Your white Pixel phone isn’t going to be great in Daydream View

The one big flaw in Daydream View.

Google’s new Pixel phones are beautifully crafted pieces of technology. Ignoring all of the “it looks like an iPhone” nonsense from people who have yet to actually hold the phones, these Pixels look and feel fantastic. The three colors they come in all stand out in their own way, too. Really Blue, Very Silver, and Quite Black are fun, striking designs all ready to live in your pocket or in a new Daydream View headset. That headset is its own unique step forward for Google and VR, but in our hands on with Daydream View it became clear there’s likely to be a very real problem when using the two Pixel color variants with glossy white fronts in this headset.

The demo area for Daydream View was intentionally dark. Darker than the rest of the event space by quite a bit, which is impressive given the night club vibe some of the event gave off. These demo stations each had a Quite Black 5.5-inch Pixel in the headset, ready to be used. Sitting all the way in the back of this dark demo station, turning my head so my back was facing the light source revealed some substantial light bleed coming from the sides of the headset not being totally flush with my skin. On the one hand, this design is great for comfort and for keeping my prescription glasses from being smashed against my face. It’s a great feeling, especially when compared to the Samsung Gear VR. On the other hand, despite Google’s efforts to hide it the light bleed was plenty noticeable.

This may not be a big deal in most user situations if you’ve got the Quite Black Pixel, but both the Very Silver and Really Blue Pixels have a glossy white front. That white front means reflections from the light bleed are going to both stand out and add more light to the space between your eyes and the lenses. That’s a problem for two reasons.

First, the headset itself is going to be less immersive when you can see the rest of the world around you in reflections. Immersion matters in Daydream a whole lot more than it ever did in Cardboard, because you’re expected to be wearing this headset for a while. Second, and perhaps more important, the reflections are going to give your eyes something else to focus on. Rapidly focusing between the content on the display and the reflections on the glass is going to rapidly increase eye strain, which could lead to users with headaches and general soreness much more quickly than with most other VR headsets designed to be worn for extended periods of time.

If you’re only ever planning on using Daydream View in a dark room, or if you’re planning on using Daydream View with the Quite Black Pixel, this isn’t likely to ever be a real problem. If you’re using one of the Pixels with a white front and you’re in brightly lit rooms or rooms with lots of lit objects on the walls around you, there’s potential for concern. We’ll know more for sure once we’re able to spend more time with the Pixels and their new VR headset, but if you’re excited about Daydream View make sure you choose your colors wisely.

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Google Pixel and Pixel XL hands-on preview
• In pictures: Google Pixel and Pixel XL
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• 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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LG V20 arrives on T-Mobile October 28 with support for new AWS-3 network

T-Mobile is debuting the LG’s V20, the spec beast, on October 28.

America’s third-biggest carrier is set to sell one of the biggest phones of the year, the LG V20, starting on October 28.

Every purchase, for a limited time, comes with a pair of B&O BeoPlay H3 headphones, which at a retail cost of $149 is a nice bonus, but the big takeaway here is that we finally have a date for when this phone is going to be sold.

Alongside the phone itself, T-Mobile is also confirming that the V20 will support Band 66, which is needed for the carrier’s nascent AWS-3 network. Android Central previously reported that the V20 would be the first to support Wind Mobile’s upcoming AWS3-based LTE network in Canada, and now we know why: the phone was always intended to run on T-Mobile’s rollout of the same.

Aside from new networking technology, the V20 has all you’d expect from a high-end phone, including Android 7.0 Nougat: a Snapdragon 820, 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage, and an intriguing dual camera setup that has a “normal” 16MP sensor with a f/1.8 lens and a second 8MP sensor with a wide-angle f/2.4 lens. It’s also got some serious manual camera controls for video buffs, and a 32-bit Quad DAC to make music sound great. Finally, a 3,200mAh removable battery and microSD expansion cement it as an enthusiast’s dream phone.

There’s no word on pricing right now, but we’d expect the V20 to come in around $650 on T-Mobile and other carriers when arrives later this month.

See at T-Mobile

LG V20

• LG V20 preview
• LG unveils the V20
• LG V20 specs
• LG V20 vs. Galaxy Note 7
• Discuss the V20 in the forums!

Grab 5 USB-C cables in various lengths for just $15 right now!

Right now you can grab a 5-pack of Aukey’s USB-C cables for just $15 at Amazon, a savings of $21. This is a perfect way to pick up a bunch of cables at an affordable cost to start or build up your collection. They come in a variety of lengths, including three 3.3-foot, one 6.6-foot and one 1-foot USB-A to USB-C cables. Being USB 3.0 cables, they support faster charging and transfer speeds, and the cables are both flexible and durable to stand up to your usage.

