ICYMI: Airbag helmets might save your noggin

Today on In Case You Missed It: Stanford researchers just wrapped up a study of bike helmets that found a clear winner with the caveat that it’s not available in the US yet. Airbag helmets (like these or these) are only sold in Europe but are far superior at keeping test heads safe in an impact.

Meanwhile, the ancient city of Pompeii has been partially recreated with 3D imaging, putting back together a wealthy person’s house, right down to the correct paint color and in some cases, what sort of surfaces these ancient people walked on. Pompeii was destroyed by volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD so this level of detail is pretty astonishing.

The story about the Nike Mag shoes we all want in our hearts (seriously, just admit it) can be found here. Proceeds from the raffle go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research plus if you win, you’d be the coolest person anyone knows for at least a month.

If you’re interested in the US Department of Energy video touring a 3D printed house, that’s here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.

Apple’s Services Teams to Start Working Together to Improve Siri, Maps, iCloud, and iTunes

Apple plans to unify its cloud services teams, including Siri, Apple Maps, iCloud, Apple Pay, Apple News, and parts of iTunes and Apple Music, at its existing Infinite Loop headquarters in Cupertino, California, according to Bloomberg.

Moving the teams into a single campus should streamline growth of Apple services, as the current structure of having teams spread out throughout various office buildings in Cupertino and Sunnyvale contributed to software bugs and slowed product development, the report claims.

The cloud services teams could be on the move again in the near future as Apple completes work on its new Campus 2 headquarters, where well over 13,000 employees are expected to work. Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company will begin moving employees to the new campus in 2017.

The report adds that Apple is also planning to shift its services to a single, Apple-made backend system, codenamed Pie. The infrastructure change will reportedly give Apple “more control” and “may speed up load times.”

Apple has begun moving over parts of Siri, the iTunes Store, and Apple News to the new platform, one of the people said. Apple plans to move other services, including Maps, to its new system over the next few years. Apple has also developed an internal photo storage system dubbed McQueen to gradually end its reliance on Google and Amazon servers, the people said.

In March, it was reported that Apple is working on an in-house cloud storage system called “McQueen” to reduce its dependence on services like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, with today’s report specifying it will be an internal photo storage system.

Apple experienced its first-ever iPhone sales decline earlier this year, but its services category continues to grow. In its most recent quarter, Apple reported nearly $6 billion in revenue tied to services like the App Store, Apple Music, AppleCare, Apple Pay, iCloud, and the iTunes Store, up 19% compared to the year-ago period.

Tags: Siri, Eddy Cue, iTunes, Apple Maps, iCloud, Infinite Loop
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Grab this NFC-enabled charging car dock for just $22.95 today!

Looking for a safe place to charge and store your phone while in the car? If so, check out iBOLT’s mPro car dock. The dock has a built-in Micro-USB cable for charging, as well as NFC for completing simple tasks when the phone is docked. Right now you can grab one for just $22.95!

Note 7: Samsung obtains hazardous materials permit for defective phones, CPSC investigating Southwest plane report

Details emerge of how Samsung will retrieve more than 100,000 potentially dangerous phones. Meanwhile, the U.S. authorities are investigating a reported fire involving a ‘new’ Note 7.

With the Galaxy Note 7 recall progressing, and Samsung resuming sales in the U.S. and South Korea, we’re starting to learn exactly how Samsung will get some of the unsold Note 7s in the U.S. back to its Korean headquarters. Fierce Wireless reports that Samsung has obtained a hazardous materials permit from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, allowing it to ship 137,000 unopened Galaxy Note 7 devices from U.S. retailers back to Korea.

According to the permits that Samsung applied for from the DoT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the company cannot ship the gadgets via airplane, and likely will use specially designed shipping boxes to move the returned Galaxy Note 7 smartphones from retailers like Verizon and Best Buy back to Samsung’s facilities.

