You can open the frunk on a Tesla Model X with just a screwdriver

One would assume that a closed and locked trunk would be a relatively safe and secure place to store items in a car. While not impervious to break-ins, it’s far more difficult to get into a trunk than it is to smash a window. That is unless you’re driving a Tesla Model X, which has an emergency release for the frunk hidden right under the front bumper. Start the video at about 10 minutes in to see just how easy it is to pop the frunk open. Watch for some mild NSFW language.

Let’s be clear, there is a perfectly reasonable and rational explanation why Tesla built in this access. The Model S has a similar point behind the front wheel. If a vehicle is in an accident, emergency responders must be able to shut down the high voltage system in order to prevent possible electrical injury. Modern Formula 1 cars with hybrid systems have a similar feature. The access point on a Tesla happens to be under the frunk, so there has to be a way to access it without a key or even full power.

The hosts of the video make it out to be a big security risk, and, despite the clickbait title, they have a point. A knowledgeable thief could in theory pull the panel, pop the frunk, and take what is inside all in under a minute. That’s all without actually damaging the car – although it should be noted that doing this will set off the alarm, so there’s some deterrent factor there. According to Electrek, Tesla is supposed to notify all new owners about the release and encourage them to not store valuables in the frunk. That puts a lot of responsibility on Tesla to remember to do that with every single customer.

In fact, the Tesla Model X’s owner’s manual doesn’t say anything about the frunk release, nor does it give a warning about storing valuables inside. Tesla probably doesn’t print anything in an effort to not broadcast the frunk release location. If you own a Tesla, keep this vulnerability/safety feature in mind.

Related Video:

Source: Electrek, Salomondrin (YouTube)

Judge sides with Microsoft in court battle against gag orders

Microsoft’s court battle against the government’s gag orders is likely far from over, and that’s a good thing in this case. The Department of Justice asked the court to shut the lawsuit down, but Seattle District Judge James Robart — the same judge who temporarily blocked the enforcement of the president’s travel ban — has sided with the tech titan and allowed it to go forward.

Microsoft filed the lawsuit back in 2016 to fight for its customers’ right to know if and when the government asks for their data. See, requests for data stored in the cloud come with gag orders that have no expiration date, and Redmond argued that it violates people’s First and Fourth Amendment’s rights. Judge Robart did drop Microsoft’s Fourth Amendment argument, but he mentioned that the company can bring it up again when it reaches higher courts:

“Some of Microsoft’s customers will be practically unable to vindicate their own Fourth Amendment rights.
…

This conundrum, however, is not unique to this case; it is also true of the victim of an unreasonable search in a stranger’s home. See Alderman, 394 U.S. at 134. The source of the court’s conclusion is thus the product of established and binding precedent, which precludes the court from allowing Microsoft to vindicate Fourth Amendment rights that belong to its customers. This court cannot faithfully reconcile the broad language of those cases and Microsoft’s theory of Fourth Amendment standing on the facts of this case; that task is more properly left to higher courts.”

When authorities want to access documents and other physical data, they have to notify people that they asked for their private information or that they seized their property. Since perpetual gag orders prevent the company from telling their customers the truth, it expands the government’s ability to conduct covert investigations. That’s the reason tech companies fight gag orders in court and why Microsoft will continue pursuing this lawsuit.

Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith told Ars Technica:

“We’re pleased this ruling enables our case to move forward toward a reasonable solution that works for law enforcement and ensures secrecy is used only when necessary.”

Source: Ars Technica

Vivo V5 Plus review

We can all agree that those selfies weren’t a passing trend, and those pouts on your Instagram feed aren’t going anywhere. The smartphone manufacturers of course recognized the fad, and the front cameras on latest smartphones have beefier optics with software additions for the ‘selfie cam’.

Just towards the end of last year, Vivo launched their selfie-focused smartphone – Vivo V5 – with a whopping 20-megapixel front camera. And if you thought that was enough, the company has now upped the ante with Vivo V5 Plus that sports a dual front camera along with the ‘moonlight’ flash.

See also:

Vivo V5: Hands on and first impressions

November 15, 2016

The Vivo V5 Plus looks pretty good on the specifications sheet, and doesn’t come cheap. But does that ambitious camera really deliver and do the internals translate into a well-rounded Android experience? Let’s find out in this detailed review of the V5 Plus.

