That Lumee light-up case Kim K uses has been updated to Lumee Two
Lumee Two is here, so prepare for an onslaught of fresh selfies on Instagram.
The original Lumee is a phone case that offers better lighting for selfies. It glows, giving you that extra oomph you need when not in natural lighting. Although many reviews have argued whether it improves selfies, we’ve all seen the selfie queen, Kim Kardashian, use a Lumee case in countless selfies. She may be paid to use the case, but that hasn’t stopped other celebs from giving it a try.
Lumee
For those of you who have been waiting to buy a Lumee (maybe because of the $60 price), now is the time. Not only has the original LED front-lit case been given a steep discount, but the company has launched a second-generation case version that is slimmer and 93-per cent brighter than the original. It also features a dimmer button and is described as being more durable by Lumee.
The Lumee Two fits over the iPhone 7 and all iPhone 6 models. It costs $59.95 and is available now in matte black, white, or rose gold, as well as glossy white. You can buy it from Best Buy online as well as Best Buy stores in the US and Canada. It’s also available from Lumee.com.
Will Galaxy S8 be Samsung’s first phone with a Force Touch display?
Samsung is really trying to come up with new ways to lure in customers.
Despite the major fiasco it caused with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and its faulty, exploding battery, which involved two major government recalls and a permanent end in production, Samsung is pushing forward with the next version of its flagship: the Galaxy S8. This smartphone is rumoured to feature many bells and whistles, including an edge display for both models, and according to a recent report, a Force Touch-like display.
If true, the Galaxy S8 would be the first smartphone from Samsung to come with pressure-sensitive technology, which Apple refers to as “Force Touch” or sometimes “3D Touch” in its iPhones. An anonymous source told Korean news publication The Investor that Samsung is hoping to adopt Apple’s Force Touch technology partially for the Galaxy S8, but full adoption in the range won’t come for one or two more years, apparently.
Force Touch-like technology is based entirely around a pressure-sensitive display, which enables an extra level of functionality based on how hard you press it. Press and hold on an app icon, for instance, and a menu will appear with options, such as compose a message or take a selfie or whatever is relevant. Apple has been using the feature since the launch of the iPhone 6S in 2015, as well as the Apple Watch and newer MacBooks.
Other rumoured features for the Galaxy S8 include two cameras and a dual-curved screen. Check out Pocket-lint’s rumour roundup for more details on what the upcoming flagship might feature.
The phone will likely be announced in early 2017.
Google’s self-driving cars master tricky three-point turns
With supercomputers for brains and perfect 360-degree vision, one would imagine it would be fairly simple for an autonomous vehicle to pass the time-honored driver’s ed test of performing a three-point turn. But according to Google’s self-driving car project October report, that is one of the many things that’s easier said than done for a robot vehicle.
While a human driver can estimate the best angle and distance, the amount of data and information the autonomous vehicle has can actually be a drawback. “Our challenge is to teach our self-driving cars to choose the option that’s not only the quickest, but one that feels natural to passengers,” the report says. So, even though some turns would be easier done in reverse, for example, people prefer to travel moving forward, where they can see what’s happening. “So we’ve taught our cars to mimic these human patterns, favoring wider forward arcs, rather than a series of short movements back and forth.”
In order to get all these turns right, Google’s vehicles are doing a lot more turns than most drivers will probably ever practice before hitting the road – about 1,000 every week. And, despite some hang ups with California’s autonomous vehicle regulations, Google’s vehicles have driven over 2.2 million autonomous miles in Washington State, California, Arizona and Texas to date.
Via: CNET Roadshow
Source: Google Self-Driving Car Project October Report [PDF]
National Geographic’s ‘Mars’ is like a SpaceX infomercial
Like a prequel to The Martian crossed with an educational documentary, National Geographic’s Mars is an earnest attempt at inspiring a new generation about a manned mission to the red planet. But what’s most intriguing is how much it puts Elon Musk’s SpaceX front and center (which has already laid out its plans to get to Mars), even more so than work from NASA and other space agencies. It’s a sign of the times: Our next step into the beyond will likely involve a benevolent billionaire as much as it does the cooperation of Earth’s most technologically advanced countries.
