Certification program for mobile developers now offered via Google Partners

Why it matters to you

You can already get a Google Partner badge for your AdWords skills, and now, you can get one for mobile development, too.

Your latest degree may not come from a university — instead, it could be Google giving you the certification you need for your job. On Monday, the tech giant began offering to mobile site developers a brand new certification program, which tests a number of skills including how to improve site speeds, best practices in mobile UX design, and progressive web apps.

The point of the exam (or rather, the point of acing the exam), is to prove to potential employers that you have “a demonstrated ability to build and optimize high-quality sites, and [it] allows you to promote yourself as a Google accredited mobile site developer.”

It’s all part of Google’s larger Google Partners program, which already promises a number of free product exams and certifications. For example, you can already get certifications for Google AdWords and Analytics through the program.

More: Google tweaks the Pixel C tablet to be a little more like its Pixel phones

The mobile site certification focuses most on site speed — or at least, most of the study guide‘s content does. The search engine has done quite a bit in the last year or so to improve the mobile web experience (it expanded its use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal last April). And, as the tech company points out, since most site visitors will leave a mobile page if it takes more than three seconds to load, it’s well worth it to ensure that things are as efficient as possible on small screens. That said, there’s still quite a bit of work to be done — the average load time for a mobile landing page is 22 seconds, Google points out.

We ought to point out, however, that Google’s mobile development exam isn’t focused in particular on any operating system (like Android or iOS). It does, however, have some content around Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages project (which you may know better as AMP). In any case, this is one certification that may be worth checking out.

Asus continues its quest for gaming monitor excellence with two new models

Why it matters to you

If you are in the market for a new gaming monitor, then your options just keep growing as Asus introduces a couple more.

The more powerful today’s GPUs become, the more likely it is that hardcore gamers will want to run the latest titles at higher resolutions and with newer technologies like high dynamic range (HDR). Monitor manufacturers are stepping up to the plate lately, with displays that not only perform well but look good while doing so.

Asus released a number of gaming monitors recently and they have two more options hitting the streets soon. The ROG Swift PG27VQ and ROG Strix XG27VQ are their latest, and they both bring some interesting features to the gaming display market, The Tech Report points out.

More: Asus ROG leaks announcement of a 4K HDR gaming monitor — the Swift PG27UQ

The news comes via the company’s Outshine the Competition event in Berlin. Asus didn’t provide too many details on the new monitors, but what it did reveal demonstrates that it is hoping to continue to build on its successful line of gaming monitors.

First up is the ROG Strix XG27VQ, which offers a curved 27-inch panel with a high 144Hz refresh rate. It is a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution monitor supporting Nvidia’s G-Sync protocol for avoiding in-game tearing. The company’s Aura Sync technology should make the display fit a gamer’s aesthetic by offering up RGB LEDs on the back of the display that is presumably in sync with other LED lighting.

Next is the ROG Swift PG27VQ, which utilizes a QHD+ resolution panel (2,560 x 1,440) that is also curved. It offers up an even higher refresh rate of 165Hz for faster gaming performance and it is based on quantum dot technology with high brightness that should support HDR. The PG27VQ also supports Nvidia G-Sync and incorporates Asus’ Aura Sync.

Asus also touched on the ROG Swift PG27UQ that made its debut at CES 2017. That monitor is a 4K UHD (3,840 x 1,920) display offering up HDR support and support for the DCI-P3 color gamut and 384 dynamically controlled lighting zones for superior contrast and natural dark colors.

There is no pricing or availability information yet on any of these new Asus monitors. However, there is just enough information to let us know that Asus is serious about enhancing the gaming experience all the way from new motherboards supporting AMD’s latest Ryzen CPUs and Intel Optane memory through the latest GPUs and now a new line of outstanding gaming monitors.

