Nokia 9 to feature QHD OLED display, iris scanner and OZO Audio

Nokia Power User has obtained new information about the Nokia 9, HMD’s 2017 flagship, relating to various features and specs. We’re running with the name of Nokia 9 on this story, because that’s what the source claims.

• Nokia 8 flagship Android phone: Release date, rumours and specs

However, rumours and leaks up until now have largely pointed to a Nokia 8 name, following the Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and possible Nokia 7. A contradictory rumour has also said the Nokia 8 would be a top-end mid-ranger instead, and that the Nokia 9 will in fact be HMD’s flagship.

Nokia Power User says the information is from a new source, but the claims it makes are certainly worth covering. It says the Nokia 9 may come with iris scanning technology, similar to that on the Samsung Galaxy S8, which uses it as a security measure. There will also be a fingerprint scanner and IP68 dust- and waterproof capabilities.

It also goes on to say it will feature a 5.5-inch Quad HD OLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB storage options. There’s no mention of a microSD card slot, which could allude to a unibody design. 

The rear camera is expected to be a 22-megapixel sensor with Carl Zeiss optics and a 12MP camera on the front. The 3800mAh battery will feature Quick Charge 4.0 technology, and because of the possible unibody design, it won’t be removable. 

• Nokia 8 said to be mid-ranger, will be joined by Nokia 7 but flagship yet to come
• Nokia 8 tipped for June, flagship said to come with Snapdragon 835
• Nokia 6 Android phone: Specs, release date and everything you need to know
• Nokia 6 vs Nokia 5 vs Nokia 3: What’s the difference?

Finally, the Nokia 9 is said to come with OZO Audio, which is “an advanced spatial audio technology with 3D capture and playback capabilities”. OZO is also the name of Nokia’s virtual reality headset, so it’s logical to assume the Nokia 9 will be a VR-enabled phone. 

More people use the internet on Android than Windows

It’s a milestone day for the mobile world: Android’s internet use has overtaken that on Windows PCs for the first time. According to StatCounter, Google’s phone platform represented 37.93 percent of tracked internet activity in March, just barely edging out Windows’ 37.91 percent. You could see this coming for a while, of course. Smartphone shipments overtook PCs roughly 6 years ago, and people have been spending more time on their phones than their computers. Still, it’s a sign of just how important smartphones have become to many people — and when you see where Android is the front runner, you’ll understand why.

StatCounter notes that Android was helped in no small part by a surging Asian market. When smartphones dominate in countries like China and India, that’s going to have a dramatic effect on worldwide data. And in both Asia and Africa, many people don’t have the luxury of owning both a smartphone and a PC — their phone may be their only consistent gateway to the internet. When smartphone shipments eclipse those of PCs (1.5 billion phones in 2016 versus 270 million PCs), though, it’s clear that smartphones are democratizing internet access in a way that isn’t practical for (typically) pricier, less essential computers.

Source: BusinessWire, StatCounter

‘Batman Arkham VR’ finally comes to Oculus Rift and Vive

Your chance to don Batman’s suit in the comfort of your own home is coming very soon. That is, if you have the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive VR headset hooked up to a PC. Batman Arkham VR, previously available on PlayStation VR since October 2016, will be available for PC players on April 25th, and pre-ordering via the game’s official website is “coming soon.”

As a recap, the game we’re talking about here is the Rocksteady Studios version that gives you a first-person view of what it’s like to be Gotham’s caped crusader, not the Telltale edition. You’ll scour your surroundings for clues to solve crimes and fight villains using each system’s hand-held controller. In addition to giving players the joy of being in Batman’s shoes, the game is also an exciting peek at what future VR games could be like.

We don’t know how much the game will cost yet, but it will likely be in the same range as the $20 PSVR version.

Source: Batman Arkham VR

ESPN Updates Apple TV App With New Interface, Live Streaming Auto-Play, and On Demand Videos

ESPN today announced a redesign of its Apple TV app that brings live streaming auto-play and ESPN Video On Demand to Apple’s fourth-generation set-top box. In addition, the app has been rebranded from WatchESPN to simply “the ESPN app.”

With live streaming auto-play, users will be able to jump right into the network’s stream of sports content with a live video playing immediately when authenticated users launch the app. The new Video On Demand feature will stockpile a collection of user-specific, curated videos that can be browsed and watched at any time, including content from World Series of Poker, X Games, Outside the Lines, and more.

