Kmashi’s 10000mAh power bank will keep you charged on the go for just $9

Right now you can pick up Kmashi’s 10000mAh power bank for just $9 at Amazon with coupon code JU7GRCLG, a savings of $5. With its larger capacity, you should be able to charge your phone or tablet anywhere from 2 to 4 times per charge of the battery pack, which means you shouldn’t have to worry about powering your way through even the longest of days. It has two USB outputs so you can charge multiple devices at the same time, and there are built-in LEDs which show how much power is remaining inside of it.

Don’t get caught with a low battery and no way to charge it while out and about. Be sure to pick one up with coupon code JU7GRCLG right now!

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This isn’t the Galaxy S8, but it enshrines the trends of 2017

This isn’t the Galaxy S8, but it’s fun to think about.

Many phone companies, particularly those based in Korea like Samsung and LG, enjoy teasing the technologies that will comprise their upcoming flagships well before those devices are announced. LG did it this week by announcing an ultra-wide 18:9 LCD panel that will likely live inside the G6, and now it’s Samsung’s turn.

The company’s Samsung Display subsidiary has revealed its next-generation AMOLED panel technology, replete with DCI-P3 wide color gamut support and ultra-thin bezels, that will more than likely live inside the upcoming Galaxy S8. In one of the ads, there is even a phone that looks remarkably like what one would think, based on the rumors we’ve heard, an S8 to look like. But this nondescript render is surely not the actual Galaxy S8.

That doesn’t mean that the model is worthless. Knowing that Samsung will likely eschew its longstanding dedicated home button for on-screen navigation keys and an embedded touch sensor, the Galaxy S8 will likely be an edge-to-edge wonder that looks much closer to the Xiaomi Mi Mix than the Galaxy S7.

The ad hints at optimizations made to the way Samsung’s SuperAMOLED displays convey color, in particular reds, that pop out of the already heavily-saturated screen. And while we don’t know the resolution, it’s possible we’ll see an S8 with a 4K screen — perfect for VR.

The next video is a little less interesting, but shows exactly what Samsung’s goals are for this year’s crop of AMOLED products, for its own phones and its competitors: accuracy, energy efficiency, and thin bezels.

Other than that, we don’t know a lot about the Galaxy S8 from this. But it’s still fun to speculate either way.

Samsung

Samsung is a massive South Korea-based multinational company that makes some of the best-selling phones, tablets and mobile accessories, but also spans industries such as televisions, appliances and semiconductors (like memory and processors). Samsung is the largest Android device manufacturer worldwide.

• Best Samsung phones
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review
• Best microSD card for Android

Snapchat Spectacles review: More than just a toy for Millennials

Anyone can get into Spectacles as long as life-logging is the goal.

I confess: I am a sucker for the next cool thing in Millennial technology, though I’d argue that Snapchat Spectacles are more than that. Spectacles are the perfect example of accessible technology because anyone can don a pair as long as they have the slightest interest in capturing life 10-seconds at a time.

I’ve been using Spectacles for a few weeks now and though they’re not my primary method of shooting stories, they are a helpful aid when it comes to capturing memories. They’re also stylish — I’ve had a few passersby mention that they could barely tell there was a camera embedded inside. This is exactly what wearable technology is about: Making it easier for us to exist presently among our peers without being distracted by what’s on our face.

Presently, you can’t purchase a pair of Snapchat Spectacles outright unless you live near the Fifth Avenue pop-up shop. I purchased my pair through eBay for about $100 more than they’re worth. Was it worth it for me? Well, let me tell you what life is like with a pair.

They’re sunglasses

Yes, they sunglasses and you can actually wear them to shield your eyes from the stinging sunlight.

First and foremost, I have to set the record straight about Snapchat Spectacles: They are sunglasses and you can actually wear them out to shield your eyes from the stinging sunlight.

Second, they actually work rather impeccably at capturing video. With each press of the button, you’re shooting 10-seconds of video at a time, up to 30 seconds total. There is a circular LED light on the left side of the glasses (as you’re wearing them) that indicates whether you’re recording and when the video is coming to a close. It also lets people on the outside know if you’re shooting them unannounced. (You should always let people know you’re filming.)