Free yourself! How to unlock your phone from the icy hands of your wireless carrier

Your two-year contract is finally up, and you want to save some money by bringing your phone to a carrier with lower rates. Sadly, odds are that your phone is locked to your carrier, which prevents you from jumping ship and using your phone on another network. Thankfully, legislation and the FCC made the process of unlocking your phone easier than ever. More importantly, it superseded an earlier decision made by the Library of Congress that interpreted cellphone unlocking as a violation of copyright. Cellphone unlocking, in other words, is legally permissible.

More: How to avoid early termination fees and switch phone carriers like a pro

Just because unlocking your phone is legal doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy to do, though. To that end, let’s dive into what you’d want to do if you were to unlock your phone and break free of your two-year cycle with your carrier.

What you’ll need

Before you set your mind on unlocking your phone, you’ll need to keep in mind that doing so isn’t a fast process by any stretch of the imagination. Unlocking your phone can take several phone calls and hours of work. In addition, unlocking your phone before you leave your current carrier would be wise, as the incentive to help you through the process won’t be as great.

With that in mind, there are a few nuggets of information you’ll need:

• The account holder’s name and account number.
• IMEI of your device.
• Your phone number.
• The account holder’s social security number or password.
• A finished contract and/or device payment plan.
• Overseas deployment papers, if the nature of your inquiry involves you being in the military and wanting to unlock your phone before your contract is up.

Now that you have that information by your side, let’s see how each carrier handles unlocking your phone.

How to convert your VHS tapes to DVD, Blu-ray, or digital file

Memories have a lifespan — at least when it comes to those captured on the dying medium known as Video Home System, aka VHS. The format was never intended to last forever and degrades over time. However, if your VCR somehow managed to spare your precious home videos or Super Bowl recaps this far, you may want to salvage the footage before time takes its toll. Converting well-worn videos will never be flawless — the slightest hiccup can interrupt the transfer signal — but it can be done on a modest budget with a few basic tools.

More: How to rip a DVD or Blu-ray movie

Below, we’ll show you how to save your moments digitally on multiple formats, including DVD, Blu-ray, or digital file. If you’re just too busy, we’ve also got a list of the various VHS conversion services, including pricing, to help you preserve that 20-year-old footage of you face-planting on your first bike. If not for you, do it for posterity’s sake.

Disclaimer: It’s technically illegal to produce copies of commercial films and copyrighted content, but there are no restrictions on mass producing home videos. Plus, you can usually pick up a used copy of Top Gun, the Breakfast Club or all eight riveting seasons of Full House online for next to nothing anyway. 

VHS-to-DVD conversion services

Rest assured, for those who’d rather forego the technical hands-on process, all the big-name retail corporations offer VHS-to-DVD, and in some cases VHS-to-digital conversion services through their photo departments. Most of them use a very similar service — in some cases the exact service — and typically require a three-week waiting period between the time you drop off your tapes and the time you can pick them up with the new DVD, but there’s no extra work on your end.

Available transfer formats are standard, from VHS to Betamax, and most services will allow you to transfer up to two tapes to a single DVD before charging you extra. Alternatively, there are a couple great websites that offer the same service for a more affordable price if you feel comfortable shipping the VHS tapes yourself.

Costco
VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C, Hi-8, 8mm videotape, 8mm film, Super 8, 16mm film, Digital 8, MiniDV, Betamax; foreign (PAL) tapes to NTSC DVD
Starts at $20 for two tapes up to two hours
iMemories.com
VHS, VHS-C, Betamax, 8mm tape, Hi8, 8mm film, Super 8, 16mm film, MiniDV,
$13 per tape, or per 50ft. film
Walmart
VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C, Hi-8, 8mm, Digital 8, MiniDV, Betamax; Foreign (PAL)
$25 per DVD
Southtree
VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, MiniDV, Betamax, MicroMV, S-VHS, Digital 8, MiniDV, 8mm film, super 8, 16mm film
$13 per DVD; $20 per DVD + digital file; $16 for tape + digital file
Target
VHS, S-VHS, Beta, VHS-C, Hi8, Digital 8, 8mm, MiniDV, 8mm film, Super 8, 16mm film
Starting at $15 for VHS; $9 for film reels
CVS
VHS, VHS-C, MiniDV, 8mm, Hi8, Digital 8, Betamax, S-VHS, 8mm film, Super 8, 16mm film; foreign PAL to NTSC
Starting at $26 for two tapes up to two hours
Sam’s Club
VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C, Hi-8, 8mm videotape,
Digital 8. MiniDV, Betamax, 8mm film, Super 8, 16mm film
Starting at $19 for two tapes up to two hours
Service
Available formats
Cost

