Waze nears Android Auto release with a beta set to launch soon

Why it matters to you

Many drivers love Waze’s social approach to traffic reporting, and the upcoming Android Auto version should make the app easier and safer to use than ever before.

Waze is a popular navigation app for many drivers, thanks to its crowdsourced traffic updates. You’d think, then, that having been owned by Google for the past several years, the app would be a perfect fit for Android Auto. Somehow, that version hasn’t released yet — though news this week suggests drivers may not have to wait much longer.

Waze is now sending invites to its beta users to test drive the app on Android Auto, according to Android Police. The email says the beta will go live soon, but doesn’t specify a date. It links to a Google Docs signup page, where those interested can register. If you haven’t joined the beta community, you can do so here.

More: Spotify and Waze partner to bring music to your ride

Some of Waze’s data, like traffic updates, are already featured in Google Maps, which Android Auto uses for navigation by default. However, Google Maps doesn’t offer drivers the ability to report incidents themselves while on the road. When Waze debuts on Android Auto, it should make that process much easier, with the help of hands-free voice commands and your car’s infotainment display.

News of the long-awaited Android Auto release comes at a pivotal time for Waze, which in February announced it was expanding its Carpool service to multiple cities around the United States after testing in San Francisco and Tel Aviv, Israel. With about 80 million active users, the app has a strong install base to go toe-to-toe with ride-sharing alternatives like Uber and Lyft — though adoption has been slow in the initial test markets.

Additionally, in March the company announced a partnership with Spotify to integrate playback controls conveniently within the navigation interface. Waze has worked with other developers as well, and began sharing its routing and guidance data through its Transport software development kit last year. The SDK has been used by Lyft as well as emergency dispatch, parking, and food delivery services worldwide.

Apple patent points to a Touch Bar for the next Magic Keyboard

Why it matters to you

If Apple is preparing to introduce a stand-alone keyboard with a Touch Bar, expect context-sensitive function keys to become a prominent feature of MacOS.

Last year, Apple made some major changes to the MacBook Pro, not least of which is the addition of an OLED Touch Bar that grants users access to context-sensitive function keys. Now, there’s evidence that this same functionality might be transferred to the company’s stand-alone Magic Keyboard.

A new patent application submitted by Apple last week suggests that the company has some ambition to offer a Magic Keyboard that’s fitted with a Touch Bar. Illustrations included in the application depict a laptop keyboard and a stand-alone keyboard, both bearing an OLED strip, according to a report from 9t05Mac.

This isn’t confirmation that the next Magic Keyboard will feature a Touch Bar, but it at least demonstrates that Apple is weighing its options and planning accordingly. Response to the Touch Bar being added to the MacBook Pro was mixed, but most would agree that the idea has potential.

More: Apple aficionado, huh? Here are 20 games you need to play on your Mac

A stand-alone keyboard with a Touch Bar would allow a whole new sector of users to take advantage of its benefits. Currently, the hardware component is exclusive to the MacBook Pro line, which means that users who work with an Apple desktop have no way of introducing it to their setups.

If the Touch Bar was available as part of a peripheral, a much broader swathe of the wider Apple ecosystem would be able to utilize it. In turn, this would encourage developers to make sure that their software makes full use of its abilities.

Apple has been interested in a keyboard with this kind of functionality for some time. In October 2016, it was widely reported that the company was in talks with Sonder, an Australian startup responsible for a line of keyboards that use E Ink display technology to produce reactive, customizable keys.

Bell FCX helicopter concept adds and subtracts — no dashboard, no tail rotor

Why it matters to you

Your idea of helicopters could start changing very soon.

Helicopters are getting safer, smarter, and more efficient. Bell Helicopter recently showed images of the FCX-001, a helicopter concept that incorporates new and emerging technologies in aircraft design, according to a Bell announcement.

