Apple Ends iOS 9 Downgrades on iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch
Apple has stopped signing iOS 9.3.5 for compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models, effectively ending iOS 9 downgrades.
iOS 10.0.1 is also no longer being signed, making iOS 10.0.2 the oldest software update users can still downgrade their devices to via iTunes.
Apple routinely stops signing older software updates several weeks after they are released.
iOS 9.3.5 was released in late August as the last update to the iOS 9 operating system, with major security fixes for three zero-day exploits. iOS 10.0.1 was released on September 13 as the first iOS 10 version for all devices beyond the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
The move does not affect jailbreaking, as iOS 9.3.3 is the latest software version with a publicly available exploit. Apple patched that jailbreak in iOS 9.3.4, crediting the Chinese team Pangu for its discovery, and it is unlikely that a jailbreak will ever be publicly released for iOS 9.3.5 at this point in time.
Apple has also stopped signing tvOS 9.2.2 for the fourth-generation Apple TV.
Tags: iOS 9.3.5, iOS 10.0.1
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Facebook App Integrates Food and Ticket Ordering Into Brand Pages
In the consistently updated Facebook app for iOS, the social media company is today introducing a slew of new features focused on event discovery and streamlined interaction with brands. Notably, now in the company’s mobile app users will be able to purchase tickets to movies and concerts, buy food, or book an appointment without leaving Facebook.
For food and ticket orders, the feature is fueled by Facebook’s partnership with services like Delivery.com, Slice, Ticketmaster, Fandango, and Eventbrite. Local businesses will need to be on board to support the appointment booking feature, but if they do users can simply request a specific time from the business’ Facebook page after looking at their list of services. A response confirmation will be sent through Facebook Messenger when the appointment is decided upon.
To generate more personalized interactions, there’s also a new Recommendations feature in the app that aims to make it easier to get advice from friends and family on places to see and things to do in a user’s hometown, or while traveling in a new city. Recommendations are represented as a new status option, so users can post about wanting to check out new restaurants, for example, and their friends can comment back with suggestions to try in the area.
People come to Facebook every day to connect and share experiences with friends and family. We share the great places we go and we ask our friends for advice when we need help getting things done. Today we’re starting to introduce a variety of new features that help you use those connections to discover new things in the world around you, decide what to do or where to go, and connect with local businesses in easier and faster ways.
Facebook will accumulate all of these recommendations into one map, so it’s easy to find the places that were mentioned in the comments of a post. To fuel personal discovery of events surrounding users, the company is also revamping the Events dashboard in the main Facebook app, with many of the same feature additions that it introduced in the standalone Events app, launched earlier in the month.
The company said that the update will be rolling out to users in the United States beginning today, and that “this is the first step” in its plan to make the app a one-stop shop for social planning. Facebook hopes that ultimately the app streamlines user and business interactions, and makes it easy for people “to get things done, make confident decisions and communicate directly with businesses on your time and terms.”
Tag: Facebook
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Netgear’s new Nighthawk router doubles as a Plex server
Video streaming is becoming one of the main things we do on the internet, and few things in life are more annoying than having to wait for a clip to finish buffering. To keep up with our growing appetites for speed, Netgear has unveiled the Nighthawk X10 router, which it says is the fastest in the world. It’s got a 1.7GHz quad-core processor onboard that the company says is the speediest in a home router, as well as Quad Stream Wave 2 WiFi architecture that helps the device get up to 7.2 Gbps. Plus, it supports the latest 802.11ad standard. But what’s really interesting about the Nighthawk X10 is its Plex Media support that lets you turn any USB 3.0 flash drive or hard disk into a server, without requiring a computer.
Previous devices in the popular Nighthawk line have also had USB ports onboard, but the X10 is the first to offer Plex firmware in its app to let you set up one or both of the two connected drives as a server. There’s no real limit to the storage size of the drives you can attach. Other non-speed-related goodies that come with the X10 include new mobile support for OpenVPN, so you can tap into your home network even when you’re overseas.
The Nighthawk X10 is now available for $500, which is more expensive than prior models. That’s because, as Netgear explained, the new iteration is more like a mini PC than a mere router. If you’re a Plex fan, or prize having a really fast, high-end router that can keep your videos and backed up files available wherever you are, that price may be worth it. Otherwise, you might be better off finding a cheaper option.
