Google Pixel cameras are experiencing excessive lens flare
The new Google Pixel and Pixel XL have plenty of features that can stand up to the competition, but there’s one that Google apparently didn’t intend on including: excessive lens flare on that highly rated camera. Redditors and members of google’s own Pixel User Community have been reporting cases of “rather extreme lens flaring” in “the overwhelming majority” of handsets.
This Halo effect is weird on the Pixel. pic.twitter.com/kGlTwGaOsY
— Danny Winget (@superscientific) October 22, 2016
As many photographers and will tell you, lens flare can be caused by a variety of factors and can even be a cool and desirable artistic effect. But as Googler IsaacOnCamera notes on the Pixel forums, this “halo/arc flare” happens as a bright arc in the corners of the frame and is definitely unintended. The good news is: Google says there’s nothing wrong with the Pixel hardware and there’s no reason to replace your device if you find your bright, sunlit shots are suddenly dappled with unwanted halos. The company says a software update to the HDR+ mode will correct the problem in the next couple of weeks. Of course, that also means you’ll have to keep HDR+ enabled if you’re not a fan of the J.J. Abrams look.
Via: PetaPixel, 9to5Google
Source: Google Pixel User Community
How to chat with Google support from your Pixel phone – CNET
5 settings you’ll want to change on the Google Pixel
Tweak these settings as soon as you get your Google Pixel out of the box to turn on features like 4K video recording and Move shortcuts.
by Lexy Savvides
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Unlike Apple, Google doesn’t have retail stores you can visit should you encounter issues with your Pixel phone. Instead of searching through online forums or Google support pages, you can chat with a Google support representative directly from your device.
To access the built-in support tool, open the Settings app and tap on the Support tab at the top of the screen. There are a few different options you can take advantage, depending on your needs.
FAQs
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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
For some of the more basic questions, such as how to change a wallpaper or set a custom ringtone, searching the built-in guide is likely the most time-efficient.
Tap on either Search help & send feedback or Explore tips & tricks to learn more about how to do some of the more routine tasks.
Live chat
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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
For more complex tasks or issues, you can use the live chat feature.
Tap on the Chat button then fill in the Chat request form with the gist of your issue or question. You will be placed into a queue. While you wait, you can leave the support app and browse Facebook, or set your phone down. The Support app will send you an alert when a representative is ready to help you.
Once a chat is started, the app looks and works just like any messenger app.
I used the chat feature after I first set up the Pixel to ask if there was a way to transfer content from my iPhone after the initial setup of the Pixel was complete. I couldn’t find the setting, and the FAQs were of no help. (For the curious, it’s not possible. You have to factory reset the phone first.)
Phone
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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
Lastly, you request a phone call to get help from Google. The benefit of using the Phone support feature isn’t limited to the fact you get to actually talk to a human, but you gain the added benefit of letting the support representative access your Pixel’s screen to walk you through how to complete a task or personally troubleshoot an issue.
Request a call by tapping on the Phone button, then filling out the requested fields. When someone is available to help you, you’ll receive a call at the number you entered in the request form.
Once connected, you can ask questions and request help. If needed, the representative will send a screen share request to your phone.
This Android keyboard trick fixes bad autocorrect suggestions – CNET
Don’t mind me, just taking out the trash.
Alina Bradford/CNET
If you’ve got an Android and use the default keyboard, you can get rid of autocorrect words that you would never say or misspelled words that your keyboard has learned over time. All you need to do is take out the trash.
First, check to make sure you have the 5.0 update or better. Go to Message+ and open it. In the upper left side, tap on the Menu icon and select About from the menu. A screen will pop up and tell you what version of the app you have. If it’s 5.0 or higher, you’re golden.
Now, pop on over to a text message conversation. Autocorrect learns from what you type. So, if you constantly misspell a word it will think that is what you want and will put the word in its dictionary.
Whenever you autocorrect tells you to misspell something, tap on the suggested word and drag it upward. A trashcan icon will appear at this point. Just continue to drag the offending word over to the trash can icon and release it. That word will be deleted and will never come back…unless you teach your autocorrect that word again.
While this works with the default keyboard on all types of Android phones, it may not work if you are using third-party keyboards. For example, on SwiftKey you can drag a word up to remove it, but the trashcan icon won’t appear. You’ll just get a pop-up asking you if you would like to remove the word from the dictionary.
This is particularly handy for those of us with salty language. I will never say “duck” in conversation, even though autocorrect is constantly telling me I should. Finally, I got tired of the motherly advice and chunked duck in the trash. Now I am able to cuss freely. Take that, autocorrect.
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Waste the day away playing Android.com’s 404 page game
Need to kill some time? Look no further.
A website admin never wants you to follow a dead link and end up on a /404 page. But hey, it’ happens. And if you hit this sort of snag on android.com, you’ll find an excellent (and deceptively difficult) game to play, right in the browser.
There are two Androids shooting various Android-themed tasty treats into a contraption, which you control with clicks of a mouse — the goal is to direct the treats into one of three pipes coordinating with the treat. You see, the game seems simple, but quickly gets out of hand. The treats come faster and faster, and the pipes quickly get confusing.
One Android up on the top keeps score, and another in the middle counts how many times you fail to make the proper link — make five mistakes, and it’s game over.
We’re not going to say whether or not you should spend the next couple of hours playing the android.com/404 game. But we know it’s probably going to happen anyway — post your high score in the comments!
Where to buy the LG V20 in Canada
Where do I buy the LG V20 in Canada?
The LG V20 won’t be widely available in Canada, but you will still be able to find it in almost every province, on two carriers.
While the phone won’t be available at the Big Three carriers, it will be coming to regional providers Wind Mobile and Videotron. The former operates in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, while Videotron has an extensive network in Quebec.
