How to setup and use Kodi on your Android device

Getting Kodi set up on Android might take some time initially, but it’s worth it in the long run.

Kodi is a powerful open source media center, which is available across a multitude of operating systems, but its rise to prominence is mostly thanks to its Android version. This is due to the rise in popularity of Kodi boxes — essentially cheap Android TV boxes sold with the Kodi app pre-installed. This has garnered Kodi a lot of press and attention lately, because its open source add-on feature can be used for media piracy purposes.

But it’s an unfair situation because the piracy add-ons are unofficial, unsupported, and the Kodi box industry is unwelcome, according to the Kodi developers. The base app is perfectly legal, and what you do get is one of the best experiences for organizing and streaming media onto any device — even your phone. Bring your own content like you would with Plex — or even link to your Plex server within Kodi if you’ve already got one set up.

It’s entirely customizable, so let’s walk you through the basic setup.

Kodi is optimized for Android

Previously, when you downloaded Kodi on your Android device, you would be required to go into the Appearance setting and swap over to a more touchscreen-friendly skin. With the latest update for Android, the developers have swapped over to a much more user-friendly skin by default, so you’ll be able to just load it up and go.

Download Kodi from the Google Play Store

Once you’ve loaded Kodi up, you’ll find the navigation menu on the lefthand side with categories for Movies, TV Shows, Music, Pictures, Add-ons, and more.

Importing your media files

With Kodi, you can keep all your media organized and accessible in one place — from pictures and music to videos, sorted by movies and TV shows. It’s quick and easy to import your media into Kodi and simply a matter of setting a source for the media from your phone’s internal storage or a microSD card if your phone supports expandable storage.

Tap the type of media you wish to add. We’ll use Pictures for this example.

Tap Add pictures….

Tap Browse.
Find the folder containing the media you wish to add then tap OK.

Now when you tap the category from the main screen, you’ll find your source available with all your photos, music, or videos organized. If you’ve ripped your favorite TV box sets onto your computer and transferred them to a microSD card, they will be organized by season within Kodi.

Diving into Add-ons

Beyond your own media, you can also install a variety of handy add-ons from the built-in add-on browser or by adding them from remote add-on repositories. For now, we’ll look at what’s available from right within Kodi.

When you tap the Add-ons menu from the main menu of Kodi, you may find that all your Android apps have been automatically linked and displayed within Kodi. While it’s somewhat convenient to be able to jump right into another app from within Kodi, I’ve found it to be somewhat buggy and it’s caused Kodi to crash on more than one occasion.

You want to get to the add-on menu with all the different add-on types listed along the left side of the screen. There you’ll be able to tap the button to browse through the available add-ons.

You can find video add-ons for over 100 different TV channels’ online streaming catalogues and media sharing websites such as YouTube and Reddit, along with many international options. To install an add-on and see what it has to offer, simply select it and tap Install.

Along with the add-ons found within the included Add-ons browser, you can go into the add-on settings and install from an online repository. Since those are often hosting add-ons that promote piracy, you’re on your own if you choose to go that route.

The Chromecast workaround

Watching Kodi on a tablet or phone when you’re on the go is alright, but the best part is the way you can switch over to your Chromecast-enabled TV when you get home. Kodi doesn’t support Chromecast directly, but you can cast your phone’s screen to the TV.

It’s a pretty good workaround if you’ve got an older Android phone or tablet sitting around collecting dust. If it also happens to feature a microSD slot, it’ll be that much easier to load it full of your favorite media. I used a secondary phone for my bedroom TV, which allowed me to cast my favorite shows to the Chromecast while keeping the full touch controls over everything right on hand.

It did take some tweaking, including going into the audio settings and adjusting the volume and audio offset, but once it was set up, it was pretty great. The updated layout that’s been optimized for touchscreen controls only makes things easier to navigate

Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from [adding Kodi to an NVIDIA Shield] or downloading Kodi for your PC or Mac and streaming your content that way from home. Simply put, Kodi gives you all the customization tools for Android to make it fit into TV setups around your home.

Questions?

Let me know in the comments below!

PiQ puts AI to work in the ‘world’s first’ smart ski

Baseball bats and tennis rackets aren’t the only pieces of sports equipment that are getting smarter these days. Ski maker Rossignol and consumer electronics company PIQ announced on Monday that they have created the world’s first “connected” ski. Behold, the Hero Master.

