feel that’s easy to hang on to.

The inside of the case has a spiderweb design, which disperses impact around the entire case, and each corner employs Spigen’s “Air Cushion technology,” which leaves a pocket of air between the phone and the case, again in order to disperse impact. If you’ve ever dropped a naked phone on its corner, you’ll understand why this is very important.

If you’re looking for solid protection and a non-slip, textured phone case, then the Spigen Rugged Armor is a great way to go.

See at Amazon

Love Ying Crystal Clear Ultra

If you’d like to add a little pizzazz to your OnePlus 3 — but not too much — the Love Ying Crystal Clear Ultra series of cases is a great minimalist option for something inexpensive yet effective.

These Love Ying cases are made of soft TPU and protect your OnePlus 3 from dirt, dust, scratches, and bumps. These are the most rugged cases but will protect your phone from everyday wear and tear.

Coming in mint, purple, clear, and pink, they add a lovely translucent color to your phone, so you can appreciate its design while adding a splash of personality.

Be aware that TPU can turn yellow over time, due to the way it absorbs sunlight, but that shouldn’t be for quite a while, so grab a few of these cases (they’re only around $7) and enjoy!

See at Amazon

OnePlus Protective Cases

Manufacturers may not make the coolest cases for their phones, but they at least usually fit pretty well. That being said, the OnePlus Protective cases from OnePlus are cool as hell!

You have five different case materials to choose from: Sandstone, Karbon, Black Apricot, Rosewood, and Bamboo, and they’re all made from the materials after which they’re named, mixed with kevlar (except sandstone – it’s polycarbonate)! First off, who’s ever even heard of Black Apricot, let alone had a phone case made out of it? Second, these cases are very lightweight and snap on easily, protecting the back and sides of your phone from bumps and scratches.

The top and bottom of the your OnePlus 3 are left open, so you don’t have to worry about the cutouts being precise or not and removing the case is that much easier.

The cases range in price from $19.95 (Sandstone) to $24.95 (the rest), which is quite inexpensive when you consider what other phone manufacturer’s charge for proprietary cases.

If you want a case that’s unique, made of something other than TPU, silicone, or polycarbonate, and rather stylish, then grab one from OnePlus. It’ll fit your phone well and you know people are going to ask you about it!

See at OnePlus

Cruzerlite Bugdroid Circuit case

Cruzerlite’s Bugdroid Circuit case is a quirky and fun TPU case that features the Android Bugdroid (of course, he’s Lloyd here at AC) on the back, with a sort of circuit board pattern. It’s a great case for diehard Android fans and folks who are looking for a lightweight case that won’t fatten up their OnePlus 3 too much.

This case comes in black, blue, clear, green, orange, red, smoke, and teal, so you’ll be able to find one that matches your personal style.

As far as phone cases go, this one is a pretty run-of-the-mill TPU shell, but the design is really cool and the softer cases are better for shock absorption. Plus, they’re only around $10, which is why they’re one of the best cheap cases you can find for the OnePlus 3!

See at Amazon

Ringke Fusion

The Ringke Fusion offers versatility in its design, with soft TPU around the edges and a hard polycarbonate back, expertly protecting your OnePlus 3 from all manner of scratches, scuffs, and bumps.

The clear back of the case means you get to admire the metal composition of your phone, but if you so choose, Ringke sends along a DIY template (basically a piece of cardboard) that helps you shape photos or images that you print out so that they fit perfectly in your case. Boom, you have a custom phone case design that you can switch out as often as you like!

You have your choice of two edge accents: Crystal View or Smoke Black.

The Ringke Fusion starts around $12 and is perfect for anyone looking to bridge the gap between a rugged case and a minimalist case.

See at Amazon

What’s on your phone?

What inexpensive case did you pick up for your OnePlus 3? Was it worth it to go the cheap route? Sound off in the comments below!

OnePlus 3

• OnePlus 3 review: Finally, all grown up
• OnePlus 3 specs
• OnePlus 3 vs. the flagship competition
• Latest OnePlus 3 news
• Discuss OnePlus 3 in the forums

OnePlus

Don’t miss your chance to get a Nextbit Robin at its lowest price yet!

Right now you can grab an unlocked Nextbit Robin for just $199 at Amazon, the lowest price we’ve seen yet for the phone. The Robin features a 5.2-inch display covered by Gorilla Glass 4, as well as 3GB of RAM and 32GB of on-board storage. Nextbit also offers 100GB of cloud storage to where the phone seamlessly backs up your apps, photos and more without you needing to do anything.

This deal is only good for today, August 18, so you won’t want to wait long to place your order. Which color will you pick? Let us know in the comments.

See at Amazon

Mini John Cooper Works review: Mini by name, maxed-out by nature

The Cooper Car company was founded in Surbiton in 1947. Charles Cooper and his son John began building racing cars that eventually changed the face of F1. In 1961, John Cooper conceived the first faster-and-tuned Mini, which dominated rallying in the 1960s. The rest, as they say, is history.

Cooper is a name that became synonymous with Mini, and in 2000, John’s son, Michael Cooper, founded John Cooper Works, which made racing tuning parts for the reborn, BMW-built Mini. In 2008, BMW bought the company outright and now the John Cooper Works Mini is built in the Mini factory in Oxford.

So is the fastest, highest performance stock Mini you can buy worth the extra outlay?

Mini John Cooper Works review: Re-defining the pocket-rocket

Agile, small, nimble and powerful: the Cooper-tuned Minis have always possessed qualities that simply made them put a smile on your face. Small enough that they felt pocketable but with performance that made it feel like a rocket, the fast Minis defined the term pocket rocket.

