Latest Google app beta hints at multi-user support for Assistant

Why it matters to you

Mutli-user support could be coming to the Google Assistant soon, if code in the Google app’s new beta is any indication.

The Google Assistant, Google’s AI-powered voice service, is generally great. It can tell supply showtimes for nearby movies, recommend restaurants, control smart home products like Philips Hue bulbs and Nest thermostats, and even host a game of trivia. And if incoming updates are any indication, it is about to get better.

In tow with the latest version (7.0.4) of the beta Google App is framework for upcoming features.

More: Multi-user support could make Google Home fun for the whole family

Multi-user hotword detection is perhaps the most significant. Currently, the Assistant can’t recognize multiple users — when two people shout, “Hey, Google,” it can’t differentiate between them. But that might not be the case going forward. Code in the beta app references a new activity screen that will allow up to two people to train the Assistant to recognize their distinct speech patterns.

Once multiple users are able to use the Assistant, Android Police notes that they might be able to access a number of options that were previously available only on their phone, like setting personal reminders, setting messages, and creating calendar events.

More: Google Assistant keeps gaining skills, adds new listen tab for Google Home app

It comes on the heels of a false alarm earlier this week. On Monday, some users of the Google Home app on Android received a card indicating that “multiple users [were] now supported.” A Google spokesperson later said that the message had rolled out prematurely.

The new Google app also hints at a “ratings” feature for services. The Google Assistant boasts a growing library of third-party apps that extend its capabilities, but lacks a way for users to rate and review them. The beta app’s code points to Rating Services, which will presumably add that functionality.

More: Watch out, Alexa: You can now make purchases on Google Home

Interestingly, the app references an unannounced device: Bisto. There is a new preference screen for Bisto, and it appears alongside known devices such as an Android TV, Google Home, Pixel, and Android Wear. And it seems to support headphones — a coded message in the Google app instructs Bisto users that “Notifications will be read inside [their] headphones.”

It is pure speculation at this point, but Bisto could refer to the rumored successor to Google Home, Google’s eponymous smart home hub. According to The Information, the Mountain View, California-based company is working on an upgraded version with built-in Wi-Fi capabilities.

New Chrome for Android update cuts down on those pesky page jumps

Why it matters to you

If it works as promised, scroll anchoring could make it significantly easier to read and navigate web pages on your phone.

Everyone hates page jumps. Even if you’re not exactly sure what they are, you’ve definitely encountered them, and they routinely ruin your browsing experience. It happens when you load a website, and as content trickles onto the screen, your browser is forced to haphazardly shunt your view of the page to shoehorn it in.

It’s infuriating, prevents you from reading, results in far too many unintentional clicks on ads, and — when it’s really aggressive — can make a site absolutely unusable. And it’s particularly damaging to the mobile browsing experience, where screen space comes at a premium and jumps can happen more frequently, because only a small part of the page is visible at any given time.

More: Chrome 57 restricts CPU usage of background tabs to one percent

Enter one of the least-hyped but potentially most important updates Google has ever brought to Chrome on Android: Scroll anchoring. The feature has been tested in the beta version since last year and will debut in full with Chrome’s next release.

Google says with scroll anchoring, pages load with an average of almost three fewer jumps — and the development team is still improving that number. The name comes from the technique, as the browser’s scroll position is literally anchored to an on-screen element while content flows in.

There are a couple small caveats. The feature can’t be put to use on overly complex websites, and it is disabled when forward/back navigation buttons are used, so that the view is preserved from the previous time you looked at the page. Even so, this is a massively useful addition, whether most users are aware of what it means or not.

Not every single destination on the internet will benefit from scroll anchoring — but for the ones that do, it’ll make the internet just a little less of a headache-inducing place.

Evie Launcher review: A zippy home screen experience that capitalizes on current trends

In the vast world of third-party Android launchers, it’s hard to cut through the pack and make an impression.

Evie Launcher, at first glance, looks like another easy-to-use launcher for those who just want to zip through their home screens and app drawer. Below that simple surface are a few features to help spice things up — but not every trick is perfectly pulled off.

