ICYMI: Voice integration in your fridge and car

Today on In Case You Missed It: It’s our final show from CES so we’re taking you on a quick tour of some of the voice integration in cars and appliances available at the show. Ford, Chrysler, Hyundai and the rest all have integration deals with either Amazon Alexa or Google, and sometimes, both. For the home, Samsung and LG both unveiled smart refrigerators that use Alexa. LG’s Smart InstaView uses webOS to run Amazon Alexa to let you play music, control the temperature of your fridge, pull up recipes and more.

As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

Toyota’s futuristic Concept-i, and more in the week that was

After years of anticipation, Faraday Future unveiled its “Tesla-killer” FF91 electric car this week — and it’s even faster than a Model S in ludicrous mode. Meanwhile, Nissan announced that its next-gen Leaf EV will be able to drive itself on the highway, and Toyota debuted a futuristic concept car that takes the wheel when drivers get sleepy. China is making a huge investment in high-speed rail to the tune of over $500 billion, and Israel is testing electric roads that wirelessly charge electric vehicles as they drive.

Costa Rica has invested heavily in alternative energy, and it’s paying off in spades: The nation 1.5 million electric vehicles a year. Israel is building the world’s tallest solar tower, which will power 130,000 households once it’s complete. A company in India has developed a groundbreaking new technology to transform carbon pollution into harmless baking powder. And China just announced plans to invest $361 billion in renewable energy projects by the year 2020.

NASA just unveiled its vision for a habitat on Mars, and it’s wrapped in an icy shell that provides protection and views of the surrounding world. In other design and technology news, Amazon has filed a patent for flying warehouses in the sky that could deliver products using drones. Architects in Iran developed a bowl-shaped roof that harvests rainwater while providing natural cooling. And Inhabitat visited an off-grid village in the Middle East that is taking advantage of game-changing green building strategies.

Every ‘Golden Girls’ episode is coming to Hulu

They might be a little late to the Betty White party, but Hulu is adding a little bit of Miami warmth to its winter lineup. According to the streaming service, The Golden Girls will be available on Hulu starting February 13th so you can spend your Valentine’s Day at Blanche Devereaux’s house.

You will see the biggest gift will be from us when The #GoldenGirls comes to Hulu 2/13. Thank you for being a friend. pic.twitter.com/vP7kAr0Eum

— hulu (@hulu) January 7, 2017

According to Hulu’s Head Of Content Craig Erich, the show is an important addition as the service tries to round up fan favorite series and nostalgia mines that may also have appeal with new fans. Hulu scored a big win by snagging up the streaming rights to Seinfeld in 2015, but the company has recently been adding mountains of new streaming and live TV content from a diverse range of partners including Disney and CBS. Hulu is also finally rolling out individual profiles so all that Golden Girls binging doesn’t have to mess up your whole family’s show recommendations.

Source: Hulu

Immersit Vibes puts a rumble pack in your sofa

Sitting down: it’s such a passive activity. Immersit wants to shake that up, all too literally, with its “vibes” sofa accessory. We’ve seen Immersit before, when it debuted a much more intense (and more expensive) 4D motion kit. That one actually raised the sofa off the ground for added impact. Vibes, on the other hand is meant to be more accessible, and at around $350, it’s something much more within most consumers’ reach.

The kit consists of two pads that you slip under the feet of your sofa. They’re designed so that they shouldn’t affect your seating height or comfort. The pads connect over bluetooth to a transmitter plugged into a TV (or, as it has both digital and analog connections, any audio source, theoretically). The transmitter picks up any low frequencies and peaks from the audio feed and converts them to, well, vibes that you feel in your butt and back.

I enjoyed a quick demo, and it certainly adds something to the cinematic experience. If you’ve ever been to a so-called “4D” movie, you’ll know more or less what to expect. But if you haven’t, imagine a sofa vibrating along with the action, and you’re most of the way there. You control the level of intensity of the rumble via a button on the pods under the feet of the sofa, so there’s no app to get in the way.

I’ve tried both products Immersit makes, and while the 4D Motion is fun, the Vibes feels a little more accessible. The rumbling sensation might not be for everyone, but it definitely adds an extra sensory element to the movie experience. I imagine gaming is particularly well suited to the Vibes, and the same goes for VR. With VR your primary senses are overwhelmed, so the vibrations would add a welcome tactile element.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

Source: Immersit

Iran censored porn so hard it broke the internet in Hong Kong

If you had trouble visiting explicit websites in the last few days, the fault may have come from an unexpected source: Iran. According to a new report from The Verge, a recent attempt to block pornography websites in the country’s borders hampered access in Russia, Hong Kong and other nations in the region. What happened? Apparently, Iran’s national telecom abused the honor system.

The issue is an ancient, insecure and essential part of the internet called Border Gateway Protocol. It’s a commonly used method service provider use to exchange and distribute routing information — the insturctions your computer uses to find web addresses. The only problem is that BGP kind of works on the honor system: there’s no standard in place to stop someone from putting forth a false routing path and taking a site down. It happened in 2008, when Pakistan accidental blocked YouTube. Turkey once filtered the majority of traffic from Amazon, Microsoft, CNN and other sites through its own servers. When Iran used BGP to spoof traffic away from a few hundred porn sites, the false routes spread — blocking users as far away as Hong Kong.

