LinkedIn has an all-new look and made a video about it

People use LinkedIn, right?

The Microsoft-owned company must be exploring ways to spice things up, because it refreshed its entire professional networking site on Thursday. It has an all-new look that simplifies everything and appears to make it much easier to navigate.

But, before we go any further, let’s talk about user numbers. While LinkedIn has more than 450 million members, as of August 2016, what’s telling is how many of those are actively visiting the site each month: 25 per cent. The company obviously needs to do something about that, so it’s not surprising to see it roll out the biggest change to its interface in years. There are now just seven sections.

• What is Meitu and why is everyone using it?

Those include home, messaging, jobs, notifications, me, my network, and search. The main feed looks very Facebook-like, with curated trending stories and the ability to unfollow and hide posts. The search component has also been upgraded, LinkedIn said, making it easier for you to find jobs, people, companies, and other areas of the social network. But the most obvious change is messages.

It has a real-time messaging feature available at the bottom of every page. LinkedIn will even urge you to start a conversation with someone while you’re on the page. Visit LinkedIn now to see the changes in effect, or you can just watch the promo video below. LinkedIn made an entire trailer about its redesign, which The Wall Street Journal said was underway well before Microsoft bought it.

The Wirecutter’s best deals: Google’s Daydream View VR headset drops to $50

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.

You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot — some of these sales could expire mighty soon.

Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E

Street price: $180; MSRP: $200; Deal price: $130

This is a big drop on the NV356E, bringing it within $5 of the best price we’ve seen yet. At $130, this deal is $50 below the price we usually see it at, and $70 below the $200 retail price which it often bounces back to.

The Shark Navigator Professional NV356E is the “pro” version of our top pick for the best vacuums. Liam McCabe wrote, “All of the Shark Navigator Lift-Away models in the NV350, NV360, or NV370 series are essentially the same vacuum, just with minor differences in their tool sets, colors, and button placements. We tend to recommend the NV352 because it’s typically the best value at our favorite retailers. But any of the other models are good choices, as well. The NV350 and NV351 are the same as the NV352, with different accessories. The NV355 and NV356 are the “pro” models, with slightly larger dust cups, and the NV370 is the “pro” model with the different handle and placement of the power button. Go wild, and pick whichever one you can get for the best deal with all the tools you need.”

Refurbished DJI Phantom 4

Street price: $1,000; MSRP: $1,300; Deal price: $735

This drone saw periodic drops throughout the holiday season for both new and refurb models but none as low as this. At $735 refurbished, it’s the lowest price we’ve seen to this point. Please note that Woot charges a 15 percent restocking fee for returned items that are undamaged and in good working order (if an item is returned due to arriving defective or damaged, no restocking fees are charged).

The DJI Phantom 4 is our upgrade pick in our best drones guide. Mike Perlman wrote, “If you need advanced photo and video capabilities, and you want to fly for a longer duration, and you really want to make sure you don’t crash your $1,400 flying machine into the side of a barn, the Phantom 4 is for you. The Phantom 4 has a forward-collision sensing system that will stop the drone in its tracks before it gets too friendly with a tree. It also benefits from a longer battery life and rugged, redesigned body, including a totally new recessed gimbal that should better protect the camera assembly. Propellers can now be changed in the blink of an eye with a new press-and-lock system, and in addition to 4K recording, the Phantom 4 offers 120 frames per second at 1080p. Its newly designed lens cuts distortion significantly (compared to the Phantom 3) and it offers new modes including ActiveTrack (which automatically follows a moving subject), TapFly (which flies wherever the pilot taps on the FPV screen), and Sport Mode (in which the Phantom 4 can reach 45 mph for racing). Battery life has also been increased to a stated 28 minutes (about 22 minutes in our real-world testing). The Phantom 4 is the ultimate pick for seasoned photographers and videographers.”

Google Daydream View VR headset

Street price: $80; MSRP: $80; Deal price: $50

This is the first big sale we’ve seen on the Daydream View and it’s a nice $30 drop below the street price. If you’re looking for a VR headset for your phone, this is our top pick and a great deal. It’s currently available in all colors – slate, crimson, and snow.