Evie Launcher’s default setup is breathtakingly simple, featuring only four apps at the bottom of the desktop and one search bar at the top. Yes, I did mean desktop for those four apps because by default, Evie Launcher keeps the dock turned off, which definitely sets it apart from the pack, though not necessarily in a good way. We’ll come back to that in a bit.

Another break with tradition that comes off in a good way is Evie’s default grid size. While 4×4 has been the standard since the 4-inch phone days, Evie Launcher has a default desktop of 5×6 and is willing to take on any grid size from 3×4 to 12×12 (if you’re looking to use it on a tablet). Especially with extra tall screens on new flagships like the LG G6 and the Samsung Galaxy S8, having a wide array of grid sizes is important, as you’re going to want a few more rows to take advantage of that real estate — or at least empty rows at the top to keep things square.

The search bar is a permanent part of the Evie Launcher home screen, and it features one of the two gestures that are permanently turned on: swipe down to search. This is great if you use search a lot, but I don’t, and more importantly, I seem to set it off every time I try to swipe down the notification shade. I wish there was a toggle to switch this gesture from the search bar to the notification shade — especially on those extra tall screens I mentioned before — but for now, it’s a constant reminder that “hey, you can search for stuff”. It’s cool, Evie, but I just wanna see who texted me!

The other permanent gesture fits in with the Galaxy S8 and the Google Pixel: swipe up to open the app drawer. The animation is almost too quick, and the app drawer has two modes: list and grid. Unlike the home screen, the app drawer’s grid view is locked in at 4 columns, which means you’ll be doing a bit more scrolling, but at least you have quick scroll available using the alphabet on the right side of the screen.

Getting back into Evie’s settings, you have a bit more customization here than most light, speed-oriented launchers. Beyond setting an icon pack and adjusting your app drawer grid, you can turn back on our dock, unread badges, and turn on a few extra gestures. More robust gesture controls are “coming soon”, but for now, there’s one gesture here I highly appreciate and recommend turning on: double tap to lock. There are even two methods you can choose from — just like Nova Launcher and Action Launcher — a method that actually locks the phone and a method that just times out the screen in order to keep your phone unlocked via trusted devices/places.

Once you’re set up, Evie is a zippy little launcher that’s easy to get used to and flexible enough to sate most non-theming users, but getting set up can be a bit perilous. When you first set up Evie Launcher, it asks you if you’d like to import your layout from another launcher, but because Evie keeps the dock turned off by default, your dock might not get brought over with the rest of your home screen elements.

It’s still a fairly young launcher, but it’s showing promise, especially for users who will be left wanting when Google Now Launcher is pulled from Google Play soon. While I wish Evie Launcher kept its dock on by default and that the search bar wasn’t quite as required on the home screen, at least I can turn on the dock in settings. Once more robust gesture controls come to Evie, it should be quite the apt competitor in a crowded launcher market, but it’s no slouch right now.

Instagram Direct disappearing messages work exactly like Snapchat’s

Thus continues Instagram’s efforts to remain relevant among the messaging-obsessed millennials — and it seems to be working.

It appears Facebook’s Instagram will stop at nothing until it’s fully bumped out Snapchat in the social media wars. At least, that’s sure what it seems like with all the Snapchat-like copycat features.

Instagram is rolling out new Direct messaging features to both Android and iOS devices. These new features employ the same disappearing photo and video mechanism that Snapchat became famous for. You can tap to view the disappearing content in the same message thread where you’ve already been chatting with your friends, and like Snapchat, you can only replay the messages one other time. The sender on the other end will know if you’ve viewed, replayed, or taken a screenshot of the message.

Snapchat ostensibly works the same. You can send direct Snaps to your pals or to a favorite group of pals, in the same chat window where you’ve been chatting it up already. You can see when each pal opens a message or screenshots it. You can also choose whether to post a recorded Snap to your story or as a direct message — the same way you can with Instagram Direct.

