The Belkin Wemo Mini makes your home that much smarter

A question your friendly neighborhood Modern Dad gets a lot is this: Are connected lights worth it? Sure. But there’s a great alternative.

And that alternative is a smart outlet. And we’ve got a brand new one here from Belkin, called the WeMo Mini.

Here’s the gist: It’s a power outlet that, uh, plugs into your power outlet.

[CUE XHIBIT YO DAWG MEME.]

It also plugs into your router, which is how it gets smart. Well, as smart as an outlet can get, I guess.

You can turn it off and on with your phone.

Or your voice. It works with Amazon Alexa, and Google Home. But not Apple’s HomeKit. Which isn’t to say it doesn’t work on iOS — it just doesn’t use Apple’s fancy implementation with Siri.

Why a smart outlet? Why not. It’s brilliant (BRILLIANT!) for lamps in hard-to-reach places. I LOVED having my Christmas tree plugged into one so I could just stumble to bed at night and mutter “Alexa, turn off the Christmas tree.”

And the new Wemo Mini makes things even better by slimming down the outlet itself, so you can use two at the same time. It’s a much better shape than the old favorite.

The only real down side here? Belkin’s Wemo app isn’t great. It’s the same on Android as it is on iOS, which is fine and all. Setup is still kind of a pain. And the app is only meant to be used in a single location. (There are third-party options that can help with that, though.)

But all in all? This is a really flexible product. So long as it’s in range of your Wifi and fits on the outlet, it’ll work great. And now in this smaller form, it’ll fit in more places.

See at Amazon

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U.S. carriers could begin Galaxy S7 Nougat update in early Feb

Nougat could hit GS7 units in the U.S. as early as February 8.

For millions of U.S. Galaxy S7 and S7 edge owners, the alluring scent of Android 7.0 Nougat has been wafting through the window like a basket of freshly-baked cookies (sorry, so hungry) for a few weeks now — ever since the company released a beta version for a few (hundred) thousand people.

Canadians have also been looking forward to the same thing (h/t MobileSyrup), but there are just far fewer people in the country to get excited. Nevertheless, Koodo, one of Canada’s discount carriers, which happens to be owned by the country’s second-largest telecom, Telus, posted and then removed a notice of update for the Galaxy S7 line: February 8.

Given that the U.S. and Canadian carriers tend to stick to a fairly rigid update schedule for Samsung devices, it wouldn’t be a big leap to suggest that providers like Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T would begin rolling out their versions of Nougat updates around the same time.

It’s about time, too: our own Alex Dobie took the GS7 Nougat update for a spin and found it to be exactly what the doctor ordered for these impressive flagships — and the next.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• U.S. unlocked Galaxy S7
• Should you upgrade to the Galaxy S7?
• Best SD cards for Galaxy S7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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Sprint
T-Mobile
Verizon

VR experiences that work no matter what headset you own

Cross-platform games and apps are slowly being introduced to make them more accessible no matter what VR headset you own.

There are tons of amazing apps, games, and experiences just waiting for you to enjoy in VR. It can be frustrating when you find an awesome new game that isn’t available for your VR headset. That’s where cross-platform apps come in to make things easier for everyone. While there aren’t a ton of cross-platform apps that are currently live, more of them will be cropping up moving forward!

Read more at VRHeads.com

Best Android Phones Under $300

Equip yourself with a solid set of specs for the bare minimum.

Best overall

ZTE Axon 7 Mini

See at Amazon

The ZTE Axon 7 Mini’s price tag has finally dipped below $300. This stylish aluminum device is essentially a mini-me of its regularly-sized flagship, the Axon 7, but don’t expect to move mountains with its mid-range hardware.

At the very least, the Axon 7 Mini’s 16-megapixel camera is capable enough to capture the dazzling colors of a winter sunset. Its vibrant 1080p display and capable stereo speakers will also fool anyone into thinking this thing costs more than it does. But before you bring home this seemingly all-for-less package, remember that you’ll have to contend with is ZTE’s MiFavor UI, which isn’t the best translation of the Android operating system.

Bottom line: All the basics are available in the ZTE Axon 7 Mini if you’re aching to upgrade but you’re desperate to avoid spending an arm and a leg.

One more thing: Unfortunately, the ZTE Axon 7 Mini does not work particularly well with CDMA networks like Sprint and Verizon.

Why the ZTE Axon 7 Mini is the best

One of the bummers of purchasing a budget device is that you’re often trading in form for functionality. The ZTE Axon 7 Mini gives you the best of both worlds, however: It comes outfitted in a stylish silver or gold aluminum dressing, complete with perforated speaker grills for added flair. And not only is it actually pocketable, its 5.2-inch display is just as watchable as the one your friend looks at on her iPhone.

