Huawei partners with the Saatchi Gallery for a selfie exhibition

Saatchi Gallery upcoming exhibition will explore selfies as an art form.

Huawei has announced that it is teaming up with London’s Saatchi Gallery to present an exhibition to explore the history of selfies. Called From Selfie to Self-Expression, the exhibition will run from March 31 to May 30, and will feature artwork from the old masters as well as contemporary artists:

Opening at the Saatchi Gallery on 31st March 2017, the show will be the world’s first exhibition exploring the history of the selfie from the old masters to the present day, and will celebrate the truly creative potential of a form of expression often derided for its inanity.

The show will also highlight the emerging role of the smartphone as an artistic medium for self-expression commissioning ten exciting Young British Photographers to create new works using Huawei’s newest dual lens smartphones co-engineered with Leica, as part of their artistic practice. Reprising the spirit and energy of the Young British Artist movement first launched 25 years ago; the works of these Young British Photographers will go on display in a gallery dedicated to world-class smartphone photography. In this gallery the focus will shift from Selfie to documenting the world around us as a contrasting form of Self-Expression.

From Selfie to Self-Expression will showcase key artworks, many of which feature interactive, digital and user-generated content, by artists as diverse as Kutluğ Ataman, Christopher Baker, Juno Calypso, Tracey Emin, Van Gogh, Mohau Modisakeng, Rembrandt, Cindy Sherman, Gavin Turk and Velazquez.

Huawei is also running a #SaatchiSelfie contest through which you can get your self-portraits featured at the Saatchi Gallery. You can submit your selfies from the link below, and ten shortlisted winners will have their pictures featured at the gallery, and receive Huawei’s latest smartphone. The winner of the contest will also get a “priceless photographic experience.”

Saatchi Gallery selfie contest

Don’t forget to buy an HDMI cable for your NVIDIA Shield Android TV

Get this out of the way before your new Shield Android TV arrives.

Whether or not your shiny new set top box includes all of the required accessories is a bit hit or miss, and in the case of the new Shield Android TV the one thing missing is a crucial part: an HDMI cable. At this point a majority of us probably have an extra HDMI cable (or five) laying around and can plug right in, but if you’re starting from scratch or have only ever used in-box cables, you’ll need to buy an HDMI cable before you start using your shiny new Shield.

So what kind of cable do you need for the best performance, and what are some good options? We have you covered right here.

What kind of cable do I need?

Getting a good, high-quality cable is a lot easier now than at the start of the HD transition several years ago. The only added wrinkle nowadays is that the Shield Android TV can do both 4K and HDR video, meaning there are just a couple things to keep in mind. And even if you don’t have a 4K TV right now, it’s best to look to the future for a cable that will last a while.

All that really matters is HDMI 2.0 compliance.

When you’re trying to pick out a cable, you want to find one that follows the HDMI 2.0 standard — you’ll also often see specs like high-speed, but it’s tough to find a modern cable that isn’t high-speed so don’t be lured to a different cable by that. Once you find a cable that is properly HDMI 2.0 compliant, the next thing you should care about is length. Rather than simply saying “longer is better!”, measure out how far you actually need to run the cable, and buy the proper length.

More: Shield vs. Shield Pro: Which should I buy?

And that’s it! No, really, that’s it. Find a highly-rated cable that’s compliant with the latest standard, and it’ll work perfectly with your Shield Android TV. It doesn’t matter if the cord is braided or the connectors are coated in gold — digital is digital, so it either works or it doesn’t. The rest is cosmetics.

Good HDMI cables to buy

At this point you can go to just about any store and find an HDMI cable, but if you do a little research and pick ones that make the most sense for you in terms of features and value. When it comes to digital cables, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg.

You can spend just $5.99 and get a perfectly good HDMI cable.

Simply going with Amazon’s self-branded Amazon Basics HDMI cable will do just fine. It meets all of the latest standards, comes in various lengths from 3 to 25 feet, and can cost you as little as $5.99. Sure it isn’t flashy, but it doesn’t have to be — this is just a nondescript black cable that will fade into the background of your entertainment center. If you want something “fancy” looking you can go with a more expensive alternative, but it really isn’t necessary.