‘MLB The Show 17’: How to up your game in the batter’s box

Although MLB The Show 17 is a serious baseball sim at its core, the game remains accessible to casual fans thanks to its refined, relatively simplistic control scheme. Even with its pick-up-and-play identity, though, if you go into a game swinging away at pitches without giving it much thought, you’re going to run into some trouble with friends. Worse still if you plan to tangle with hardcore baseball fans in online matchmaking. While batting difficulty scales according to your skill against the computer, when facing a real opponent, it helps to strategize.

More: MLB The Show 17 review

If you’re looking to hang some serious numbers on the scoreboard, here’s what you should keep in mind.

Putting bat to ball

In order to score some runs, you will have to hit the ball. Since baseball is a game of reaction time and reflexes, there’s no better teaching mechanism than stepping into the box and swinging away. Still, if you find yourself striking out a lot, you may want to take a step back and reevaluate your strategy.

• Watch the windup: Each pitcher in The Show has a unique pitching motion. Some motions are elongated, some are abrupt, and many are in-between. Keep your eyes on the pitcher’s throwing hand to see the point of release. By watching the ball from the moment it leaves the pitcher’s hand, you’ll have a better chance of tracking it as it pummels towards the plate. This becomes even more important when playing in a match with one of the pitch guessing sensors on such as PCI. Here, you’ll have to move the cursor towards where the pitch crosses the plate to make solid contact.
• Check pitches: Each pitcher has up to five different pitches, from four-seam fastballs to curveballs to changeups to sliders, and more. Depending on your settings, you can check the opposing player’s list of pitches by pressing R2. Now, it’s hard to guess what pitch your opponent will throw, but knowing which types of pitches are possible certainly doesn’t hurt your chances.

Build your own 8-bit handheld gaming system with this awesome Kickstarter kit

Why it matters to you

Want your kid to put down the PS4 controller and do something practical? Then get them to build their own handheld games console!

Nearly everyone loves video games but it is hard to argue that they are not a massive drain on time that could arguably be spent in less fun, but more productive ways.

A new Kickstarter campaign has one answer… and it’s pretty genius when you think about it. Called Makerbuino, it’s an open-source handheld eight-bit game device that you (or your kids) can build. Its creators described it to Digital Trends as an “educational device shaped like a game console,” which is as a good a way of selling it as any.

More: Teach your kids how to code with Root, a playful, programmable drawing robot

“It comes in a kit form, not assembled,” 18-year-old creator Albert Gajsak told Digital Trends. “You get a box with all the electronic components necessary for building your own portable game machine. To build your own Makerbuino, the only things you’ll need are some basic tools and an interest in technology.”

As a high school senior, Gajsak has been working on the device for around three years.

“A project called Gamebuino that was released back in 2014 on Indiegogo motivated me to create Makerbuino and showed me that retro open-source game consoles are something that the market wants,” he continued. “Makerbuino started in 2014 after Gamebuino’s super-successful crowdfunding campaign. At that time, I started looking at Gamebuino’s open source design and building my own Gamebuino-inspired devices during weekends. At the beginning of 2016, I decided I wanted to try launching my product to the market.”

As Gajsak notes, you won’t be playing the latest Call of Duty game on the machine, but it does come with an archive of vintage games — plus the ability to make your own if you’re so inclined.

If you’re looking to pick up skills like soldering, a crash course in basic electronic components, programming a microcontroller in C/C++, and more, this looks as good a solution as any. You can pre-order a kit on Kickstarter starting at $35. Shipping is set to take place in May.

