Less is more, says Huawei exec who doesn’t think 6GB of RAM is necessary

Why it matters to you

While smartphone makers are falling over themselves to bring you phones with 6 or 8GB of RAM, a Huawei official says that’s just not necessary.

When does more become too much? According to a Huawei executive, that boundary gets drawn at precisely 4GB of RAM. Smartphone makers have pushed in recent months to come out with phones with larger and larger memories, with Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and yes, even Huawei releasing 6GB monsters after the debut of the Vivo Xplay 5 Elite as the first 6GB smartphone in the world. One high-ranking Huawei official, however, just doesn’t think it’s worthwhile.

To express his discontent, the executive, named Lao Shi, went to his Weibo page to comment that 4GB of RAM is sufficient for smooth smartphone operation. According to Shi, tests have proven that Huawei phones featuring only 4GB of RAM actually withstand the test of time more successfully than phones with 6GB of RAM. The main point of focus, Shi says, is optimizing the operating system — after all, he noted, Apple’s iOS doesn’t need a big RAM in order to function properly.

More: 6 pro tips to taking amazing portrait photos with the Huawei P10

He also pointed out that much of the focus on getting to 6GB and even 8GB is more about competition between brands than actual technology. Shi went so far as to say that the struggle is similar to the arms race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Really, Shi said, adding 2GB or even 4GB of RAM to a perfectly fine phone simply drives up the cost without adding much by way of value.

So sure, if you really want to claim the bragging rights that come along with ownership of a big phone (when it comes to memory), have at it. Shi, after all, isn’t suggesting that they’re bad. But are they absolutely necessary? It seems that in the opinion of this executive, the answer is a resounding “no.”

EEG technology lets users correct robots with their minds

Why it matters to you

Figuring out the most intuitive way to control robots is a big question. These scientists think they’ve got the answer: use your brain.

Is there a bigger nerdy childhood fantasy than being able to use our thoughts to direct a robot to carry out tasks?

Maybe not, but thanks to the good folks at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Boston University, mind-controlled robots aren’t entirely a dream any more.

“We’ve developed a system that uses EEG brain-activity data to correct a robot’s mistakes in real time,” CSAIL research scientist Stephanie Gil told Digital Trends. “For several years researchers have tried to develop robots that can be controlled by brain signals. The problem is that to do this, most of the time humans have to ‘think’ in a specific way that computers can recognize, like looking at a flashing light that corresponds to a particular task. Obviously, this is a pretty unnatural experience for us, and can be very mentally taxing. And it’s especially problematic if we are overseeing a robot to do a dangerous task in manufacturing or construction. In our case the users do not need to modulate their brain activity, they just have to evaluate the actions of the robot: a task that is very natural to humans.”

More: These scientist can control a swarm of drones with his thoughts

For the study, the human participant wears an electroencephalography (EEG) brain cap for recording neural activity. They then watch as a robot performs an object-sorting task, and use nothing more than their thoughts to correct it if it makes a mistake. This is done using a machine-learning algorithm capable of classifying brain waves in just 10-30 milliseconds.

“I could imagine a system like this being used to let a person monitor robots as they perform tasks that are deemed too dirty or dangerous for humans, such as on a manufacturing floor or even underwater and in space,” CSAIL PhD candidate Joseph DelPreto told Digital Trends. “Alternatively, such a system could allow an autonomous car to drive itself while still being kept in check at all times by a human driver in case it makes a mistake.”

There’s still work to be done before it can reach that point, of course. The system as it currently exists handles only a relatively simple binary choice activity, although it suggests that one day there will be far more intuitive ways for us to control robots.

As Boston University PhD candidate Andres F. Salazar-Gomez put it to us, “This is important because it means that people don’t have to train themselves to think in a certain way. The machine is the one that adapts to you, instead of the other way around.”

EEG technology lets users correct robots with their minds

Why it matters to you

Figuring out the most intuitive way to control robots is a big question. These scientists think they’ve got the answer: use your brain.

Is there a bigger nerdy childhood fantasy than being able to use our thoughts to direct a robot to carry out tasks?

Maybe not, but thanks to the good folks at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Boston University, mind-controlled robots aren’t entirely a dream any more.

“We’ve developed a system that uses EEG brain-activity data to correct a robot’s mistakes in real time,” CSAIL research scientist Stephanie Gil told Digital Trends. “For several years researchers have tried to develop robots that can be controlled by brain signals. The problem is that to do this, most of the time humans have to ‘think’ in a specific way that computers can recognize, like looking at a flashing light that corresponds to a particular task. Obviously, this is a pretty unnatural experience for us, and can be very mentally taxing. And it’s especially problematic if we are overseeing a robot to do a dangerous task in manufacturing or construction. In our case the users do not need to modulate their brain activity, they just have to evaluate the actions of the robot: a task that is very natural to humans.”

