Using Android in the Microsoft ecosystem

Is it possible to comfortably use an Android while living in the Microsoft ecosystem?

More and more people are switching from Windows phone every day. I can tell, because people are constantly asking me which platform they should go for between iOS and Android. I’ve already written an article detailing my month-long experience with an iPhone in the Microsoft ecosystem, and now it’s Android’s turn, as so many of you requested.

In my mind, to truly experience an ecosystem, you’ve got to use not only the software, but the services, and the hardware too. That’s one of the reasons why I still haven’t left Windows phone. But I get it, Windows phone isn’t cutting it for everyone anymore, and every day more and more people are needing (not necessarily wanting) to switch platforms.

So, is it possible to continue living entirely in the Microsoft ecosystem with an Android smartphone? Over the last month or so, I’ve been using an Android smartphone in place of my beloved Windows phone to find out exactly that. This is the Microsoft Android.

The setup

As a full-time Windows phone user, I went ahead and purchased myself a brand new matte black OnePlus 3T 128GB with the intention of using it over my primary smartphone, which is currently an HP Elite x3, but continuing to use all of Microsoft’s apps and services, just like I did on Windows phone.

The Android experience is never the same on any device. Depending on the hardware maker, things such as the home screen, notification center, settings apps, and more can differ. Luckily, Android is super customizable, so for the most part we can make Android behave the way we want it to.

Android has the ability of entirely switching out the default home screen and lock screen experiences with a 3rd party one. And Microsoft has their own offering for both of those things. There’s a Microsoft home screen, and a Microsoft lock screen for Android which you can download from the store.

The Microsoft home experience is called Arrow, and looks very similar to your average Android home screen. It has a quick launcher bar at the bottom of the screen, an “app drawer” where you can find all the app installed on your device, and a utility page that gives you access to recent contacts, photos, documents, calendar events and more.

You can even login to your Microsoft Account, which will sync up things like calendar events and documents directly with the launcher, which can be accessed by swiping left over to the utility page.

Then there’s the Microsoft lock screen, which is called Next Lock Screen. I actually don’t like this lock screen, as I find it to be slow and clunky. Also, Android doesn’t do a very good job at handling 3rd party lock screens as well as it does home screens. For example, using a 3rd party lock screen means you won’t be able to use Android Pay unless you login first.

What’s more, it’s definitely evident that the 3rd party lock screens are just placed on top of the default lock screen. You can tell because whenever you restart your phone, you have to login twice, once with the Next Lock Screen, and then again with the actual default lock screen. It’s really annoying.

The Next Lock Screen looks similar to the Arrow Launcher, with a quick launcher at the bottom of the screen. It also houses all your notifications in a list under the time, just like the normal Android lock screen or on iPhone. I definitely prefer this method of displaying notifications, unlike on Windows phone which doesn’t really do this.

Now, to download any apps from the app store (known as the Play Store on Android), you need a Google account. You’ll be prompted to make one when you setup your phone for the first time, but luckily you can use your Microsoft email instead of having to create a new Gmail address.

Most Android phones come bundled with Google apps out of box, because that’s mostly why people want an Android. For Windows users, however, that’s not the case. While you can’t necessarily uninstall the bundled Google apps, you can definitely disable a lot of them. So that’s exactly what I did.

Before doing anything else, the first thing I did is manually “disable” 99% of the Google apps that are bundled on Android. That includes things like Google Calendar, Photos, Gmail, Hangouts, Play Music, Play Movies, Google App, and Google Drive. I kept a few of the smaller utility based ones, because they might come in handy.

I disabled all of these apps because I intend to replace them with Microsoft’s own offerings. I didn’t disable Google Chrome however, because Chrome is arguably the only good web browser on Android. And Maybe Opera. But I stuck with Chrome.

The apps

Now that we’ve disabled all of Google’s out of box apps and installed Microsoft’s own launcher and lock screen, it’s time to start replacing them with Microsoft’s own apps. To see a list of Microsoft apps available on Android, I simply headed to the Play Store and searched “Microsoft” in the search tab which will bring up an incredibly long list of Microsoft apps available on the platform.

