Android Wear Smartwatch Owners Reporting Pairing Issues With iPhone 7
Several popular Android Wear devices like the Moto 360 and Fossil Q remain incompatible with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, according to a report by The Verge.
Owners of the Android smartwatches have been able to use the devices with the iPhone 5 or later since Google added support for iOS back in August of last year.
However, as evidenced by a raft of complaints in an Android Wear discussion thread, the Moto 360 (2015), Moto 360 Sport, Tag Heuer Connected, Asus Zenwatch 2, and Fossil Q Founder are all unable to properly pair with the iPhone 7, with many users’ watches hanging during the setup process.
Apple recently fixed some compatibility issues between Android Wear devices and iOS 10 with the release of iOS 10.0.2, but the reported problems with specific models of watch appear to remain. Google says it is aware of a “serious pairing issue” and is investigating a fix.
The Android Wear iSO app supports Google’s Voice search and enables iPhone lock screen notifications to be mirrored on the watch faces. It also lets owners of the devices make use of services like Google Now and Google Fit, as well as the watches’ Weather and Translate features. In addition, the app includes a handful of ‘curated’ watch faces for users to choose from.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tag: Android Wear
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Donald Trump’s video apology goes out over Facebook, Twitter
Hours after the Washington Post published a video of Donald Trump in 2005 stating, among other things, that “And when you’re a star, they let you do it…You can do anything. Grab them by the p—y,” the candidate issued a video response that went out over social media. Despite Trump’s reputation as a heavy Twitter user (in 2012 he tweeted “I love Twitter…. it’s like owning your own newspaper— without the losses.”) it was published first on Facebook and then later on Twitter.
Just another example of how different this election has been from any before, those platforms allow the campaign to reach followers en masse — more than 11 million on Facebook and 12 million on Twitter — without having to worry about annoyances like anchors or journalists asking questions. Even with a debate coming up Sunday night, there was no need to face questions tonight about women who report being assaulted by Trump in specifically the manner described; instead, the candidate focused on the husband of his opponent.
As social media giveth, it also taketh away, and discussion of the #TrumpTape has been spirited on all platforms. A number of prominent Republican politicians tweeted that the videotaped comments were “indefensible” and “despicable” with a few going so far as to withdraw endorsements for Trump or push for him to withdraw from the campaign. Senator Mike Lee of Utah responded with a Facebook Live broadcast from his own home — we’re sure a Periscope or two will be right behind.
Source: Donald Trump (Facebook)
GE GBE10ESJSB Compact Bottom Freezer Refrigerator review – CNET
The Good The GE GBE10ESJSB is a true space saver, and a good fit for tiny kitchens. The stainless-steel design is basic, but fashionable.
The Bad Performance was all over the map in our tests, with eyebrow-raisingly high temperatures at the top of the fridge and subzero chill in the freezer.
The Bottom Line Settle for this fridge if you must, but we think you’ll be a lot happier with another compact option.
If you’re living with a cramped kitchen, or if you just want a small, simple second fridge for a basement or a garage, then you might consider the GBE10ESJSB, a compact bottom-freezer model from GE. It’s just 24 inches wide and barely over 5 feet tall, but it still offers over 10 cubic feet of storage space. The cost? $900.
I’d recommend shopping around before buying. To be specific, you’ll want to take a good look at the LG LTNC11121V, a similarly narrow, compact top-freezer model. It costs $200 less than GE’s compact-size option, but offers better performance, slightly more storage space, a nicer-looking design and even a couple of extra features like a pull-out shelf and a manual ice maker.
GE’s smallest bottom-freezer fridge is built…
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Even in its slim package, the GBE10ESJSB sticks to the bottom-freezer script. Your fridge section is up top for easy access to your fresh ingredients, while the freezer section sits below. You’ll get to that freezer by opening a door that swings open, which is typically a little less desirable than one that pulls out like a drawer for easier access.
Still, it’s a nice design considering that most full-size bottom freezers start at around $1,200. If you don’t need the full-size space, then the GBE10ESJSB offers the same fresh-food access for less money.
The Public Access Weekly: Don’t stop believing
It’s been a wild card kind of week, full of Google announcements and Yahoo breaches and AI assistants, and I’m excited to get home and watch the Giants-Cubs game tonight, so let’s get this party stared with some Public Access stats for September:
- 310 posts went live on Public Access in September. That’s one hundred more than last month, and a new record for the fifth month running! That is honestly phenomenal.