This prototype ski integrates a PIQ nano-computer and LED readout in front of the bindings. The computer is running PIQ’s GAIA AI system, which autonomously collects and analyzes a swath of performance metrics. The system tracks everything from speed and turn angle to G-forces and lateral momentum. The AI system then analyzes this data, down to “microscopic variations in skiing movements” according to the company’s press release, and displays it on the ski’s LED screen. This presumably gives the skier immediate, actionable feedback which they can use to improve their technique. Unfortunately, the Hero Master is currently a one-off prototype and there are no immediate plans to put it into production.

Google project turns your daily routine into custom clothing

Most fashion isn’t truly personal unless you design it yourself, and most people aren’t about to fire up a sewing machine to make that happen. However, you might only need your phone to get a custom look in the future. Google and H&M’s Ivyrevel label are working on a Coded Couture app that uses Android’s passive sensing abilities (the Awareness API) to design a dress around your activities. Grant the app permission and it’ll generate business, gala and party dresses based on your favorite places, your fitness routine and even the typical weather — in a sense, you really are wearing your heart on your sleeve. The only requirement is that you keep your phone with you.

And this isn’t just an experiment. The “Coded Couture” app is in closed alpha testing right now, but you can sign up for a shot at a pre-release trial ahead of a public launch sometime in the fall. There’s no word on how much a typical dress will cost, or whether or not other apparel is coming (custom shirts, please!), but it might be worth a small premium to have a truly one-of-a-kind outfit.

Source: Android Developers Blog

Google Maps now offers easy access to important info

Google Maps’ Marcus Lowe has announced a tweak to the service that makes it significantly more useful for Android users. Nestled at the bottom of the home screen will be a new section containing real-time information for busy travelers. Simply swipe up and you’ll be presented with three tabs offering data that’ll ensure you never need to consult a third-party app again. At least, that’s Google’s plan.

The three tabs are labeled Places, Driving and Transit, the former connecting you to a curated list of nearby eateries grouped under various lists like “cheap eats” or “business dining.” Driving, unsurprisingly, will calculate your route home as well as any potential delays on your journey. Finally, transit will provide ETAs for the next public transport service to get you home or direct you to a local bus or train station. None of this is new, of course, but further bundling them into the Maps app ensures that you’ll have even less reason to use a third-party alternative.

Source: Google

Korean watchdog backs Samsung’s findings on faulty Note 7 batteries

Although Samsung has already revealed what caused its Note 7 smartphones to catch fire, an independent government firm is now confirming the tech giant’s findings. The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, which analyzes and enforces product safety, corroborated that Samsung’s flagship device burst into flames because of two distinct battery flaws. One overheating issue was a result of small external casings putting too much pressure on the batteries, while the other happened due to the lack of insulation tape around the battery’s structure.

The safety agency didn’t announce any penalties for Samsung, presumably because the company was honest about its own research on the matter. It’s rumored that Samsung will be switching to LG-made batteries for future devices, so it’ll be interesting to see if that’s the case for the upcoming Galaxy S8.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

UK MPs propose heavy fines for social networks that don’t tackle abuse

Although the government is looking to curb the rise of social media abuse by introducing tougher penalties for online trolls, companies like Facebook and Twitter currently don’t face much pressure over the policing of their platforms. That could soon change, after Labour MP Anna Turley issued a new proposal calling for communications regulator Ofcom to impose fines up to £2 million for social networks who don’t adequately prevent threatening content appearing on their services.

The call for improved measures comes as part of the Malicious Communications (Social Media) Bill, which is currently making its way through parliament. The private member’s bill (submitted by an MP who doesn’t serve in a government party) would see social networks like Facebook and Twitter, and likely include apps like Snapchat and Instagram, to be added to a register of regulated platforms by the Secretary of State.

If the bill is passed into law, the companies on the list would be encouraged to actively filter content on their networks. Users would be able to opt out if they are over the age of 18, which would force each platform to actively verify the ages of their users. If they don’t, they would possibly face a £2 million fine or 5 percent of their global turnover.

Although the Bill has noble intentions, the fact that it has been submitted by a non-government member of parliament may hamper its progress. Private member’s bills very rarely make it into law, but it does have the backing of notable female MPs.

