Facebook will show bigger vertical videos in your News Feed
Facebook’s News Feed for mobile will become much friendlier to vertical videos in the near future, according to Marketing Land. It won’t exactly be optimized for the orientation the way Snapchat is, but it will apparently stop cropping and showing them as tiny squares. The publication says when the update rolls out for Android and iOS, you’ll start seeing vertical videos with a 2:3 aspect ratio (as opposed to 1:1) on your News Feed without having to expand them. “We know that people enjoy more immersive experiences on Facebook, so we’re starting to display a larger portion of each vertical video in News Feed on mobile,” a spokesperson told Marketing Land.
Thanks to the popularity of apps like Snapchat, Periscope and Meerkat, more and more people have learned to embrace the format. Daily Mail North America’s CEO Jon Steinberg once said that the publication’s vertical video ads have nine times more completed views than ones shot in horizontal view. By showing a larger part of vertical videos than before, people too lazy to view them in full screen — and, let’s face it, it’s a hassle navigating away from the News Feed sometimes — are more likely to watch them till the end. Facebook didn’t reveal when the feature will go live, but Mashable said the update’s going out in the coming weeks.
Via: Mashable
Source: Marketing Land
How to get your drone license (and legally make money) – CNET
Aerial photography. Real estate tours. Drone burrito delivery.
Imagine the money you could make (and fun you could have!) if you flew for profit.
Sadly, drone businesses aren’t legal in the United States unless the government makes an exception for you — or unless you get your own drone license under the FAA’s brand-new rules.
Starting Monday, August 29, you can apply for your very own license by passing a multiple-choice test and paying a small fee. No experience necessary!
What, you mean I can’t just sell my drone photos already?
Nope! You could get fined $1,100 (or more) for operating your unmanned aerial system (UAS) for business purposes without FAA approval.
What is a Remote Pilot Certificate?
It’s the official name for the drone license I’ve been talking about. With it, you can legally fly drones with intention of making a profit — either by selling the footage, delivering goods and everything in between. You still have to follow a lot of restrictions when you fly…but more on those in a bit.
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Prosumer camera drones like the popular DJI Phantom start at around $500 — but the sky’s the limit on price.
Joshua Goldman/CNET
What if I’m just flying for fun?
You don’t need the certificate…but you do still need to register your drone if it weighs over half a pound (0.55lb to be precise).
Oh, but if you’re a drone racer — weaving through obstacles with a nifty set of first-person-view glasses on your head — you’ll still need that Remote Pilot Certificate. At least that’s what the FAA tells Forbes.
OK, I want to make money. What do I need to get my license?
- Be at least 16 years old
- Have a valid government-issued picture ID with your name, address and signature
- Make an appointment to take the knowledge test at a test center near you
- Pay $150 to the testing firm
- Study
- Pass the test
- Wait up to 48 hours for your test score to get uploaded
- Apply for your Remote Pilot Certificate (using the code from your successful test as proof)
- Complete a TSA background check
- Print out a temporary Remote Pilot Certificate (while you wait for the real one to be delivered by mail)
- Register your drone (maybe do this first?) and start flying!
OK, that does sound like a lot. Let’s break it down.
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Barn owl vs. DJI drone: Which is the ultimate flyer?
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How do I get an appointment for a Remote Pilot Certificate?
You need to call, email or submit an online request form with one of the two companies supervising the test — not the test center.
CATS (Computer Assisted Testing Service):
- 1-800-947-4228, then press 3 (Monday to Friday, 5:30 a.m. PT to 5 p.m. PT, Saturday to Sunday 7 a.m. PT to 3:30 p.m. PT)
- Online registration and payment (CATS calls you back within 24 hours to schedule)
PSI (formerly LaserGrade):
- 1-800-211-2753, then press 1 twice (Monday to Friday, 5 a.m. PT to 5 p.m. PT, Saturday 5 a.m. PT to 2 p.m. PT)
- examschedule@psionline.com (PSI replies within two business hours)
- Online request form (PSI replies within two business hours)
According to testing centers we called, CATS and PSI handle pretty much everything, including assigning you a test center and accepting your $150 payment.