Design

In a sea of similar looking smartphones in the market, thankfully, Vivo V5 Plus fares better. The unibody metallic device looks very premium and the impressive build quality is very apparent. The finish on the rear panel is chic.

The antenna lines along the edges look slick, and the 7.26mm profile and the narrow bezels make it a very slim and ergonomic smartphone. At less than 160 grams, it is quite light, and feels great in the hand.

Clearly inspired from the iPhone, the V5 Plus is one of the better-looking smartphones in its price segment. It looks premium and the build quality is fantastic. A lot of people will also appreciate that the fingerprint scanner on this one is integrated with the home button on the front, below the display.

Display

The Vivo V5 Plus sports a 5.5-inch Full HD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution. The curved display is gorgeous and clearly one of the highlights of the device. It’s sharp and crisp, and offers vibrant colors and great viewing angles too.

While the brightness and color reproduction of the display is brilliant, it is a tad reflective and therefore the sunlight legibility is not the best.

Overall, the display on the Vivo V5 Plus is impressive and while the company’s marketing materials hardly talk about it, there’s also the latest generation Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

Performance

Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor clocked at 2.0Ghz with Adreno 506 GPU and 4GB RAM, the Vivo V5 Plus chugs along nicely. While it doesn’t boast of extraordinary innards, or even the Snapdragon 652 chipset, it can handle everything you throw at it without any lags or issues. There’s no stuttering in apps or multi-tabbed browsing even when there are quite a few apps open in the background. The gaming performance too is smooth, and playing graphic-intensive games was a breeze.

The Vivo V5 Plus packs in 3055mAh battery with the dual-engine fast charging feature. The Snapdragon 625 processor is known to be power-efficient, and it is evident on the battery life of the V5 Plus. I could easily squeeze a day and half of battery performance with basic to moderate usage. For most users, it would last an entire day, and that’s pretty good.

Overall, the Vivo V5 Plus performs quite well. There’s nothing extraordinary in its performance or battery life, and neither does the smartphone intend so. There are no complaints as well.

Hardware

The Vivo V5 Plus comes with 64GB of internal storage which is more than enough for most people. You can of course expand it with a microSD card, but the smartphone sports a hybrid slot so you can either use a micro SD for expansion or the second SIM, but not both.

Unlike the Vivo V5 launched a couple of months ago, the fingerprint scanner on the V5 Plus is located on the front panel instead of the rear panel like in most affordable smartphones out there. It’s extremely quick and responsive in unlocking the device, and can also be configured for more.

One of the nifty additions on the Vivo V5 Plus, and its predecessor, is the company’s proprietary dedicated AK4376 audio chip for Hi-Fi music. Once you enable the ‘Hi-Fi’ option to work with your headphones, you’d observe a noticeable difference in the audio quality. Listening to music, especially if you’ve got high quality audio streaming service or local music collection, is a delight.

Camera

Of course, the highlight of the Vivo V5 Plus is the dual camera setup on the front. While the Vivo V5 had a 20MP front shooter, the stakes are higher now with a 20MP module and an 8MP module. The former has a Sony IMX376 sensor with f/2.0 aperture, while the latter captures depth-of-field information.

Fortunately, the front camera on Vivo V5 Plus is not just big talk. The Vivo V5 despite boasting of a 20MP front camera didn’t produce extraordinary results, but thankfully, the company has fixed that this time around. Also, the dual camera is not just a gimmick. Just like the Honor 8 or Huawei P9 which offer dual camera goodness on the rear camera, the V5 Plus offers impressive depth-of-field and bokeh effects up front.

For the bokeh effect, the dual camera blurs out everything other than the subject that you want to focus on. It works quite well, and in most cases, the camera would detect the face, and blur out everything in the background automatically. The Bokeh mode also allows you to change the aperture even after capturing the image.

The front camera manages to capture impressive selfies outdoors. There are rich details and the color reproduction is brilliant in good light. For low-light conditions, the V5 Plus offers a ‘Moonlight Glow’ flash we saw in the V5 previously. Unlike traditional flash filling the subject with light, Moonlight Glow lights up the face naturally. Again, it’s not a gimmick, and works rather nicely allowing you to take some nice selfies on that dimly-lit pub visit.

