Apple Seeds Third Beta of watchOS 3.2.2 to Developers

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 3.2.2 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the second watchOS 3.2.2 beta and three weeks after the release of watchOS 3.2, which introduced Theater Mode.

The third beta of watchOS 3.2.2 can be downloaded through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General –> Software Update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.

watchOS betas require an iPhone running iOS 10 to install, and they’re only available to developers because there’s no way to downgrade the software on an Apple Watch.

It’s not yet clear if watchOS 3.2.2 introduces any new features or bug fixes because Apple doesn’t typically provide release notes for betas.

Given that this is a minor 3.x.x update, it’s likely to focus primarily on bug fixes. No notable features were found in the first two watchOS 3.2.2 betas, but we’ll update this post should anything new be discovered in the third.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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Apple Seeds Third Beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.5 to Developers

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra 10.12.5 update to developers, one week after seeding the second beta and three weeks after releasing macOS Sierra 10.12.4, which introduced Night Shift for the Mac.

The third beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.5 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

According to the release notes accompanying the beta, the update “improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac.”

Apple’s release notes don’t often provide a lot of insight into what’s included in new beta software, so we don’t know what features or bug fixes might be included in the 10.12.5 update.

No notable changes or major bug fixes were discovered in the first two betas, but should anything pop up in the third macOS Sierra 10.12.5 beta, we’ll update this post.

Related Roundup: macOS Sierra
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Apple Seeds Third Beta of iOS 10.3.2 to Developers

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming iOS 10.3.2 update to developers, one week after seeding the second iOS 10.3.2 beta and three weeks after introducing iOS 10.3, which included features like a new Find My AirPods feature and Apple File System. Apple has also released a minor iOS 10.3.1 update, which focused on security improvements.

Registered developers can download the third iOS 10.3.2 beta from the Apple Developer Center or over-the-air with the proper configuration profile installed.

Apple doesn’t typically provide detailed release notes for its iOS updates, so we don’t yet know what features, improvements, or bug fixes might be coming in iOS 10.3.2, aside from some fixes for SiriKit car commands, outlined in the release notes for the first beta.

As a minor 10.x.x update, we can expect iOS 10.3.2 to offer bug fixes and performance improvements rather than outward-facing features. No notable features were found in the first two betas, but if anything new is found in the third iOS 10.3.2 beta, we’ll update this post.

Related Roundup: iOS 10
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Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers make paid apps free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest apps on sale in the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money, and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

More: 200 Awesome iPhone Apps | The best Android apps for almost any occasion

Home Scan Pro

Are your home network and connected devices secure? Use Home Scan to find your network security risks and monitor what is connected to your network.

Available on:

iOS

Week Calendar Pro

A different approach to working with calendar — Week Calendar Pro allows you to fully customize what you what to see on your calendar through a nice drop-down preset that you can quickly navigate.

Available on:

iOS

nvNotes

nvNotes is the quick, easy way to create and organize notes. It takes just one tap to get a new, blank draft that’s ready for your text.

Available on:

iOS

Diary Journal 365

Automatically organize your photos on a calendar or map with this application. You can view photos you took during a week or even a specific day.

Available on:

iOS

Flow

Flow presents your mail as a continuous feed, allowing you to review and act on your mail without ever losing context, and marking each mail as read when it is scrolled above midscreen.

Available on:

iOS

BuyFind

This shopping app will learn your preferences and start to do your shopping for you. Guard your wallet, or your money may just fly out the door with this one.

Available on:

iOS

HP may be developing a laptop that runs Android Remix OS

Why it matters to you

HP may expand its Chromebook offerings with low-cost, alternative Android OS backends.

An HP laptop running the Android-based Remix OS has been spotted at the Hong Kong Global Sources Fair, prompting rumors that we could see HP hardware in the near future using alternative operating systems. Other potential options include Phoenix OS and Chrome OS, both of which are based on Android, but are designed to be more fitting for a laptop.

