Redesigned Photos Web App on iCloud.com Now Available for Everyone

After first testing out a new update to the Photos web app on the iCloud beta website earlier this month, Apple has now rolled out the update to all users (via Mac Generation). The overhaul to the app on iCloud.com introduces a macOS-like Photos experience with a sidebar that can be toggled on and off, and a scrollable thumbnail view of every photo in an album at the bottom of the site when looking at individual pictures.

Previously, Photos on iCloud.com placed albums in a tab bar at the top of the site, so the update makes it easier to navigate multiple albums at once. To top off the navigation tweaks, there are also four action buttons in the top right corner of the web app for uploading, adding, downloading, sharing, and deleting albums and photos.

The Photos web app on iCloud.com is still lacking macOS and iOS features like editing, shared albums, memories, and people, which uses facial recognition to organize your photos on Mac and iPhone. Users can head over to iCloud.com to check out the new Photos update on the site.

Tag: iCloud
Discuss this article in our forums

Honda in talks with Alphabet’s Waymo over self-driving car tech

Honda cars will be retrofitted with Waymo’s self-driving tech.

Alphabet’s self-driving car project is in formal talks with Honda over a possible collaboration between the two companies. The partnership will see Waymo integrate its self-driving platform and sensors into Honda cars, with engineers from both companies working closely together.

In the official announcement, Honda mentioned that it will retorfit a few vehicles to accommodate Waymo’s self-driving tech:

As part of the discussion on technical collaboration, Honda could initially provide Waymo with vehicles modified to accommodate Waymo’s self-driving technology. These vehicles would join Waymo’s existing fleet, which are currently being tested across four U.S. cities.

Honda previously announced its intention to put production vehicles with automated driving capabilities on highways sometime around 2020 related to its goal of a collision-free society. In addition to these on-going efforts, this technical collaboration with Waymo could allow Honda R&D to explore a different technological approach to bring fully self-driving technology to market. These discussions are an initial step that will allow Waymo and Honda R&D to further explore the potential of a broad range of automated driving technologies.

If the deal goes through, Honda will be the second automaker to tie up with Waymo. The company has already partnered with Fiat Chrysler to produce 100 self-driving minivans.

How to take a screenshot in MIUI 8

MIUI 8 offers plenty of ways to take a screenshot.

There are three different ways to take a screenshot in MIUI 8, and Xiaomi rolled out a new scrolling screenshot feature that lets you capture an entire page. The operating system is slowly rolling out to more phones, and handsets like the Redmi Note 3 that picked up the update earlier this year are now receiving the Marshmallow-based builds of MIUI 8.

If you’re new to MIUI 8 or are looking for easier ways to take a screenshot, here’s what you need to know.

How to take a screenshot in MIUI 8

Use the power and volume button combination

The fastest way to take a screenshot in MIUI 8 is through the tried and tested combination of pressing down on the power and volume down buttons.

Get to the screen you want to capture.
Press and hold the power and volume down buttons at the same time.
Hold for a few seconds, and you’ll hear the camera shutter accompanied by a short visual indicating the screenshot was captured.
Once the screenshot is taken, it will be accessible for a few seconds from the top right corner of the UI. You’ll be able to share, annotate, or edit the screenshot by selecting it.

Alternatively, you can also press the volume down and menu keys simultaneously to take a screenshot.

Select the screenshot toggle from the notification panel

With MIUI 8, Xiaomi introduced quick toggles in the notification panel. The default pane offers a toggle through which you can quickly take a screenshot. While it’s a convenient way of taking a screenshot, you won’t be able to use this method to take a screenshot of the notification pane itself.

Get to the screen you want to capture.
Swipe down from the top of the screen to access the notification panel.
Select the Screenshot toggle to take a screenshot.

Use Quick Ball to take a screenshot

Quick Ball in MIUI 8 is similar to Assistive Touch in iOS. When enabled, you’ll see a floating circle that lives on top of other apps, giving you quick access to five shortcuts: Home, back, recents, power off, and screenshot.

Go to Settings.
Navigate to Additional settings.
Go to Quick ball.
Toggle Turn on Quick ball.
Once it’s enabled, tap Quick ball to access its shortcuts.
Select the Screenshot shortcut.

Extended screenshot

MIUI 8 offers a scrolling screenshot option that lets you capture a whole page in a single screenshot. To access the feature, you’ll have to take a screenshot first using any of the aforementioned methods. Once the screenshot is taken, you’ll see an animation in the top right corner that shows a preview of the screenshot. Select it, and you’ll see options to edit, share, or delete the screenshot, as well as a scroll feature that lets you extend the screenshot.

