Will the next iPhone switch to USB Type-C? Nah, but the cable might

It looks like Apple’s next iPhone cable will switch to USB Type-C, rather than the next iPhone itself.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that the next iPhone, though to be called iPhone 8, will come with a “USB-C port for the power cord and other peripheral devices instead of the company’s original Lightning connector.” So, naturally, we assumed Apple might ditch its Lightning connector for USB Type-C. Now, however, Ming-Chi Kuo has contested that report.

The notoriously reliable KGI Securities analyst said he believes Apple will launch three new iPhones this year, and while they will support fast charging via USB Type-C, they will still retain the Lightning port. Kuo’s research note was obtained by MacRumors, and it suggested that Apple will add UBS Type-C to one end of the iPhone’s power cord. Currently, it’s a regular USB connector. 

• Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus: What’s the story so far?

USB Type-C is well-known because it allows for quicker data transfer. It also allows your devices to charge. That means you can use a single cable with a USB Type-C connector to quickly transfer data to your device while you charge it. Keep in mind Apple recently ditched every single port on its old machines and replaced it with just Thunderbolt 3 ports on the latest MacBook Pro.

So, if Apple does switch to a USB Type-C iPhone cable (but retains the lightning connector for the phone), you will be able to plug the new iPhone into the latest MacBook Pro. If you have older Macs or PCs, you’ll need an adapter for the new power cord.

Check out Pocket-lint’s Thunderbolt 3 guide for information about how the port works.

Snapchat’s cavalier attitude draws the eye of Wall Street watchdogs

Snapchat’s parent company has finally filed for its IPO, and Wall Street has questions. Beyond what Reuters reports is the “richest” initial public offering since Facebook, is news that an investor committee advising the Securities and Exchange Commission will review some of Snap’s more, ahem, peculiar moves. Like if denying shareholders voting rights will extend into hiding executive pay and “other governance matters.”

The worry about that first bit is it could set precedent for other highly-valued tech companies to do the same. Instead, Reuters says that Snap “insiders” and early investors have control of the company — not folks who jumped on the $17 per-share IPO. The company is currently valued at $33 billion according to Recode. As of this writing, shares were trading at $25.93.

While voting rights aren’t a requirement, they’re a standard practice that a company performs to foster a sense of transparency. You could even say that getting shareholder votes is the point of an IPO. What Snap is doing here is railing extremely hard against any sort of transparency. It’s the antithesis of Google’s whole mission of “don’t be evil” motivation from its 2004 IPO.

For those well versed in investor jargon, “the question becomes, since there are no common shareholders’ proxy votes to do, what does that do to the level of disclosures it [Snap] will have to do for annual meetings and annual reports.” That’s from the chairman of the SEC’s Investor Advisory Committee Kurt Schacht.

But, given how Snap has shrugged off responsibility and criticism in the past, perhaps we should’ve seen this coming. The SEC’s Investor Advisory Committee will meet on March 9th to discuss, among other things, “unequal voting rights of common shares.”

Via: Recode

Source: Reuters

‘Overwatch’s’ new hero is a badass robot centaur

Blizzard has unveiled the 24th addition to its popular online shooter Overwatch, and no it’s not Doomfist (Sorry, Terry Crews!). Overwatch’s new hero is Orisa, a four-legged robot built by an 11-year-old engineering prodigy to protect the people of Numbani, and she looks pretty badass.

Orisa is the sixth tank in Overwatch’s lineup. Her kit includes a rapid-fire Fusion Driver — a gun that sacrifices movement speed for good range and accuracy; a graviton charge that slows and attracts nearby enemies; a Fortify ability that reduces damage and makes her unstoppable for a short time; and a stationary Protective Barrier that shields allies. Plus, she has an ultimate ability, Supercharger, that increases the damage dealt by her entire team.

In a developer update, game director Jeff Kaplan says the team wanted to create a character similar to the hammer-and shield-wielding Reinhardt. “Because he doesn’t have a lot of mobility abilities, and because he has that protective barrier in front of him, you sort of know where to position yourself, and when the team is gonna engage or disengage based upon what Reinhardt is doing,” he says. “So, we like this idea of what we kept calling an ‘anchor tank’ and we felt like players needed more options in that sort of anchor tank role.”