Note: This page will be updated as more information becomes available. Check back soon for updates!
The LG V20 will be available on October 28 in Canada.
Buy the LG V20 at Wind Mobile
The LG V20 will be available at Wind Mobile on October 28. Pricing has not been confirmed.
See at Wind Mobile
Buy the LG V20 at Videotron
The LG V20 will be available at Videotron on October 28. Pricing has not been confirmed.
See at Videotron
LG V20
- LG V20 review: Built for power users
- LG V20 specs
- All LG V20 news
- LG V20 vs. Galaxy Note 7
- Discuss the V20 in the forums!
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Don’t expect those wireless Apple AirPods to launch anytime soon
Contrary to what Apple first said, the AirPods won’t launch this month.
When Apple unveiled its wireless AirPods in September, it said they would be available in late October. The world therefore expected Apple to announce during its 27 October event an actual release date for the earbuds – maybe the company would even launch them after the event.
Nope.
Apple has confirmed to TechCrunch and CNET that it is delaying the launch of its first pair of wireless headphones. In a statement, Apple said it needs “a little more time before AirPods are ready” for customers. Although it didn’t provide a new release date for the £159 headphones, Apple explained it doesn’t “believe in shipping a product before it’s ready”. Such an Apple thing to say.
We’re not sure why Apple has delayed the product. It could be a technical issue, but that’s just speculation. It’s not common for the company to delay launching products, so this news definitely has the rumour mill fired up. For more details on what Apple might actually unveil during its “Hello Again” event, such as the new MacBook Pro with an OLED touch panel, check out this round-up.
Microsoft unveils an ergonomic keyboard for Surface fans
Surface computers (plus the Surface Dial) aren’t all that’s new at Microsoft’s fall event. The company has quietly unveiled various Surface accessories, headlined by a Surface Ergonomic Keyboard. The wireless input device is effectively a cross between the earlier Designer Bluetooth Desktop and an ergonomic keyboard — you get a more comfortable typing feel with quiet, low-profile keys. There’s even a double-cushioned Alcantara palm rest (the same material you saw in the Signature Type Cover) that promises to be gentler on your hands even as it spruces up your desk environment. A pair of AAA batteries will power it for a full year.
There’s also backlit, minimalist (i.e., non-ergonomic) Surface Keyboard for people more concerned with desk space than wrist strain, and a Surface Mouse with a metal scroll wheel. You can even get a special version of the Surface Keyboard with a fingerprint reader to help you log into Windows 10 that much faster.
All of the new add-ons will ship November 10th, and you can pre-order them today. They’re definitely not the cheapest accessories you can buy, however. The base Surface Keyboard costs $100, and it’ll take $130 to get the ergonomic version. (There’s no price for the fingerprint keyboard as I write this.) Think of it this way, though: If you want peripherals that complement a Surface PC or just want that look and feel for a third-party system, you now have the option.
Click here to catch all the latest news from Microsoft’s big Surface event.
Source: Surface (YouTube), Microsoft (PDF)
Nissan’s latest EV conceals the hottest of hot desks
To prove the versatility of electric vehicles — and probably just for the heck of it — Nissan has transformed its workhorse e-NV200 electric van into a mobile office with a 106-mile range. UK-based design shop Studio Hardie took the humble delivery van/London taxi and loaded it up with all the slick amenities of a modern co-working space, from the minimalist leather-and-chrome desk chairs to the “barista quality” espresso machine.
Judging by the company’s buzzword-laden press announcement, Nissan sees the awkwardly named e-NV200 WORKSPACe as the future of office work — not just the future of transportation. The concept, “not only highlights the customizable potential of its electric van,” the release says, “it paints a picture of what desk-based employment could look like in the future as hot-desking and flexible working grows in popularity across the globe.”
To give digital nomads or office-free desk jockeys a comfortable place to work, Studio Hardie has built out the van’s cargo area with a fold-out desk with a touchscreen HP computer, smartphone-controlled LED lighting, a wireless phone charger, Bluetooth speakers, a micro-fridge tucked into a drawer and the aforementioned pop-up coffee machine concealed beneath a countertop. If the weather happens to be nice, there’s even a back deck that slides out from the rear bumper and a folding Brompton bike in a custom rack on the back door.
The e-NV200 gets just over 100 miles range on a charge, and Nissan says you can get up to 80 percent battery with just 30 minutes of charging. On the other hand, this is just a one-off concept, so the designers didn’t offer any estimates about how many hours of work you’ll be able to do before you need to plug in your whole office at an EV charging station.
Source: Nissan Newsroom
Nintendo expects to sell 2 million Switches in the first month
While Nintendo’s earnings didn’t look so good this quarter, President and CEO Tatsumi Kimishima apparently has a rosy outlook for the launch of his company’s next-gen Switch portable console. According to the Wall Street Journal Tokyo correspondent Takashi Mochizuki, Nintendo plans to ship 2 million Switch consoles when it goes on sale in March 2017.
Nintendo CEO says current FY financial guidance assumes 2 million units of Switch to be shipped this fiscal year ending in March
— Takashi Mochizuki (@mochi_wsj) October 26, 2016
Although we don’t have a firm March release date yet, the bulk of that 2 million figure will likely be made up of pre-order sales. For comparison’s sake, Sony had 1 million pre-orders for the PS4 and shipped another 1 million units at launch in the US alone. The original Wii was likewise a hot seller off the bat and even the Wii U moved over two million units in the US and Japan during its first six weeks in late 2012 — although Nintendo eventually fell way short of its plan to sell 100 million.
Via: Gamasutra
Source: Takashi Mochizuki/Twitter
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