Microsoft introduces its new task manager app To-Do in beta

If you’re looking for yet another task manager application and use Microsoft’s Office 365 you might want to check out the new To-Do beta app.

Think of it as a Wunderlist replacement that also makes suggestions for you. It actually comes from the developers of Wunderlist and uses a sorting algorithm to determine what’s important for you to do today or what you missed yesterday. A video is worth a thousand words here, and luckily Microsoft has it covered.

It’s important to remember that this app is in beta. It looks really nice and seems to work well, but there probably will be bugs. Microsoft is quick at fixing those when it comes to its Android apps, though. And while it’s from the Wunderlist folks, it’s not yet a direct replacement and lacks a weekly view or the ability to star messages.

The features will likely come as Microsoft puts the finishing polish on To-Do, but even today it looks like an app a lot of people will love with the Office 365 integration and suggestion features. Check it out!

Google’s latest update for PhotoScan makes it easier to share the nostalgia

This is also a friendly reminder that Google PhotoScan exists and it’s worth using — just in case.

Remember PhotoScan? The app that lets you save digital copies of your printed photos to Google Photos? It’s a neat way to store those old photographs, loose Polaroids, and school pictures in the cloud — just in case. Google has announced it’s pushing out an update to the service. With it comes two new helpful tricks that will make PhotoScan easier to use.

The first new addition is the ability to turn off glare removal, which will enable you to scan in your photos with just the press of a button — rather than having to scan in each corner of the photo, as is typically the case when the glare removal option is turned on. The second new feature lets you immediately share your new scan with other people. You don’t have to wait to log on to Google Photos and locate it to share with your bestie.

The PhotoScan update is minor, but it should make the app more user-friendly. It’s also a helpful reminder the service exists. I, myself, am going to go through a couple of Polaroids right now. If you’d like to do the same, you can download the app for Android and iOS.

Does the Samsung Galaxy S8 display have a noticeable red tint problem?

Samsung’s newest flagship hasn’t even launched, and yet already there’s reports about it having an issue.

Some people who pre-ordered the Galaxy S8 in South Korea have apparently received their units early and are complaining about the display having a noticeable red tint. A Samsung spokesman confirmed to South Korean media earlier this week that it’s found no quality issues, but if users would like to fix the red tint, they can do so under the phone’s settings menu, as reported by ZDNet.

• Galaxy Note 8 may be the first Samsung phone with a dual camera
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The new flagship, which was unveiled in March, costs £689 for the standard Galaxy S8 and £779 for the larger Galaxy S8 Plus. Both smartphones became available for pre-order from 29 March and will be general available starting 28 April. They are the first smartphones to use “Deep Red” OLED technology, which, as noted by CNET and The Korea Herald, can make the whites appear reddish.

2unjuu (Instagram)

Although reports, including postings on Korean forum PPOMPPU and various social networks, show the Galaxy S8 with a severe reddish tint, it’s unclear if the issue is common. However, Engadget spotted “Galaxy S8 Red Screen” is now a trending term on Korean search engine Naver. If you’re reading this, own a Galaxy S8, and want a fix, dive into Settings > Display > Screen Mode > Color balance.

PPOMPPU

We’re guessing this isn’t the start Samsung was hoping for following last year’s Galaxy Note 7 debacle. We’ll keep you posted.

Sony’s new A9 is a vibration-free, super fast, full-frame 4K camera

Sony has a new full-frame camera, and it’s pretty advanced.

Professionals photographers will want to check out the new A9. It has a 24.2-megapixel, full-frame Exmor RS CMOS sensor with double the amount of data speed processing of older Sony cameras, Sony said, and continuous shooting capabilities maxing out at 20fps for up to 241 RAWs or 362 JPEGs. It also has 693 phase-detect autofocus points, which cover 93 per cent of the frame, a top shutter speed of 1/32,000sec, and 4K video capture.

Sony

Other features include 5-axis in-body stabilization, dual SD card slots, an ethernet port, a focus joystick on the back, and a Quad-VGA OLED Tru-Finder with about 3,686k dots that boasts two-times more luminance than the XGA OLED Tru-Finder from the α7R II. That means the brightness level should be equal to whatever scene you’re trying to frame. It’s also customisable, with options for 60fps or 120fps.

And finally, the camera’s battery has over twice the capacity of previous Sony full-frame cameras. Sony also said the camera performs silently and is completely free of vibrations even at a maximum shutter speed – if you use the electronic shutter.

If any of this interests you, the Sony A9 will launch 25 May for $4,500 in the US. In Europe, it’ll launch from June for €5,300.

The Renault R.S. 2027 Vision could be the F1 car of the future

Renault sees more power, less weight, and an increased focus on safety.At this week’s Auto Shanghai, French automaker and Formula 1 factory team Renault revealed their idea of Formula 1’s future, the R.S. 2027 Vision. It takes the three main focus points of modern Formula 1 development – safety, driver engagement, and entertainment – and distills it into what Renault believes cars may look like in 10 years.