Orisa is available on Overwatch’s test server. There’s no word yet on when she’ll go live in the game.

Source: Blizzard

Google is making Allo chats a lot more animated

If you’ve been sad at how Allo manages your GIFs and emojis, a new upgrade for the mobile-only chat app is here on Android. Today’s update brings an easier way to access GIFs, 10 new animated emoji and a shortcut to Google Assistant.

GIFs have been a part of Allo since the start (as well as in Gboard, Google’s smart keyboard), but the new changes make it easier to find the perfect moving image to express yourself. Simply tap on the smiley icon in your chat bar, then swipe left to see all the available GIFs for your chat. In our testing, it seems that this swipe to search feature is already available on iOS, but strangely enough, it’s not on the Android device we tested yet.

Google has also added “Lucky,” which sends a random GIF off to your friends. You will see a Lucky icon in some Smart Replies, or you can just type “@lucky” before a chat phrase to get one. Google says “lmao,” “wow” and “I love you” are the most common phrases used with Lucky so far. The “@lucky” feature already seems to work on both iOS and Android, but we have yet to see it in Smart Replies.

Emojis also get an upgrade with 10 new animated emoticons available. All you need to do is tap and hold on the send button and drag it up to make an emoji move. Google calls out these five as able to animate:

If you’ve been having trouble finding Google Assistant in your chats, there’s a new shortcut to activate it right in the chat itself. Tap on the Assistant’s icon in the compose box and you can send movie showtimes, YouTube videos or anything else you can search for (cat photos, anyone?) to your chat buddies.

The update should roll out to Android users today, with a similar iOS update “coming soon.” Though, as you can see, a couple of these features already exist on both platforms.

Source: Google

What to expect from the Nintendo Switch’s day-one update

The Nintendo Switch can’t do much out of the box. It can play game cards (the system’s tiny cartridges), but that’s pretty much it. If you’re getting a Switch tomorrow, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got internet access to snag its day-one update, which adds support for the eShop, friends list and social network posting. They’re all things we couldn’t use while reviewing the Switch, so I spent a bit of time with the new features today to see how they actually work.

The update process is surprisingly fast

It only took a few minutes for the Switch to download and install the update. So while it’s annoying you have to do it at all, at least you won’t have to wait to download a multi-gigabyte file. (That’s more than I can say for many big releases on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.) There’s a good chance Nintendo is simply granting access to features that are merely hidden in the Switch’s stock software, rather than adding tons of significant new code.

The eShop is pretty familiar

It’s a Nintendo online store — come on. As we saw in the preview video yesterday, it’s a fairly basic storefront at this point. Along with a search option, there are sections for recent releases, titles coming soon and entering prepaid codes. There aren’t any surprises on the individual game pages either, though I found it helpful that Nintendo has developers make it clear which Switch modes their titles work with, as well as how many players are supported.

The purchasing process is similar to the Wii U and 3DS — so, kinda clunky. I was surprised the eShop also doesn’t store credit card information. You’ll have to plug in all of your details anytime you want to fill up your wallet. That makes it annoying if you prefer to add the exact amount you need for specific purchases, and it encourages you to add more money than you need for future purchases.

The eShop also only has nine titles available in the US so far:

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Super Bomberman R
• 1-2 Switch
• Shovel Knight: Specter if Torment
• Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
• Just Dance 2017
• Fast RMX
• Snipperclips
• I Am Setsuna

Social media posting is a cinch

The day-one update lets you link your Facebook and Twitter accounts to your Switch and quickly post screenshots from the system’s gallery. Getting images online is a much faster process than it was on the Wii U (which involved logging onto a webpage) and the Switch also adds default hashtags for specific games. This is one feature I see myself using a lot for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, because almost every frame of that game feels like a work of art.

Switch Twitter posting is a go #BreathoftheWild #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/6BWNNUpdEt

— Devindra Hardawar (@Devindra) March 2, 2017

The friend list is back

Yes, the dreaded friend code is making a return. But you can also add new friends by searching for local users, as well as people you’ve recently played with. I’m still hoping Nintendo eventually moves away from the whole friend code concept, especially since t’s offering a much more robust online network for the Switch. We still don’t know how much Nintendo is going to charge for online play (we’re hearing between $20 and $30 annually in Japan), but Switch owners will be able to use the network for free until the fall.

