Google announces updates for Duo, Allo, Photos, and Google Search in Brazil

Why it matters to you

Google’s recent moves in this developing market have resulted in the new Duo, Allo, and Photos handling slow internet connections better than before.

In some regions of the world, speedy internet is scarce or inaccessible. That makes high-bandwidth apps like video chat platforms a challenging proposition, but Google is doing its best to work around the developing world’s infrastructure limitations. At an event in Sao Paulo, Brazil, today, the Mountain View, California company announced updates for video chat app Duo, messaging app Allo, Google Photos, and more.

Duo’s big new feature is audio calling. When the app detects a sub-par connection, it will let you switch from a video call to an audio-only one, and once streaming conditions improve, you can switch back with a tap.

More: Google Duo will be pre-installed on the four, upcoming MicroMax phones

Duo already handled weak connections fairly well, but the new Duo goes further. “Duo audio calls work well on all connection speeds and won’t eat up your data,” Google’s vice president of product management, Mario Querioz, said in a blog post. “[In] those moments when video calling isn’t an option — like when you’re about to hop on a crowded bus or you have a poor network connection — you can stay connected with family and friends through audio calling.”

Google Allo, meanwhile, is gaining the ability to share files. The new and improved app will let you attach documents and other files (.pdf, .doc, .apk, .zip, and .mp3) with chat participants. And Allo’s machine-learning-powered Smart Smiley feature, which rolled out to English-speaking countries in November, is launching in Brazil — a tap of the Smart Smiley button surfaces emojis and stickers.

More: Despite mixed reviews, Google Allo has more than a million downloads in 3 days

In tow with the Duo and Allo updates is an upgraded Google Photos app. Now, on low-speed 2G connections, photo albums will back up in a “lightweight preview quality” mode. They’ll be replaced with high-quality versions when a faster connection becomes available, and the same applies to sharing. On slower connections, you can share pictures by sending a low-resolution version that’ll be replaced with a high-resolution version when “connectivity permits.”

Finally, Google is letting select users in Brazil post directly on search results. When you search for museums, sports teams, sports leagues, movies, and musicians in Brazil, you’ll see custom content from participating organizations.

Those developments dovetail with Google’s other Brazil-specific announcements. Google Assistant is rolling out Brazilian Portuguese on Android phones running Marshmallow and higher; Google is giving a $5 million grant to the Lemann Foundation for an education project in Brazil; Google is adding the São Paulo Museum of Art to the Google Arts & Culture app; and it’s planning to roll out Waze Carpool in Brazil.

More: Duo: Google wants its new video-calling app to be a FaceTime killer

The company says that the widespread initiative is the result of research into “mobile-first” developing countries. “[It will] result in great products for everyone, everywhere,” a spokesperson said.

Coffee table-sized mechanical Pong game is the coolest Kickstarter in forever

Why it matters to you

Because who wouldn’t want the most 1970s-awesome coffee table in town? It might not move humanity forward, but, boy, is it cool!

Back in the halcyon days of mid-2016, we published an article about a bunch of friends who had banded together to create a largely mechanical, coffee table-sized version of Atari’s legendary 1970s game Pong.

As it turns out, we weren’t the only ones who did. In fact, the story went viral, and Gerardo Orioli and pals were bombarded with requests from people wanting to kit out their man caves (and presumably a few woman caves, too) with their own copies.

Jump forward 10 months, and they’re ready to deliver on that demand. Well, to take pre-orders at least.

More: Classic ‘Pong’ game gets mechanical makeover

“After the viral success we had last year, we decided to move forward with the next set of challenges,” Orioli told Digital Trends. “We secured an investor to further our research, and obtained an exclusive license with Atari. We built more prototypes and perfected the functionality and performance in our design. Now we are ready for the next stage. We started a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter in order to start mass production. Our goal is to partner with fans of the game worldwide, and come up with the minimum units required to enter production and to start manufacturing.”

As you can see from the video at the top of this page, the concept is pretty darn rad. The original used magnets and metal bars for the movement of the game pieces, while scoring was carried out using Arduino controllers and simple LED displays. The Kickstarter version builds on that design, but adds an extra level of polish.