This deal won’t last long, and you don’t need a coupon code to get the savings here. Be sure to act quickly if you are interested in these cables so that you can get them before they’re gone.

See at Amazon

Google Pixel: A smaller flagship phone makes its triumphant return

You don’t have to find the biggest to get the best with the Pixel.

My favorite part of the Pixel event — excuse me, the Pixel, Phone by Googleevent — was when Google announced that the smaller of the two phones they wanted everyone to love had the same internal specs as the bigger one. The same CPU, the same amount of memory (both kinds), even the same colors. Outside of the screen and the overall size, they were identical. And the Pixel’s not even that small at 5 inches. But it is one of the few times that you don’t have to buy the biggest most gigantic version of a phone to get the best specs. I know I’m not the only person who reached for a credit card at that little factoid. I asked around. I’m not.

A 5-inch phone isn’t really small, but we’re getting closer.

Actually, in a world where companies have continued to build bigger and bigger phones because that’s much cheaper to do, then passed it off as a response to undisclosed market research, things have tapered off a bit on that front. This is again largely because of hardware and costs — the really good screens being used now are both difficult to manufacture and pricey as hell past a certain size — but also because the people making the phones care more about how they look. The big screen tiny frame look is what most companies (not all, thankfully) think looks more premium. They’re not the only ones who feel this way. Show off a new phone with a moderate sized screen and some real estate to hold it with around the edges and some of the first responses will be “bezels!” or the like. This makes a phone that doesn’t fit this narrative rare. Especially if you want the same great stuff under the hood.

Both Pixels mostly fit this bill. The bigger model is only 5.5 inches and neither looks like this with no place to put your big clumsy thumbs when you’re watching a Fail video or playing some pointless game (two of my favorite things to do in life). Seriously — hate on bezels that only exist to be bezels all you like. I’ll know that you never tried to use that damn Sharp Aquos thing from Boost.

Oh God how I hate you, Sharp Aquos thing from Boost.

Another thing the Pixel, Phone by Google (I’ll get tired of typing that before Dan Bader tells me to stop) (No I won’t) did that was very iPhonesque in the very unAppley world of Android is put the same guts inside the “little” flagship phone. Not that the 5-inch Pixel is little. My Xperia Z3 Compact was little. My Moto X was little. The Pixel is not-biggerish at best. Nevertheless, same shit under the hood. Glorious sameness. For some reason, this matters to me. Nothing I’ll ever do will really push the processor to the limit or run out of RAM. If that were the case, we’d already know because no Android phone could do them. But still, after seeing all these phones other people really, really liked I get one that I really, really like. I’m not complaining.

Of course, the Pixel’s also very much like the iPhone in one other way — it won’t take six or more months to get updated. Apply salve to burned area.

Does this mean anyone is going to follow suit or that phones are going to start shrinking? Doubtful. Companies will make the phones they think they can move out the door fastest, and some of those will be smaller than others. They’ll probably still be burdened with mediocre specs, too. If the Pixel ends up selling 70 million or so units (it won’t) other companies might notice (nope) and follow along to catch this market, too (not going to happen). But Google will probably keep doing it until they abandon yet another thing I love. I’ll at least have that to look forwards to.

Anyhoo, to hell with the future. I’ll take what I can get when I can get it. For 2017, that means a Pixel. (Please don’t explode.)

Pokemon Go update makes catching rare Pokemon easier

There’s an update coming to Pokemon Go that will take some of the frustration out of trying to catch rare Pokemon.

Called the “capture bonus”, the update (coming soon) will give you extra power to catch certain types of Pokemon, based on your achievements in the game so far.

The catching bonus revolves around the medals system that Trainers are awarded for capturing certain types of Pokemon. If you catch a lot of water type Pokemon, you earn the Swimmer medal, for example, in various stages.

This currently has no function, it basically just gives you a sense of achievement, but the catch bonus means that you’ll have extra power to catch Pokemon of that type.

That means that if you come across a powerful Pokemon with a high CP, you’ll have a greater chance of catching it, as your previous catches give you a boost. 

If the Pokemon you’re after is multiple types, then your catching bonus will be the average of your medal status for both those types.

It hasn’t been revealed exactly when the update will land, but it should be hitting your Android and iOS devices soon.

• Pokemon Go: How to raise your XP level, power up and evolve your Pokemon
• Pokemon Go: Best Pokemon with highest CP
• Pokemon Go: How to find and catch rare Pokemon like Charizard, Blastoise and Alakazam
• Pokemon Go top tips: Master the Pokemon mayhem
• Pokemon Go Gym tips: How to battle, train and win

LinkedIn can quietly tell headhunters you want a new job

Let’s say you’re not happy with the way you’ve been treated at work, but your objections have fallen on deaf ears. If you start hunting around for another job, it’s all too easy for that information to leak back to your current employer. That’s why LinkedIn has launched Open Candidates, a service that enables would-be job-switchers to signal recruiters that they’re looking for an escape route.