The PHMSA says two permits were issued to Samsung on September 7 and 15. The first provided “a quantity-limited, thermally insulated outer package designed to contain fire or smoke,” and the second allowed “un-opened Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone devices from retail locations back to Samsung via truck, rail, and cargo vessel,” adding that transporting the phones via air was not permitted.

As anyone who’s traveled by air since the Note 7 recall began will know, many airlines and aviation authorities continue to ban the use or charging of Note 7s onboard airplanes, even as “safe” models get to consumers through the recall program, and Samsung recommences sales.

Meanwhile the U.S. authorities have begun investigating yesterday’s report of a “safe” Note 7 catching fire during boarding on a Southwest airplane. According to The Verge, the phone was switched off when the incident occurred, which prompted an evacuation of the plane. The outlet later reported that the phone was a post-recall Note 7 bought from AT&T, confirming the telltale black square on the box, and checking the unique IMEI number on Samsung’s website.

Pictures published by The Verge appear to show a pattern of scorch marks similar to those seen in recalled Note 7s.

In an emailed response to Techno Buffallo, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) chairman Elliott F. Kaye said:

CPSC is moving expeditiously to investigate this incident. Thankfully, reports indicate that all of the passengers were able to make it off the plane without harm. Agency staff has already reached out to the FAA and Samsung to gather the facts about the incident. Agency staff will also reach out to the consumer who experienced a serious incident with his phone. I want to reiterate my call for consumers who have the recalled Galaxy Note 7 to keep their smartphones powered down and to immediately take advantage of the remedies being offered by Samsung. Consumers should know that one of the remedies is a refund.

After initially claiming there was “no evidence” that a new Note 7 was responsible for the incident on the Southwest flight, Samsung late last night offered an updated statement:

Until we are able to retrieve the device, we cannot confirm that this incident involves the new Note 7. We are working with the authorities and Southwest now to recover the device and confirm the cause. Once we have examined the device we will have more information to share.

This remains an isolated report in which we don’t yet know all the facts. In recent weeks Samsung has investigated overheating reports from new Note 7s in China, which it has blamed on “external heating” from outside the device. For its part, the manufacturer has strenuously asserted that the new Galaxy Note 7 is safe to use.

But needless to say, the possibility of a verified safety issue with “new” handsets would be catastrophic for Samsung, worsening an already dire situation and likely killing the Note 7 for good.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

• Galaxy Note 7 recall: Everything you need to know
• Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
• The latest Galaxy Note 7 news!
• Here are all four Note 7 colors
• Complete Galaxy Note 7 specs
• Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!

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Firmware flash enables fingerprint on U.S. Xperia XZ + X Compact

Bafflingly, the U.S. models’ biggest feature gap seems to be a software limitation.

For the past year, high-end Sony phones sold in the United States, in the Xperia Z5 and X series, have lacked the fingerprint scanner tech found in their international cousins — a major feature omission for a modern high-end phone. The same applies to the recently launched Xperia XZ and X Compact — fingerprint internationally, no fingerprint in the U.S.

Now it appears that the U.S. models’ fingerprint sensors may merely be disabled in hardware. XperiaBlog has discovered that flashing UK firmware to a U.S. Xperia XZ results in a fully functional fingerprint sensor. The relatively simple flashing process is detailed over on XDA. With the UK firmware flashed, the fingerprint scanner works just like it would on an international Xperia XZ or X Compact.

The revelation only makes the lack of a functional fingerprint sensor in U.S. models appear more strange.

Android Central put the question of the missing fingerprint sensor to senior Sony representatives at the IFA tradeshow in Germany this August, but the company wasn’t able to give a clear answer on why the U.S. models lacked such a key feature.

One possibility is that Sony didn’t want to pay the licensing costs attached to fingerprint technology, and so chose to ship the same hardware as the global version, but disable the feature in software. Another is that some outstanding agreement with the U.S. carriers — back when Sony was selling to Verizon and T-Mobile — may not allow it to. We’ve reached out to Sony U.S. for comment on today’s news, and we’ll update this story with any response.