Facebook’s friend-based Recommendations take on Yelp
It might not feel like it sometimes, but Facebook is more than just memes or baby pictures. Many people use the social network to friends for ideas for places to eat in Paris or what to do this weekend. Since your pals know you, their suggestions are potentially more useful than Yelp or Foursquare. Manually compiling their answers can be messy, so Facebook’s adding a feature that makes organizing recommendations much easier. If you’re still stuck for something to do, the company is also giving its Event pages a revamp, to help you find out what’s happening around you. Making plans is just the start, now you can book gig tickets or make appointments — right within Facebook itself.
Unsurprisingly, the new features are part of an ongoing initiative to keep you within the social network’s walls. At an event in San Francisco, the company demonstrated how the new tools help connect people with businesses that are also on Facebook. So, for example, you could find out about a concert through either Events or Recommendations (more on this later), and then you would click through and buy tickets from that concert’s Facebook Page. “There’s discovery, deciding and then action,” said Andrew Bosworth, Facebook’s VP of Ads and Business Platform.
Thanks to AI and smart keyword detection, now when you ask for advice on Facebook, the site will automatically pop up an option where you can turn on Recommendations. Once it’s toggled, whenever a friend replies to that post and suggests, say, a restaurant, Facebook will automatically figure out where it’s located and then pin it on a map. The more suggestions you get, the more the map gets populated. So now you have a handy list of places in a single post that you and your friends can add to over time. There’ll also be a dedicated Recommendations page on Facebook that collects all of them in one feed. Your friends’ call-out for recommendations will appear on that page too.
Facebook is keen to emphasize that Recommendations isn’t just for restaurants. You can use it to get advice on beauty salons, home contractors, places to see or things to do as well. I saw a demo of someone looking to find a hair salon in San Francisco, and when her friends offered a few options, links to the salons’ Facebook Pages appear immediately under their suggestions. If there are multiple locations with the same name, you can edit the suggestion to pick out the correct one. If someone suggests a business that doesn’t have a Facebook Page the system still adds them to the map, according to their addresses. You can also go in and customize the map further, by adding and removing locations manually.
To piggyback on their Events app launch a few weeks ago, Facebook is also revamping the Events bookmark in the main site. Now you get to see a more tailored view of happenings that are more relevant to you. There’ll be an activity feed of what your buddies have been up to along with recommendations based on the kinds of events you and your social circle tends to prefer. Additionally, Facebook will curate upcoming events that are popular in your particular city or highlight the ones that it thinks you’ll be interested in.
Once you’ve made up your mind on what to do — whether it’s getting your nails done or having dinner with family — you can now seal the deal thanks to a few new Facebook Page features that let you interact directly with businesses. This all depends on the business in question. If it’s a salon, for example, you could select “Request Time,” choose from an array of different services and then it’ll kick you over to Messenger to pinpoint the date and time you want. The salon could also use a third-party appointments manager like MyTime to handle the scheduling instead, in which case you’d just use the MyTime system — which would be integrated right into the Facebook UI — instead of Messenger.
Indeed, Facebook has already partnered with a few third parties to boost their Page interactions. For example, you can order food via restaurant Pages using Delivery.com or Slice, or get event tickets through Eventbrite or Ticketmaster. The experience will be slightly different depending on the service. Ticketmaster, for example, will hand you off to email to get your passes, while Eventbrite has a more integrated system that presents to you a QR entry code right in the Facebook app. It gets the payment information from Facebook but all transactions are processed by the service in question.
“This is not a behavior that’s totally foreign,” said Bosworth. “We’ve had a long history of messaging businesses,” adding that users will likely get used to this paradigm pretty quickly. Plus, the reason why they’re working with these third parties like Ticketmaster or Delivery.com is because it’s much easier and faster than having to build up their own services. “Eventbrite’s already doing a great job with ticketing and venues,” he said. “We don’t have to do that work. We can give them access to our platform. Consumers get a better experience; Eventbrite gets access to a bigger audience. Everybody wins.”
Of course, the whole thing — from social recommendations to transactions — only happens if everyone’s in the Facebook pool. And that’s basically the long game that Bosworth and his team are playing here. “We’re building an ecosystem,” he says. “Businesses want to participate and gain access to where the people are.”
And this is really just the beginning. “In a macro context, this framework doesn’t fit just these products [Recommendations and Events],” he says. “But also products that we’re going to be working on in the course of the next few weeks, months, even years.”