It becomes obvious very quickly that Microsoft is all in on Android, with literally hundreds of apps available from the software maker. So first and foremost, I went ahead and downloaded the Outlook app, so I could get my Mail and Calendar setup on my phone.

Microsoft’s Outlook app for Android is super nice and simple to use. You can add multiple email accounts to it, so if you’re using more than just one Outlook account. The app is pretty feature filled too, with direct access to my OneDrive files, and my contacts list for quick emailing.

Speaking of contacts, with the Outlook app, you can sync the contacts saved to your Microsoft Account directly with Android itself. This means you don’t have to manually add your contacts to your new address book on your Android, as the Outlook app should do it all for you, just like on Windows phone.

Unlike on iPhone, you can set 3rd-party apps as default on Android. This means the Outlook app will actually be used when clicking an email on a webpage, rather than asking to use the default Gmail app. This makes for a much simpler user-experience, as it means you won’t have to copy/paste email addresses into the Outlook app when you have an email to send, the system will handle everything for you.

Installing the Microsoft Authenticator app is also a good move, too. It’ll make signing into all the Microsoft apps easier, and in some cases will even skip the login process and just use your account info from the Authenticator app. This is super handy, as typing your email and password every time you want to install a Microsoft app is tiresome.

Moving on, OneDrive and Office are important apps to any Microsoft user, and luckily on Android Microsoft has some great offerings for you. You’ve got a pretty nice OneDrive app, which does exactly what the OneDrive app on Windows phone does, albeit with a slightly uglier UI in my opinion. You’ve even got automatic backups for photos, which is something I know many Windows phone users will be happy to hear.

You’ve also got your standard collection of Office Mobile apps. This includes Word, PowerPoint, OneNote and Excel. The Office apps are pretty much on-par with the Universal Windows Platform apps on Windows phone. They even look the same, so you won’t be lost or confused coming from a Windows phone if you’re often using Office on your phone.

Each Office app has direct access to your OneDrive too, so you can grab any document or PowerPoint presentation you like directly from the home screen of the app. OneNote has a super handy widget that you can pin to your home screen, with quick access to your notes and note taking options.

I then went ahead and installed Skype. Actually, I installed Skype Preview. You can install either, but the Skype Preview is newer, being constantly updated by Microsoft with new features. Currently, it doesn’t house SMS messages like on Windows phone, meaning no Skype SMS syncing between the desktop app on Windows and your phone. Microsoft says they will be bringing this functionality to Android at some point however.

The Skype Preview app has a very simple UI. I find the app takes a little longer than I’d like to launch, but it integrates with the OS well enough so that actionable notifications usually bypass the need to open the app completely. When a call comes in, you can answer that call directly from the notification, which is also pretty nice.

Next up is Cortana. The Cortana app on Android features a funky UI similar to that on iPhone, but is completely different from the UI found on Windows phone. I actually much prefer the far more simple UI that the Windows phone version has than that of the Android and iPhone versions. You have to swipe up, and then swipe over two times to get to your news view of the day, which is annoying.

It does get some things right however. For example, there’s this “hub” area which gives you quick access to the most common tasks Cortana can do. If you’re someone who doesn’t like talking to their phone, you can use these quick access shortcuts to initiate a command without speaking. For example, I can tap on “tell me a joke” and Cortana will do just that, without me needing to ask it with my voice or type it out.

The Cortana app can actually sync notifications between your phone and PC, just like on Windows phone. This means you can technically reply to texts from your desktop that arrive via your Android’s SMS app. Not only that, but you can also take advantage of most of the actionable notifications on Android, including apps from 3rd party developers. I can reply to WhatsApp notifications from my Windows desktop that are synced from my phone. That is super awesome.

Finally, Cortana can also be accessed directly from the home button and the lock screen. As mentioned above, you can set apps as default on Android, and you can set Cortana to be your default “voice assistant” on Android too. Once set, you can hold down the home button to initiate Cortana, which is incredibly handy especially if you’re a big Cortana user.

Moving right along, Groove Music is another important app for me. The Android app is pretty basic, still rocking the “Your Groove” feature which was removed from the Windows apps some time ago. It’s basic, but it has everything I need from a music player. I’ve still got my list of songs, albums, artists and can still create playlists too. You can also search for music in the Groove library, and add them to your collection or download them for offline playback.

