France gives you legal permission to avoid work email

New Year’s Day 2017 isn’t just a chance to reflect on the past and plan for the future… in France, it’s a new lease on life for many workers. As of January 1st, the country has enacted a law that requires companies with over 50 employees to negotiate times when staff have the right to ignore email and other communications. If there’s a deal, your employer can’t punish you for refusing to look at your messages beyond set hours. Does your manager need a spreadsheet update while you’re eating dinner? Too bad. And if there’s no deal, the company still has to explicitly outline expectations (and your rights) when you’re off the clock.

The deal isn’t completely revolutionary when numerous companies have binding deals that prevent them from messaging workers who’ve finished for the day. And there’s a possibility that at least some companies will squirm out of this legal obligation by refusing to compromise on expectations and settling for the charter. Technology firms in particular have worried that this might hurt their productivity (the internet runs 24/7, after all), especially for employees that want to put in extra time.

Still, it’s an important step in an era when many companies use smartphones to extract more hours from the rank and file. French companies will be more likely to respect your work/life balance — even if they don’t mark certain hours as off-limits, they can’t make unexpected requests that force you to drop everything. It could also reduce the pressure to prove your corporate loyalty by working whenever you’re asked.

Source: Guardian

Samsung goes overboard to make you care about laundry

Let’s be honest: it’s hard to get excited about laundry machines. Even when they have neat party tricks like Amazon refills and smartphone apps, it really boils down to one question: does it clean your clothes properly? Samsung thinks it can do enough to make you sit up and take notice, though. It’s unveiling a FlexWash + FlexDry laundry machine combo that includes both dual washers (which we’ve seen before) and dual dryers. You can completely clean your delicates without having to disrupt your main load, for instance, or run up to four loads at once if it’s particularly busy.

Samsung isn’t leaning solely on those extra compartments in its bid to win you over. You can control the cycles of both appliances through a smartphone app, and the washer has a couple of aces up its sleeve. A SuperSpeed mode can shrink the wash cycle down to 30 minutes in the right conditions, and a foam deep cleaning technique (a mix of air, detergent and water) is reportedly good enough to tackle bulkier items.

There’s no mention of pricing or ship dates, which suggests that you could be waiting months to install the FlexWash + FlexDry pair in your home. Nonetheless, it’s a clever approach that might make Samsung’s exploding washers feel like a distant memory.

Source: Samsung Newsroom

Best External Drive for your Chromebox

Chrome doesn’t only run on laptops.

Chromeboxes make great computers for plenty of people. In households where there are kids, they’re the perfect desktop computer for homework, and attached to your TV they bring the internet and everything that comes with it to your big screen. But you might need more storage to get the most from one.

Chromeboxes aren’t laptops. Chances are you’re not tossing one into a backpack and setting it up at Starbucks; instead, it sits quietly behind a screen of some sort and is always ready. That means there is no reason to try and get by with 16 or 32 GB of storage. Most models are easy to take apart and upgrade if you’re the DIY type, but adding more storage for your stuff is as easy as plugging in a cable.

While any USB powered hard drive will work, we like these options.

Western Digital My Passport

Simple and cheap is what plenty of people are looking for when it comes to file storage. I’ll add in dependable and say the WD My Passport is the best bargain external hard drive you can buy. It’s a spinning disk drive so you won’t be breaking any read speed records, but it’s perfect for storing photos or music or video. If you plan to install Plex on your Chromebox this is your cheap storage option.

It’s available in 1TB to 4TB options and starts around $60. They also come in a handful of different colors if it’s sitting somewhere it will be seen. You’ll be able to store plenty of stuff on the cheap with this one.

See at Amazon

Samsung T3

This is the other end of the spectrum. High-capacity and fast SSD drives are not cheap.

If you need a big boost in storage for your Chromebox but need to have SSD speeds, the Samsung T3 drive is one of the best ways to make it happen. They use Samsung’s own 3D V-NAND to bring read/write speeds of up to 450MB/s over a USB 3.1 connection, are future-proof with a USB-C port, and aren’t much bigger than a credit card. You can store and retrieve all of your stuff really fast if that’s what you need.

All this comes at a price. The 250GB model starts about $120, and as size climbs higher so does the price tag until you get to the $700+ 2TB option.

See at Amazon

Anker 2.5 Inch USB 3.0 Hard Drive Enclosure

This enclosure from Anker will let you use almost any 2.5-inch drive as a USB 3.0 device that can plug right into your Chromebox.

Slide it open and drop any 7.5 or 9mm 2.5-inch drive inside, slide it shut and you’re ready to plug it in. You don’t need any tools and it only takes a few minutes — there is no need to have anxiety about building “computer stuff” because it really is this easy.