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Thing is, the 2014 refresh of the Mini ushered in a new platform shared with BMWs. So this third-generation new Mini (codename F56) is no longer a small car. At 3.8m long and 1.7m long, it’s a bit of a bruiser.

Despite those growing dimensions it still achieves pocket rocket status though. The John Cooper Works – or JCW as it’s usually referred to – is one of the most fun-to-drive cars we’ve driven all year. It begs to be taken by the scruff of the neck at any given opportunity and thrashed down your typical British back road.

There are a few factors in the mix that make it a giggle to drive. First up is the engine, which is a fizzy, powerful thing. It’s BMW’s 2.0-litre turbo unit, and we know from driving it in other BMW products that it’s an excellent engine. It suffers from little turbo lag, pulls hard from low down, revs out happily to its 6,500rpm limit, and makes a decent noise while doing it.

Any gear, any situation, press the throttle and the Mini thrums forward. But stick it in 6th gear, trog along the motorway at 70mph and it’ll return 40mpg (maybe more). Its 0-62 marker is 6.3-seconds – but it feels faster. Rumour on the internet has it that these 2.0-litre BMW turbos tend to make rather more than the 228bhp that the company claims.

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Most importantly given the price lift over the regular Cooper S, the JCW feels like a more significant performance step forward than the figures suggest.

Mini John Cooper Works review: Maximum go cart feel

Minis have never been just about their engines and power. Far from it. The Mini’s wheel-at-each-corner stance, low weight and keen handling are the things that have made them feel like pocket rockets.

Mini is even playing on this factor with its latest mode selector, which in sport mode pings up a “maximum go kart feel” message on the centre screen. Twee though that might sound, get the JCW in sport mode on the right road and it does feel like a go kart, responding keenly to your every input (the steering rack is fast) and feeling like the car is pivoting around you.

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The front of the car is keen to turn in and, generally speaking, sticks like glue to the road thanks to the electronic differential and some sticky Dunlop tyres. It’s perhaps not as keen as some mechanical differential-equipped rivals, and in damp conditions you can provoke understeer – where the front of the car pushes wide of your intended line. There’s fun to be had in lifting the throttle and getting the whole car to tighten its line when this happens, turning you into a corner. Agile is the word that comes to mind – and it’s helped out by the adaptive dampers which were optionally fitted to our test car.

The JCW has stiff suspension, which we suspect might get tiresome on some poorer British roads in its standard form. The adaptive dampers offer adjustability, though, meaning you can have the engine in sports mode, but the dampers in comfort (softer), and they make the ride more than tolerable. It is annoying the dampers are an optional extra though. But at just £240 they aren’t overly pricey and are an extravagance worth having.

Joining in the fun is the sports exhaust system – which is amusingly boisterous. The regular Cooper S Mini will occasionally throw in a pop when you back-off the throttle having revved the engine out. Do the same thing in the JCW and it sounds like someone’s thrown a load of (admittedly quiet) firecrackers out the back. We’ve been talking about this characteristic on a lot of performance cars recently, and remarked that it can get tedious. Somehow, though, it suits the Mini’s character and – because it’s still not hugely loud and doesn’t do a show-off wake-the-neighbours routine at start up from cold – it feels less anti-social overall.

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One factor we think contributes to the JCW’s go-kart feel is the slick, smooth 6-speed manual gearbox. Mini launched the car with an autobox only option, reckoning more than half of buyers now go for this, but as of the end of last year, you get a manual gearbox as standard. With that autobox a £1,365 option, and definitely removing a level of fun factor from the car, we’d stick with the manual. It’s no hardship.

Mini John Cooper Works review: Mini by name, maxed-out by nature

So, pocket-rock status in-tact, you’ll be wondering how much Mini want for the JCW. This model starts at £23,155. It’s a lot of cash for a small car, but you’re not buying size here – you’re buying a lot of powertrain hardware, a high-quality object and a premium experience.

Nowhere is this more apparent than when you step into the interior, which – like all the new Minis we’ve tested – feels very high quality, particularly in the areas you regularly touch, such as the steering wheel. Materials and finish are up at Audi levels, and the bucket seats, finished in a fetching red and grey Alcantara for the JCW, really set things apart from the other, less powerful Minis.

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You can get nice and low behind the wheel, which sits in a snug but not tight driving position. It’s those seats that hug you tight in the corners and are very comfortable over long distances.

However, the boot space is still weeny, but you can get a couple of adults in the back of a Mini these days. And if you need more space, Mini offer JCW versions of the 5-door Mini, Clubman and Countryman.

The bigger question is how to keep the purchase price in the £20K bracket. Like all Minis, it’s worryingly easy to drop the best part of £10K on options on the JCW – and indeed our test car had been through just such a process.

So max out to your heart’s content, but if you want the performance but don’t fancy the queasy price tag, what are the must-haves? The good news is that engine, gearbox and most powertrain and chassis-related bits that make the JCW a hoot are standard. The key option our car had was the aforementioned adaptive dampers, at £240.

White or red paint is free, and suits the car great, but our car’s 18-inch wheels are a £740 option. Don’t worry if you don’t fancy them – we’re sure the ride on 17-inch standard wheels would be nicer still. The racing seats are standard, and you can choose how much you want to spend on trimming them in different colours and leather finishes.