HP is one of the world’s most prolific laptop manufacturers, and most of its portable hardware is powered by Microsoft Windows operating systems. It has produced a few Chromebooks in the past though, and it could well be that the Remix OS powered laptop seen at the Rockchip booth is a pre-production version of that.

However, it’s equally possible that this is the first hint of a new direction for HP. This is far from confirmed, however — while the laptop looks very much like an HP notebook and features EliteBook branding, it doesn’t have an HP badge on it (thanks Liliputing).

The fact that the original story on Notebook Italia has been removed at the request of Rockchip suggests this discovery was one that was supposed to be kept under wraps and perhaps not even displayed at the show at all.

The Remix OS powered laptop featured a 12.5 inch, 1,920 x 1,080 pixel display, with a Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core CPU with Mali-T864 graphics, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of onboard flash storage.

It’s possible that the laptop will be built in conjunction with HP and sold in niche markets with alternate branding, or it may well be that HP is indeed looking to launch some lineups of alternative operating system notebooks in various territories. Such a move could be a way for it to expand its current Chromebook offerings, or provide lower cost alternatives to its Windows machines — thanks to the avoidance of a Windows license fee — with comparable hardware options.

As things stand, we still need further confirmation or a statement from HP before we’ll know anything for sure.

Android Wear vs. Apple Watch: Which one will “wow” your wrist?

Wearable tech is fast becoming the next big thing. We’ve seen fitness trackers gain popularity, smart jewelry take off, and even luxury brands start to sit up and take notice. But smartwatches are one of the most popular choices among early adopters of wearable tech. Big names such as Huawei and LG all have products based on Google’s Android Wear smartwatch platform, while Apple is on its own with the Apple Watch.

If you’re ready to strap on a smartwatch, you have a choice between two dominant platforms: Android Wear or the Apple Watch. Which one should you look closely at, and which should you avoid? We’ve compared the specs, features, and designs to help you decide which to get.

Specs

Android Wear

Apple Watch

Time functionality
Yes
Yes
Interface
Touchscreen, depends on manufacturer
Touchscreen, “Digital Crown” dial
Voice Control
Yes, via Google Assistant
Yes, via Siri
App friendly
Yes, via Google Play
Yes, via Apple App Store
Multiscreen functionality
Yes
Yes
Fitness and health monitoring
Yes, via Google Fit
Yes, via Apple Health
Heart rate sensor
Depends on manufacturer
Yes
Waterproof
Depends on manufacturer
Splash/water resistant to IPX7
Smartphone compatibility
Android 4.3+ and iOS 9+
iPhone 5 and later
Price
$192+
$350+
Availability
Now
Now

Design

When you’re dealing with a smartwatch, design is just as important as functionality. A watch is more than just a timepiece — it’s an accessory.

Both Google and Apple have gone out of their way to ensure their flagship smartwatches bring out the best in design and aesthetics. In Android Wear’s case, devices like the Sony SmartWatch 3 boast a square face. Others like the LG Watch Sport and the classically-styled Fossil Q Founder feature rounded bodies.

Android Wear watches run the gamut in terms of design. Some, like the LG Watch Sport, have Apple Watch-like rotating crowns. Others boast physical keys that launch apps, and other special features, like Casio’s WSD-F20.

While older versions of Android Wear were sometimes awkward to use on a round screens, newer watches like the Huawei Watch 2 Sport ship with Android Wear 2.0, which has been redesigned from the ground up. Rather than having to swipe left or right to navigate menus and select apps, the new interface is a simple, vertical design that focuses on up/down gestures.

Many Android Wear smartwatches provide ample opportunities for customization, from changing the watch face to buying an aftermarket strap. The LG Watch Sport is the exception to the rule — the bands house cellular radios, and so aren’t swappable — but watches like the ZTE Quartz and Huawei Watch Sport 2 can be accessorized to your heart’s content.

