LuvByrd dating app mixes love of the outdoors with — love

Why it matters to you

It’s hard to know who is actually interested in the outdoors in this age of Tinder. LuvByrd helps.

Dating apps like Tinder have changed the way we promote ourselves. People have found that posting outdoorsy photos can earn them a swipe. But this in turn can make it difficult to determine whether someone would actually want to go out on an adventure.

LuvByrd is a different kind of dating app that specifically targets people who love the outdoors. If you are looking for someone to go camping, hiking, or snowboarding with, LuvBryd will be your best chance. It certainly worked for LuvByrd founder and CEO Mike Keshian,who found the love of his life on the app.

More: Photos in dating apps not doing it for you? Badoo is adding video, too

Upon signing up on either the website, Android, or iPhone app, users answer a brief survey to identify their favorite outdoor activities. Once a photo is uploaded, they are ready to find a partner. Similar to other apps, users can choose to “<3” (like) or “X” (hide) other people’s profiles, send messages, or update their account settings.

Signing up for LuvByrd is free, but there are additional features that come from paying a monthly fee. For $3 a month, users can view those who have checked out their profile. Another $3 reveals who is actively interested. Alternatively, users can pay $5 a month for unlimited messaging or $10 for unlimited access to all features.

What really sets LuvByrd apart from other dating apps is the active outdoor events sponsored by the app to bring people together face-to-face. For example, this Saturday is Chairlift Speed Dating. Anyone who will be in the Colorado area on February 11 is welcome to register online or in person at Loveland Ski Area. Attendees will be given a band representing an age group, another representing their ability on the slopes, and a raffle ticket. Couples will then be sent up the mountain on the chairlift.

If they hit it off, they can spend a few runs together. If they don’t, they can return to the base of the mountain and meet a new partner. Singles will receive a raffle ticket every time they meet someone new, to encourage more mingling. At the end of the day, there will be a social hour where prizes are raffled off.Prizes include new snowboards, skis, outdoor wear, and more.Tickets are available here.

Wind power industry passes major milestone, now boasts over 100K jobs in the U.S.

Why it matters to you

Listen to the wind, it’s calling out with more jobs through 2030.

Wind power doesn’t just generate electricity. According to data released by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), wind generates jobs, too, reports the American Wind Energy Association.

The DOE reported in January 2017 that precisely 101,738 Americans are now employed by the wind power industry. To put that in perspective, that number is considerably higher than jobs in nuclear (68K), natural gas (52K), coal (86K), or hydroelectric (9K) power plants. But be careful with those numbers.

Let’s be absolutely clear on what the DOE employment stats mean. Not to take away at all from the 100K+ jobs in wind energy generation, but the numbers reported for each energy source include only those employees who work directly in electric energy power generation plants. They do not reflect all workers for each individual power source.

More: The U.S. solar power industry added over 51,000 new jobs last year, and it’s still growing

For example, according to the DOE, workers with jobs that involve acquiring fuels — i.e. mining or drilling — for the electric power plants total 74K for coal and 310K for natural gas. If you look at the oil and petroleum products industry, which was not mentioned in the AWEA report, only 13K work in electric generation plants, but 503K have jobs getting the fuel to create that electricity.

According to Tom Kiernan, American Wind Energy CEO, “Wind means opportunity and job security for over 100,000 Americans. The Department of Energy’s new jobs data underscore the incredible impact of wind power in creating American jobs,” Kiernan continued. “Wind workers directly contribute to our nation’s energy independence and economic success story. We’re especially proud of helping America’s veterans find well-paying jobs after their service, employing them at a rate that is 50 percent higher than the national average.”

Furthermore, the DOE reported that Texas has the greatest number of wind workers, accounting for nearly 25 percent of the overall number. New wind power manufacturing facilities are also under construction in Colorado, Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin — and wind energy farms are being studied on land and offshore in many other states. In the DOE’s latest Wind Vision report, published in 2015, the department predicts 380,000 wind jobs could be created by 2030.