MORE: Sony Xperia XZ review

Naim’s redesigned Uniti range is sophisticated and sexy

Naim is an audio brand that’s targeted at the high-end audiophiles out there. The products are expensive, but they reward customers with incredible build quality and sound. Naim has just announced its redesigned the Uniti all-in-one systems range, and boy do they look good.

The new range comprises four models, the Uniti Core, Uniti Atom, Uniti Star and Uniti Nova and the eagle-eyed among you will notice certain design similarities with the Mu-so wireless speaker.

• Naim Mu-so review: A sonic sensation
• Naim UnitiQute2 review

The Uniti Core is, as the name suggests, the core of the system and is used to rip and store your CD collection. You can switch out the hard drive for a solid state one if you want with maximum storage set at 8TB, enough for 16,000 albums. The Uniti Core will launch in December for £1650.

The Uniti Atom, Star and Nova are all network streaming players and come with varying levels of Class A/B amplification. The Atom has 40 watts per channel, Uniti Star 70 watts per channel and Uniti Nova 80 watts per channel. Naim has fitted all three players with Burr Brown DACs and digital filter technology taken from its ultra high-end £125,000 Statement amplifier.

You can play music from the players from almost every conceivable way, including streaming from a PC, Mac or NAS drive, Spotify Connect, built-in support for Tidal, Apple AirPlay and Google Cast. The Uniti Nova and Star have optional DAB modules for digital radio but all players have Internet radio built-in. If that wasn’t enough, all players have aptX Bluetooth as well and can playback music from USB devices.

You can send music to up to five different rooms with different songs being played on different Uniti players or the Mu-so and Mu-so Qb.

• Naim Mu-so Qb: An all-round success
• Hands-on: Naim Statement, at £125,000 this is the ‘Bentley of amplifiers’

The Uniti Atom will be the first component to launch in November for £1600, the Uniti Star will be available from February 2017 for £3000 or £3150 with the DAB module and the Uniti Nova will also be launched in February for £3800 or £3995 with the DAB module.

Google Pixel exclusive features laid bare: What your regular Android phone won’t get

Google announced its new devices this week, ditching the Nexus branding and taking things in-house with new the Pixel and Pixel XL. 

Unlike previous Nexus device launches, however, the Pixels aren’t presented as a shining showcase of Android, they’re presented very much as Google’s phones. That means they come with a number of exclusive features, something that didn’t really happen with Nexus devices previously.

The Pixel phones launch on Android 7.1 and that version of Android will be coming to other Nexus devices (and other Android devices sometime in the future), but we now have a list of what you will get and what you won’t get.

These are the Pixel-exclusive software features:

• Pixel Launcher, including wallpaper picker, and home button shortcut
• Google Assistant
• 24/7 customer support
• Pixel Camera, including Smartburst, HDR+
• Smart storage
• Unlimited Google Photos backup
• Dynamic calendar icon
• New setup design 

There are some hardware elements that are only on the Pixel right now, for example supporting that iPhone quick switch adapter cable, and something that’s referred to as a Sensor Hub processor. 

The big exclusive here is Google Assistant. This is Google’s new smart AI service that’s an evolution of Ok Google. It’s in the Allo app in beta, it’s in Google Home and on the Pixel devices.

• What is Google Assistant, how does it work, and when can you use it?

The other stuff we’ll happily leave to the Pixel, but we can’t believe that Google Assistant will be a Pixel exclusive for any length of time: if Google wants it to be adopted, it needs to get people using it. If it’s not appearing on new Android devices in 2017, like the Samsung Galaxy S8, then it’s Google that loses out.

There are some features announced for the Pixel that are coming to all phones getting Android 7.1 however:

• Night light
• Fingerprint scanner swipe function
• Background updates
• Daydream VR mode

The big one in this list is Daydream VR support. If Google didn’t offer that, then no one would be able to take advantage of the new Daydream View hardware. As that launches in November, we’d expect to be seeing software updates for Nexus devices in the not too distant future too.

The big question remains: are those exclusive features enough to convince you to buy a Pixel, or are you tempted to hold fire and see what 2017 brings?