‘Amnesia’ games to scare a new generation of players on PS4
Horror fans on the lookout for bone-chilling titles on the PS4 have something to look forward to in November. The whole Amnesia collection developed by Swedish studio Frictional Games and British developer The Chinese Room is finally arriving on the console on November 22nd. It consists of the same PC games that became Let’s Play favorites among streamers a few years ago, namely Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010), its expansion Amnesia: Justine (2011), as well as their sequel Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs (2013).
The games stood out for being subtle survival horrors that don’t rely on jump scares — the kind best played in a dark room on your own. While it’s unfortunate that you can’t get them before Halloween, you can pre-order the collection right now on the PlayStation Store for $30.
Sonder’s Customizable E-Ink Keyboard Again Rumored for 2018 MacBooks as CEO Denies Meeting Tim Cook
In an ongoing story surrounding the alleged talks between Apple and Australian startup Sonder, The Wall Street Journal is today adding its own set of “people familiar with the plans” to the report. The new article reiterates a 2018 launch window for customizable e-ink keyboards on Apple’s MacBook line, which was mentioned in a now-deleted Reddit post that began the rumors last week.
In response to the increasing amount of rumors surrounding Apple and Sonder, the latter company this week has confirmed that it never met with Apple during Tim Cook’s travels in China and Japan, suggesting that any talk of Apple’s acquisition of Sonder is false.
In a press release, Sonder CEO Francisco Serra-Martin stated that the original article by The Guardian — which ignited the story on the back of the Reddit post — “contains a number of factual errors.” Serra-Martin confirmed that he “did not meet Tim Cook on Wednesday 12th October 2016,” which The Guardian story said he did, without providing specifics of the meeting and its potential relation to acquisition talks.
The Guardian’s article “Apple in talks to acquire Australian startup Sonder” contains a number of factual errors. Sonder founder Francisco Serra-Martins did not meet Tim Cook on Wednesday 12th October 2016, although we would very like the opportunity to in the future.
The team at Sonder is pleased with the incredible response from the industry as we continue to present our story. We are not able to comment further on information on any single company or customer. Sonder’s E Ink keyboard provides infinite possibilities right at your fingertips and releases later this year.
With Serra-Martin’s direct confirmation of the original story’s lack of veracity, it appears that, for now, Apple’s plans aren’t immediately related to introducing the customizable e-ink technology into MacBooks or Magic Keyboards. Sonder’s own e-ink “Sonder Keyboard” is launching later this year for $199.
Tag: Sonder
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HTC Bolt may debut with a QHD display, Nougat, and Snapdragon 810
The HTC Bolt will likely be the first phone from the Taiwanese manufacturer to offer Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. The phone follows the same design language as the HTC 10, but is expected to feature a larger 5.5-inch QHD display. Leaked specs suggest an 18MP camera, 3GB of RAM, 64GB storage along with an microSD card, and a new report from reliable HTC leaker LlabTooFer indicates the phone will be powered by last year’s Snapdragon 810 and not the newer Snapdragon 820 or 821.
Based on leaked renders, it looks like the HTC Bolt will eschew the 3.5mm port for USB-C audio, much like the Moto Z and LeEco Le Max 2. The inclusion of the Snapdragon 810 is perplexing, as it’s already more than a year and a half old at this point.
The SoC not only suffered from thermal issues at launch, but there’s also a possibility that it won’t meet the technical hardware requirements for future versions of Android. The Adreno 330 GPU’s lack of support for OpenGL ES 3.1 is likely why devices powered by the Snapdragon 800 won’t be updated to Nougat, and we may see a similar situation play out with the Snapdragon 810 in a few years’ time.
Considering this is still a rumor, we’ll have to wait for the Bolt to debut to make any conclusions. The phone is slated for an unveil on Sprint in the U.S., with an eventual release planned for select markets in the EMEA region.
How to use app shortcuts in Android 7.1 on the Google Pixel
What’s the big deal with app shortcuts on the Google Pixel and Android 7.1?
App shortcuts are one of the best new features in Android 7.1, and right now they’re only available on the Pixel.
What are they? By holding down on a compatible app icon the home screen or app drawer of a compatible launcher (currently that’s just the Pixel Launcher), you can access pre-defined shortcuts, and create new icons from those shortcuts. Want to quickly pull up the navigation directions to home from where you are? Do that from the Google Maps icon. Want to quickly check for app updates on the Play Store? You can do that, too! Here’s how.