An army drone flew 600 miles astray then crashed into a tree

A routine Military drone test quickly turned into something more bizarre, after the missing aircraft mysteriously turned up ten days later over 600 miles away. Testing the RQ-7 “Shadow” drone in Fort Huachuca in New Mexico, the military lost control of the device soon after launch. After it failed to return to base, the Army presumed that it had quickly been destroyed until a hiker found it crashed into a tree in Evergreen, Colorado.

While the story doesn’t sound that odd on the surface, the $1.5 million unmanned drone’s range is meant to be limited to within 77 miles of its C-band line-of-sight data link. With the rogue RQ-7 traveling over 8 times that distance, investigators are still struggling to explain its incredible journey. Data recovered from the free-spirited drone showed it reached an altitude of 12,000 feet, enabling it to soar over the Rocky Mountains.

Like most drones, the military’s are equipped with a failsafe, meaning that in the case of an error they fly back to their operators. Yet, for whatever reason, this little RQ-7 didn’t.

Source: Popular Mechanics

Linux Skype goes from alpha to beta and gets new features

Since its debut on Linux last July, Skype’s engineering team has been hard at work, fleshing out the open platform’s features and making it more user-friendly. The team announced on Thursday that it has made enough progress in recent months to warrant moving the program out of alpha build and into beta version 5.0.

Amid the various bug fixes and stabilizations, Skype for Linux is adding a bunch of features to make it more useful for everyday communication. For example, it can now make calls to both land and mobile lines using Skype Credits as well as make one-on-one video calls to other Skype platforms and share their desktops with them. Additionally, the UI will now display additional details like the number of unread conversations and whether people in your contacts have their Away and Do Not Disturb flags raised. You can download the new beta version from the Skype website.

Source: Skype Blog

The Wirecutter’s best deals: Save $30 on a Google Home smart speaker bundle

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.

You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot — some of these sales could expire mighty soon.

Garmin DriveSmart 50LMT

Street price: $200; MSRP: $230; Deal price: $138

This is a tremendous deal on our runner-up pick for car GPS. We normally see this GPS near it’s $200 street price with very few sales, so this $60 drop in price is fantastic. Most sales on this GPS navigation system are brief, so don’t expect this sale to last too long.

The Garmin DriveSmart 50 LMT is our runner-up pick in our guide to the best car GPS. Eric Adams wrote, “Our top pick gives you everything you need for easy navigation for under $200. But if you don’t mind spending more, you can get what we’ve found to be some handy extras with the Garmin DriveSmart 50LMT. It offers all the functionality of the Drive 50LMT, along with a nicer display, voice-activated navigation, and the ability to connect with your smartphone via Bluetooth, so you can do hands-free calling and scan text messages and calendar events while you drive. (Thus, the “Smart” designation.) We road-tested the DriveSmart 50LMT as much as the Drive 50LMT and found its extra features worth the extra money, if your budget allows. So, if you appreciate a little nudge in capability, skip straight to this guy.”

Big Agnes Blacktail 3

Street price: $280; MSRP: $280; Deal price: $200

Another great discount on this great 3-person tent from Big Agnes. This deal beats our previous low for this versatile tent. Shipping is free from Backcountry.

The Big Agnes Blacktail 3 is the top pick in our guide on the tents we like for camping. Tim Neville writes, “The Blacktail 3 is a three-season, three-person tent, which means it can comfortably accommodate up to three people in the spring, summer, and fall, but could falter in severe winter weather. Although other tents performed better in specific areas of our tests, they couldn’t match the Blacktail 3’s consistently high marks in every category. Its rainfly offers 18 square feet of external covered storage spread between both sides, and it can fit packs and boots for a trio of people. Thoughtfully placed internal storage takes electronics into consideration, too. The tent’s 44 inches of headroom is enough for my 6-foot-7-inch frame to sit in comfortably, and it has the second-highest livable-space-to-weight ratio in our test group (bested only by an ultralight backpacking tent).”

