Full specs for Samsung’s Galaxy TabPro S successor leaked via FCC filings

Why it matters to you

Samsung is making a play for the Windows PC market with its TabPro line, and these leaked specs reveal how the TabPro S2 will make up for the deficiencies of its predecessor.

It has long been rumored that Samsung will unveil the follow-up to its Galaxy TabPro S 2-in-1 at the 2017 edition of the Mobile World Congress, which is scheduled to get underway in Barcelona, Spain, at the end of February. Now, it seems that a full set of specs for the device has been leaked ahead of its official reveal, by way of documents submitted to the FCC.

As anticipated, the TabPro S2 is set to retain its predecessor’s 12-inch, 2,160 x 1,440 resolution Super AMOLED display, which was praised for its high contrast ratio and wide color gamut in the our review of the TabPro S.

Under the hood, the hybrid will boast a seventh-generation Intel Core i5-7200u processor based on the company’s Kaby Lake architecture, which is clocked at 3.1GHz, according to a report from MS Power User. The system will utilize an integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 card as its GPU.

More: Samsung Galaxy X: Rumors and news leaks

The TabPro S2 is set to feature 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage. Users are able to expand the amount of storage they have available to them via the device’s SD card slot.

The hybrid will also come fitted with a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera that’s capable of recording 4K video, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. In terms of connectivity, it’s outfitted with two USB 3.0 Type-C ports, Bluetooth 4.1 capabilities, LTE support, dual-band 2.4 and 5GHz 802.11ac Wi-Fi support, and a SIM slot. It also packs a large 5,070mAh battery with a 25W turbo charger, and supports Samsung’s S-Pen and keyboard cover.

It’s good to see that Samsung has amended some of the weaknesses of the original TabPro S, like its lone USB Type-C port. However, there are still questions to be asked as to whether these improvements can allow the system to compete with Microsoft’s Surface line, the undisputed ruler of the hybrid market. In any case, we’ll need to know more about Samsung’s pricing for the TabPro S2 before we know how it stacks up to the Surface Pro 4.

What color LG Watch Style should I buy?

It’s time to decide which color of the LG Watch Style is best.

The LG Watch Style has arrived with Android Wear 2.0 and is available in three different colors. Before you jump into the car or desperately try to order one online, there is a very important choice that you need to make: which color should you buy? It’s a big decision, and we’re here to help you make the choice that you’ll be happiest with!

Titanium (black)

Titanium is the go-to color for most people, and for good reason: it goes with everything. Titanium (which is close to black) is a solid utilitarian color and it’ll look great with almost any color watch band you may decide to pick up. The black is a brushed gunmetal rather than a matte finish, but it retains its sleek look on your wrist.

Silver

If want a color that stands out a bit more, then the silver option should certainly pique your interest. The silver brings some flashiness to your wrist, but it’s also understated, and the uncolored stainless steel goes with any outfit. Like many “regular” watches, the silver LG Watch Style can be paired with any number of band colors and styles.

Rose Gold

For those who like to stand out from the crowd a little bit, then take a peek at the rose gold option. It’s a paler shade of rose gold, with a brushed metal finish. While some folks will say it’s the feminine color option, don’t be fooled. Anybody who enjoys a bit of color can easily rock it, and it has a fashionable quality to it. It’s also got the versatility to work with a variety of colors if you decide to swap out the watch band.

Which one is best

While the black model is slick, and the silver has a shimmer that may draw you in, the rose gold option can be paired with a number of different watch band colors and styles — and it’s very pretty.

Which LG Watch Style is your favorite color? Be sure to drop us a line in the comments below and let us know!

[custom:androidwear]

Ooniprobe is a silly name for a new way to combat censorship and surveillance

How much do you know about your Wi-Fi network?

There’s no arguing the convenience of a well-placed wireless network when you’re not at home, and many businesses around the world are discovering the benefits of offering a free connection to their consumers for this very reason. While some of us may do the work to ensure our home networks deliver a specific experience, when you’re out and about those networks are usually maintained at a corporate or local government level. That means you don’t make the rules, and not every problem can be solved by switching on a VPN.