The DJI Phantom 4 taking flight.
CNET
How long is the waiting list?
In the San Francisco Bay Area, it’s not too bad as of August 26. One testing center told us they were booked for two weeks, another said they had openings later in the week.
Is there a testing center near me?
Probably! There are 686 of them across the United States. Check for yourself in the FAA’s full, official list of test centers (PDF).
You’ll need to call CATS or PSI to get your appointment, though. While the FAA’s website says you can just walk in, testing centers in the San Francisco Bay Area told us we needed to arrange everything with CATS or PSI first.
How hard is the test?
You get two hours to answer 60 multiple-choice questions, and you only need to answer 70 percent of them correctly to pass! (You can totally miss 18 questions and still succeed.)
But these aren’t exactly easy questions. You’ll probably need to study.
Oh yeah? How hard can the questions be?
While monitoring the Cooperstown CTAF you hear an aircraft announce that they are midfield left downwind to RWY 13. Where would the aircraft be relative to the runway? (Refer to FAA-CT-8080-2G, Figure 26, area 2.)
A. The aircraft is East.
B. The aircraft is South.
C. The aircraft is West.
That’s just one of the FAA’s sample questions. Find more here (PDF).
What’s the best way to prepare for the test?
The FAA actually offers a free two-hour training course (register here first) to get you up to speed, plus an 87-page study guide (PDF).
I passed the test! Where do I apply for the actual certificate?
- Register here first (pick Applicant) and fill out your personal information. (You can ignore the Airman Certificate Number and Date of Issuance fields)
- Log into the site using your new username and password
- Apply for the certificate here; pick Pilot from the first dropdown menu, then click on the Remote Pilot certification
If you get lost, here’s a complete set of instructions.
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The Yuneeq Typhoon H drone.
Joshua Goldman/CNET
Now that I’ve got my certificate, I can fly anywhere, anytime, yes?
Not so much — as you’ll see when you study, there are a lot of rules (PDF) about when and where you can fly your drone.
Unless you get a 107 waiver (and you need to apply for those months in advance), you can’t fly:
- At night
- Over people
- Higher than 400 feet (unless you’re within 400 feet of a building; skyscraper climbing is OK)
- Further away than you can see with your naked eye
- At speeds over 100 miles per hour
- From a moving vehicle (or inside a covered stationary vehicle)
- Within five miles of an airport — unless you clear it with air traffic control using an upcoming tool at the FAA’s website.
Also, you need to register your drone (if it weighs between 0.55 and 55 pounds), do pre-flight checks before you fly and report any accidents that hurt people or do $500 worth of damage to property.
What if my drone weighs more than 55 pounds?
You can’t do it with a drone license, or even a 107 waiver. Only a 333 exemption (which are hard to get, can take a long time and generally require a real pilot’s license to fly) can let you pilot something that heavy.
What if my company already has a Section 333 Exemption?
Lucky you! But in many cases, you can’t actually fly a drone for profit under the 333 unless you’re a certified pilot. The Remote Pilot Certificate is another option.
What if I’ve already got a pilot’s license?
If you want your Remote Pilot Certificate, you can actually skip the knowledge test and take the online training course instead. You’ll still need to fill out a form, make an in-person appointment and have completed a flight review within the last two years, so it’s not necessarily any easier.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for existing pilots.
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Toy drones are a cheap ticket to get in the sky
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Could I really start a drone burrito delivery service?
Yes, the FAA says package delivery is OK — but it’d be tough! Particularly given the rule about needing to keep the drone within eyesight, and the one about drones needing to weigh 55 pounds or less. It’d probably be easier to just hand someone their food.
How about a journalist covering breaking news stories?
That could be tough, too. You can’t fly over people without a waiver, and the FAA says those will take months. But if you’re not reporting live, or not directly over people… the FAA says media companies can do it.
What if I have awesome video goggles and a camera on the drone? Do I really need to watch it with my actual eyes?
Someone needs to: either you, or a second person who can act as a visual observer. Them’s the rules!
Which drone should I buy?
If you’ve never flown before, buy a toy drone. Not kidding — you’ll learn the basic motor skills without any risk of hurting people or turning a $1,000+ aerial camera into scrap. Then, pick one of our top-rated prosumer drones that matches your needs and budget.