Hit Scroll, and MIUI will continue scrolling down to the bottom of the page where it left off. The feature doesn’t work in Chrome, but you will be able to save entire webpages when using the default MIUI browser.

Your turn

That’s a quick look at all the options currently available to take a screenshot in MIUI 8. Select MIUI 8 beta builds also have a nifty option that lets you quickly take a screenshot with a three-finger swipe motion anywhere on the screen.

I wasn’t able to access the option on any of the Xiaomi phones I currently have, but if it shows up in a stable build, I’ll add it to the list.

What’s your preferred way to take a screenshot in MIUI 8?

Google’s free public Wi-Fi is now available at 100 railway stations across India

Free Wi-Fi is now available at 100 railway stations in India.

Back when Google announced that it would offer free Wi-Fi across railway stations in India, it said that it would roll out the service at 100 stations before the end of 2016. With just over a week to go, Google has announced that the free Wi-Fi service is now live in 100 train stations, with Ooty’s Udhagamandalam being the latest addition.

Google revealed that its free Wi-Fi service — offered in collaboration with RailTel — has over 5 million monthly users, with 15,000 daily new additions. Commenting on the occasion, Google India’s head of connectivity Gulzar Azad talked about the service’s impact in the country:

We’re really excited about reaching this milestone and it is an incredible feeling to look back and see how far we’ve come since we announced that we were partnering with Indian Railways and RailTel to provide Wi-Fi at 400 railway stations throughout the country. But what has really inspired us are the stories of how people are using this high-speed access to the full and open Internet. They’re using Railwire Wi-Fi to be more productive with their time and to get things done more efficiently.

Google also shared stories from consumers availing free Wi-Fi and how it has made a difference in their lives. From Bhagwan Sahay, a user from Jaipur:

I visit [Jaipur station] every 3 to 4 days to get fast access to the Internet. I stop there for a few minutes, download apps, update them and get things my daughter wants. She is in 10th grade and uses my smartphone in the evenings to fulfill her educational needs. She also teaches my wife, her mother, to read and write using my smartphone.

Then there’s the story of Bholu, a migrant worker from Bihar:

Traveling usually means I won’t have a good connection. I got so excited when I saw free Wi-Fi here at the station. I just called my wife, and the voice and picture clarity were so good. I haven’t seen her face this clear in so long, whenever I talk the image is blurred because the network isn’t great. She also got so excited to see my call, she was very surprised to see me. I feel so good after speaking to her. I can’t stop smiling.

With cellular connectivity still out of reach for a majority of the population,Google’s Wi-Fi initiative is certainly helping million of people interact with their friends and family, catch up on news, learn new skills, and even look for job opportunities. For its part, Google has said that it is committed to bringing the service to 400 railway stations across the country.

Encrypted chat app Signal adds domain fronting to bypass censorship in the Middle East

Signal is now routing its traffic through Google’s CDNs.

Open Whisper Systems — makers of the encrypted chat app Signal — found out that the Egyptian government had blocked access to the app earlier this week. The company has now rolled out an update to Signal that circumvents government censorship through a technique called domain fronting.

Signal is now routing its traffic through Google’s CDNs (content delivery networks), so all messages sent on the platform now look like requests to Google services. Essentially, this means that for a country to block access to Signal, they’d also have to switch off connectivity to all of Google’s services.

Signal described the process in detail on its blog:

Today’s Signal release uses a technique known as domain fronting. Many popular services and CDNs, such as Google, Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon S3, Azure, CloudFlare, Fastly, and Akamai can be used to access Signal in ways that look indistinguishable from other uncensored traffic. The idea is that to block the target traffic, the censor would also have to block those entire services. With enough large scale services acting as domain fronts, disabling Signal starts to look like disabling the internet.

With today’s release, domain fronting is enabled for Signal users who have a phone number with a country code from Egypt or the UAE. When those users send a Signal message, it will look like a normal HTTPS request to http://www.google.com. To block Signal messages, these countries would also have to block all of google.com.

Follow up releases will include detecting censorship and applying circumvention when needed (eg. so that when users with phone numbers from other countries visit places where censorship is being deployed, Signal will work without a VPN for them as well) and expanding the services that domain front for Signal.

In addition to circumventing government censorship, the latest update also includes support for adding doodles, stickers, and text to images. If you’re looking for a secure way to communicate on Android, you should take a look at Signal.