Pong being the most pick-and-play game this side of Tetris, users can expect a fun, straightforward gaming experience — although, from the sound of things, putting the physical table together wasn’t always so easy.

“Our biggest challenge was to find the right balance between the forces that recreate the 2D movement and illusion of the game,” Orioli continued. “We had to deal with two different kinds of forces: Magnetic and friction. In order to control them, we had to variate the motor’s speeds and accelerations to achieve the right balance; otherwise the ‘ball’ would fly out of reach. A lot of research was put into trying different motors and different setups, and into choosing the right magnets and surfaces.”

Interested in getting a unit of your own? Of course you are. Pre-orders are currently taking place on Kickstarter, with shipping set for this December. Prices start at $1,100 — although we’re personally hankering after the $5,000 Collector’s Edition signed by none other than Atari legend Nolan Bushnell.

Heartland revolt: Farmers use Ukrainian hacks to repair John Deere tractors

Why it matters to you

If you like to make your own vehicle repairs, be sure the software license gives you the right to do so.

An unexpected market for hacked software appears to be thriving. American farmers who own John Deere tractors are getting around what they view as an overly restrictive software licensing agreement they were required sign in October, according to Motherboard.

Rather than rely on and wait for authorized company representatives to make expensive farm calls, some tractor owners resort to calling local “technicians” who allegedly use hacked firmware they bought from Ukrainian sources to make the repairs.

More: GM says a big piece of that car you just bought isn’t really yours

We’ve written about the issue of vehicle software ownership before. Like John Deere, General Motors and other automakers also claim they own the software and owners cannot sell it or alter it in any manner.

For farmers in Nebraska, however, the issues with the mandatory John Deere license are time and money. The crops can’t wait.

“When crunch time comes and we break down, chances are we don’t have time to wait for a dealership employee to show up and fix it,” Nebraska hog farmer Danny Kluthe testified to the state legislature. “Most all the new equipment [requires] a download [to fix].”

Kevin Kenney, another Nebraska farmer told Motherboard, “If a farmer bought the tractor, he should be able to do whatever he wants with it. You want to replace a transmission and you take it to an independent mechanic — he can put in the new transmission but the tractor can’t drive out of the shop. Deere charges $230, plus $130 an hour for a technician to drive out and plug a connector into their USB port to authorize the part.”

“What you’ve got is technicians running around here with cracked Ukrainian John Deere software that they bought off the black market,” Kenney continued.

Both Kenney and Kluthe are advocating right-to-repair legislation in Nebraska. The law would invalidate the John Deere software agreement. John Deere is a strong opponent of the proposed Nebraska legislation and similar bills being considered in seven other states.

When Motherboard asked John Deere about the Ukrainian firmware hacks, which are sold via online forums, the company replied that there was no problem.

“When a customer buys John Deere equipment, he or she owns the equipment,” the company said. “As the owner, he or she has the ability to maintain and repair the equipment. The customer also has the ability through operator and service manuals and other resources to enable operational, maintenance, service and diagnostics activities to repair and maintain equipment.

“Software modifications increase the risk that equipment will not function as designed,” the company continued. “As a result, allowing unqualified individuals to modify equipment software can endanger machine performance, in addition to Deere customers, dealers and others, resulting in equipment that no longer complies with industry and safety/environmental regulations.”

According to Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of Repair.org, a Nebraska trade organization in favor of the right-to-repair legislation, however, “Some of our members have repeatedly attempted to buy the diagnostics that are referenced [from John Deere] and been rebuffed.”

‘Dig once’ legislation would add fiber internet to existing highway projects

Why it matters to you

Your chances of getting fiber internet to your home would be greatly increased with the passage of dig once legislation.

The U.S. is a large country geographically and it also has communication infrastructure that is older than most. Getting that old copper-based infrastructure upgraded to newer technology like fiber internet is an expensive proposition that has seen relatively limited headway.

While some companies are making efforts to lay more fiber, the federal government has a few ideas of its own on how to increase fiber’s footprint. One such idea is “dig once,” a policy that would incorporate laying fiber into federally funded infrastructure initiatives like highway projects, Ars Technica reports.