How to use app shortcuts
How to quickly take action from the home screen using app shortcuts
On the home screen or app drawer, hold down on an app.
Tap on an action.
How to create a new action icon from an app shortcut
On the home screen or app drawer, hold down on an app.
Hold down on an action.
Drag new icon to an unused place on the home screen.
Tap on icon to perform action.
See it in motion
Want to see how app shortcuts work in motion? Here’s the scoop — in video form!
This is how Android 7.1’s app shortcuts feature works on the Pixel. It’s 3D Touch lite. pic.twitter.com/2konZtzY3R
— Daniel Bader (@journeydan) October 18, 2016
Your turn
What do you think of app shortcuts? And which ones are you finding the most useful? Let us know!
Google Pixel + Pixel XL
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL review
- Google Pixel XL review: A U.S. perspective
- Google Pixel FAQ: Should you upgrade?
- Pixel + Pixel XL specs
- Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
- Join the discussion in the forums!
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How to watch Netflix on TV: Your complete guide
Netflix has changed our TV and movie viewing habits completely. It has 83.3 million subscribers worldwide and that has allowed it to not only challenge and beat video rental services, it now has the userbase and muscle to take on traditional broadcasters too.
It makes its own TV shows and movies that are exclusive to the platform. And with recent successes like Narcos and Stranger Things, plus the multiple Emmy award winning House of Cards, it has already proved that its output can rival any other studio’s in the business.
But you might not have jumped onto the Netflix bandwagon yet, or aren’t sure how to watch the streaming service. Here we give you a lowdown of how to get it onto your television or many other devices.
- Netflix review: The leading light in home entertainment
- Which is the best movie streaming service in the UK? Netflix vs Amazon Prime vs Now TV and more
Netflix
What is Netflix and how much does it cost?
Netflix is an online streaming service with thousands of TV shows and movies available to watch instantly. They are streamed over an internet connection to a wide variety of devices, including TVs, tablets, phones, games consoles and set-top-boxes. You can also watch Netflix films or programming on a computer.
It is a subscription service with one monthly fee. Depending on which subscription plan you opt for, you can watch Netflix on multiple devices at the same time. You can also opt to watch video in different quality settings, depending on your subscription: standard, high and 4K Ultra HD.
There are three different subscription plans:
- £5.99 a month enables you to watch standard definition (SD) video on just one device at a time.
- £7.49 a month enables you to watch high definition (HD) video on up to two devices at the same time.
- £8.99 a month enables you to watch 4K Ultra HD video (with HDR where available) on up to four devices at the same time.
Almost all shows and films are available in HD, a growing selection are now available in 4K Ultra HD too. Few at present are available with HDR wider colour and contrast tech for TVs that support it.
What broadband speed do I need for Netflix?
You will also need a broadband service that is capable to stream each of the different video qualities. Netflix uses adaptive bitstreaming to deliver its content, which changes the image quality depending on your broadband speed. However, if you have the following at minimum, you will be able to get each of the video resolutions:
- 3.0Mbps – recommended for SD quality.
- 5.0Mbps – recommended for HD quality.
- 25Mbps – recommended for 4K Ultra HD quality.
If your broadband is up to speed, you also need to ensure your Netflix playback settings are switched to “High” in your account settings. Go to Netflix.com, sign in and head to Playback Settings.
That gives you the option to change the quality settings, but you also need to keep in mind how much data each format uses. A mobile data plan or some broadband plans often have a monthly data limit. You can also use the playback settings to limit the amount of data used so you don’t use it all up on one movie.
For example, 4K Ultra HD video uses around 7GB of data per hour, while SD video uses a tenth of that.
What are Netflix profiles?
Netflix also supports profiles, so you can set up a different profile for each family member which will tune its content offerings depending on their individual viewing habits. There is also a dedicated Kids section that you can set as the default for younger viewers.
Once set-up, profiles appear on startup as giant icons, so you can choose your own. The main account holder can also link their Netflix profile to a Facebook account and have their own Facebook Profile Picture as the icon.
Netflix
How to watch Netflix on your TV
If you have a Smart TV from LG, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony or Toshiba it is very likely that there will be an Netflix app available on the set’s respective app store.