The Axon 7 Mini may not be the kind of workhorse you’d find exhibited by its flagship counterpart, but it is a worthy consideration precisely because it can keep up with everyone else. And sure, it may not have the most user-friendly interface available, but with a little love from a third-party launcher, you can easily fake the Google experience while relishing in the fact that you paid a fraction of the price.

Best for naval-gazing

Honor 6X

See at Amazon

If your lifestyle is living loudly, wildly, and all over the internet, the Honor 6X should be your first choice for a budget smartphone. It’s equipped with all the necessities, including a dual rear-facing 12-megapixel and 2-megapixel camera that’s packed with a bevy of camera modes, a substantial 3000mAh batter pack, and a 1080p display for editing all those photos before posting them online.

Bottom line: The Honor 6X is truly a smartphone made for the kids: It has great battery life, camera hardware that’s substantial for social media, and a non-partisan design that will blend in with the rest of ’em.

One more thing: Like the Axon 7 Mini, the Honor 6X is not compatible with the major CDMA networks in the U.S.

Best for really tight budgets

Moto G4 Plus

See at Amazon

Here’s a phone that’s truly unlocked: the Moto G4 Plus boasts compatibility with all four of the major networks, including Verizon and Sprint. You won’t get near the kind of performance you’d get with a pricier device, but you will get plenty of storage, a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 3000mAh battery pack.

Bottom line: The Moto G4 Plus is the practical way to go if you’re interested in just the basics.

One more thing: There are two options for the Moto G4 Plus: a 32GB variant, which only comes with 2GB of RAM, and a 64GB variant, which comes equipped with 4GB. At the time of writing, there is around a $30 price difference between the two on Amazon, but we’d suggest springing the cash for the extra memory.

Best overall

ZTE Axon 7 Mini

See at Amazon

The ZTE Axon 7 Mini’s price tag has finally dipped below $300. This stylish aluminum device is essentially a mini-me of its regularly-sized flagship, the Axon 7, but don’t expect to move mountains with its mid-range hardware.

At the very least, the Axon 7 Mini’s 16-megapixel camera is capable enough to capture the dazzling colors of a winter sunset. Its vibrant 1080p display and capable stereo speakers will also fool anyone into thinking this thing costs more than it does. But before you bring home this seemingly all-for-less package, remember that you’ll have to contend with is ZTE’s MiFavor UI, which isn’t the best translation of the Android operating system.

Bottom line: All the basics are available in the ZTE Axon 7 Mini if you’re aching to upgrade but you’re desperate to avoid spending an arm and a leg.

One more thing: Unfortunately, the ZTE Axon 7 Mini does not work particularly well with CDMA networks like Sprint and Verizon.

Score an unlocked Galaxy Note 4 for just $349 right now!

Daily Steals is currently offering the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 for just $349 with coupon code GALAXYSALE. This deal is for a new in box unlocked T-Mobile unit. While it may not be the latest and greatest Android phone, it is the last in the Galaxy Note line to feature a removable battery, something that many still desire in a phone. It comes with 32GB of internal storage with the ability to expand it with a microSD card, a 16MP camera and much more.

Remember, you’ll need coupon code GALAXYSALE to get the additional savings. Will you be picking one up in black or white? Let us know in the comments!

See at Daily Steals

NVIDIA Shield Android TV: Top tips and tricks for your set top box

The NVIDIA Shield Android TV is a powerful set top box with plenty of advanced capabilities.

You may initially buy the Shield Android TV for a basic set of tasks, but it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll want to do more with it when you discover all that’s possible with this box. Between its expandable ports, extra software, solid peripherals and gaming capabilities, the Shield Android TV can grow with you.

To help you make the most of your box, we have a great list of tips and tricks for you to check out and put to good use in your entertainment system.

Add storage with a USB drive

Even though the Shield Android TV no longer has a microSD card slot (unless you buy the Pro model), that doesn’t mean you can’t expand on the 16GB of internal storage. You still have two USB 3.0 ports on the back of the box to work with, and the system will be happy to use the storage of any USB device you attach. That could be a flash drive or a full-on external hard drive — the only thing to think about here is speed.

Because the Shield Android TV has USB 3.0 it’s highly recommended that you use a 3.0 drive, as using a slower drive could cause performance issues when it’s adopted into the system. Thankfully it’s easy to find a good 3.0 drive, whether it’s a simple 32GB flash drive or a larger 1TB spinning hard drive — either one will integrate seamlessly into the system.