One option to add (as ever with any Mini) is the Chili Pack. It’s a chunky £2,400 option, but the good news for those financing their Mini is that it helps residual value, so should only add £30/month or so to the typical deal. It includes the bigger wheels, and the leather/Alcantara seat trim, plus on-board computer, climate control, a lighting pack, auto lights and wipers, and extended stowage.

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Many will want to add the Media pack too (£1,400), which brings a widescreen sat nav system (from BMW, which works very well), enhanced Bluetooth (streaming, multiple phone connections), and connected services. You can max this outwith the £2,400 tech pack and get all this plus a Harman Kardon sound system, reversing camera and a head up display (HUD), too.

Stick to Chili and Media pack, and you’re looking at a £26,955 Mini John Cooper Works. Yep, it’s not cheap, but then you drive the car and it feels worth it.

Verdict

Mini’s proposition asks you to make a fundamental decision: are you happy disconnecting the price you pay for a car, with how physically big it is? If you’re of the old school view that the fat end of £30K really ought to buy you a very sizeable car that seats five and takes their luggage in comfort, then we suspect you’ve stopped reading well before now.

Because Mini offers BMW technology in a small package that’s beautifully appointed, but not exactly cheap. With the John Cooper Works version, you get all this plus performance to embarrass much bigger cars, which can always put a smile on your face and feels perfectly optimised for British roads.

Is this more fun than a much cheaper Ford Fiesta ST? Does it offer as much value and performance as a far bigger VW Golf R? The objective answer – looking at on-paper figures – is no. And if you’re bothered about the ultimate cost of the car in purchase price or monthly finance deal – or being able to transport you and three friends or family around – then the Mini is probably not the answer either. But despite this, the JCW has terrific appeal – and we suspect many will love it. It’s a more bespoke, special-feeling object than any city car-sized Fiesta, Clio or such. Yet it’s even more fun. And it feels much less like a normal, bland-box than a Golf, too.

We suspect John Cooper (senior) would have been very proud indeed at the way BMW is continuing his legacy. After our week with with the Mini JCW, we’re still smiling about – and missing – the presence of this mini yet mighty car on the driveway.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 tips and tricks: The ultimate guide to mastering your Note

If you thought the Galaxy S7 was going to be the top smartphone of 2016, then think again, as the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 wants to be top dog. 

In typical Samsung style, this superphone is absolutely stuffed full of features, options and settings. You’ll need to be a smartphone master to find your way around the discover everything.

Fortunately, we’ve done the hard work for you. Here’s every tip and trick to help you master the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 home screen

The home screen is where you live on your Android phone. Offering loads of customisation, it’s the first place you land when you unlock your phone, and it’s where you return to when you hit the home button. Here’s how to make your Note 7 feel like your own.

Edit your home screen: A long press on the wallpaper on any screen lets you edit the wallpaper, widgets, themes or the grid size. This grid size applies not only to the home screen, but the apps tray too.

Enable a 3D or parallax effect on your wallpaper: If you want an added pop to your wallpaper, toggle on wallpaper motion effect. Long press as above and select your wallpaper, then turn on “wallpaper motion effect” before you tap the “set as wallpaper” button. 

Apply a theme: Samsung has a load of themes. Just long press on the wallpaper as above, and you’ll get the option to change the theme. Many are paid for, but there are free themes too. Hit the one you’re interested in and change the look of your phone.

Change your icons: Along with themes there are also icon packs. Again, many need paying for and will adapt the style of your icons. Just head into the wallpaper and theme manager as above and you’ll find the option to change your icons.

Remove the icon background: One of the things that Samsung likes to do is apply a background and create a “squirkle” out of all app icons. It’s own icons are designed to look like this, but when you install third-party apps, you don’t want them looking rubbish too. Head into settings > display > icon frames. Turn that off, and your apps look like apps again. Yay!

Get more on your home screen: You can change the size of the screen grid on which your shortcuts and widgets sit. It fit more on, select 5×5. This makes widgets more compact or lets you have up to 25 shortcuts.

Resize widgets: Many widgets are resizable. A long press selects them. When you lift your finger, you can drag the blue box that appears and resize your widget. 

Create a folder: Simply drag one app on top of another and a folder is created. To remove an app from a folder, open the folder and long press an app to select it and drag it to delete at the top of the page. To add apps, either drag them into a folder, or hit the + within the folder and tick the apps you want to add from the list.

Move apps from one folder to another: If you’re an organisation fan, moving apps from one folder to another is easy. Samsung offers a “move apps” function, but this is best suited to bulk moving – simply press and hold the app, drag to “move apps” and repeat for all the apps you want to move. Then hit the back arrow, open the folder you want and drag them back in. If you’re just moving one app, drag it out of the folder, keep holding it and you’ll return home: you can then place it where you want, or in another folder.

Change a folder colour or name: Open a folder and enter the name you want at the top. If you don’t want a name, leave it blank. To change the folder background colour, tap the palette in the right-hand corner and select a new colour. 

Access upday news reader: Swipe right from your home page to access upday for your news updates. Hit more > my interests in the top right-hand corner to customise the content you see. This replaces Flipboard on the SGS6, but offers a similar news digest. In the US, a different service is offered.

Disable upday: If you don’t want it, you can remove upday. Long press on your wallpaper, swipe right to upday and toggle off the switch. It will then vanish. Not everyone gets upday – different territories get different news services.

Stop adding new app icons to home screen: If you don’t want new apps you install cluttering up your home screen, head into Play Store > settings and uncheck the box.

Access Now on Tap: As the Galaxy Note 7 is a Marshmallow handset, you get Now on Tap. Press and hold the home button and Now on Tap will scan the page and deliver results.