The LG V20’s Second Screen is a gimmick that actually works

Is the LG V20’s second screen a reason to buy the phone?

The LG V20 is a big phone with a twist — a second “ticker” display just above the main LCD panel that LG calls the “Second Screen.” In reality, it is just a small extension of the main display, but thanks to improvements in battery efficiency and some software smarts, it is able to stay on all the time.

But is the Second Screen a gimmick? And what exactly can you do with that extra space? Let’s break it down.

What is the Second Screen?

It’s exactly what it sounds like: a place for displaying additional information and quick settings that aren’t always in the foreground on a typical Android phones. Its resolution is 1040×160 pixels, which isn’t quite as wide as the full width of the 2560×1440 display since it needs to leave room for the front-facing camera and proximity sensors.

LG has seven built-in panels that can be swiped through horizontally:

• Quick Tools (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth)
• App shortcuts (specific apps)
• Recent apps
• Quick contacts
• Music controls
• Signature (By default your name)
• Upcoming plans

Some of these are considerably more useful than others, and I tend only to leave three — quick tools, app shortcuts, and media controls — enabled while the screen is on. The rest merely duplicate existing functionality.

Is it useful?

That’s the big question. Andrew Martonik, in his review, dismissed the Second Screen, saying that it doesn’t really add much to the experience. Here are his words:

Much like I found with the “edge screen” on the Galaxy S7 edge (and Note 7), the second screen doesn’t really do much other than duplicate functions I can already do very quickly elsewhere on the phone. Just as easily as getting to the quick tools I can swipe down the notification shade. Just as quickly as swiping and then tapping on a recent app in the second screen I could just hit the Recents button in the navigation bar … and so on and so forth. Add to that the fact that the second screen is at the top of an extremely tall phone, and it makes it (literally) a bit less accessible than the same functions elsewhere on the phone.

Now, I agree with most of that, but after using the LG V20 as my main phone for a month, going back to a phone without the second screen feels like it’s missing something. Here’s why: by default, the second screen shows notifications that would have popped over existing content; you can expand it to create the “real” notification overlay, but generally the second screen version suffices.

The second screen also works when the main one is off, showing notifications when they appear while at other times offering the same quick tools as when the display is on. It’s a system that works most of the time, and unlike the edge display on the Galaxy Note Edge, I never find this one intrusive or frustrating to use.

The best use cases

For me, the best use cases are the simplest.

For me, the best use cases are the simplest: tapping on my most-used apps to quickly get to Slack, 1Password, Todoist, Spotify or Instagram, or quickly toggling Wi-Fi without having to swipe down on the notification shade.

I think LG understands the second screen is there to augment the first, and not to intrude on the primary experience of using Android. That the phone runs Android 7.0, which has an inherently better notification system than anything before it, also helps, since I often find myself relying on inline replies to communicate rather than entering the app itself. The second screen makes it easy to decide whether I should actually take action on a particular notification, since there’s a small arrow to the right of the message that lets you expand it to its normal size. Think of it as notification triage.

The other part of the second screen that really works is media control. Having a permanent Spotify toast at the top of the display is just great, and it blends nicely into the rest of the Android experience. Yes, you can just swipe down the notification shade to access he same controls, but this is better.

A reason to buy the V20?

The second screen is one of many features that make the V20 compelling, and while alone it isn’t enough to warrant a buy, it’s definitely one of those features that impresses passersby and improves the phone’s general desirability. Along with its removable battery, the second screen is certainly a check box on a list that includes a great big screen, a fast processor, plenty of storage, two awesome cameras, and a version of Android 7.0 that I’ve grown to appreciate, if not admire.

That’s kind of the confusing aspect of the LG V20. It has so many gimmicky-sounding features on the surface, but they consolidate into something much better than their individual components. The second screen is something special: a gimmick that works, and improves, the whole.

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!

AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint
B&H

Best TVs of CES 2017: What to expect

CES 2017 kicks off in Las Vegas in a little over a week and one of the biggest draws of the show every year is new TVs. CES is the place where all the TV manufacturers go to show off their ranges for the year ahead and the new technologies they’ve been working on.

It’s so often been the proving ground of many important TV technologies over the past few years, including 4K, Dolby Vision, HDR and Quantum Dot.

But with those technologies already having firm foundations in the TV market, what new things could 2017 possibly bring?

Let us run through what TVs we can expect to see at the world’s largest consumer electronics show.