The series, which premieres tonight on National Geographic and has the backing of Oscar winning producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, is a unique hybrid of different storytelling techniques. On one side, it’s a drama set in 2033 following the crew of the first human-led mission to Mars. And on the other, it’s a documentary diving into how we’ll get there. But all the way through, it’s hard not to feel the mark of SpaceX.
While the documentary portion of the show has a bevy of notable interviewees, including Neil deGrasse Tyson and The Martian author Andy Weir, it inevitably shifts back to Musk and all of his company’s work. That makes sense when you consider just how important SpaceX’s reusable rockets will be for a Mars mission. (After all, how else would the first band of astronauts get back home?) To its credit, the show doesn’t shy away from SpaceX’s failures; in fact, it features two prominent clips of the company’s Falcon 9 rockets exploding (along with the devastated reactions of its employees).
The dramatic side of the show centers around a fictional space agency, the International Mars Science Foundation, which is led by a charismatic businessman who “can sell anything.” With an engineer’s love for his spaceship, it’s hard not to see that character as Musk with a different accent. While the IMSF is a private organization, it has investors from all over the globe, which explains its diverse group of astronauts. Much like The Martian, the show presents a future where the world is working together towards a common goal: Make it to Mars and set up a colony.
Naturally, there are problems along the way. As the Daedalus crew nears Mars, they encounter thruster issues which could make it impossible for them to land safely. They survive — there wouldn’t be a show if they didn’t — but it’s an ominous start. The key takeaway? Space exploration is exciting, but it’s also fraught with peril.
Mars doesn’t have the thrills of The Martian, but its hybrid drama/documentary could entice younger viewers who wouldn’t be caught dead watching a typical science show. It’s also an intriguing big-budget move for National Geographic, a network better known for endlessly repeating low-rent nature shows.
New York City’s free gigabit WiFi comes to Brooklyn
LinkNYC’s free, gigabit-grade WiFi is all over large chunks of New York City, but there’s a conspicuous Brooklyn-sized gap… or rather, there was. The communication network has switched on its first two Brooklyn kiosks, both of them on Fulton Street in the Bed-Stuy area. Don’t worry about having to visit a small part of the borough to get no-cost internet access, though. There are nine other Brooklyn hotspots due to go online in the weeks ahead, including some near LIU-Brooklyn and Prospect Park.
Staten Island also has its first kiosk, so those in the southwestern corner of the city don’t have to cross a bridge to see what the fuss is about.
As before, the LinkNYC kiosks aren’t just about free internet access. You also have free domestic calls (including easy connections to 311 and 911) and USB ports to charge your mobile devices. While you can’t browse the web from them like you could early on, they’re potentially crucial to the homeless, travelers and others who don’t have guaranteed internet and phone service in the Big Apple.
Source: LinkNYC
Dissecting the alien language in ‘Arrival’
One of the coolest bits from from Arrival isn’t the sci-fi movie’s Lovecraftian aliens or its stunning cinematography (although, to be fair, those are both great), it’s the Heptapods’ language. Figuring out a way to communicate with beings without provoking a war is central to the first-contact story’s plot. While their spoken language is basically a series of low-frequency grunts and groans, the inky “written” version of it resembles an ouroboros that’s written and read from left to right and right to left, simultaneously.
Throughout a series of tweets recently, writer/producer Eric Heisserer explained not only how the circular speech symbols came to be, but also the “bespoke logogram analytic code” that translated the language when the cameras were rolling. “In several shots in the film, the analytics you see are working in real-time to dissect a logogram,” Heisserer writes. “Not canned CG.”
That code looked like this: pic.twitter.com/BstvUct4PQ
— Eric Heisserer (@HIGHzurrer) November 14, 2016
Bringing the language to the screen was a joint effort between designer Patrice Vermette, science consultant Stephen Wolfram — of Wolfram Alpha fame — and his son Christopher Wolfram. All told, some 100 “unique logograms with embedded words and phrases, with mutable components” were crafted for the film.
The elder Wolfram penned a lengthy blog post about the science of the movie, too. He explains the “shell” ship design of the aliens, the work he did to ensure the science was accurate while still being entertaining and the extent that his Mathematica software was used therein. He even dishes on the whiteboard full of formulas shown in the movie, and what went into ensuring its contents were probable and plausible.