Despite the heavily stylized, futuristic appearance, there’s no mistaking the yellow and black R.S. 2027 Vision for anything other than a Renault F1 car. The automaker thinks F1 cars of the future will be far lighter and faster than today’s racers. The quoted specs are 1 megawatt of power and a weight of 600 kilos, or just over 1,300 horsepower and 1,300 lbs. Power will still come from a turbocharged hybrid V6. For reference, current F1 cars weight 1,548 lbs and are hovering around 950 horsepower.

The kinetic energy recovery system, or KERS, output would be increased to a total of 500 kW, up from 120 kW in today’s cars. The R.S. 2027 Vision would have all all-wheel drive thanks to an electric motor at the front. Current packaging and power issues prevent this on cars today. In addition to sending power to all four wheels, the R.S. 2027 Vision would have four-wheel steering.

A larger battery would allow the cars to drive in pure electric mode during certain parts of the race. It would be needed to save fuel, since the R.S. 2027 Vision only has a 60 kg tank, down from 105 in current cars. The batteries would have roughly the same output as today’s Formula E cars.

A transparent canopy covers the cockpit, providing more safety than today’s open cars without ruining visibility. The entire cockpit will be 3D-printed to fit around a driver in a way that current cars can’t quite match. Renault also envisions a transparent helmet, allowing fans to have a look at their favorite drivers. LED lighting on the wheels will show driver information like track position and energy reserve, similar to that on current Le Mans cars. The wheels themselves will grow from the current 13-inch design.

Other updates would be enhanced electrification, adjustable aero, and even some autonomous modes for safety car periods or driving in the pit lane. The goal would be to reduce accidents like the one that led to the death of Jules Bianchi. Vehicle to vehicle communications would both keep the cars in order during these periods and help drivers know where the competition is on track at all times.

Driver telemetry will be accessible to fans over the internet, providing a level of connection and interaction that some hardcore fans will love. Renault also sees a fan-ranking feature where spectators can vote on social media and provide a boost for certain drivers – a little like what Formula E does now. Races would be shortened and divided into two. The first would be a long race and the second would be a short sprint. There would also be a rookie race to feature reserve drivers from each team.

In an effort to reduce costs, non-performance differentiating components would be supplied from a single source. Additionally, parts like complex hydraulic suspension would be replaced by simpler active suspension that could be used to recover energy. Work on aero would be substantially limited in order to bring down development and wind tunnel costs.

Renault has a long and storied history in Formula 1, both as a factory-backed team and as an engine supplier. In both cases, Renault has won multiple world championships, most recently with a Renault-powered Red Bull in 2013. In its very first year in F1, Renault was the first team to use a turbocharged engine, though it would be a bit before it would take a car to a win. Over the years, Renault introduced technology such as air valves, gear-driven camshafts, and direct fuel injection.

Nearby ‘super-Earth’ may be our best shot yet at finding alien life

Scientists are finding potentially life-bearing planets at a surprisingly high rate, but the latest may be more tantalizing than most. A research team has discovered LHS 1140b, a temperate rocky exoplanet orbiting the habitable zone of a tiny star 40 light years away. While it’s not the first such planet found relatively nearby, it’s an ideal candidate for study — since it transits in front of its host, astronomers could look for water and oxygen in the planet’s atmosphere by watching how it filters starlight. The star itself also doesn’t emit much high-energy radiation, so there’s a greater chance of life than you might see around stars like TRAPPIST-1.

The only reason astronomers aren’t already studying the planet’s atmosphere? The technology to do it isn’t quite ready yet. The James Webb Space Telescope could perform a more detailed study after it launches in 2018, and the under-construction Giant Magellan Telescope might also help. This doesn’t guarantee that researchers will find signs of a life-friendly atmosphere, but getting a solid answer is now more a question of “when” than “if.”

Via: New York Times

Source: Center for Astrophysics, ESO, Nature

Tesla’s Autopilot lawsuit ends with a ho-hum settlement

Tesla’s lawsuit over the alleged theft of Autopilot trade secrets is coming to a quick end. The electric car maker has settled its lawsuit against Sterling Anderson, who was accused of violating his contract by making off with Tesla technology and forming a competing self-driving startup, Aurora Innovation, with the help of both former Tesla engineers and Google’s Chris Urmson. The deal has Tesla withdraw its claims without asking for damages, court costs or any findings of guilt. In return, though, Anderson and Aurora are not only paying $100,000, but will face some very close scrutiny.

The terms of Anderson’s contract will “remain in place” and also cover Aurora, Tesla says. Also, it’ll establish a process that lets Tesla not only reclaim its Autopilot data, but conduct “ongoing audits” of Aurora’s computers to make sure the company isn’t holding on to the info behind Tesla’s back.