You can read the entire DOE 2017 U.S. Energy and Employment Report here, and the DOE Wind Vision report here.

How to hide photos on your iPhone

Many of us love to show off our snaps, but there are times when you want to keep certain pictures from others, perhaps because they’re personal or inappropriate. It’s in situations like this when the ability to hide photos on your iPhone becomes invaluable, especially if you have children who often use your phone or friends who are known to snoop.

More: Find out which has a better camera: The iPhone 7 Plus, or the Google Pixel

Here, we’ll detail how to hide your personal images on your iPhone, and recommend a couple of apps that add more security to the media you’ve decided to lock away.

Hiding photos on your iPhone using built-in features

The quickest way to hide photos on your iPhone is also the easiest, namely because it doesn’t require any additional software. The method outlined below comes directly from Apple, and works with the iPad and iPod Touch as well. Keep in mind, however, that this only keeps photos from appearing in the Moments, Years, and Collections views. Hidden photos will still be visible when browsing your Albums.

Open the Photos app.
Tap the photo(s) you want to hide.
Tap the Share icon in the bottom-left corner and select Hide.
Tap Hide Photo to confirm your decision. Hidden photos will be placed in a new Album folder called Hidden.
If you’re using iCloud Photo Library, any photos hidden on your iPhone will also be hidden on other devices, including the iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, and iCloud.com.

Unhiding photos on your iPhone using built-in features

Making photos visible again is just as easy as hiding them, and can be done directly on your iPhone. Doing so also affects your iCloud Photo Library.

Open the Photos app and go to the Albums.
Tap the Hidden folder — you may need to scroll to find it.
Select the photo you want to make visible again.
Tap the Share icon and select Unhide.
If you unhide all photos in the Hidden folder, the folder will automatically be removed.

Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers make paid apps free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest apps on sale in the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

More: 200 Awesome iPhone Apps | The best Android apps for almost any occasion

Days Pro

Days Pro is an event countdown app with a modern flat design. See all of your events in a grid and customize events with an image, and get notifications for when your events are happening.

Available on:

iOS

Keymoji

Your Emoji Keyboard will never be the same. This app introduces the first Emoji Autocomplete Keyboard for your iPhone.

Available on:

iOS

Remote Drive

Wouldn’t it be great if you could store any file on your iPhone just like you do on a USB flash drive? Now you can with this temporarily free app.

Available on:

iOS

Six pack abs

These exercises are designed for a 30-day challenge with 4 workouts per day. The number of workouts and time required for performing an exercise will increase each day.

Available on:

iOS

MicSwap

Record with 15 different sounding studio microphones. Swap mics and recording studios to get different sounds. Record or import audio and change the sound anytime.

Available on:

iOS

Rotate Video 360

Rotate Video 360 solves the problem of your iPhone being incorrectly oriented when recording videos — you can now rotate your videos in a very easy way, directly on your device.

Available on:

iOS

Gut feeling: Researchers develop medical sensors powered by stomach acid

Why it matters to you

With stomach acid as a power source, targeted medical treatments may be as easy as swallowing a pill.

Internal medical devices like pacemakers require reliable power but batteries are bulky and technology is transitioning to the nanoscale. Given the safety risks associated with conventional batteries, it’s easy to see why alternative power sources are in high demand, and why researchers around the world are exploring innovative and sometimes strange solutions.

Last month, researchers at the University of Bern in Switzerland demonstrated that under-the-skin solar cells can power a typical pacemaker. Now, engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have harnessed the power of stomach acid to keep small ingestible sensors running.

The stomach acid-powered device uses a principle similar to that of the lemon battery, a makeshift power source made of two electrodes stuck into a lemon. “In our system the gastrointestinal fluid serves as the electrolyte with the copper and zinc servicing as the cathode and anode respectively,” Giovanni Traverso, one of the researchers who lead the project, told Digital Trends. “Our system includes electronics to boost the energy from the battery to a much higher voltage where it can do useful work. For example, we demonstrated the ability to take temperature readings and transmit them wirelessly.”