The Tor Project has a new tool to help you be better educated when it comes to the networks you use with your phone, and it has one of the sillier names you’ll see today.

Ooniprobe is designed to test the network you are currently on and give you as much information as possible. This starts with basic network performance information, but also includes detection tools for censorship and surveillance methods that may exist on the network. If this network doesn’t allow you to reach a certain kind of website, or separately tracks your activity while on the network, Ooniprobe reveals this information to you and offers strategies for circumvention.

This app also publishes all of the data you collect on the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) Explorer site, which allows third parties to independently verify and analyze it. As expected from The Tor Project, this app is not only free but open source. Enjoy!

Cribbage With Grandpas review: A charming intro to a classic card game

Search for any traditional card game in the Google Play Store and you’re bombarded with so many results, it’s easy to assume that all card games for Android are a dime a dozen.

But then you find a hidden gem like Cribbage With Grandpas and realize not all card games are created equal.

Cribbage is one of those games that has endured, largely unchanged, for centuries. It’s a game that’s passed down from generation to generation through games played on rainy Sunday afternoons or lazy summer days at the cottage. If you’ve never played before, in short it’s a two-player game where you try to find pairs, runs, or groups of cards that add up to fifteen to score points, which are marked on a board with pegs. It’s fairly easy to learn but takes time and an astute mind to master.

Cribbage With Grandpas does a damn good job of not only teaching cribbage to newcomers, but also incorporating the familiar social aspect of the game itself by coupling the core card gameplay with a rather robust character creation process for making your own Grandpa. Yes, you read that right. This quirky card game leads off with a Create-A-Grandpa mode, so we might as well start there, too.

You’re able to tweak your Grandpa’s looks to surprising detail within the game’s quirky, fun and cartoony art style, from the stubble on his chin to their (lack of) fashion sense.

Before you can play a hand of crib you need an opponent, and Cribbage With Grandpa gives you so many options for completely customizing not only his appearance, but also the personality and playing style of each Grandpa. You’re able to tweak your Grandpa’s looks to surprising detail within the game’s quirky cartoony art style, from the stubble on his chin to his (lack of) fashion sense. You can move, rotate, and resize your Grandpa’s facial features by tapping and pinching them during the creation process. At its core, cribbage is a social game so you’re also asked to choose three words from a set of 18 to define your Grandpa’s personality, and set how conversational you want him to be.

Depending on what you choose, you’ll receive quirky little comments from your Grandpa as the game plays out. For example, if you choose friendly words such as “silly”, “sweet” and “easy going”, your Grandpa will provide light-hearted banter between hands and encourage you with hints along the way. On the other hand, if you choose words like “serious”, “grumpy” and “sore loser”, expect to receive ample smack talk. It’s these little details that really helps to round out the Grandpas into characters; even though you’re playing offline against a computer opponent, you’ll find it creates more depth and personality than you would find playing against real opponents in an online game.

Like the character creation process, equal care and consideration has been put into the gameplay itself. For starters, the visual and audio design are warm and comforting. You face off against your Grandpa at a virtual table with the cribbage board bordering the screen, as ambient sounds quietly play in the background to match the game setting you chose when creating your Grandpa.

If you’re new to the game of Cribbage, your Grandpa will hold your hand through your first few games so you can understand the flow of gameplay and how the scoring works. Once you’ve got the hang of things, you’re free to play as many games as you want against as many Grandpas as you wish to create. The game is laid out wonderfully in a portrait orientation, allowing you to comfortably play the game one-handed.

If you’re new to the game of Cribbage, your Grandpa will hold your hand through the first few games. Thanks, Gramps.

I am actually fairly new to cribbage, so one of the features I enjoy most is that you must count your own points at the end of each round. This is a pretty crucial skill to learn for playing crib, so it’s nice to be able to practice on my own time without feeling rushed by a real-life opponent — although you may still get some guff if you take too long playing against a stubborn, grumpy Grandpa.