More: These scientist can control a swarm of drones with his thoughts

For the study, the human participant wears an electroencephalography (EEG) brain cap for recording neural activity. They then watch as a robot performs an object-sorting task, and use nothing more than their thoughts to correct it if it makes a mistake. This is done using a machine-learning algorithm capable of classifying brain waves in just 10-30 milliseconds.

“I could imagine a system like this being used to let a person monitor robots as they perform tasks that are deemed too dirty or dangerous for humans, such as on a manufacturing floor or even underwater and in space,” CSAIL PhD candidate Joseph DelPreto told Digital Trends. “Alternatively, such a system could allow an autonomous car to drive itself while still being kept in check at all times by a human driver in case it makes a mistake.”

There’s still work to be done before it can reach that point, of course. The system as it currently exists handles only a relatively simple binary choice activity, although it suggests that one day there will be far more intuitive ways for us to control robots.

As Boston University PhD candidate Andres F. Salazar-Gomez put it to us, “This is important because it means that people don’t have to train themselves to think in a certain way. The machine is the one that adapts to you, instead of the other way around.”

Last fall, iPhones couldn’t stop dialing 911 — experts now call it a cyberattack

Why it matters to you

What happens when your emergency service operator is the emergency? That’s exactly what happened last October with iPhones that couldn’t stop dialing 911.

Repeated calls to the 911 emergency number may be cause for an emergency in and of itself. Last October, an iOS exploit resulted in a number of iPhones dialing 911 over and over again without any user input. For 12 hours on October 25 and October 26, at least 12 states including California, Florida, and Texas saw what is now said to be “the largest-ever cyberattack on the country’s emergency-response system,” according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

The 911 system has been in place for nearly five decades, first becoming the official emergency number of the United States in 1968. And with the age of the technology comes fears of its weaknesses, and the October cyberattack served only to underscore those concerns. “I don’t want to be alarmist, but it’s an emerging crisis,” retired Rear Adm. David Simpson told the Journal. For three years, Simpson oversaw emergency management and cybersecurity at the FCC during the Obama administration.

More: T-Mobile’s latest offer can net new subscribers a free iPhone if they switch carriers

It now appears that the thousands of 911 calls received during that short time frame in October can be traced back to one tweeted link, which set off the iPhone exploit. That tweeted link was clicked on 117,502, and each time someone clicked, it led to a 911 call. Worse still, if users hung up their iPhones, the hack would just force another 911 call — the only way to stop it was to turn off the device completely.

“It was hard for investigators to trace the cyberattack as it cascaded across the country,” the Journal reported. “Twitter users who saw the link shared it with their followers, who shared it with their followers, turning the malware into a runaway virus.” The concern now, of course, is that another more targeted attack using the same technique could present a huge problem.

While there are 6,500 911 call centers across the country, just a small fraction of them (420 to be exact) have a cybersecurity defense that would protect against this sort of hack. Luckily, Apple is working on a fix. “The ability to dial and reach a 911 operator quickly is critical to public safety,” the company said. “The dialing feature in this instance was intentionally misused by some people with no regard for public safety. To prevent further abuse, we’re putting safeguards in place and have also worked with third-party app developers to prevent this behavior in their apps.”

Nintendo Teardown: Here’s what the inside of the Switch looks like

Why it matters to you

If you like to know how your hardware is made, or might want to open up a Nintendo Switch for repairs in the future, this guide gives you a good look at its guts.

With any new gaming platform release, there are always those who are just as interested in how the platform was built as they are in playing games. That’s why the kind folks at iFixit have done their job once again and broken open a brand new Nintendo Switch to give us a look at just what’s hiding under the hood.

The Nintendo Switch is a unique piece of hardware because it looks to operate as both a portable gaming system and a home console. That means it has to be compact, but powerful, and low-temperature but lightweight. And because it’s Nintendo, it needs to be kid-friendly. Considering we felt that Nintendo managed to tick a lot of those boxes, getting a look at the insides will tell us a little more of how the firm achieved this.

The above video gives us a whistle-stop tour of the Switch and its internals, but iFixit has completed a reasonably comprehensive teardown, too. It begins, as with many guides, with the unscrewing of some uncommon screws, but that’s no barrier to a service that has been taking apart complex hardware for years.

