How to find lost AirPods with Apple’s new Find My AirPods feature

Apple has released the iOS 10.3 software update for iPhone and iPad, and it introduced a new feature called Find My AirPods.

Find My AirPods makes it easier to keep track of the Apple AirPods wireless earphones. It works with AirPods that are connected to an iOS device via Bluetooth, meaning it can only locate AirPods that are nearby, but if your AirPods were lost out of range of an iPhone, it does offer up some location clues. Here’s everything you need to know, including how the feature works and its limitations.

• Apple AirPods firmware update: How to check install latest version
• How to turn on Apple’s Night Shift mode and adjust the colour on Macs

How does Find My AirPods work?

Find My iPhone app

If you haven’t already, download the Find My iPhone app on your iOS device, or locate the feature from iCloud.com. Find My AirPods is a new function within Find My iPhone. If your AirPods are not in their case but are connected to an iPhone, they will appear on the Find My iPhone map (just like an iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, or Mac). If your AirPods haven’t been used recently, they’ll be marked “offline”.

Locating lost AirPods (nearby)

If you have misplaced your AirPods somewhere nearby, Find My AirPods can locate it by playing a chirping sound that gets louder.

• Open Find My iPhone on an iOS device (or from iCloud.com).
• Tap AirPods in the list.
• Tap Actions.
• Tap Play Sound. If only one AirPod is missing, you can mute the sound coming from the AirPod you haven’t lost.
• To stop the sound once the AirPods are found, tap Stop Playing. 

Locating lost AirPods (far away)

If your AirPods aren’t connected to your iPhone, they cannot play a sound. But you can still use Find My AirPods to figure out their last-known location. The last place they were connected to an iPhone over Bluetooth will be displayed in the Find My iPhone app. Just tap the little car icon to get Apple Maps directions for the last-known location.

Is that it?

Yes. Just remember your AirPods cannot play the chirping sound while they’re in the case. Also, Apple does offer AirPods replacements if one is lost and can’t be found. It costs $69 to replace a single AirPod or to replace the AirPods Charging Case.

Destiny 2 confirmed: Bungie and Activision tease new game’s logo

Destiny is officially getting a sequel.

Developer Bungie and publisher Activision have announced a sequel to Destiny via Destiny’s official Twitter account. The tweet showed an image of the sequel’s logo – with a numeral two in Helvetica behind the word Destiny. It is the same logo that surfaced last week, thanks to a promotional poster for the game, which was leaked by an Italian site Lega. That poster mentioned a release date of 8 September 2017.

pic.twitter.com/n1M4zdGE5K

— Destiny The Game (@DestinyTheGame) March 27, 2017

The poster also said a beta would launch first for PlayStation 4, though Bungie and Activision haven’t confirmed those additional details yet. All we know is that Destiny 2 is the name of the upcoming MMO/first-person shooter hybrid, and it will be released this autumn, three years after the original Destiny, which launched on 9 September 2014 for PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

• Destiny review (2014)

The game offers four expansions, which released throughout 2014, 2015, and 2016, as well as other paid add-ons and free content updates. For instance, Destiny’s latest and final major content update, called Age of Triumph, is scheduled to release tomorrow on 28 March.

We’ll probably learn more about Destiny 2 at E3 in June.

Is the co-founder of Android about to announce this new smartphone?

Andy Rubin – a former Google executive who once oversaw the development of Android – just teased an unknown device.

Here’s the situation: Rubin, who left Google in 2014 after nine years, announced in January that he was starting a new company, called Essential, and that this company would be developing a high-end smartphone with an edge-to-edge display and minimal bezels. Now, via Twitter, he has teased what seems to be the first smartphone from Essential – and, as he already hinted, it has almost no bezel.

But that’s pretty much all we know. From the picture he tweeted, we can see that the phone has a speaker cutout at the top and maybe a volume rocker on the side of the device. Some reports have speculated that the phone seems to be running a version of Android, which makes since considering the phone is coming from Rubin’s own company, but that detail has not been confirmed yet by Essential.