It’s not clear if it’s an honest mistake, or if the wider blocking was intentional, but it also wasn’t a careful solution. Iran’s networks are a major routing center for the region, and it’s easy for malicious or false BGP data to spread from Iran’s sources. The issue is mostly resolved down, with exterior networks blocking the false routes — but the event serves as a good reminder: the internet is fragile, and open to attack. Browse carefully, my friends.

Source: Verge

Size of Apple’s New ‘High End’ iPad Pro Model Said to be Between 10 and 10.5-Inches

Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has released a new research report underlining his expectations for the future of Apple’s iPad line-up, with slightly revised predictions for a new “high-end” middle-size tablet to be released later this year.

According to Kuo, Apple is planning to introduce three iPads in 2017: a 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2 and a “low-cost” 9.7-inch iPad, along with a new bezel-free, mid-size model in the range of between 10 and 10.5 inches.

We note the 12.9″ model will be the second generation of the existing 12.9″ iPad Pro, the 10-10.5″ model will be the high-end model equipped with a narrow bezel design, and the 9.7″ model will be the low-priced option. The former two models will have an A10X chip manufactured by TSMC (2330 TT, NT$183.5, N), while the latter comes with an A9 chip made by Samsung LSI. Although we estimate iPad shipments in 2017 will drop again YoY to 35-37mn units, we except the decline to narrow to 10% from 2016’s roughly 20%, given that the 10-10.5″ model may see more demand from commercial/enterprises and tender markets, while the low-priced 9.7″ model may have a greater shipment contribution and likely account for 50-60% of total shipments of new iPads.

Last August, Kuo’s expectation for Apple’s mid-size model was a more definite 10.5 inches. His latest revised prediction of 10-10.5 inches suggests Apple is still testing multiple tablets and has yet to settle on a final size. Interestingly, Japanese site Mac Otakara released two separate reports last year stating that the tablet will be 10.1 inches and 10.9 inches, so while the former size falls into the lower end of Kuo’s revised range, the exact dimensions remain unclear.

Market-wise, Kuo believes “the worst has passed” for Apple’s iPad as he predicts a narrower year-on-year shipment decline in 2017. The analyst puts this down to an improved product mix, decreasing exposure to the iPad mini, and an improved cost structure due to an increasing number of suppliers of touch-module lamination and display panels, with Samsung being “the biggest winner” in joining previous monopoly-holder Silicon Works to supply the latter.

Mac Otakara and Barclays Research have both predicted an early 2017 launch for the new iPads, perhaps in March or April. However, if a radical bezel-free redesign is planned, it is unlikely that Apple will upstage the 2017 iPhone 8 that’s expected in September with an edge-to-edge iPad launching earlier in the year.

Related Roundups: iPad Air 2, iPad Pro
Tags: KGI Securities, Ming-Chi Kuo
Buyer’s Guide: 9.7″ iPad Pro (Caution), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Caution)
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Nokia’s first Android smartphone is now official in China

HMD Global isn’t waiting until MWC to launch its first Android phone.

In a low-key affair, HMD Global — the Finnish company that snagged exclusive rights to Nokia’s branding — has launched its first Android smartphone. Dubbed the Nokia 6, the phone will be exclusively offered on China’s JD.com for ¥1,699 ($245).

The phone itself is crafted out of aluminium, with HMD Global describing the process thusly:

It takes 55 minutes to machine a single Nokia 6 from a solid block of 6000 series aluminium. It then receives two separate anodising processes, taking over ten hours to complete, with each phone being polished no less than five times. The end result is an aluminium unibody with the highest level of visual and structural quality.

In terms of hardware, the Nokia 6 offers a 5.5-inch Full HD display with 2.5D curved glass, Snapdragon 430 SoC, 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage, microSD slot, dual-SIM connectivity, 16MP camera at the back with PDAF, Dolby Atmos sound with stereo speakers, Bluetooth 4.1, LTE, 3000mAh battery, and a fingerprint sensor. The phone runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

With 552 million smartphone users, China is a “strategically important market” for HMD Global, which is why it is launching its first handset in the country. The brand is set to launch six phones under the Nokia name this year, so we should hear more about its plans at Mobile World Congress. If the Nokia 6 is any indication, it’s going to be an exciting year for the brand.

See at Nokia

Nokia’s new owner launches its first Android smartphone

The first Nokia Android smartphone from the brand’s new owner has finally arrived, but it comes with bad news for folks who want to try it out: It will only be available in China. Finnish company HMD Global, which acquired the rights to release Nokia-branded devices after Microsoft abandoned the venture, started by releasing dumb phones in 2016. The Nokia 6, however, is a legit LTE smartphone that runs Nougat out of the box. It has a 5.5-inch HD screen, 16MP rear and 8MB front cameras, is equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 430 processor and packs 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

In HMD’s announcement, it revealed that it decided to launch Nokia 6 in China, since it’s a “strategically important market” with hundreds of millions of users.