For less than $20 you can use one of your old hard drives or something like this 500GB Samsung 850 EVO to have those fast speeds without such a high price.

See at Amazon

The Public Access Weekly: Aud lang syne

Hey all — we’re doing an abbreviated Public Access Weekly today because it’s the holidays, it’s almost CES and my plane home was delayed last night. (Side note, apparently it’s possible to drop your phone into a plane’s fuselage which someone learned the hard way last night. The more you know!)

If you are a Public Access member who has submitted an article, or if you have registered to become a Public Access member, please know I will be working diligently to get you a response as soon as humanly possible. I know a lot of you have been waiting for longer than anticipated, and my sincere apologies for that — a lot of folks have been out or traveling for the holiday season and we’re a bit behind.

If you are a commenter, please know that I am aware that notifications and alerts are not taking you to the comment in question but are directing users to the overall thread. I am looking into that, but again, the one-two-punch of holidays and CES are causing that to take a bit longer than expected.

Looking for something to write about? Mull over:

The head honcho Jack Dorsey is considering the idea of adding an edit feature to Twitter and despite it being a user suggested addition, many Twitter users have misgivings about what that would mean for the social-media platform. Should Twitter add an edit feature? Why or why not? And how should that feature work?

Since CES is right around the corner, tell us what you’re most excited about, what you think will be released and announced, or what you dislike most about the year’s first technology trade show.

And here’s a quick one: What was the best tech gift that you received this holiday season and why?

Watch Korea’s mech take its first steps with a pilot on board

That real, life-sized mech Korean company Hankook Mirae debuted recently isn’t just for show. Its designer, Hollywood SFX veteran Vitaly Bulgarov, has posted a video on Facebook showing the robot taking its first steps. And, yes, it had a pilot on board. The 13-feet-tall, 1.3-ton machine was created to work in extreme conditions where humans cannot go unprotected. It won’t be able to go on rescue missions anytime soon, though — not without a power source that’s portable enough.

Bulgarov says the company’s short-term goal is to develop a tethered robotic platform with industrial applications. The company could also mount its top part on a larger wheeled base that can accommodate a chunky power source if it really needs to traverse rough terrains where there’s nowhere to plug it in.

You can watch the mech walk right here:

And here is Bulgarov controlling the robot’s 286-pound arms:

Source: Vitaly Bulgarov

Best budgeting apps: 7 apps to take control of your finances

Keeping track of finances can be a tricky thing to do, especially if you have more than one account or any kind of credit or store card. Money comes in, money goes out and there is the classic saying, the more you earn the more you spend.

It doesn’t matter if you are always in the red, or if you are someone who doesn’t even know what being in the red is, it is always good to know exactly what you’re spending. These seven apps make it easy to do that.

OnTrees

OnTrees is the budgeting app from MoneySuperMarket and it makes keeping track of your money nice and simple. OnTrees works with major UK banks in order for you to track exactly what is coming in and going out of your current account, savings accounts and credit cards, in one place with one login.

This app sorts your transactions into colourful categories so you can see where you are spending and what you could save on. It also delivers detailed information about your spending habits with charts and icons.

• OnTrees is available to download for Android and iOS

Mint

Mint comes from Intuit and like OnTrees, it allows you to pull all your accounts and cards into one place by linking everything to the app. You’ll be able to track your spending, create a budget, setup bill reminders and get tips for reducing fees and saving yourself a few pounds.

The app will automatically categorise banking and credit card transactions like OnTrees, and there is a Trends feature that allows you to track credit cards, cash, spending, income and net worth over time, along with the ability to setup financial goals.

• Mint is available to download for Android and iOS

Wally

Wally allows you to balance your income and expenses by understanding where your money goes. It offers the ability to set both financial goals and budgets, as well as save receipts and export the data you enter into an Excel document.

If you have location services on, Wally will automatically identify and categorise where you are so you just need to enter the amount you spent, while smart notifications remind you of important things like an upcoming payment or an achieved goal. The more you use Wally, the smarter it becomes by adapting to your preferences and offering personalised insights into your finances.

• Wally is available to download for Android and iOS

Level Money

Level Money is similar to OnTrees and Mint in that it allows you to connect your accounts to the app with over 18,000 US-based financial institutions compatible. It offers access to transactions from all your bank accounts and credit cards once you have linked them up, allowing you to see your combined balance.

You can build a plan that will automatically adjust to your income and bills, receive customised notifications for updates on balance, credits and debits, as well as track your spending habits by merchant and category.

• Level Money is available to download for Android and iOS

You Need a Budget

You Need a Budget, also known as YNAB, is the companion app of the YNAB for Desktop. The app allows you to enter transactions on the go, as well as check your category balances before making a purchase so you’ll know if you can actually justify what you’re about to buy.