The Google Daydream View is our top pick for the best VR headset for your phone so far. Signe Brewster wrote, “The Daydream View headset is made from soft, lightweight materials that allow you to forget you have a phone hanging from your face. The included controller, which tracks the position and location of your hand, makes entry-level VR fun and approachable, and is something Gear VR can’t match. The Daydream View only works with the Google Pixel, Pixel XL, and three Moto Z phones right now, but more phones should have Daydream support next year. There also isn’t as much to do in Daydream View yet as there is in Gear VR, but that should change quickly as developers port apps from Gear.”

Samsung Gear VR (International version)

Street price: $70; MSRP: $100; Deal price: $53

It’s a good day for VR sales, with this Samsung deal bringing the Gear VR in line with the Daydream View. While they’ve been featured “for free” before, that was bundled with buying a new phone. This sale features is the best price we’ve seen on the Gear VR on its own before, and it’s overall a great deal. This is the International version, so the instructions and manual may come in a different language.

The Samsung Gear VR is our runner-up pick for the best VR headset for your phone so far. Signe Brewster wrote, “Although we prefer the Daydream View for its comfort and handheld controller, the Samsung Gear VR is great too, especially if you’re one of the many people with a compatible Samsung smartphone like the Galaxy S6, S7, or S7 edge. It has a wider field of view than Daydream, and Samsung’s phones have crisper displays, so Gear VR does too. It also has more games and is compatible with Bluetooth gaming controllers (like our favorite, the Sony DualShock 4 controller). Otherwise, you control it with a touchpad built into the right side of the headset.”

Deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.

Tesla’s Ludicrous Plus mode beats Faraday Future’s 0-60 time

Faraday Future claims its FF 91 SUV will be the fastest accelerating production vehicle to date with a 0-60 mph time of 2.39 seconds, but we’re going to need a more precise stopwatch if the showdown with Tesla is going to continue. In a real-world track test, the folks from Tesla Racing Channel were able to just barely edge out the FF 91’s time in a Model S P100D sedan with the latest Ludicrous Plus mode update unlocked. The Tesla’s new track time? A blistering 2.389 seconds — besting Faraday by just a thousandth of a second.

Although that’s a teensy margin, it’s worth noting that Faraday Future has been selectively choosing who takes the other lane in its hype videos and the FF 91 might have benefited from using a lighter setup that will gain some weight with the final production model. The Tesla, on the other hand, just got a speed boost by downloading an over-the-air update. Elon Musk also thinks Tesla can get that 0-60 time down even further to 2.34 seconds in a production model, while a race-ready version can reportedly hit 62 mph in just 2.1 seconds. Either way, it’s doubtful we’ll see a true head-to-head race for the title until Faraday Future finally starts production in 2018.

Via: CNET Roadshow

Source: Tesla Racing Channel/YouTube

Korg’s new ARP Odyssey is a full-size remake of an iconic synth

At NAMM two years ago, Korg first revealed its modern take on the classic ARP Odyssey synthesizer. Despite touting that model as a “faithful recreation” of the original, the reissue was a smaller version with 37 keys. During the music industry’s big trade show this year, Korg is showing off a full-size option: the ARP Odyssey FS. Available in each the original’s three color schemes, the new instrument offers a standard keyboard and more space on the slider panel to make sound adjustments.

The new analog duophonic synth is being assembled in New York under the supervision of ARP co-founder Daviv Friend. Korg says the “weight and essence” are exactly the same as the original ARP Odyssey and when coupled with the analog sounds, the FS model is “a true resurrection.” The company explains that what the new version offers is the audio quality, look, stability and size of the classic with the reliability of an instrument built today.

As you might expect, the ARP Odyssey FS is more expensive than it’s smaller sibling. While the 2015 release is $800, the larger version will set you back $1,600. Korg also says that production of the FS will be limited though it didn’t offer any exact quantities. Of course, if you’re not looking to empty your wallet on a new synth, there’s an iOS version of the Odyssey available for $20. That one is much more portable.