More: Big budget cuts ordered for Google Fiber, likely putting the brakes on rollout

The notion of laying fiber conduits as a part of already approved infrastructure projects is nothing new. Dig-once bills have been proposed for years now, with U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo (D-California) having first proposed legislation in 2009. Now, although some other technology initiatives such as net neutrality have polarized Congress along party lines, dig once is a concept that has bipartisan support.

The primary benefit of dig once is that it leverages work that is already planned and funded projects and would significantly reduce the need for additional construction expenditures. The idea even has support from the libertarian group TechFreedom, which stated in a letter to Congress:

“Failure to implement Dig Once means more construction, more disruption, and much higher costs for private providers — who may simply decide not to deploy in an area where the economics don’t work. The tiny cost of installing conduit (about one percent in added costs) pales in comparison to the taxpayer burden of unnecessary digs, traffic congestion, and the opportunity cost of not having high-speed networks that both help support public services and grow the economy.”

Dig once is also favored by some internet service providers (ISPs) and other broadband interests, with the CTIA group that lobbies for the interests of companies like Verizon Wireless and AT&T throwing its weight behind the legislation. Not everyone is on board, however, as some transportation and public works companies that see the idea as adding costs to projects that are already complex and costly.

Nevertheless, with general support on both sides of the aisle, along with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, dig once is an idea whose time might have come. Eshoo’s legislation is now back on the agenda and so dig once could be coming to a highway project near you sooner rather than later.

Google Photos now uploads your pics over cellular, but don’t freak out

Google is now uploading your photos over 3G or LTE, but promises not to eat your data.

Google has announced that it is making low-quality previews of photos available to users right after they take them, so they can start sharing through Google Photos without having to wait for a Wi-Fi connection.

The company announced the update to Google Photos alongside a number of other bandwidth-saving measures aimed at reassuring its very important, and growing, Brazilian user base that it is taking their suggestions seriously.

Today we’re rolling out two new features on Android and iOS to make backup and sharing easier on low connectivity. Now your photos will back up automatically in a lightweight preview quality that’s fast on 2G connections and still looks great on a smartphone. And when a good Wi-Fi connection becomes available, your backed up photos will be replaced with high-quality versions.

We’re also making it easier to share many photos at once even on low connectivity. Never mind if you’re at the beach or hiking in the mountains, with Google Photos you can now share pictures quickly even with a spotty connection by sending first in low resolution so friends and family can view them right away. They’ll later update in higher resolution when connectivity permits.

The company isn’t saying at what quality the preview images will be uploaded, and of course the feature can be disabled, but it’s an interesting move for a company always interested in finding a balance between persistent online presence and bandwidth preservation.

It’s also interesting that a photo can now be in one of three stages within Google Photos: low quality, uploaded over cellular; “high” quality, which is what Google calls its unlimited storage tier (around 12MP max); and original quality, which does not change anything about the initial photo.

The update will be rolling out to Android and iOS in the coming days, so stay tuned.

You can now send Android APKs to your friends via Allo

It’s not full-featured SMS support, but the new file sharing features could help tide over Allo users for a little while longer.

Allo users, I know you’re feeling it — any time Google announces a new feature for the nascent chat app, you’re jumping around, hoping it’s that one feature you’ve been waiting for a while now.

Unfortunately, today is not that day. There is still no word about the oft-requested SMS integration making its way to Allo, but at least now you can attach documents to your messages. With the latest update, Allo chatters can now send PDFs, Microsoft Word files, compressed files, audio files, and even Android APKs. You can use this feature by tapping the paperclip icon in the menu screen above the message input window. This will launch your device’s file explorer.

Google announced in the same blogpost that Brazilian users will also get the Smart Smiley feature in Portuguese, which uses machine learning to pick the most relevant emojis and stickers.

The update will be rolling out to your Android device this week.

Instagram continues to morph itself into more than just another social network

You’re already posting pictures to Instagram and using it to exclusively chat with your pals. You’ll soon be able to book your next appointment through it, too.

