Amazon Echo’s biggest feature was just quietly added to Google Assistant

Assistant got a silent update with massive implications.

If you take a look at your Google Home app, down at the bottom of the “More settings” tab, you’ll see an option that wasn’t there after the last big update. Your Home app didn’t update while you were asleep, Google silently added the tab in preparation for something much bigger. In fact, it’s probably going to be the biggest single jab at Amazon’s Echo platform yet.

The new tab is “Payments”, and if you go through the brief set up process that follows tapping this new option you’ll see Google is preparing for something big.

it’s probably going to be the biggest single jab at Amazon’s Echo yet.

While Amazon has worked very hard to ensure it is nearly impossible to reach feature parity with the Alexa service overnight, there’s one huge thing Amazon will always have that no other company can easily compete with: commerce. Shopping through Amazon from your Echo is a unique experience, because so many people already have developed habits and preferred brands to order through Amazon. It’s an unparalleled convenience to say “Alexa, order more paper towels” and have the speaker respond with a confirmation from your last order followed by a confirmation that your shipment will arrive the next day. Amazon has even gone so far as to offer special deals and contests you can only participate in by shopping through Alexa, making it very easy for some to build that habit.

Google’s new Payments tab is a big first step at competing with the Amazon shopping experience because it ties directly into Google Express, a frequently overlooked online shopping experience that unifies products from dozens of different companies. Express makes it easy to order groceries, furniture, electronics, and a ton of other things at frequently discounted prices through a single service. If Google can turn this service into something convenient enough to use with just your voice, Assistant gains a huge competing point that is so frequently offered as a reason to buy Amazon’s connected tech instead.

It’s not clear how long it will take Google to fully roll out Express and make it something easy enough to use, but the intent here is clear. Google Home will absolutely try to offer a comparable shopping experience soon, and for many on the fence between Echo and Home this could be a very big deal.

Google Home

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Rogers is now selling the ‘Really Blue’ Google Pixel

The Google Pixel returns to Canada.

It took a few months, but the most striking colo(u)r of the Google Pixel is now available in Canada.

Available for pre-order at Rogers, the country’s largest carrier, the ‘Really Blue’ Google Pixel costs the same as its black and white counterparts — $199 on a 2-year Premium+ Share Everything plan and $899 outright — but Google is throwing in a $100 Google Store gift card for good measure. And, for better measure, it’s offering the Daydream VR headset for just $29 with each signup.

The ‘Really Blue’ model has a white front, which may not be ideal for that Daydream VR headset, but it’s the back and sides that are truly truly interesting. Why Google hasn’t been able, or willing, to sell that particular model through its own e-commerce store in Canada is unclear, but since carrier exclusives are pretty rare these days, one can imagine that Rogers likely like this plan in its back pocket for some time.

See at Rogers

Hail to the Chief with these Presidential wallpapers

Presidents Day is about more than selling mattresses.

Though it may be called different things around the country, Presidents Day is a celebration of our nation’s founder George Washington and the Presidents that have followed in his footsteps. It is a day to brush up on our history, a day to celebrate our unique American experience… and yeah, it’s another excuse for car dealerships and mattress stores to push some product the American capitalist way. In the spirit of showing what it means to be “presidential”, here’s some stylish and patriotic wallpapers for your devices.

There are Presidential wallpapers and then there are SharpWriter Presidential Wallpapers. He’s done impressive wallpapers for some of history’s most memorable presidents, from JFK Alien Hunter to Bill Clinton the Lady Killer, to, of course, George Washington: Modern Warfare edition! Is that a laser-eyed bald eagle? I don’t know and I don’t care, it’s awesome! Oh, and he has a Trump one, too. He also has Stephen Colbert riding a bald eagle after throwing the One Ring into the fires of Mt. Doom.