FCC nixes Charter’s broadband expansion requirement in competitive markets

Why it matters to you

You might see less competition for your broadband services dollars given a new FCC ruling regarding Charter’s merger agreement.

The new Republican-led United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has upended a few rules imposed by the Democratic former FCC chairman, including removing an opt-in requirement allowing internet service providers (ISPs) to sell web browsing information. Now, the FCC has removed a requirement regarding a recent major merger between two industry giants.

Specifically, the FCC has turned its sights on a requirement that was imposed when Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks were joined. The change alters how Charter is required to make its broadband internet services available to new customers, as Reuters reports.

More: The FCC just rolled back some of its privacy rules, reversing previous positions

According to the original ruling, Charter would need to offer service to 2 million potential new broadband subscribers within five years, as part of its agreement in receiving FCC approval for the merger. Furthermore, at least half of those new subscribers were required to be located in an area where a competitor was already providing service.

It’s that second “overbuilding” provision that the current FCC is taking back. Charter still needs to add 2 million potential new subscribers to its current second-largest customer base of 26 million residential and business customers across 41 states. It just doesn’t need to worry about where those potential subscribers are located.

The change has been implemented thanks to pressure from the American Cable Association, which represents smaller broadband service providers. According to the group, the overbuilding requirement was “stunningly bad and inexplicable government policy” that would result in devastating effects on the smaller broadband providers Charter will overbuild. Charter’s entry into its members’ markets could have put many of them out of business, the group asserts.

While the ruling has been characterized by some as benefiting incumbents at the expense of competition, others say that the ruling will provided more options to those potential customers who currently have no broadband options. Regarding the change, Charter itself said the ruling “enables Charter to more fully devote our resources and attention to building out high-speed broadband to areas without it today.”

Whether the FCC’s decision will be a benefit or a bust remains to be seen. But it’s obvious that the new FCC leadership intends to continue to make its impact felt in how internet broadband services are provided to customers across the U.S.

Best Connected Security Cameras

Always have a watchful eye on what matters most, no matter where you are, with these great security cameras.

Peace of mind is not always the easiest thing to come by, but a great security camera can relieve anxiety by keeping an eye on things when you’re not around. Each of these modern security cameras securely connects to the internet so you can even check out the feed from across town or across the globe.

Whether you want to keep an eye on your employees, your babysitter, or just your home while you’re away, we’ve rounded up some of the best security cameras you can find, so you can rest easy.

• Arlo Q
• Arlo Wire Free
• Logitech Circle
• Nest Cam
• Simplicam
• Canary All-in-One
• SpotCam

Arlo Q

Recording in full 1080p, the Arlo Q will make sure you never miss a moment.

It’s controlled by a handy free app that can connect to up to five cameras, allowing you to keep an eye on your whole home conveniently right from your Android phone.

Although the Arlo Q works via Wi-Fi and has 7 days of free cloud storage, it also has an SD card slot that can store your video (although an SD card is not included). If your internet goes down the camera will record your video to the SD card instead, ensuring you never have to worry about losing footage.

This security camera also has a built-in microphone and speaker. Not only can you hear what’s going on, you can also speak through the Arlo Q to communicate with the anybody nearby, allowing you to say hello to your kids — or warn an intruder you’re calling the police.

See at Amazon

Arlo Wire Free

The smaller cousin of the Arlo Q, the Arlo Wire Free has many same features. Seven days of free cloud storage, night vision mode, and smart alerts for motion and sound are all the familiar tricks, but there are a few key differences.

As its name suggests, the Arlo Wire Free is wireless and runs on CR123A batteries. The compact camera is easy to move around thanks to the handy magnetic mount, and small enough to be placed discreetly.

On top of being wireless, the Arlo Wire Free is also waterproof and certified for outdoor use, making it perfect to watch over your yard, garden, or garage without being damaged.

This little camera is a great option if you want to keep an eye on both the outside and inside of your home, plus they can work hand-in-hand with the bigger Arlo Q. They combine to create a great security network, though it’s important to note that the wire-free model only records in 720p rather than 1080p.