Is that it?
So far, so good…but there’s still a lot to think about. Maybe you’ll want to insure your drone against damage, and yourself against liability? You’ll definitely want to practice flying and camera skills, and you’ll need to figure out how to convince potential clients that you’re right for the job.
Lastly, know that your Remote Pilot Certificate is only good for two years. You’ll need to pass another knowledge test once that’s done.
Android and chill
Settle in and get comfy. This is how we’re gonna do Saturdays — talking about stuff.
Hey there!
I’m Jerry. I’m a former Electrical Engineer who ended up writing software (like many an EE) and then ended up with a cushy job that lets me work from home and do cool stuff. I’m also a Linux Professional (I love saying that for some reason) which is a fancy term for a masochist. I’ve been here a while, and the people in charge were wise (read: brave?) enough to tell me I can write words about stuff every Saturday. Mostly Android stuff, but there’s a big world out there. I’m also pretty laid back (or I like to think so) about most things. I started writing for Android Central in 2010, and this is my full-time job. Some may recognize my name here, and I’ve even met some of you in real life, which is a hoot.
Long time readers probably have noticed we’ve made a few changes here. Phil Nickinson, the long-time Editor-in-Chief and an awesome SOB that I truly love, has moved on to things that need more Phil added to them. For real. I only know half of what he’s doing, and already love it. He’s still here at Mobile Nations, and we’ll rope him into writing a few words or saying a few things here and there, but now this is our gig. And that’s cool, we got this Phil.
“We” means Dan Bader, the man who has to steer this boat and an all around Rock Star, Alex Dobie (Executive editor for the EU, licensed to thrill and dapperAF), Andrew Martonik (Executive editor for the U.S. and the best damn proofreader in the universe) and me. I’m in charge of touching things until they break, trying to figure stuff out, and talking about Android as a platform instead of just talking about the phones that use it. We’re supported by awesome people, too. All of our writers and contributors work hard to put out quality material, and they make the place better just by being here. It’s turning out to be a great mix of people, and I think we have one of the best teams out there when it comes to Android websites. We’re all doing what we’re good at, and what we enjoy. I love this job. Being surrounded by stuff that needs a battery and people with the same love for their work is part of it, but you are part of it, too. Hell, I’m one of you and I don’t want it any other way.
Now that a few details are out of the way, welcome to Saturday time with Jerry. Let’s talk about stuff.
- Android 7.0 finally showed up. It’s a big deal for the platform with fundamental changes to the way Android works on the inside, but also polishes some of the details. I like the direction Google is taking Android, and I like the way they seem more serious about improving the experience for all the people who use it. That’s tough because Android isn’t a stand-alone product, and there are all sorts of partners with different ideas. All of it needs to be unified in some ways while letting it be very different in others. Forget about which phone is best or which company has better ideas for software features for a minute — third-party apps from Google Play and certain core Android features need to be great on all of them. Nougat is a step in that direction.
- Android 7.0 is also just the beginning. There are rumors flying around and we have things we’re bursting to be able to talk about (soon, Alex). If even half of them are true we’ll see Android itself move forward in a different way than we’re used to and Google caring more about its own customers than ever before. Both awesome things that fit well with the tightening of Android itself.
- The best part is you don’t have to worry about any of it if you like what you have now and how it works. Platform updates on Android are for hardcore enthusiasts and developers for the first six months, and by the time you get an update on your phone or are ready to move on to a new one, it will be ready for you. Letting people who want to be guinea pigs and beta testers do it while you keep on doing what you do is never a bad decision.
- Why did I not know about this? Ordered.
- The Note 7 has been around just long enough to gauge some early response from people who buy phones instead of review them. Samsung killed it. Absolutely murdered it. Sure, there are some issues when you dig into the forums where people like to talk about issues, but nothing with a screen has ever been produced that is 100% perfect. Watch all the lag test videos, read all the benchmark scores and discuss them to death, but also know that the Note 7 in your hands is one of the best Android phones you’ll be able to buy in 2016. Yeah, the price is stupid high. But for a lot of folks, it’s going to be worth every penny.
