LG makes an ‘aggressive’ investment in robots
LG has certainly dabbled in robotics, but it’s now ready to commit to autonomy for the long haul. The Korean tech giant says it’s “aggressively investing” in robots, with its appliances group leading the way. There’s no timetable just yet. However, the company already says that it plans to make devices that work in tandem with home appliances like air conditioners and washing machines. It’s also considering blending technology, such as AI and self-driving cars.
Yes, the plans are vague. However, they also hint at a big change in how LG and other general electronics companies approach robotics. For the most part, they still treat robots as either experiments or as limited-use products like vacuums. LG’s shift in strategy is a sign that the technology is relatively close to hitting the mainstream. It may take years for that transition to happen, but there’s a real chance that robots could be mainstays in many homes before long.
Source: Reuters
NASA’s sun-loving spacecraft catches a double eclipse on cam
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory sees a lot of interesting sights in its geosynchronous orbit, including intense solar flares and other celestial bodies crossing the sun’s surface. On September 1st, for instance, it filmed both the Earth and moon blocking its view of the sun at the same time. In the video below the fold, you can see the Earth moving in front of SDO’s camera and then past it just in time to catch a glimpse of the moon’s transit.
You’ll notice that the Earth’s edges look hazy, while the moon’s look clear and crisp. That distortion is caused by our planet’s atmosphere — something the moon doesn’t have — that absorbs light from the sun. By the way, it’s not just SDO that saw this double eclipse. It was also visible here on Earth, particularly in parts of central and southern Africa, where people saw it as a “ring of fire.”
Source: NASA
Fox Sports Go is streaming on Chromecast and Roku too
Just in case you need another way to watch college football, Fox Sports Go has launched apps on a few more platforms. There’s now an app available for Roku, as well as the ability to stream on Chromecast (at least on Android and from the web, I didn’t see an option to do it from iOS yet). Neither platform mentioned support for the 60fps or Multiview Display support that’s in its just-released app for the new Apple TV, but if all you want to do is stream a game quickly, they should get the job done.
Source: Fox Sports Go
Mobile Nations Weekly: Recalls, launches, and invites
A week of tech in Berlin, Apple sets the date for the iPhone 7 reveal, and Samsung’s Note is maybe a little too hot.
The last time a smartphone company was hit with news this damaging about a retail product was Apple’s iPhone 4 “Antennagate”, and at least that didn’t include literally exploding phones. That’s the position that Samsung is in with the Galaxy Note 7, which has been recalled globally after several reports of fires and explosions traced back to faulty battery cells.
The Note 7 recall marred an otherwise successful IFA show for Samsung, which saw the launch of the new and bigger Gear S3 smartwatch, along with ASUS getting into the round Android Wear game with the ZenWatch 3. Sony also brought their a-game with the new flagship Sony XZ and Huawei impressed with the new Nova mid-range line.
But the real star of IFA was the category-bridging Lenovo Yoga Book, a convertible Android or Windows 10 laptop that sports a full touch panel base instead of a keyboard and trackpad. It’s crazy in all the right ways, and awesome enough that it made both the Android Central Best of IFA 2016 and Windows Central Best of IFA 2016 lists.
Acer also came to impress, busting out the ludicrously thin Swift 7 ultrabook and the ludicrously powerful (and enormous) Predator 21X gaming ‘laptop’.
And while IFA might have marked the prior week, it’s Apple that’s going to define the next. An Apple event on Wednesday will see the revealing of the iPhone 7, Apple Watch 2, and more from Cupertino — timing that makes Samsung’s recall even more of a publicity predicament.
Android Central — The hot Note 7 news
This week saw small reports of Galaxy Note 7 battery faults quickly turn into a worldwide recall of every Note 7 made around the world. The short version is this: there’s an issue with some battery cells in some Note 7s, causing fires or explosions; that means if you have a Note 7, you need to return it as soon as possible for a refund or replacement.
Meanwhile, the IFA show happening in Berlin this week gave us a look at wearables, phones, tablets and Chromebooks to get excited about. Samsung unveiled its new Gear S3 models, ASUS rolled out a round ZenWatch 3, Sony dropped its latest flagship phone, Huawei brought two mid-rangers and Acer has a new Chromebook R13. That’s just a taste, though — check out all of our IFA stories right here.
- Huawei MediaPad M3 review
- Lenovo’s Yoga Book aims to be the tablet-laptop convertible the Pixel C never was
- Moto Z Play Droid review
- The end of Nexus: New Google phones to forge different path
- Deciphering those ‘rugged’ phone ratings
- What you need to know about DT Ignite
- LG V20: What we know so far about the first Nougat phone
- Honor 8 review: A new competitor in the U.S.