Access Google Now: A long press on the home button will launch Now on Tap. Tap the G at the bottom of this screen and you’ll be in Google Now.

Change launcher (home screen): You can easily change the experience of your phone with a different launcher, such as the Google Now Launcher. Just download the launcher from Play Store and install it. When you press the home button you’ll be given a choice to select a new default launcher. To change the default launcher, head into settings > applications and tap the top-right menu. Tap default applications > home screen. Here you’ll find a full list of launchers to select or delete.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 quick settings

Quick settings is a feature of Android putting your essential and often used settings at your fingertips. Samsung adds a range of tweaks and changes. Here’s how to get the most out of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 quick settings.

Instant access to quick settings: Swipe down with two fingers and you’ll skip notifications and head straight into the full quick settings panel. Or double swipe down.

Edit quick settings: To change the selection of shortcuts in quick settings, press and hold on an icon. Those opens up the editor. You can then reorder or remove functions to your preference. Remember that the first five in the list are those you can see all the time, so make these your most frequently used functions.

Access full settings from quick settings: There’s a settings cog in the top right-hand corner when quick settings is open. This takes you to the full settings menu. To see more options for an individual quick, tap the bottom section. For example, this will let you choose your Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth device, or your power saving level.

Search your entire device: In the quick settings you’ll find a Finder search box, also offering voice search. This will search your entire device, either for settings, or for content, apps or people. You can also use this to scan for devices to connect to using quick connect.

Enable/disable quick connect: You can have the option to quick connect to devices in the quick settings box all the time (it’s on by default). This will scan for things to connect to and offer devices that are found, like your Samsung TV. To turn off the option, open quick connect, hit the top-right menu, and turn off quick panel connect. If you want to turn it back on, open quick settings, tap the Finder search box and scroll down. There you’ll find the option to scan for devices.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 apps tray

The apps tray is where all your apps are stored. By default it’s a mess, randomly arranged, with new apps being plonked on the last page, and removed apps leaving gaps. Here’s how to manage your apps tray like a pro.

Search for apps: There’s a handy search bar at the top of the apps tray so you can search for your apps. Or, swipe down quick settings and use the universal search option – this also reveals your apps.

Manually reorder apps: Hit the menu button in the top right-hand corner of your apps tray and tap edit. Drag the apps to the position you want them in. Hit DONE to save.

Create an apps tray folder: As above, hit menu > edit, drag one app over another and a folder will be created. You can then drag this folder to wherever you want it to be.

Uninstall apps: You can uninstall directly from the apps tray. Hit the edit option, then tap the minus icon that appears in the corner. If the app can be uninstalled, it will be. If it can’t be uninstalled, it will be disabled.

Remove a folder from the apps tray: If you don’t like folders you’ve created, or want to break the apps out of the default folders Samsung offers, hit menu > edit and then tap the minus button in the corner of a folder. The folder will be removed and the apps set free into the apps tray.

Alphabetise your apps: In the apps tray, hit menu > A-Z. This puts all the apps into logical order. You need to hit SAVE when you’re finished. Also note that if you install new apps, they’ll appear at the end of the list, so you’d need to sort into alphabetical order again, and again, and again.

Add apps to your home screen: Press and hold on the app shortcut in the apps tray. This will let you place a shortcut on your home screen.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 lock screen and security

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 offers a whole range of security options, including iris and fingerprint. Using everything means more options for unlocking your phone.

Change lock screen shortcuts: You can have two shortcuts on the lock screen for quick access. These are phone and camera by default, but can be anything you like. Head into settings > lock screen and security > info and app shortcuts > app shortcuts. Here you can select the left and right shortcuts, or turn them off completely.

Fingerprint security: To use your fingerprint to unlock, head into settings > lock screen and security > screen lock type. Here you can select fingerprints. We recommend registering at least both thumbs, so you can unlock with either hand. You’ll have to set a back-up PIN or passcode at the same time.

Iris security: To use your eyes to unlock the Note 7, head into the the screen lock type as above. Alongside fingerprint, you’ll get the option to scan your iris as another unlock option.

Use your iris to unlock the phone: To use iris, you need to swipe up from the lock screen. This will open the iris scanner and beam your eyeball.

Instant lock: When you press the standby button, you want your phone to lock instantly. Head into settings > lock screen and security > secure lock settings. There’s the option to lock the device as soon as the screen goes to sleep or when you press the standby button. If you do want a delay, there’s plenty of time options.

Smart Lock/Bluetooth unlock: Again in settings > lock screen and security > secure lock settings there’s the Smart Lock section. This is a standard Android feature and you have the option to nominate trusted devices, so your Android will unlock when connected to something else. You can nominate Bluetooth devices (like your smartwatch or car Bluetooth), location, trusted voice and so on.

Automatically wipe your device: If you’re worried about your phone falling into the wrong hands and being cracked, you can have it automatically wipe. Head into settings > lock screen and security > secure lock settings. Here you’ll find the option to auto factory reset if 15 failed unlock attempts are made.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 edge screen tips

Edge screen is the name that Samsung gives to the functions that can be applied to the edges of the display on the Note 7 and other edge devices form the company, like the SGS7 edge. On the Note 7 it makes more sense, as it can make the larger display much more manageable. Here’s how to use edge screen like a pro.

Manage edge screen content: Head into settings > display > edge screen > edge panels to manage what you see when you swipe in. Or, swipe in to open edge screen, then tap the cog in the bottom left corner. You can add or remove content, as well as download other content here. For best effect, don’t have too many panels, otherwise you might as well just unlock the phone and go direct.