Logi Circle

Logitech has been in the internet camera game for a long time and is known for making quality products, and when it comes to security cameras they live up to their reputation.

The Logitech Circle records video in 1080p and instantly uploads it all to a free cloud storage that stores 24 hours of video. With their convenient app you can replay the last 24 hours of recorded video and you can also live-stream your video feed 24/7, so you always have a way to see what is going on. Plus, you can also view a daily summary, which shows you a 30 second montage of all the footage you captured that day, making it easy to spot anything out of the ordinary from while you were gone.

Another great thing about the Logitech Circle; it’s wireless. You can detach it from the charging dock and move it anywhere and it will record for about 12 hours on its battery alone, making it perfect for keeping an eye on the kids or pets while you are out for the evening.

See at Amazon

Nest Cam

Recording in 1080p, the Nest Cam has a pivoting stand that allows you to rotate the camera 360 degrees. Plus, it even has a magnetic base making it easy to find the perfect place to set it up and get the best viewing angle. It also has a great night vision mode that will automatically turn on when it’s dark, making sure you don’t miss anything that goes bump in the night.

The Nest Cam does offer both sound and motion alerts, so if anyone comes into your home you will get a notification on your Android phone or tablet.

See at Amazon

Simplicam

The Simplicam has just about everything you could want in a home security camera: high definition video recording, sound and movements alerts, and a convenient app that allows you to monitor the stream and control the camera all from your Android device.

You can program the camera to recognize faces, so it will know who is in your home. You can then customize certain options and notifications based on who the camera recognizes. For example, you can tell the camera to stop recording when it recognizes your face, meaning whenever you are home the camera shuts off. Or, you can tell the Simplicam to alert you when your kids enter the house so you can welcome them home on the its built-in speaker. Programming the facial recognition is very simple, and the Simplicam guides you through the whole process.

One caveat of the Simplican is there is no free cloud storage, so you will have to dish out for at least the $5 monthly subscription in order to replay your recordings.

See at Amazon

Canary All-in-One

The Canary All-in-One is way more than just a camera; it’s a whole security system wrapped up in one small package.

It records all video in 1080p and uploads it all to a free cloud storage space where you can view it for up to 30 days. It has a 147 degree wide-angle lens, night vision capability, and motion alerts so you always know what is going on in your home.

On top of being a fabulous camera, the Canary All-in-One also has a siren. You can set it up to automatically go off when it detects motion and/or sound — which is great if you’re on vacation — or you can activate it at your discretion, so if you notice an intruder in your house you can simply blast them with the 90 decibel alarm.

With the added bonus of monitoring the air quality of your home, the Canary All-in-One is a fantastic choice for all your security needs.

See at Amazon

SpotCam

With 720p video, a 110-degree viewing angle, and LED infrared night vision technology, the SpotCam will make sure you see everything you want.

SpotCam is not only good for home security, but it’s also great for sharing video.

What makes SpotCam a little different from its competitors is the ability to make your stream public. You can share your video feed live with the world directly on SpotCam’s website, giving you the ability to put on a show!

Of course, a more practical application of the feature is to have friends or family members look in on your stream while you’re disconnected.

See at Amazon

What is your favorite security camera?

Do you keep an eye on your home or business? Tell us which camera you use and why you love it. Leave us a comment below!

What is the Android Open Source project?

Google makes money from Android by giving it away to everyone else.

Android is a free open-source operating system. The AOSP (Android Open Source Project) is free to download, free to alter, free to build into a product that can power just about anything. But it’s probably not something you’ve ever used when you picked up a phone or other gizmo that runs “Android”.

Android is not a thing as much as something you use to make a thing.

At its heart, Android is nothing more than a platform that anyone can use to run applications plus the bits and pieces needed for it to talk to standard hardware. We tend to think of Android as an operating system for a phone or tablet (or even a watch or television), but it’s just a part of the software needed to get any device to turn on and do things. That being said, it’s one of the most important parts.