George WARshington by SharpWriter

JFK’s posthumous pose stands out in stark contrast to the rest of the presidential portraits, among the stiff straight-on “postage stamp shots”, as Jackie Kennedy called them. She didn’t want that for her late husband, so when she was given this shot among many prospective poses, she immediately picked it. It shows a pensive JFK debating the many issues before him. The Cuban missile crisis, the growing unrest as the civil rights movement comes to a head, the race to put a man on the moon…

John F Kennedy’s Presidential Portrait by Aaron Shikler

Lyndon B Johnson is the president that inherited that world of problems from JFK, and one he tackled with a relentless ferocity was civil rights. Civil rights was (and remains) a complex issue, one that seeks to make this a land of opportunities for all, not just those who happened to be born with a fair face or a family fortune. Today, civil rights is not only about the continuing racial divides in this country, but in gender equality, and in protecting loving, consenting adults who just want the same peace and dignity afforded to the couples around them. And Johnson knew this was not a fight that would end with him or the Civil Rights Act, it was a fight he knew would be waged for decades to come, because “Freedom is not enough”. We need not equality just as a legality and “theory”, as he put it, but as a fact and reality. Equality is something to fight for, and I am grateful that the first President to come out of Texas fought for it hard.

LBJ meeting with Civil Rights Leaders

If you need a refresher on your presidents, I recommend heading to a Disney park this summer to the Hall of Presidents. The last eight years, the Hall of Presidents has touched on the struggles of our country’s founding, our Civil War, the Depression, and the Civil Rights Movement as it showcased the first African American president, and truly, it was the best Hall of Presidents ever for this young Disney fan. I dare you not to tear up when Morgan Freeman reminds us that “It has always been the role of presidents to remind us of our roots, to call us to the future. In their greatest moments, they speak words that are already there in our hearts… especially in times of tragedy.”

I’m not sure how the Hall of Presidents will look when it re-opens with President Trump, but I’m certain Disney will continue to uphold the class, honor, and national pride the attraction embodies.

Hall of Presidents by Disney Parks Blog

The White House is a global icon, a symbol, and while it looks huge behind the iron fences or in the distant photos… it’s not actually all that big considering it houses the first family and some of the president’s many advisors. But it’s huge in our hearts, and now it’s huge on our home screens. It’s been called many things, from the Presidential Palace to the Executive Mansion, but Teddy Roosevelt had it right: The White House. And no matter who occupies that White House, it will remain a beacon to the nation and to the world.

The White House

The Best PlayStation Exclusives

• Best Horror
• Best Puzzle
• Best Action
• Best Story

Best Horror

Until Dawn

See at PlayStattion Store

Until Dawn doesn’t necessarily play like most horror games. Instead of immediately waking up in the middle of a bloody disaster, or in an empty town, it takes a more cinematic route. You play as five friends returning to the same mountain lodge where two of their friends disappeared into the mountains the year previous.

During your night on the mountain you’ll have to deal with someone else who has followed you up there, along with something that has been living on the mountain for a very long time. Until Dawn doesn’t have you constantly shooting, but the gameplay is directly based upon the choices that you make. While it’s entirely possibly to make it to Dawn with everyone in your party, you’ll have to be smart, fast, and ready to survive in order to pull it off.

Bottom line: Until Dawn is a fun thriller that brings a horror movie to life on your game screen. It’s got tons of potential for replay, and will keep you on your toes as you attempt to survive the night.

One more thing: You’ll probably have to play through the entirety of the game at least twice before being able to get every character safely to Dawn, but it is entirely possible.

Best puzzle game

The Last Guardian

See at PlayStation Store

Puzzle games on next generation consoles have become a somewhat rare genre. The Last Guardian aims to break that cycle. The follow up to PlayStation 2 classics Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian has you playing a small boy who stumbled upon a wounded beast called Trico, while lost in crumbling ruins. The aim of the game is to get Trico up to the top of the ruins where presumably more of his feathered friends are hiding out.