• Live Streaming Auto-Play: Upon launching the app, a live stream of one of ESPN’s networks will now automatically play for authenticated users.
• ESPN Video On Demand: A new collection of curated on-demand videos including hundreds of hours of additional content from 30 for 30, E:60, Outside the Lines, SC Featured, World Series of Poker, X Games and more.
• Sleeker, Simpler User Interface: In addition to visual graphic enhancements to Featured content, users can also browse videos by Sports & Events or Channels.

All of the new features are housed in a new UI that boasts “graphic enhancements” to the app’s featured content, as well as tweaks to the way videos can be browsed, including search by sport, event, or channel.

“From replays to full episodes of on-demand content prior to their telecast premieres, ESPN’s tvOS app is now so much more than our live streaming networks,” said Ryan Spoon, senior vice president of digital product, design and audience development, ESPN. “With this latest update, authenticated users now have the full benefit of engaging with a wide range of live and on-demand video content from the very first click into what is now the ESPN App on Apple TV.”

ESPN is launching the new app today, ahead of the premiere of its new multiplatform original series “We the Fans.” On April 9, four episodes of the eight-episode show will stream exclusively on ESPN’s suite of mobile and tv-based apps two days before premiering on cable.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 10
Tag: ESPN
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Don’t Buy)
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Best Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus cases: Protect your new Samsung smartphone

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus have finally been officially announced, offering stunning designs, huge displays and plenty of power. They come with IP68 waterproofing, super slim bezels, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and 18.5:9 ratio curved screens.

As with all smartphones though, they won’t stay looking new and shiny forever, picking up unavoidable scratches and dents as time goes on. Admittedly, it’s always a shame to cover up fabulous designs, but it’s better to protect them as much as you can than see that amazing display crack, or your keys scratch the rear.

With that in mind, we have rounded up some of the best Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus cases that we have found so far. No doubt there will be more as the launch date gets closer so keep checking back as we will update this feature whenever we find another great one.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 preview
• Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus preview

Amazon

Jack Spade

The Jack Spade Colour Block case for the Galaxy S8 Plus comes in Tech Oxford Grey and Black, which the company says are its signature colours and materials. Delivering slim and bulk free protection, the Colour Block case has an easy-grip design and it is lightweight.

Price: £34.99 from Amazon.co.uk

Amazon

Samsung

Samsung offers numerous official cases for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, including the Clear View case. This particular case comes in several colour options and it provides full screen protection, scratch recovery technology and a fingerprint and anti-scratch resistant finish. It is also Qi wireless charging compatible.

Price: £45.30 from Amazon.co.uk

Amazon

Spigen

The Spigen Rugged Armor case for the Galaxy S8 has glossy accents and carbon fibre textures. There is air cushion technology on board for shock absorption, while a raised lip protects the screen. Tactile buttons provide solid feedback, and there is a spider-web pattern inside for further shock absorption.

Price: £6.99 from Amazon.co.uk

Amazon

Samsung

Another of the official Samsung cases is the Alcantara cover, which comes in a range of colours. It offers easy access to all ports, controls and connectors, is Qi wireless charging compatible and it offers a soft-to-touch finish. This case will protect your Galaxy S8 without adding too much bulk.

Price: £34.99 from Amazon.co.uk

Peli

PELI

PELI’s Adventurer case is available for the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, said to offer 23 per cent more impact absorption over competitors. It is super slim and has a clear back to allow you to see the design of the smartphone, while also offering a dual-layer structural design and military standard drop protection. The PELI Adventurer comes in Black and Aqua Clear colour options.

Price: From £29.99 at Amazon.co.uk

Amazon

Caseology

The Caseology Parallex Series Geometric case comes in burgandy and black for the Galaxy S8 Plus and it features a geometric pattern with a textured anti-slip grip. It offers a polycarbonate frame, corner cushion design and responsive button covers with cutouts for features.

Price: £15.99 from Amazon.co.uk  

Amazon

CM4

The CM4 Q Card case for Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus fits three cards and cash, while also offering protection for your new device. It has a soft-touch rubber grip, air cushioned corners and a fabric construction in order to disperse shock. The CM4 Q Card case comes in black oynx.

Price: $24.99 from Amazon.com

Amazon

Samsung 

The Samsung Silicone Cover offers a simple but stylish design that keeps your device slim and light. It features easy access to all ports, controls and connectors and like the other official Samsung accessories, it is Qi wireless charging compatible.

Price: £24.99 from Amazon.co.uk

Amazon

Silk Innovation

The Silk Innovation Base Grip Case comes with textured edges, air cushioned corners for shock absorption and a lay-flat screen guard to protect your screen. It is available for both the S8 and S8 Plus and it comes in black onyx and blue jade colour options.