Change the apps in apps edge: One of the edge panels offers you app shortcuts. This means quick access to up to eight apps. As above, head into edge panels and tap EDIT at the bottom of apps edge. You can then bin Samsung’s suggestions and load it with your own apps, like Pokemon Go.

Change the location and size of the edge screen handle: This is important. As the Note 7 is a big phone, it’s really useful to be able to change the location of the edge screen launch tab. Head into edit edge panels as above and click the menu top right, tap handle settings. This lets you change the handle to left/right, the location along that edge, the size as well as the transparency. Make it 100 per cent transparent and it vanishes, so you don’t have the little bar there looking ugly.

Reorder edge screen panels: If you want to swipe in and see your calendar before your apps shortcuts, head into settings > display > edge screen > edge panels and then tap the menu top right, and hit reorder. You can then arrange your panels.

Use edge screen from the lock screen: You don’t have to do anything, it just works. Swipe in and you’ll be presented with your edge panels from the lock screen if its awake. Before you can open an app or contact, you’ll need to unlock your phone, which it where iris scanning is really quick and easy.

Enable edge lighting for incoming calls: If your phone is face down, you can have the edges light up when there’s an incoming call. Head into settings > display > edge screen > edge lighting. This is ideal for meetings. Your phone will reveal there’s an incoming call without you needing vibration or showing everyone who is calling. 

Set a quick reply message for incoming calls: If you don’t want to answer the call, you can reject it and send a customisable reply message by placing your finger on the rear heart rate scanner. Head into settings > edge screen > edge lighting and toggle on the quick reply option. Here you can also change that message.

Get notifications through edge screen: Called briefing feed, you can select which app notifications are displayed. Head into settings > display > edge screen > edge feeds. At the bottom of the panel, tap EDIT. You can then select the notifications you want in edge feed. Note that you have to manually swipe the edge to see this feed.

Have the edge show a night clock: Head into display > night clock. Here you can enable a small clock that will sit in the edge of the display when the screen is off, showing time, date and battery status. You can pick the schedule that night clock comes on and off and choose left or right side.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 S Pen tips and tricks

The S Pen is the Note for some people, giving you a whole world of additional features and ways to interact with your phone that you don’t get on any other device. With a new S Pen and new features, the Note 7 is the best stylus-equipped device out there.

Write notes on your lock screen: Just pop out the S Pen and start writing, without having to unlock your phone. Just press the button to delete your scribbles when you make a mistake. Tap save to keep that note. Called Screen off memo, head into settings > advanced features > S Pen and turn on this excellent feature.

Choose what happens when you remove S Pen: Head into settings > advanced features > S Pen > detachment options. Here you have three action options for when the S Pen is removed – Air command is the default, but it could be to create a note, or do nothing at all.

Customise Air command: Air command is the interface that pops-up for you to tap with the S Pen. To customise this, open Air command and tap the settings cog in that appears in the opposite corner. Here you can change the shortcuts, including to launch any app you have on your phone.

Launch Air command if the icon has vanished: If you have the S Pen in hand, but the Air command icon has vanished or you’ve turned it off, just press the button as you approach the display and Air command will appear.

Highlight text with S Pen: Simply press and hold on the text you want to highlight. Or, press the button and tap the screen to select a word, or drag the selectors out to extent that selection.

Zoom in on a photo: In the Gallery, open a photo you want to look at. Double tap to zoom, then touch with S Pen and press and hold the button to zoom. It’s basically pinch zooming.

Preview photos in Gallery with S Pen: Hover over a photo in the gallery and it will pop up from the thumbnail giving you options to write on it, share, edit or delete, using Air view. The same can be done in calendar, scroll lists, and viewing links.

Have an alarm if you move too far from S Pen: To make sure you don’t lose your S Pen, or leave it lying in a coffee shop, there’s an option to get an alert if you move off and forget it. head into settings > advanced features > S Pen > S Pen alerts.

Don’t the the S Pen removal vibration or sound? Head into settings > advanced features > S Pen and you can turn off those sounds when removing or replacing S Pen.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 notifications tips and tricks

Notifications are really powerful on Android and Samsung is giving you a whole range of ways to control your notifications. There’s a new “notifications” section of the settings menu to control things, as well as access via the applications settings. The former is much simpler, so here we break down how to manage your notifications on your device.

Disable/enable lock screen notifications: If you don’t want notifications on your lock screen, head to settings > lock screen and security > notifications on lock screen. You can turn all notifications off with one switch.

Only show notifications as app icons on lock screen: We love this option. As above, head into notifications on lock screen and there’s a toggle option for notification icons only.

Hide some lock screen notifications: If you never want lock screen notifications from a particular app (like a messaging app, or annoying game), head into notifications on lock screen as above, then you’ll get a list of all your apps. Switch off the apps and you’ll never get lock screen notifications from them. To make it faster, turn off all and then turn on the ones you actually want.

Instant access to lock screen notifications: Just tap a notification twice and it will open up the app. Want to dismiss it? Just swipe it away. If you want to open it and you have security in place, you’ll need to unlock your phone to view the content.

Hide content in some app notifications: If you want to have notifications on your lock screen, but hide sensitive information in some of those apps (like a messaging app), first enable lock screen notifications to show content as above. Then head into settings > notifications > ADVANCED. Here you can manage the notifications of each individual app. You can opt to hide or show content from the lock screen here for specific apps.