• CES 2017: What is it and what to expect

Hisense

Pocket-lint

Purveyor of affordable 4K and 4K HDR TVs, Hisense will return to CES 2017 armed with what will no doubt be another range of budget screens. From our experience with Hisense TVs, the drop in price doesn’t necessarily mean a drop in quality. The screens haven’t always been able to compete with the very best from the LG and Samsung’s of the world, but when they cost a fraction of the price, we’re happy to compromise.

The Chinese electronics manufacturer introduced a new H7 series of screens at CES 2016 which started at $399 for a 43-inch 4K TV, an absolute bargain. In 2017, we expect to see yet more affordable screens, with hopefully an improvement in picture quality to keep them hot on the heels of the leading brands.

LG

Pocket-lint

LG announced a new Signature OLED series of TVs at CES 2016, which included the OLED G6 and OLED E6, arguably two of the best TVs to come out of 2016. LG is still the only manufacturer really pushing for 4K OLED screens while others are sticking with LCD.

Will that change in 2017? We shall see.

As for what TVs LG will give us, well the company usually announces its new offerings before the show actually starts so we don’t have long to wait. However, we expect more 4K OLED screens with HDR and Dolby Vision support, along with improved picture performance on last year’s models – as tricky as that may be.

Of course it won’t just be OLED screens from the South Koreans, as CES 2016 ushered in a new range of Super UHD LCD TVs. 2017 will likely give us the same, hopefully with improved contrast and brightness levels to enhance HDR images.

As for screen sizes, there will likely be everything from 49 up to 75 inches, although we may see a huge 100-inch plus screen as an indication into what the company can do.

• Best TVs of CES 2016: LG, Samsung, Panasonic and more

Panasonic

Pocket-lint

Panasonic was first out the blocks to announce the first 4K TV with the illustrious Ultra HD Premium mark of approval at CES 2016 in the DX902. Ultra HD Premium is a set of criteria a TV must meet to show it’s capable of the very best picture performance. Criteria includes a 10-bit colour-capable panel and a brightness of more than 1000 nits for the best HDR performance.

• Panasonic Viera DX902 4K TV review: Honeycomb-sweet picture quality

And what a TV the DX902 was, delivering bright whites, impressive contrast and deep blacks. We’re hoping Panasonic can deliver much of the same in 2017 and trickle some of its impressive picture technology down to lower ranges.

Philips

Pocket-lint

Philips always has a fun stand to visit at CES because of all the lights! Yes, Philips is the only company to attach strips of LEDs to the back of their TVs, called AmbiLight. The result is rather effective too, delivering a more immersive picture experience by essentially removing the bezel of the TV and extending the picture.

At CES 2016 Philips even introduced the PUS8901 AmbiLux TV that had nine mini projectors fitted to the back instead of LEDs. While the LEDs can only produce colours that relate to whatever is on screen, the projectors are able to actually continue the image of what’s on screen.

We expect to see more lights, more projectors and more Ultra HD panels at CES 2017.

Samsung

Pocket-lint

Samsung is always one of the star attractions at CES because it usually has a world’s first or two. CES 2016 saw the arrival of the flagship KS9500 series, part of its SUHD TV range. To this day, nobody knows exactly what the ‘S’ stands for, Samsung? Super? Splendid?

• Samsung KS9500 SUHD TV review: Brightest HDR, pitched on a curve

Either way, Samsung’s TVs were some of the best of this year and were a real testament to just how well LCD can perform against OLED. We expect much of the same from 2017, although Forbes journalist John Archer has said Samsung will introduce a new range of QLED TVs in Las Vegas.

The range will be a more intricate marriage between Quantum Dot – a technology that appears in some of its 2016 TV – and LCD LED panels. The new sets are said to have three distinct features: HDR 1500, which likely refers to the brightness of the panel, increasing from 1000 nits to 1500 nits, which should make HDR images even better. Q HDR likely refers to how Samsung will use Quantum Dot as a means to improve HDR pictures and Real Black should result in deeper blacks, one of the areas where LCD just can’t quite compete with OLED sets.

Sony

Sony

Sony waited until late 2016 to unveil the excellent ZD9 series TV, which ended up winning a Pocket-lint Award. CES 2016 however saw the introduction of the XD93 series, which had full HDR capabilities and was powered by Android TV.

• Sony is getting in on the OLED TV action with two new models

In 2017, we expect Sony to carry on with HDR-capable LCD TVs, although there is speculation that the Japanese manufacturer will turn its hand to OLED screens too. If Sony does venture into OLED waters then we’ll probably only see prototypes at CES, as the full production models aren’t expected until IFA later in the year.