• Best smartphones to look forward to in 2017
• Google Pixel preview: Arise my Pixel apprentice
• Google Pixel XL preview: A new, costly, Google overlord

Polar M200 is an affordable GPS running watch with heart rate tracking

Polar has just announced the M200, the latest in its lineup of smartwatches designed for fitness fanatics. The M200 borrows much of the same technology that can be found in the M400 and M600, but comes in at a more affordable price.

It doesn’t run on Android Wear like the M600, but it still has built-in GPS to accurately track your runs, so you don’t need to take your phone with you. It also comes with Polar’s own heart rate tracking technology, which has been taken from the company’s chest-based trackers and put into a watch to monitor the pulse from your wrist.

• Polar M600 could get Android Wear back on track

A full charge will rewards you with six hours of training time, which not only tracks distance and heart rate, but also steps taken and calories burned. You can wear it at night as well where the M200 will monitor your sleep time and sleep quality.

All the data the M200 collects can be viewed in Polar’s Flow application for iOS and Android and as an online service. The mobile app will offer suggestions to help improve your training while on the web app, you can join events and groups and look at others’ training sessions.

You can also access Polar’s Running Program through the mobile app, which offers personalised and adaptive training plans for free. You can choose from 5K, 10K, half-marathon or marathon distances and the app will give you a customised plan based on your fitness level.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a smartwatch if it didn’t notify you of incoming calls, messages, calendar alerts and social media notifications.

The Polar M200 offers some customisation in the form of changeable straps, with small/medium and medium/large being supplied in Bright Red and Charcoal Black. Mellow Yellow, White, and Fresh Blue are available as optional extras.

• Best sports watches 2016: The best GPS watches to buy today

The Polar M200 is available now in Bright Red and Charcoal Black for $149 or €149, White, Fresh Blue and Mellow Yellow straps will be available for $19.90.

Google Pixel vs Apple iPhone 7: What’s the difference?

Google announced the Pixel and Pixel XL at its October event, replacing the Nexus line-up with a couple of premium and desirable devices running pure Android.

The Pixel is the smaller of the two smartphones and its price tag puts it in iPhone territory. The question is, how does it compare to Apple’s latest model?

Read on for the differences and similarities between the Google Pixel and Apple’s iPhone 7.

Google Pixel vs Apple iPhone 7: Design

• Both premium designs with fingerprint sensors
• iPhone 7 smaller, slimmer, lighter and waterproof 
• Pixel has headphone jack and USB Type-C

The Google Pixel and Apple iPhone 7 look different as you would expect, but both offer solid, premium, well-built designs. The Pixel opts for a combination of aluminium and glass, with a fingerprint sensor on the rear, while the iPhone 7 is all about aluminium and places its fingerprint sensor within the Home button on the front. The iPhone 7 is water and dust resistant to IP67, while the Pixel is only IP53, meaning it cannot be submerged.

• Water and dust IP ratings: What do they actually mean?

The headphone jack is removed on the iPhone 7 in favour of stereo speakers positioned either side of the Lightning port, while the Pixel has down-firing speakers either side of the USB Type-C port, but it keeps the headphone jack intact at the top. There are no physical buttons on the front of Pixel.

The Pixel measures 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6mm and weighs 143g, while the iPhone 7 is smaller, lighter and slimmer, measuring 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1mm and weighing 138g.

Google’s phone comes in Very Silver, Quite Black and Really Blue, though the latter is not coming to the UK. Apple’s phone comes in Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, Black and Jet Black.

Google Pixel vs Apple iPhone 7: Display

• Pixel has larger, crisper display
• iPhone 7 has 3D Touch for more functionality
• Pixel uses AMOLED, iPhone 7 uses LCD

The Google Pixel has a 5-inch display with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution for a pixel density of 441ppi. It is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and it uses AMOLED technology, which should mean rich and vibrant colours. 

