BBC iPlayer adds Live Restart to mobile and tablet apps, other huge changes coming soon
The BBC will shortly roll out Live Restart to its BBC iPlayer mobile and tablet applications, bringing them in line with the TV and set-top-box versions.
Live Restart was introduced as a connected TV feature in August last year. It allows you to start a live programme from the beginning if you only join partway through. The Beeb is soon to add it to the iOS and Android apps too, so you can ensure you catch a whole episode of your favourite show, even if you’re late coming to the live feed.
It shows further appreciation by the broadcaster that more and more viewers are watching live TV on iPads, iPhones and Android devices these days.
The new feature follows recently added controls to pause and rewind live TV on mobile, so will give complete control over your viewing habits after the forthcoming update.
BBC
Other changes coming to BBC iPlayer include HD streams becoming the default option for computers and connected TVs that support adaptive bitrates, and visual seeking when scrolling through a programme. This presents a second, Netflix-style picture-in-picture box that gives a preview of the action as you scroll through the time bar on a show.
The latter feature will be launched on the BBC iPlayer website first and then be added to other versions in “the coming year”.
HD streams, the BBC confirmed, will be presented in 720p 50fps.
What headphones does the iPhone 7 come with?
Apple has announced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and one of the big changes is that the 3.5mm headphone socket is gone.
That’s not a huge deal, it just means you’ll have to use the Lightning socket to connect headphones instead.
There has been some confusion as to which headphones you actually get in the box, so let’s clear this up for you.
What headphones do I get in the iPhone 7 box?
The iPhone 7 will come with a pair of Apple EarPods. They are the same as the EarPods (headphones in normal speak) that Apple has used on its previous iPhone, except that the wire has a Lightning connector on the end.
If you buy a new iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, there’s no need to worry: there’s a set of headphones in the box that you can use from day one, you just plug them in and start listening.
What if I want to use my 3.5mm headphones with iPhone 7?
Apple is already a step ahead of you there. If you have a pair of great wired headphones that you love and you don’t want to abandon just because Apple has removed that connection, then there’s an adapter in the box.
Pocket-lint
This small adapter will plug into the Lightning port on your iPhone 7 and then offer you a 3.5mm headphone socket for you to plug your cans into. This means you can keep using those lovely Bose, Sennheiser or B&O headphones you paid a fortune for with no worries.
What about those wireless Apple AirPods?
This is perhaps the source of the headphone confusion with the new iPhone 7. Apple also announced the AirPods, a set of wireless earbuds. They have independent buds, not connected by a wire, like a pair of Bluetooth headsets.
Pocket-lint
Well that’s what the AirPods are: a pair of Bluetooth headsets. Although Apple has brought in a new seamless pairing process, this is just a clever Bluetooth headphones option.
The Apple AirPods do not come in the box. They are an accessory that will cost you £159. The clever thing is that once they are connected to your iPhone, iCloud will sync that connection to your other Apple devices too.
- Apple AirPods preview: Showing us a wire-free listening future
What about Bluetooth on the iPhone 7?
You don’t have to use Apple’s AirPods. The iPhone 7 offers Bluetooth too, so if you want to keep the Lightning port free for charging, there’s nothing to stop you using a regular pair of Bluetooth headphones.
There are plenty of great headphones to choose from too – and if you’ve already got a set of Bluetooth headphones you can use them with the iPhone 7 as normal.
What about other Lightning headphones?
Lightning headphones already exist. These are designed for use with the iPhone and iPad. If you’d rather use something more substantial than Apple’s EarPod offering, there are a few styles already available.
We’ve rounded up a collection of these headphones you might want to choose from, so take a look through.
- Best Lightning headphones 2016: ‘Phones for your iPhones
Final word
Removing the 3.5mm headphone socket from the iPhone 7 isn’t a big deal, and Apple aren’t the first to do it. Motorola has also removed the headphone socket from the Moto Z, although Apple will sell a lot more handsets than Motorola will.