You’ll have to explore the environment by climbing and crawling around, as well as occasionally snagging a ride from Trico to get from area to area. You’ll find crates of butterflies to feed your furry winged dragon friend, and occasionally have to hide and let Trico fight the armored up blue-eyed guardians of the ruins. The puzzles — as mind bending as they are — actually play second fiddle to the story which is told mostly through the gameplay itself. It’s a visually beautiful game that will capture your attention almost immediately.

Bottom line: The Last Guardian is a gorgeous and fun puzzle game interlaced with a beautiful story sure to captivate you in the process.

One more thing: One of the flaws in The Last Guardian are the camera angles. They can be seriously terrible, and might make you want to give up on the game, but it’s worth it to power through.

Best Action

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

See at PlayStation Store

The Uncharted series has long be a mainstay when it comes to PlayStation exclusive games. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End continues in that tradition. Combining exploring ancient ruins, shooting down enemies, and a story following Nathan Drake’s quest to reunite with his long lost brother, this is an excellent follow up to the original trilogy.

Drake returns in excellent fashion, and he isn’t alone either. You’ll run into a cast of characters that are mighty familiar if you’ve played the original Uncharted Trilogy. If you’re new to the series, it gives you enough details to keep you in the loop with what has happened thus far.

Bottom line: Uncharted 4 is an excellent game if you like the adventure genre. Finding artifacts, running through ruins around the world, and neatly tying up the story of Nathan Drake in a bow.

One more thing: This is the last game inside of the Uncharted Universe, so it’s definitely worth giving a shot.

Best Story

Last of Us Remastered

See at PlayStation Store

The Last of Us is one of those break out titles that makes you want to immediately purchase a PlayStation console in order to play. While it originally debuted on PlayStation 3, the Remastered version came out specifically for PlayStation 4 and includes the Left Behind DLC. While this is at its core a combination of horror and action, the real gem of this game is this story.

The Last of Us takes place decades after a fungal infection has basically destroyed the world and sent mankind running. When a girl who might have the ability to help create a vaccine appears, Joel goes out of his way to get her to the resistance fighters. This means fighting through swarms of zombies, exploring ruined cities, dealing with cannibalistic human hunters, and plenty more. I could easily wax poetic on this game for hours, because it really is just that good.

Bottom line: The Last of Us Remastered brings an excellent game that will draw you in and capture you almost effortlessly. The story of Joel and Ellie as they fight towards their destination is one that definitely should not be missed.

One more thing: Last of Us Remastered includes a Game+ mode which allows you to replay the game with all of the upgrades you have crafted during your first play through.

Conclusion

There are plenty of exclusive games on PlayStation, and these are just some of the best. As we move forward there are more excellent exclusives coming to the fore. As you begin to explore these games and the many others that can only be played on PlayStation there will be laughs, tears, and furious curses waiting for you. Is there a PlayStation exclusive that should have made our list? Are any of your favorites here? Be sure to leave us a comment and let us know about it!

Play ‘NBA 2K17’ and ‘Rocket League’ for free on Xbox this weekend

It’s been a long week, hasn’t it? Well luckily for Xbox One owners it looks like Microsoft wants to start the weekend early, as from today you’ll be able to play both NBA 2K17 and Rocket League for free. As a part of Xbox Live’s Multiplayer All Access event, gamers will get three days unpaid access to the games above and all Xbox Live services. With a year’s Xbox Live subscription setting you back $59.99, this is sure to be good news for the three Xbox One owners who don’t already have access.

Still, for those who have yet to own arguably the best multiplayer game of this console generation, free Rocket League is perfect weekend-fodder. Thanks to its unique premise, the game quickly became a sleeper-hit. Featuring colorful physics-based gameplay that pits two teams of rocket-powered cars against each other, Rocket League tasks players with scoring the most goals on a series of gigantic football pitches. It’s fast, silly and definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already.

NBA 2K17 needs less explanation. While it’s not quite as inventive as this weekend’s other free offering, there are definitely worse ways to spend a weekend than thrashing your mates on the virtual court. With the real-world NBA recently acquiring its very own eSports team based on the game, this could well be your chance to make it as a pro gamer. Word of warning though, you probably don’t want to use the game’s face-scanning tech.