Other Microsoft apps I installed include Microsoft Band for health, Xbox and Beam for gaming, GroupMe for communication with colleagues. and MSN News as my news app. All of those apps work just fine.

Final thoughts

I’ll be honest, I really wasn’t looking forward to using Android as my daily driver. The last time I tried to switch to Android, is was back when Android 2.x was a thing, and my god that experience was terrible. In 2017 however, Android is as fast and as fluid as iOS is in most cases, which was a pleasant surprise to me. Of course, this depends on the Android smartphone you decide to pick up. I’ll be writing more about the OnePlus 3T itself in an article coming soon, but for now, let’s just focus on the software.

Android has multitasking mode, which allows you to use two apps at once. I know this is a big thing that Windows phone fans want too, but I honestly never use it. Perhaps that’s because I forget its there, or maybe it’s just not something I find I need to use.

In short, moving to Android from as a Microsoft user is a good idea. Sure, there’s a lot of work you need to do before your Android is behaving the way you want, such as dealing with app launchers and lock screens and whatnot. But once you’ve got all that sorted, and all the Microsoft apps installed, you’re basically good to go. After everything is set up, using Android as a Microsoft user becomes an incredibly pleasing experience.

Some of the Microsoft apps aren’t as polished as they are on Windows phone, which is to be expected. But they work, and they work reliably. I’m yet to find myself using an Android app and wishing I was back using a Windows phone, because all the Android apps do everything I need them to do, sometimes better.

Now you will be missing out on Microsoft Wallet if you’re in the United States, but there is Android Pay. I admit, I didn’t try out Android Pay, so I can’t really comment on how good or bad it is in comparison to Microsoft Wallet.

If you’re a Microsoft users looking to make the switch from Windows phone, I’d say Android is a great choice, assuming you’re okay with spending an hour or so setting everything up and customizing stuff the way you like it. The beauty of iPhone is that it’s basically already setup right out of the box. With an Android smartphone, there’s a bit more work involved before you’re “done” setting up your phone.

With Android, you can definitely be “more in” on the Microsoft ecosystem over an iPhone. So if surrounding yourself with Microsoft as much as possible is your ultimate goal, Android is the way to go.

OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3

• OnePlus 3T review: Rekindling a love story
• OnePlus 3T vs. OnePlus 3: What’s the difference?
• OnePlus 3T specs
• Latest OnePlus 3 news
• Discuss OnePlus 3T and 3 in the forums

OnePlus
Amazon

Galaxy Note 7 was a fluke, and the GS8 is no redemption story

The story you were told is a lie. The Galaxy S8 doesn’t mean redemption for Samsung — it simply means more of the same.

There’s definitely something about being reminded that the Emperor has no clothes. Maybe it was because I was midway through my own little take on the Galaxy S8. … It’s a beautiful piece of glass and software, the phone Samsung needed to make — the phone it had to make — bringing it back from the fiery depths like a Phoenix rising from the ashes to return the company to glory and …

No.

That’s not what the Galaxy S8 is, at all. It’s a really good smartphone, made by a really good company. Just like the phones it made last year. And the year before that. And the year before that.

To fulfill the “redemption” narrative, the Galaxy S8 needs to do only one thing — not explode in very small numbers.

That’s not a particularly high bar, especially given that Samsung eventually figured out what went wrong in the Galaxy Note 7. Blame the battery manufacturer, or blame Samsung’s testing, or blame both — none of that has anything to do with anything but the battery. Not curved glass. Not cameras. Not software. Reputations are at stake, sure. But Samsung fought (and bought) its way to the top of the heap — it’s tough (and rich) enough to make sure it stays there.

Pretend the Galaxy Note 7 never happened. (And in some respects, it never did.) … What’s so big about the Galaxy S8, then?

It’s got a great display. It’s gorgeous. With curved edges. That’s not new for Samsung. It’s been making great displays for years, going all the way back to the first SAMOLED screens it showed off at Mobile World Congress in February 2010. (I was there in Barcelona for that one.) It’s been making curved displays for a couple generations now.

The simple act of unlocking the Galaxy S8 is hobbled by choices and conflicting design.