More: Swallow and forget: Star-shaped capsule offers long-term drug delivery

Traverso collaborated Anantha P. Chandrakasan and Robert Langer, with whom he’d previously developed an ingestible device that could measure biometrics like temperature and heart rate while passing through the body.

A paper published in this week’s Nature Biomedical Engineering journal describes how the team tested its stomach acid-powered device in pigs and was able to capture wireless data from a distance of about six feet every twelve seconds. Although the device’s power supply decreased significantly as it passed from the stomach to the small intestine, it could still generate enough power to transmit data, although less frequently.

“The system demonstrates the potential for long-term harvesting from the gastrointestinal tract and therefore could be applied to a broad set of applications in diagnosis and treatment interventions,” Traverso said. “Specifically, we explored the continuous monitoring of temperature as a model and also showed the potential for drug delivery using the harvested energy.”

The current prototype measures in at 40 millimeters long and 12 millimeters in diameter. The researchers hope to miniaturize a working device to a third of that size.

“We are interested in exploring the coupling of systems like these with some of the other technologies we are developing which enable safe and prolonged gastrointestinal residence,” Traverso said. On top of that, the team is developing sensors that can measure biometrics to detect disease earlier than currently possible. “Coupled with drug delivery, we envision the development of whole new set of ingestible long-term resident electronic systems,” he added.

Samsung may launch a Google Now competitor called ‘Samsung Hello’

Why it matters to you

Samsung Hello might make it easier to keep track of packages, flights, and the weather on future Samsung devices.

If rumors are to be believed, Google Now, Google’s contextual assistant, may soon have competition. South Korean electronics megalith Samsung has filed a trademark for “Samsung Hello” with the European Intellectual Property Office, and the description implies that it has something to do with serving information at a glance.

Google Now, for the uninitiated, is an intelligent assistant that uses signals like geographic location, time of day, search history, and emails in order to make recommendations and predictions. It tracks your flights, stocks, and packages in transit, serves up event reminders and sports updates, monitors the local weather forecast, and keeps track of traffic and transit data. And it lets third-party developers serve up other info.

It launched as part of version 4.1 of Google’s mobile Android operating system, and later came to iOS as part of an update to the Google app.

More: Samsung may name its voice assistant “Bixby,” and debut it on the Galaxy S8

Samsung’s take on a contextual assistant sounds similar, in some ways. The patent describes the eponymous Samsung Hello as “software that will enable block users or computers and mobile devices to access, aggregate, organize, and interact with content, information, and images and topics of general interest to such users,” and that “[gives] personalized features and information on user’s preferences in the fields of weather, music, entertainment, games, travel, science, health, contact, and social news via voice command and voice recognition.”

Samsung isn’t the first to follow in the footsteps of Google’s AI efforts. Taiwanese phone maker HTC took the wraps off BlinkFeed, a so-called social aggregator, alongside the HTC One M8. It tied together social network updates from Facebook, Instagram, and Yelp, news from ESPN MTV, and Fitbit, and other bite-sized informational tidbits into a single chronological stream. And like Google Now, developers can tap into BlinkFeed to serve up notifications.

More: Samsung Galaxy S8 rumors and news leaks

It’s unclear just how integral a role Samsung Hello will play in future Samsung devices, though. Google Now is a native feature of the Android operating system, but Samsung’s assistant might launch in the form of an optional add-on for owners of current and future Samsung smartphones and tablets.

Or it might be a piece of a larger AI puzzle. A growing body of evidence suggests that Samsung’s next phone will feature a holistic assistant called Bixby, a name which the company trademarked earlier this year. It’ll reportedly be capable of identifying objects within images and tie into third-party apps to help automatically make purchases and place orders, and is said to be deeply ingrained in a forthcoming version of Samsung’s operating system.

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]