Price: $11.99 from Amazon.com

Amazon

Samsung

For those that like us, would rather not cover up a beautiful device with a case, Samsung offers the Clear Cover for both the Galaxy S8 and the S8 Plus. It has a bumper-style design, access to all ports and features and Qi wireless charging compatibility. The great thing about this case is you can still see the design of the S8 and S8 Plus.

Price: £14.99 from Amazon.co.uk

Amazon

Sparin

Sparin offers several cases for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, with the above specifically for the smaller model. It has precise cut outs for easy access to features and functions, while protection against drops, knocks and scratches comes from the polycarbonate exterior and TPU interior.

Price: £6.99 from Amazon.co.uk

Tech21

Tech21

Tech21 offers a range of cases for the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, including the Evo Wallet Case. This particular case only comes in black, but it offers drop protection up to three metres, storage for two cards and access to all ports and functions. The front is also detachable, making it two cases in one.

Price: £39.95 from Tech21

Speck

Speck

Speck has few cases for the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, including the Presidio Clear + Print and the Presidio Clear + Glitter cases. Both come with a lifetime warranty, bezel screen protection, resistance to UV yellowing and a scratch-resistant finish.

Price: From £24.95 at Speck

X-Doria

X-Doria

There are several options available for the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus from X-Doria, including the Defense Lux case, which comes in three colour options. It features military-grade drop protection, machine metal over plastic and a soft rubber interior.

Price: $34.99 from X-Doria

‘Reverse Prisma’ AI turns Monet paintings into photos

Impressionist art is more about feelings than realism, but have you ever wondered what Monet actually saw when he created pieces like Low Tide at Varengeville (above)? Thanks to researchers from UC Berkeley, you don’t need to go to Normandy and wait for the perfect light. Using “image style transfer” they converted his impressionist paintings into a more realistic photo style, the exact opposite of what apps like Prisma do. The team also used the same AI to transform a drab landscape photo into a pastel-inflected painting that Monet himself may have executed.

Style transfer has suddenly become a hot thing, apparently, as Adobe recently showed off an experimental app that lets you apply one photo style (’90s stoner landscapes) to another (your crappy smartphone photo).

UC Berkely researchers have taken that idea in another direction. You can take, for instance, a regular photo and transform it into a Monet, Van Gogh, Cezanne or Ukiyo-e painting. The team was also able to use the technique to change winter Yosemite photos into summer ones, apples into (really weird) oranges and even horses into zebras. The technique also allowed them to do photo tricks like creating a shallow depth of field behind flowers and other objects.

The most interesting aspect of the research is the fact that the team used what’s called “unpaired data.” In other words, they don’t have a photo taken at the scene at the exact moment Monet did his painting. “Instead, we have knowledge of the set of Monet paintings of of the set of landscape photographs. We can reason about the stylistic differences between those two sets, and thereby imagine what a scene might look like if we were to translate it from one set into another.”

That’s easier said than done though. First, they needed to figure out the relationships between similar styles in a way that a machine can understand. Then they trained so-called “adversarial networks” using a large number of photos (from Flickr and other sources) and refined them by having both people and machines check the quality of the results.

Ideally, the system would be “cycle consistent.” Just as you hope to have the original sentence when you translate English to French and back again, you want roughly the same painting when you translate a Monet to a photo and back again. In many cases, other than a loss of pixel resolution, the team succeeded in that regard (above).

All is not perfect, of course. Since the algorithms have to deal with a lot of different styles for both paintings and photos, they often fail completely to transfer one to another. As with other systems, one of the main issues is with geometric transformations — changing an apple into an orange is one thing, but attempting to transform a cat into a dog instead produces a very disturbing cat.

The team adds that its methods still aren’t as good as using paired training data either — ie, photos that exactly match paintings. Nevertheless, left on its own accord, the AI is surprisingly good at transferring one image style to another, so you’ll no doubt see the results of their work soon in your Instagram feed. If you want to try it for yourself and are comfortable with Linux, you can grab the code here.

Via: Prosthetic Knowledge

Source: UC Berkeley (Github)

PicoBrew tries to make countertop beer brewing affordable

Brewing your own beer is surprisingly easy and cheap. But, it can seem intimidating. Plus, some of the equipment takes up a lot of space if you really start to embrace the hobby. Companies like Picobrew have been trying to simplify the process to make it more appealing to newcomers and those with limited space. The Pico Model C is the latest in a line of “countertop” brewing machines. It looks more like a coffee machine than anything else. In fact, it looks a lot like the company’s previous machine — the Pico — except the stainless-steel body has been replaced with a black powder-coated finish.