Ahh, Instagram. It’s become one of those bonafide social networks that’s really more than it advertises to be. Instagram isn’t just a reel of photos your friends are posting from their days out in the sun. It’s where you can keep long running group chats with friends where you’re sending each other memes, or peruse through your favorite artist pages to buy their original work. Soon, you’ll be able to book appointments through it, too.

Per a blogpost written to its advertisers today, Instagram announced it would soon bring a new “Book” option to the Instagram pages of your favorite hair salon, for instance. You’ll know how much you’re paying for every treatment, as there will be a separate pricing and payment section available.

You can imagine plenty of hair salons, nail salons, and even independent makeup artists using this particular feature as a way to attract more customers. Instagram is already its own advertising platform, after all, a sort of “choose your own adventure” for small business owners. It’ll also be particularly convenient when planning your own appointments. There’s nothing worse than having to call the salon because their online reservation system is outdated.

Super Mario Run is finally available on Android, and it’s worth buying

The Nintendo game you’ve all been waiting for is here!

Android gamers now have one more title to claim as their own, and one fewer that their iOS counterparts can’t lord over them. That’s right, Super Mario Run is now available on Android, three months after it debuted on the iPhone.

The game is actually considerably newer than the version that debuted three months ago, since it includes all the updates and bug fixes, plus a bunch of small improvements that have culminated in version 2.0. But the core mechanics are still the same: users control an auto-running Mario, tapping on the screen to make him jump over crevices, onto enemies, and shimmy up walls.

While the first four stages are free (three if you don’t count the introductory tutorial course), the full game costs $9.99, which caused a fair amount of consternation in the gaming community when it debuted last year. But there’s a lot more to the game than just the six worlds to complete; there are playable characters like Peach, Luigi, Yoshi and Toadette; and there’s also the competitive Toad Rally, which pins your Mario against people around the world for style and points.

Finally, Kingdom Builder adds a bit of an RPG element to Super Mario Run, allowing you to customize the look and feel of Mario and the buildings he inhabits.

Do you plan to download and pay for Super Mario Run? Let us know in the comments!

Download: Super Mario Run (free w/ IAP)

Watch the ‘MST3K’ reboot’s gloriously campy first trailer

The first trailer for the new Mystery Science Theater 3000 is here, and it’s full of camp, cheesy special effects and sassy robots. Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt are restarting the MST3K experiment, and they’re subjecting captured comedian Jonah Ray to bad B-movies to study their effects on the human brain.

The series, which hits Netflix on April 14th, is a reboot of the cult classic that aired on Comedy Central and The Sci-Fi Channel in the late ’80s and ’90s. Creator Joel Hodgson turned to Kickstarter in 2015 to fund the show’s revival, and it became one of the biggest crowdfunded video projects to date, pulling in nearly $5.8 million from loyal fans. If you want to catch up on the classic series before watching the reboot next month, Netflix is currently offering 20 episodes as an appetizer.

Via: Felicia Day (Twitter)

Source: YouTube

PS4 update is causing WiFi problems for some players

Sony’s big PS4 version 4.50 update landed two weeks ago and despite the boost in framerates, some owners are not happy their consoles have been effectively cut off from the internet. According to a thread started on the PlayStation Forums on the same day as the release, the update completely broke WiFi connectivity for a number of PS4 players.

While some users (including at least one Engadget staffer) thought the WiFi issues might be an isolated case, the two-week-old forum thread has gathered about 250 posts, all complaining about the NW-31297-2 error code. Despite Sony’s troubleshooting tips, reconfiguring the console’s WiFi setup won’t fix the problem and some gamers have resorted to begrudgingly buying WiFi extenders with a built-in ethernet port to bridge the console’s WiFi gap.

When reached for comment by Engadget, Sony acknowledged the issue but didn’t offer a much better solution just yet. “We are aware and are looking into the situation,” a Sony spokesperson said via email. So, if you’re unable to run a cable between your PS4 and your router, you’ll just have to sit tight and hope Sony releases another update in time for that sweet Wildlands DLC.

Via: Polygon

Source: PlayStation Forums