Standout design attributes in the FCX-001 included a rotor-less tail boom, hybrid propulsion systems, new airframe composition materials, variable cabin layouts, and modified landing gear. The helicopter’s rotor blades will be able to morph to accommodate varied needs and both the pilot and the passengers in the cabin will make extensive use of augmented reality. If you picture a helicopter with lots of windows, no tail rotor, and no dashboard for the single pilot you’ll be on track with the more visible changes.

More: Augmented-reality headsets could help helicopter rescue pilots fly in dense fog

Bell tasked a collaborative group of problem solvers, consisting of engineers and graphic designers, with creating the FCX-001 concept.

“For the past 80 years, Bell Helicopter has imagined the art of the possible and brought those dreams to life,” said Bell Helicopter President and CEO Mitch Snyder. “Six months ago we created a dedicated team to focus on emerging technologies and how we could incorporate them into our products. Among that team’s first tasks was to display visually the technologies and innovations that present a roadmap that we envision bringing to market.”

The FCX-001’s propulsion system combines a thermal engine core for the primary propulsion with electric motors to power an anti-torque tail boom system. Basically, the heat transfer engine drives the helicopter and the electric motors keep it from spinning in the opposite direction of the main rotor blades. Those main blades have modules on their tips that change to improve performance in different conditions.

The helicopter airframe, meaning the body and structural components not counting the engines, will be made from sustainable materials. The design and engineering goals for the airframe include strength, visibility, and room. The structure will incorporate technologies to harvest, store, and distribute energy — think harvesting solar and wind energy while moving through the sky.

In the absence of a physical dashboard, the FCX-001 pilot will use augmented reality with artificial intelligence to control the aircraft. Passengers will have the ability to access the same augmented reality tech to hold video conferences, check the news, share documents, or stretch back and watch a movie.

The new-tech Bell FCX-001 helicopter concept isn’t quite as far-reaching as Wonder Woman’s invisible jet, but it comes close.

Close to the Metal Ep. 37: Does the Windows 10 Creators Update live up to its name?

Holographic computers, 3D printing tools, gaming and streaming tools baked right in — Microsoft promised the world and then some with the latest batch of upgrades to the Windows 10 platform, known collectively as the Creators Update.

More: The latest Windows 10 update hones Edge, but doesn’t deliver for creators

But Redmond may have oversold the scale of the so-called Creators Update. The Hololens still hasn’t found its way into consumer homes, so any holographic features are conspicuously absent from our build. That’s a big disappointment, considering murmurs of Vive compatibility before the rollout.

Without any futuristic augmented reality features, gaming takes center stage in the update. A new game mode, meant to smooth out choppy gaming performance, doesn’t actually deliver on its promise, providing basically no boost to average framerate, although it did help bring up minimums slightly. Built-in streaming accomplishes its goal of simplicity, so you can go from ordinary gamer to streaming champion in just a few clicks. With limited access to Beam, the Microsoft streaming service, it’s unlikely you’ll find a following.

Finally, Paint 3D rounds out the list of big new features, but it too fails to deliver on lofty claims of easy modeling that are thrown off by a limited perspective while editing your creations. Without any alignment or size tools, you won’t be able to take those models to the 3D printer without help from another 3D rendering program.

We’ll also cover a number of changes to the Edge browser that help bring it in line with a competitors, and updates to a number of Windows Store apps that may actually bring users out of the classic desktop and into the Universal Windows Platform, at least for a few minutes. They might not be the most exciting changes, but they may be the most successful in the whole update.

Close to the Metal is a podcast from Digital Trends that takes a deep dive into computing and PC gaming topics. Each show, we’ll focus in on one topic, and leave no stone unturned as we show off the latest in hardware and software. Whether it’s the latest GPU, supercomputers, or which 2-in-1 you should buy,  we break down the complicated jargon and talk about how user experience is affected in the real world. Please subscribe, share, and send your questions to podcast@digitaltrends.com. We broadcast the show live on YouTube every Tuesday at 1pm EST/10am PST.