In short, I really consider this to be a fine example of indie game development done right. First and foremost, you can just tell that this game was a labor of love for the developers at Less Than Three Interactive. This is their first game released to the Google Play Store and while it is a paid title ($2.99), it ensures you’re never interrupted by ads, in-app purchases, or anything else to distract you from the game itself. The gameplay is smooth, the Grandpas are charming and memorable, and it all comes together to create just a wonderful experience that will enthral cribbage fanatics and new players alike.

But moreover, there’s an underlying moral here that I would be remiss if I didn’t mention. That’s the role that social card games such as cribbage can serve for connecting and spend quality time with family. The game’s opening screen depicts a phone sitting on a table by a window on a rainy day, and you start every game by call up your Grandpa to see if he’s up for a game of cribbage — and he always is.

Cribbage With Grandpas shows how fun and rewarding a simple card game like cribbage can be, and may inspire you to call up your own grandparents and reconnect over a game of cards.

Download: Cribbage With Grandpas ($2.99)

[custom:android-games]

Best Multiplayer Games for PlayStation VR

PlayStation VR’s library of games grows every week, and it continues to attract some gems. One thing about virtual reality, mostly due to the physical nature of the headset, is that it can be a bit of a solitary experience. If you’d like your gaming experience to entail meeting some new friends or duking it out against human intelligence, we’ve rounded up the best multiplayer games for PlayStation VR.

Read more at VR Heads!

Use 375,000 images from the Met however you want, for free

If you want to use images of paintings from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, like Woman with a Parrot by Gustave Courbet (above), you no longer have to worry about rights. All of the Met’s approximately 375,000 public-domain artwork images are now available for free, unrestricted use. The new “Open Access” policy, based on Creative Commons Zero (CC0), means bloggers, schools and businesses alike can use them without even the need for attribution.

In 2014, the Met opened up 400,000 images for downloading, but only for scholarly, non-commercial use. Now, however, it wants them spread far and wide, as it also unveiled partnerships with Pinterest, Wikimedia, Artstor, the Digital Public Library of America and others. “Increasing access to the Museum’s collection and scholarship serves the interests and needs of our 21st-century audiences,” said Met CEO Thomas P. Campbell in a statement.

Van Gogh’s “Wheat Field with Cypresses” (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The images comprise the main body of the museum’s collection, apart from 65,000 artwork images not in the public domain for copyright and other reasons. The museum has 1.5 million works in total, including prints and engravings, many of which could also be digitized in the future.

Other institutions, including Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, offer free, unlimited-use downloads, and you can find gigapixel-sized photos and Street View-style tours on Google. No other single site, however, has Met’s prodigious number of well-known works that range back over 6,000 years.

The museum worked closely with Creative Commons, and you can find images on the organization’s CCSearch beta or the main Met collection, and even create your own search using tools from the Met’s Github repository.

Via: The New York Times

Source: Met Museum

‘Nidhogg’ creators bring hypnotic platformer ‘Flywrench’ to PS4

Messhof, the team behind indie hit Nidhogg, today announced that it’s bringing critically acclaimed platformer Flywrench to PS4. Featuring the studio’s trademark lo-fi art style and an aural assault of glitchy breakbeats, this minimalist-looking action-puzzler will offer 199 levels of brightly-lit mayhem. After a well-received PC release in 2015, Flywrench will be making its console debut on February 14th, launching on PS4 for $6.99.

Interestingly, Flywrench has actually been around as a prototype since 2007, impressing our old colleagues at Indiecade 2008. Looking like the weird love child of Flappy Bird and Pong, Flywrench sees players flipping their ship’s polarity to match the colors around them as they bounce, fall and fly their way through each level. While it doesn’t feature traditional local multiplayer, Flywrench instead lets you create grudge matches with your friends through its online Time Trial mode. Thankfully, this late port isn’t all old content, with Flywrench’s PS4’s release also including 12 brand-new levels.

When Nidhogg came out in 2014, it was a breath of fresh air. Underneath its deceptively simplistic stick-man visuals lay a surprisingly complex and addictive local multiplayer game, something that has been in short supply this console generation. While it’s unlikely that Flywrench will have quite the same industry-shaking impact, for less than the price of a hot meal, it sure looks like a hell of a lot of fun.