Place the order for your HDMI cable at the same time as your new Shield Android TV, and you’ll guarantee that the minute the box arrives you’ll be able to plug it in and get up and running.

NVIDIA Shield Android TV

• Read our Shield Android TV review
• The latest Shield Android TV news
• Shield vs. Shield Pro: Which should I buy?
• Join the forum discussion
• Complete Shield Android TV specs

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Nintendo Switch vs Wii U: What’s the difference?

We’ve now seen the Nintendo Switch in the flesh and are reasonably impressed. We also know the prices for the console and accessories. Plus the launch games line-up and list of those coming throughout 2017.

But there is still one big question we are asked most often: “Should I buy this or get a discounted Wii U?”

Gamers who desperately want to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have a choice. It will be available for both the Nintendo Switch and Wii U on the same day, 3 March and, by all accounts, offers a very similar experience on both.

That’s why we’ve looked at certain facets of both consoles, based on what we know so far, to help you make that decision.

• Nintendo Switch preview: Return of the king?
• 5 Nintendo Switch games to pre-order first, and one well worth the wait
• All the Nintendo Switch games: Launch titles and every game for 2017 revealed
• Nintendo Switch: Release date, price, specs and everything you need to know

Nintendo Switch vs Wii U: Specifications

The biggest and most obvious comparison between the two consoles comes at the hardware level. Both have dual functionality, with a separate handheld mode that can be used to play games remotely. And both have a max graphical output of 1080p (for games at least).

But while they seem a similar concept to a casual observer, they are markedly different machines.

We haven’t yet had the full Nintendo Switch specifications confirmed, so are working off a few speculated spec suggestions and the things we do know, but the Switch is more powerful and better built than its predecessor.

We base that on the fact that the Switch is said to be running on a heavily modified Nvidia Tegra X1 processor – something Nvidia itself has admitted in the past. This provides a whole lot of oomph in the CPU and GPU stakes.

The unmodified version of the chipset has a quad-core, 64-bit CPU and an Nvidia Maxwell 256-core GPU. Its video output (for media) is capable of up to 4K running at 60fps, although games will never make use of that.

The Wii U, on the other hand, has a 1.24GHz tri-core IBM CPU and 550MHz Radeon GPU. It’s hard to pin down the exact difference between the two, but needless to say the Switch is much more powerful, even though it is effectively using a mobile chipset.

The Switch is rumoured to be running 4GB of RAM, while the Wii U has 2GB.

In terms of storage, Nintendo has bizarrely opted to stick to the same 32GB of internal space it offered on the Premium Wii U. Both the Switch and Wii U are expandable though. The Wii U can be expanded through the use of an external USB memory stick or hard drive. The Switch has a microSD card slot that is capable of expanding its storage by up to a further 128GB.

Nintendo Switch vs Wii U: Concept

It can be argued that the Wii U was a trial run for the Nintendo Switch. Both consoles are essentially home games machines with a second screen. And both allow you to play games remotely.

The Wii U GamePad is different to the handheld mode of the Switch though. It is also used to complement games running on a television, in second screen fashion. Its primary use is as a game controller, with remote play (in a very local area) very much a secondary function.

The Nintendo Switch doesn’t really offer that sort of functionality at all. It can either be docked in the base station and used as a home console, or removed and used as a portable tablet-like device. It can’t be used as a second screen for games running on a big screen as it needs to be housed in the dock when playing them.

Its benefit is that, when playing games remotely, it can be taken anywhere. The games run on the device directly rather than streamed from a cited box, so you can play anywhere that takes your fancy.

In addition, while the Wii U GamePad’s controls are built in, the Joy-Con controllers on the Switch can unclipped from the sides and used as individual joypads. The screen also has a clip stand, so you can play local multiplayer games with a friend when out and about.

Pocket-lint

Nintendo Switch vs Wii U: Screen

Both the Switch and Wii U GamePad have 6.2-inch touchscreens but the difference in quality is significant.