CrackBerry — DBETA50
This week for BlackBerry was all about the further roll out of the DTEK50 and new partnership announcements. To kick things off, BlackBerry posted up their latest Android app updates as well as the first beta for DTEK50 owners. On the partnership side, BlackBerry has teamed up with 3 Hong Kong to roll out the carriers new multi-number SIM system using BlackBerry technology plus, BlackBerry announced they, along with Samsung, have now supplied the first ‘spy-proof’ tablets to the German government.
- BlackBerry rolls out their first DTEK50 Android beta through Beta Zone
- BlackBerry technology enables 3 Hong Kong to offer 10 mobile numbers on one SIM
- BlackBerry and Samsung supply the first spy-proof tablets to the German government
iMore — Se7en
It’s official. Apple has sent out invitations for its annual September event, and that means we should be seeing iPhone 7, Apple Watch 2, new bands, and the final versions of iOS 10, watchOS3, and tvOS 10. iMore will be there LIVE so make sure you follow along for all the action!
- Apple iPhone 7 event preview
- iPhone 7 rumor roundup
- Apple Watch 2 rumor roundup
- Here’s what you’ll be able to do with Siri + apps in iOS 10!
- This is the best smart thermostat you can buy
- The future of HomeKit is now!
VR Heads — PlayStation VR is coming!!!
We are now weeks away from Sony launching PlayStation VR, a crazy new experience that is not only cheaper than the big PC competition, but also offering a stellar games lineup. The best news? We’re giving one away! Educate yourself on this crazy new headset, and join our giveaway!
- Eight things you need to know about PlayStation VR before the October launch!
- I tried PlayStation VR and bought a PS4 the nest day
- Enter to win a complete PlayStation VR kit
Windows Central — Flipping out for Yoga
IFA in Berlin, Germany kicked off early this week with plenty of announcements from PC manufacturers. None stole our attention, however, like the super creative Lenovo Yoga Book, which is expected later in October. You can see the rest of our IFA coverage in our ‘best of’ roundup.
Although IFA was this week’s top-billed event a lot of other news happened as well. Microsoft released Windows 10 build 14915 to Fast Ring as they continue to build up the new Redstone 2 branch. The Surface Pro 4 and Book received new firmware. We also detailed a new ‘night mode’ and People Bar coming to Windows 10 next year.
Other bits and bobs include Instagram for Windows 10 Mobile finally gets the Stories feature. Pandora on Xbox One can now play music in the background.
Finally, we kicked off our new live show on Fridays dubbed Microsoft, Minecraft, and Libations, which also has some giveaways.
- Review: Schneider Electric brings its Wiser Air smart thermostat app to Windows 10
- Dell XPS 15 (9550) review – The best 15-inch Windows laptop
- Control your smart home automation with Home Remote for Xbox One
- All devs can now submit apps to the Xbox One
Razer gaming keyboard aims to be the best of both worlds
Gaming keyboards tend to be an either/or proposition. Either you get the fast action and feedback of mechanical switches, or you ‘settle’ for the relative comfort of membrane rubber domes. Razer doesn’t think you should have to choose. It’s introducing the Ornata, a keyboard series whose “Mecha-Membrane” hybrid promises both the soft feel of a membrane with the “crisp, tactile” input of mechanical switches. It’s too soon to say how well it works in practice (you’d likely want to spend days with an Ornata to know it inside-out), but it’s also rare to see keyboard makers experimenting this way — it might be worth a look if you’re uncomfortable with pure mechanical keys.
You can snag the Ornata through Razer’s online store right now in either an $80 standard version with all-green lighting, or a $100 Ornata Chroma with 16.8 million colors. Either will get you customizable lighting effects and macro-ready programmable keys. That’s not cheap by any stretch, but Razer is clearly betting that you won’t feel a twinge of buyer’s remorse.
Source: Razer (1), (2)
SpaceX asked to pay $50 million after losing a satellite
SpaceX may have to deal with more than equipment losses and Mark Zuckerberg’s disappointment in the wake of its launchpad explosion. Spacecom, which owned the AMOS-6 satellite destroyed in the incident (and part of Facebook’s free internet plans), is asking SpaceX for either $50 million or a free flight as compensation. The loss will have a large impact on Spacecom’s bottom line, as you might imagine. The Israeli firm is estimating that it’ll lose between $30 million to $123 million in equity.