The future of STEM education is cloudy under Betsy DeVos

This week the United States Senate confirmed Betsy Devos as the new Secretary of Education. Despite a shaky performance during her committee hearings, where she seemed to suggest guns belonged in schools to defend against grizzly bear attacks, DeVos managed to clear all the necessary hurdles to become part of Trump’s cabinet. But it wasn’t easy: Vice President Mike Pence had to be summoned to the Senate floor to break a 50-50 tie, after two senators from his own Republican party opposed her nomination

DeVos will be responsible for advising Trump on federal policies and programs related to the education sector, which includes having an impact on public school standards and the curriculums being developed. She’ll also direct, supervise and coordinate all activities of the US Department of Education, whose mission is to “ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence” across the country. In other words, DeVos is set to a lead a government agency designed to shape the nation’s future.

President Trump with Betsy DeVos (Getty Images)

Democrats have been outspoken against DeVos since Trump announced her nomination. They believe she’s not fit for the role because she never attended public school, nor did her billionaire husband Dick DeVos or any of their four children. Not being a product of the public school system isn’t a deal-breaker, though. Bigger concerns focus on the fact that DeVos has spent her career in Michigan as an advocator for using taxpayer dollars to fund voucher programs for families to spend on private and religious schools.

While DeVos has not specified how she plans to handle STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education on a federal level, there’s enough evidence to suggest religion may influence her decisions. In an interview from 2001, when asked about Christian schools relying on philanthropy, DeVos said, “There are not enough philanthropic dollars in America to fund what is currently the need in education… Our desire is to confront the culture in ways that will continue to advance God’s kingdom.”

If she takes that same approach in her new position, DeVos could create an environment where accepted scientific theories, such as evolution, could be taught alongside faith-based pseudo science like intelligent design. You also have to wonder if she’ll continue Obama’s efforts in teaching kids how to code and other tech-forward skills. During his presidency, Obama created the “Computer Science for All” initiative, which included a $4 billion fund for states to develop K-12 curriculums with a hands-on approach to new technologies.

President Trump, meanwhile, is planning to repurpose $20 billion from the federal education budget to expand voucher programs. Even though low-income families could benefit from this “school choice” proposal, the institutions on the receiving end would be private or affiliated with a religion. The proposal will likely hit some roadblocks, though, since it has to get approved by Congress and it’s not certain that states are going to be interested in such grants.

Still, there could be major consequences if it does go through. David E. Kirkland, an English and Urban Education professor at New York University, says DeVos and Trump could promote educational policies that support “alternative facts” and “fund programs aimed at discrediting longstanding scientific knowledge and traditions.”

The situation is magnified when you consider Trump also recently tapped Jerry Falwell Jr. to lead a task force that will suggest higher education reforms. He’s the president of Liberty University, one of the country’s most vocal Christians and a young Earth creationist. According to The Washington Post, faculty members at Liberty University take pride “in teaching evolution alongside biblical creationism.” Sure, that doesn’t mean DeVos and Falwell Jr. will enforce these views under the new administration, but it could raise their profile and reignite the debate over how things like intelligent design are presented.

Kirkland says that if DeVos sees STEM education as promoting a liberal agenda, she (along with Falwell Jr.) could use the Department of Education to defund programs designed to educate students about topics such as global warming, climate change and pollution. Despite the influence of religion on her political views, though, a member of Trump’s transition team recently told Mother Jones that DeVos does believe “in the legal doctrine of the separation of church and state.”

Jerry Falwell Jr. at the Republican National Convention. (Getty Images)

Senators like Al Franken, who voted against DeVos, will try their best to ensure that this separation indeed exists and STEM education remains a priority for Trump’s team. “I’ve written legislation into law to strengthen STEM education and have continuously worked to ensure that our students are prepared for 21st century jobs,” he told Engadget. “Secretary DeVos, on the other hand, has a long history of dangerously anti-science views and has deep connections with anti-science organizations.”