More: There’s a hidden message to gamers in the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

Unsurprisingly for a compact, modern games console, the Switch’s internals look much like a small gaming PC. A large metal plate acts as a universal heat spreader, while a copper heatpipe design funnels heat away from the Nvidia Tegra X1 based processor. The reasonably large and well-padded battery is said to be non-replaceable, though Nintendo has said it may offer a paid service for that in the future.

The main, oddly shaped motherboard contains all of the important components: the aforementioned Nvidia chip, Samsung DDR4 memory, Broadcom Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips, a Realtek audio codec, and a step-down buck converter, among other power regulating hardware.

The main Switch hardware itself seems fairly replaceable, with lots of simple screws used throughout and not much in the way of adhesive. In fact, iFixit reports that the LCD and digitizer can be easily separated, so swapping out either in the future in a home repair should be doable.

Getting into the Joy-Cons was even easier and showed that they contain micro Li-ion batteries, a Bluetooth chip, accelerometer, gyroscope and “HD rumble” motor, among controller inputs. The left-hand, red controller also packs an infrared camera and four IR LEDs, as well as an NFC antenna.

The Switch dock contains a pair of CMOS flash memory chips and a USB 3.0 hub controller.

Overall the Switch was given a repairability score of eight out of ten, thanks to its use of screws over adhesive and Phillips head screws in most cases. A lot of components can be replaced, though iFixit did mark Nintendo down on the likely difficulty of replacing the LCD and digitizer.

What color LG G6 should I buy — black, white or platinum?

So you’ve decided on an LG G6 — now the question is, what color do you get?

There are three great color choices on offer for the LG G6, and as usual they are all different in several ways to appeal to a wider audience. Fancy marketing names aside, you’ll be able to choose from black, white and platinum. As the group they look great, but of course you’re only going to be buying one.

Availability based on your country and carrier may differ, but LG has not put any specific restrictions on colors for any regions. So check out photos of these three options and some thoughts on who may want each one before you head to the store to buy an LG G6.

LG G6 in black

Black is most often the default choice for people, as it’s an easy decision to stick with a basic color and retailers are usually stocked with it in the largest quantity. The black back glass doesn’t have any texture or depth to it, meaning it should show scratches the least of the group.

More importantly for some, the front bezels are also black, providing the least reflection and distraction when you’re looking at the screen. The black bezels also provide a smooth transition from the display to the hardware. The metal around the sides is a soft grey, which completes the slick look.

Who is it for?

Those who want a “safe” color choice should just go with black. It will look fine over time, and offers the least distraction when looking at the display.

LG G6 in white

If you’re going to make a black phone, you might as well make one on the exact opposite end of the spectrum with white. There is a bit more to this color than you’d think by looking at renders, though, with a bit of pearlescence and sparkle dotted along the white back.

That means you get a slightly different look to the back depending on the angle the light hits it, but that feature also carries onto the front to shine extra light in your eyes. The white on the front also makes the screen bezels stand out more, which can diminish the visual effect of the LG G6’s tall screen.

Who is it for?

If you don’t want to go with a plain black but think platinum is just too much, you may like the subtle sparkle of the white LG G6. Just be aware of how it looks on the front and will reflect light toward your eyes.

LG G6 in platinum

Platinum is of course the most standout color of the LG G6. You can immediately pick it out from a crowd of other phones, but at the same time the blue-silver hue isn’t nearly as loud as some other blue phones out there like the Galaxy S7 edge.

The platinum LG G6 has a distinctive look to its back because it isn’t a solid color under the glass, but rather a slightly textured pane that offers a feeling of depth. It looks neat, but should also help conceal glass scratches that would otherwise show up on a plain surface.

On the downside, the platinum color continues onto the front of the phone, which can be distracting. It won’t be as reflective as the white front, thankfully, but it’s far from the sleek look of the black.

Who is it for?

If you want your phone to stand out a bit — whether it’s on a table or in your hand — you are probably already drawn to the platinum color. Chances are that style will be worth the added distraction of the platinum flowing on the front.

Which color of the LG G6 are you most attracted to? Be sure to let us know in the comments!

LG G6

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Everything you need to know about Google Cardboard

Google Cardboard brings VR to your phone.

Google Cardboard is just one of the many ways that you can now enjoy VR from the comfort of your own home, using your phone to power things. While it’s certainly not the most high end way to enjoy VR it is the most accessible, and it’s where plenty of folks who enjoy VR got their start. Using phone-based-VR cardboard can catapult you to another world, and let you see things you’d never imagined experiencing. Whether this is your first foray into VR, or you know what you’re getting into, there are a few things you ought to know about Google Cardboard.