The Apple Watch, on the other hand, has a square screen. You can choose from various watch faces, and Apple also has an extensive range of aftermarket wristbands that cater to fashionistas and fitness freaks alike. Each of the Apple Watch models — the Apple Watch Series 2, the Apple Watch Series 1, the Apple Watch Nike+, the Apple Watch Hermès — support a slew of different band and case materials, and come in two sizes: 38mm and 42mm.

The Watch Nike+ model, for instance, has an aluminum case and a soft, flexible sports band, while the Apple Watch Series 2 is available in one of several stainless steel cases with an accompanying band made of metal, leather, and woven nylon. For those who can justify the asking price, the Apple Watch Hermès comes in aged leather and stainless steel.

The design is consistent across the range of Apple Watch models: A square body with rounded edges and a bright little screen. It’s characterized by the digital crown, a clever, functional wheel that adds a touch of flair. It’s often far thinner and slimmer than most of Android Wear’s offerings.

Machine learning algorithms surpass doctors at predicting heart attacks

Why it matters to you

Between 15 and 20 million people die every year from heart attacks and related illnesses worldwide, but now, artificial intelligence could help reduce that number with better predictive abilities.

Doctors are not clairvoyant, but it looks like technology is getting awfully close. Thanks to a team of researchers at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, we could be closer than ever before to predicting the future when it comes to patients’ health risks. The scientists have managed to develop an algorithm that outperforms medical doctors when it comes to predicting heart attacks. And this, experts say, could save thousands or even millions of lives every year.

As it stands, around 20 million people fall victim to cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks, strokes, and blocked arteries. Today, doctors depend on guidelines similar to those of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) in order to predict individuals’ risks. These guidelines include factors like age, cholesterol level, and blood pressure.

Unfortunately, that’s often insufficient. “There’s a lot of interaction in biological systems,” Stephen Weng, an epidemiologist at the University of Nottingham, told Science Magazine. And some of them make less sense than others. “That’s the reality of the human body,” Weng continued. “What computer science allows us to do is to explore those associations.”

In employing computer science, Weng took the ACC/AHA guidelines and compared them to four machine-learning algorithms: random forest, logistic regression, gradient boosting, and neural networks. The artificially intelligent algorithms began to train themselves using existing data to look for patterns and create their own “rules.” Then, they began testing these guidelines against other records. And as it turns out, all four of these methods “performed significantly better than the ACC/AHA guidelines,” Science reports.

The most successful algorithm, the neural network, actually was correct 7.6 percent more often than the ACC/AHA method, and resulted in 1.6 percent fewer false positives. That means that in a sample size of around 83,000 patient records, 355 additional lives could have been saved.

“I can’t stress enough how important it is,” Elsie Ross, a vascular surgeon at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, who was not involved with the work, told Science, “and how much I really hope that doctors start to embrace the use of artificial intelligence to assist us in care of patients.”

Moto Z2 Force won’t be exclusive to Verizon, 3.5mm jack making a comeback

The headphone jack is coming back to the Moto Z series.

According to the ever-reliable Evan Blass, the Moto Z2 Force won’t be exclusive to Verizon, with the phone set to be available on T-Mobile and Sprint. With no exclusivity contract in place like last year, the phone could be offered unlocked directly from Motorola as well. We’ve known as much considering Sprint was using the device during its Gigabit LTE trials.

The Moto Z2 Force won’t be a Verizon exclusive this time around; T-Mobile will carry it, for instance. pic.twitter.com/alTiGTer1Z

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) April 16, 2017

There hasn’t been much in the way of leaks, but recent 3D CAD renders obtained by Android Authority show off the return of the 3.5mm jack, dual cameras at the back, dual-LED flash up front, and a rounded fingerprint sensor that looks similar to the one on the Moto G5 Plus.