You’ll be able to view previous transactions for all your accounts and for iOS devices, YNAB will cloud sync across all your compatible devices. You will need to install the desktop version for this app to work so that’s worth remembering as while others on this list have desktop platforms, the apps can work independently whereas YNAB won’t.

• You Need a Budget is available to download for Android and iOS

Goodbudget

Goodbudget was formally called the Easy Envelope Budget Aid and it is based on the envelope budgeting method, just with virtual envelopes as opposed to physical. You can check your envelope balances as well as your bank balances and there is also expense tracking available. 

Everything can be synced across multiple devices including iPhones, other smartphones and the web and you can also share a budget with a spouse, family member or friend. On the web, you’ll also be able to download transactions to Excel, while the app delivers reports to help you modify your budget and see your income versus your spending.

• Goodbudget is available to download for Android and iOS

Mvelopes

Like Goodbudget, Mvelopes is also based on the envelope budgeting method as you may have gathered from its name. It automatically downloads transactions from accounts you have linked to it and it will categorise your spending, along with plan a budget and track how much money you have remaining for the month.

There is easy access to your budget on the go, as well as the ability to adjust it and this app will capture receipts from your phone and attach them to transactions, as well as offer real time budget updates when you make a purchase. Mvelopes also assigns transactions to expense envelopes and splits transactions into different categories.

• Mvelopes is available to download for Android and iOS

Ben Heck’s PlayStation 4 Pro teardown

It’s time to appraise the decisions Sony made when designing the newest iteration of the PlayStation console. Ben compares the PS4 Pro to the XBox One and the PS4 Slim, and then answers the ultimate question on everyone’s mind: “Why can’t the PlayStation 4 Pro do 4K Blu-ray ?” While taking apart the console, Ben also comes across some curious similarities to the XBox One, making us wonder. Also, why do so many versions of the PlayStation 4 even exist? You’ll have to watch the episode to find out!

What other games system or gadget teardowns would you like to see? Perhaps networking hardware or other consoles? Let the Ben Heck Show team know over on the element14 Community.

Best VR apps for exercise

It doesn’t have to look like exercise, it can look like fun!

Sometimes you need motivation to work out, and there’s no problem with that. All it takes is a distraction to make exercise feel less like work and more like fun, and VR can be perfect for those distractions. All you really need is an exercise routine you’re comfortable with repeating, and you’re good to go!

We’ve got a couple of ideas for how you can use VR to make that exercise routine either more engaging or less like work. Pick the one that works best for you and give it a shot!

Read more at VR Heads!

Tesla’s new Roadster, and more in the week that was

Has Tesla succeeded in creating a vehicle that reacts faster than its driver? A recently-surfaced dashcam video appears to show Tesla’s autopilot mode predicting an accident moments before it actually happens. It currently takes hours to charge an electric car – but Elon Musk just hinted that Tesla’s next-gen superchargers will be able to juice up an eve in mere seconds. Musk also confirmed plans for a new Tesla Roadster, which is expected to debut in 2019. Uber recently launched a fleet of self-driving cars in California, but the state promptly shut the experiment down. Uber won’t have to look far for a new testing grounds, though – Nevada is welcoming the company’s self-driving taxis.

France just marked a clean energy milestone by opening the world’s first solar road. It’s paved with 2,880 ultra-durable photovoltaic panels, and it stretches for a full kilometer in Tourouvre-au-Perche. In other clean energy news, Panasonic announced plans to invest $256 million in Tesla’s Buffalo solar panel plant. Researchers developed a revolutionary new battery that’s made from a single sheet of paper and powered by bacteria. And the UK is building six massive factories that will produce 25,000 solar-powered prefab houses every year.

Agriculture is an ancient cornerstone of civilization – but several new projects are pushing the practice into the future. MIT is developing high-tech “food computers” that are able to quickly and efficiently grow crops anywhere, while Farm From a Box has launched a solar-powered shipping container packed with everything you need to grow enough food for 150 people (except the plot of land). In other design and technology news, Stanford has created a humanoid robotic diver to explore depths too dangerous for people, and China launched a major space initiative to send a probe to Mars and search for extraterrestrial life. Finally, as we count down the hours to 2017 we’ve rounded up the most viral, shocking and inspiring stories of the year in the fields of design and wearable technology.

Best dieting apps: 8 apps to help you lose weight

January is here which means you’ll probably have started drawing up a long list of New Year’s resolutions that you have every determination of sticking to. There might be a certain place or activity on there, mixed in with a few other things like be nicer or do a good deed a day, but there is usually one that will crop up time and time again – lose weight.

Whether you’re looking to shed the Christmas pounds, or you are just on a mission to eat better this year then here are a few of the best dieting apps to help you.

