France is the first to use drones for its national mail service
It’s no longer surprising to see postal services experimenting with delivering mail using drones. However, France is kicking things up a notch: its national mail service will be the first to deliver packages by drone on a regular route. DPDgroup, the express courier subsidiary of the mail service, is running a test program where a hexacopter drone (not shown here) will carry packages up to 6.6 pounds along a 9.3-mile route in France’s southern Provence region.
These are commercial customers using dedicated spaces to collect their orders, so you can’t strictly compare this to Amazon’s recent home delivery in the UK. It would be considerably more challenging to deliver to individuals, who don’t have the luxury of secure areas or readily available staff. However, the routine nature of the experiment is a big deal. It’s a step toward using drones as an everyday aspect of mail service instead of limiting them to special occasions. DPDgroup sees this as particularly useful for deliveries in hard-to-access areas like islands and mountains, but it could help in any situation where conventional trucks would be impractical.
Via: Motherboard
Source: DPDgroup
Microsoft updates Beam streaming to better compete with Twitch
Microsoft is getting its newly-acquired Beam livestreaming service ready for Xbox and Windows with a big new update rolling out today in beta. Beam’s low-latency tech lets you rapidly interact with your favorite streamers, and even play along, compared to the more passive Twitch experience. It’s improved the already-quick latency by five times, increased the max bitrate to 10 Mbps and now supports 60 FPS render speeds at up to 2,560 x 1,440 resolution.
There’s also a new homepage, a refreshed UI language, logo and design, plus “deep chat improvements.” Those include inline emoticon auto completion, an improved polling UI that gives you the ability to see what your friends voted on, and a system that can better handle network errors. To top it off, Beam added an HTML5 player that eliminates Flash and brings more controls, better VOD playback and improved browser support.
As a prelude to Xbox and Windows support, you can now log into beam with your Xbox Live handle, “with plans to eventually make Xbox Live the best (and only) way to sign into Beam,” the company says. If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you can convert your Beam credentials at any time. While that may be “jarring” for long-time users, the login requirement will be “cool for the community” thanks to Microsoft’s scaling, security, marketing and social power, Beam says.
Beam reiterated that Xbox One and Windows support is coming sometime this winter and said it will bring new hybrid applications to mobile in 2017, with technical details to come later. “We’re no longer the scrappy startup we were last year, and with the resources of Microsoft behind us, we’re … evaluating how we can make every aspect of the site more smooth, stable, and epic,” says Beam CEO Matt Salsamendi.
Even with Microsoft’s might behind it, Beam has just 100,000 monthly users as of August, far from Twitch’s 100 million monthly user count. The new update shows, at least, that Microsoft is putting some effort into it. As a reminder, the new features are in beta, and the company is looking for feedback on how everything works.
(Thanks, Kristy)
Source: Beam
2017 Honda CR-V With CarPlay Launches Today
Honda has announced its 2017 CR-V, compatible with CarPlay and Android Auto, goes on sale today at dealerships in the United States. The fifth-generation SUV has a suggested starting price of $24,045.
CarPlay and Android Auto are available on a 7-inch touchscreen built into the dashboard on select trims. The 2017 CR-V joins the 2016 and later Accord, 2016 and later Civic, 2016 Clarity Fuel Cell Sedan, 2017 Pilot, and 2017 Ridgeline among Honda’s CarPlay-supported vehicles in the United States.
CarPlay brings Maps, Phone, Messages, Music, Podcasts, and a number of third-party apps, such as Spotify, to a vehicle’s dashboard. Apple’s in-car software platform can be controlled with Siri and your vehicle’s built-in controls for convenient access to common iPhone features. It is compatible with iPhone 5 and later models.
Related Roundup: CarPlay
Tag: Honda
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Uber Update Lets You Set a Friend’s Location as a Ride Destination
Uber today announced an update to its app that makes it easier to hail a ride and set a destination directly to person in your iPhone contacts list. After syncing contacts to Uber, users can type a friend’s name into the “Where To” box in the app, and Uber will then send a request to that person to share their location with you, which can be set as a destination.
The app can also update friends and family with a feature that sends your ETA to their phone as you ride in the Uber and make it closer to the drop-off point. Following negative reactions to background location tracking, some users might be apprehensive about sharing their contacts list with the app, however.
Where are you? Where’s that again? These are common questions we ask friends and family when meeting up. If you’re catching up with friends when out of town, meeting your sister at the mall, or joining coworkers for drinks, now you can skip the back and forth. Just Uber directly to them! So skip the back and forth, forget the address, and get straight to whom you’re meeting up with.
In addition to the new contacts sync update, Uber is also introducing Snapchat filters and direct integration with the popular photo-sharing app. Riders will be able to unlock “custom Uber filters” during a ride, including an ETA filter that includes the text of how long is left on a trip. The Snapchat integration can be found in each user’s feed in Uber.