The Galaxy S8 has a great camera. We know this because (a) we’ve all used it by now, and (b) it’s basically unchanged from the Galaxy S7. Improved a bit? Sure. But I wouldn’t say revolutionary or anything.

Looks great. Feels great. Runs great.

But there’s the other side of Samsung, too. The side that just can’t help but stuff every conceivable option into a phone. Never mind that most of them are off by default, and likely never will be seen by most normal smartphone folk. (Hint: If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re not one of those people.)

That (among other things) has led to the abomination of a “hidden” home button. Combine that with the awkwardly placed fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone, and unlocking this thing has been more of a chore than it should be. Iris scanning is OK, but also a nonstarter for me a lot of the time in Florida. (Because sunglasses.) Face recognition barely works.

As good as the #galaxys8 Iris scanner is, a well-placed fingerprint scanner is better.

— Phil Nickinson (@mdrndad) April 22, 2017

I didn’t hate Samsung’s new launcher at first. It’s probably the best the company has produced. But it’s lacking app shortcuts — little popups you get if you long-press and app that’ll take you to features within that app.

Oh, sure, Samsung has shortcuts. But they’re the same for every app on the home screen. And while they’re useful when you’re first setting up the phone, they’re worthless after that.

App shortcuts on the Pixel XL, and app shortcuts on the Galaxy S8. Which is more useful all the time?

You can take or leave the notification badges — the little numbers that only tell you how many of something awaits when you open that app. It doesn’t tell you what, or give any context or clues to importance. Badges ain’t nothing but a number. Me? I’ll leave ’em.

And the folders. Oh, sweet baby Jesus, the folders. They look nice. Great animations. But the amount of space wasted within them — taking up an entire screen instead of expanding only as much as needed.

And don’t even think about tapping in that vast expanse to close the folder.

The Galaxy S8 is a beautiful phone, and the best Samsung has made. But it’s a story of continuation, not redemption — and not one of revolution.

It’s a quintessential Samsung thing. A lot of style, but also a lot of substance. Too much substance, maybe. We’ve seen it before in the Galaxy S7. And the Note 7. And the GS6. And in the Note 5. And in the Galaxy S5 series. And in the 4 series. And in the 3 series.

So what’s changed?

Samsung’s doing everything that it’s ever done. In fact, it’s doing it even more. It continues to innovate in design and hardware. (Yes, LG, I hear your screams.) It continues to bludgeon us over the head with software — in some ways better, in some ways worse.

That’s not redemption. That’s continuation. That’s improvement. That’s building on what Samsung’s been doing for most of the past decade.

The Galaxy Note 7 was (so far, at least) an aberration. Samsung won’t like that freak occurrence happen again. But for as bad as that meltdown was — literally and figuratively — it also made for a great storyline in setting up the Galaxy S8. (For you tinfoil hatters out there, I’m not saying it was an intentional meltdown.)

Samsung didn’t even have to work to sell the redemption line. We all just couldn’t wait to use it.

Modern Dad

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Snapchat
• See the gear

Acer Predator Triton 700 preview: A gaming great is born?

Gaming laptops are undergoing change: no longer do they need to be the size of a four-bedroom house to deliver considerable power, as the trimmed-down Acer Predator Triton 700 goes to show.

Ok, so it’s still about the size of a two-bed semi-detached, but the Triton 700 is a darn sight slimmer than its near competition. How slim? Just 18.9mm when it’s closed.

Acer Predator Triton 700 preview: Keyboard and trackpad switch-around

• 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display
• Intel Core i7; latest Nvidia GeForce GTX 10-Series
• 18.9mm thin; 2.6kg weight
• Full mechanical keyboard, invisible trackpad

Considering what’s within that’s really good going. Lift up the lid and there’s a full mechanical keyboard, with proper clicky key movement – the likes of which Acer has used on its Predator 21 X gaming laptop. The Triton 700 lights-up with a soft blue colour, which keeps things sophisticated rather than garish.