Instagram cites the reasoning for these Snapchat-like features are due to the vast increase in the number of people using its direct messages. “Since our last update in November 2016, the number of people using Direct has grown from 300 million to 375 million,” wrote Instagram. “We want to make Direct the best place to have fun, visual conversations with your friends.”

Instagram Direct (left) versus Snapchat’s direct messages (right).

Indeed, Instagram is fast becoming the “best place to have fun.” Months ago, analytics providers confirmed to TechCrunch about the rapid increase in Instagram Stories users after its debut last summer. And earlier, CNBC reported that Snap’s shares had dipped after news of Instagram’s Direct disappearing messages hit the airwaves.

Will Instagram ever offer augmented reality face filtering effects for Stories? That’s the one feature Snapchat can still leverage in the social media wars, especially since it actually owns the patent on that particular facial recognition technology. But with smartphone makers like Samsung already bundling these sorts of features into the native camera app, and now Facebook entering the story-making game, Snapchat seriously needs to consider looking for other ways to stay relevant in this ever-evolving social media landscape.

Fitbit delays launch of GPS smartwatch and wireless headphones until autumn

Fitbit is working on its first official smartwatch, but don’t expect it until this autumn.

According to Yahoo Finance, Fitbit’s upcoming smartwatch, as well as an upcoming pair of Bluetooth headphones, have been delayed due to production challenges related to the watch’s GPS antennae and waterproofing. We’ve contacted Fitbit for a comment.

Fitbit’s long-rumoured smartwatch has yet to be formally announced by the company, which dominates the activity tracker space and has been buying up smaller smartwatch firms in recent years. It currently sells one connected fitness watch with a touchscreen display, the Fitbit Blaze, but that watch doesn’t have built-in GPS or a platform for apps. Fitbit has said it plans to launch its own app store sometime in 2017.

• Which Fitbit is right for me?
• Best fitness trackers 2017: The best activity bands to buy today

Yahoo Finance’s report shed some light on what to expect from the new watch when it does launch. It’ll feature the aforementioned GPS for tracking workouts, NFC for mobile payments (which will presumably hook into Fitbit’s purchase of Coin last year), and a four-day battery life. It should also work with music service Pandora. You’ll be able to store songs directly on it and listen to tunes without your phone.

Fitbit is even including swappable watch bands and its own wireless headphones. Fitbit appears to be going directly after Apple Watch with this watch, which is also rumored to have a very bright display. We’ll keep you posted when we learn more about pricing and availability.

Watch NASA’s first 4K broadcast from space on April 26th

If you’ve ever wanted to see Earth orbit in stunningly real high-def, here’s your chance. On Wednesday, April 26th, you can watch the first 4K livestream from the International Space Station 250 miles above the Earth. Commander Peggy Whitson will speak as part of a panel called “Reaching for the Stars: Connecting to the Future with NASA and Hollywood.” While we’ve seen 4K video from space before, this is the first time it will be live. You’ll need a 4K-capable television or monitor to see the full resolution, of course, but there will also be lower-resolution streams on NASA Television as well as the agency’s Facebook page and website.

The panel, moderated by Carolyn Giardina of the Hollywood Reporter, will focus on advanced imaging and cloud technologies and how they are advancing scientific research and filmmaking. Additional speakers include NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson, NASA imagery expert Rodney Grubbs, and Dave McQueeny from the IBM Watson Group, among others.

A 4K UHD encoder and similarly-capable video camera (the RED Epic Dragon, for you camera nerds) came aboard for this purpose via a Japanese cargo craft last December. Commander Whitson will speak with Sam Blackman, CEO of AWS Elemental, the company that certified the encoder.

The livestream will take place 1:30 PM. EDT on Wednesday, April 26, so be sure and tune in. Because, really, it’s amazing that we can transmit live 4K video from space but still get buffering issues when we try to watch Netflix on Earth.