The biggest complication is likely to come about if you want to charge your phone and listen to wired headphones at the same time.
Nest makes finding security camera highlights easier
The great thing about having a camera trained on your home 24 hours a day is that you can see the exact moment something exciting (or terrible like a break in) happens. The worst part is that you have to scan through all that footage to find the instant something occurs. Nest is updating its app to make finding relevant events easier to see. But, it’ll probably cost you.
Today Nest added Sightline to its connected-home companion app. The feature that creates multi-day timelapses of footage and highlights key moments during that so users can quickly find what they’re looking for. The only catch is that for the feature to work over multiple days users must be subscribers of Nest Aware.
That makes sense because it’s meant to help users find instances within days of footage. To help you find that special moment, owners of Nest Cam, Nest Cam Outdoor and DropCam can scrub through their timelines by swiping left and right. Clips where something happens are condensed to single images that automatically enlarge while navigating through the timelapse.
The Sightline feature can also be focused on an Activity Zone. Helpful when you just want to know when someone opens a door or window and not when they walk into a room.
For those without a Nest Aware subscription, Nest if offering a three-hour window version with Sightline. So if you leave the house and know that something insane (or delightful) has happened in the past three hours, you can quickly find it.
Source: Nest
Nest’s smart thermostat now comes in limited edition colors
Nest’s third-generation Learning Thermostat wasn’t exactly a design revolution — surprise, it’s another metal puck with a display — but the company is doing something to jazz things up. It’s introducing limited edition versions of the smart temperature controller that come in black, white and an especially attention-grabbing copper. If you’ve ever thought that the regular steel thermostat was too gauche (or not gauche enough), you now have the option of a model that better matches your decor.
You don’t have to pay a premium over the $249 standard edition to get the style you want. You’ll want to act quickly if you’re planning to spruce up your home’s climate control, though. While the new hues are available in Nest’s online store now and retail stores soon, they’ll only be around for a “limited time” (Nest hasn’t said how long). Oh, and a quick heads-up: if you’ve been looking forward to the Nest Cam Outdoor, you’ll be happy to know that the $199 security cam is available to order today in the US, and October for European customers.
Source: Nest
BBC iPlayer will let you ‘restart’ live shows on your phone
Sometimes you’ll race home and boot up BBC iPlayer, only to find that you’ve missed the start of your favourite show. Fiddlesticks. It’s an important week on The Great British Bake Off. Never mind, at least you can press “restart” on a laptop, PC or smart TV, rewinding the programme in an instant. Now, wouldn’t it be nice if you could do that on a smartphone too? Well, soon you will. The BBC says the feature is coming to its iOS and Android apps “shortly,” complimenting its new pause and rewind buttons.
Another small, but useful change in the works — visual seeking. If you subscribe to Netflix, you’ll be familiar with the ever-changing thumbnails that appear while you’re scrubbing. It’s a helpful tool when you’re trying to find a specific scene — I use it all the time to rewatch pivotal story moments. The same feature will be available on the iPlayer website “very soon,” before rolling out onto the TV and mobile apps later in the year. On the web, you’ll also be able to add a URL modifier “#t=XXmXXs,” like the one found on YouTube, so that the video starts at a specific point.
Source: BBC
Parrot’s latest project is a dev kit to help drones navigate indoors
French drone company Parrot has just announced the Parrot S.L.A.M.dunk, a special development kit meant to aid drones and other robots avoid obstacles while indoors.
The dev kit utilizes an Nvidia Tegra K1 processor with Ubuntu 14.04 with the Robotic Operating System framework on top, with an ultrasound sensor, two fisheye cameras, and a barometer and magnetometer. There are also USB and HDMI connections thrown in for good measure.
These bells and whistle are on board to aid drones in picking up objects that are up to 50 feet away to properly map indoor areas as well as augmenting autonomous navigation. Parrot is a drone creator on its own, so it would make sense to instead include these upgrades with its own products, but it’s meant to aid other platforms in accomplishing the same thing instead.