At the back, there’s a 16MP shooter with PDAF and LED flash that supports 4K video recording. The camera captures great photos, especially in well-lit conditions. The sharpness is not the best, and when I looked at the photos, mostly the low-light ones, on a bigger 40-inch display, I could notice some graininess creeping in.

That said, the camera performance on the Vivo V5 Plus is excellent. Also, it’ll not be an exaggeration to concede that the smartphone offers the best selfie experience amongst the smartphones out there.

Software

The Vivo V5 Plus runs Funtouch OS 3.0 based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, similar to a lot of custom UIs from Chinese OEMs with no app drawer and multiple home screens.

From then on, it’s an iOS rip-off. The navigation, the notification center, and settings – everything is heavily inspired from iOS. However, once you look past the imitation, the UI is pretty neat and once you get a hang of it, you’ll appreciate the several options it offers. With the internals the device packs in, the overall experience is smooth and breezy. While completely functional, the iOS-inspired software gives you a feeling of Vivo over-trying to compete with iPhone, which is completely needless.

There’s also a Phone Manager that allows you to clean the phone as well as manage memory, battery, apps, and privacy options. The smartphone also boasts of a global eye protection mode that allows you to switch to warmer colors on display for reducing the strain on your eyes. The Smart Screen Split functionality works just like the split-view option on Android 7.0 Nougat for multitasking.

Specifications

Operating System	Funtouch OS 3.0 based on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
Display	5.5-inch (1920 x 1080) Full HD In-Cell display | 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Processor	2GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 | Adreno 506 GPU
RAM	4GB
Internal Storage	64GB; expandable with microSD card
Rear Camera	16MP with LED Flash | f/2.0 aperture | PDAF
Front Camera	20MP with Moonlight Flash | f/2.0 aperture | 8MP secondary camera
Battery	3160mAh
Dimensions	152.58 x 74 x 7.26 mm
Weight	158.6 grams

Gallery

Pricing and final thoughts

Despite the entire marketing focused on the ‘perfect selfie’, the Vivo V5 Plus is a well-rounded smartphone that you wouldn’t go wrong with.

Priced at ₹27,980 ($420) in India, the Vivo V5 Plus is a great mid-range smartphone that competes with the OnePlus 3T, and others – some of which are better spec’d than the former. However, the V5 Plus is also available across offline stores in India, unlike few others in the price segment.

Despite the entire marketing focused on the ‘perfect selfie’, the Vivo V5 Plus is a well-rounded smartphone with a beautiful metallic chassis, gorgeous display, and smooth performance. If you take frequent selfies and count those likes, you should definitely get the Vivo V5 Plus. Even otherwise, it’s a great option on the table that you wouldn’t go wrong with.

Buy Vivo V5 Plus on Amazon

Facebook and Oculus are working on gloves for finger tracking in virtual reality

Why it matters to you

Mark Zuckerberg’s recent tour of the Oculus Research Lab shows how the company is heavily invested in Oculus and virtual reality overall.

Facebook CEO and Oculus VR owner Mark Zuckerberg jumped on the social network to talk about visiting the Oculus Research Lab in Redmond, Washington. In the update, he uploaded five photos that were taken during his visit, one of which shows Zuckerberg wearing gloves and appearing to shoot virtual spider webs like a certain wall-crawler we know.

“We’re working on new ways to bring your hands in virtual and augmented reality,” he said. “Wearing these gloves, you can draw, type on a virtual keyboard, and even shoot webs like Spider-Man. That’s what I’m doing here.”

More: A hard reality for Oculus Rift: Best Buy pulls VR kiosks from 200 Best Buy stores

The setup Zuckerberg is using to test the gloves appears to use OptiTrack’s Prime 17W motion capture camera, which cost $3,499. This camera includes a 70-degree field of view, a 360-frames-per-second capture rate, a 6mm “fast glass” lens, and a resolution of 1,664 x 1,088. Facebook may be using this camera instead of building its own to cut down on the cost of testing the prototype gloves.