To turn off notifications on an app: Go to settings > notifications. Here you’ll find a list of apps and you can turn off notifications on those you don’t like. 

To turn off pop-up notifications on an app: Go to settings > notifications > advanced. Tap on the app you want. Here you can turn off pop-up notifications, so you don’t get a notification for that app appearing at the top of your screen when it arrives.

To mark an app as a priority app: Head into settings > notifications > advanced. Tap on the app you want. Here you get app controls, and you can set an app as a priority so you always get notifications from that app, including in Do not Disturb mode – so all the time basically.

Still getting a notification you can’t get rid of? A quick general Android trick – press and hold on any notification and you’ll be taken through to the notifications for that app directly, so you can kill it.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 volume controls and Do not Disturb

While you need to know what’s going on with your phone, sometimes it just needs to shut up and leave you alone. There’s loads of options to manage how your device behaves at different times and it’s confusing. Here’s how to manage everything perfectly.

Quickly switch to vibrate alerts: If you want silence, but are after vibration alerts still, push the volume button and tap the bell on the pop-up. This will switch to vibrate. Or you can hold down the volume button so it slides all the way down to vibrate.

Set your phone to silent: The normal volume controls only go to vibrate which is a little irritating. To make your phone silent, swipe down to the quick settings and tap the sound shortcut. This will cycle through sound/vibrate/mute. Or tap the bottom of the icon and you’ll be able to select sound/vibrate/mute directly.

Turn down media volume: Hit the volume up or down button, and the volume slider will appear. Tap the down arrow on the right-hand side, and you can change the ringtone, media, notifications and system volumes independently. Perfect for when you want to watch a YouTube video on the bus without disturbing others.

Turn on Do not Disturb: Do not Disturb is an Android feature that lets you silence your phone, but set up a range of exceptions. For example, it will let specific people call, or certain apps notify you. You could use it to silence work apps, but still let you hear eBay alerts, for example, or silence all notifications, except calls from your mother. Swipe down quick settings and tap the Do not Disturb button to turn it on.

Customise Do not Disturb: The best thing about Do not Disturb is how flexible it is. Firstly, turn it on as above, then tap the notification that appears to customise it. Here you can set a schedule as well as set your exceptions, including whether you want alarms to sound, or your favourite contacts to still come through.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 app management

Of course your phone is all about the apps: that’s what makes a smartphone. Android gives you loads of options and in many cases you’ll want to use alternatives to those supplied by Samsung. Here’s some key tips for app management.

Change the default app: Android lets you decide which is the default app if you have more than one that will do the same thing. Under applications > menu > default applications you can see what has been selected as the default browser, calling app, messaging app and home screen/launcher. You can also elect to have the Note 7 automatically select default apps, or ask you when there’s a choice. 

Control app permissions: Marshmallow lets you manage all the permissions for each app on an individual basis. Go to applications > select the app and hit Permissions. This will let you toggle permissions on and off, so you can disable location access, for example, or check what that dodgy APK is accessing.

Install apps from unknown sources: One of the joys of Android is freedom to do what you want. If course the phone doesn’t want you, so by default the option to install an app manually is turned off. Everything that doesn’t come from Google Play is classed as from an “unknown source”. THere’s legitimate apps you might want to install, like Amazon Underground or Amazon Instant Video. To do so, head into settings > lock screen and security > unknown sources. This will let you install those apps.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 display tips

The Galaxy Note 7 offers a 5.7-inch Quad HD display with support for Mobile HDR. It’s stunning, but also loaded with features you need to know about. Here’s the insiders’ guide to the Note 7 display.

Turn on Always On display: To have the lock screen show you “always on” information, head into settings > display > Always On display > and switch it on. This displays when the phone screen is in standby.

Customise Always On display: There are lots of options for the Always On display. Tap on Always on display > layouts and you’ll see lots of different clock options and the option to enable notification icons in Always On display. 

Add a background to always-on display or change the colour: You can customise what you see in always-on display by heading to the layouts section above and tapping on the design you like. You then get the option to pick a colour – a pink clock perhaps – or to set a soft background image.

Use Always On display to show calendar or an image: If the clock doesn’t tickle your fancy, head into layouts above, tap “content to show”. Here you can select a screensaver type image or calendar instead.

Change the display colours: Head into settings > display > screen mode and you’ll get the option to change the way the display looks. If you want something more vibrant, it’s here you can set it.

Enable blue light filter/Night Shift: Designed to reduce eye strain in low light, the blue light filter will make the display warmer (more yellow, cutting out blue light), so it’s easier on your tired eyes. Head into display > blue light filter. Here you can change the intensity of the change, as well as set a schedule – including a simple sunset to sunrise option. Blue light filter is also available in quick settings.

Get more on the screen: Aside from changing the app grid, you can change the scale of the screen content. Head into display > content scaling and you can pick larger or small. Pick small to get more content on the display.

Engage smart stay to aid reading: Smart stay will automatically detect your face when you’re reading something and stop the display timing out. This might be useful for reading, if you’re a slow reader, or if you’re examining something in detail. Head into settings > advanced features > smart stay.

Take a screen shot: There’s a number of methods for taking a screen shot. Press and hold standby and the home button at the same time to take a screen shot. Or you can use a palm swipe – head into settings > advanced features > palm swipe to capture. This will let you swipe the display with your hand to capture the screen.

Supercharge your screen shots: If you want more than just what you can see, head into settings > advanced features > smart capture. This will let you do a range of cool things, the best of which is scroll capture to include things that can’t be seen in one screen shot – a great way to capture a full document or webpage for example.