Rocket League ($15) and NBA 2K17 ($39) are both currently on sale on Xbox Live, so if you like what you see this weekend you can always get them on the cheap once the free period ends.

Source: Xbox

Bloomberg: The next Apple TV will be 4K

The next Apple TV will support 4K video and possibly HDR, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Other than that, though, it won’t be massively different from the current product, and the company’s engineers aren’t necessarily thrilled about it. “That’s not what I signed up for,” an anonymous source told the site. “I signed up for revolutionary. We got evolutionary.”

It’s not too surprising that Apple is releasing an Ultra HD version of Apple TV. Its main rivals like Amazon’s 4K Fire TV and Roku’s lineup have supported Ultra HD for awhile, and are cheaper than the $149 device. Many expected the current 1080p Apple TV, which launched around the same time as the 4K Fire TV, to support 4K when it launched in 2015. However, Apple would have been forced to use a better chip and accept lower margins if it had been, Bloomberg says.

Apple has admitted that sales of its current 1080p device have dropped, despite generally good reviews after the launch. It was originally supposed to have Sling TV-type cord-cutting “skinny bundle” of channels, but Apple was unable to negotiate deals with broadcast networks like CBS. Last year, however, a Sling TV app did come to the box, along with channels like Fox Sports, making it a better value proposition.

Apple recently hired Timothy D. Twerdahl away from Amazon to handle the TV side, and is reportedly trying to negotiate its own skinny bundle with networks again. With 4K TVs plummeting in price, and streaming companies like Netflix, Amazon and YouTube offering 4K and HDR, not having Ultra HD is not an option for Apple TV. What will be more important is what Apple can offer around that, including apps, contents and the interface design.

Source: Bloomberg

Makerbot lays off a third of staff as 3D printers remain niche

For the fourth time in less than two years, 3D printer manufacturer Makerbot is laying off workers, this time cutting 30 percent of its staff. It also announced plans to shift its focus to professional and educational 3D printing, presumably leaving consumer markets behind. “We have to make additional changes to lower costs and to support our long-term goals,” CEO Nadav Goshen wrote. “We must reduce the pressure and distraction of chasing short-term market trends.”

Makerbot was purchased by additive manufacturing firm Stratasys in 2013 for $403 million, but it continues to run as an independent entity. However, last year, the company closed a 175,000 square foot Brooklyn factory less than a year after it opened. It has also struggled with print head issues on its Replicator 2X and other products. Its latest Replicator+ and other products, now made by third-party manufacturer Jabil, has generally been met with good reviews, though, as Goshen pointed out.

Highly touted just a few years ago, desktop 3D printers remain a tiny market. Decent models are still too pricey for consumers, and the technology has failed to advance much — you’re still printing small, rough-looking, objects out of fairly cheap plastic. While the desktop market did grow a bit last year, only 278,000 desktop 3D printers were sold in 2015. However, a lot of those were probably purchased by manufacturers (for prototyping) and educators, and those are the markets that Makerbot is now focusing on.

After all the layoffs, Markerbot’s likely has less than a 100 employees, as Techcrunch surmises. The company didn’t say which departments were pared back, but promised severance pay and employment services for those who lost their jobs.

Via: Techcrunch

Source: Makerbot

Apple Tops ‘World’s Most Admired Companies’ List for Tenth Year in a Row

Apple has been awarded the number one spot on Fortune’s annual list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies.” The 2017 list marks Apple’s tenth consecutive win as the most admired company in the world according to Fortune, which collected the data from 3,800 executives, analysts, directors, and industry experts to end up with the final ranking.

After Apple, the top five slots are rounded out by Amazon, Starbucks, Berkshire Hathaway, and Disney. Last year, Alphabet ranked in second place but the company has fallen down to sixth in 2017. One of Apple’s direct rivals in the hardware and software space, Microsoft, has been placed in the ninth spot in a tie with Facebook.