- 115 total Public Access members wrote and published stories, including 66 new members. Welcome new members!
- The Public Access member with the most posts published in September is Ryan Kh with an impressive total of 31 articles published. Second place is a three-way tie between Jimmy Rohampton, Shelly Green and Lisa Rachel who each published 14 articles.
The top 10 most read Public Access posts for August (not counting the Public Access Weekly posts) were:
Netflix Subscriber Satisfaction Rises Despite Price Increase by Chris Brantner
Netflix saves kids from over 150 hours of commercials a year by Rob Toledo
Nokia says it can deliver internet 2,000 times faster than Verizon Fios by Chris Brantner
Is ‘Allo’ Google’s Answer to the Facebook Messenger? by Ashok Srivasatava
The Geek’s Guide to Getting The Max Out Your Airfare by Dianna Labrien
Ticwatch 2 vs Apple Watch by Jerry Li
The Scary Link Between Technology and Identity Theft by Ryan Kh
How to Choose Your First DSLR Camera by Dianna Labrien
Since 2012, The Netflix Library Has Been Cut in Half by Rob Toledo
Is VR Still Too Expensive For Gamers? by Dianna Labrien
Congratulations to all those folks who saw their stories hit it big! And a heads up — if you’re a Public Access member keep an eye on your inbox next week. We’ve got some changes and updates on the way so you should be receiving an email from us with all the details.
Looking for something to read? Check out:
There’s more trouble in store for Samsung — a replacement Galaxy Note 7 reportedly began smoking. While in the owners pocket. After it had been shut off. Oh yeah, and this all went down on an airplane. File this one under: Bad to worse.
If you asked the average person if they’re excited about AI, you might get some shrugged shoulders in response. However, if you asked the same person if they’d like a digital personal assistant, I bet they’d be pretty damn interested. Mona writes about how the onstage demos of Google Home — and other voice activated systems like Siri and Cortanat — are ushering in the age of artificial intelligence.
Bad news for fans of the 3.5mm headphone jack: The USB Implementers Forum released its Audio Device Class 3.0 specs which will provide hardware makers with the standard they need to run audio through USB-C ports on smartphones and other devices. The motivation is reportedly to work towards slimmer smartphones with better water resistance, however given the conversation happening in the comments it’ll be an uphill battle.
Looking for something to write about? Mull over:
A few Public Access members have written recently about the technology they use to help them get a good nights sleep, and the updated Apple Watch may include apps to track sleeping patterns. Do you use technology to help you sleep? What do you use, and how well does it work for you?
Rumors about who will buy Twitter have been swirling around the company for the last few weeks, but the company reportedly wants to finish up the sales process by the end of this month. Who will buy Twitter? Anyone? And a better question — who should buy Twitter, and why?
Last week we noticed a few companies using our comments system to respond to customer concerns about their products — both successfully and well… not that successfully. How do you communicate with companies when you have an issue with their product or service? Twitter? Email? A good old-fashioned phone call (the horror)? In this era of social media and instant connections, what is the best way to file complaints with a company?
Researchers push Moore’s Law with a 1-nanometer transistor gate
Ready for some hardcore science about transistor elements that are a fraction of the width of a human hair? Good, because that’s what this post is all about. “The semiconductor industry has long assumed that any gate below 5 nanometers wouldn’t work, so anything below that was not even considered,” University of California at Berkeley researcher Sujai Desay says. In recent years, though, that assertion has looked shaky, and now it’s been thoroughly disproved thanks to the discoveries made by scientists at UC Berkeley and the magic of carbon nanotubes. Or, as they’re more commonly known, graphene.
Ali Javey, Jeff Bokor, Chenming Hu, Moon Kim and H.S. Philip Wong crafted a transistor with a 1-nanometer gate. In theory this could shrink the weight and size of our already-thin electronics even more. For context, current silicon transistors have 20-nanometer gates. However, it’s worth noting that graphene isn’t the only material in use here. The UCB researchers also used molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) to achieve this result.