Once you attach a drive, just go into the Shield Android TV’s settings, select Storage and tell it you want to adopt the drive. There’s just one important thing to remember: once you adopt a drive, you wont be able to remove and reattach the drive or use it on any other machine until you format it. So choose you drive wisely and commit to it!

The Shield Controller works with headphones

The new version of the Shield Remote no longer has a headphone jack for private listening, but the feature has been retained in the new Shield Controller. When you plug any headphones into the controller all audio that would normally go out to your TV is sent to the headphones instead, whether you’re playing a game or just watching Netflix.

The bonus of using the controller is that it has much longer battery life than the remote. NVIDIA claims 60 hours of gameplay with the controller before needing to recharge, so you should be able to get far more than that if you’re just using it for private listening without other functions.

Your controller and remote can control your TV

The new Shield Controller and Remote added a few new features, but one of the unsung heroes here is the addition of IR blasters on both accessories. So now even though the new Shield Android TV itself is controlled over Bluetooth, you can use the controller or remote to control the power and volume of other parts of your entertainment center including your TV and AV receiver.

To set this up, head into your settings, display & sound then either volume control or power control to get started. The Shield will do its best to identify the TV its plugged into, then give you steps to find the right IR code to manage volume and power of the TV or receiver you have.

Rearrange app tiles

The Shield Android TV’s new Nougat software simplified the home screen by dropping the “NVIDIA” subsection, leaving you with just Apps and Games. At first these lists will be short and simple, but as you install more apps and games to the box they can quickly get out of hand. Fear not, you can rearrange them!

Move around the interface with either your controller or remote to highlight the app or game tile you want to move, then press and hold the select button until the rest of the interface fades away. Move the app around with the directional pad and watch the apps around it move out of its way. Once you found the right spot, press the select or home button and the tile will stay put.

Apps and games will remain in this custom order until you move them around, and extra apps and games that are installed after the fact will continue to just be added to the end of the list.

Use the quick app switcher

Android 7.0 Nougat for Android TVs added a neat little feature: a quick app switcher. The problem is, you wouldn’t know about it unless someone told you … so we’re telling you. To access it, double press on the home button of either your controller or remote and you’ll see the interface give away for a horizontal-scrolling list of your recently used apps.

Click left and right to find what you want to switch to, and select it to launch straight into that previous app. It can be much quicker to use this method than jumping all the way back to the home screen to find a previous app. (As an extra tip, if you feel like you need to forcibly close an app, you can do so by highlighting it in the app switcher and pressing down on the directional pad twice.)

Connect to your PC via USB

NVIDIA removed the Micro-USB port from the Shield Android TV in its 2017 refresh, but that doesn’t mean it removed the ability to connect a PC to the box. The feature has been retained simply using one of the two USB-A ports on the back of the box. You’ll need a lesser-used USB-A to USB-A cable, but once you have one it’ll work just like you expect — giving you access to the box via your PC for all sorts of fun.

To get started, with the cable connected to both your Shield Android TV and PC go into the Shield’s settings, select storage & reset then flip the switch for Shield storage access using USB.

NVIDIA Shield Android TV

• Read our Shield Android TV review
• The latest Shield Android TV news
• Join the forum discussion
• Complete Shield Android TV specs

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Tilt Brush creations can now be exported to other projects

Now what you make in virtual reality can be exported into real life.

Google announced that it’s released the Tilt Brush Toolkit, an open source library that lets you bring those Title Brush creations over to other projects.

Tilt Brush is one of the more creative apps available for the HTC Vive — after all, it essentially allows you to paint your world. The toolkit comes equipped with Python scripts and a Unity SDK that enable you to turn those creations into movies, interactive stories, games, music videos, or whatever else you can think up with the apps and services in your arsenal.

The brush shaders, audio code, and file format conversion utilities are all a part of the package so that you have a relatively stress-free transition over to a new project. Now get to painting! Virtually, that is.

Watch a man virtually recreate a car from memory using Tilt Brush

Researchers have found a way to pair cells to smartphones

Wearables, fitness trackers and other medical devices are extremely useful for gathering basic health data, but existing electronics aren’t so good at communicating directly with our bodies’ biological systems. The simple fact is that there’s a disconnect between organic cells that communicate via hormones or nutrients, and electronic devices that communicate via electrons. According to a new study published this week in the journal Nature Communications, however, researchers have devised a way to reprogram bacterial cells to recognize electronic signals. The system could one day allow our smartphones or other devices to communicate directly with cells in the body.