- I love what The Wirecutter is doing here. Using mAh (milliamp hours) to measure how long a battery will last just doesn’t work well with battery packs or power supplies. I’m going to urge the powers that be to make it so across Mobile Nations.
- Are you ready for the LG V20? I am. So are my headphones. A head to head between the HTC 10 (my pick of 2016 so far for audio quality) and the V20 is going to happen as soon as I wrap my filthy mitts around one. If LG’s take on Android 7.0 doesn’t turn me off, it could be my daily. Carrying three phones sucks 50% more than carrying two.
- This is scary. Apple’s response was excellent, but a reminder that world governments have resources we couldn’t imagine and they aren’t afraid to spend them so they can hack a cell phone is always jarring. I hate to think about what the United States is doing. Or England. Or Germany. Hell, it’s all scary.
- Remember, alt-right, PC culture, establishment and a host of other buzzwords are just that: words. Don’t let the media and their agenda (which is making money at any cost) define you or influence you no matter which side of any issue you’re on. Everything sucks. Everything always sucked. And it always will. I’ve seen presidents get caught spying and covering it up, get shot, get impeached over a blowjob and be tricked into going to war. The one thing I’ve learned from it all is that both sides will do anything to distract you, and the media circus flourishes because of it. You be you and do what you think is right.
We’ll talk again next week. In the meantime, remember we’re all in this together and kindness feels good both ways. Adios.
Motorola’s latest wireless earbuds don’t live up to expectations
In June, Motorola unveiled its VerveLife line of “lifestyle” products, with the VerveOnes+ wireless earbuds being the first to go on sale. These are truly wireless, existing as two independent pods that you wedge into your ear holes, with no wires or headband to be found. Needless to say, I was excited at the prospect of ultracompact Bluetooth earbuds — especially after reading about the Bragi Dash, a very similar device. Sure, these headphones will be easy to lose (something the company addresses), but having a semi-smart audio system without tangles that’s easy to stow in your pockets… that seemed like the future. Sadly, while there are some useful features and the sound quality is indeed respectable, the form factor itself still has some lingering issues — most notably, drops in earpiece-to-earpiece syncing. That’s a problem, given the $250 price tag.
The package includes two wireless earbuds and a charging case, which you’ll unfortunately need to keep close at hand most of the time. The Hubble Connect companion app for iOS and Android gives you a place to customize the settings, but the buds will need to be inside the case in order for the app to connect with them. Without the app, you can still control playback, select EQ presets and connect to Google Now or Siri through simple button presses. If you misplace the buds, the app will help locate the last place they were synced, which is helpful, if only a bit.
The orange and black design with matching charging case is attractive, but unlike in the press photos, the bulky buds don’t sit flush and tend to hang a bit awkwardly out of your ear. I suppose someone out there with larger ears than mine could pull these off a bit better, but for me, it’s tough. Sure, the battery and audio drivers add to their size, but the similar Bragi Dash manages a far sleeker design, with more features inside, no less. That’s not to say the VerveOnes+ ever felt like they were going to fall out of my ears, they sit in pretty well, but do feel as big as they look. As a bonus, at least, IP57 waterproofing means they can withstand sweaty workouts and even the occasional dunk in a sink.
There’s definitely a tradeoff of style for functionality, then, but even that doesn’t seem totally worth it. The headphones have deal-breaker levels of audio dropouts between the left and right earbuds (and sometimes the pocketed source-device), which makes listening a bumpy ride. A recent firmware update helped keep the signal solid while I was sitting at my desk, but go outside amongst the Bluetooth-emitting populace and it’s dropout city.
As for audio quality — dropouts aside — they sound pretty good. Motorola, which actually licensed this product from Binatone, hasn’t revealed the frequency range, but they have 6.8mm dynamic drivers providing what’s described as “deep, rich HD sound.” That’s not much to go on unless you’ve given them a listen yourself, but the bass is indeed deep and full, with solid mid-range tones and generally crips highs, especially with high-resolution audio files. These earbuds also support Bluetooth aptX, so if you have a phone or player that supports the format, you can expect “CD-quality” wireless listening.