Of course, both Heisserer’s tweets and Wolfram’s blog post are rife with spoilers, so if you’re trying to go into the movie completely blind you’re going to want to avoid both. Arrival is in theaters now.
Source: Eric Heisserer (Twitter), Stephen Wolfram
Google is restricting AdSense ads on fake-news sites
Google made headlines recently about the top search result for ‘final election numbers’ being patently false. Now the company is going to keep fake-news sites from using its nigh-ubiquitous AdSense program according to the Wall Street Journal. In a statement, the search giant says that as part of an update to its publisher policies, that it will restrict ad serving on websites that “misrepresent, misstate or conceal information about the publisher, the publisher’s content, or the primary purpose” of the site.
With the surfeit of questionably sourced-or-written articles that popped up during this year’s election cycle, it’s refreshing to see at least one of the largest players in tech taking responsibility and addressing how information is distributed and presented. That sound you hear is the ball bouncing around on Facebook’s court. We’ve reached out to Google for additional information and will update this post should it arrive.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Apple Testing Augmented Reality ‘Smart Glasses’ That Connect to iPhone
As part of its effort to expand further into wearable devices, Apple is working on a set of smart glasses, reports Bloomberg. Citing sources familiar with Apple’s plans, the site says the smart glasses would connect wirelessly to the iPhone, much like the Apple Watch, and would display “images and other information” to the wearer.
Apple has contacted potential suppliers about its glasses project and has ordered “small quantities” of near-eye displays, suggesting the project is in the exploratory prototyping phase of development. If work on the glasses progresses, they could be released in 2018.
Google Glass
Apple’s glasses sound similar to Google Glass, the head-mounted display that Google first introduced in 2013. Google Glass used augmented reality and voice commands to allow users to do things like check the weather, make phone calls, and capture photographs. Apple’s product could be similar in functionality.
The glasses may be Apple’s first hardware product targeted directly at AR, one of the people said. Cook has beefed up AR capabilities through acquisitions. In 2013, Apple bought PrimeSense, which developed motion-sensing technology in Microsoft Corp.’s Kinect gaming system. Purchases of software startups in the field, Metaio Inc. and Flyby Media Inc., followed in 2015 and 2016.
Google Glass was highly criticized because of privacy concerns, and as a result, it never really caught on with consumers. Google eventually stopped developing Google Glass in January of 2015.
It is not clear how Apple would overcome the privacy and safety issues that Google faced, nor if the project will progress, but Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed Apple’s deep interest in augmented reality multiple times over the last few months, suggesting something big is in the works. “AR can be really great,” he said in July. “We have been and continue to invest a lot in this. We’re high on AR in the long run.”
Past rumors have also indicated Apple is exploring a number of virtual and augmented reality projects, including a full VR headset. Apple has a full team dedicated to AR and VR research and how the technologies can be incorporated into future Apple products. Cook recently said that he believes augmented reality would be more useful and interesting to people than virtual reality.
Related Roundup: Apple VR Project
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BlitzWolf 5-port USB Desktop Charger review
Pretty much every portable gadget we have today requires some sort of occasional recharging. Whether it’s multiple phones in the family, or a gaming controller, or tablet, we find ourselves unplugging one device to plug in another. It’s time to get smart about things; it’s time to make better use of the wall outlets.
One device that does such a thing is the BlitzWolf 5-port desktop charger. As the name implies, it takes one wall outlet and turns it into five USB ports. Certified by Qualcomm, it provides Quick Charge 3.0 capability in one of its ports. Moreover, the other four ports also allow for 5V/2.4A output so that means they’re pretty darn fast, too.
We’ve had one of these in our office for the last couple of weeks and have come to really appreciate it. Rather than getting behind the desk and filing cabinet to plug and unplug various devices, we’ve put the BlitzWolf in place. The cord is roughly four feet long so there is plenty of length to put in on the desk. Now, all we do is plug in the various cables when we need to.
- QC3.0 mode: Variable 3.6V-12V with 200mV incremental dynamic regulation
- QC2.0 mode: Stepped 5v/2.4A ,9V/2A and 12V/1.5A . Rated at 18W but can peak at up to 12V/2A~24W.