A problem with using anything but silicon for these ultra-small transistors is that with anything under 5nm in size, it gets harder to control the flow of electrons through the material, and the transistors can’t be powered off. But since electrons are “heavier” when they’re pushed through MoS2, smaller gate lengths can be used. Hence shrinking down to 1nm.
Now, it’s important to note that while this is a huge discovery, it isn’t precisely the first time for achievement the way that UCB says it is. Back in 2008, researchers from the University of Manchester used graphene to create a transistor 1nm across containing only a few carbon rings. And in 2006, Korean scientists used FinFET to make a transistor with a 3nm channel length.
So maybe relax, because it looks the reports of Moore’s Law’s demise have been slightly exaggerated or at least delayed.
Via: Reddit
Source: University of California Berkeley, Science
Bloomberg: AT&T considering a halt on Galaxy Note 7 sales
Reports that a Galaxy Note 7 issued as a replacement caught fire on an airplane may be too much for at least one carrier. Bloomberg cites a single unnamed source claiming that AT&T is “considering” stopping sales of the troubled phone based on that incident. Although AT&T (along with Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon) have already issued statements indicating that customers can return or exchange their replacement phones, this would go a step further. The rumored deadline for the decision is Friday, which would put pressure on Samsung to figure out what’s going here.
Source: Bloomberg
U.S. carriers backing away from the Galaxy Note 7, offering refunds and exchanges
Confidence in the Note 7 was fading, and now it may not be there at all.
Everything seemed to be getting back in order in regards to Galaxy Note 7 exchanges and sales in the U.S., but announcements from Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon today show that they may be fed up with the situation at this point. All four carriers have confirmed that in light of ongoing public uncertainty about the safety of the Note 7, customers can return even their replacement Note 7s for refunds or exchanges.
The details of each return/refund policy differs by carrier, but statements offered to Android Central from each of the big four have confirmed that the processes are in place to take your Note 7 back if you’re unsatisfied — even if you’re outside of the regular two-week return window or have already been issued one replacement.
Fool me once, shame on me; fool me twice …
Interestingly, at the time of writing the U.S. carriers and retailers like Best Buy still have the Note 7 up for sale, and in the case of Verizon and Sprint have had them on store shelves again for over a week. But the fact that they are each now offering blanket trade-in and refund deals for owners of the Note 7 is a pretty clear sign of a complete lack of confidence in the phone.
The carriers seem to have been willing to put up with the first round of headaches relating to the replacement of recalled phones, as you’d expect with a partner as huge as Samsung. Given the downturn in public perception of the Note 7, at this point it’s easier for the carriers to voluntarily offer refunds or replacements so they can stop bothering with the whole ordeal.
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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AT&T
T-Mobile
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Daily brief: Samsung faces flat earnings, Verizon spends money on Pixels
It’s hard to go a full day without some big news regarding Samsung.
There’s a combination of news hits relating to the Galaxy Note 7, and none of it is good. Samsung Electronics released its earnings guidance (what it expects its numbers to look like) for Q3 2016, and both sales and operating profit are about flat from Q2 — that doesn’t bode well for its Q4, which is traditionally big thanks to the holiday buying season.
At the same time, U.S. carriers seem to be backing off from the Note 7, offering refunds and exchanges for customers no matter what the situation, even if they already own a new safe model. This story doesn’t seem to show any signs of slowing down, unfortunately.
Beyond that, a few other things happened in the world of Android today, including more LG V20 launch news, and a few points beyond that. Here’s what you need to know.
Samsung’s Q3 2016 earnings guidance points to profit drop
The preliminary earnings numbers show sales and profit are down slightly from Q2, but are actually up from Q3 2015. We’ll have to see the full earnings report — and particularly the Q4 report — to know how much of the effect is from the Note 7 recall.
U.S. carriers re-open Note 7 exchange programs
Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon will again take back your Note 7 for a refund or exchange, even if you’ve already replaced it once. The decisions come as stories about Note 7 malfunctions continue to come out, even as the recall process wraps up. More
Verizon has a big ad push lined up for the Google Pixels
Reuters reports that on top of Google’s own big ad buys, Verizon will be making its own push up to the holidays:
[Verizon] will make a significant investment of its own in TV, digital marketing and social media, from around the phone’s Oct 20 launch through the holiday season.