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is a free calorie counting app that features a food database of over 5 million foods. When you first set it up, you’ll need to enter some information about yourself including your date of birth, weight and height, as well as your goal weight and how much you want to lose each week.

The app then creates a custom plan for you, providing you with a calorie goal to work towards, which appears on the top of the diary page where you add your food, exercise and water intake. As you add, you’ll see the food calories being deducted and the exercise calories added so it’s easy to keep track.

MyFitnessPal is great for those who don’t want to pay the monthly fees that services like Weight Watchers and Slimming World charge, but it is also useful for those on diets such as the 5:2 where calorie counting is essential. One of the best things about MyFitnessPal is that it links to a variety of fitness platforms like Withings and Fitbit, allowing you to keep track of your exercise and food in one place.

• Download for iOS, Android and Windows Phone

Diet Assistant – Weight Loss

Diet Assistant – Weight Loss is another free app that will deliver you a range of meal options to suit the diet you are on, whether it be vegetarian, pescatarian or high-protein, among others.

Like MyFitnessPal, you need to enter some information about yourself, including your target weight, and the Diet Assistant app will then assist you in achieving your goal.

There are dedicated shopping lists per diet plan, nutritional facts, meal and weight entry reminders and a built-in BMI calculator, as well as a weight graph so you can see your progress.

• Download for iOS and Android

Diet Point – Weight Loss

Diet Point – Weight Loss has over 130 diet plans to take the guesswork out of losing weight. There are dedicated shopping lists for each plan like Diet Assistant, but this app also reminds you when it’s time to eat your next meal.

The app sports more than 500 tips to improve your weight loss plan and it will also provide you with a weight loss estimate for each plan so you’ll be able to pick one that suits your goal.

A BMI calculator is included so you can check how healthy your weight is in relation to your height and there is a weight tracker and monitor on board too.

• Download for iOS and Android

My Diet Coach

My Diet Coach offers four main features in the free version comprising reminders, motivational photos, perseverance tips and a diet diary, along with three extra features in the pro version including a food craving panic button, a weight chart and a points system.

The diet diary, calorie counter and BMI calculator are more standard features but the My Diet Coach app stands out is for its motivational arguments and guidelines, along with the ability to customise the avatar to look similar to yourself.

You can set reminders so you remember to drink water and prepare vegetables for example, but you can also touch a button with the challenge you are facing and the app will greet you with relevant motivational tips and inspiring pictures.

• Download for iOS and Android

Nutrino

The Nutrino app claims to answer the ultimate question of what should you eat and rather than just tracking your food, it will answer it based on your medical profile, goals and culinary preferences.

You can get this app to plan your next meal or you can take something off the menu and Nutrino will log it and take it into consideration.

There is a health coach on board to keep you on track and you can also keep up to date with the latest nutritional research through this app. Nutrino will also add meal summaries to the Health App, as well as sync your weight.

• Download for iOS and Android

The Complete 5:2 Diet

The 5:2 diet suggests that you eat what you like for five days of the week, up to 2000 calories for women and 2500 for men, while for the other two days, women consume just 500 and men consume 600.

There are plenty of apps that relate to this particular diet but the Complete 5:2 Diet app brings you a four-week recipe and exercise plan that will track your calorie intake and work outs.

It features over 140 recipes to try, with a choice of six meal plans for the fasting days and the workout plans link to exercise videos to make sure you are doing things right. Complete 5:2 Diet also has calorie counter, BMI, BMR and target calorie calculators, but it won’t allow you to add your own exercise routine in.

• Download for iOS and Android

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers has been around for a long time and rather than straight up calorie counting, it uses a point system called PointsPlus to help you lose weight. The app is free but it’s worth knowing you’ll need a subscription to use it which starts at £1.88/week.

Once subscribed, you can track your food, activity and weight through the app or the website and there is a 24/7 chat function to get support from a Weight Watchers coach if you need it. We haven’t tried that feature but we suspect they rarely tell you to eat a Mars bar.

If you’re out for dinner and want to see what the best things to eat on the menu are, there are thousands of restaurants and meals in the database from Zizzis to Wagamama and you’ll also get access to recipes if you’re cooking at home. Weight Watchers will also sync with your Fitbit or Jawbone to deliver activity tracking too.

• Download for iOS and Android

HealthyOut

For those in the US, HealthyOut allows you to find and order healthy meals from local restaurants in your area using filters such as low calorie, low carb, low fat and high protein to narrow search results.

Great for those with dietary restrictions like gluten or lactose sensitive, or those following specific diets like Paleo or Atkins, this app will help you find restaurants that cater for your needs.

You can filter by cuisine, ingredients and type of dish, plus it will also show you detailed nutrition information for dishes including calories and points.

• Download for iOS and Android