Franken said he plans to hold DeVos accountable during her tenure, not just in her STEM efforts, but other areas as well. DeVos said during her first speech as Secretary of Education that she believes people should be more open to views other than their own, an advice that Democrats hope she follows herself. “We believe students deserve learning environments that foster innovation and curiosity, and are also free from harm,” she said.

DeVos added that she’s committed to working with all parties on the end goal: To always put students first. But that’s easier said than done, and we won’t know if that will actually be the case until she sets forth a clear strategy for educators and students.

Mobile app approved as an alternative contraceptive

For the first time, an app that monitors fertility via algorithms has been officially certified for contraception use. Germany’s Department of Health approved the mobile Natural Cycles app, meaning it can now be prescribed by doctors in Europe and the UK in lieu of the pill, condoms or IUDs. It works in a similar way to the “rhythm” method, telling women how fertile they are and therefore when they can have sex with little risk of getting pregnant.

The app costs £6.99 per month, has around 100,000 UK users and works on a fairly simple principal. During ovulation, higher progesterone levels increase a woman’s body temperature nearly a half degree Celcius (0.8 Fahrenheit).

Users measure their temperature daily using the included electronic thermometer, and the app compares the readings with its dataset. Days when unprotected sex is okay are marked as green, but if the calendar shows red, couples must use condoms, the pill or other protection. It can also be used in the opposite way, telling couples the optimal time to have sex if they want a child.

“We can now proudly say that Natural Cycles is an effective contraceptive, comparable with others like the pill, the IUD and condoms,” Natural Cycles co-founder Elina Berglund wrote on the company’s site. “It’s another option for women to choose from.”

It wasn’t quite a straight line to get there, though. In 2015, the company was barred from advertising the app as a contraceptive in its home country of Sweden. That pushed it to hire a team of researchers, who wrote a paper arguing it was nearly as effective as other methods. Last year, it turned that information over, along with all its company processes to Tüv Süd, the German firm that certified it. It should be worth the effort, though, as doctors across Europe can now recommend it.

It’s not for everyone, experts caution. “Any device that monitors the menstrual cycle is fallible as women don’t always ovulate predictably,” Dr. Adam Balen told The Telegraph. The UK’s National Health Service also points out that similar methods result in seven pregnancies per 100 women in a year (comparable to a condom), instead of one in 100 for techniques like the pill, implant or IUD.

Because of that, the company recommends it most for stable couples or women who have trouble with other contraception methods. “Our product is ideally suited for women in a relationship as well as women who feel bad from their currently used contraceptive,” co-founder Raoul Scherwitzl tells Wired.

Source: Natural Cycles

After 40 years, scientists discover first-ever white dwarf pulsar

After decades of speculation, students at Warwick University have now found the first ever white dwarf pulsar. Since 1967’s discovery of the first pulsar (a rotating star that emits electromagnetic radiation), scientists have only been able to find evidence of larger neutron stars as pulsars. For those of you who aren’t astronomers, a neutron star is the last stage a celestial body goes through after a supernova before collapsing into a black hole. While scientists had yet to find any proof, many argued that the smaller dying white dwarf star could also become a pulsar. Now 40 years later, that theory has become fact.

The discovery was made by Tom Marsh and Boris Gansicke from Warwick University’s Astrophysics Group alongside David Buckley from the South African Astronomical Observatory. The trio managed to spot a white dwarf pulsar 380 light years from Earth, located in the constellation of Scorpius. AR scorpii is the name they gave to the binary star that confirmed the aging hypothesis.

This historic binary star is made up of both a white dwarf around the size of Earth (but around 200,000 times denser) and a ‘nearby’ red star. With a distance only three times greater than that of the Earth and the Moon between them, the two celestial bodies are practically neighbors in galactic terms. Thanks to this relatively close proximity, the white dwarf pulsar bombards its poor red dwarf neighbor with all manner of electrical energy and particles during its two-minute rotational period. You can find more details about their historic findings here.

Via: CNET

Source: Nature