Sprint announces its LG V20 launch plans
Pre-orders will kick off on October 21 for a full launch on the 28th, which lines up with the launch date on T-Mobile and AT&T. Sprint hasn’t dropped pricing on us just yet, but we know you’ll get a free pair of B&O H3 headphones ($150 value) with your order.
Still using Prisma? It has an offline mode now
Prisma now features an offline mode, which lets you process the varying artsy filters with your device’s CPU rather than have it all done over the air. That’s great news for your data allowance and if you’re a frequent user of the app you won’t run into the “Prisma is over capacity” prompts that occur from time to time.
Offline mode will only be available on devices running Android 5.0 and above, though the company said it’s working on KitKat compatibility. There’s also a video conversion mode, as reported by TechCrunch, that’s coming soon to Android.
The Pixel camera team posts more sample photos for us to oogle
In the right hands, the Pixel camera certainly looks ready to take great pictures.
Isaac Reynolds the product lead for the Pixel’s camera has a few more Pixel photo samples to share with us.
Posted in the Google Pixel user community, Reynolds reiterates that they think the camera is one of the best features of the new Google phone and wants to share a handful of their favorite images. As Reynolds says, seeing is believing!
These are just a few examples so you’ll want to click through to see them all. We’re excited to give the new Pixel cameras a test of our own, but it’s always fun to see what can be done in the hands of a skilled photographer.
#NoFilter Needed with your new Pixel gallery on Google photos
Google Pixel + Pixel XL
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL hands-on preview
- In pictures: Google Pixel and Pixel XL
- Pixel + Pixel XL specs
- Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
- Verizon is the exclusive U.S. carrier for the Google Pixels
- Join the discussion in the forums!
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Microsoft’s October event: What to expect and where to watch
Microsoft has sent invitations to the media, asking them to attend an event in New York City, where it will likely introduce new devices in its Surface line.
The event is considered a hardware event. But we may see more than just hardware. Here’s everything you need to know, including what the messaging on Microsoft’s invite means, where you can live stream the event, and all the devices and software updates expected. Keep checking back, too.
Pocket-lint/Microsoft
What does “Imagine what you’ll do” mean?
Microsoft’s event invitation mentioned “Imagine what you’ll do” as a tagline, as well as “see what’s next for Windows 10” messaging, which indicates the company will not just focus on hardware.
The next major upgrade to Windows 10 won’t release until 2017, so it’ll be interesting to learn what the company is actually teasing here.
When is Microsoft’s October event?
Microsoft will hold its event on 26 October at 10 am ET (7 am PT).
Will Microsoft stream the October event?
Yes. The live stream will be available from the company’s website.
What will Microsoft announce?
Surface all-in-one PC
Microsoft is reportedly bringing the Surface brand to all-in-one PC desktops.
According to ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft hardware event in late October is meant to showcase a new Surface-branded device going by the codename Cardinal. The device is thought to be an all-in-one PC that may come in 21-inch, 24-inch, and 27-inch screen sizes (something Windows Central also claimed).
Cardinal could use the same Perceptive Pixel screen tech found in Surface Hub. Although ZDNet was unsure if three different sizes were in the works, as well as whether the device’s codename is its real name, the site reminded readers that Microsoft had a patent published in 2016 for an all-in-one modular PC.
Laptops and tablets
The Verge claimed the company isn’t planning to update its Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book devices at the autumn event, because it will unveil laptops and devices from OEMs instead. According to ZDNet, which said the theme of the event will be “The next chapter in the Windows story”, we can definitely expect new OEM devices.
Xbox-related updates
According to ZDNet, Microsoft will announce some gaming-related updates. The Verge also said Microsoft will discuss its Xbox gaming strategy while outlining its vision for the future of Windows 10.
Windows 10 updates
The Verge claimed Microsoft will focus on its vision for the future of Windows 10, such as new features in Windows 10, because the company reportedly plans to introduce via two major software updates in 2017, and those new Windows 10 features will tie into its Xbox gaming strategy. ZDNet said we may hear news on the “Redstone 2” update.
Is that it?
Yep. A Surface Phone is not expected until sometime later, if Microsoft doesn’t ditch the project, and Microsoft officials have already confirmed there’d be no new Band device this year. Check out Pocket-lint’s Microsoft hub for more news.
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