Watch videos with distant friends via new Google app Uptime

Why it matters to you

You don’t have to watch YouTube videos alone even if there’s no one around you. Just check out Uptime, a new app from Google.

In this day and age, you’re never really alone, even if there’s no one next to you. Driving home that idea is a new app from Google that wants to make your video watching experience a more social one. Because who says you have to binge watch The Great British Baking Show all by your lonesome? Meet Uptime.

Say hello to #Uptime! Share and watch videos together. Download now from the App Store https://t.co/Bwo7e4xCgy. Use invite code: PIZZA pic.twitter.com/w9MzqwCibi

— Uptime (@uptimeApp) March 11, 2017

Developed by Google’s startup incubator Area 120, which was first established last year to encourage Google employees to come up with their own startup ideas, Uptime lets you connect with your friends via YouTube videos. Currently available exclusively for iPhone (we know that’s weird considering it’s … a Google product), the app simply requires you to sign in with your Google account, then find your friends. From there, you’ll be able to watch kitten videos (or whatever else you find on YouTube) together in real time, and provide commentary by way of Facebook Live-esque emojis and written comments as you watch.

More: No Hollywood budget, no problem: here are the best free video editing apps

We’re sure no one will be surprised to hear that the UI looks much like Snapchat’s, because apparently everyone is looking to borrow from the same source these days. But even so, Uptime certainly serves a different purpose from that of existing social media platforms, allowing users to gather around different screens, together.

It’s unclear what the future holds for Uptime — whether it will gain a web or Android app, or if the platform will even be around in a few months’ time. But if you and your friends all happen to be iPhone users and have been dying to watch a video together from across the country (or the world), you might do well to check it out.

The app is free to download and has the invite code PIZZA.

BlackBerry wants to shield your screens from prying eyes with Privacy Shade

Why it matters to you

You don’t want people reading off your phone from over your shoulder. Stop them with the new Privacy Shade from BlackBerry.

It may no longer be manufacturing its own devices, but BlackBerry would like to remind us all that it’s still here, and still relevant. In a blog post published last Friday, the smartphone maker turned software company announced the delivery of a new app called Privacy Shade that promises to “let you read emails, messages, and personal content at any time without worrying about snoopers, even if someone is looking over your shoulder.”

The release comes hot off the heels of two new BlackBerry phones — there’s the KEYOne from TCL that made its debut at Mobile World Congress, and the BlackBerry Aurora from BB Merah Putih that just came out for Indonesian users. And now, all BlackBerry owners can  rest assured that their private information will stay private.

More: Latest BlackBerry device comes from Indonesia, and is named the Aurora

With Privacy Shade, BlackBerry users will be able to adjust the transparency of their screen filter to suit their surroundings. They can also obscure parts of the screen they’re not actively viewing or using, so most of the display appears dark and inscrutable to prying eyes. If you’re running a device with Android OS 7.0 Nougat or higher, you’ll be able to add BlackBerry Privacy Shade to your Quick Settings, and if you’ve a BlackBerry with a Convenience Key, you can assign the Privacy Shade to said key.

Similarly, should your device support Swipe Shortcuts, you can make the Privacy Shade one of your shortcuts, and regardless of what kind of device you may have, you can toggle BlackBerry Privacy Shade on or off via an optional dedicated notification in the notification tray.

Installing the app is simple — you need only to search Google Play for the app, or use this link to open up Privacy Shade directly.

BlackBerry has also rolled out a few other updates, like auto-enabling CC or BCC settings when sending an email, and additional Hub integrations like support for Kik and Telegram. For a full list of updates, check out BlackBerry’s blog post here.

Royal Caribbean brings smart home automation to its latest Celebrity Edge cruise

Why it matters to you

Royal Caribbean’s next ship will make the check-in process simpler and faster, and you’ll be able to use your smartphone to control your cruise experience.

Royal Caribbean Cruises has unveiled a new ship in its Celebrity series that was completely designed in 3D. The Celebrity Edge won’t be operational for some time, but the company offered a sneak peak at how technology will improve a guest’s experience on the ship.

At 1,004 feet long and 128 feet wide, the Celebrity Edge can carry 3,373 guests in total, as well as 1,320 members of the crew. It features 1,467 staterooms, 14 passenger decks, 12 passenger elevators, and more.

