Save up to 50% on your first month of service with The People’s Operator

The People’s Operator is currently offering up to 50% off your first month, and is donating part of your bill to charity!

Thinking of making the move to an alternative carrier but aren’t sure what the experience will be like? The folks at The People’s Operator (TPO) are currently offering 50% off your first month of service on select 4G plans, making it even more affordable to give one a shot. There are a number of different plans available in this promotions, starting with the Kind Plan that includes 500MB of data and 1000 minutes a month for as little as $8 the first month. If you need more data and minutes, TPO offers plans as high as 3GB of data with unlimited minutes and texts, and the first month of service would run just $31.50.

You may be wondering what makes TPO different, and why you should consider them? Well, the alternative carrier actually donates 10% of your bill to a cause you love, which is something other carriers out there are not doing. Additionally, it offers GSM and CDMA coverage to make sure you have the best service available where you are, and the customer care is U.S.-based and available 7 days a week. You can give it a shot and see how things work out for you, or you can go all in and port your current number over with ease. This promotion runs through April 16, so don’t miss out.

See at The People’s Carrier

Galaxy S8 Impressions: 5 things you probably didn’t know!

In the weeks since the announcement, we’ve all had a chance to form our opinions on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+. And there’s a lot to get to grips with: a wealth of new features, gigantic screens and an even bigger price tag.

Nevertheless, many areas of the new phones remain misunderstood or under-appreciated, and so I’ve rounded up the top five misunderstood Galaxy S8 features — things you might not know about. (Or things you might even be wrong about!) Does Bixby suck? Will the Galaxy S8 have worse battery life than the S7? Is the camera the same as last year? How bad is that rear-mounted fingerprint scanner? And will the extra-large Galaxy S8+ mean there’s no need for a new Note this year?

Check out my thoughts above, and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss our full Galaxy S8 video review in the near future!

• Android Central on YouTube
• Samsung Galaxy S8 FAQ
• Galaxy S8 hands-on preview
• Samsung Galaxy S8 hands-on video

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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Project Scorpio’s generous specs let game makers go wild

Microsoft’s Project Scorpio console promises to be seriously powerful compared to the Xbox One, but what good is all that power if your games don’t take advantage of it? You might not have to worry too much. The company has dished out details on its Scorpio developer kit, and it’s evident that creators will have a relatively easy time making use of the 4K-capable system. To begin with, it’s considerably more powerful than the Scorpio console itself, with specs that are closer to a nice gaming PC: it has twice as much RAM (24GB), a slightly faster graphics processor and a 1TB solid-state drive to go alongside the built-in hard drive. Unlike many dev kits, which often force studios to be conservative with their designs until they know the hardware can handle it, Scorpio encourages creators to build the most elaborate game they can and scale back only if they get a little too ambitious.

The kit has an OLED display on the front that can show details like the frame rate, and there’s a custom transfer cable that can send even a 100GB game to the console in a matter of a few minutes. Testers can not only quickly check out new versions of a game, but pinpoint what’s going wrong just by looking at the hardware. And did we mention that, as with the Xbox One, you can convert the retail Scorpio into a developer kit? While it won’t be as powerful as the dedicated kit, this should help teams that want to write games but don’t have the luxury of buying specialized hardware.

There are also some under-the-hood changes to the architecture that should improve development and lead to more lavish-looking games. Most notably, Scorpio is the first console to support variable refresh rates. While TVs don’t support this yet (it’s currently limited to PC monitors), it’ll give studios a way of running games as quickly as possible without worrying about visual artifacts like tearing. Scorpio’s larger, unified memory is both easier to work with and gives devs more headroom.

This doesn’t mean that Project Scorpio games will represent a night-and-day improvement over their Xbox One counterparts. Microsoft requires that Scorpio titles also support the Xbox One, so they’ll still face some restrictions. Even so, the developer tools should make sure that you’re getting more than just familiar games at a higher resolution.