That change in materials, though, is a pretty big deal. By ditching the expensive stainless steel, large OLED and traditional ball-lock keg, Picobrew has gotten the price down to $549 from $800. Hell, if you grab one of the early bird Kickstarter specials, the Model C will only cost you $279. It’s still not exactly an impulse purchase (and a far cry from the $50-$100 a stovetop starter brewing kit will set you back), but it’s definitely a huge improvement for those who are still unsure about how much they want to invest in a new hobby.

In place of a more traditional keg, Picobrew is including a custom-made fermentation vessel it calls the Pico C Keg. It’s basically just a stainless-steel pot with a lid that latches on like a pressure cooker. Instead of using common ball-lock connectors, simple color-coded hoses run from the machine to the keg. While connecting ball locks isn’t exactly rocket science, the Pico C Keg is much easier to hook up and clean than the common Cornelius keg. You can even stick it in the dishwasher if you want.

More interesting, though, is the new app called BrewPulse. It’s still clearly in the very early stages of development, but the app should help brewing newbies. BrewPulse doesn’t control your Pico, to be clear. Instead, it’s focused on tracking and instruction. It walks you through every step, starting with ordering PicoPaks — prepackaged pods of grain and hops that you simply insert into the machine. The reader inside scans an RFID tag on the pack and downloads the recipe to the machine.

From here the app tracks the whole process, monitoring fermentation temperatures and which beers are where in the pipeline — which are waiting to be made, which are brewing, which are fermenting, carbonating or being served. Basically, it’s a homebrew inventory system.

It’s kind of the perfect partner for the company’s new BrewUnlimited subscription service that’s also launching. Think of it like Netflix for PicoPaks — $59 a month gets you as many kits as you can brew in a month, though you’re limited to two unbrewed packs at a time.

The Model C, of course, has its limitations. Basically the same as the Pico before it, it makes only 5 liters (slightly less than 1.5 gallons) of beer at a time, which is fine for poker night or a small dinner party, but it’s not gonna be enough for a big barbecue. The other is flexibility. The focus on simplifying the process means limiting the number of variables, especially on the machine itself. You can create customized recipes using the FreeStyle PicoPak tool on the company’s website. But, once the pack is in the machine you can only adjust the ABV and bitterness.

At $279, the Pico Model C doesn’t seem to be a bad introduction to the world of homebrew if your primary concerns are convenience and space. At $549, the value proposition becomes less clear, especially considering some of its limitations. But we’ll reserve judgment until we have a chance to spend more time with a production model, which should be shipping some time this fall.

HTC launches a monthly subscription for Vive VR apps

Virtual reality is still in its infancy, so it’s no surprise that most apps for the HTC Vive are smaller, experimental and ultimately expendable experiences. If you’re a new headset owner, it can be hard to know which games are worth buying, or to get a good sense of what the medium has to offer without spending hundreds of dollars. To help, HTC is launching the Viveport Subscription, a scheme that offers five VR apps for $6.99 per month. You choose from a pool of 50 and can rotate your selection every four weeks, keeping your library and knowledge of the platform fresh.

The subscription service launches on April 5th, and everyone will receive a one-month free trial. Compatible apps include the physics puzzler Fantastic Contraption, Everest VR, Richie’s Plank Experience and ocean exploration TheBlu. The hope, of course, is that you’ll maintain a subscription and buy the experiences that leave an impression each month. That way, you can keep trying new software while holding on to the apps you think are interesting and warrant periodical play sessions.

HTC is launching Viveport Subscription as a way to mark the Vive’s first anniversary. As an extra gift, it’s giving away Arcade Saga, a three-game package that normally costs $19.99 on Steam. If you haven’t bought a Vive yet, the company is also knocking $100 off the standard retail price. That should make it a tad more competitive with the Oculus Rift, which received a similar price-cut last month, and Sony’s PlayStation VR, a cheaper but slightly less powerful alternative. The current wave of VR has had a slow, but steady start — while its smartphone division suffers, HTC needs to ensure the Vive remains competitive and, therefore, attractive to consumers and developers. Its future as a company depends on it.

Brain zapping helps US Navy Seals learn faster

The Navy wants soldiers who can concentrate better and learn faster, and it’s looking at a controversial piece of tech to do that: transcranial electrical stimulation. It has been testing a passive brain-stimulating device from Halo Neuroscience with “a small group of volunteers” from Seal Team Six, the group that killed Osama Bin Laden, and other units, according to Military.com. “Early results show promising signs,” said spokesman Capt. Jason Salata in a statement.