Specs include the Snapdragon 835, and Lenovo is committing to the Moto Mods platform by retaining the magnetic pins at the back of the device. The Moto Z2 Force is likely to stick to a 5.5-inch display, and this year’s model is set to be thinner at 5.9mm. Hopefully, that means Motorola has figured out a way to distribute the battery evenly inside the larger 156.32 x 76.36mm chassis.

Moto Z, Moto Z Force and Moto Z Play

• Moto Z + Z Force review!
• Moto Z Play review
• The Hasselblad True Zoom is a Mod to remember
• Moto Z specs
• Moto Mods custom backs
• The latest Moto Z news
• Discuss in our Moto Z forums

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HTC U Ultra is now on sale for $599, HTC 10 down to $499

HTC is serving up exciting discounts in its Easter sale.

HTC is running a week-long Easter sale that sees the HTC U Ultra discounted to $599, a $150 price cut. HTC’s latest handset doesn’t quite manage to live up to expectations owing to the average camera and lack of a headphone jack, but at $600, it becomes a much more palatable option. The discount is valid on all three color options of the HTC U Ultra, and whatever its deficiencies, the phone looks absolutely stunning in the Sapphire Blue hue.

HTC is also knocking down the price of last year’s HTC 10 by a full $200, with the handset now available for $499. Meanwhile, the One A9 is available for $199, and the Bolt is also on sale for $450, a $150 discount.

HTC is rumored to be working on its next flagship, which will be called the HTC U. The phone will likely be the first from the Taiwanese manufacturer to offer water resistance, and leaked specs suggest it will be powered by a Snapdragon 835 and 4GB of RAM. The HTC U is likely a few months away at this point, and if you’re in the market for a phone right now, head to HTC’s store from the link below to take a look at all the handsets on sale right now.

See at HTC

These are all the ways you can save data and monitor your data usage

Check how much data you’re using and control how it’s used with these simple tools.

Most people don’t need an unlimited data plan. With contract data plans offering up to 10GB per month and off-contract plans from carriers both big and small, there is a data plan that works for almost everyone and chances are using one will save you money. Add in free hotspots from your carrier or even your cable TV company and the need for an expensive unlimited plan gets even less.

Don’t pay for data that you aren’t using!

There is a small adjustment you need to make if you go this route: watching how much data you use. Your carrier will either slow your data down to 3G speeds, let you run up large overage fees or just cut you off when you’ve out of data, none of these is a great experience, and neither is buying too much data every month because you’re worried it will happen. Luckily monitoring how much data you use is pretty easy, and so is managing how you use it.

Monitoring your data usage

Step one is finding a way to check how much data you have used during a billing period. There are several ways and they are all effective. Pick the one that suits you best.

Get the total from your carrier

This is the best solution for knowing how much data the carrier thinks you have used. It’s important to realize that how much data your phone says you used might not match what your carrier says. And they are the ones who decide when you’ve used it all.

You can use the web browser on your phone to log into your account at the carrier’s website and they might have an app you can install that tells you about your usage for the billing period. Not all carriers will have an app for your phone, and even if they do it might not keep track of your data usage, but it’s worth checking for. Take a look at your carrier’s website or in Google Play and see what’s offered.

A word of warning: While great at giving you access to your account, carrier applications can do a lot more. Sometimes they can be a little intrusive, especially if they came pre-installed. Be sure to read everything you’re agreeing to when you install or first use one.

From your phone settings

Android comes with a way to check how much data you’ve used during a billing period. Some features can vary from phone to phone, but every phone will have a way to see how much data has been used during a set time period. You’ll usually find this in your settings menu under Wireless & networks. Look for an entry called Data usage.

For this to be useful you’ll need to tell your phone when a new billing period starts. Since it’s monitoring how much data comes into the phone itself it doesn’t ask your carrier for the numbers. While the way Megabytes and Gigabytes can be rounded and calculated, it can be slightly different from what your carrier says, but usually not by very much. It’s a good way to see if you’re close to using your monthly allotment.