The Apple iPhone 7 has a 4.7-inch LCD display with a 1334 x 750 resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 326ppi. Based on the numbers, that would mean the Pixel will offer sharper and crisper images, but the iPhone 7’s display is very good, even if the resolution is slightly lower than its competition.

The iPhone 7 also has 3D Touch, which is Apple’s version of a pressure sensitive display. Users will get access to different features and functions based on the force with which they press.  

Google Pixel vs Apple iPhone 7: Camera

• Both have 12MP rear sensors, but iPhone has wider aperture
• Pixel has higher resolution front camera, but iPhone again has wider aperture
• iPhone 7 has optical image stabilisation

The Google Pixel has a 12.3-megapixel rear camera offering an aperture of f/2.0 and 1.55µm pixels. There is video stabilisation, phase detection autofocus and laser detection autofocus all on board, along with a dual-LED flash.

The Apple iPhone 7 also has a 12-megapixel rear camera with a slightly wider aperture of f/1.8. It has optical image stabilisation and phase detection autofocus, as well as a quad-LED flash.

In terms of the front-facing snappers, the Pixel has an 8-megapixel f/2.4 sensor with 1.4µm pixels, while the iPhone 7 has a 7-megapixel f/2.2 sensor with a Retina Flash.

Google Pixel vs Apple iPhone 7: Hardware

• Both quad-core processors, but Pixel has more RAM support
• Both available in 32GB and 128GB models, but iPhone also comes in 256GB
• Pixel has bigger battery capacity

The Google Pixel and the Apple iPhone 7 both feature a quad-core processor under their hoods. The Pixel opts for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 with 4GB of RAM support, while the iPhone 7 features Apple’s A10 Fusion chip and embedded M10 motion coprocessor and there is 3GB of RAM support.

The Pixel is available in 32GB and 128GB storage options and the iPhone 7 is available in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB options. Neither device offers microSD storage expansion.

In terms of battery, the Pixel has a 2770mAh capacity, while the iPhone 7 is thought to be quite a bit smaller at 1960mAh. 

Google Pixel vs Apple iPhone 7: Software

• Pixel runs vanilla Android
• iPhone 7 runs iOS
• Both have personal assistants

The Google Pixel runs on Android 7.1 Nougat and it features Google Assistant built-in, accessed via a long press of the home button in the new launcher. It’s a pure Android experience so it doesn’t feature software bloatware like a Samsung or Sony for example.

It brings with it all the latest features Google has to offer through Android and for those of you who are Google users and have Google accounts, you should get a seamless experience.

The Apple iPhone 7 runs on iOS 10, which brings with it all the latest features Apple has to offer. In terms of personal assistant, you get Siri, who is accessed via a long press of the physical Home button on the front of the device.

For those of you who have Macs or use other Apple devices, the iPhone 7 will deliver a seamless experience across all your devices.

Google Pixel vs Apple iPhone 7: Price

• Both start at £599

Both the Google Pixel and Apple iPhone 7 start at £599 for the 32GB model. Add another £100 and you’ll be able to get your hands on a 128GB model of either. 

The iPhone 7 is also then offered in a 256GB model, as we mentioned, which costs a further £100 for a price of £799.

Google Pixel vs Apple iPhone 7: Conclusion

The Google Pixel and Apple iPhone 7 are very closely matched in terms of specs and price.

The Pixel trumps the iPhone in terms of display size and resolution, RAM, battery capacity and front-facing camera resolution. The iPhone trumps the Pixel in terms of physical size, waterproofing, display functionality, storage options, and we know it has a fantastic camera, while the Pixel still needs to prove itself.

Ultimately, the decision between these two devices will come down to which design you prefer and which platform you prefer. Both are solid in their builds and likely to be solid in their performance too. We will update this feature when we have reviewed the Pixel in full.

• Apple iPhone 7 review: Refining the design rather than ripping it up and starting again
• Google Pixel preview: Arise my Pixel apprentice
• Google Pixel XL vs Apple iPhone 7 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy Note 7: What’s the difference?
• Google Pixel XL vs Google Pixel: What’s the difference?