Read more at VRHeads

Dispatches from GDC 2017: VR creators use film techniques to make immersive games

The co-founders of Steel Wool Studios detail how they used storytelling elements from film to make their virtual reality content more immersive.

People cry at movies — heck, I had myself a good cry the other night with a feature on Hulu. But it’s not actually the film that elicits the emotional reaction, it’s the story. From the beginning to the end, the point of a worthy narrative is to get us emotionally invested in the outcome of the characters we’re watching or reading about. Their actions inspire us, shake us to our core, and sometimes cause us so much grief we need a minute to let it out before moving on to the next thing. That emotional investment is why we sometimes bond to merely mediocre films, or it might inspired us to line up at midnight for the next book in a longstanding series. We’re aching for more of the story and that’s what Andrew Dayton and Jason Topolski, co-founders of Steel Wool Studios, insist we need more of from virtual reality.

[Read more at VR Heads!](.cta .large}

Fitbit’s new Alta HR tracks heart rate and sleep for a week

There’s a new Fitbit coming, and it’s got a week’s worth of battery life, a stylish look, and a heart rate monitor.

Eight months ago, Fitbit brought a small group of reporters to a swanky New York fitness club to show off its latest fitness trackers, the best-selling Charge 2 and waterproof Flex 2. Those sequels have been so successful that, despite disappointing sales results in its most recent quarter, Fitbit felt empowered to produce another iterative product, the Alta HR.

The company says that after calls for a sequel to the best-selling Charge HR, its most frequently requested product was the addition of heart rate monitoring to the fashion-forward Alta. That product is the $149.95 Alta HR, a complementary item in the company’s expanding (bloated?) lineup to the identically-priced Charge 2.

While the Alta HR is physically identical to its cheaper and older counterpart, Fitbit has improved two things in the new tracker: it’s added an always-on heart rate tracker (hence the name), and it’s improved battery life to seven days from five, an achievement that the company said took some particularly noteworthy engineering, of which it is very proud. The tracker goes up for pre-sale March 6, with general availability in the U.S. and Canada in early April.

The new Fitbit Alta HR looks the same, but adds two key ingredients to the recipe that has kept Fitbit successful for so many years.

Along with the new tracker itself, the company is unveiling two new sleeping tools: Sleep Stages, and Sleep Insights. The former is coming to the Alta HR, Charge 2 and Blaze in a future software update, and “uses accelerometer data and heart rate variability (the moments between beats), plus Fitbit’s proven algorithms to more accurately estimate how long you spend in light, deep and REM sleep stages, as well as time awake, each night,” according to the company. This data is aimed to help Fitbit’s users more accurately understand why they feel tired or groggy, and along with Sleep Insights, offer ways to improve it.

The latter, Sleep Insights, is coming to all of Fitbit’s trackers, and it is meant to offer more useful data about one’s nightly sleep, including the relationship between exercise, eating and sleep quality.

And like the original Alta, the Alta HR comes in special editions — Rose Gold and Gunmetal versions will ship for $179.95 — along with replaceable bands, from classic sport bands at $29.95 to $59.95 leather options and more formal metal clasps at $99.95. Thankfully, the bands are interchangeable with Fitbit’s older Alta options, but the ones that ship by default with the Alta HR will have claps, since they need to adhere more tightly to the wrist for a better heart rate reading.

See at Fitbit

Incredible Samsung Galaxy S8 pic leak show huge screen and Dual Pixel camera

We now know that Samsung will unveil the Samsung Galaxy S8 flagship smartphone, along with a larger plus-sized model, during a special Unpacked event in New York on 29 March. However, considering the frequency of leaks it’s unlikely there’ll be much we don’t already know.

If these latest pictures are anything to go by, we’ll also know when the phones will look like front and back.

We’ve seen alleged press images and hands-on pics before, but the three posted on SlashLeaks are about as good as we’ve seen so far.

SlashLeaks

They are said to have been taken by an anonymous case manufacturer, which is why you can clearly see a plastic shell case and screen protector in the shots. The phone or phones look the same as handsets in other leaked images, so it’s highly possible that it/they are real.

• Samsung Galaxy S8: Release date, rumours and everything you need to know
• Amazing Samsung Galaxy S8 hands-on pics available already
• Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S7: What’s the rumoured difference?

We’re not 100 per cent sure whether there are two devices in the shots. According to the captions on the pics they are of the “Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus” and “Samsung Galaxy S8”.

It is thought that Samsung is ditching its usual “edge” branding as all models will come with a curved edge display this year.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 will reportedly come with a 5.8-inch screen while the SGS8 Plus will have a 6.2-inch display.