The $749 Halo Neuroscience headset (below) looks a lot like regular headphones, and does actually play music. However, it also has silicon spikes on the band called “neuroprimers” that contact a wearer’s head. Those emit electrical impulses that supposedly stimulate the motor cortex, a part of the brain that’s key for athletes, soldiers and others who perform physically demanding tasks.

The soldier or athlete simply sprays the spikes with saline solution to ensure good electrical contact, then wears the headset during warmups. The tingling they feel on their scalp supposedly increases the “neuroplasticity” of the brain, making it more receptive than usual to training. The company insists that they’re ideal for elite athletes or soldiers, where a small improvement in performance can make the winning (or living) difference.

The idea is to make training shorter and more efficient for Navy Seals, who are already running on the ragged edge. “They’re training at this amazingly high level, and the amount they can train is actually limited by things like physical recovery,” Halo Co-founder Bret Wingeier told Military.com. “They want to build and maintain these amazing physical skills, but do so just as efficiently as possible.”

The effort is part of Navy Special Operations Commander Tim Zymanski’s industry challenge to develop “cognitive enhancement” technology for soldiers. While that could include pharmaceutical aids and other things, the military is particularly interested in neuro-stimulation tech as a way to enhance both performance and learning.

Halo claims that the devices have improved the performance of Olympic and professional athletes (like the San Francisco Giants, above), but they can’t necessarily prove that those gains are the direct results of the headset and not, say, a placebo effect or that “Workout Twerkout” Spotify playlist. For now, however, the military is convinced, and thinks its a better option than “smart drugs” like Modafinil or amphetamines.

“In experiments, people who were watching these screens … their ability to concentrate would fall off in about 20 minutes,” said Szymanski. “But they did studies whereby a little bit of electrical stimulation was applied, and they were able to maintain the same peak performance for 20 hours.”

Source: Military.com

ReSound LiNX 3D Hearing Aid and iOS App Connect Users to Their Audiologists for Remote Fine-Tuning

Danish hearing aid company GN Hearing today announced the newest iteration of its IoT hearing aid solution, called the ReSound LiNX 3D, as well as new apps for the iPhone and Apple Watch.

The major update to GN’s new hearing care solution is a way for users to get their hearing aids remotely fine-tuned by their audiologist after an initial fitting at their local clinic, through a cloud-based infrastructure called ReSound Smart Fit. The original ReSound LiNX allowed users to adjust their own settings on the fly, but now they can request assistance wherever they are directly from the mobile app, and their doctor can make all the adjustments necessary “to provide a better hearing experience for the user.”

ReSound LiNX 3D is the only device with complete remote fine-tuning capabilities that allows users to stay in touch with their hearing care professional wherever they are, receiving hearing care and getting new settings via the cloud without having to schedule and travel for a clinic appointment. The unique cloud integration enables hearing care professionals to stay connected with users no matter where they are.

Users will be able to share feedback about any hearing difficulty as the situation occurs, rather than trying to remember how to describe it during an adjustment visit to the clinic. Hearing care professionals will have the freedom to offer follow-up services remotely – saving time for both hearing care professionals and users, and creating opportunities for even higher user satisfaction.

The ReSound LiNX 3D includes GN Hearing’s 5th generation 2.4 GHz wireless technology and 3rd generation binaural directionality, providing users with “clear, natural sound, exceptional speech understanding and the best sense of where sounds are coming from.” The company said that the hearing aid’s advantages lie in both quiet and speech-only situations, as well as times when surrounding sounds are loud and the aid optimizes audibility of speaking voices.

The original ReSound LiNX launched with a unique 2.4 GHz protocol as well, developed in careful conjunction with Apple as a way to create a specific link between the hearing aid and iPhone devices. This technology enabled the first LiNX — and now the new LiNX 3D — to support a smarter system that could turn off and on quickly to save battery life, as well as geofencing abilities to intelligently detect where a user is and adapt to the corresponding new environment change with no intervention from the user.

When connected to the new apps on iPhone and Apple Watch, users will be able to access custom control features for the hearing aid, built-in guidance steps to understand the hardware and software, and coaching assistance to get the most out of the system. When compared to competitors, the company said that the ReSound LiNX 3D and companion app are up to 50 percent better at identifying speech across various environments, enable users to hear up to 80 percent more of the sounds around them, and enable users to understand up to 40 percent more speech in noise.

GN Hearing will launch the ReSound LiNX 3D, as well as a hearing aid with similar features under its sister brand Beltone, around the world later in 2017. No more information was given in today’s announcement, but the company encouraged anyone interested to keep track of announcements surrounding the ReSound LiNX 3D by visiting its website.

Tag: accessibility
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