Ruth Smeeth, who was given police protection after receiving over 20,000 abusive online messages in one day, and Dewsbury MP Paula Sherriff, who was sent a Facebook message from a man (who was later given a suspended sentence) that said: “Dead girl walking. Hope you get raped. We got your phone number and details,” are backing the bill. It’ll get its second reading in the House of Commons on March 24th.

Via: The Telegraph

Source: Malicious Communications (Social Media) Bill

Scientists map every atom inside a nanoparticle

Even the smallest defects can create serious problems. It’s a good thing, then, that researchers have found a way to map nanoparticles at an “unprecedented” level of detail — they’ve located the 3D positions of all 23,000 atoms in an iron-platinum particle. The group used an extremely high-resolution transmission electron microscope (TEAM I) to capture 2D projections of the nanoparticle’s structure, and used an algorithm to stitch those together into a 3D reconstruction. If there’s a missing or misplaced atom, you could easily spot it.

The work could help spot consistent flaws in nanoparticle products, which could be vital in health care and other areas where you can’t afford a mistake. And even if it doesn’t, there are numerous other practical purposes. Scientists hope to create an internet database that illustrates atom-level material properties, and the 3D algorithm could be used for CT scans and other imaging tech. In short, this clearer look at the nano-scale world could have a tremendous effect on many fields — it may just be a matter of time.

Source: Berkeley Lab, UCLA

What Snap’s IPO tells us about Spectacles’ future

When Snap Inc officially filed its IPO last week, we finally got our clearest look yet at its operations. In addition to learning that its co-founders will be donating up to 13,000,000 shares of their stock to a philanthropic organization the company quietly set up, we also found out just how much Snap Inc paid for its acquisitions of Bitstrips and Vurb.

But perhaps the most interesting nuggets from the filing document (also known as the S-1) are the insights about the company’s first, and so far only, hardware product: Spectacles. The video-recording glasses were generally well-received since they launched back in September, and have since been the subject of much media fascination. Despite a limited rollout, and CEO Evan Spiegel referring to it as a “toy,” the device is clearly an attempt to come up with another way to make money so that Snap doesn’t have to rely so much on ads for income. And although we still don’t have concrete sales figures for the glasses, the long lines with hundreds of people waiting for hours already speaks to the gadget’s popularity.

Yet, as the IPO filing shows, Spectacles have a long way to go before they make Snap Inc any money. The document states that Spectacles “has not generated significant revenue for us” and that sales from the device were “not material,” but that doesn’t mean the company will stop working on it. And, to be fair, Snap was not expecting the glasses to be huge money makers right off the bat.

According to the S-1, Snap plans to “significantly broaden the distribution of Spectacles,” which for now can only be purchased at temporarily installed vending machines in select cities. A more permanent store in New York City is currently slated to stay open through Feb. 19th. Making the glasses more widely available, whether by bringing the vending machines to more regions or by letting people order them online, will give the company a potentially much larger audience and could significantly increase sales.

pic.twitter.com/v7OwodCSER

— Spectacles (@Spectacles) December 3, 2016

But another tidbit in the IPO document reveals how challenging scaling up Spectacles production could actually be. Snap admitted it has “limited manufacturing experience” and that it relies on only one contract manufacturer to build Spectacles. This explains the limited availability of the device to date, and it also means it will be difficult for the company to mass-produce the glasses or ship them globally going forward. As stated in the filing, its supplier “is vulnerable to capacity constraints and reduced component availability.” This also means Snap is extremely reliant on its manufacturer, especially since it has “limited control over [the] manufacturer’s quality systems and controls.”

Typically, using one manufacturer means greater assurance over the product’s quality than employing several suppliers. But we’ve already seen breakdowns in the quality control process, with a recent report of one Spectacles owner’s charging case melting. Snap dutifully replaced the defective product, which is easier to handle when it’s an isolated case. But when targeting a massive global market, addressing quality control issues can become challenging.

Nailing the manufacturing process is important for Snap, especially if it decides to launch other physical devices. The company states in its S-1 that it “may develop future products that are regulated as medical devices by the FDA,” which will have to pass stringent tests. This also means it needs to have excellent quality control.

And before you get too excited about the idea of Snap making “medical devices,” it’s important to note that Spectacles is already classified as such, since it is an “eyewear product.” These future products could simply refer to upcoming iterations of the device.