According to Zuckerberg, the team at Facebook’s Oculus Research Lab is led by Michael Abrash. The lab was established to find new ways to map the human body, such as the gloves he tested at the facility. The team of scientists and engineers are also working on mixed reality technology, eye tracking, advanced optics, and more.

“We’ve built labs that let us quickly make new kinds of lenses and devices to push the boundaries of virtual and augmented reality,” he said in another photo. “That includes a Diamond Turning Lab that cuts metal with a gemstone quality diamond, and [a] 5-axis CNC milling machine.”

Facebook/Oculus VR said in July 2015 that it acquired Israel-based Pebbles Interfaces, a company focused on developing technology to track hand movement via “custom optics, sensor systems, and algorithms.” The team was integrated into the hardware engineering and computer vision teams at Oculus to accelerate hand-tracking technology development in virtual reality.

Right now, Facebook and Oculus provide the base hardware for high-quality virtual reality experiences on PC through the Oculus Rift headset (vision) and the Oculus Touch controllers (movement). But as Zuckerberg’s encounter with the prototype gloves shows, the company wants an even more immersive, personal experience by enabling customers to play a virtual piano, finger paint, live the life of a Marvel superhero, and more.

But with innovation comes loads of investment. Zuckerberg’s tour included visiting a “clean room” for manufacturing extremely small parts. To make these pieces, Facebook and Oculus need near-sterile surfaces to prevent defects. That means filtering out particles 1,000 times smaller than “a speck of dust.” Zuckerberg also showed their second anechoic chamber, an echo-free room designed specifically to perform sound experiments.

“Oculus Rift is already the best VR experience you can buy — and the technology being built in this lab right now makes me want the future to get here a lot sooner,” Zuckerberg said.

Asus 15.6-inch gaming laptop now on sale for $800 (16 percent off)

Gaming computers can get pricey but right now you can score one for less than $1,000 with this Asus 15.6-inch Full-HD Gaming Laptop deal. The powerful gaming device normally retails for $950 but is currently marked down to only $800 on Amazon for a limited time.

More: The Best Gaming Laptop You Can Buy

This Asus gaming laptop combines a sleek look with high performance, powered by a 6th-generation Intel Core i7-6500U 2.5GHz processor. On the tech-spec end, it impresses with a Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M gaming graphic card, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD storage. On the exterior, the less than 1-inch thick laptop boasts a classy gray metallic cover with a hairline-textured finish.

The processor and gaming card allow you to stream HD videos, run MS Office programs, or entertain yourself with your favorite games without standard laptop lags. The graphics card features Nvidia Optimus Technology that automatically adjusts the GPU for either high graphics power or battery-boosting efficiency depending on what you’re doing. ASUS Splendid Technology enhances the display with 4 preset modes which easily brings colors to life providing stunning visuals full of rich, deep hues.

The gaming laptop comes with two built-in cooling systems to enhance its already powerful performance. A smart dual fan cooling system consists of independent copper fans that cool the CPU and GPU, making the computer more reliable even during power-intensive activities. Add that to the built-in Asus IceCool Technology, which is a unique internal layout that keeps palm rest surface temperatures consistently below body temperature, and you’ve got a machine that won’t overheat you or its insides.

You can also feel more physically comfortable using the laptop as it comes with a smart gesture multitouch pad that delivers high levels of accurate and intuitive fingertip input, making everything feel extra natural.

Audio blasts out clearly on the device thanks to Asus SonicMaster, which is a mixture of hardware and software with a professional codec, an optimized amplifier for louder volumes, extra large speakers, and a resonance chamber for a deep base. Additional signal processing also helps to fine-tune the hardware by filtering noise and improving overall audio clarity. Finally, the laptop comes pre-loaded with Windows 10 and includes an Asus 1-year accidental damage protection warranty.

Regularly priced at $950, this Asus 15.6-inch Full-HD Gaming Laptop is currently available for $800 on Amazon, giving you a savings of $150, or 16 percent.

$800 on Amazon

AC Podcast 324: Android Wear Strikes Back!

This week, Andrew, Russell and Daniel talk about the biggest announcement of the week — of the month! — Android Wear 2.0 and the new LG Watch Sport and Watch Style.