I’m really excited about how this is shaping up. Eager to get it in more people’s hands… pic.twitter.com/LRzQCFSKTm

— Andy Rubin (@Arubin) March 27, 2017

Again, there’s little to go on from here. But we will keep you posted when we learn more.

Scientists turn spinach into a farm for human heart cells

In the future, you might not have to resort to exotic materials to create heart cells — you could just raid your grocery store’s produce section. Scientists have invented a process that turns spinach leaves into farms for functioning human heart cells. The team started by pumping a detergent solution through the spinach, stripping it of its plant cells and turning it into a ghostly shell made mostly of cellulose. After that, they cultured heart cells on the remaining structure, sending both fluids and microscopic beads through the vegetable’s now-empty veins in order to feed the new cells.

The result is a safe and potentially ideal bed for growing heart tissue. Existing approaches to generating heart cells, such as 3D printing, aren’t good at replicating the extremely complex network of veins needed to grow cells — spinach already has that. And when cellulose is bio-compatible, you don’t have to worry about hostile interactions between the heart cells and their host.

As is often the case with this kind of research, it’ll be a long while before this method is ready for practical use. If it pans out, though, it could lead to an affordable and eco-friendly of growing replacement tissue for heart attack patients. You could potentially apply this to other body replacements, too — the researchers suggest that wood’s structure might be helpful for generating bone. They’ve already applied this method to parsley, peanut hairy roots and sweet wormwood, so it’s more a question of finding use cases than overcoming technical hurdles.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: WPI, ScienceDirect

Dell’s 8K monitor is available for $5,000

Dell introduced its 31.5-inch 8K monitor at CES, which the company claims is the world’s first consumer screen to meet such a ridiculous resolution. While it took a backseat to the artist-aimed Canvas at the tech show, the Ultrasharp 32 is finally available on Dell’s online store for initial shipping in mid-April. Assuming you’ve got a spare $5,000 to spend.

Of course, you probably won’t plunk down that cash to use your fancy 8K monitor for high-end gaming or a VR ride. As we pointed out when we first saw it, the Ultrasharp 32’s 7,680 by 4,320 pixels and 100 percent Adobe RGB and sRGB color support will most benefit artists and photographers that need to view and edit massive files. It has a maximum 33.2MP resolution and 280 PPI density, but you’ll need to pipe in the visuals over two DisplayPort 1.3 ports, so make sure your machine has a pair freed up.

Sure, $5,000 is a hefty pricetag for visuals, but it’s a far cry from the $130,000 professional use-only 82-inch TV Sharp debuted in September 2015 . While LG and Samsung both introduced consumer-facing 8K-ready televisions at CES, they didn’t come with cost estimates or release dates. Dell’s Ultrasharp may be the only 8K ultra high resolution screen on the market for awhile.

Via: PetaPixel

Source: Dell online store

Gigantic drones may be the key to low-cost air shipping

Wonder why some companies still ship products on boats instead of speedy aircraft? It’s because air freight is much more expensive — the costs of the crew and fuel quickly add up. Natilus, however, thinks drones might offer a solution. The startup is prepping enormous, 200ft-long drones (roughly the size of a Boeing 777) that would haul up to 200,000lbs of cargo over the ocean. They’d theoretically reduce the cost of air freight in half by eliminating the crew and improving fuel efficiency. And while the drone likely wouldn’t be cleared to fly over populated areas, that wouldn’t matter — it’s designed to land on water and unload its goods at a seaport.

The idea is ambitious, to say the least, but there is a practical roadmap for making it a reality. A 30-foot prototype is poised to fly near San Francisco this summer. If that goes well, the next steps are finishing a full-scale prototype (due in 2020) and taking customers.

The main obstacle? Funding. As Fast Company explains, Natilus is currently a tiny company with three regular employees and under $1 million to its name. It’s going to need a lot of interest from investors to make its drones a reality. Thankfully, that might not be too hard. If the project works as planned, it could cut overseas shipping times down to less than a day without leading to absurd costs. You’d be more likely to get your online orders quickly, and it would be more practical to ship time-sensitive products like food.