Source: NASA

Microsoft finally pulls the plug on Vista

The old wives’ truism that Windows operating systems alternate between great and skippable editions held true through the 2000s, and nowhere was that more evident than Vista. It appeared between the venerable XP and still-chugging 7 with a new interface that was prematurely rushed to market, and it showed. Ten years after its debut and six years after it stopped selling its commercial versions, Microsoft has stopped supporting the forgotten OS today. If you want to keep your system secure, it’s finally time to migrate.

The writing was on the wall for poor Vista since late last year. Firefox indicated it would support the aging OS until next September, while Google stated that Gmail would stop working with it later in 2017. But the real nail in the coffin came from gaming titan Blizzard, which declared it would cut Vista users off from its leading titles one after another. To Microsoft’s credit, it supported the OS five years longer than its original sunset date for commercial users, though that same 2009 report surprisingly estimated Microsoft would cut off business and enterprise Vista owners in April 2017.

Source: The Verge

NVIDIA posts Mac drivers for its latest graphics cards

NVIDIA is quickly making good on its promise to support its latest graphics cards on Macs. The GPU giant has quietly posted beta macOS drivers (direct download) that should support any GeForce 10-series card, whether it’s a simple GTX 1050 or an all-out beast like the Titan Xp. It’s a big step forward for Mac users who’ve had to settle for 9-series cards at best. However, the big challenge will be making the most of the cards given the current Mac lineup — this is as much an investment in the future as anything.

Right now, this makes the most sense if you have a previous-generation Mac Pro and are either a gamer (not the biggest segment of Mac users, we know) or run media creation apps that can take advantage of NVIDIA’s added computing power. Otherwise, you’re looking at decidedly unofficial solutions, such as external Thunderbolt graphics enclosures (which do appear to work) or “Hackintosh” systems using off-the-shelf PC parts.

While there’s nothing official, you could see this as laying groundwork for the Mac Pro relaunch, which could come as soon as 2018. Even if Apple has no intention of shipping NVIDIA graphics with the new desktops, this should give you more choice for video cards if the stock options don’t cut it.

Via: Reddit, 9to5Mac

Source: NVIDIA (direct download)

Relive ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II’ on Xbox One starting today

Ask a Xbox One fan what game they’d most like to see added to the console’s backwards compability list and you’ll probably get Call of Duty: Black Ops II as an answer. It was the most-requested title on the Xbox Feedback site. Even Xbox boss Phil Spencer once told a fan on Twitter he really wanted to see it come to the Xbox One.

Well, it’s finally happened. Starting today, Call of Duty: Black Ops II is now playable on Xbox One. If you already own the game, you can fire it up and start playing at no additional cost. If you don’t have a copy, you can currently get one for up to 60 percent off during Xbox’s Spring Sale, which runs until April 17th.

Now that Black Ops II has gotten the backwards compatibility treatment, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the most-requested game on the list, followed by three more Call of Duty games — specifically the Modern Warfare franchise. Batman: Arkham City rounds out the top five.

Source: Xbox

Graphene is the key to tougher flexible OLED displays

You can already find flexible displays in your phone or smartwatch, but there’s a good reason you don’t find them everywhere: the transparent electrodes in many OLED screens are too fragile to take a lot of abuse. That might change in the long run, though. South Korean researchers have made the first OLED panel that uses graphene for its electrodes. The hyped wonder material is both flexible and shouldn’t chip, which is more than a little important for a display that you’re going to bend and twist. This will ideally lead to displays woven into your clothes, or next-generation wearables that can take a lot of punishment.

The approach works with very large OLED panels, and you can pattern it into custom shapes that fit your exact needs. Expect some creative displays, in other words.

Unlike many graphene inventions, there is a real chance this could escape the lab. The scientists want to commercialize flexible OLED screens within 5 years, and LG Display sees graphene helping to make that a reality. With that said, there’s good reason to remain skeptical. Many, many researchers have heralded breakthroughs in graphene, but mass-producing it is still a challenge. The team will have to find a way to make these electrodes en masse for them to exist as more than a clever idea.

Via: Digital Trends

Source: Korea Herald