- Standard Fast 4.4A Mode: 5V/4.4A. Rated at 22W.
With five ports to play with in total, we’ve taken to leaving a handful of cables dangling back behind the printer. Whenever we need something charged, we reach back and plug it in. And, because they’re relatively fast, we don’t have to stay at the desk for long.
Our main desk is glass so the tiny rubber boots on the bottom of the charger stick very well. Tucked out of the way, it stays put whenever we plug in or remove a cable. The rubber grips also work well on most other materials, too.
The charger travels extremely well, thanks to both its small stature and Velcro cord wrap. It takes all of ten seconds to pull this one apart and wrap the cord up for tossing in a bag or suitcase.
Unlike most tech gadgets and accessories, the BlitzWolf comes with an 18-month warranty. And, lest you think it adds to the cost of the unit, we’d like to point out that it’s only $23.99.
The BlitzWolf charger not only supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charge technology, but is backwards compatible with all previous versions (1.0, 2.0 & 3.0). Yes, it is also fully compatible with USB Type-C cables and can also provide standard charging for non-Quick Charge devices.
Where to Buy
If you’re looking to score one of these — and we think you should — grab one from Banggood today. When ordering, pick out the proper plug for your market. Indeed, there are four options to choose from. While you are there, be sure to check out some of the other fine accessories from BlitzWolf, too.
2016 Ford Focus RS review – Roadshow
Nov 2016
The Good Superb handling and power mixed with remarkable practicality.
The Bad Ride quality leaves a little to be desired when just cruising.
The Bottom Line For this money, you won’t find a better hot hatch in the US.
Finally, this one’s for us. Ford has been making hotted-up versions of its compact cars for decades, teasing American buyers with machines like the Escort RS and RS Cosworth. They were fast, they were affordable and none of them were available in the US.
That changes now. This is the $36,000 Focus RS, the fastest RS ever to wear a blue oval on the nose and perhaps the hottest of hot hatches on the market today. It’s fast, no doubt about that, but what about the rest? Let’s dive in and find out.
Powering around the track
The Focus RS feels remarkably planted on the track.
Nick Miotke/Roadshow
The heart of the Focus RS is a 2.3-liter inline four-cylinder engine making a nicely symmetrical 350 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. Also symmetrical? How that power gets through the ground. After a trip through a six-speed manual transmission (there’s no auto or DCT available on Focus), the torque is routed to all four wheels via an advanced AWD system.
A central differential directs more power to the rear wheels than the front, providing a lively feel, while clutch-type differentials at either end vector torque from left to right as well. In other words, the car can send its power where it wants to ensure great handling.
When flirting with the limit the car is just as responsive to adjustments made with your right foot as those made with your hands on the wheel.
On the road, and even more so on the track, this results in a car that reacts differently than what you might be expecting — at least, it was certainly different from what I was expecting. I’ve spent a lot of time driving Subarus and Audis and other AWD powerhouses, and of course the prevailing trend is to understeer wide when pushed.
The Focus RS, however, has an eager, direct response when driven hard. Yes, it too will wallow in understeer if you get into the corner too hot, but it’s never of the terminal sort. Simple, light corrections get the nose headed in the right direction, and when flirting with the limit the car is just as responsive to adjustments made with your right foot as those made with your hands on the wheel.
This is helped by a suspension that’s well stiffer than even the Focus ST, with two-way adaptive dampers situated on all four corners. On their standard stiffness the car is, indeed, quite stiff. Toggle into track mode and they get even more resistant to movement, adding even more sharpness to the feel of the car.
Yes, this is a tall hatchback and with a fair bit of body roll through the corners, but the feel is still legitimately, remarkably good.
Drift mode
For those times when you want to feel less planted, enter Drift Mode!
Nick Miotke/Roadshow
I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the Focus RS’s Drift Mode, though I confess I think it’s more of a gimmick than a good way for Ford’s engineers to spend their time. That said, there is a bit of a method to their madness.
Set the car in drift mode and disable the traction control and the car does feel immediately different — different, but in a decidedly bad way. The suspension moves to its softest setting, so the RS flops about more than usual, and power sent to the rear wheels is set to maximum. This results in a car that feels very, very unstable: perfect for drifting.
AIVAnet 