Videos from the Spectacles to the Snapchat app are transferred at a lower quality over Bluetooth first. This is to help you get your story out faster. If you’d rather go high resolution, you can connect directly to the Spectacles via Wi-Fi (easily from the Settings app!) and download your content that way.

Posting Specta-snaps to Snapchat requires a bit of labor, however.

Posting them to Snapchat requires a bit of labor, however. You’ll have to load them up in the app, then cycle through every single video clip you recorded and then edit from there. This can be super frustrating to do when you’re juggling more than a few clips, for instance, and I’d often have to deal with the Snaphat app crashing on me (on both a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, Pixel XL, and Moto Z Force) because it couldn’t handle loading all the video.

If you have a bit of a patience, however, you can make great content with the Spectacles on your face. Just don’t plan on a point-and-shoot-and-share-immediately type of experience. The point of the Spectacles is to shoot when your smartphone can not, so leave it in the bag.

Lastly, I want to profess my appreciation for the way this stylish little gadget charges. Spectacles come in a bright yellow case with a magnetic charging strip embedded on the inside. You can charge up the case to charge the Spectacles when you’re on the go, or charge the Spectacles separately with the included charging cord. Be forewarned that the case is a bit bulky, so ladies, make some room. I’d also caution against carrying them around without the case since the lenses scratch very easily. On the plus side, you can easily swap in your own lenses.

They don’t play nice with other apps

The videos that Spectacles produce do not translate particularly well to other social networks.YouTube appears to be the only practical solution for sharing stories you filmed with the Spectacles. Instagram Stores is the worst way; the 1080×1080 square image doesn’t translate well into Stories’ narrow video player, though it’s fine as a standalone Instagram post (as exhibited above).

You can probably get a little creative with the aid of other applications, but the process of actually exporting the Spectacles video to your camera roll is another headache that’s not worth bothering with unless you have some time to kill.

People love ’em

My family loved that I showed up to Christmas wearing these things. I don’t plan to post the full story that was shot with the Spectacles, but I love that I have a reel that was produced even when I wasn’t donning the pair. Both my immediate and extended family, young and old, wore the glasses around and added their own colorful commentary to the holiday celebrations.

This is a gadget that attracts attention — wanted and unwanted.

The video I have from Christmas is the perfect little keepsake of the amazing holiday we shared as a family. It reminded me a bit of the videos my dad filmed of us as kids. Every Christmas, he’d prop up a video camera on a tripod and film my brother and me as we were opening presents. Snapchat Spectacles are much weirder-looking in comparison, but their intended use falls along the same vein.

I don’t regret buying Snapchat Specs

Snapchat Spectacles may seem like a massive gimmick, but that’s because they are. They exist solely to sell the Snapchat app as a lifestyle, one that periodically serves you advertisements in between video clips your friend made at work in the lunchroom. It’s admittedly a strange way to live life, but I’m into it.

The more I wear these out, the more I hear of comparisons to Google Glass.

I also think it’s interesting that the more I wear these out, the more I hear of comparisons to Google Glass. I don’t doubt that I’d receive the same treatment if I walked into San Francisco’s Molotov’s wearing Spectacles on my face, but the proprietary nature of this gadget will be its biggest caveat for anyone interested in a pair.

Regardless, Snapchat Spectacles are a great case for embedding technology into existing fashion accessories. A wearable doesn’t have to look as different as Google Glass did to be considered innovative. And wouldn’t it be cool to use Glass’s interface on something that looked like a pair of Specs?

Video: LG G6 rumors, leaks, features and more!

As is traditional in the weeks leading up to a new LG flagship phone, the Korean company has slowly started to trickle out details of its next big thing, the LG G6. We’re expecting the new phone, which could be one of the first Snapdragon 835 devices, to break cover at Mobile World Congress in late February. And based on what LG has already teased, we’re set for a new, unibody design, with the company moving away from the ill-fated modularity it introduced in the G5.