Is there a rocket ship in your News Feed? It’s another Facebook experiment

Why it matters to you

If you spot a rocket ship icon in your News Feed on Facebook, it means you’re using an alternative news feed that company is testing.

Seeing a rocket ship pop up on your Facebook newsfeed? Don’t worry — your account hasn’t been taken over by spacemen, nor are you alone in noticing this change. Rather, it would appear that Facebook is testing yet another version of News Feed for its users, which means that some of you are seeing this new icon at the top or bottom of your smartphone screen (depending on whether you’re an iPhone or Android user).

As TechCrunch reports, it appears that the rocket icon is part of Facebook’s attempt at offering a News Feed that is comprised of posts, articles, and other content from sources you aren’t currently following, but would likely like. In fact, the items that appear in the rocket ship feed are pulled from Facebook Pages that bear some resemblance to things you already “liked” on Facebook or things your friends have liked.

More: Oculus Rift founder Palmer Luckey parts with Facebook after rocky tenure

While the rocket ship is new, the experiment itself is not — an alternative News Feed was previously tested with a small square icon. However, that test was only seen by Android beta users, Mashable reported. iOS users, on the other hand, saw another similar test with a News Feed labeled “Explore.” But the most recent experiment appears in both the iOS and Android version of Facebook mobile, and also affects users who haven’t selected to be part of beta tests.

It would appear that the rocket ship test is being carried out across the world and a Facebook spokesperson confirmed the experiment in a statement to Mashable, noting, “We are testing a complementary feed of popular articles, videos, and photos, customized for each person based on content that might be interesting to them. We’ve heard from people that they want an easy way to explore new content they haven’t connected with yet.”

Need a light? Here are the most amazing lamps in the observable universe

The lightbulb has evolved dramatically since Thomas Edison first demonstrated his newfangled incandescent in 1879. The ability to simply cast a little light with the flip of switch may have been an adequate selling point in the pre-incandescent “dark” ages, but nowadays we want more than a basic guiding light.

More: Light up your life with the best LED lighting solutions on the market

With the advent of LEDs, design enthusiasts are making lighting into something of an art form that’s actually accessible to homeowners. And connectivity lets many of them perform all kinds of helpful tricks, like alerting you of incoming calls, which is useful for those of us who suffer from phantom vibration syndrome (it’s a thing). From levitating lamps, to devices with built-in digital assistants capable of ordering takeout on our behalf, here are 12 of our favorite lamps on the market.

Heng Balance

The Heng Balance is one of the more original lamps we’ve seen in recent years. “Heng” means “balance” in Chinese, and the overall design was inspired by traditional round fans and window frames. A series of lights run along the inside rim, and unlike most lamps, there’s actually no switch on the Heng Balance. Instead, the unit uses two balls with embedded magnets, which attract one another and activate the lamp once close enough.

Read more here.

Lightest

Like the Heng, the Lightest lamp also uses magnets. However, the Lightest’s magnetic base and lamp repel one another, enabling the lamp stand to levitate just above the base. You can even 3D print your own lampshades for even further customization.

Read more here.

Lumio

Lumio is a versatile lamp that’s capable of dishing out a little light at home and on the go. The lamp is designed to resemble a hardcover book, and as such, the interior “pages” fan out a full 360 degrees. Magnets along the exterior also allow you to mount Lumio onto virtually any magnetic surface. Needless to say, if visionary and Lumio-owner, DJ Khaled, is any bellwether of technological integration, the units should be selling like hotcakes in no time. #MajorKey

Read our full review here.

C

GE has designed the C to work in tandem with an array of compatible smart home appliances. The LED table lamp uses Amazon’s digital assistant, Alexa, allowing you to order takeout, preheat the oven, and even listen to the latest news. As the smart home market continues to grow in the coming years, we can only expect to see more products like C in the future.

Read more here.