When you open the Data usage setting you’ll see an entry to set up the billing cycle. Tap on it and enter the starting day of the month and it will reset on that day every month. Remember, it can’t go back and check what you might have used before you set it up!

Now all you need to do to check how much data your phone has received is look in the settings.

Third party apps

Google Play has well over a Million apps and there are quite a few that can be used to check your data use. You can see a list of them all here. We’re unable to recommend any particular app over the other but most of them work the same way and will give the same numbers. Remember that these measure data coming into your phone from your carrier and the numbers won’t be exactly the same as what you’ll see on your bill. But they’ll be close, just like the number found in the settings.

As with any app, you need to look at feedback and permissions before you install an application that can look at the data coming in and out of your phone. While we like checking from the Android settings instead of another app, they can offer features like widgets and custom alarms so it’s worth looking.

Controlling data usage

If you find that you are using more data each month that you would like, there are ways to decide which apps can use data while not on a Wi-Fi connection, as well as settings in most apps that let you control how much data is being used.

Data Saver

Android 7 makes watching how data gets used easily with a super-functional tool called Data Saver.

On the Data Usage screen, you’ll see Data Saver listed. Tapping on it allows you to toggle data saver on and off. When Data Saver is on you’ll see a notification reminding you about it. You need to know it’s on because unless you change the settings it will stop every app and service on your phone from using any data unless you have it open and are using it.

That’s great, but to get the most from Data Saver you need to tell it about apps that are allowed to use data if you want them to. That’s easy, too. Tap the entry that says Unrestricted data access and you’ll get a list of everything on your phone that can use data. You’ll know what some of the things are and others will be things Android does you might not have ever heard about. Beside each entry is a switch: Turning the switch on means that app or service is allowed to use data without you asking for it.

Once done, when Data Saver is turned on only the apps you selected can get data from the internet while they aren’t open on your screen. This can make a dramatic difference when your phone is idle in your pocket. Remember, things like your email or Twitter apps aren’t going to get any notifications if you didn’t whitelist them because they aren’t allowed to refresh and check for them. You’ll still get text messages and phone calls, though.

App settings

Many apps that can use data in the background have a setting that controls how data is used in the background. If you aren’t using a phone with Android 7 this can be a great way to get those data hog apps under control.

Every app will be different, but if an app lets you decide what and when it can refresh you’ll find it in the settings of the app. Look for things like Background refresh or Automatically update and turn things down or off as needed.

If all else fails, you can still tell Android to cut off background data on a phone not yet running Android Nougat. Head back to the Data usage screen and tap on an app that’s been using data. A screen for the app will open and you’ll see an entry labeled Background data with a switch beside it. Turn this switch Off to not allow the app to use data unless you’re on Wi-Fi. You’ll need to do this for each app you want to check.

The kill switch and Airplane mode

In the settings of your phone, you’ll also see a setting to turn off the cellular connection completely. you can do this to actually disable the cellular radios so your phone doesn’t even try to connect.

You also have what’s called Airplane mode. This shuts down your connection to everything, but you are able to turn Bluetooth and Wi-Fi back on after you enable Airplane mode.

While not a great long-term solution, these are easy ways to stop using data altogether with one switch.

Third party apps

Advanced users might want to look at third-party apps that try to restrict how apps can use data. Apps like Greenify can reduce your data usage significantly but aren’t that easy to use. Most of the ones that actually work as advertised require you to root your phone as well.

Root apps can save your data but might be complicated to use.

Any time you manually control how apps can use background data, whether through Android N’s tools or an app like Greenify, you need to remember that any app or service which requires a data connection isn’t going to work if you break that connection. If you don’t know what an app is or what it does, you’re better off leaving the setting for it alone until you find out if it can be safely changed.

Using these tools you’ll be able to take charge of how much data you use each month. That’s a great way to only pay for the data you’re actually going to use versus paying your carrier for nothing!

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