More: How Carnival’s small, wearable Medallion crafts a cruise just for you

As Carnival highlighted in its announcement earlier this year, Celebrity Edge will feature “friction-less arrival,” meaning guests won’t have to wait in long lines for a check-in process. This will work through a combination of facial recognition software and geo-fenced beacons.

Guests won’t also have to carry anything other than their smartphone to access their rooms — key-less entry is now possible via the cruise’s app. Similarly, every part of a guest’s room will be controllable via a touchscreen panel — from lighting and window shares to room temperature and more. These smart home-like features include preset scenes that could be used to help guests go to sleep or wake up in the morning.

A Virtual Concierge app also allows guests to order drinks, book dinner reservations, and more. The map will make use of smartphone sensors to improve mapping services based on a guests’ location.

More: Incredible Sony World Photography Awards shortlist might give you the travel itch

One of the many features that makes the Celebrity Edge unique is the Magic Carpet — a glass structure that’s the size of a tennis court. What’s neat is that it’s able to traverse 13 stories, like a massive elevator, and it’s uses can change depending on the deck where it’s temporarily docked.

Royal Caribbean announced Celebrity Edge at an event in Miami on Monday, and we’ll add more details about the upcoming cruise as we learn more.

Android Central 327: Cutting the cord

This week, we’re taking a break from phones to talk about cutting the cord, and saving money in the process.

Phil Nickinson, former EIC of Android Central and recent recipient of award for Most Modern Dad, joins Daniel and Russell to chat about the current landscape of getting rid of cable, and what options are out there.

From the best streaming service — PS Vue, DirecTV Now, Sling and Tivo — to the best TVs, speakers, remotes and internet plans, this podcast covers it all.

More: How Modern Dad ditched Cable TV and cut the cord for good

Featured products

• NVIDIA Shield Android TV box
• Le Eco Super4 X65 TV
• Logitech Harmony Elite remote
• Logitech Harmony Companion remote
• Roku 4 Ultra streaming box
• Chromecast Ultra streaming dongle
• PlayStation Vue streaming service

Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral327.mp3

Here’s what to do when your Daydream controller won’t charge

Dealing with a remote that won’t charge is frustrating, but there is an easy way to deal with it.

Daydream View has taken mobile VR a leap forward by implementing a remote that allows you to interface with apps and experiences. This remote is necessary to do much of anything in a Daydream app, and it adds layers to the types of games that you can play. However, if your remote won’t charge then you’re in a rotten situation. Thankfully while this problem is extremely frustrating, there is a pretty simple way to troubleshoot the issue.

Read more at VR Heads!

PlayStation VR’s Cinematic Mode received an update and it’s better than ever

Did the PlayStation 4.50 patch change PSVR?

PlayStation patch 4.50 is here, and with it comes a bunch of significant changes to the PS4, as well as a few changes to PlayStation VR. Cinematic mode and the Social Screen received notable upgrades, and you can now also watch 3D Blu-Rays within your headset. Let’s take a deeper look at exactly what the changes bring and what they mean for PSVR.

Read more at VR Heads!

Galaxy S7 Nougat update hitting Canada Mar. 20

Poutine, long winters, and delayed Android updates — all part of the Canadian dream.

Canadian Samsung Galaxy S7 owners can finally relax about that damn Nougat update. Weeks and months after it hit the rest of the world, Canadians can expect Android 7.0 Nougat for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge on March 20, at least on Rogers. Telus, Bell, Freedom Mobile and others will likely follow suit shortly afterwards.

It’s unclear why the Canadian variants have taken so long to be updated — Canadian carriers have a tendency to overcompensate on network quality control, and the inconsistent rollout of VoLTE has hampered update speed in the past — but the good news is that it’s finally coming. That it took almost a year from the phone’s release is not a legacy Samsung should be proud of, though, but Canadians can expect a lot of great new features, including a refreshed UI, proper display scaling, improved performance and battery efficiency, multi-window mode, and more.

At this rate, though, Canadians should get their Nougat update well before the unlocked variant of the GS7 in the U.S. — some consolation, right?