Fortune ranks companies through a collection of “key attributes of reputation,” including areas like innovation, people management, social responsibility, and quality of products/services. This year, however, Apple’s industry rank wasn’t reported “due to an insufficient response rate in the computer industry.”

Like in previous iterations, Fortune started the list by looking at a collection of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue, along with 500 non-U.S. companies with revenue of $10 billion or more. The list was then further whittled down to 680 companies in 28 countries, and Fortune survey collaborator Korn Ferry Hay Group began asking the 3,800 experts to rank companies on the nine criteria.

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ZTE’s ‘Gigabit’ phone will bridge the LTE and 5G gap

You may think of 5G as the next fast wireless standard, with speeds ranging from 400 Mbps with AT&T all the way up to 5 Gbps and beyond. LTE isn’t quite dead yet, though, and ZTE has launched the first device that supports the gigabit LTE standard just ahead of Mobile World Conference (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. Called simply the ZTE Gigabit Phone, the company says it’ll make “360 degree panoramic VR vide, instant cloud storage … and fast cache of ultra Hi-Fi music and movies possible.”

ZTE didn’t say so, but the Gigabit Phone will likely use a Snapdragon 835 processor, Qualcomm’s first with a gigabit LTE modem. Early adopters of the device will be hard pressed to find those maximum 1 Gbps speeds, though. The only place in the world equipped for it is a hot spot in Australia launched by Netgear, Ericsson and local carrier Telstra. Even if you do, you’ll be lucky to get half those speeds. Based on current LTE (let alone so-called broadband), however, most of us would take that in a nanosecond.

Uber offers UK drivers free English course ahead of compulsory test

Uber only works if a huge number of drivers are at its disposal. (Surge pricing helps when demand outstrips supply, but it’s not a silver bullet.) To achieve that critical mass, the company is constantly introducing and juggling new incentives against its otherwise aggressive business model. The latest additions for the UK include FlexPay, an option that allows drivers to bank their fares before their usual end of week payment. Account transfers will take up to three working days, but still, it could be a useful option for drivers who need some cash in a pinch.

Uber is also rolling out a new “Driver Destinations” feature which allows chauffeurs to specify a place and time in their schedule. If you’re heading home at the end of a long shift, for instance, or need to drive into town for a dentist appointment, you can jot this down and Uber will do its best to find some passengers heading in the same direction, at the same time.

All of this is designed, of course, to make drivers feel like the app is a convenient money-making tool. If they’re still unhappy, however, the company is offering “Earning Advice Sessions” to help drivers maximise their time. “Everyone is welcome but we’ll be sending individual invitations to partners who are making less than the hourly average,” Uber explains.

The most intriguing new addition is, arguably, a free 12-month premium subscription to Busuu, a language learning app. Last year Transport for London (TfL) pushed forward new rules that will require Uber and other ride-hailing companies to ensure their drivers hold an English qualification. That’s a big change, and while offering tuition doesn’t guarantee driver proficiency, it’s at least a small step towards meeting the new requirement. TfL will, inevitably, see this as an important victory.

Uber has some time before the rule change comes into effect. The requirement was postponed last week until September, giving the company seven months to prepare its drivers. The company says it broadly supports the idea that users should be proficient in English speaking and listening. It takes issue with the exam, however, which also covers reading and writing — to pass, drivers will need to complete a few short essays (typically 150 words each). “TfL’s plans threaten the livelihoods of thousands of drivers in London, while also stifling tech companies like Uber,” Tom Elvidge, general manager for Uber London said last year.

Uber still wishes to challenge the requirement. Regardless of the outcome, it needs to ensure that drivers are on the road come September. That means continuing its treadmill of tempting benefits, while dismissing claims that its users should be treated more like employees (a costly change, were it to be enforced). It’s a difficult balancing act — one that requires keeping passengers, drivers and regulators on side simultaneously.