Uber is available to download from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Tag: Uber
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Apple Seeds First Beta of watchOS 3.1.3 to Developers
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 3.1.3 update to developers for testing purposes, more than a week after watchOS 3.1.1 was released and three months after the launch of watchOS 3.
watchOS 3.1.3 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. watchOS 3.1.3 requires an iPhone running iOS 10 to install.
We don’t know yet what new features or bug fixes might be included in the watchOS 3.1.3 update, but we’ll update this post with any new discoveries. watchOS betas are often rather minor in scale, focusing on small bug fixes and performance improvements rather than major interface changes.
The watchOS 3.1.3 beta comes shortly after Apple pulled the watchOS 3.1.1 release after it was found to be bricking some Apple Watch Series 2 devices. Apple has not re-released an updated version of watchOS 3.1.1 that fixes the bug, so many users are still running watchOS 3.1.
Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 20 With Bug Fixes and Feature Improvements
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March of 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 20 includes bug fixes and updates for Visual Viewport, Touch Bar, JavaScript, Web API, Security, CSS, Pointer Lock, Web Inspector, WebCrypto API, and more.
The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.
Apple’s goal with Safari Technology Preview is to receive feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Tag: Safari Technology Preview
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iOS 10.2 Fixes Two Issues With ‘Made for iPhone’ Hearing Aids
Apple released iOS 10.2 earlier this month with an all-new “TV” app, a range of new emoji, bug fixes, and other improvements, including one that was not mentioned in the changelog — improved support for MFi hearing aids.
After updating to iOS 10.2, Reddit user dshafik noted Find My iPhone pings now come through the iPhone’s speakers, while FaceTime rings for outgoing calls through his ReSound 9-Series hearing aids.
On previous software versions, Find My iPhone would ring through the hearing aid itself, making it harder to find a lost iPhone, while FaceTime would ring on the iPhone’s speakers for outgoing calls, despite the actual call being routed through the hearing aid.
The improvements are good news for those with hearing aids, and certainly show attention to detail.
Related Roundup: iOS 10
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Apple AirPods review – CNET
The Good The ultra lightweight Apple AirPods are fully wireless headphones that offer a reliable wireless connection, effortless pairing with Apple devices, decent sonics and good call quality. The included compact charging case quickly charges the buds.
The Bad Their open design allows for a lot of ambient noise to leak in. There are no controls on the buds (except Siri). Similarly priced wireless models deliver better sound. And yes, they look pretty dorky.
The Bottom Line Look past their offbeat design and you’ll find that Apple AirPods’ compact size and high convenience factor are a winning combination.
Yes, wearing Apple’s AirPod headphones makes you look positively goofy. But you already knew that.
Here’s the bigger question: Are they actually good headphones? And are they worth buying versus other “true wireless” models, with separate left and right earpieces, let alone versus “regular” Bluetooth in-ear headphones, those quaint old-fashioned wireless models that connect the two earbuds with an actual cable?
The short answer is that these $159 Apple headphones (£159 in the UK and AU$229 in Australia) are better than you’d expect, especially for Apple product owners. But their unique design makes them somewhat limited and occasionally frustrating.
I tested the retail version of the AirPods, now that they’re finally available after being announced alongside the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus way back in September. That’s how long my colleague Scott Stein has been living with preproduction versions of the headphones. Check out his first take, essentially an FAQ on the AirPods, and know that this review represents a consensus on our shared experience with the product.
The AirPods and their charging case.
Sarah Tew/CNET
What I (mostly) liked about the AirPods
There’s a lot to like about the AirPods. Here’s what I found to be good — or great — while wearing them.
Fit and comfort: The AirPods are super lightweight and stayed in my ears better than Apple’s EarPods. Although the AirPods look similar to their wired siblings, they have some small design upgrades that are supposed to help create a better fit. The EarPods’ cords are slim but still add weight to the buds, which can cause them to slip out if your ears aren’t EarPod friendly (mine aren’t). But with nothing dragging them down, the AirPods sat loosely nestled in my ears.
I also found them very easy to get in and out of my ears and very comfortable to wear, thanks to how light they are.
W1 chip makes for seamless pairing: Apple’s custom Bluetooth chip, the W1, is designed to allow for automatic pairing with Apple devices running iOS 10, WatchOS 3 or MacOS Sierra. And it totally delivers: Just place the headphones near your compatible device and they’ll automatically be detected and ask for pairing, no diving into settings menu needed. You can also transition easily between Apple devices, toggling between the sound of your computer to your iPhone or iPad’s.
Yes, AirPods work with non-Apple Bluetooth audio devices (I paired them to a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge), but you can’t access their special features.
Flexibility and special features: The AirPods work very well as a stereo or mono headset — if you want, you can use only one bud, left or right. According to Apple, they’re equipped with a pair of “beam-forming microphones to focus on the sound of your voice.” I made several calls and the people I spoke to were generally impressed with the call quality.