The Wii U GamePad’s screen has a resolution of 854 x 480 and is plastic to the touch. The Switch’s screen is HD 720p and capable of running games at 60fps, we are told. It is much more like a normal tablet device to use and is far more vibrant.

We are yet to play any games that require touch on the Switch’s screen, but it looks great with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for instance.

Nintendo Switch vs Wii U: Games

The Wii U wins hands down when it comes to games availability. It might have had a troubled four year lifespan but in that time there have been plenty of excellent games. Many of those games, such as Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3 and Minecraft, are very reasonably priced, while others are bound to drop in price in the coming weeks and months.

The Nintendo Switch is a brand new console so naturally has little game support at present. In fact, there will only be five games available at launch, with new titles released in drip feed fashion thereafter.

What might make a big impact in your decision between the consoles is that Nintendo has confirmed it will cease development of first-party games for the Wii U after The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. There will be no more games from the Japanese giant forthcoming. You’ll still be able to play the many already available, with online still supported for the foreseeable future, but don’t expect a new Mario, Donkey Kong or the like.

One major difference between games for the Nintendo Switch and the Wii U are that physical Switch games are on cartridge – like DS games or older N64, SNES and NES titles – while the Wii U uses discs.

Both consoles have access to an online Nintendo store for digital downloads.

Nintendo Switch vx Wii U: Backwards compatibility

The Wii U wins again when it comes to backwards compatibility. It has always been able to play Wii games from launch – old Wii discs work in the Wii U with a dedicated processor part of the spec to ensure they run.

The Switch will not be compatible with games, controllers or any other accessory for former Nintendo consoles.

It is thought you will get Virtual Console games available for the Switch, much like the Wii U, but full plans are yet to be revealed.

Nintendo

Nintendo Switch vs Wii U: User experience

Save for the user interface, which will undoubtedly look different on the Switch, the basic options between the two consoles will be similar. You will be able to buy games through the Nintendo eStore for the Switch, for example. And images of the UI we’ve seen so far are icon and thumbnail based, similarly to the Wii U’s.

At launch, however, the Nintendo Switch will not have access to any media streaming apps. Nintendo has stated that it is concentrating on games for now, so you will not be able to play video through Amazon Video, Netflix, YouTube or the like, as you can on Wii U. The Wii U recently lost the ability for BBC iPlayer playback itself.

Nintendo has said that it is in talks with video streaming services, so that’s something the Switch is likely to gain down the line.

Another likely and important change is the “walled garden” approach that Nintendo has adopted for all of its consoles when online. It has confirmed that the Switch will be able to communicate and share content via conventional social media means, such as Twitter and Facebook. Nintendo’s own Miiverse, as on the Wii U, is not making the leap across.

Nintendo Switch vs Wii U: Price

Nintendo’s pricing structure for the Switch has been heavily criticised by many but the console itself isn’t too unreasonable. It costs £279.99 in the UK ($299.99 in the US). That’s the same price (bar inflation and Brexit) as the basic version of the Wii U when it initially came out. The Premium edition was £300.

Even today, a Premium Wii U costs £249.99 on Nintendo’s own online store. It does come with a game though, which the Switch does not, so you have to factor in at least an extra £40.

Nintendo Switch vs Wii U: Availability

The Nintendo Wii U is naturally available now and will still be sold globally while stocks last. We even expect some retailers to discount it heavily after the Zelda hype has died down.

The Nintendo Switch is available for pre-order, if you can find anyone still with stock, and will be released officially on 3 March around the world.

Nintendo Switch vs Wii U: Conclusion

To be honest, it’s hard to do a comparison between the console being phased out and its replacement, mainly because we still don’t have confirmed specifications for the Switch. It’s also tricky because, for all its good intentions and a smattering of amazing games, the Wii U was an unmitigated disaster in sales terms – the lowest selling Nintendo games console bar the Virtual Boy (and who remembers that bar us?).