Other features likely to make it into the G6, based on LG’s recent teaser, include water resistance — finally — and new camera tricks that’ll let you “capture it all at once.” Check out our video for more on what we’re expecting from the first big Android announcement of the year!

• More on the LG G6
• Android Central on YouTube

Motorola is announcing a new phone at Mobile World Congress in February

Motorola teases a new phone to launch at MWC.

Motorola is set to launch a new phone in Barcelona next month prior to the start of Mobile World Congress.

The annual show has become a traditional venue for manufacturers to launch phones for the European market, but many of them end up in North America and beyond.

Motorola is holding its event at 4:30pm on February 26, and while it’s unclear what the Lenovo subsidiary is launching at this point, based on the render in the vague invite, it’s unlikely to be part of its Moto Z line.

It’s possible it may be another Moto X product, or a variant of the Moto M, which was released in Asia late last year, but the likely scenario is a new Moto G, which is due for a refresh after the successful Moto G4 and G4 Plus.

We’ll have to wait and see; MWC 2017 is only a short time away!

More: Huawei’s next flagship to launch at MWC 2017

Apple TV app changes pave the way for better gaming

Apple has drastically increased the size of apps that developers can submit to its Apple TV App Store, paving the way for more media-heavy apps, especially games. Up until now the limit was 200 MB, but apps can now be as large 4GB, the same as for iOS devices. The change should provide a “complete, rich user experience upon installation,” Apple says, noting that as before, apps can host up to 20GB of additional content from the App Store.

The change has led some to speculate that a new Apple TV might come along soon with more storage than the current 32 or 64GB offerings. As it stands, downloading a few large apps now would fill up the devices pretty fast, compared to, say, a 256GB iPhone 7.

As developer Steve Troughton-Smith points out, apps that large are generally games, so future Apple TV models might soon be more console-like. “Fun thought: If Apple TV gets a modern A-series CPU/GPU upgrade [like the A10 fusion chip used in the iPhone 7], it’ll be more powerful than one of the ‘real’ games consoles in the market,” he tweeted, referring to Nintendo’s new Switch.

Fun thought: if Apple TV gets a modern A-series CPU/GPU upgrade, it’ll be more powerful than one of the ‘real’ games consoles in the market https://t.co/QCss7MtqN5

— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) January 13, 2017

Via: Steve Troughton-Smith (Twitter)

Source: Apple

Nothing immerses you in ‘Resident Evil 7’ like a 4D candle

4D experiences are typically only found in theme parks and fancy theaters, but soon you’ll be able to trick your senses at home with the launch of the “official Resident Evil 4D candle.” Yes, a candle. Created by Capcom and merchandise merchant Numskull, it’s intended to make playing Resident Evil 7: Biohazard on PlayStation VR even more immersive by filling your den with the scent of the game’s Baker House Mansion — which, given it’s an abandoned house, should probably smell like damp and old socks.

If you really want to commit to the role of evil hater Ethan Winters, the candle is now available to pre-order for $14/£10 and will be released parallel with the game’s launch on January 24th. The candle, complete with metallic case, is said to have a burn time of roughly 25 hours, which should be long enough to beat the game amidst old house aroma. And if there’s some smelly wax left over when you’re done, probably best not to use it to complement a relaxing bath or light a romantic dinner, yeah?

Source: Numskull

Smartwatches can tell you’re about to get sick days in advance

If you’re still on the fence about just how useful a smartwatch can be, a group of researchers at Stanford University have some news for you. The scientists discovered that a combination of vital signs gathered by the Basis B1 and Basis Peak used alongside algorithms can determine if you’re about to catch a cold days before you get sick. Using stats like heart rate and skin temperature, researchers say the smartwatches can indicate the first signs of an oncoming illness.

During the course of their research, the team at Stanford gathered details from 40 volunteers who wore the devices for two years. The information gathered shows that people exhibited an unusually pulse and warmer than average skin temperatures (at times) before any physical signs of a cold or infection. The tech could tell up to three days in advance before any symptoms started to present themselves.