The key is harnessing “redox” molecules, which move electrons in biological systems through chemical reactions. Using an electrode connected to an electronic device, the researchers were able to flip the redox molecules between oxidized and reduced states, two of the study’s co-authors wrote in Scientific American. By genetically modifying bacterial cells to respond to the redox molecule pyocyanin, the team could then control the bacteria’s protein synthesis. And because the protein produced glows a fluorescent green, the team was about to watch as they flipped the cells on and off like a light switch.

In another example, the research team was able to create a bacteria that would swim forward when “switched on,” but would remain in one spot when “off.” And in a third example, the team was able to influence the collective behavior of an entire colony of cells. Moving forward, the researchers envision autonomous devices (or even just a feature of your smartphone) that could spot and treat diseases by reprogramming bacteria to produce helpful compounds and “issue new directions to the biological system.”

Via: Scientific American

Source: Nature Communications

Local multiplayer mayhem comes to Xbox One with ‘TowerFall Ascension’

Xbox One owners, it’s time to invest in another controller because local-multiplayer mainstay TowerFall Ascension is finally coming to Xbox Live. From January 25th, Xbox One gamers will be able to get their hands on all the same content PS4 players have, with the game’s Dark World expansion also arriving on Xbox the same day.

For the uninitiated, TowerFall Ascension is an unusual but addictive mix of deathmatch and platformer that pits four brightly colored sprites against each other. Players share a single screen as they aim to eliminate their rivals using a mix of well-placed arrows and carefully considered powerups. While it may not be much to look at, it’s a chaotic and grin-inducing little party game. As well as the competitive multiplayer it’s best known for, the game also offers a campaign mode that can be played alone or in co-op.

Developed by one-man band Matt Thorson, TowerFall started life is an exclusive title for the KickStarter console curio, Ouya. Unsurprisingly, It wasn’t until the game was repackaged as Towerfall Ascension and released on PC and PS4 that it became a success. Thorson has promised an Xbox One version of TowerFall since 2015, so Microsoft gamers fearing its cancellation can now finally breathe a sigh of relief.

While we’ve seen some great games this console generation, If there’s one thing that’s been sorely lacking it’s quality same-room multiplayer experiences. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and pick up TowerFall Ascension – it’s the best local multiplayer this side of Rocket League.

Source: Eurogamer

Fujifilm X100F preview: Fixed-lens finery

If there’s one high-end fixed-lens camera that gets people excited, it’s the Fuji X100 series.

Now in its fourth-generation form, the X100F has the core make-up that made its predecessors such successes, but has a revamped layout and enhanced autofocus features that take it to the next level.

Following its announcement we got to handle a final production X100F at Fujifilm’s pre-launch event to get a real feel for the camera. Is its significant £1,249 price point worth every penny?

Fujifilm X100F preview: What’s different?

• 24-megapixel X-Trans CMOS III sensor
• New focus lever to rear
• New ISO dial stacked within shutter dial
• Exposure compensation adds custom (C)
• New 325-point autofocus system (49 phase-detection points)

Front-on and the X100F looks identical to earlier X100T. It’s the same dimensions, with the same magnesium top panel construction and feels like a hardy wedge of quality in the hand. The 35mm (equivalent) lens and hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder remain the same as before (albeit the finder has a faster refresh rate for its electronic view).

Pocket-lint

Flip the camera around, however, and it reveals its new design features. There’s a focus lever to the rear, which is much the same as you’ll find in Fuji’s compact system cameras, such as the X-T2. It’s really handy to use for quick point adjustment, while a press will allow for focus point size adjustment (controlled using the rear thumbwheel to cycle through the five size options).

Up top the X100F reveals some of its other new features, subtle as they are. The main addition is ISO sensitivity control from within the shutter speed dial – simply pull it up and rotate it to adjust between auto, low/high and individual ISO sensitivities (between third-stops). The exposure compensation also has a custom “C” position beyond its +/-3EV control which you can use via the thumbwheel to make adjustments to +/-5EV instead.

Pocket-lint

Beneath that magnesium shell the X100F hosts the latest 24-megapixel X-Trans CMOS III sensor. That’s a 50 per cent resolution increase over the X100T model, which can be used in full wide-angle 35mm (equivalent) or jogged to 50/70mm equivalents (in JPEG only) using the front lens ring (doing this only crops directly into the image, but it’s a quirky feature).

Fujifilm X100F preview: What’s missing?

• No 4K video
• No vari-angle LCD screen
• No touchscreen controls
• Close-focus sharpness limitations
• No exposure compensation dial lock

The new features are certainly welcome, but the X100F still misses out on a few features and adopts the legacy of its predecessor’s shortcomings.