Pocket-lint

Here’s the first really bizarre thing, though: the keyboard doesn’t have a trackpad ahead of it. Where you’d normally rest the wrists and swipe away is a no-go on this laptop; instead the trackpad is invisible, hidden under a sheet of Gorilla Glass which exposes the fan beneath, but which you can swipe away at.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen Acer go borderline mad with such design – the failed Aspire R7 still makes us chuckle to think about – but as this is a gaming laptop we don’t mind the trackpad’s position, as a wired mouse is most likely to be plugged in at all times. That actually means the keyboard will be closer, so you’ll be nearer to the screen in a sense, more immersed in the action.

Pocket-lint

The problem is simple: there’s nowhere obvious to rest your wrists. Which, if you were typing out long essays, would certainly bring on a bout of RSI, but as deft-fingered gamers will know the number of keystrokes in a mammoth match is no short order. Perhaps, then, the keyboard should just be in the normal position?

Acer Predator Triton 700 preview: New fan system for cooling

• Dual second-gen AeroBlade 3D Fan
• Gorilla Glass plate exposes cooling system
• 3x USB 3.0, 1x Thunderbolt 3.0, 1x Ethernet

Still, it’s a unique point, a lure to get you looking in the first instance. And that glass window does look great: it provides a visual into the fan cooling system (on one side of the machine anyway), exposing five cooling pipeline and Acer’s second-gen AeroBlade 3D Fan solution.

Pocket-lint

What does that mean? First Acer made a metal rather than plastic fan in the AeroBlade, which increased airflow by 15 per cent by compare. Then the company made the AeroBlade 3D Fan, delivering a 25 per cent uplift compared to a conventional fan. With the second-gen solution there’s an axial fin which enhances cooling and makes it much more efficient – 35 per cent beyond a conventional fan.

That’s why the Triton 700 is so thin, all things considered. It’s over 3mm slimmer than an Alienware 13, or over 5mm slimmer than the current Asus ROG Strix GL753VD. This is Predator making its point and making it well.

Pocket-lint

Flip the laptop over and the full array of fans can be seen, including blue accenting – again, giving the machine a distinctive look without being over-the-top.

To the sides are all the ports you could need, including a full-size Ethernet, three USB 3.0, one Thunderbolt 3.0 and 3.5mm jacks for microphone in and headphones out. Around the back there’s a full-size HDMI.

Pocket-lint

And how much cash will you need to part with to buy a Predator Triton 700? €3,399 when it goes on sale in August. There’s no distinctive UK price, but given the current climes we wouldn’t be surprised if it was also around the £3,000-£3,500 mark (spec depending).

The Navy built rechargeable batteries that won’t explode on you

The Navy, the airline industry and Samsung all have a major problem with lithium-ion batteries. Specifically, they tend to catch fire more than most people would like. But that could change soon thanks to a new breakthrough from the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) that allows for safe, rechargeable nickel-zinc batteries with a similar performance to Li-ion cells, but without all the flames.

Zinc is commonly used in single-use batteries, but it hasn’t been a very good option for rechargeable cells in the past because the materials can form conductive dendrites over time and cause equipment to short circuit. The NRL’s method, which is detailed in a new paper published in the journal Science, uses a specially designed “3D sponge” on the Zinc anode to distribute currents more uniformly and prevent dendrites from forming in the first place. In addition to extending the lifetime of single use batteries, the NRL found that their new Ni-3D Zn cells were competitive with lithium-ion batteries over more than 100 recharge cycles. The batteries also performed comparably to lithium batteries when run through more than 50,000 “short duty” cycles interspersed with short power bursts to simulate hybrid vehicle applications. Because they have a lower weight than lithium cells of comparable capacity, the Ni-3D Zn cells could even help hybrid or electric vehicles stretch their range.

Although there’s no timeline yet for a commercial product, the NRL says their research is complete and the 3D zinc sponge technology is “ready to be deployed within the entire family of Zn-based alkaline batteries” in both military and civilian applications.

“We can now offer an energy-relevant alternative, from drop-in replacements for lithium-ion to new opportunities in portable and wearable power, and manned and unmanned electric vehicles,” the NRL’s Dr. Jeffrey Long said, “while reducing safety hazards, easing transportation restrictions, and using earth-abundant materials.”