Source: Korg

Samsung will explain the Galaxy Note 7 explosions Sunday night

As Reuters had suggested, Samsung is close to holding a press conference where it will ” announce the cause of the Galaxy Note 7 incidents and quality enhancement plan.” The event is being held on Monday morning (local time) in Seoul, Korea, and will be livestreamed in English on Samsung.com. If you’d like to tune in, set your alarm for 8PM ET on January 22nd. It seems likely that the battery will take the blame, but everyone from customers to regulators are waiting to find out what Samsung has planned to make sure this never happens again.

Samsung:

Following several months of comprehensive investigations, Samsung executives will announce the cause of the Galaxy Note7 incidents and quality enhancement plan during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, on Jan. 23, 2017 at 10 am KST / January 22 at 8 PM ET. Samsung Electronics, as well as independent expert organizations who conducted their own investigation into various aspects of the Galaxy Note7 incidents, will share their findings. Samsung will discuss the findings of the investigations and unveil new measures Samsung has implemented in response to the incidents. The press conference will be livestreamed in English at http://www.Samsung.com.

Soft robot wraps around your heart to help it beat

Researchers from Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital have developed a breakthrough “soft robot” device that might improve your odds of surviving a heart attack. Unlike mechanical devices inserted into heart valves, it’s wrapped externally around the heart, where it pumps and twists to assist cardiovascular function. “Most people with heart failure do still have some function left; one day the robotic sleeve may help their heart work well enough that their quality of life can be restored,” says co-author and cardiothoracic surgeon Frank Pigula.

The device was inspired by the heart itself and made possible by recent advancements in soft robots. Like other recent bots, the thin, adjustable silicon sleeve is powered pneumatically by actuators placed around it. Driven by an air pump, one set of actuators expands and contracts in a pumping motion, while another layer moves helically to twist it. The result is a motion that’s uncannily similar to a real heart (see the video, below).

Doctors proved the device worked by implanting it in pigs with heart capacity reduced to 45 percent by drugs. Once applied, it boosted cardiac output to 97 percent of healthy levels. At the same time, it has a big advantage over implanted ventricular assist devices (VADs). Unlike those, it doesn’t contact the blood, so patients wouldn’t need blood thinners to avoid clots.

“The cardiac field had turned away from idea of developing heart compression instead of blood-pumping VADs due to technological limitations, but now with advancements in soft robotics it’s time to turn back,” Pigula says. The device could help 140,000 patients who suffer from heart failure symptoms, even at rest, by keeping them alive until a donor heart becomes available, or helping doctors to rehab the heart.

Despite the successful tests on pigs, the devices are still in the early stages, and would need serious engineering and testing before they could be used on humans. However, the team believes this type of “mechanotherapy” holds plenty of therapeutic promise, and not just for the heart. “This work represents an exciting proof of concept result for this soft robot, demonstrating that it can safely interact with soft tissue and lead to improvements in cardiac function,” says Harvard SEAS Professor and co-author Conor Walsh.

Via: Harvard University

Source: Science Translational Medicine

Uber will pay $20 million for exaggerating drivers’ earnings

In yet another big settlement for the ride-hailing giant, Uber has agreed to pay a $20 million fee to resolve a case with the US Federal Trade Commission. According to the FTC’s complaint, Uber intentionally exaggerated drivers’ potential income and vehicle financing rates in order to attract new drivers to its platform.

The FTC claimed that Uber was advertising an annual median income of over $90,000 per year for uberX drivers in New York and more than $74,000 for uberX drivers in San Francisco. But, as the commission found out, less than 10 percent of all drivers in those cities actually make that much. The complaint also alleges that Uber was inflating the hourly earnings on job boards like Craigslist.

New drivers who financed a new car through Uber’s Vehicle Solutions Program found out the company’s claims were too good to be true as well. Although Uber told new drivers they would be able to lease a new car for around $119 per week, the actual lease rates never dipped below $200 from late 2013 to April 2015. And, despite it’s promise of delivering “the best financing options available,” it turns out that Uber’s rates were actually worse than consumers with similar credit scores could have gotten elsewhere. Adding insult to overpriced injury, Uber tacked on mileage limits to lease agreements that were advertised with unlimited mileage.

The terms of the settlement mean Uber is not actually admitting guilt here, but the FTC’s director of Consumer Protection has stated the funds will be going back to the affected drivers. Moving forward, Uber will want to double-check that it can deliver on its promises — as part of the judgment, Uber is banned from making “false, misleading, or unsubstantiated representations” about drivers’ potential pay and financing or leasing options.