Android Wear 2.0 is a pretty massive update for the nascent wearable platform, but is it good enough to convince people to take the smartwatch plunge? And why is the LG Watch Style so lacking in actual features? And have you seen my keys?

Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral324.mp3

Netflix tips and tricks: How to master your binge-watching experience from any device

Think you already know all about Netflix? Think again. 

There are dozens of tips and tricks out there — everything from Chrome extensions that boost your viewing experience from the laptop by serving up IMDb and Rotten Tomato ratings to ways that let you adjust the look of subtitles away from the default yellow colour. We’ve rounded up over 30 of them right here and plan to continually update this piece when we discover more.

So, sit back, grab the remote, and be prepared to totally maximise your binge-watching experience. 

Netflix tips and tricks

Circumvent regional restrictions

Some regions, such as the US, get a better Netflix service in that they get newer TV shows and a wider range of movies. However, you can circumvent any regional restrictions in the UK by using a network service like Media Hint. It only works on computers and costs £2.50 a month (or £25 a year), but it will essentially allow you to access Netflix libraries in other countries.

If you want a free option, consider the Hola unblocker browser plugin, which works with Chrome, Firefox, or Android OS. If you want to access Netflix in other countries via your Xbox, PlayStation, Apple TV, or iPad, then all you have to do is manually change your DNS settings to trick your system into thinking you are based elsewhere. On an Apple TV, go into your Settings, go to General, then Network. Select your Network Name, then select Configure DNS, and Manual. Then, enter a new DNS code (Netflix Fixer and Droidkit regularly update a list of valid codes).

You can also use a paid-for service such as Unblock Us, which does the same for $4.99 (£3.20) a month. Just keep in mind accessing Netflix in other countries is a violation of your user agreement.

Eliminate buffering

Is House of Cards buffering continuously? Netflix automatically calibrates your streaming depending on your connection — but you can skip that. On a computer, click on any video while pressing Shift+Alt (Shift+Option+Click on a Mac), and then under “Stream Manager” you can manually adjust the bandwidth usage. There is also an option to adjust how the audio and video syncs.

If you’re on a Smart TV, Blu-ray Player, or game console, you’ll need to reset your Netflix app (this requires a code). Then, launch Netflix, and on your controller or remote, press the following combination: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Up, Up, Up, Up. You’ll then have access to a secret debug menu of your general information. Tweak the settings from here, including eliminating buffering.

Adjust video resolution

You can check the resolution of what you’re actually watching by going to Your Account page, then select Playback Settings, and under Data Usage, select High. After, click Save. You can also navigate to Netflix.com/HdToggle on your PC and select “High” to make sure you’re always set up for HD viewing by selecting. Just keep in mind that HD content eats through cellular data, so be conscious when using Netflix on your phone.

Avoid spoilers online

Use the Flixplus Chrome browser extension, which was created by the Lifehacker website team, to root out annoying Netflix features on the web. Flixplus can hide spoiler images and text snippets, remove duplicate recommendations, disable the Facebook integration prompt, and it can even show IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes ratings. Download it from here.

Change the look of subtitles

You can change subtitles from the default yellow sans-serif font. All you need to do is go to Your Account > Your Profile > Subtitle Appearance. In the pop-up box, you will see options to change the look as well as preview it until you’re happy.

Get more subtitle languages

You can get more subtitles not included in the content directly. Go to Subflix and download the Netflix-friendly subtitles in your language of choice. From there, cue them up via the Super Netflix Chrome extension. It only works on PCs and Macs for now.

Use bonus features on Apple TV

If you’re watching Netflix via Apple TV, tap the Up arrow twice on the Apple TV remote while viewing to bring up a banner with a thumbnail image, description, and rating. If you press down, you’ll see a progress bar with chapters. If you hit the left or right arrow, you can jump forward or back two to six minutes depending on the length of the program you’re watching.

Watch Netflix with friends anywhere

Rabbit is a group chat service that allows you you and your friends to watch and discuss Netflix together in real time. It actually works for anything you’re watching through a browser, such as YouTube, Hulu, etc. The Chrome extension Netflix Party does the same thing as Rabbit. It syncs playback between participants, allowing everyone to follow the action and chat via a side-screen box.