Source: Naval Research Laboratory

Google’s Classroom is open to anyone with an urge to teach

Forget those pesky teaching qualifications, because Google has now found a way to make educators out of us all. Starting today, any Google Classroom user will be able to create their own classes. Working as an app or via desktop, what started as merely a service to organize coursework now lets users share their own wisdom. Previously, in order to create and attend classes you’d need a G Suite for Education account, now anyone with a Google account can enjoy its benefits.

While the video above is old, it gives you a good idea of what the software is all about. With teachers all around the world drowning in paperwork and bureaucracy, Google Classroom aims to make their lives easier. With students able to submit everything online, assignments are all easily accessible from the cloud — unfortunately making them much more dog-proof.

Keen to show how versatile the service can be, Google recruited a handful of teachers and hobbyists to pilot the feature. One teacher commented on how he prefers using Classroom to email students weekly summaries, as every question, assignment and announcement generates its own link.

Highlighting various test cases on its blog, Google shows how Classroom can be used from everything to teaching graphic design to helping to run a student-led gameDev class. This initial pilot saw the software helping after school programs too, with classes being used by an elementary school teacher to continue sharing ideas with her Girl Scouts Robotics Club.

While it’s still early days for the service, it’s good to see that as well as helping to reduce teachers’ burdens, Classroom might also have uses outside of traditional education.

Source: Google Blog

It looks like Apple is resurrecting its Venmo competitor

Apple began considering its own peer-to-peer payment system back in 2015. Since then, however, nothing seems to have come of it. Today, however, Recode reports that Apple is again in negotiations to launch its own money-transfer system to rival competing services like PayPal’s wildly popular Venmo. Apple’s new service, likely a feature for Apple Pay, could enable you to send money to a friend’s iPhone from your own.

Apple Pay is doing well for the tech giant, but extending its influence into the peer-to-peer space could encourage more consumers to actually use it. Mobile payments between peers are hot right now, with companies like PayPal, Square, and even Facebook getting into the act. While businesses like Square aren’t making much from peer-to-peer payment systems, the ease of sending money to friends and local service providers is bound to become more ubiquitous as more people try it out. Venmo itself continues to grow rapidly, with a reported $6.8 billion in transactions through its app. US banks have also launched their own competing service, Zelle, thereby cutting out third-party middlemen.

While one source told Recode that Apple may announce its new payment service this year, another noted that the launch date and announcement may not be set as of yet. Whatever the timeline for the new Apple service, having the ability to pay rent or split a dinner bill with just your iPhone could be just the thing to convince many of us to use it.

Source: Recode

McDonald’s will satisfy your Big Mac craving with UberEats delivery

McDonald’s already tried delivering Quarter Pounder combo meals via Uber in Florida and now the fast-food restaurant it ready to expand the option. Crain’s Chicago Business reports that McDonald’s will launch its delivery option in more cities before the end of June. And yes, it’s still powered by UberEats.

That original testing phase included 200 locations in Florida, and for now, there’s no word on exactly where the delivery option is headed next. Those details are likely to come soon, so you might be able to satisfy your Big Mac craving without leaving the house in the near future. For now, McDonald’s is trying to perfect the process of accepting orders, finding the right packaging for deliveries and tackling other “operational challenges.” The company also tried its hand at delivery in 2015 with help from Postmates. That initiative is limited to New York City, though.

Delivery isn’t the only move McDonald’s is making to meet the needs of diners in 2017. The company began testing mobile ordering and payments back in March, a feature of its app that’s now available for 400 locations in Chicago, California, Washington state and the DC area. The plan is for every location to have the mobile ordering system in place eventually. As part of the Uber news, McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook explained that restaurant redesigns and digital options like mobile ordering are top priorities over the next two years.

Source: Crain’s Chicago Business

Mars-like soil makes super strong bricks when compressed

Elon Musk’s vision of Mars colonization has us living under geodesic domes made of carbon fiber and glass. But, according to a study recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, those domes may end up being made of brick, pressed from the Martian soil itself.

A team of NASA-funded researchers from UC San Diego, and led by structural engineer Yu Qiao, made the surprising discovery using simulated Martian soil — that’s dirt from Earth which has nearly the same physical and chemical properties. They found that by compressing the simulant under high pressure, it readily created blocks stronger than steel-reinforced concrete.