Having a huge library of code that anyone can use is great. Having all the things people build with it able to use the same applications is even better. It’s better for us because we will have a huge list of applications that work out of the box when we buy an Android-powered device. It’s better for the companies making the devices because we’ll want to buy them and they don’t have to put in the work to build their own application platform. It’s also great for Google because it means more devices will be able to use the internet and its services.

That last part is why Google maintains the AOSP. Google has always held the belief that everyone should have access to the internet. While some of the reasons may be altruistic and good-natured, the main reason Google as a company has these goals is because the internet is how it makes money. All companies exist to make mone, but with the AOSP, Google has found a new way to make money from everyone while giving away one of its most expensive products: Android.

This is done through the AOSP. Google maintains the Android source code. That means exactly what you think it does: It keeps things clean and tidy and up-to-date, then makes it available for other people. It also has people working full time to make improvements and add new features to Android. All of this is made available for anyone to freely use under a liberal license that allows changes to be made to the code and not submitted back to the maintainers. Samsung is allowed to do whatever it wants with the AOSP. So are you, and so am I. If we do something different, we can keep those changes to ourselves to offer a (hopefully) better product than anyone else can.

But the phones and gadgets we buy aren’t running the AOSP as an operating system. What we see is the end result of someone or some company using it to create software that is unique and their own. This can be done by changing the code or by adding more code or even adding applications that aren’t open sourced like the AOSP is. Every company that sells Android-powered gadgets, including Google itself, is doing this. But even this fits into Google’s methods to make money because there are some restrictions when a company wants to use Google’s popular applications and services.

The process is a circle. Google gives Android away. A company uses it on its phone. As consumers, we want Android phones that can use Google Play and Gmail and Google Photos and all the other things that make Android great. The company making the phone can bundle those features in for free as long as it makes sure its product can use every other application found in the Google Play store. Phone manufacturers, like Samsung, save time and money by not building their own application platform and application storefront; we get a phone with access to all the apps we love plus a market with over a million others, and Google gets a lot of people using its services and being on the internet to see Google’s ads.

By making Android a big piece of an operating system that anyone can use for free, Google’s investment in it pays off.

This couldn’t happen without Android being free to use, so the time and money Google invests in Android makes it a very lucrative part of its business. By providing Android as source code anyone can use instead of a standalone product like Windows, Google can reap the benefits while another company does the work of building and maintaining a living operating system. AOSP means everyone wins, and that’s the way we like it.

Android Nougat

• Android 7.0 Nougat: Everything you need to know
• Will my phone get Android Nougat?
• Google Pixel + Pixel XL review
• All Android Nougat news
• How to manually update your Nexus or Pixel
• Join the Discussion

Android 7.1.2 is now available for Pixel and Nexus devices

Android 7.1.2 is now available for your Pixel or Nexus!

As predicted, Android 7.1.2 is now available for select Nexus devices, as well as Google’s Pixel series. The update has gone through two beta iterations before reaching this point, and the final version brings a number of minor improvements to compatible phones and tablets, including bug fixes and speed optimizations, as well as enhancements for carrier-specific features.

Builds are available for the Pixel and XL, the Pixel C, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and Nexus Player; the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 have reached end-of-life and will stay on Android 7.1.1.

The builds range from versions N2G47E and N2G47J on the Pixels to N2G47D on the Pixel C, N2G47F on the Nexus 5X and N2G47H on the Nexus 6P and Nexus Player.

Android 7.1.2 is available as an over-the-air update for people already running 7.1.1, or as a factory image for people who want to install over an older version or who want to completely start from scratch. In that case, we have the perfect guide for you.

How to install Android 7.1.2 on your Nexus or Pixel right now

The update also brings April’s security bulletin for Pixel, Nexus and other devices.

Android Nougat

• Android 7.0 Nougat: Everything you need to know
• Will my phone get Android Nougat?
• Google Pixel + Pixel XL review
• All Android Nougat news
• How to manually update your Nexus or Pixel
• Join the Discussion