To tweak the output, you get six pre-set EQ profiles to choose from: Bass, Brilliant, Balance, Rhythm, Live and Moto Sound. I’ve found Balance and Moto Sound to be the best for normal listening. To get a preview of the settings, just press the earbud button on either side for six seconds while music is playing. It’ll cycle through the options. Press once to lock in your EQ when you find one you like.
Other system options include Ear Detect — an IR sensor switches the buds on once inserted into your ear and vice versa. There’s also Voice Answer for taking calls using the onboard dual mics, and Pass-Through, which lets in a tinny version of the outside world. While this definitely helps, it’s not a safe enough (or often legal) solution for cycling and wind noise also becomes a major problem with Pass-Through enabled. All these settings are supposedly accessible through a six-second button press (without music playing), but so far I’ve only heard a prompt for toggling either music or video mode (something not indicated in the manual). Still, these are generally options that you’ll set once, which you can accomplish easily through the app, while the earbuds are stowed in the case.
One of my favorite features is actually using Google Now (since I’m on Android) for verbal inquiries or turn-by-turn directions when walking or biking around. You can trigger access with a long (but not six-second long) press of the left earbud button until you hear the Google “listening” tone as it accesses your phone. Saying “walking (or biking) navigation directions to a [specified location]” usually took me right into spoken prompts indicating where to go. I usually prefer not to plug up both ears with headphones when I’m out and about, so I’ve taken to using just one. Incidentally, that also solves the annoying audio-dropout issue.
Having a single earbud that can serve up music from your phone and provide one-click access to Google Now for searches, random info and especially directions is actually pretty great. Unfortunately, if you have Ear Detect on and happen to drop them into your pocket for five minutes or more, the buds will go to sleep and only the charging case will be able to wake them up. The workaround is to turn off Ear Detect, leaving the earbud on continuously. Your freedom will only last as long as it takes for each 72 mAh battery to run down, which is listed as about three and a half hours per earbud while in use.
The 600 mAh charging case also provides an additional charge, giving you enough juice for a total of more than 12 hours of playback time once you re-up. The 115-hour standby claim also seems valid. I’ve left them in my bag (in the charging case) for four or five days and they usually still had a healthy charge.
When I first tried these headphones, they seemed like an obvious skip. If I had paid good money and the earbuds cut out as much as they had, I’d be clamoring for a refund. I had high hopes that the recent firmware update would improve their ability to stay connected, but that only helped while indoors with few people around. It’s not just the Motorola VerveOnes+, though, that have difficulty with earpiece-to-earpiece and source device connectivity. Erato’s Apollo 7 buds and the Bragi Dash suffer some of the same problems, but the Dash at least has onboard memory, so you can listen to tunes without bringing a phone (and without suffering any dropouts). And again, they also offer a sleeker fit, which is important in a product with this form factor.
I look at these headphones as examples of fledgling technology: still at the mercy of what’s technically possible. If you can afford to experiment, you may get some enjoyment out of these earbuds, but for $250 most will be disappointed. Truly wireless still seems like a great idea, but the connectivity — a key factor here — is still not where it needs to be.
Juno probe makes the closest-ever encounter with Jupiter
If you thought the Juno probe’s first photos of Jupiter were tantalizing, you’re in for a treat. The spacecraft just completed the closest approach it will take during its primary mission around the gas giant, passing a mere 2,600 miles above the surface early on the 26th. It’s the closest any vehicle has been to Jupiter, and NASA researchers already believe that they’ll discover new things about the Jovian world once they process the data (which could take “some time,” NASA warns). And of course, it’s a prime photographic opportunity. You’ll not only get the sharpest-ever photos of Jupiter’s atmosphere when photos arrive late next week, but the first good look at the planet’s poles.
This isn’t the only close-up, as there are 36 in total before the mission winds down in February 2018. As such, you’ll probably learn a lot more about Jupiter in the next few years as scientists make sense of what they’ve found. However, this fly-by could easily be the most important of the bunch. It’s the first opportunity the Juno team has had to use all its scientific gear since entering orbit, and it’s unlikely that a probe will get that close for a long, long time.
Source: NASA
AIVAnet 