In addition the the two Basis devices, the group used the Moves app, Scanadu health tracker and Masimo iSpO2 to double check pulse and skin temperature readings as well monitor as blood oxygen levels. Those readings were compared to those gathered with a WA 6000 series vital signs monitor in the Stanford lab. In their findings that were published this week, researchers say that if you’re heart rate and skim temperature are elevated for two hours, there’s a good chance you’re getting sick.

The Stanford researchers are hoping to develop algorithms that will allow your smartwatch to send you a notification when you might be coming down with something. They warn that just because you know in advance that you’re getting sick doesn’t necessarily mean you can avoid it entirely. When it comes to wearable tech, there’s also the issue of accuracy.

Unfortunately, it will be difficult to use the Basis Peak to test these findings. Intel discontinued and recalled the device following overheating issues back in August. It also shut down the accompanying services. Now that we know the wearable could have been used to alert users to potential illness, it’s a shame Intel decided to kill it off like so other many malfunctioning devices.

Via: New Scientist

Source: PLOS Biology

Nintendo’s Switch Pro controller is refined, but not perfect

Nintendo’s Joy-Con controllers for the Switch are wonderfully unique, but they might not be ideal for every situation. That’s why the $70 Switch Pro Controller exists — it’s meant for gamers who need a more traditional-feeling gamepad for titles like Ultra Street Fighter 2 and Super Bomberman R. It’s not exactly a surprising accessory, as Nintendo had a similar Pro accessories for the Wii and Wii U, but it’s still nice to see the company refining its concept of a classic game controller.

The most surprising thing about the Switch Pro Controller? Nintendo adopted a button layout that’s similar to Microsoft’s Xbox One controller, rather than its own previous entries. There’s an analog stick in the top left of the controller. along with a second stick in the lower right. I’ve always found this to be a more comfortable layout than Sony’s Dual Shock layout, which places both analog sticks at the bottom (something Nintendo copied with the Wii Pro controller). The revamped design is also a nice change from the Wii U Pro controller, which placed both analog sticks awkwardly at the top right and left (don’t ask why).

Thanks to its curved hand grips, the Switch Pro Controller gave me flashbacks to Nintendo’s (excellent) Wavebird for the Gamecube. It feels great in your hands, though I found the directional pad to be a bit stiffer than I’m use to (perhaps because it’s not worn down with hours of gaming yet). Pressing the face buttons also felt shallow compared to Xbox One and PlayStation 4’s controllers. For $70, I expected a much more premium-feeling layout.

It’s also worth noting that the Switch’s Joy-Con controllers actually feel good when attached to their Grip, which comes with the system. Sure, the buttons are smaller and there’s no directional pad, but the Joy-Con were perfectly fine while playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Simply put, there might be less of a reason for gamers to invest in the Pro controller this time around.

Panasonic’s delivery robot will sling drinks and clear tables

Panasonic’s relationship with robots is pretty well established at this point. Now the company is taking it one step further with the HOSPI(R) Autonomous Delivery Robot. From January 14th to the 18th, it’ll inhabit the ANA Crowne Plaza Narita in Japan, delivering bottled drinks right from the fridge in its belly. Eww. It’ll also be giving out bus directions according to a press release. Sounds a little bit less creepy than a robotic velociraptor checking you into a hotel, at least.

The following week HOSPI(R) will be at the Narita International Airport’s “Narita Travel Lounge” to bus tables. Panasonic says that there aren’t any plans to install the ‘bot in either location permanently, however. Probably a good thing, right? After all, humans need those jobs too.

Panasonic describes the robot as a delivery machine that uses pre-programmed mapping info in concert with a collision-avoidance algorithm and an array of sensors to get around. About four hospitals in the world are using it for carrying medicine and other bits around campus. Now it just needs one of Panasonic’s cute projectors stuffed inside it to complete the whole R2D2 vibe.

Source: BusinessWire