But if we were to answer the question of whether you should invest in a Wii U or a Switch in the coming months, the answer for us is simple. The Switch isn’t even that much more expensive. And while it doesn’t have anywhere near the games support currently, more developers and publishers are on board this time around to ensure that there will be plenty of titles to come. And Mario, of course.

We also think the Switch is better suited to families than its immediate predecessor. The motion gaming aspects of the Joy-Cons means that kids, young and old, will engage with it in a way that the Wii U never captured.

The Morning After: Monday January 23, 2017

It’s Monday morning, and Samsung’s had some explaining to do. The full investigation into its Note 7 battery woes is out. Meanwhile, we test health gadgets that push supplements, and take a look back at Obama’s tech legacy.

Those burning questions.
Samsung blames two different battery flaws for the Note 7 fires

After months of speculation, Samsung has announced that those Galaxy Note 7 fires were caused by two different battery flaws, not a hardware or software issue. The first flaw had to do with how the Note 7’s original batteries were manufactured: their casings were too small to safely fit the electrode assembly inside, which lead to short-circuiting. When Samsung’s suppliers replaced those batteries with safer versions, a completely different production flaw was introduced. Welding defects inside the batteries made those supposedly safe replacements prone to short-circuiting and bursting into flames as well. The company is promising several changes to its internal processes to avoid making the same mistake again, including assigning teams to own the crucial final checks for each device’s core components, and putting batteries through an 8-point test. This will include visual and X-ray inspection, as well as full disassembly.

A wearable, a connected scale and a smart bottle, But eat what you want?
This system of health gadgets exists to sell you supplements

Andrew Tarantola believes he’s the kind of guy who could stand to lose a few pounds. The Styr Lab regimen seemed like a great way to do so, and he was genuinely excited to give the fitness-tracking system a try. However, while each device will recommend a specific in-house line of supplements (vitamins for the wearable, protein for the scale and electrolytes for the water bottle) that are tailored to the user, the system has no way of letting you tightly monitor whatever else you put in your body: The app will track whether you’ve eaten a snack, small meal or large meal, but that’s it. By those metrics, a McDonald’s two-cheeseburger meal with medium fries and soda carries the same nutritional value as eating 8 ounces of fish with a mixed-green salad and water. Not recommended for New Year’s resolutions.

The White House’s first social media ninja.
Obama’s legacy: The most tech-savvy president

When Barack Obama moved into the White House in 2009, the federal government was in the digital dark ages. Even as late as 2011, he was complaining that the White House was 30 years behind. Among other things, Obama was the first president to carry a BlackBerry, and even so, it wasn’t until 2016 that the leader of the free world was finally able to trade in his aging RIM device for a modern smartphone. Love him or hate him, for better or worse, when it comes to science and technology, Barack Obama has had a bigger impact than almost any president in history.

Akai’s MPC is back.
Hip-hop’s most influential sampler gets a 2017 reboot

The impact of Akai’s MPC series on hip-hop cannot be overstated. The first model — the MPC60 — hit the market in the late 80s, perfectly timed with hip-hop’s culture of sampling classic beats and melodies. The MPC’s iconic pad-based design and relatively accessible price opened up music production to a whole new audience.

They should all be reusable after this.
SpaceX is launching one of its last disposable rockets

SpaceX won’t have to intentionally crash some of its rockets going forward. Elon Musk has revealed that SpaceX’s next flight, which has a Falcon 9 delivering an EchoStar satellite as soon as January 30th, should use the company’s last expendable rocket. This rocket will burn too much fuel for its first stage to attempt a landing (the satellite is simply too heavy at 5.4 imperial tons), but future big-payload launches will use either the higher-performance Falcon 9 (Block 5) or Falcon Heavy and shouldn’t have trouble coping with the weight. The new Falcon should lift off at the end of 2017.

Just send me the damn chocolate.
Amazon made a Dash button just for boxes of candy

Because we need all need emergency $18 boxes of assorted chocolate and candy these days.