TCL Corporation

TCL will bring with its latest range of flagship Quantum Dot TVs to Las Vegas, as well as announce plans for future progression. The company’s TVs aren’t sold here in the UK, but being the world’s third-largest TV manufacturer, they’re available in a lot of other territories, and are incredibly popular in America.

Best smartphones of CES 2017: What to expect

Considering there’s a dedicated smartphone convention held in February in the form of Mobile World Congress, you can sometimes wonder why manufacturers would release any smartphones at CES in January.

In previous years, flagship phones have been reserved for MWC or separate events, and more mid-range handsets have been shown off in Las Vegas. We expect much of the same again for the next show in January, although unsurprisingly not a lot has been formally announced just yet, but we do know of some companies that will be at the show, so we can take some pretty educated guesses.

Here’s everyone we know will be attending CES 2017 at the moment, we’ll update this page as and when we know more.

• CES 2017: What is it and what to expect
• Mobile World Congress 2017: Smartphones, smartphones, smartphones to expect

Asus

Asus has confirmed it will be attending CES 2017 and has called its press conference ‘Zenovation’. While we aren’t completely sure what products will be announced, it’s almost certain to relate to the company’s Zen series of products, which can include smartphones.

Honor

Honor is another company to confirm it will be at the show and has already sent out invites for an exclusive global launch of a new product, which will likely be a new smartphone. The unveiling will take place on Tuesday 3 January, but until then, details of the new phone are pretty thin on the ground.

The Huawei-owned subsidiary has impressed in the past with its mid-range phones, although they haven’t been quite able to challenge OnePlus. Will the company’s new model stand a better chance? Watch this space.

LG

LG

While we’re expecting to see the LG G6 later in 2017, the company has announced the mid-range phones that we’ll be seeing in the US. There will be four phones as part of a new K Series alongside the latest version of LG’s stylus-controlled phablet, the Stylus 3.

The K Series phones will have varying screen sizes, batteries and cameras, all of which will be targeted at different types of consumer.

The Stylus 3 meanwhile will get a 5.7-inch HD display, 32GB of internal storage and rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

• LG confirms CES 2017 smartphone line-up: K Series and Stylus 3 inbound

Sony

Pocket-lint

Sony is rumoured to be unveiling not one, but two new phones at CES 2017, and ones of the flagship variety at that. The phones in question are said to have 5.2-inch and 5.5-inch displays, the former being full HD while the 5.5in will be 4K.

• Sony could launch 4K Xperia smartphone at CES 2017

It’s not the first time Sony would have put a 4K screen on a phone, so it’s entirely plausible for the company to do it again.

We’re still not entirely sold on 4K screens for smartphones, as there’s currently no native content to watch on them, unless you record it yourself. But we applaud Sony for being able to do it nonetheless.

ZTE Corporation

Chinese smartphone manufacturer ZTE will be in attendance at CES. Only some of the company’s phones are sold here in the UK, but those that do tend to be affordable while still offering a near-premium experience. There’s no word on what exactly will be revealed in Las Vegas as the company is keeping tight-lipped until the big reveal.

However it does say we can expect to see “new and exciting product announcements and company news”. We’ll be sure to bring you all the latest news as and when we get it.

Dior’s frame-maker is developing mood-assessing smartglasses

The Italian company that makes frames for Dior, Fendi and Hugo Boss eyewear is working on something more high-tech than it’s used to: a pair of smartglasses. According to Bloomberg, Safilo Group SpA spent the past year developing internet-connected glasses with the intention of debuting it at CES 2017. The pair will reportedly be more like Snap’s Spectacles than Google Glass — a device that looks just like any eyewear out there with some “smart” capabilities.

When we say “some,” we actually mean just one: Safilo’s device doesn’t have a camera, a display or even a microphone. What it does have are five sensors embedded behind the ears and on the nose bridge that can measure brainwaves. It then sends the results to an app to help you assess your state of mind and help you relax and meditate. The company is reportedly working with Toronto startup InteraXon to create the pair, which has the same feature as the Canadian brand’s flagship product, the Muse Headband.

Safilo chief Luisa Delgado believes its product is fashionable enough to appeal to more people than Google Glass did. Further, this is probably just the beginning of the company’s foray into the smartglass market. If it sells enough units, it will likely develop more models with other features. Bloomberg says Safilo’s technology will first be available as a pair of mood-assessing shades to be sold online in the US by summer 2017. It could eventually make its way to prescription glasses and even to eyewear sold by Dior and other companies that use Safilo’s frames.

Source: Bloomberg