 

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 multi-tasking

Samsung has done more to push multi-tasking than anyone else in the mobile space, so it’s no surprise to find that the Note 7 offers a number of alternative ways to interact.

Multi app view: To view two apps at the same time, long press the recent apps button and the current app (if compatible) will occupy the top half of the screen. You can then select the second app from the apps shown on the bottom of the display. You can change the size of each app by pressing the dot in the centre and dragging it up or down.

Pop-up view: To view your app as a pop-up, drag the app in from the top left-hand corner. The app will shrink down and can then be moved around and placed where you want. To close it, tap the dot at the top – when it expands you have the option to return to fullscreen, close and so on.

Pop an app out of recent apps: A fun way to get the pop-up view is to hit recent apps and press and hold an app. This will pop that app out (if the function is supported), so it floats on whatever else was in the background. This works well with S Pen, because it’s easier to 

S Pen Glance: One great way to look at two things at the same time is using the S Pen Glance function. Tap Air Command > Glance and the current screen will become a thumbnail in the corner, leaving you to look at something else. You can switch between the two by hovering the S Pen over the thumbnail to view it. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 camera and photo tricks

Quick launch: Double tap on the home button to launch the camera. You can do this from the lock screen or any other location in the phone. If it’s not turned on, head to the camera app > settings and toggle on “quick launch”. Alternatively, head into settings > advanced features > quick launch camera.

Quickly flip from rear camera to front: Swipe up or down the screen and you’ll flip from rear camera to front which is much faster than tapping the small button to switch cameras.

Control HDR: In the camera app, hit the HDR toggle button on the left-hand side. This cycles through on-off-auto HDR options, although it’s only available in the Auto mode.

Enable video stabilisation: To stabilise your video on the rear camera, you’ll have to make sure the quality it set to QHD 2560 x 1440 or lower. It doesn’t work on the UHD setting. Head into camera app > settings and you’ll find the stabilisation option.

Wide selfie: To get more into your selfie shot, select the front camera, then swipe in from the left to select the mode. Tap wide selfie and you can take a wider shot by moving the camera when taking a selfie.

To take a selfie using a gesture or the heart rate sensor: In the camera flip over to selfie mode and hit settings > ways to take pictures. Here you’ll find the options for gesture, using the heart rate sensor, or tapping the screen to take a picture.

Use voice to take pictures: Voice works on both the front and back camera. From the camera head into settings > voice control and turn the option on to use voice capture.

To take a long exposure photo: In the camera app, swipe in from the left to select the Pro mode. On the right-hand side you’ll see the option to change the length of the exposure (it looks like a camera shutter). Use the slider or the arrows to select the length of time you want – you might want to use the S Pen to make it easier. The exposure compensation meter just above it will indicate whether you’re going to over or under expose.

Download extra camera features: Swipe in from the left to open the mode and hit download in the top right-hand corner. This will offer you other camera features that you can add to the selection.

Reorder the camera modes: If there are some features you would rather see higher up the list, in the modes screen, hit the menu, then Edit. Then press and hold an icon to move it.

Add a camera mode as a home screen shortcut: If there’s a mode in the camera you love – like Pro – you can have a shortcut to that mode on your home screen for instant access. From the camera, enter the mode selector, hit menu > add shortcut to home screen and then pick the mode you want.

Save pictures to microSD: If you inserted a microSD card you can save your photos to it. From the camera app, head into menu in the top corner, scroll down to storage location. 

Change gallery view: If you’re looking at your photos and you want more or less on display, you can pinch zoom, to change the thumbnail view. 

 

 

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 managing calling, data and networks

Smart network switching: If you want to let your phone switch to mobile data when a Wi-Fi network is poor, enter settings > connections > Wi-Fi > advanced > Smart network switch to enable or disable.

Set a data limit: If you don’t want to exceed your contract data, head into settings > connections > data usage and you have the option to set the data limit and the date your contract renews.

Disable background data for apps: In settings > connections > data usage > background data you can select which apps are allowed to access data in the background. This is designed to save your contract data, but gives per-app control, so is really useful. It also has the advantage of saving battery life.

View your Wi-Fi data usage: In settings > connections > data usage hit the menu button top right and select to show Wi-Fi usage. This creates a new tab so you can see how much data you’re using both over the cellular network and through Wi-Fi. 

Restrict Wi-Fi hotspots: Phone always jumping on Wi-Fi networks you don’t want it to? Head into settings > connections data usage > menu > restrict networks and you’ll get a full list of recognised Wi-Fi networks. Here you can limit those annoying hotspots so you don’t connect when you’re walking down the street.

Enable download booster: If you’re looking for download booster to use Wi-Fi and mobile networks simultaneously for big downloads, head into settings > connections > more connection settings and you’ll find the option. 

Identify incoming calls: If you want the phone to identify who is calling you, head into settings > advanced features and turn on identify unsaved numbers. You’ll then be shown any information that can be found on incoming callers. There’s also the option to share your information, so you can be identified. We opted out of that.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 storage tips

The Note 7 offers 32GB of internal storage, with a tray that accepts both the SIM and microSD, making it easy to expand your storage. Samsung doesn’t support Android Marshmallow’s adoptable storage feature.

Explore what’s on your device or SD storage: The easiest way to view the content of your internal storage or SD card is to open the My Files. Here you’ll find my device, microSD, different categories as well as Google Drive (if you sign-in). You’ll see folders and files for each storage type and you’re free to explore.