Via: Fast Company

Source: Natilus

How to Use Theater Mode on the Apple Watch in watchOS 3.2

Introduced in watchOS 3.2, Theater Mode is a simple but useful feature that’s designed to prevent the Apple Watch’s screen from activating when you raise your wrist.

It’s useful in situations where the bright screen can be a distraction, such as a movie or a play, and it’s also useful for those who like to sleep with their Apple Watches.

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Activating Theater Mode

Theater Mode is available as an option in the Apple Watch Control Center, so toggling it on and off is simple.

Raise your wrist to activate the Apple Watch screen or press the Digital Crown.
Swipe up from the bottom of the Apple Watch to bring up Control Center.
Swipe up again to access the icon that looks like a pair of theater masks.
Tap the masks.
A screen will pop up explaining theater mode. Tap again to activate it.
While Theater Mode is active, you’ll see an the icon at the top of the Apple Watch whenever you view the screen. To turn it off, open up the Control Center again and tap the Theater Mode button.

How Theater Mode Works

When Theater Mode is enabled, the screen will remain dark when you raise your wrist instead of lighting up. It will also stay dark when a notification is received, but you’ll still know if you get an incoming text or other alert because haptic feedback remains on.

Accessing Notifications While Theater Mode is On

You’ll continue to get a tap whenever there’s an incoming notification when Theater Mode is turned on, and to view it, you’ll need to press the Digital Crown or tap on the screen.

Tapping, pressing the Digital Crown, or pressing the side button is also how you check the time when Theater Mode is enabled.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
Discuss this article in our forums

Analyst Suggests Third-Generation Apple Watch Will Include Cellular Connectivity

Based on supply chain analysis following a trip to Asia, Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Christopher Rolland (via Barron’s) believes Apple’s third-generation Apple Watch may introduce cellular connectivity, a feature that’s been long rumored for the device.

Specifically, Rolland suggests the 2017 Apple Watch will include a SIM card for LTE connectivity and that the next-generation device will be promoted alongside the AirPods.

We understand a model of the next Apple watch will include a SIM card, and therefore is likely to support LTE. We understand some issues remain, including battery life and form factor size, but significant progress has been made. Apple may be employing VOIP and data across a CAT-M1 connection for superior battery life.

Apple will tout interoperability with the company’s AirPods (now on back order till May) to make and receive phone calls (perhaps a small win for Maxim with amps in each ear bud). Positive QCOM, MXIM.

Apple has likely been working to add a cellular modem to the Apple Watch for several years, but has been unable to do so due to excessive battery drain. In early 2016, rumors suggested the second-generation Apple Watch would include cellular connectivity, but that didn’t pan out.

Mid-2016 rumors indicated Apple was researching low-power cellular chips for future versions of the Apple Watch, but was unable to make it work for the second-generation device, so the technology could potentially be ready for inclusion in a 2017 Apple Watch.

The addition of standalone cellular connectivity would further untether the Apple Watch from the iPhone, a process that started with the introduction of GPS in the Apple Watch Series 2. With a cellular connection, Apple Watch owners would not need an iPhone nearby to do things like make phone calls and stream Apple Music content, but a separate data plan would likely be needed.

Other Apple Watch 3 rumors have pointed towards a modest update that focuses mainly on under-the-hood hardware improvements to boost performance and battery life, and while we haven’t heard much information on a third-generation device, a refresh could come alongside the iPhone 8 in September.

Today’s report from Rolland also touches on some previously mentioned 2017 rumors, suggesting all three rumored iPhone models will feature wireless charging capabilities and will be charged through pads manufactured by Pegatron and Foxconn. “There is some skepticism regarding charging efficiency,” writes Rolland, “as it may take 3 hours to receive a full charge.”

While long-range contactless wireless charging was originally rumored to be included in the 2017 iPhone, later information has centered on inductive charging methods, which would require a separate charging mat or other similar charging device.