But wait, there’s more…

• Apple is reportedly reinventing the iPhone’s fingerprint reader
• Scientists prove that microbes could survive on Mars
• ‘Terminator’ reboot will have James Cameron’s oversight

Tesco’s mobile payment app is ready for everyone

To keep up in the supermarket wars, Tesco is rolling out support for its PayQwiq app nationwide. That means you can walk into any UK store, peruse the shelves for your weekly shop and then pay with the app at checkout. You can spend up to £250 in one sitting — considerably more than a contactless card — and get a copy of your receipt beamed across instantaneously. Better yet, your all-important Clubcard points will be calculated and banked automatically, removing the need to mess around with receipts. Yes, it’s another app to keep on your smartphone, but if Tesco is your supermarket of choice it’s probably worth checking out.

PayQwiq now accepted at every @Tesco store checkout across the UK. Pay for #shopping and collect #Clubcard points in one scan of your phone. pic.twitter.com/S5bADJyOSF

— PayQwiq from Tesco (@PayQwiq) January 17, 2017

Source: Tesco

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 won’t appear at Mobile World Congress

Clearly, Samsung is still reeling from its Note 7 disaster. In an interview with Reuters, Samsung mobile chief Koh Dong-jin has confirmed that the Galaxy S8 won’t be unveiled next month at Mobile World Congress. That’s a big departure from the company’s usual release schedule, which revolves around a big “S” launch in the Spring and a new “Note” in the fall. The delay isn’t a shock, however. Back in November, the Wall Street Journal reported that Samsung’s leadership team was considering a later reveal date. It could come “as late as April,” the newspaper said at the time.

The push back should have an impact on Samsung’s total smartphone shipments. With the Note 7 gone, the company is relying on the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge — excellent phones, but old by flagship standards — to compete with Google’s Pixel, the iPhone 7 and other high-end handsets. Last October the company released some dismal third quarter earnings, impacted undoubtedly by the Note 7 recall. Operating profit dropped to $4.6 billion, with its mobile arm contributing just $87 million — the lowest reported since 2008. With no Galaxy S8 in sight, Samsung could find it even tougher to fend off this season’s batch of Android flagships.

There’s no doubt that Samsung has a new phone in the works. For now, however, it has to focus on shaking its Note 7 shadow. After months of speculation, the company has published the results of its internal investigation into the phone. The problem, unsurprisingly, was the battery. According to Samsung, the casings were too small to safely secure an electrode assembly inside. In its haste to fix the problem, Samsung switched to a different battery that featured welding defects. That meant supposedly fine phones were also prone to short-circuiting. Eesh.

Source: Reuters

Apple Investigating Issue With AirPods Randomly Disconnecting During Calls

Apple is investigating multiple reports from iPhone owners of AirPods randomly disconnecting and reconnecting during calls, MacRumors has learned.

A MacRumors forum thread and a long thread on Apple’s Support Communities website has been generated by AirPods users who are regularly experiencing Bluetooth connection dropouts during phone calls, despite the fact that the wireless earphones almost never lose their connection when used to listen to music or anything else. MacRumors forum member protobiont wrote:

I’ve had this happen on two phone calls today. I am talking and suddenly the audio switches to the phone, I hear the Airpod connect tones and the audio switches back. This will repeat itself a few times, which is quite distracting during a phone call.

At present, the issue appears to be limited to iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus devices, with several users reporting no such problems after upgrading to an iPhone 7. MacRumors was also unable to replicate the problem on Apple’s latest handset.

Initial reports suggested the dropout issue only occurs if users also have an Apple Watch paired to their iPhone, but MacRumors was able to replicate the problem with a Fitbit Blaze, suggesting a more general conflict when other Bluetooth devices are also connected.

Unpairing and then repairing the AirPods does not appear to solve the problem, neither does rebooting nor resetting the iPhone. Until Apple offers a solution, users are advised to use only one AirPod for conducting calls, as the dropouts only seem to occur when both earpieces are in use.

Tag: AirPods
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HTC’s smartwatch could be gearing up for launch after yet more pictures leak

HTC’s upcoming smartwatch could arrive imminently after more pictures have leaked on Chinese site Weibo. Some initial images of the watch, codenamed Halfbeak, appeared on the same site in October 2016, but the latest ones give us our clearest indication yet as to what to expect.