“The decision by HMD to launch its first Android smartphone into China is a reflection of the desire to meet the real world needs of consumers in different markets around the world. With over 552 million smartphone users in China in 2016, a figure that is predicted to grow to more than 593 million users by 2017, it is a strategically important market where premium design and quality is highly valued by consumers.”

The company doesn’t have an exact release date yet, but it will start selling Nokia 6 early this year for 1,699 Chinese yuan ($246) on JD.com.

Via: Reuters

Source: HMD Global

Real Snowfall & Beach Palms 3D are two live wallpapers to spruce up your phone (review)

For most of us, winter has just started. And for some of those folks, winter has started with a bang, bringing plenty of snow & slush along even before the holidays. And this onrush of the white stuff tends to place people in two distinct camps: the LOVE IT or HATE IT crowds.

One way to voice your affection or frustration for this time of year is via your phone or tablet’s wallpaper. Yes I know this isn’t the most aggressive way to show your colors but go with me on this.

There are two wallpaper apps in the Google Play Store that can help you communicate your climate preferences: “Snowfall Day Night Christmas” and “Beach Palms 3D Live” wallpapers, from developer Bastion7, offers up family-friendly and rather high-quality wallpapers for your device….all for free (paid Pro versions are available – more on this in a bit).

I need to emphasize that these are two separate apps, and both available for free in the Play Store; download Snowfall Day Night Christmas here, or if you wish, download Beach Palms 3D Live here.

The two apps have some features in common. They both have very nice visuals, with great colors and realistic details. They also contain a great 3D effect, showing realistic depth between items in-scene. The 3D effect is also utilized while swiping between home screen panes. As the day progresses, a bright sun rises high above the horizon. As the day wanes, the sun dips low into a colorful sunset before retiring. At night a full moon slowly rises and casts a ghostly pall over the entire scene until morning when the sun beckons once again. Also, both apps extend to your device’s lock screen, offering the same visuals and interactivity there.

The Snowfall app shows snowfall that blows laterally as you swipe. On the snow-encrusted evergreen trees, multi-color Christmas lights are aglow. For settings in the free version, you can also adjust the amount of snowfall showing on your screen, as well as the intensity of the Christmas lights.

The Beach Palms app shows (wait for it) a tranquil tropical beach scene (see title image above). Palm trees waft in the breeze, and waves slowly crash into the sand in the background. During the daylight hours, a intermittent parachutist can be scene descending in the background. While at night, fireflies come out to play. A bonus in this app is a lonely cabana in the scene, that has a single light you can switch on and off with a tap on your screen. For free settings, you can turn the parachutists and palm tree animation on or off, as well as adjust the amount of fireflies on your screen.

Both apps offer a Pro version, for $1.99 each. What your money buys you is the ability to further control the sun & moon: In Pro the sun’s height is governed by your exact location (using your device’s GPS), while the moon’s phase is also governed by your device’s location. Honestly I’m not at all convinced this added feature set validates the extra $2, but to each their own.

My experience and therefore feelings for these apps is mixed. I must say both apps’ visuals were really pretty. As stated earlier, the colors were great, and I was truly impressed with the 3D quality of both. The settings are easy to access, with just a double-tap on your screen.

Now here’s the bad news: On multiple occasions, I had the wallpaper “blackout” on me. Meaning that upon waking up my device, both the lock screen and subsequent home screens showed only a black background; nothing to see at all. And it wasn’t temporary; this blackout effect didn’t go away without re-opening the app and re-setting the wallpaper. I’m not sure if this is a device-specific issue or it’s more widespread, but it definitely bears noting. That said, as long as you didn’t splurge for the GPS-based sun/moon effects, you’d wouldn’t be out much at all.

So besides this hiccup, and if you’re willing to take this small blackout risk, I do actually have to recommend both Beach Palms 3D Live and Snowfall Day Night Christmas wallpapers. Each offers similar quality, while together they offer you a choice of specific environment (and weather mindset).

Download Snowfall Day Night Christmas here.
Download Beach Palms 3D Live here.

Google Assistant hints at support for typing questions

Google Assistant is clever — just ask Pixel or Home owners. Unless you’re using Allo, though, you have little choice but to ask the AI questions through voice commands. Google might give you more ways to interact in the near future, however. An exploration of the Android search app’s beta code has uncovered hints (namely, a keyboard icon and a text box) that you’ll soon have the option of typing your Assistant searches. This is important if you’d rather not reveal your queries to everyone within earshot, but it should also be key to integrating chat bots.

It might be easier to start a search, too. There are references in the beta to “search gestures” that suggest you won’t always have to tap the search bar to start asking. Instead, you’d swipe down from the home screen. That could be particularly important for very large phones and tablets, where it can be a pain to reach across the display.

Don’t count on the relevant upgrades showing up all that quickly. Unused code frequently pops up in Google apps, and it can take months or more for those features to be ready for prime time if they aren’t canned outright. Both additions are very logical, though, so it’s doubtful that Google will keep you waiting for too long.

Via: 9to5Google

Source: Android Police