The analyst also believes Apple will eliminate the Home button in the iPhone 8, but the Lightning port will stay. He suggests there has been “serious consideration” for removing the Lightning port in 2018, however.

Rolland does not have an established track record for predicting Apple’s product plans, but the information he’s shared today is not outlandish and echoes past rumors. Still, cellular connectivity for the Apple Watch has been rumored multiple times in the past, so it’s worth viewing today’s note with some skepticism until additional information is available.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3, iPhone 8 (2017)
Tag: Susquehanna
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
Discuss this article in our forums

Powerstick Hawkeye review: An alarm system for your USB devices

The Hawkeye by PowerStick.com is a personal alarm system and reminder tool that connects to your USB-enabled device, allowing the user to monitor his USB cable, and whichever device is connected to it.

Design and Setup

The Hawkeye is incredibly easy to set up. It looks like any other USB dongle, but there is a button on the reverse side. The button activates the alarm. Since the Hawkeye works with any USB device, there is no setup, and it is device-agnostic. Once the device is out of the box, it is working immediately.

Features

We mentioned that the Hawkeye is both an alarm system and a reminder; they function in essentially the same way. Once out of the box, plug your USB cable into the Hawkeye, and then the Hawkeye into either a wall charger or a USB port and press the only button on the dongle. This now activates the alarm. Any time the device is removed from the cable that is connected to the dongle, the alarm sounds.

Designed for travelers, the alarm is ideal when in an airport or a coffee shop to ensure the security of your device if you need to step away. The reminder or notification use-case would be ideal when in a hotel.

Personally, I have walked out of a hotel room on more than one occasion and forgot to grab my charger, and the Hawkeye seeks to stop that from happening again. When you unplug your phone, but not from the wall, the alarm will sound, reminding you to grab your cable as well.

Conclusion

For the price ($14), the Hawkeye does exactly what it says. The alarm is slightly less-quiet than a standard mobile phone on the loudest setting, so don’t expect to hear it from several rooms away or a crowded airport, but inside a hotel room, or a moderately-quiet coffee shop, it can absolutely be heard.

The simple usage of the dongle with only one button is both a blessing and a curse–it turns on and off with just one press of a button, making it incredibly easy to disarm it. Also, if it becomes unplugged from the wall, no alarm will sound. Because of this, I think it is a great tool as a reminder in a hotel to not forget to grab your charger, but not exactly ideal in an airport to prevent someone from running off with your device.

Raspberry Pi Zero W review

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The Raspberry Pi Foundation recently launched the Raspberry Pi Zero W, an improved version of the original Raspberry Pi Zero that adds built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. These have been two features many Raspberry Pi fans have been requesting for a long time, and now, thankfully, they’re finally built into the wonderful Raspberry Pi Zero.

• Raspberry Pi Zero review
• Raspberry Pi 3 review

Since the Raspberry Pi Zero W is simply a variant of the Raspberry Pi Zero, this isn’t going to be a full, in-depth review. Instead this review will focus on all the new features the Zero W brings to the table. If you’re looking for detailed performance metrics on this board, I’d suggest heading over to my original Raspberry Pi Zero review. It’s also worth reading my review of the Raspberry Pi 3 as it was the first Raspberry Pi to feature built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

When I reviewed the Raspberry Pi 3, I wrote, “I can only hope that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth become a standard for all future Raspberry Pi boards. Anyone want a Raspberry Pi Zero+ with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, even if it costs $15? Yes please!” The Raspberry Pi Foundation not only beat my expectations on price, it seems they also ignored my naming suggestion!

Without any further delay, here is my Raspberry Pi Zero W review.

Specifications

Design

If you were expecting anything other than a small circuit board then you have come to the wrong place. For $9, you don’t get any kind of case or anything resembling a consumer-level product. However, that’s sort of the point of Raspberry Pi products. The Zero W is meant to be bare bones, cheap, and versatile, so hobbyists and professionals alike can make anything they’d like.