Last year, Uber was ordered to pay $384,000 to users for its misleading tip policy and the company’s UberEats delivery business was likewise slapped with a lawsuit over missing tips. The company also paid $10 million to the District Attorneys of San Francisco and Los Angeles for making false statements about its background checks and another class action lawsuit from drivers in California and Massachusetts is still getting settled but will likely exceed $100 million.

Via: Wall Street Journal

Source: Federal Trade Commission

Nanami Fast Wireless Charger: a good charger for a good price (Review)

One of the most important things to device users these days is battery life. It’s no secret to our readers that the Moto Z Play is one of our favorite phones when it comes to battery life. The magic formula has yet to be devised by manufacturers and I don’t see this issue getting any better in the coming year.

Our only viable solution to keep our phones alive is to have charging options available in as many places as possible. I’m sure the majority of you have a charger near your bed, in your car, at your desk (or wherever you work), etc. Wireless chargers are a viable option and much more user friendly than your traditional microUSB or USB type-C. We were provided with a Nanami Fast Wireless Charger for review and I have to say, I was pleased with my experience.

Design:

The Nanami Fast Wireless Charger has no aesthetically pleasing features. It has no bells or
whistles of any kind. What it does have is a nice, clean exterior with a matte black finish. In addition to the unobtrusive color, the shape is an ideal viewing angle for utilizing your phone while it is charging. I can easily open and navigate apps, and even swipe text, all while my phone is on the charger. Nanami even designed the internals with the user in mind. With the inclusion of two separate coils, you are able to charge your device both vertically or horizontally (nice for watching videos).

Technical:

There isn’t much to review as far as technology goes. You plug the charger into a QC 2.0 power supply and it just works. There is a light on the front that turns green while your device is charging (visual indicators are always nice). There is also a microUSB port on the back where you plug it in.

How is charging you say? If you didn’t catch it by the name, or above when i mentioned QC 2.0, this is Fast Wireless charging enabled; meaning if your phone accepts it, you can charge faster than your normal wall charger. In fact, this device charges my Galaxy S7 faster than the Samsung wireless charger.

Overview:

This charger is nothing to write home about. There are no bells, whistles or fancy artwork. It is everything I have ever wanted in a charger. With a price tag below $20, I have exactly ONE complaint about this device, it doesn’t come with the charger block. If you are looking for a clean looking, functional wireless charger, I could not recommend this one more.

Snag this charger at Amazon for just $18.99 with Prime shipping!

Dell XPS 13 Notebook Series review – CNET

The Good The Dell XPS 13 keeps everything that was great about the previous model — including its near edge-to-edge-display and fantastic keyboard — and adds the latest Intel Kaby Lake processors and Thunderbolt 3.

The Bad The design means the webcam is awkwardly placed at the bottom of the display. Though the QHD-resolution touchscreen is beautiful, it adds a lot to the price and hurts battery life. Gold version will cost you $50 more.

The Bottom Line Whether you scale back for better battery life or load it up for the best performance possible, the Dell XPS 13 remains one excellent ultraportable laptop.

When Dell updated the XPS 13 in 2015, it stood out for its barely there screen bezel — the frame around the display. Its 13-inch screen nearly filled the entire laptop lid, giving you more room to work, but in a smaller body just about the size of an 11.6-inch model.

And although other laptop makers like Lenovo have since adopted this near edge-to-edge screen design, the XPS 13 remains a favorite for the rest of the package. The current version includes the latest Intel seventh-generation processors (Kaby Lake) and a Thunderbolt 3 port. With the help of a dock or adapter, you can run a single cable from the XPS 13 to handle power, Ethernet, audio and video.

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The Dell XPS 13 stays gold.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Available in silver or, for an additional $5o, gold, the XPS 13’s pricing starts at $800 in the US, AU$1,900 in Australia and £1,000 in the UK. At those prices you get a nice 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution display with a matte finish (if you hate glare, this one’s for you). The downsides are that it’s not a touchscreen and you can’t max out the laptop on memory or storage.