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• U.S. unlocked Galaxy S7
• Should you upgrade to the Galaxy S7?
• Best SD cards for Galaxy S7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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Take your pick of 3 popular iOttie car mounts for $13 today only at Amazon

Our friends at Thrifter are back again, this time scoring you big discounts on popular iOttie car mounts!

It’s no secret that you shouldn’t be driving and using your phone in your hand, but people still do it. Instead of putting your life at risk to view an incoming email or driving directions, head over to Amazon and buy an iOttie smartphone car mount for less than $13. There are 3 different styles to choose from so you’re bound to find one that works for you. As a price comparison, you’d normally pay about $20 per mount.

These universal mounts will accommodate nearly any size smartphone, with or without a case. iOttie makes the best car mounts on the market, period. Its Easy One Touch 2 (on sale for $12.77 today) is rated 4.3 out of 5 stars from more than 27,500 Amazon reviewers.

See at Amazon

For more great deals on tech, gadgets, home goods and more, be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

Huawei Watch 2 review: No time for this half-baked sequel

Huawei built up a lot of good will over the past two years, only to let it slide in 2017.

The original Huawei Watch was a go-to choice for those who wanted an Android Wear watch that was a bit sleeker and better built than most other choices throughout 2016. It was a bit on the expensive side, and yes it was thick, but it had a slick exterior and lugs that could adapt to just about any sort of band you wanted to put on it. When Android Wear 2.0 was readying for launch, fans awaited a refresh of the Huawei Watch for 2017 that could carry on that good will.

And then, we got this: the Huawei Watch 2. A watch so clearly not designed in any way to be a successor to the original Huawei Watch, and unfortunately also not built to the same hardware standards. The Huawei Watch 2 actually had a last-minute branding change from “Huawei Watch 2 Sport,” and had Huawei kept that name it would have made a bit more sense overall — but still, the more classically built Huawei Watch 2 Classic doesn’t exactly follow the original Huawei Watch’s design or quality, either.

This is a clean break from the original Huawei Watch in terms of everything but branding. This is a big, feature-packed watch, but unfortunately one that takes a different direction in quality while retaining a high price. Does it have enough to stand out from what is already a growing crowd of 2017 Android Wear 2.0 watches? Our full review covers all the bases.

About this review

I (Andrew Martonik) am writing this review after 11 days using the Huawei Watch 2, connected over Bluetooth to an LG G6. The watch arrived with pre-release software, and was not updated during the course of the review. It was provided to Android Central for review by Huawei.

New big watch

Huawei Watch 2 Hardware

From a distance, the Huawei Watch 2 looks like a typical big sport-focused watch not too different from the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier. But when you pick it up, strap it on your wrist and interact with it, the watch feels much more like a toy than anything else. The so-called “mixed plastics” that make up the body range from thin textured panels around the side to faux metal buttons and a polished glass-like (but undeniably still plastic) bezel.

It looks decent from a distance, but doesn’t feel anything like it should.

That bezel, which is gnarled like the Gear S3’s, evokes the feeling that you should be able to rotate it … but alas, it is fixed in place. Incidentally, the back of the watch that rests on your wrist is the best-feeling part as it’s a solid piece of milled metal — an interesting reversal from most other smartwatches that use metal primarily and cheap-feeling plastic on the back, but disappointing nonetheless. Despite all of the apparent openings around the case, the Huawei Watch 2 is also IP68 dust and water-resistant, which is important to offer on any smartwatch today.

The included sport-styled rubber band is perhaps the cheapest feeling piece of the entire watch. Even though it is plenty thick and feels relatively robust like it could survive some damage over time, it is super glossy and slick feeling — befitting of a $25 Timex from Walmart, not a $300+ smartwatch. Look no further than the quality of band you can get on the Gear S3 to see how to do this type of band right at the same price. Huawei’s band certainly looks the part, but in no way executes on the quality.

The Huawei Watch 2’s thick bezel stands up tall over the circular display that clocks in at just 1.2-inches across, which is definitely on the small side compared to the overall size of the watch case. The 390×390 AMOLED display looks pretty good, but isn’t to the level of what Samsung and LG are doing on their wearables today — thankfully it has automatic brightness without a flat tire, and is covered with Gorilla Glass.

A bunch of specs with absolutely no design direction or execution.