Source: Gamasutra

Acer’s $300 Windows headset bodes well for the future of cheap VR

For Microsoft, the future of computing is not only virtual reality but also it’s “mixed reality,” the company’s term encapsulating AR and VR experiences. That started with HoloLens, but that device costs $3,000 and is targeted at developers. Microsoft has something else in mind for consumers: $300 VR headsets from PC makers like Dell and HP. Until now, the closest we’ve come to Microsoft’s mixed reality vision was by touching (but not using) a Lenovo headset. That all changed last week, when I put on Acer’s Windows 10 headset.

At first glance, the unnamed headset doesn’t look like anything special. But look a bit closer and you’ll notice a few intriguing elements, including two cameras on the front, and a sharp, almost racecar-like design. The visor portion of the headset can also flip up, so you can easily see what’s happening in the real world without taking it off entirely (something Lenovo’s entry also does). Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to take any photos, but it looks exactly like the model we saw back at CES (albeit in a bright blue instead of red).

I had no trouble putting on the headset while wearing glasses, though it was a bit tough to adjust the headstrap without actually seeing it. Like the Vive and many other VR headsets I’ve tried, Acer’s entry is fairly front-heavy, so it might take some adjustment to make it feel comfortable. Once I found a decent fit, it felt like something I could easily wear for an hour or more.

Those two cameras on the front are the most intriguing part of Acer’s headset, as they allow it to track your environment and head position without the need for external sensors like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. This technique, known as “inside out” tracking, is an offshoot of what Microsoft developed for HoloLens. The goal: to make VR setup easier for consumers, removing the need to drill holes into your walls for the Vive’s lighthouses, or find desk space for the Rift’s standing sensor. That solves one of the biggest problems Microsoft noticed the offering Rift and Vive units at its stores: Lots of buyers would return VR hardware because it was too tough to set up.

Once I put on the headset, I was thrust into a virtual living room somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, I was stick with using an Xbox One controller to navigate the environment — a huge step down from the Rift and Vive’s motion controllers. I was able to teleport and walk around around the room, as well as pick up and view virtual objects. While the environment wasn’t particularly detailed, it looked sharp on Acer’s headset. And most importantly, I didn’t get dizzy, even as I was moving my head around to take in the virtual space.

Just like HoloLens, this new crop of Mixed Reality headsets will let you access just about every app and tool you’d otherwise use in Windows 10. That includes Universal apps, as well as those made for HoloLens. So you could conceivably throw up a video onto a wall in your virtual living room while you’re browsing the web or working on an Office doc. I didn’t have much time to run software on the headset, but I was able to move around a model of the solar system with the controller and by tilting my head. When I pushed in on Jupiter and other planets for a close-up view, they all looked sharp and clear.

It was evident from the demo that Microsoft isn’t targeting high-end VR with $300 headsets like Acer’s. Instead, it’s aiming for a middle ground between mobile VR and what we’re seeing from the Rift and Vive. The company bets that relatively inexpensive headsets powered by mid-range machines will make up the majority of the PC VR market.

The Acer unit I tested was powered by a gaming laptop, but the company claims computers with integrated graphics will also be able to run mixed reality headsets later this year. That’s partially due to low-end graphics getting better over time, but Microsoft claims it can also handle VR more efficiently since its Mixed Reality platform is built directly into the OS. It’s not relying on a separate app like the competition. Microsoft has also partnered with 3Glasses for a much more powerful headset which beats out Oculus and HTC’s offerings when it comes to specs, so it’s not ignoring the high-end entirely.

Microsoft has made it clear that VR will be a big part of its Xbox One successor, Project Scorpio. While the company hasn’t made any official announcements regarding these low-end headsets and Scorpio, it’s something I expect we’ll hear more about at E3 in June. Given that the company’s next console is powerful enough to handle true 4K gaming, and it’s technically powered by Windows 10, it’s easy to see how it could integrate with these headsets.

As for that Windows-powered HTC Vive we saw back at Computex, Microsoft says that device was just a mockup. The company doesn’t currently have any deals with HTC, but it’s open to working something out. That’s partly because Microsoft is eager to reduce the fragmentation of the VR market with Windows Mixed Reality. That’s self-serving, of course, but Microsoft has a point: Virtual reality has to be easier for consumers to jump into if we actually want it to succeed.