Like the original Pi Zero, the System-on-a-Chip (SoC) is near the middle of the board, while the various ports are found towards the bottom. There is a mini-HDMI port for the display (mini now rather than full sized HDMI) as well as two micro-USB ports – one for power and the other for data (i.e. it is a normal USB port). To use the micro-USB port to connect peripherals like a keyboard or mouse you will need a micro-USB B male to USB A female adapter.

To the left of the board is the microSD slot. There is no built-in flash memory on the Pi Zero (just like the other Pi boards) so you need to get hold of a microSD card for the OS and for data storage. Without a microSD card the Pi Zero W won’t boot.

There is no Ethernet port, just like the first Pi Zero. However, now that the Zero W has built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, you can connect to the board without using a USB Wi-Fi dongle or a USB Ethernet port.

To get the Raspberry Pi Zero W up and running you need a mini-HDMI to HDMI adapter, an HDMI cable, a micro-USB power supply (like a phone charger) and a microSD card (at least 4 GB). You will also need a monitor/TV, a small USB hub, a mouse and a keyboard. All of these latter items can be removed once you have the board setup and running “headless.” You can also use a Bluetooth mouse and a Bluetooth keyboard.

Hardware

Just to recap on what you get with the Raspberry Pi Zero W. It is a fully working 32-bit computer with a 1 GHz ARMv6 single core microprocessor (ARM1176) , a VideoCore 4 GPU, and 512 MB of memory. The GPU is capable of driving a full HD display at 60 fps. You also get access to the 40 General Purpose Input and Output (GPIO) ports, however the header is unpopulated, meaning there are no pins.

Because of its size and use of an energy-efficient ARM-based processor, the Raspberry Pi Zero can be powered from an external battery pack, like the ones you use to charge your mobile phone on the go. This is a great solution for “headless” setups for use on robots or other embedded projects.

To earn the “W” moniker, the Zero W uses the Cypress CYW43438 wireless chip as Raspberry Pi 3 Model B meaning it has 802.11n wireless LAN and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity.

Software

The operating system of choice for all Raspberry Pi boards is Linux, specifically the Debian based Raspbian. Installing Raspbian is a breeze. You need to download the New Out Of the Box Software (NOOBS) zip archive and extract it onto a blank microSD card. Boot the Pi Zero W from the card and follow the on screen instructions. Once complete the Zero will reboot into the Raspbian desktop environment.

When the desktop appears you will probably want to configure the networking. Click on the network icon (near the clock at the top-right of the screen) and you will see a list of all available wireless networks. Select the one you want and enter the password. If you right-click the network icon and choose the Wireless & Wired Network Settings option from the pop-up menu, you can manually enter a static IP address.

If you are using your Pi Zero for an embedded project then you might not want the desktop to start by default. You can configure this using the “Raspberry Pi Configuration” program. Click Menu (top-left of the screen), then Preferences, then Raspberry Pi Configuration.

In the middle of the System tab you will see the option to boot to Desktop or to CLI. If you do opt to keep the desktop then you should consider enabling VNC (on the Interfaces tab) so that you can access the desktop remotely.

While you are in Raspberry Pi Configuration, you can also set the hostname of your Pi Zero W and also configure the auto login options. Under the Interfaces tab you should also enable SSH login which will allow you to connect to your Pi Zero W over SSH.

With the Wi-Fi network configured and SSH enabled, you are now ready to disconnect the keyboard, mouse and monitor, and reboot to access your Zero W remotely.

Final thoughts

Having built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth makes the Raspberry Pi Zero W versatile and flexible, and at $10 you can’t fault the price. The possible uses and projects for the Zero W are endless and it lends itself well to Internet-of-Things projects. Sensor data gathering (via the GPIO ports), plus a 1 GHz 32-bit processor, plus wireless connectivity equals a winning formula.

As with the original Raspberry Pi Zero, the desktop performance of the Zero W is poor, plus there are the hidden costs in terms of adapters. If you want more performance and a full set of ports, including wired Ethernet, then you should opt for the Raspberry Pi 3. However for any IoT project that requires a cheap processor board with built-in wireless connectivity, I suggest you buy a bucket load of Pi Zero W boards.

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