You can find a list of “Netflix Recommended TVs” here.
The app will be free to download and install on your connected TV but you will need a subscription. You do get a 30-day free trial though, if you’ve never used Netflix before.
Once you have the application downloaded and installed, you can log into it with your account details and off you go.
Pocket-lint
How to watch Netflix on a set-top-box
If you don’t have a Smart TV or want to watch Netflix in a bedroom, for example, you can get a set-top-box or connected dongle that gives you access.
There are many devices on the market that have Netflix apps available, which include Apple TV, Roku’s many boxes, Nvidia Shield Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Nexus Player.
You can also watch Netflix content on a Virgin Media TiVo box and a YouView TV set-top-box.
Netflix is accessible, in the vast majority of cases, through the respective device’s app hub. Just find the icon with your remote and start it up.
Virgin Media also has a Netflix section on its electronic programme guide, which sends you to the app when you click on it. Its new serieslink+ feature also lists related shows that are available on Netflix, so you can start them from there too.
Some Blu-ray players, such as those from LG, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba, have access to Netflix apps too.
Netflix
How to watch Netflix on a games console
Netflix is also available as a downloadable application on a large number of games consoles.
If you have a PlayStation 4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U or even a Wii, you can watch Netflix in varying qualities – depending on the ability of the console itself.
The Nintendo Wii, for example, is only capable of standard definition playback, while the PS4 and Xbox One can not only play Ultra HD content, they are both compatible with HDR video too.
You just have to select Netflix from any of the console’s main user interfaces, using either a gamepad or dedicated remote if you have one.
Pocket-lint
How to watch Netflix on Chromecast
Google’s Chromecast works differently to most connected devices. Rather than have its own app store and user interface on the device itself, it works with smartphone or tablet apps in order to control the shows and films you want to watch.
A Chromecast plugs into a TV’s HDMI port and you open the Netflix app on your phone or tablet. You will spy a Chromecast icon (a TV with a Wi-Fi symbol on top) at the top of the screen. Tap it and it links with your Chromecast dongle. Then, after starting a show or movie, tap the same icon at the top of the video again and it will start to play on your TV instead.
You can then use your mobile device as the remote control. You can also use it for anything else you fancy, such as make calls or browse the internet, as Chromecast streams the video over the internet directly. It doesn’t stream the content from your phone or tablet.
Netflix
How to watch Netflix on a smartphone or tablet
Netflix is also available to view when travelling, over mobile or remote Wi-Fi, through a smartphone or tablet device.
There are dedicated Netflix apps for iOS (iPhone, iPad and iPhone touch), Android and Windows Phone (Windows 10).
Just download them from the respective app store, start them up, enter your account details and away you go.
Netflix
How to watch Netflix on a PC or Mac
You can watch Netflix content on any computer through a web browser and the Netflix.com website.
You can also plug a laptop into your main TV and watch Netflix on the bigger screen if you don’t have any other device connected.
Best Home Entertainment Device or Service 2016: EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards nominees
The Pocket-lint Gadget Awards will be taking place at the end of November for the 13th year. There are 14 categories spanning smartphones, tablets and laptops to games, cars and home entertainment devices, with each nomination being something we have seen and reviewed in full over the last 12 months.
Every year in the run up to the awards, we publish a series of features that look at the nominees within each category in a little more detail. We want you to know why they have been shortlisted and what we think is great about each of them to help you decide which ones you think should walk away as the overall winners.
If you head to our Awards hub you will find the nominees for Best Game, Best Camera, Best Phone, Best Tablet / 2-in-1 and Best Laptop, but if you stay here, you’ll find the nominees for the Best Home Entertainment Device or Service this year.
As with all the categories, there are some great contenders in home entertainment from the Amazon Video and Netflix services to the Xbox One S, but which one will get your vote?
Click here to see the Awards nominees for 2016’s Best Home Entertainment Device or Service in a little more detail to help you decide which should get your vote.
Voting in the 13th annual EE Pocket-lint Awards is now open so you can let us know which one of these great devices you think should win the Best Home Entertainment Device or Service award for this year and give us your verdict on all the other tech across the 13 select categories.
Winners will be announced at the exclusive event in London on 23 November in association with EE. For now, keep an eye on the EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016 hub for all the latest on how the voting works, who the elite judges are and the EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards shortlist.
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