According to BusinessInsider, a moment from Silicon Valley provided the inspiration for LinkedIn to begin working on the feature. In it, Gilfoyle updates his employment status, only for his phone to blow up with calls less than a minute later. If you haven’t already, you’ll receive an email from the site asking you to update your own recruitment status. You’ll then be asked to fill in suggested job titles, a start date and some key facts for headhunters to learn.

Even better is that LinkedIn won’t share this information with recruiters from your own company, or firms that have a known affiliation. As TechCrunch reports, LinkedIn’s key revenue stream is from people looking for work and folks looking to fill jobs. But it needs to guard that money, since it’s facing attacks from companies like Monster and Glassdoor, which are all looking to steal a chunk of that pie. By making it easier for people to find work (and not alert their bosses) should help to

Source: LinkedIn

Humans can only live to 115, researchers claim

Research out of New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine believes that the goal of living forever is an impossible one. A team of researchers analyzed morality rates and aging trends across the world and found that there may be a ceiling to our lifespan. Popular belief may be that humans could live longer if they remain in good health, it appears that the best we can hope for is 115 years on this planet. Which should give you just enough time to finish all of those TV series binges before the world inevitably boils into dust.

An extensive piece in the New York Times has sourced comment from across the scientific community with a wide variety of opinions being offered. Some believe that the study validates a long-held belief that immortality is impossible, while others dispute the findings. The paper quotes James Vaupel, who said that it was “disheartening” and was based upon a scientific “mistake.” It’s also worth reiterating that this was a trend-based study, rather than a biological one, and its inferences may be a perverse reading of the data.

The study also fails to take into account key advances in science that could upend the current thinking on aging and DNA. After all, our lifespan is hard-coded into our DNA, not as a set figure, but by how many times each cell can reproduce. Imagine that each cell is playing the game of your life with a series of quarters lined up on the top of an arcade machine. Each time damage has to be repaired (i.e. replication), you pump another quarter into the coin slot. But a cell can only replicate so many times before you’ll run out of quarters and it’s game over.

But advances in gene editing mean that we’re getting closer to removing and replacing parts of people’s genetic code. Currently, that’s been used to cure a fatal case of infant leukaemia and hemophilia, but the potential is enormous. Scientists like George Church have ambitions to build a “perfect” strand of DNA that could reduce our vulnerabilities to disease and injury. It’s a mostly-theoretical concept right now, but given how far genetics has come in the last few decades, not an impossible one.

Via: New York Times

Source: Nature

Apple Supplier Foxconn Launching Low-Cost Smartphone Line in Japan Next Year

Apple supplier Foxconn Electronics is reportedly gearing up to launch its own line of smartphone devices in Japan, using its recent acquisition of Sharp to help manufacture and distribute the handsets (via DigiTimes). Over the past few years, Foxconn has been a major supplier for Apple device manufacturing, including for the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

The company is said to be working on entry-level and mid-range options for the lineup, with an expected launch date in the first quarter of 2017, according to sources within the Japanese manufacturing industry. The sources mentioned that it “remains unclear as to which brand Foxconn will use” to market the devices, although it is “highly possible” for the handsets to be sold under a Sharp branding.

However, it remains unclear as to which brand Foxconn will use to market the smartphones it produced in-house in the Japan market, said the sources, adding that it is highly possible those smartphones will be sold under the Sharp brand.

Foxconn’s move to introduce cheaper models of smartphones could offset Sharp’s Aquos line of devices, which corner the high-end market in Japan but leave the company open to introduce entry-level and mid-range devices for consumers. According to the sources knowledgable of the launch, the addition of Foxconn’s smartphones “will enrich Sharp’s product portfolios,” if the company is indeed the brand attached to the new handsets.

Foxconn has produced its own smartphones under different branding before, but today’s report suggests the company is attempting to launch its new devices with a heavier marketing push within Japan. No other descriptive factors of the smartphone’s components or features were mentioned in the report.

Most recently, Apple was rumored to be in talks with Sharp to provide OLED displays for next-generation iPhones, with the ultimate outcome of the deal depending on Sharp’s capacity to output a large amount of displays. The rumor of Apple’s negotiations with Sharp followed a report last week that said the electronics manufacturer is set to spend $570 million on OLED panel production, although its output goal of mid-2018 means it’ll miss next year’s mega-cycle iPhone 8 launch.

Tag: Japan
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