Move an app to SD card: If you want to move apps to the microSD card to make more space on your internal storage, head into settings > applications and tap on an app. Within the app’s details you’ll find a storage section. Tap this, then “change” and you’ll be able to select the SD card. The phone will then move the app to external storage.

Auto restart to keep things fast: If you’re a power user and want to restart your device to flush out the caches, you can do it automatically. Head into settings > cloud and accounts > backup and reset > auto restart. Here you can set the day of the week and the time you want your phone to restart itself.

Clean your storage up: To clean up your storage, head into settings > device maintenance and tap on storage. Here you’ll find an option to clean the contents and remove files you don’t need.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 battery tips

Battery life is the Achilles heel of modern smartphones. The Note 7 has a large 3500mAh battery, but there’s still a lot you’ll want to do to make sure you’re not wasting it. The Note 7 has a new device maintenance area to take care of the hardware, as well as a new power saving feature. Here are some top battery tips.

View what’s eating battery: Head into settings > device maintenance > battery and tap battery usage. This will show you the predicted battery usage based on your 7-day averages. This is a fairly standard Android feature and shows you both hardware and apps that are eating battery.

Kill battery-hungry apps: Head into settings > device maintenance > battery and at the bottom of the page you’ll see the apps that have been chewing through the battery. You might find some apps are using background power when they don’t need to be, and here you can put them to sleep.

Engage power saving mode: Power saving on the Note 7 is all new. Hit the button in the quick settings to select medium or max power saving. Or, head into settings > device maintenance > battery and you’ll find the settings for those power saving modes.

Customise power saving: You can customise how power saving works. Head into settings > device maintenance > battery and tap the level of power saving you want. A pop-up shows you what it will do – brightness, screen resolution, hardware throttling, background data – with the option to customise and change those four areas. You can set the max brightness to your preference, or deselect anything you don’t want. For example, you might want background data to stay on, which you can do.

Turn off Wi-Fi during sleep: Head into settings > connections > Wi-Fi and you’ll find the option to turn off Wi-Fi when the phone is sleeping.

Enable fast charging: Head into settings > device maintenance > battery hit the menu and tap advanced settings > fast cable charging. If this is not turned on, the phone won’t use fast charging.

Use Android Doze: Android Doze is a low power state that lets apps sleep when your device isn’t being used. It saves a lot of battery in quiet times, for example over night when you don’t have a charger. It’s part of Android Marshmallow and is automatic – so you don’t have to do anything – it just works.

Time till fully charged: Charge time is displayed when connected to a charger. Look at the bottom of the lockscreen and in the battery status screen. If you’re fast charging, it will say so, and the estimated time left.

Android 6.0 general tips and tricks

Enable developer settings: To turn on the developer settings, head into settings > general management > software info. Tap on the Build number. After a number of taps, you’ll unlock the developer options.

Play Flappy Android: Marshmallow’s Easter Egg is an Android take on Flappy Bird, as it was in Lollipop. Head into settings > general management > software info. Then tap the Android version repeatedly until it changes to the Marshmallow screen. Once you have the full Marshmallow wording visible, press and hold. You’ll flip into the Flappy Android game. Enjoy! 

NASA will answer your questions about its journey to Mars

NASA has a ton of Mars-related projects that it hopes would culminate in sending humans to the red planet within the next 25 years. There’s the stationary InSight lander that it plans to launch in 2018 and the next-gen rover that will succeed Curiosity scheduled for 2020. Since it can all be a bit overwhelming, the space agency will entertain your questions about its Martian dreams on Facebook and Twitter today (August 18th), starting at 9:30AM Eastern time. You simply have to add hashtag #askNASA to your posts.

You can watch a panel of the agency’s directors, administrators and astronauts answer your questions during a live broadcast aired on NASA TV and Periscope. But if you can’t stay glued to a livestream, you can also catch snippets of the event via Snapchat and Instagram Stories. Besides the social media Q&A, the agency will also show off various projects housed at its Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Facebook Live, starting at 1:30PM.

NASA will then end the event by test firing an RS-25 engine for seven-and-a-half minutes. To watch that part, just fire up NASA TV again when the clock strikes 6PM. The agency will showcase an RS-25 in action because the engine was designed to power the Space Launch System — NASA’s biggest and most powerful rocket yet that will carry its Orion capsule to the red planet and other deep space destinations.

Source: NASA

Apple Pay Comes to Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank, and ‘B’ Customers in the U.K.

Apple has added Apple Pay support for customers of Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank in the United Kingdom.

Apple’s official list of participating banks in Europe has yet to updated, but the two banks independently confirmed news of the added support via Twitter and on their websites.

The support also covers the two banks’ new co-operative digital banking service, called simply “B”, which offers customers a current account, a savings account, and a mobile app featuring budgeting tools that enable customers to set saving goals as well as tag and categorize purchases.

You asked, we delivered! Introducing #ApplePay. Payments are now only a fingertip away https://t.co/dQo1sPZKrD pic.twitter.com/IClYVkZfW5

— Clydesdale Bank (@clydesdalebank) August 16, 2016

“Making Apple Pay available to our customers across Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank and B is the latest initiative in our omni-channel strategy across the business, which is centred on using digitisation to deliver better, sustainable services for customers and an enhanced customer experience,” said Helen Page, chief marketing officer at CYBG, the independent banking group that owns the three brands.

The British banks join 18 others supporting Apple’s mobile payment feature in the country, making the U.K. the second region behind the U.S. with the widest support for the service, ahead of China in third.

(Thanks, Leon!)

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: United Kingdom
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