The Pretty Smart Lamp

The Pretty Smart Lamp lives up to its name. The web-like device can help you track down your phone and connect to other smart home devices. Its light sensor automatically adjusts brightness based on your surroundings, and features a variety of colors and lighting sequences, for when you’re going through your blue period. It comes in a variety of styles, too, so if you don’t want something that looks like a glowing crystal sitting on your bedside table — who are you?! — there are other options.

Read more here.

Flyte Levitating Lightbulb

More lightbulb than lamp, the Flyte is a wirelessly-powered light that floats in the air as if by magic. In reality, however, this is due to magnetic levitation. The contactless light draws power from the wooden block that sits directly beneath the device. Inside the snazzy wooden base, electromagnets attract the bulb’s base, while slightly stronger magnets repel, making the bulb hover in air. Point being: David Blaine has nothing on the Flyte.

Read more here.

AI can turn apples into oranges but can’t turn an iPhone photo into a DSLR shot

Why it matters to you

The research appears to be the most wide-ranging style transfer program yet, but don’t panic — the attempt to turn an iPhone photo into a DSLR photo was among the list of failures.

Comparing a painting to a photograph is like comparing apples to oranges but an artificially intelligent program can imagine what a photo of apples would look like as oranges, then actually turn that image into that fruit. Researchers at the University of California Berkeley used artificial intelligence to craft the strangest style of transfer software yet, capable of turning paintings into photographs, horses into zebras, winter into fall, and a number of other unique style transfers.

Popular apps like Prisma turn photographs into different styles of paintings using AI programs trained to mimic certain styles. But, those apps are trained on what is called paired data — the AI is created using so many sample images that the system has already learned the difference between a landscape and a selfie.

More: Forget turning photos into paintings, this software copies another photo’s style

The research group at UC Berkeley, however, uses unpaired data. In other words, it can take two photographs and transfer the styles to the other without a reference image. To do that, the team had to teach the program to learn the relationship between two photos. By training the network using many photos and checking the results with both software and actual people, the team developed a program that could “successfully” transfer styles without that reference image.

“Successfully” is used loosely since the researchers’ knowledge that systems using that reference image still had superior results. The goal, however, was to build a system that works without the reference since getting that reference data can be expensive or difficult in a number of scenarios.

Some images transferred better than others — while transferring objects with a similar shape like a horse to a zebra created some impressive results, objects with different shapes did not work, like trying to change a dog into a cat. An attempt to turn an iPhone photo into a DSLR photo is also included among the team’s list of failed image transfers.

While the real-world applications for turning an apple into an orange is questionable, because the system doesn’t need that reference image, the program is widely varied on the types of style transfers it can tackle. The program was successfully able to create a shallow depth of field from a reference photo and reimagine what historic paintings would look like if the painter viewed the scene in an entirely different season. The program was also able to create style transfers for specific artists instead of only a single painting, like turning a photograph into a Monet but not necessarily Starry Night.

Apple announces big plans to revamp the iMac in the not-so-near future

Why it matters to you

Apple’s promise to remain dedicated to the iMac illustrates that the company isn’t planning to get out of the desktop hardware business anytime soon and that is good news for Mac loyalists.

At a roundtable discussion held on Apple’s main campus, a surprising thing happened: Apple executives admitted their current strategy for Mac desktop hardware was flawed and promised an all-new lineup of Mac Pros and iMacs in the not-so-near future.

According to John Gruber, who attended the small roundtable discussion with some of Apple’s top executives, Apple not only has plans to revitalize the iMac lineup but is eager to illustrate that it has not forgotten about desktop Mac users.

More: Belkin’s new Kevlar-reinforced USB Type-C cable is built to last

At the roundtable, Apple’s vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller, senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi, and vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus were all on hand to discuss the company’s plans for the iMac lineup and don’t worry, the iMac isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“There’s still even further we can take iMac as a high-performance, pro system, and we think that form factor can address even more of the pro market,” Federighi said.

Apple reportedly has plans to revamp the iMac in the future but according to the execs present at the roundtable, it’s probably not going to happen this year. They were, however, eager to point out that desktop Mac sales make up about 20 percent of their overall computer sales and Apple has no plans to abandon the desktop space anytime soon.