Google Home

Street price: $160; MSRP: $160; Deal price: $130

This is a decent little offer from the Google Store on the Google Home, a voice controlled speaker that functions similarly to the Amazon Echo. While the speaker itself isn’t cheaper than usual, it does come with a free Chromecast, and 6-months of Google Play Music for free. Additionally, Google Play Music comes with YouTube Red, so you’ll be able to enjoy ad-free YouTube, as well as access to their YouTube Red originals. You’ll need to add the Chromecast to the cart yourself in order to get it for free, but you’ll see the discount in the cart.

The Google Home is a voice-controlled speaker from our guide on the Google Home. Brent Butterworth and Grant Clauser wrote, “Google’s wireless speaker, digital assistant, and smart-home controller looks better than its biggest competition, reliably responds to most voice queries, offers solid multi-room audio, and sounds pretty good.”

Coway Airmega 300 Air Purifier

Street price: $550; MSRP: $650; Deal price: $470

This is a great drop in price on the Airmega 300, nearly matching the low price we saw during Black Friday sales last year. While the Airmega has dropped down $550 within the past year, this deal drops it more than $80 from its street price.

The Coway Airmega 300 is our extreme upgrade pick for the best air purifier. John Holecek wrote, “If you have severe allergies or other serious health issues related to airborne particles, or if you need to purify the air in a seriously large space, we have a new step-up pick: the Airmega 300. This is a large but attractive machine; it’s HEPA-rated and rated to clear spaces of about 500 square feet at five complete air-changes per hour (about 1.5 times the coverage of the Coway and Winix), or 1,250 square feet at two complete air-changes. Its unique twin filters permit very high airflow, allowing it to run on lower settings when the air is relatively clean (quieter, less energy) or to rapidly filter very large volumes of air on the highest setting, as you might when allergens or pollution are elevated. In our test, it gave the overall second-best air-purification performance—more a function of its higher airflow and dual filters than inherently superior filtration.”

Because great deals don’t just happen on Thursdays, sign up for our daily deals email and we’ll send you the best deals we find every weekday. Also, deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.

Spotify hurtles past 50 million paid subscribers

Last we heard, Spotify had some 40 million subscribers. That was so 2016. Now the music streaming service has announced it’s pushed past 50 million paying subscribers. Feel like helping the company celebrate? Well, you could start by listening to a certain song by Kool & The Gang. Soon enough, you could even stream it at a higher audio fidelity, too. Compared against Apple Music’s reported (by CNBC) 20 million users, it shows just how far Apple has to go before taking on the current leader in the space.

Thank you to our 50 million subscribers. #Spotify50 pic.twitter.com/eXkOV71bwu

— Spotify (@Spotify) March 2, 2017

Source: Spotify (Twitter)

With Apple Music at 20M Users, Spotify Hits 50M Paying Subscriber Milestone

Spotify this afternoon announced that it has hit a new milestone, reaching a total of 50 million paying subscribers. That’s up from 40 million in September, suggesting Spotify is growing at a rapid pace despite the surging popularity of Apple Music.

As of December, Apple Music had over 20 million paying subscribers, and if the service has been growing at its typical pace, that number could now be somewhere around 22 million. Apple Music had 15 million subscribers in June of 2016 and 17 million subscribers in September of 2016.

Thank you to our 50 million subscribers. #Spotify50 pic.twitter.com/eXkOV71bwu

— Spotify (@Spotify) March 2, 2017

Spotify is Apple Music’s staunchest rival and over the course of the last year, the two music services have clashed several times due to Apple Music’s tactic using exclusives to lure new customers. Spotify in August made headlines when it allegedly started punishing artists who agreed to Apple Music exclusives, displaying their content less prominently and offering fewer promotional opportunities.

Spotify denied the claims, but the relationship between the two has grown increasingly heated as Apple Music’s popularity grows. Both services are now testing new features and subscription models to attract new users.

Going forward, Apple plans to use original television programming to entice subscribers, debuting shows like Carpool Karaoke on Apple Music. Spotify, meanwhile, has recently started testing a lossless version of its streaming service to attract audiophiles.

Tags: Spotify, Apple Music
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