Access Netflix’s internal catalogue

Netflix suggests recommendations to you via several categories that are offered by default or formed based on your lists and ratings. But Netflix has secretly created a huge number of category IDs that you can type into the search bar to access broad groups like Cult TV Shows (74652) or Visually-striking Martial Arts movies (3196) or French dramas (3949). You can find updated ID lists here, here, and at Netflixcodes.me.

You can also check via a PC or Mac. Copy and paste this URL: http://www.netflix.com/WiAltGenre?agid=, then add a code from this document to see films from such categories as “drama based on books” and “tearjerkers”. The FindFlix Chrome extension also lets you search Netflix’s many hidden sub-genres, like Asian action movies, via your PC or Mac.

Stop auto-playback of episodes

Netflix automatically plays  the next episode of whatever you’re watching, but if you don’t like this, you can switch it off: open up the drop-down menu in the top right corner of the web interface, then choose Your Account, and select Playback settings.

See IMDb and Rotten Tomato ratings

Netflix’s built-in star rating sometimes isn’t very accurate. If you want to see what more people think, you must tediously check IMDb or Rotten Tomato. An easier way is the Chrome extension Netflix Enhancer. It allows you to see a film’s Rotten Tomato score and IMDb rating. If you’re watching via smart TV or a set-top box, you can download the Upflix app for iOS or Android to filter titles by rating, actor, director, etc. 

Try Netflix Roulette

Instead of indecisively flicking through Netflix, try Flix Roulette. Pick a genre, actor, director, or keyword, then hit spin, and watch whatever comes up. Or, you can ditch the keywords and spin wild on all Netflix content (but you may end up spinning 200 times).

Randomise your viewing

With thousands upon thousands of TV shows and movies to choose from, Netflix can be a little overwhelming. If you’d like to mix things up, the AllFlix Chrome extension will add a randomise button to your browser. Click this control and watch whatever show or film is suggested.

Find what’s new on Netflix

It’s worth following @NewonNetflixUK on Twitter for alerts on what’s new and what’s about to get axed. You can also like the Netflix’s Facebook page in your country, or check What’sNewOnNetflix.com and whats-on-netflix.com.

What’s leaving Netflix

The Now Streaming Pod website has a section called “Stream ‘em and leave ‘em” that shows all the titles being taken off Netflix every week.

Instantwatcher

Do you find it hard to keep track of everything new on Netflix, or do you just want to see the most popular content? The Instantwatcher website can help with all that and more.

Let Reddit help you find stuff to watch

There’s another way to find something good to watch without scrolling for hours: Reddit has a subpage dedicated to the Best of Netflix. Up-voted and down-cast by near 300,000 users, it can help you find something really great in no time at all.

Netflix and chill button

Netflix has published instructions for a DIY button that will order takeout, dim the lights, turn on the TV, launch Netflix, and silence your phones. It’s basically a “Netflix and Chill” button you can make.

Use socks to pause Netflix when you fall asleep

Netflix devised a pair socks that have a sleep detection system based on an activity-monitoring method known as actigraphy. It uses an accelerometer to determine when the wearer has stopped moving for a prolonged period of time. When it detects that the wearer has dozed off, an LED light in the sock will flash red, warning anyone nearby that it is about to pause the TV.

To make these, you’ll need components like an Arduino microcontroller, infrared LEDs, a battery, etc (all of this is required for a monitoring unit that’ll be wrapped in a wool felt and slipped inside on of the socks). Netflix’s guide outlines everything you need to know. Don’t forget you’ll also need tools, like a soldering iron. It’s all really complex, to be honest. But cute nonetheless.

Test new features before everybody else

You can sign up to Netflix’s Trial programme. Just go to your Account in Settings, then flick on the Test Participation toggle. However, most of the new stuff will be things you’ll never notice, like new recommendation algorithms.

Kick people off your account

So you shared your Netflix password and now your Recommended list is loaded with crap. No worries. You can sign out of all the devices signed into your account simply by going to Account > Sign out of all devices in Settings. You can also check your recent activity (Your Account > Viewing Activity > See recent account access) to see if any of the device locations look unfamiliar to you. 

Remove embarrassing titles from your history

You can selectively delete your history. Go to this page, where you’ll see everything you’ve watched in chronological order, and you can remove anything you don’t want others to see.