Pocket-lint

Principal to those is that the lens is not designed for close-up shooting at the wide-open apertures. There’s nothing to stop you shooting at f/2.0 but close-to-lens subjects won’t be sharp, even if they’re in the focal plane. The camera doesn’t warn of this – it’s just something you have to learn as you go, as it was with the X100, X100S and X100T before it.

• Best compact cameras 2017: The best pocket cameras available to buy today

When using the camera we found the ongoing lack of a vari-angle LCD screen and the absence of touch to be a shame too. The other models that Fuji has also unveiled – the mirrorless medium format GFX 50S and X-T20 mirrorless system camera – each feature touchscreen options. It feels that the X100F should now offer this.

Pocket-lint

Despite the camera operating faster – the electronic viewfinder operates at 60fps rather than 30fps of the earlier X100T, for example – the X100F isn’t able to leverage this for 4K video capture. Realistically this is a purist camera, so we don’t really care. Nonetheless, it seems like a feature that could be plausible – and removing stills from a stream of video can be useful.

Fujifilm X100F preview: How does it handle?

As high-end compact cameras go, however, we love the X100F. We’ve always had a soft spot for this camera series and now, especially thanks to the focus lever, it’s easier and more intuitive to use than ever before.

The new autofocus system offers a huge spread of focus points throughout the screen too, and with the ability to adjust their size they function in a fairly pinpoint fashion.

Pocket-lint

Of the 325-points, there’s a 91-point option, while the centre-most 49-points are phase-detection for optimum performance. The more sensitive points are outlined as distinct, larger squares so you know what’s what.

However, we’d like on-screen focusing to offer a zoom-in 100 per cent preview, as this kind of functionality is available within the viewfinder.

And it’s that viewfinder that truly sells the X100F. It’s always been the pinnacle of its kind: a wider-than-100-per-cent optical frame, so you can predict what’s coming into the frame. The frame border is outlined by a digital border which, once adjusting to 50/70mm, moves within the frame. Parallax adjustment is also catered for, the frame edge moving to accurately show the capture frame one focus is acquired.

A flick of the finder switch to the front opens up an in-camera rangefinder-style preview window to the bottom right corner, which can be used to view the whole frame, or 2.5x or 6.5x magnification to see exactly what you’re doing. Flick the finder switch the other way and the whole viewfinder goes fully electronic – which can be handy due to no parallax error, but we far prefer the more fluid vision of the optical view with the electronic overlay.

Pocket-lint

In short there’s no more interesting and practical viewfinder on the market. It only works in a camera like this due to the fixed-lens nature, but the viewfinder is a huge sell for the X100F.

Fujifilm X100F preview: What’s image quality like?

Bumping up the resolution by 50 per cent might sound like a lot, but with 24-megapixels on offer it’s roughly the current standard on the market. It’s the very same sensor that you’ll find in the X-T2, too, so we have few qualms about just how good the quality is.

Pocket-lint

At Fujifilm’s preview event we were able to shoot a variety of scenes with the camera, including a male model (not Zoolander) and various around-the-house objects in mixed lighting. It wasn’t a particularly bright day, so was an ideal opportunity to test the camera’s low-light capabilities.

The quality is still very impressive even at higher ISO sensitivities. A dog statue, with lots of mid-level tones and blacks, shows off just how sharp images can be from that lens, without excessive image noise – there’s only a whisper of it in the background.

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Drop down the sensitivity – such as the ISO 400 model shot that we snapped (with off-camera flash) – and things look ultra clean and clear, with ample crispness. The lens really is great assuming the subject is far enough away.

That’s the one problem we continue to have with the X100 series: close-up focus is tricky to judge, as wide-open apertures always come out soft unless the distance is agreeable. Keep things at an arm’s length and be prepared to stop down as f/2.0 isn’t always usable.

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Other perks with the X100F is that the leaf shutter within the lens – which opens in an outward-from-centre motion, rather than upward focal-plane motion – means much higher flash sync speeds are possible. It’s great for catching flash-lit subjects while causing the background to not receive the same degree of lighting and, therefore, a darker appearance.

First Impressions

There’s no ignoring the the X100F is a niche product. There’s no optical zoom. Close-up shooting isn’t great. It’s also hugely expensive at £1,249 (a result of the sinking Sterling relative to political climes – it’s 8 per cent down year-on-year against the Yen).

Yet the X100F has heaps to offer than nothing else on the market can. It’s truly unique. Its quality of build is second to none. The hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder is outstanding, as is the rangefinder-style mode. The improved autofocus is every bit as good as its competition and the new focus lever makes it even quicker to control.

You might need to be as rich as a king to buy one, but then the X100F is indeed king of the fixed-lens compacts.