This Acer headset, along with the first batch of offerings from PC manufacturers, will mainly be targeted at developers with the Windows Creators Update. But Microsoft is confident it will have something consumer grade to show by the holiday season. It’s taken a few years, but it won’t be long until we see if Microsoft’s bet on mixed reality actually pays off.

Garmin’s new Vivosmart tracks reps and stress

Garmin’s vivosmart 3 is here and it’s packing guided breathing exercises, automatic rep counting in the gym and a supposed five-day battery life. Working in concert with the Garmin Connect mobile app, the vivosmart 3 will automatically label the exercises you’ve done in addition to counting them. But for now it sounds a bit on the limited side. Ars Technica reports that Connect isn’t the best at telling between two different weight-training exercises yet, but given enough time (and app training) it will be able to discern between deadlifts and dumbbell curls.

In an effort to keep your stress levels low, the vivosmart 3 will keep tabs on your wellness throughout the day and notice when your heart rate increases when you aren’t moving. If the built-in graph is on the high side, you can access breathing exercises from the wearable’s hidden display. “A longer timeline of stress level is accessible on Garmin Connect which can help customers identify patterns and make lifestyle changes to avoid or better cope with stress-inducing situations,” the press release reads.

Lastly, there have been changes to how the device will track your overall fitness “score.” Looking at VO2 max (maximal aerobic capacity), the vivosmart will calculate your fitness age and give you an overall idea of how you’re doing on the road to becoming more fit.

Sound good? Well, if your Fitbit or other activity tracker has been leaving you wanting for a bit more in terms of features, the vivosmart 3 is available now for $130.

Source: Businesswire

Hover Camera can now follow and record its owner sans phone

The term “selfie drones” may suggest an added level of convenience, but in reality, these machines still share one common pain point with conventional offerings: they need to be connected to a mobile device for initiation, mode selection and landing. The folks over at Zero Zero Robotics, however, are tackling this issue with a software update for their Hover Camera Passport. As we previewed back at CES, this foldable, fully-enclosed drone is finally getting an “Owner Mode,” in which it can follow and record its owner without ever having to turn on the smartphone.

Of course, in order to get the drone to recognize its owner, there is a one-time setup in the app for it to remember one’s face. After that, it’s simply a matter of booting up the device, let it fly in place, and once it spots its owner it’ll automatically start recording video while following around. This is similar to the existing follow-me mode, except you don’t have to whip out your phone to tap on your own face plus the record button.

Another goodie offered in this update is gesture control, and there are two usages here: you can wave at the Passport to take a selfie photo, and you can use the “OK” gesture to disable the aforementioned Owner Mode, so that it stops following you to let you retrieve it by hand (and unlike most other drones, this one won’t chop your fingers off thanks to its carbon fiber cage).

In addition to these two smartphone-free modes, the Passport is receiving compatibility support for Apple’s iMovie and Final Cut Pro X, meaning when you plug the drone into a Mac, you can directly import its content to either video editing software. But for those who prefer casual editing on your mobile device, the Hover Camera app is also getting an intelligent, automated video editing feature: this uses machine learning to pick out the most stable or the best-looking clips, as well as to make sure your face or body is in the shot; the chosen clips are then put together based on the company’s own templates, in order to make them look and feel sharable.

While this updated Passport is still far from having a personal cameraman, it’s a good start to Zero Zero Robotics’ promise of “a truly out-of-the-box flying robot” experience, and there’s certainly plenty more to come in the very near future. For now, you can check out a live demo at one of the 42 select Apple Stores around the world (including US, Canada, UK, China and Hong Kong) where you can also pick one up for $499.95 — much lower than the original $599 price point.

Source: Apple

‘Rick and Morty’ enter the VR video game universe on April 20th

Rick and Morty fans, you’ve got a week to get VR-ready for the series’ debut in the virtual realm. Adult Swim and Owlchemy Labs, creator of Job Simulator, announced today that the long-awaited VR title, Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, will land on April 20th (4/20, of course). The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive game puts you in the shoes of a Morty clone — which means you should be prepared to be in constant danger. You’ll be able to explore Rick’s lab, the family home and, naturally, alternate worlds. And yes, it looks like there’s lots of Job Simulator DNA in there.