Despite MacBooks making up the other 80 percent of its computer sales worldwide, desktop Mac sales make up about $25 billion dollars a year for Apple and the iMac is their most popular desktop system, so it’s not going anywhere.

It might be a while before we hear more from Apple about the future of the iMac, but this roundtable discussion served as a bit of a pre-announcement to reassure loyal customers who might be considering a jump to Windows.

Samsung needs you to hold your breath a bit longer for a foldable smartphone

Why it matters to you

There’s been plenty of buzz from several companies around the idea of a foldable smartphone, but it looks like that excitement may be a bit premature.

We’ve been all in a tizzy over the resurgence of the flip phone (or as they’re now called, foldable smartphones) that a number of major manufacturers have teased, and sadly, it looks like the tease isn’t over yet. Despite previous plans to debut the re-engineered Samsung clamshell as early as 2015, then 2016, and then 2017, the most recent estimate from the South Korean tech company now stands at 2019. So if you’re holding your breath … don’t.

At a recent Display TechSalon event, Samsung Display’s principal engineer, Kim Tae-woong, shattered dreams of a Christmas present involving a foldable smartphone by noting that the company is instead working hard on bezel-free displays. “Because the bezel-free display currently sells well, we still have enough time to develop [the] foldable display,” said Kim. And “enough time” apparently means around two years, as Samsung is now said to have plans to commercialize foldable flip phones at the end of the decade.

More: A foldable iPhone? Patent shows Apple is at least exploring the idea

Though we’ve seen plenty of related patents from a number of companies, including Apple, LG, and Microsoft, it seems as though the time is not quite yet right to unveil this technology to the public. And for Samsung, at least, it appears to be a strategic decision. According to Chung Won-seok, an analyst at HI Investment and Securities who also spoke at the Display TechSalon event, “Samsung Display is expected to commercialize foldable phones in 2019 because the company does not need to sell the new hardware because it is already enjoying 20 percent operating profits with bezel-free display. When the demand for bezel-free handsets slows down, Samsung will unveil the foldable display as the next card.”

And of course, a delay also gives Samsung more time to perfect certain technical challenges, which Kim admitted Samsung was still facing with regard to the new design for the mobile device.

In any case, while a foldable smartphone seems to be in our future, that future does not look so near.

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs. Galaxy S6: It’s time to upgrade

Two years on, it’s a great time to consider moving to the newest Galaxy S.

Holding over from the days of two-year phone contracts, most people choose to upgrade their phone on the same path today, even though financing plans have made it even simpler to move on to the latest devices every 12 months. The Galaxy S6 just had its second birthday, and while its hardware actually still feels quite modern, there are many parts of it that likely haven’t aged well and will have longtime owners looking for an upgrade.

The question is, will you make the jump from a Galaxy S6 to a new Galaxy S8 and keep it in the Samsung family? We’ve put the phones side by side and have the information you should keep in mind when considering the move.

Hardware, specs and features

For all of the gripes about some of the internal spec choices on the Galaxy S6, you can’t argue that its hardware design has held up nicely over two years. That metal and glass exterior was a complete change of direction for Samsung in 2015, and you can clearly see its influence in the Galaxy S8 today. Of course, some things have changed and for the better: The Galaxy S8 has small bezels to fit even more display in a compact frame, the body has been rounded off to be easier to use, and the camera bump on the back has been eliminated. Samsung also moved to waterproofing and reintroduced the SD card slot right after the Galaxy S6, which were key differentiators in 2016.

You can see the GS6’s legacy in the GS8, but big improvements have been made in 2 years.

The Galaxy S6’s 5.1-inch QHD AMOLED display actually still looks great today, but display technology has continued to advance and Samsung has done an even better job on the Galaxy S8. What hasn’t changed are the characteristics of its AMOLED displays — they’re crisp, low on glare, great in bright sunlight, and exhibit punchier colors than the competition. If you have the Galaxy S6 and not the S6 edge you may be worried about the curved screen on the Galaxy S8, but there’s reason to look at this with fresh eyes as Samsung has nicely tweaked the design since 2015.