• HTC could finally be ready to launch its first Android Wear smartwatch 

The Halfbeak is still expected to be a fitness-focused watch, with HTC collaborating with Under Armour. Under Armour’s logo is still present on the back of the watch, cementing that rumour. What is highly likely to be a heart rate sensor is still on the rear too alongside pins that will most likely be used for charging. The HTC smartwatch is also expected to come with a 360 x 360 display, making it a higher resolution than the Moto 360 v2, but less than the Huawei Watch. 

• Android Wear 2.0: What’s new in the major software update for watches
• Mobile World Congress 2017: Nokia, Sony, Huawei smartphones and more

These new pictures also show us some of the menus and confirm it will come running Android Wear, however with Android Wear 2.0 due to be launched on 9 February, it’s odd to see HTC’s watch running version 1.3. However it could of course just be due to testing purposes and if launched at MWC at the end of February, a date that’s being heavily suggested, it may well arrive running 2.0.

Blood-repellent metal could lead to safer implants

If you have to get an implant in the future, you may not have to worry quite so much about your body rejecting that life-enhancing technology. Colorado State University scientists have developed a titanium surface that’s so blood-repellent that it fools your body into believing that there’s no intruder at all. The team grew chemically modified layers that serve as barriers between the metal and organics, blocking any real contact. Fluorinated nanotubes were the most effective method of repelling blood in the experiments.

There’s more work needed before the metal is ready for real-world use. However, it could easily lead to implants that are not only safer, but improve your quality of life. Implant recipients frequently need blood thinners to prevent clotting and the rejection that follows. With this augmented titanium, clotting might never happen. You wouldn’t have to worry quite so much about losing your implant, and you wouldn’t have to take medicine just to prevent a disaster. And when titanium is already used in many implants, it wouldn’t require a major shift in technology.

Source: Colorado State University, Wiley

Samsung Reveals Extent of Note7 Battery Fire Investigation

Samsung held a press conference on Monday in which it revealed the results of its internal investigation into why some of its Galaxy Note7 handsets set on fire. Last week, leaked reports confirmed the battery was to blame, but Samsung took pains today to explain the thoroughness of its investigation, which involved over 700 engineers and data gathered from testing 200,000 phones and 30,000 Note7 batteries.

In addition to enlisting the help of two independent testing labs, the Korean company built a large-scale test facility to automate different charging and discharging scenarios, which was able to replicate the failures of consumer handsets. Absolutely everything was examined, said Samsung, from hardware and software design, to manufacturing and logistics.

Samsung’s Note7 test facility.
Samsung said that two separate flaws were to blame for some batteries setting on fire in both original and replacement phones. The original Note7 battery had a design flaw in the top-right corner that was liable to short-circuit, while the batteries in replacement units were prone to combustion because of a welding defect. Some handsets were also missing insulation tape. For those interested, the company also released an infographic explaining the findings in more detail.

Going forward, Samsung said it was introducing an 8-point Battery Safety Check that includes additional inspection and testing. The firm also said it was improving training for all battery handlers across its assembly and shipping chains. In addition, it explained that more space would be allowed around the batteries in its handsets to protect them from impact-related failures, and said it would take steps to improve its battery diagnostic and controller software.

“I [hope] this serves as an opportunity to improve safety of lithium-ion not only for Samsung but for the entire industry,” Samsung mobile head DJ Koh told Recode, adding that Samsung takes responsibility for all components of the phone, including batteries made by other Samsung subsidiaries and those bought from outside companies.

Samsung confirmed that the changes would arrive in the forthcoming Galaxy S8, but told reporters not to expect its mid-cycle phone to make its usual appearance at the Mobile World Congress, held annually in February. No timeframe was given for the launch of the S8, suggesting Samsung is being careful not to put itself under undue pressure for its comeback after last year’s Note7 debacle.

Tags: Samsung, Galaxy Note 7
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