While we’ve seen a few Rick and Morty games — most notably, the Pokemon-inspired Pocket Mortys — this is the series’ first VR entry. But, we also know that the show’s co-creator, Justin Roiland, is betting big on the new medium in other ways. He launched his own VR studio, Squanchtendo Games, last year, and didn’t waste much time before releasing his first VR game.

Stream your favorite animated classics for $5 a month

If you’re itching to return to the days where you watched Saturday morning cartoons in your pajamas while eating cold cereal straight from the box (I can’t be the only one, right?), Boomerang is now live. Turner has turned the digital TV channel into a standalone streaming service where subscribers can watch over 1,000 episodes — and over a dozen movies — of classics like Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes and more.

This is the first time these franchises are being offered on a streaming platform. Boomerang will add new original shows or classic episodes each week. You can check out the current catalog on the official website.

The Boomerang app is available iOS and Android, and you can watch on the web as well. A subscription costs $4.99/month, or you can save 33 percent by buying an annual membership for $39.99. It looks like the yearly membership is only an “introductory offer” though. Turner plans to expand the service to several more platforms after launch, including Amazon, Roku and Apple TV. So cord cutters, if you want to plop your kids in front of the TV and distract them with a little Richie Rich, you’ll have to wait.

Via: The Verge

Source: Boomerang

Spotify finally gets serious about an Apple Watch app

If you’re an Apple Watch owner, you might be wondering why there’s no Spotify app for your favorite wrist computer. Developer Andrew Chang aimed to remedy that oversight with his own app, Snowy. Back in February, though, Chang was contacted by Spotify, who thought that the app, then called Spotty, was too much like Spotify in its name and interface. However, the company must’ve been impressed with Chang’s work. Now it’s hired him to work on an official app.

Snowy was slated to have some great features, too, including Siri support, swipe-based playback controls, and watch face complications. There were even plans for offline sync capabilities, which would give you the ability to download playlists to your Apple Watch for music on the go without a connected iPhone. We can only hope that these features come to the official release.

There’s no word on a release date for Spotify’s own wrist-based entry, or whether Chang will suspend development on Snowy (though that would make sense). If nothing else, Apple Watch owners can look forward to finally having Spotify’s 30 million tracks on their wrist.We’ve reached out to Spotify and Andrew Chang.

Unfortunately, we don’t have any more details since both Spotify and Change declined to comment.

Update: The story has been updated to reflect responses to our request for comment.

Via: AppleInsider

Source: Reddit

Internet giants resist the FCC’s relaxed net neutrality rules

It’s no secret that many people object to new FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s plans to soften net neutrality rules, but the companies affected by these plans have now had a chance to object directly to his strategy. The Internet Association lobbying group, which represents tech companies like Amazon, Facebook and Google, has privately told Pai to maintain the existing rules rather than gut them. Net neutrality “preserves the consumer experience, competition and innovation,” the Association said. It also objected to Pai’s plans to have the FTC enforce the rules, saying that an “expert agency” like the FCC should be responsible.

The lobbying group added that rules should apply equally to both fixed and wireless broadband, and that telecoms shouldn’t be allowed to create “fast lanes” where you pay extra to get higher-priority delivery of internet traffic.

Pai hasn’t publicly released the full details of his proposed changes to net neutrality, but the plan would only ask telecoms to promise that they won’t block or slow down traffic from competing services. Many believe that he chose the FTC for enforcement knowing that its relative lack of tech experience would make it easier for net neutrality violators to escape punishment.

Will Pai take the Internet Association’s requests seriously? We wouldn’t count on it. Pai recently met with lobbying groups for the telecoms themselves, going so far as to give them a draft version of his plans. Between this and Pai’s other deregulatory efforts, it’s been apparent for a while that he errs on the side of service providers rather than internet companies and their users. More than anything, the private messaging shows that internet firms will fight looser net neutrality rules tooth and nail — even if their resistance is purely symbolic.

Source: Recode