The team at SpaceX has yet to comment on Spacecom’s request. We’ve reached out to see if it has a response. However, it won’t take a grievous blow if it agrees to Spacecom’s terms. As SpaceX explained when beginning its investigation of the explosion, there are about 70 missions on its manifest with a total value of $10 billion. The rocket and launchpad costs would be greater. Instead, the greater loss could be symbolic. Customers may well be worried that their payloads might face a similar fate, and they’ll want reassurances that this was just a freak occurrence.
Source: Reuters
Syllable D700 Wireless earbuds: Amazing quality and sound for just $14 (review)
It’s amazing what kind of wireless headphones you can buy for $13.99.
Mobile accessories are much more accessible to everyone as long as you do your research. At $13.99, it has to make you wonder how much electronics actually cost to make. That’s cheaper than a pound of a quality cut of beef which can be consumed in less than an hour by one hungry person.
We’re bombarded with advertisements from companies like Bose and Beats by Dre, so much so that those two brands are exclusively known as the premium audio providers to people who don’t know audio. You’ve seen NFL athletes forced to wear Bose headphones and you see NBA superstars who wear Beats by Dre like it’s a dress code requirement. While Bose and Beats by Dre arguably make quality headphones, there’s a high premium consumers pay for all of that advertising.
That’s where we come in. We aren’t here to push what’s popular, we are here to help inform you of products that you probably never heard of that can save you money. I’ve been using the Syllable D700 wireless earbuds for the past few weeks and can confirm there is no point in paying for the brand name marketing any longer.
Build
The Syllable D700 earbuds are Bluetooth enabled meaning you do not need to connect them to a 3.5mm audio jack which is now missing in some of the latest flagships like the Moto Z and possibly the next iPhone. There is one wire that connects to two earbuds, with an inline remote that houses the battery and mic.
The earbuds themselves are small and can fit in almost all ears, with swappable silicone ear tips, so you can create the perfect fit for blocking out background noise. The ear hooks are flexible plastic that hook onto your ears to keep them in place no matter which activity you decide to perform while wearing the Syllable D700s.
The quality of the D700s is nothing but impressive especially when you factor in the discounted price I paid for these at $13.99. I’ve used dozens of wireless headphones in the past and there are major improvements budget earbuds with each release. The fit and form factor of wireless headphones continue to get better and better, and the D700s are no exception. The ear hooks, in combination with the adjustable slider on the earbuds make these easy to get the perfect fit. Some wireless earbuds put all of the components into ear earpiece which makes for large canisters that can be uncomfortable for those with smaller ears.
The headphones I am reviewing are all black, but they also come in blue and yellow if you prefer more color.
Usage – Audio
After taking five minutes to get the correct fit and pair to my Android smartphone, the first thing I always test is the loudness capability. Wireless headphones like the D700s are meant to be worn in noisy environments like a gym or outdoors. Loudness and sound isolation are key factors when considering any wireless headphones, and these D700s get loud. So loud that there are three extra clicks I have in reserve to notch up the volume when I need it. But I try to avoid turning it up that loud as it starts to pierce my ears.
I have yet to find a set of wireless earbuds, even those that cost upwards of $300-400 that can perfectly match their wired counterparts in terms of sound quality. If you’re looking to hear every nuance with a HiFi song from your own personal WAV collection or TIDAL subscription, you won’t find that with the D700s.
However when it comes to sound quality for wireless earbuds, these D700s are almost as good as anything I’ve heard without a 3.5mm audio cable. That’s what impresses me the most, these cost a fraction of what I’ve paid for other wireless headphones, like the Gear IconX from Samsung which cost $200, and I get the same audio quality if not better from these D700s. Some of you think, ” you get what you pay for” and that’s absolutely true. With the Gear IconX you pay for true wireless earbuds that can track your heartbeat, and you also pay for one expensive marketing team. The D700s you get pure quality and sound without all of those advertising overhead fees.
The sound of the D700s is bright. The highs are front and center with above average bass, and neutral mids. This type of sound signature is perfect for the gym or working out. These D700s are really quite fun to listen to and help me tune out all of the noise and distractions in the gym.
Microphone
As with most wireless headphones, the D700s have an integrated mic with noise blocking technology. I always test out microphone capabilities by talking to my mom on the phone, because if someone is going to have a hard time hearing me, it is always her. My standard test is an hour phone call while walking my dog outside with background noise coming from cars and people passing by in the background. My mom would occasionally tell me she couldn’t hear me, but nonetheless we still made it through the entire call.