It’s clear that Parrot isn’t in the business for furthering its own goals, as this kit will absolutely be a boon for professional drone and various robotics products as well.
Via: TechCrunch
What happened at the iPhone event
If you’re still reeling from the loss of the headphone jack and need to catch up with all of today’s Apple news, Engadget’s own Michael Gorman breaks down the new iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2 introduced at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium this morning.
Click here to catch all the latest news from Apple’s “See You” event.
$35 Pokémon Go Plus accessory will go on sale September 16th
Pokémon Go players will have their choice of accessories soon, since the $35 Pokémon Go Plus accessory will be available September 16th “in most countries.” Earlier today the game’s makers reported over 500 million downloads and announced a way to play using the Apple Watch. Now, Niantic says this $35 device will make playing possible “without having to look at your screen all the time.” It links to your phone with Bluetooth Low Energy, letting players collect items from nearby Pokéstops or catch Pokémon with the press of a button.
It’s almost here! Pokémon GO Plus will be available in much of the world on Sept. 16: https://t.co/ZekOacenkl pic.twitter.com/vzeVQH6Ekt
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) September 8, 2016
The companion device was announced nearly a year ago along with the game, however it has been delayed in order to make it work better with the game. The big question is if adding on a $35 device that makes catching monsters (apparently) as easy as just pressing a button when it lights up will ruin the game for both casual and hardcore players. Despite those massive install numbers, the number of active players has clearly dropped since the hype peaked this summer. Now, we wait and see if adding dedicated hardware to the mix will keep players invested or drive them away just as weather in the US gets colder and gyms are harder to get to.
The Niantic Team:
As you pass by a PokéStop, Pokémon GO Plus will vibrate and light up and alert you to the location. You’ll even be able to collect new items just by clicking the Pokémon GO Plus. If there’s nearby Pokémon hiding in your area you’ll be alerted with lights and vibrations; catch the Pokémon with a button on Pokémon GO Plus and then continue on your way (later, you can check your Journal to see which Pokémon you’ve just caught).
Source: Pokémon Go Live, PokémonGo.com
PS4 Pro will take UHD screenshots and broadcast 1080p video
In addition to running games at higher resolution, the PlayStation 4 Pro will also take bigger and more detailed screenshots as well. Hitting the Share button on the controller will grab a 4K-sized image of whatever is on-screen at that moment according to Polygon.
Earlier today, the console’s FAQ page listed 1080p Remote Play and 1080p Share Play (and 5GHz WiFi!). That’s a definite improvement over 720p and 30 FPS on previous hardware, but there are a few caveats here. Polygon reports that Dailymotion and YouTube videos will cap out at 60 FPS. Twitch broadcasts, on the other hand, have a hard stop at 1080p and 30 FPS.
So, just because the Pro can output higher resolution video and frame rates doesn’t mean that your favorite video service of choice is ready for them just yet. At least not without additional hardware like a video capture card. If you’re expecting that to change with Microsoft’s high-end Project Scorpio when it launches late next year, you might want to dial those hopes back a touch too.
Source: Sony, Polygon
‘Star Trek Online’ launches for free on consoles
Star Trek Online arrived on PC in the busy MMORPG scene in February 2010, just as the sun started to set on the genre. But the game followed industry trends to keep its playerbase, relaunching in January 2012 with a free-to-play tier and releasing semi-annual “season” expansions of new content at no cost. Today, it’s landing on PS4 and Xbox One, following other FTP titles in the move to consoles.
Whatever their genre, microtransaction-filled MMOs have been erratically arriving on home game systems for a few years. It took DC Universe Online three years from its launch on PS4 in 2013 to jump over to Xbox One last April, while the MOBA title Smite came to Microsoft’s system in August 2015 and then Sony’s this past May. And they keep coming, with the third-person MOBA Paragon arriving on PS4 last month. Despite Star Trek Online’s troubled development process and hiccups along the way, it’s seeking new life and more players in a well-precedented move to consoles.
Source: Arc Games blog
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