More: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ preview

After two years of increasingly heavy apps and a few software updates the internal specs on the Galaxy S6 don’t seem quite as state-of-the-art as they did in 2015. The Galaxy S8’s new processor (a Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895) will beat the GS6’s chip, and the extra gigabyte of RAM helps with multitasking. Perhaps the biggest spec jump is the battery, which was a critical flaw of the GS6 — the Galaxy S8’s 3,000mAh cell, partnered with a more efficient processor and display, will outlast the GS6’s 2,550mAh.

The camera is another key differentiator in the hardware. The Galaxy S6’s 16-megapixel camera with an f/1.9 lens was a huge step up from anything the company had done before, but just like the rest of the hardware, that formula has now been applied to more modern components with improved results. The Galaxy S8’s 12MP sensor has a better auto focus mechanism, larger pixels, and sits behind a faster f/1.7 lens. If you like what the Galaxy S6’s camera can do (and it definitely still takes great photos), you’ll love what the GS8 can do with the same ideas applied to new hardware.

Software and experience

If your Galaxy S6 has been updated to Android 7.0 Nougat, you’re actually getting a great feel for the software experience on the Galaxy S8. While Samsung may take a long time to get its big platform updates out, it does do a pretty good job of bringing all of the new software design and features (within reason) back to older models with an update.

Sure, the Galaxy S8 has a few tricks up its sleeve with the camera interface, new icons, and a redesigned launcher, but the core Nougat experience is very similar between an updated Galaxy S6 and a brand new Galaxy S8. While that means you won’t have to upgrade just to see an updated interface, it also gives you the comfort to know you can get a new phone and not have to re-learn how to use its core features.

Software updates are important for security and features, and the GS6 isn’t going to get many more.

The thing is, even though you may be happy with what Nougat has brought to your Galaxy S6, there’s a good chance that that’s the last big update the phone will ever receive. At two years old, the Galaxy S6 is hitting the age where Samsung is going to cut it loose from major platform updates and perhaps only support it for a while longer with security patches. That means that going forward, if you want to stay on Samsung’s radar for updates, you’re best making the jump to the newest phone.

Moving to the Galaxy S8, you’ll also get to check out Samsung’s latest features that won’t be coming back to other phones via updates. The Bixby voice assistant is all new for the Galaxy S8, as is the new DeX desktop dock that lets you turn your GS8 into something approximating a light workstation with a keyboard, mouse and monitor. You may not be entirely sold on these features, but if you want to give them a try you’ll be going to the latest phone to get them.

Bottom line

After two years using a Galaxy S6, you know it’s about time to upgrade — the only question is whether or not you want to stick with Samsung or move elsewhere. There are definite synergies in moving to the Galaxy S8, including familiarity with the software, consistency with the services if you’ve been using anything tied to a Samsung Account, and of course just brand loyalty. Chances are if you kept your Galaxy S6 for two years, you actually like what it offers.

It’s time to update from the GS6 — the only question is whether you want to stick with Samsung.

If you move from the Galaxy S6 up to the Galaxy S8, you’re going to get that same high-quality metal and glass build you’re used to, now caressed into a more ergonomic curved shell with a much larger display in not much more body. You’re also getting up to speed with Samsung’s new default features, like an SD card slot and waterproofing, while also keeping wireless charging, fast charging, and a high-resolution AMOLED display. The camera has also notably improved since the Galaxy S6, with a real emphasis on being able to take great low-light photos.

Moving to a Galaxy S8 gives you the familiarity of staying with a Samsung phone, while also bringing you up into the future in terms of battery life, performance, hardware features, and of course future software updates. This is a great move to make, so long as you’re happy with Samsung and want to stay on that path.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ hands-on preview!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

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