Battery
The advertised battery life of the D700s is 4-5 hours of talk and playback time. Over several weeks of testing, I frequently got 5-6 hours. I attribute the extra time due to not turning these up to the maximum volume. I need wireless headphones to last a minimum of three hours a day, 1.5 hours for my workout and up to 1.5 hours for when I am walking my dog in the morning and evening. There’s also enough battery life to get from one end of the country to the other on a cross country flight without needing to recharge.
The D700s aren’t the longest lasting wireless headphones I’ve used before, but they are definitely above average. To fully recharge from near dead take just over an hour and a half.
Summary
The Syllable Wireless earbuds are on sale now for $13.99 at Amazon with discount code VPDGAWOH. They’re normally priced at $19.99 which I still consider a bargain for these all around solid wireless earbuds.
Wireless, water resistant, excellent build quality, solid battery life and exciting sound reproduction for a bargain price of $13.99 blows my mind. You really should consider these Syllable D700s, especially if you’re tired of paying for big brand names.
Check out the Syllable D700s at Amazon and use discount code VPDGAWOH to purchase them for $13.99.
The Public Access Weekly: Spiders in space
Next week is going to be a big, big deal with an Apple event and a Sony event on Sept.7th which is going to make for a pretty brutal four-day work week around here. While we’re busy prepping for that, don’t miss all the #IFA2016 action from our editors on the ground.
This week, meanwhile, has been huge for Public Access. HUGE. Not only was August our very best month ever, with over 200 articles posted, but a Public Access story hit the front page of Reddit yesterday which… Yeah, is kind of a big deal.
There’s nothing I love more than seeing your stories published, shared, and commented on; watching a Public Access writer get some love from ye ol’ internets makes me so proud of all the work y’all do to make this page what it is. Everyone take Monday off to celebrate!
And now, onto stats for the month of August — our biggest month yet!
- 210 posts went live on Public Access in August. Two. Hundred. Ten! That surpasses July’s post count of 174 and slays June’s 125 posts. It also makes the third month in a row that Public Access has beaten its own numbers which is truly awesome.
- 82 total Public Access members wrote and published stories, including 35 new members. Welcome new members!
- The Public Access member with the most posts published in August is a tie between Dianna Labrien (for the fourth month in a row!) and Ryan Kh who each posted 11 articles. They’re followed closely by Jimmy Rohampton with 9 posts, and Kevin Nouse and Pritom Das who are tied for third with 8 posts each.
The top 10 most read Public Access posts for August (not counting the Public Access Weekly posts) were:
Ticwatch 2 vs Apple Watch by Jerry Li
The Dark Web Comes to “Normal” People by Dianna Labrien
Is Dubai trying to make the next Silicon Valley? by Pritom Das
5 Ways Tech Can Give Us Superpowers by Cormac Reynolds
The Art of Avoiding Identity Theft and Scams At The Olympics by Dave Cox
Ticwatch 2: The New Gold Standard by Jerry Li
How Do Non-Pokemon Go Players Avoid the Mania? by Solomon Wiesen
Taping Over Your Laptop Camera – Paranoia or a Smart Move? by Michael Harris
TZUUM Joins Pokemon Go as the Next Augmented Reality App! by Pritom Das
3 Cooking Technologies That Will Change the Way You Cook by Hey I’m Joe, also known as the Sous Vide Wizard
Looking for something to read? Check out:
Samsung initiated a pretty significant recall of Galaxy Note 7 handsets after 35 reported cases of battery explosions. Although only a small number overall, the company is still taking the matter very seriously. Read on to find details on how to exchange your handset, and which retailers are offering full refunds.
Our own Chris Velasco got some hands-on time with Android 7.0 Nougat and found it sugary, chewy and satisfying. Wait. That’s not right…. He reported it was useful, elegant and fast enough to earn a score of 92. Android users are eagerly rubbing their hands together awaiting this one.
Are you looking to dive into a wormhole of details about Apple, taxes, and EU law? Then you are really going to enjoy this article about the tax deal Apple reportedly made with Ireland that has the EU calling foul — and calling for the company to repay the $14.5 billion tax break. Don’t miss the conversation happening below the story where commenters are weighing in with additional details.
Looking for something to write about? Mull over:
Apple’s next major event is happening Wednesday, September 7th with the rumor mill speculating about a disappearing headphone jack and camera upgrades. What do you think Apple will announce/release next week? The expected iPhone 7 sans headphone jack? A secret deal to develop a car with Tesla? Alien lifeforms? VR? Place your bets and share your conspiracy theories!
Our first look at the Asus Zenwatch 3 had commenters up in arms immediately debating the merits of having a round smartwatch vs a square one. Which shape of smartwatch makes the most sense? Which do you prefer and why? And would the shape of a smartwatch prevent you from buying it?