Learn the computer shortcuts

There are keyboard shortcuts that will boost your laptop-viewing experience:

• F will give you full screen; Esc will take you out of full screen
• PgDn pauses; PgUp will play
• The spacebar will also pause and play
• Shift + Right Arrow will fast-forward; Shift + Left Arrow will rewind
• M will toggle your mute button, depending on your computer 

Rate everything

This one might seem obvious, but it’s essential. Netflix’s algorithms use both your viewing history and ratings to serve up the best suggestions. However, unlike most rating systems, which show averages fom all users, Netflix shows off ratings based on viewers with similar tastes to you. So, go to Netflix in a web browser, then head to Profile, and go to Viewing History to rate everything you’ve ever watched.

Set up profiles

You don’t want your kids or parents skewing your recommendations. Having separate profiles for everyone in your house means that none of their ratings and viewing habits will mess up your recommendations. Each account can have up to five active profiles for no extra cost, so, on average, there should be enough for at least one per family member or flatmate. You can set them up on your PC via this Netflix settings page.

Manually rearrange your list

You can manually rearrange the My List section, which is ordered automatically by default. Go to this link and select to order your list manually. Once finished, go here, and drag around to rearrange your content. Any edits you make will sync across all devices.

Use a Netflix bot

Facebook Messenger has an AndChill bot that’ll serve up movie recommendations with trailers — all based on things you tell it you like.

Download TVs and movies

To download shows to iOS or Android devices, browse the Available for download section or press the download icon next to the show. To find your offline shows, go to Menu then My downloads. There’s a limit to the number of devices you can download content on, ranging from one to four devices, depending on your plan. Each download also has expiration time and may need to be watched with 48 hours of hitting play.

Downloads will eat up storage space on your device. To keep track, go to App settings. To quickly free up space, press Delete All Downloads. Also, if have an Android phone with a microSD slot, there are two workarounds that’ll let you download to an SD card:

• Download a file browser, set it to view hidden files, and copy over downloaded content to the microSD card. Content cannot be played off the microSD card — you need to copy it over to the correct folder on your phone to play it.
• Merge your microSD card with your phone’s internal storage, tricking your Android into thinking the microSD card is an internal part of the smartphone. Remove and re-insert your microSD card, then tap Set Up once a notification pops up, and tap‘Use as internal storage. Once you’re prompted, select the option to migrate your data over to your new storage. If you use this method, never remove the card unless you feel like doing an entire phone reset.

Share your Netflix without giving away password

The Chrome extension AccessURL (free) lets you share a link with a built-in expiration date, so you can let friends watch stuff on your Netflix without sharing your password — and you can prevent them from abusing your generosity.

Use Google Home voice control

If you have a Chromecast device and a Google Home speaker, go to More Settings in the Google Home app, tap on TVs and Speakers, and then tap the plus sign in the bottom right corner of the screen. The Google Home app will search for voice-supported TVs on the same Wi-Fi network as your Google Home. From there, you can ask Google Home to play Netflix movies and TV show or even YouTube videos.

You must connect third-party services — like Netflix — to your Google account using the Google Home app (Settings > More Settings > Videos and Photos). After doing this, you can simply say things like “Okay Google, play House of Cars from Netflix on TV”. You can even also Google Home to pause playback or rewind a minute to something you might’ve missed.

Watch Netflix in VR

Netflix has a VR app for Gear VR and Google Daydream View headsets. Put on a headset, fire up the VR app, and you’ll find yourself in a log cabin with a giant TV and Netflix menu. Just select what you want to watch, hit play, and the lights will dim.

Want to know more tips and tricks?

Check out Pocket-lint’s complete Netflix guide:

• How to watch Netflix on TV: Your complete guide

Google Pixel’s Assistant AI upgraded for smart home control

At Google I/O last May, the tech giant announced its own voice-powered hub to rival Amazon’s Echo: the Home, which would be powered by their AI helper, Assistant. The Siri-like software was promoted as a standard feature on the search titan’s first phone, the Pixel, which came out later in fall. But Google announced a plan weeks ago to bring the hub and the help back together, promising to bring some of Home’s connected device control to the company’s smartphone line. Today, they started rolling out Home Control for some versions of their mobile platform, allowing users to use voice commands to fiddle with their network of connected home devices.