Internally the Huawei Watch 2 has the same story we’re going to see time and time again in 2017 Android Wear smartwatches. A Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, 768MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, a heart rate sensor, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC and optional LTE. Perhaps the only impressive part of this hardware is that Huawei managed to fit everything listed previously inside a case that is 49 x 45 mm, and just 12.6 mm thick, while retaining a removable 20 mm watch band — a solid improvement from the much larger and heavier LG Watch Sport.

This dovetails into the only other redeeming quality of the Huawei Watch 2: it is so much lighter than the competition. It’s made out of plastic, so it darn well better be lighter, but the Huawei Watch weighs just 59 grams — a full 30 grams lighter than the LG Watch Sport. So even with its 12.6 mm thickness and relatively large case size, it doesn’t feel as large. And for a watch that is undeniably styled to be a go-anywhere, do-anything type of wearable, that’s very important.

Wear 2.0 is still good

Huawei Watch 2 Software and experience

An important quality of Android Wear from the perspective of someone who will use multiple smartwatches over the course of the year is how similar the experience is from model to model. With near-identical internals and software, the core experience of Android Wear 2.0 is consistent across watches — and indeed the Huawei Watch 2 handles notifications, navigation, Google Assistant and fitness tracking the same as the LG Watch Sport I reviewed less than a month ago.

One of the best parts of Android Wear is its consistency across devices.

The only places that Huawei can differentiate itself is with pre-installed watch faces and apps, which in both cases — at least on this pre-release software — it hasn’t executed dutifully.

Many of the pre-installed watch faces are not well-styled to match the Huawei Watch 2’s hardware, and don’t integrate with Android Wear 2.0’s new watch face complication API. Thankfully there’s a growing number of good watch faces in the Play Store, but I just wish I had the same great ones available on my LG Watch Sport (and perhaps it will in final firmware). Huawei’s integrated fitness app is also a hot mess, with a subpar design and annoying reminders to do stretches throughout the day, but thankfully you can bypass it in favor of the revamped Google Fit (which can do daily step tracking and workouts) and a cadre of third-party fitness apps.

Our complete Android Wear 2.0 review!

Android Wear 2.0 is a complete overhaul of Google’s wearable platform, from interface and design to apps and functionality. For the complete breakdown of everything that’s new in the latest release, be sure to read our complete Android Wear 2.0 review.

Read our complete Android Wear 2.0 review here!

Skipping a rotating bezel or crown is a big miss.

One of Android Wear 2.0’s optional features, the aptly named “rotational input,” is unfortunately not here in any form. At one time I would have balked at this as a superfluous addition, but my time with the LG Watch Sport and Samsung Gear S3 has completely converted me to wanting a rotating bezel or crown on a smartwatch. It’s a clean and fast way to navigate the interface — particularly on Android Wear 2.0 — and would have been extra helpful considering the Huawei Watch 2’s small 1.2-inch display and large bezel that gets in the way of precise edge touches.

Two of Android Wear 2.0’s new features — mobile payments and independent cellular connectivity — have made their way here, though, and work as they do on the LG Watch Sport. The Huawei Watch 2’s SIM card tray is easily accessible without tools, and though U.S. carriers have yet to announce formal support for the watch (which hasn’t yet launched stateside) there’s no reason why it couldn’t integrate with their number sync systems just as any other Android Wear 2.0 watch. Android Pay on a watch of this size is table stakes going forward, but again it’s great to see it in a watch that’s smaller than LG’s and has a removable band.

Battery life

After using the LG Watch Sport and needing to charge it each and every night, I was surprised to see Huawei claiming two days of use out of its 420 mAh battery. Thanks to its smaller display and perhaps some software tuning, the Huawei Watch 2 absolutely can handle two days of use — at least in my usage with an always-on watch face, automatic brightness but not using LTE. A typical day of light usage would leave me with upwards of 60% battery when I went to bed. I would guess that with LTE turned on and always-on watch faces turned off, you could maybe eke out two full days depending on how much you hit the mobile data.

This is definitely a two-day watch, even without special configuration.

More realistically for those who are expecting to charge their smartwatch every night right where they charge their phone, the Huawei Watch 2 offers plenty of head room in terms of being able to hit the watch hard with app use, fitness tracking and even GPS for runs without worrying about it dying in a single day.