Along with a big event, Apple will be rolling out some new app policies starting September 7th – the company has stated it will start removing apps that crash on launch and contacting developers whose apps do not meet guidelines. With millions of apps available, this spring cleaning sounds like a good idea. In order to help them out, we’re asking you: What is the worst app you’ve ever used? Tell us why you downloaded it, what made it such a crappy experience and what (if anything) you found to take its place.
The best games for your Samsung Gear VR
Games you shouldn’t miss on Samsung Gear VR.
There are tons of great games and experiences available on Samsung Gear VR. Finding a great game within the Oculus store can be a pain though, and that’s why we’re here for you. We’ve collected the best of the best, and given you the details on each one. This means you won’t have to go hunting for a great game, because you’ll already have the details.
Read More on VR Heads!
From the (Berlin) Editor’s Desk: Samsung’s hot news at IFA
Sometimes the biggest news from a show doesn’t come from the show at all.
This past week myself and Alex Dobie represented AC over at the IFA show in Berlin, joined by Derek Kessler and Mark Guim from Windows Central. Oh, and that Phil guy. He was here. It was my first time in Berlin, and the city is unlike any other I’ve visited — I definitely want to come back.
So often when we attend trade shows the real benefit for us personally and you, the readers, isn’t even the actual news from the show. It’s what happens surrounding the show, wandering through the halls and spending time after hours with colleagues. It’s also the news that happens to land elsewhere, and how we cover it when we’re all sitting here together away from home. This year it was the amazingly quick progression of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 recall.
The news cycle can be funny, I think we all know. Samsung unveiled its latest wearables, the Gear S3 Frontier and Classic, just a couple of days earlier to a rather positive reception. I got to look at them for a while and am actually really impressed with them — even though I’m worried they’re just too darn big for some people. But that was quickly buried by the international story of Samsung instead recalling just about all of the Note 7s it has made and sold.
Often the most valuable part of a show is just being together, no matter where the news hits
Though things seemed a little slow from our perspective inside the tech news echo chamber, the reality is that Samsung reacted incredibly fast on this matter. Moreover, it took on the blame — rather than calling out a supplier or downplaying things, it simply said that for the best safety of everyone it was going to recall every phone and issue replacements. U.S. carriers didn’t all react so swiftly or smoothly, but most got the point: chances are you’re going to get a replacement phone, different phone with a difference in price or a full refund. That’s the right way to handle things.
No matter how a recall is handled it’s always going to be a black mark on a company’s reputation. How it handles things can go a long way to helping mitigate the loss of reputation, and generally I think Samsung did well here. Most Note 7 owners seem to be happy with their purchases and are likely to just get a straight-up swap for a fresh unit. How will consumers react the next time they go to the store to buy a high-end Samsung phone? We’ll find out.
Now, how about what actually happened at IFA?
- We were all pretty caught off guard by the ASUS ZenWatch 3. It came out without any leaks, and looks to easily be the best ZenWatch yet. It’s also rather inexpensive, but still looks and feels nice. That represents a big chunk of the smartwatch market.
- Sony is back, kinda, with the Xperia XZ and Xperia X Compact. Both phones are solid complete packages; they’re just missing a few things — namely fingerprint sensors in the U.S. I’m worried about pricing, and how much phone buyers in the U.S. have just moved on from even considering Sony.
- The Moto Z Play looks like a fantastic value, and maybe even a better choice for many than the Moto Z proper — I can’t quite say the same about the Hasselblad camera Mod.
- Then there was the Lenovo Yoga Book. I had seen and used it before it was released and was super intrigued — color me even more so now that it’s going to be on sale for just $499. I’m setting myself up for disappointment, I know, but I just have to use the Yoga Book some more.
- Huawei’s Nova and Nova Plus are somewhat interesting, but not from my U.S.-tinted glasses. They look like good mid-to-high-end phones for Europe and elsewhere, and I’m constantly amazed by Huawei’s hardware design and quality, but they’re going to be a little spendy for what they actually offer.
- Then there’s the MediaPad M3. Meh.
- Acer’s new Chromebook R13 is easily the best it’s ever made, but really only brings it up to what the Dell Chromebook 13 did last year (plus USB-C). It inches us closer to the ideal “solid mid-range Chromebook” the Chrome OS enthusiasts all want. (Right now, that’s the HP Chromebook 13, I guess.)
That’s all for now. A little bit less than a day left in Berlin, then I’m on a long flight back to Seattle. Enjoy the dwindling hours of the weekend, wherever you are. See ya Monday.
AIVAnet 