Ultimately, though, such documents tend to be vague and speculative as they need to be all-encompassing to show potential shareholders the calculated risks involved in the business. You’ll find similar language in almost any other company’s annual report, along with a disclaimer that forward-looking statements aren’t meant to be taken as fact or at face value.

Still, with these disclosures, we’ve learned a bit more about Snap — in particular its dependence on ad revenue and the fact that it is comfortable waiting, “sometimes for a long time,” for its products to reach maturity and gain enough traction before it starts profiting off them. So while Spectacles aren’t likely to be a big source of income for the company now, the device could eventually become a significant revenue maker if Snap can figure out a strategy that works.

Three prepares for spectrum race with UK Broadband purchase

Three announced today that it has agreed to buy UK Broadband Limited for £250 million, making Ofcom’s impending spectrum auction altogether more interesting — as interesting as spectrum auctions can be, anyway. UK Broadband isn’t a household name, given it primarily builds bespoke 4G networks for the private and public sectors. The company does run the consumer-facing brand Relish, though, which offers flexible home broadband services using 4G-fed WiFi routers. While Relish seems like a good fit for millennial-chaser Three, and creates an immediate path for the company to get into home broadband, make no mistake: Three isn’t after UK Broadband’s 15,000 customers, but its spectrum licence.

The parent company that owns UK Broadband is run by the son of the man that runs Three’s parent company, but the deal isn’t just about keeping things in the family. You see, UK Broadband has a licence for 40MHz of spectrum in the 3.4GHz band. Not only that, but in 2014 the licence was extended indefinitely (it was originally due to expire in summer 2018). And later this year, following many delays, Ofcom will finally auction off free spectrum in the 2.3GHz and 3.4GHz bands. UK Broadband’s slice wouldn’t have been up for grabs, of course, but in one canny move Three is jumping the gun and getting a foothold in the 3.4GHz band before bidding has even begun.

Three doesn’t command a great deal of spectrum as it stands, which limits its ability to upgrade its network, increase speeds and introduce new services. The planned merger with O2 would’ve gone some way to solving that, as the resulting company’s combined spectrum would’ve put it on par with Vodafone (though still way behind BT, which owns almost half of all UK 4G spectrum). European regulators ended up blocking that deal on the basis it would eliminate one of the four major providers and ultimately reduce competition.

Since being dealt that blow, Three has changed tack. The carrier successfully campaigned for goliath BT to be limited in the upcoming spectrum auction — which’ll set the stage for improved 4G services and the eventual rollout of 5G networks — on the basis it simply doesn’t have deep enough pockets to compete. Ofcom has blocked BT/EE from bidding on anything in 2.3GHz band, effectively leaving Three, O2 and Vodafone to haggle over that slice. There are no such limitations on the 3.4GHz band though, but by acquiring UK Broadband, Three has already laid claim to a piece of that pie without so much as a low-ball bid.

The acquisition still needs rubber stamping, so Three hasn’t got its hands on the airwaves just yet, but it expects to complete mid-year. And we doubt regulators will voice any opposition, given BT’s smooth ride to snapping up EE to become the dominant spectrum holder.

Via: Financial Times (paywalled)

Source: Three

Uber hires a NASA guru to help it understand flying cars

Uber is eager for the day when you can take a flying car across town, and it just landed a key hire that could help make this a reality. The company has recruited Mark Moore, NASA’s technology lead for on-demand mobility, as its director of engineering for aviation. This doesn’t mean that the ridesharing firm will build its own flying cars, at least not any time soon — rather, he wants to “make this market real.” That will likely involve solving technical obstacles that Uber’s hardware partners face, such as extending the range of electric aircraft or reducing noise pollution.

You might have seen Moore’s work before. On top of contributing to Uber’s initial white paper on its vision for airborne ridesharing, he helped NASA research the viability of a personal electric aircraft nicknamed the Puffin. This is an engineer who understands the specific challenges Uber and its allies will face, and might just help bridge the gap between the company’s idealistic vision and practical reality.

The hire might have come just in time, too. Google co-founder Larry Page reportedly started funding flying car companies (Kitty Hawk and Zee.Aero) in response to Moore’s work, suggesting that the engineer’s talents are in high demand. It may have just been a question of which tech giant snapped up Moore first, rather than whether or not he’d leave NASA in the first place.

Via: The Verge

Source: Bloomberg