When Tesla filed the suit in January, Aurora called it a “meritless” case that highlighted an “unhealthy fear of competition.” However, the quick settlement isn’t exactly supporting that position — you’d expect Aurora to fight back if it was David to Tesla’s Goliath. Whatever the truth, Aurora will have to walk a fine line while developing its autonomous tech.

Source: Bloomberg

WSJ: Google will build an ad-blocker into Chrome

Tonight the Wall Street Journal reports that, according to anonymous sources, Google will introduce an ad-blocking feature for Chrome on mobile and desktop platforms. Ad blockers for browsers are hardly a new thing, and Google itself already pays into Adblock Plus’ “Acceptable Ads program, but this is interesting because Google is at its heart an advertising company. Based on the report, Chrome’s ad blocking will target bad advertisements as defined by the Coalition for Better Ads, including pop-ups, autoplaying ads with sound, page-blocking time countdowns and others.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Qualcomm Says Apple Suppliers are Underpaying Royalties Amid Legal Dispute

Qualcomm today reported earnings for the second fiscal quarter of 2017, and in its report, the company says Apple suppliers are withholding royalty payments amid Apple’s ongoing legal dispute with Qualcomm. [PDF]

According to Qualcomm, Apple’s contract manufacturers underpaid royalties in Q2 2017 in an amount equal to that which Qualcomm has not paid Apple. Qualcomm says this hasn’t had a negative impact on revenue, but it could be an issue next quarter if manufacturers continue to underpay.

Apple’s contract manufacturers reported, but underpaid, royalties in the second quarter of fiscal 2017. However, our revenues were not negatively impacted as the contract manufacturers acknowledged the amounts are due and the underpayment was equal to the amounts that Qualcomm has not paid Apple under our Cooperation Agreement that are currently in dispute. The Cooperation Agreement expired December 31, 2016.

It is not clear whether Apple’s contract manufacturers will underpay royalties owed under their contracts with us in the third quarter of fiscal 2017, which could have a negative impact on our financial results. Our guidance range for fiscal third quarter EPS is wider than our typical practice primarily due to this uncertainty. We have considered a variety of scenarios within this range, but have not included a scenario where no payment is made by the contract manufacturers. We will update our guidance if we subsequently learn of any action that would take us outside of the announced guidance range.

Qualcomm and Apple are embroiled in an ongoing legal dispute that dates back to an FTC complaint alleging Qualcomm engaged in anticompetitive patent licensing practices. Shortly after the FTC filed its complaint, Apple levied a lawsuit against Qualcomm, accusing the company of charging unfair royalties for “technologies they have nothing to do with.”

Apple claims that Qualcomm “reinforces its dominance” through exclusionary tactics and high patent licensing fees, charging Apple “at least five times more” in payments than other cellular patent licensors.

Qualcomm has separately refused to pay Apple quarterly rebates due to Apple’s participation in an antitrust lawsuit against Qualcomm in South Korea, which has led Apple to seek $1 billion in rebate repayments. Qualcomm has called Apple’s claims “baseless” and has accused Apple of “encouraging regulatory attacks.”

Earlier this month, Qualcomm filed a countersuit against Apple, claiming Apple has breached its licensing agreements, made false statements, and encouraged regulatory attacks on Qualcomm’s business in multiple countries. According to Qualcomm, Apple “could not have built the incredible iPhone franchise” without relying on Qualcomm’s “fundamental cellular technologies.”

Tags: lawsuit, Qualcomm
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Hulu’s Live TV Service Could Launch in Early May

Hulu’s upcoming live streaming television service could launch as soon as early May, reports TechCrunch. Hulu has already confirmed the service will launch in the spring, but has not given a more specific public launch date.

Internally, the company is said to be telling employees that the first week of May is being targeted for launch, but TechCrunch says this is a rolling target date that could shift to later in May if necessary.

Despite the internal communication – which we’ve seen – claiming the “first week of May” launch, we’ve also heard that the chatter among employees is that consumers will likely get the service around mid-May. In addition, other sources familiar with Hulu’s launch plans have confirmed that mid-May is just as likely as earlier in the month. It could even end up being the third week.

In other words, “mid-May” doesn’t translate to a May 15th launch.

However, the month of May – in general – is definitely a go.

The official launch date of the service is perhaps dependent on an ongoing beta testing period that the company is using to garner feedback from users and eliminate bugs.

Rumors suggest Hulu plans to price its upcoming television service at $39.99 per month, with an add-on cloud DVR service that could cost an additional $20 per month for “unlimited” storage capped at 200 hours of programming.

Hulu is said to be planning to allow concurrent devices on up to three devices in the same home, and channels will include content from CBS, 21st Century Fox, ESPN, and Disney. Many details of Hulu’s upcoming service remain a mystery, including whether or not the company will offer multiple packages like DirecTV Now, but its TV package is “comparable” to rival services.

Hulu’s streaming service will offer a mix of live TV and on-demand content, something that will make the service unique among its peers.

Tag: Hulu
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