Huawei’s clip-on charger feels just as cheap as the watch, and while it isn’t as elegant as the stand-up inductive chargers that you find on other watches it definitely gets the job done and is far preferable if you need to travel. The charger can easily be wound up and stuffed in a bag, and for a lot of people that’s a bigger feature than being able to nicely display the watch on your bedside table in a cradle. It also clips on satisfyingly with magnets, so you know it will always charge when it’s attached.

A disappointing round 2

Huawei Watch 2 Bottom line

Huawei unfortunately squandered the good will it built up over the past two years with the original Huawei Watch. The Huawei Watch 2, while retaining a sequential naming convention, is in no way a worthy step up from the original. To its credit Huawei did execute on the core feature set we expect in order to recommend an Android Wear 2.0 watch: good performance, a full spec sheet and solid battery life.

This feels like a small company’s first smartwatch.

Unfortunately, it’s the fringe decisions that don’t give you the feeling that this is a complete product. The Huawei Watch 2’s design seems fine from a sport watch perspective, but the build quality and materials are far from great. The display is a bit on the small side and is just middle-of-the-road in terms of quality. The Huawei-added watch faces and software aren’t compelling, and the lack of a rotating bezel or crown feels like a missed opportunity.

For less money, it may be easier to accept the Huawei Watch 2 for what it is. But at €329 for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi or €379 with LTE, Huawei is asking way too much money for this low level of design and hardware execution. As a complete product, the Huawei Watch 2 feels befitting of a small company making its first smartwatch, not a massive global consumer electronics maker aiming to improve on what was one of the best smartwatches of the last generation.

If you’re feeling nostalgic about the original Huawei Watch, or just enjoy all of the specs and features that Huawei is able to push into the Huawei Watch 2, but (understandably) don’t like its exterior, there’s a good chance that the metal-and-leather Huawei Watch 2 Classic will be a better one to consider. Its more understated case, metal construction and more typical lugs will fit with more styles of clothing — but at €399 is even more expensive than the Huawei Watch 2.

See at Huawei

Tile Deal: Get money off the Bluetooth tracker

If you’ve been thinking about getting Tile, now’s the time.

Tile, the company behind the tiny, square-shaped Bluetooth trackers that help you find stuff, has announced it will have a sale on the Slim version of its Tile product. The limited-time offer will be held from 12 March to 18 March, and it’s specifically for the four-pack, which normally costs $100 and is available worldwide. You can get it on-sale for just $70. Again, the Tile Mate model is not available as part of the sale.

Confused about what Tile is and how it works? We’ve explained all you need to know about the gadget below.

What is Tile?

Tile is a Bluetooth tracker with a built-in speaker. You can use the Tile – in conjunction with an app – to find lost items. People use Tile to track all sorts of objects, such as keys, wallets, cars, or laptops. Almost anything can be tracked, including your phone.

How does Tile work?

There’s four main aspects to Tile.

First, it has a speaker and works with an app so that you can force it from your phone to ring loudly. You simply put Tile in your wallet or on your keychain or stuff it in or affix it to anything else you might commonly lose, and then you’d use the Tile app to ring it and thus find the lost item. Tile has a 100-foot Bluetooth range.

Second, if you always keep the Tile app running in the background, it will automatically remember the last time and place you last had your Tile/item so you know where to start looking. Third, Tile is a button of sorts, so if you can’t find your phone, you can always double press on the Tile itself, which will cause your lost phone ring – even on silent.

Fourth, Tile has a competitive advantage over other Bluetooth trackers because of its “lost and found” network. When something goes missing and it’s not where the Tile app last saw it, you can resort to the entire Tile community for help. Tile uses a “passive network”, so any phone running the Tile app is anonymously looking for other “lost” Tiles all the time, like your Tiles.

If you leave your Tile in a jacket at the coffee shop, another Tile user walking by in the next hour can notify you through a passive text message. Then, once youʼre within Bluetooth range, they can “ring” that object through the app to locate it by sound.

What are the different Tile models?

Tiles comes in two different models designed to work with all your favourite things: Tile Slim, which is as thin as two credit cards, and the Tile Mate, which has a convenient hole to attach to your keys or bags. You can pick up a Tile Slim 4-pack now for $70 on sale.