This isn’t the first time that researchers have attempted to create building materials from native resources on alien worlds. Last year, a team from Northwestern University figured out that you could create concrete by mixing Martian soil with molten sulphur. Qi’s own team had previously sought to make bricks from lunar soil material, managing to reduce the amount of binder needed from 15 percent of the final weight to just 3 percent, before turning their attention to the red stuff.

Interestingly, it’s the red stuff itself (specifically, iron oxide) that enables Martian soil’s compression trick. Iron oxide cracks and shears easily when crushed and its resulting surfaces tend to be angular and flat. When those broad surfaces are subsequently smashed together with sufficient force, they form strong bonds that don’t require a binding agent.

While the research team still needs to confirm that the soil property holds up on the macro level (they only made very small bricks during this experiment), Qi figures that if it does, future manned missions to Mars could use soil as the source material for additive manufacturing efforts. And why not? We’ve already done it with other alien metals.

Via: Verge

Source: Scientific Reports

A kickstand is the most interesting feature on Acer’s new 2-in-1

Of all the new Switch laptops and convertibles that Acer unveiled today, the most eye-catching is the Switch 5. It’s a slick 12-inch Windows 10 hybrid with what the company calls an “auto-retractable” kickstand that lets you adjust the angle at which it’s propped up by pushing it with one finger. Everything else about the convertible is pretty much par for the course, but we’ll get to that later. At the crowded demo area, I was taken by how easy it is to shift viewing angles on a Switch 5 — it works just like a laptop’s lid.

Adjusting the kickstands on competing convertibles (like the Surface) requires you to lift or prop up the device and push the stand out. The Switch 5’s setup makes it a lot more convenient to adjust your screen’s angle while you’re looking at it. You just have to push down on the device (which I did with just one finger) as you would on a regular laptop.

Acer has done a good job balancing the kickstand’s resistance here. It doesn’t take too much force to push the Switch down to a lower angle, nor is it too easy to move out of place by accident. The stand is reminiscent of the Surface Studio’s adjustable hinge, although Acer’s offering is less sophisticated. In line with the company’s previous superthin Switch 7 laptop, though, the new device has a pleasantly slim profile and a premium build.

The new Switch convertibles come with a companion keyboard that connect magnetically to the tablet via a POGO connection. I enjoyed typing brief sentences on my demo unit, as the keys were comfortable and springy. There’s also a trackpad below the keyboard, which was responsive during my brief time with it. On the sheltered rooftop where we checked out these devices, the Switch 5’s 2K display was crisp, colorful and bright enough to easily navigate the Windows 10 Home system.

One thing I found jarring was the way the kickstand snaps into the tablet’s back when you don’t need it anymore. It requires a very deliberate push to merge into the device’s frame, and about half an inch of the stand’s base sticks out, which would make storing or carrying the Switch complicated. I imagine it would frequently get stuck in my backpack from getting caught on a random pocket or lining.

We don’t know much else about the Switch 5, except that it will be ready for back-to-school season this year for an undisclosed price. Depending on the region, a stylus may be included with the convertible and keyboard. Acer is also promising up to 10.5 hours of battery life, and the device’s seventh-generation Intel Core i7 or i5 CPUs should provide ample power for multitasking. We’ll have to wait till the Switch 5 is ready for testing to see if that holds true.

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Amazon taught Alexa to whisper sweet nothings in your ear

Soon enough, Amazon’s Alexa will shout out your grocery list. That’s assuming developers take advantage of the new language framework that Amazon has added to its digital assistant. The idea is that the Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) will hopefully give Alexa more natural speaking patterns. Specifically, now Alexa is capable of whispering, bleeping out swear words and adding emphasis to a phrase in addition to changing volume, speed and pitch of its voice.

The Amazon Developers page has sample code available too, so you can hear what Alexa is supposed to sound like before adding the SSML to your project. This is a pretty big step toward actually getting a digital assistant that sounds like a human in addition to it being another move from Bezos and Co. that opens the platform up to outsiders. Alexa still has a ways to go to becoming Samantha from Her, but this common programming language could get us there faster. Hopefully it doesn’t mean the pants from that movie are en route as well.

Source: Amazon Developers