It’s a little unclear which software can access the feature: 9to5Google and AndroidPolice got it working on Pixel phones running Android 7.1.2, Google Play Services 10.2.98 and the latest beta version of Assistant (6.12.19). Once you’ve loaded those up, just navigate within Assistant’s settings to find the new “Home control” tab to make your smartphone a hub for products from Belkin WeMo, Philips Hue, Honeywell, Nest and Samsung SmartThings.

The new feature obeys the same voice commands that work on Google Home. Obviously, it’s a handy substitute for folks who don’t want to cough up $130 for the external hub. But given that Assistant is only live on Pixel and Pixel XL phones, it’s unclear when this feature will spread to the rest of the Android family.

First up on that list could be LG’s G6, which is reportedly dropping Alexa for Assistant. But then again, Hyundai’s connected cars got hooked up with Google’s voice-controlled helper, so who knows where Assistant’s hub capabilities will spread.

Source: The Verge

Viacom’s new boss nixes streaming services scheme

If you were hoping to see current Daily Show episodes on Hulu, you’re likely out of luck in the short run. Viacom’s new CEO, Bob Bakish, explained the company’s new strategy in an earnings call Thursday, saying that he wants to “reinforce the value of the pay TV ecosystem.”

This means that Viacom will only offer new stuff to established pay TV providers while continuing to release older content to places like Amazon, Netflix or Hulu. It’s not an unexpected move, either; other companies like 21st Century Fox do the same. PlayStation Vue, a console-based streaming service, has already dropped Viacom channels from its roster.

Bakish’s strategy to save a struggling Viacom relies heavily on an older model with pay TV providers like Comcast, Dish Network or Cox at the top. His words during the call were more reassurance that Viacom won’t compete with the traditional pay TV companies by offering new shows via streaming. That should keep cable companies happy which rely on original and timely shows to attract customers as ever. It also helps Viacom’s bottom line: cable companies already pay more than Hulu or SlingTV.

The move comes as pay TV continues to bleed subscribers and seeks to staunch the flow with odd partnerships like SlingTV joining Comcast. As broadband pushes into more US homes, cutting the cord is almost mainstream.

Hopefully, this is only a short-term solution, and cord-cutters can continue to watch new episodes of The Daily Show without a cable subscription.

Via: Recode

Source: Viacom

BlackBerry attempts to win back some love with this Valentine’s Day sale

Why it matters to you

BlackBerry may not be the mobile darling it once was, but at least it’s trying to win back some love with a Valentine’s Day sale on some of its phones.

BlackBerry may not be the mobile darling it once was, but it’s trying to win back some love. How? By offering its devices at a cheap price for Valentine’s Day, of course.

Most notably, the company will offer the BlackBerry DTEK50 and DTEK60 handsets at a discount price. These are two of the BlackBerry phones that were built by TCL and rebranded with the BlackBerry name. They also both offer BlackBerry’s version of Android, along with Hub and a few other features.

More: Beleaguered BlackBerry rolls out its latest plan to make some money

So what kind of discounts can you expect? The DTEK50 normally costs $299, but you’ll be able to get it for $40 off, or $259, and the DTEK60, which normally comes at $499, now sits at $449 — also $50 off.

The two phones may not be the most powerful around, but they’re certainly not bad. The DTEK50 is basically a revised version of the Alcatel Idol 4, which was also built by TCL. It features a Snapdragon 617 SoC, along with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage — although around 6GB of that is taken up by the system. You’ll also get a 13MP rear-facing camera and an 8MP front-facing wide-angle camera, which is one of the phone’s main selling points.

The DTEK60 is a slightly more powerful device, boasting a Snapdragon 820 processor, along with a cool 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. In true 2016 flagship fashion, the device also has a fingerprint scanner along with a 21MP rear-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture, and an 8MP front-facing camera.

While those two phones are the only ones being discounted, the BlackBerry store is also offering the BlackBerry Priv for $449, the BlackBerry Passport for $349, and the BlackBerry Leap for $199.

To get the phones for yourself, head to BlackBerry’s online store. It’s not known exactly how long these sales will last, so you may want to act quick.