If you’re looking for the full premium portable experience, you’ll want to pay extra for the gorgeous quad HD 3,200×1,800-pixel-resolution touchscreen. Though there are people who don’t see the value of a touchscreen on a laptop, I’m not one of them, especially on a system this small. The laptop is perfect for working in tight spaces, but too often I’ve found myself on a bus, train or plane unable to comfortably use a touchpad. With a touchscreen that’s no problem since I can quickly scroll, tap and swipe my way around.

Dell XPS 13

As for the higher resolution, it’s not a necessity, but Dell doesn’t offer a full HD touchscreen for this model. It is a nice, bright display that makes everything you do look sharper with better detail. The biggest downside here, outside of the increased price and reflections, is that this display really hurts battery life. With the touchscreen, the XPS 13 was able to last for just about 8 hours in our tests. Get the full HD display instead, though, and you’re able to get more than 10.5 hours of run time.

If you were hoping for big performance gains by waiting for Intel’s seventh-generation Core i-series processors, well, you’re going to be disappointed. The overall performance differences between the last XPS 13 we reviewed running sixth-gen processors (Skylake) and these new Kaby Lake versions are minimal.

Vive Tracker Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The Vive Tracker, sitting on top of the rifle accessory.

Josh Miller/CNET

I was given a baseball bat, and a VR headset was slipped over my face. Not a great combo for me, someone who can’t hit a real baseball with any accuracy at all. But it’s the demo I remember most, among all my VR experiences at CES in Las Vegas this year… because it felt real.

Reality, paradoxically, is something VR could still use more of. It’s not very aware of surroundings, although inside-out tracking and mixed-reality cameras might help. Accessories might help, too. And there could be a lot of accessories coming very soon, if the Vive Tracker is any indication. It’s one of several extensions to HTC’s Vive VR platform coming this year, along with a wireless VR adapter and a new headstrap and headphone design.

I am terrible at baseball.

Josh Miller/CNET

Trinity VR’s baseball sim trainer really used a wooden baseball bat, but attached to one end was a Vive Tracker. My swings were pitted against realistic major-league pitchers. I was so bad, it was embarrassing. But the stat-driven engine is designed for professional training. The Vive Tracker sat innocuously at the end, a wireless dongle of sorts that looks like the lopped-off end of a Vive wireless VR controller. And that’s exactly what it is. It turns anything into a wireless VR accessory.

What things, exactly? In my demos, I tried a baseball bat. A camera. A fireman’s hose. A rifle. Basically, whatever developers want. If VR is all about putting you in another space, then the Vive Tracker is about finding physical objects to take with you.

VR gloves, with Vive Trackers attached.

Josh Miller/CNET

HTC also demonstrated the Tracker attached to a pair of motion-sensitive Noitom gloves. Wearing them made my hands feel like skeletal extensions of my virtual self, and tracked pretty well in the brief demo I tried.

I can’t control this hose!

Josh Miller/CNET

In another VR experience, I tried an educational fire-safety and firefighter training demo called FLAIM Trainer, with a force-feedback hose that simulated what actual water pressure feels like while fighting fires. I also wore a realistically heavy firefighter’s uniform that heated up until I was sweating, but it was the tracker-enabled hose I was focused on.

The Vive Tracker, once again, sitting on top of a gun accessory.

Josh Miller/CNET

In another demo, I wielded a Tracker-connected wireless rifle with force feedback, facing waves of attackers while wearing a wireless VR headset.

Standard game accessories could turn into a Vive VR-recognized one. This could allow third-party accessory makers to suddenly sell all sorts of items that could potentially turn into VR gear, provided game or app support existed.

The third-party accessory market for VR could end up skyrocketing, ending up in buckets of strange junk you’ll dump in your closet and forget about. Or, maybe, a few useful tools could emerge. What HTC’s Vive Tracker really does that’s superclever is it makes a single item that can be applied to other items in a seemingly easy, modular way. The Vive Tracker has no price yet, and will be available sometime around the second quarter of this year. Maybe we’ll have just a couple of strange accessories emerge.

Or, this could be the eruption of bizarre VR gear. PlayStation has its upcoming PSVR Aim rifle controller. Adult entertainment is experimenting with smell. What will be next?