Thanks to dual optical sensors and accelerometers in each earpiece, the connected device (iPhone, iPad, Mac) knows when the AirPods are in your ears and will pause your music when one or both of them are removed. Depending on the music app you’re listening to, they’ll unpause your music when you put them back in your ears.
Not surprisingly, everything works flawlessly with Apple Music, but with Spotify, when I took both AirPods out of my ears, the music had to be restarted manually.
Reliable wireless: The wireless connection between the two earbuds is almost rock solid, with only the occasional hiccup. I’ve tried several “truly wireless” earphones and some of those early models were prone to dropouts. The AirPods’ latest competitors, including Jabra’s Sport Elite, Bragi The Headphone and Skybuds, offer reliable connectivity, but the AirPods are at the top of the class in this department.
The AirPods nestled in their case.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Good sound quality: The sound has an open, airy quality to it because, well, these are open, non noise-isolating earbuds. That means the buds don’t require a tight seal to get the best sound. You just plop them in your ears and you’re good to go.
The AirPods sound good in a quiet environment. They’re fairly well balanced and deliver a reasonable amount of bass. The upcoming BeatsX have more bass — at least that was my impression from my short session with a preproduction unit — but the AirPods had more than I thought they would.
Although the treble isn’t great — it’s got a little bit of an edge to it — compared to other totally wireless earphones, the AirPods’ sound quality is above average. The Jabra Elite Sport, which has a noise-isolating design and integrated hear-rate monitor, arguably sounds better but costs more.
The AirPods’ sound is similar to that of the wired EarPods, so if you like those you should like the AirPods.
The charging case and battery life: The AirPods slide beautifully into a charging case that’s the size of a container of Glide dental floss (and looks like one, too). The case and AirPods charge via an included Lightning cable. The case seals shut magnetically. It’s pretty sweet.
How to use Google Home to help in the kitchen with cooking and baking
Google Home won’t bake you cookies, but it sure can help with the process.
Depending on your comfort level in the kitchen, cooking and baking can range anywhere from “fun!” to “can we just order pizza instead?” — but if you’re willing to get in there, Google Home can be a useful tool. Here’s a handful of tips to let Google Home be an excellent companion in the kitchen.
Timers
OK Google …
- “set a timer for 10 minutes”
- “how much time left on my timer?”
- “set another timer for 14 minutes”
- “how much time left on my first timer?”
- “how much time left on my second timer?”
When a timer is up, you’ll get an alert sound — you can tap the top of Google Home, or say “OK Google, stop” to silence the timer.
Google Home is obviously cautious about deleting timers, so it may kick back an apologetic error if it can’t identify which of your multiple timers you wanted to delete. Just ask it again more clearly if this happens.
Google Keep shopping list
OK Google …
- “add eggs to my shopping list”
- “what’s on my shopping list?”
Items added to your shopping list on Google Home are synced to a list created in your Google Keep account. You can manage or delete the list in Google Keep on your phone or the web, and it’ll be recreated if you try to fire up a list again on Google Home. Unfortunately right now Google Home doesn’t let you remove items from your shopping list via voice.
Measurements and conversions
OK Google …
- “how many ounces in a cup?”
- “how many cups in a liter?”
- “what’s 17 ounces times 2.5?”
- “how much does an average lemon weigh?”
- “how many calories in an avocado?”
Basically, any type of usual conversion you could type into Google can be handled by Google Home.
Listen to something while you cook
OK Google …
- “listen to top 40 radio”
- “play Led Zeppelin Mothership”
- “listen to the latest Android Central podcast”
- “listen to the news”
- “lower the volume”
- “set volume to 3”
In the Google Home app you can customize which services respond to generic queries such as these, but by default you’ll use services from Google. In terms of asking for news, you can also customize in the Home app what sources it includes.
Even when you’re listening to music, podcasts or news your Home will still be able to respond to “OK Google” in order to check on your timers or perform another action. Once the action is done, it goes back to playing.
Recipe help
Google Home is constantly expanding its personal knowledge base of basic recipes and cooking methods, but third parties can also now put their own integrations in the system to be addressed by you directly. These specialty interactions are tailored specifically to offering you recipes, and are far more helpful than asking Google Home directly for a recipe. Big names like Food Network are here to offer you recipe help, and others like The Bartender give you access to cocktail recommendations.
You can find the full list of how each of these integrations (and new ones as they arrive) work in the Google Home app, but in general you’ll invoke each by first saying “OK Google, talk to Food Network” (for example) to get started. Google Home will then be in the mode of that integration, and can take follow-up questions for you. Food Network, in particular, can display recipes on a TV with a Google Cast support so you don’t have to figure these things out via audio.
And in the end, if you want to just give up … say “OK Google, let me talk to Domino’s” and get on with ordering a pizza for delivery.
Google Home
- Google Home review
- These services work with Google Home
- Google Home vs. Amazon Echo
- Join our Google Home forums!
Google Store Best Buy Target
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