Microsoft patent describes ’emotional’ AI that produces personalized responses

Why it matters to you

Voice assistant are anything but sensitive, but Microsoft’s next one might be able to understand and respond to your emotions.

Artificially intelligent voice assistants like Apple’s Siri and Google’s eponymous Google Assistant are powerful time-savers, but you won’t mistake one for a human anytime soon — their responses tend to be a little robotic. However, researchers are hard at work on more personalized, life-like assistants, and Microsoft may be at the forefront.

A patent filed by Microsoft in November 2015 and granted in May, titled “Emotionally Connected Responses from a Digital Assistant,” describes an AI-powered companion that has the ability to respond to reminders, calendar entries, and other tasks in a highly specific, contextually appropriate way.

“Personalized or digital assistants are increasingly becoming popular and are continuously becoming more personalized,” the patent states. “For example, digital assistants have unique voices, names, etc. Additional personality dimensions are constantly sought out in an effort to increase connections with users.”

Microsoft’s two-pronged solution includes “personalized messages” to certain “inputs,” and canned responses during “predetermined events.” If you feed the assistant what Microsoft describes as “exemplary emotional inputs” — “I love you,” for example, or “Will you be my girlfriend” —  it’ll respond with a “personalized message,” potentially in the form of  “unique handwriting.” If, on the other hand, it’s your birthday, a holiday, or an anniversary (a “predetermined event”), the assistant will acknowledge the special day in question.

Microsoft isn’t the only firm experimenting with highly personalized, emotional AI. According to the MIT Technology Review, retail giant Amazon is working on “significant” language processing upgrades to Alexa, its voice assistant, that may allow it to accurately detect the emotion in your voice. It’s also said to be developing an advanced language model that would be able to comprehend “ambiguous requests” — the sort of vague questions that throw the current version of Alexa for a loop.

More recently, Amazon introduced tools that make Alexa sound “more like a human.” The new Speech Synthesis Markup Language lets developers of “skills” — third-party apps that extend Alexa’s capabilities — add pauses, change the pronunciation of words, add audio snippets, spell out words, and insert special words and phrases.

The Google Home is powered by Google Assistant.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Google, meanwhile, enlisted the help of Google Doodle head Ryan Germick and ex-Pixar animator Emma Coats to help give the Google Assistant “character.” They programmed the Assistant with a “relatable childhood,” and added “humorous” responses that would make it sound “conversational.”

“There have been studies that show that it doesn’t necessarily matter if you instantly click with someone,” Coats said in an interview with Fast Company. “One thing we do is to make the character as entertaining as we possibly can so that you want to spend time with it.”

Dell S2418H review

Research Center:
Dell S2418H

Searching for the right monitor takes patience. For other products like laptops, smartphones, keyboards, mice, it’s easy to narrow the field with just a few glances at product shots. For monitors, it’s a little trickier.

Monitors in the same category tend to share design elements, specifications, and even model numbers. Too often we go with size and resolution to pare down our options. That’s why it would be easy to overlook the Dell S2418H. On paper it’s nothing special, just another 24-inch 1080p desktop monitor. But hiding behind the numbers is something else special.

Modern class

It’s important to point out that the Dell S2418H is a budget monitor. It runs about $240, but you can probably snag it for less by shopping around. Monitors in this price bracket tend to prioritize savings and reliability over design and aesthetics, which is a shame, considering a monitor’s job is to be looked at.

Thankfully, Dell did no such thing with the S2418H.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The Dell S2418H is one of the most attractive monitors in its class, full stop. With razor-thin bezels, a solid aluminum stand, and slick glossy finish, the monitor’s design puts its nearest competitors to shame. The S2418H even eclipses more expensive monitors like the LG Ultrafine 5K, a $1,300 monitor marred by massive, lopsided bezels. Looking at closer competitors, the S2418H has slimmer bezels than the Samsung CF591 and CFG70, and a more visually interesting stand than the Dell S2417DG.

By opting for a solid metal stand in lieu of the typical thick plastic stand, Dell upped the ante a bit, and made a potentially forgettable monitor into a very classy addition to any desk space.

There’s one aspect that is a bit cumbersome, however. The S2418H ships with an external speaker which fits neatly into a little cradle in the base. Without the speaker, the monitor possesses a certain minimalist charm. Placing the speaker into the base spoils the effect. It doesn’t detract from the Dell InfinityEdge display’s narrow bezel profile, but it looks a little out of place, like a bumper sticker on a luxury car.

Missed connections

Unfortunately, the Dell S2418H does suffer from a bit of the unremarkable sameness that pervades the desktop monitor market. It’s right there on the back of the monitor, which is to say, the Dell S2418H features a standard array of ports.

It features a VGA port and two HDMI ports, one for each flavor — HDMI 1.4 and 2.0 are represented here. It also sports a pair of audio ports, as well as a port for the included external speaker.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The S2418H has about the same number of ports as the Samsung CF591, plus an extra HDMI port, so it’s not unusual for monitors in this price category to be stingy with ports.

It’s a little disappointing that there isn’t at least one USB Type-A or USB Type-C port, but it’s a minor issue. Similarly, a DisplayPort would’ve been appreciated, but otherwise the usual suspects are here, and they do their jobs admirably.

Mismatched buttons

Another small issue dampened our praise — the physical buttons on the underside of the display were just slightly mis-aligned. For instance, when the on-screen menu pops up, it has little menu buttons that line up on the bottom edge of the display.

The aluminum stand and razor-thin bezels make this monitor a classy addition to any desk.

The on-screen buttons were just slightly to the left of the actual, physical, buttons they corresponded to. It wasn’t a huge problem, just a bit irritating when you’re trying to adjust settings and accidentally close the menu instead of turning up the brightness. Otherwise, they were responsive, and got the job done.

The menus themselves are clean and easy to navigate. It’s quick and painless to adjust brightness, contrast, and aspect ratio — no need to dig through a labyrinth of nested menus to get at any setting. Even digging into color profiles is refreshingly easy, all the presets are presented in one menu without excessive scrolling. It’s a simple, straightforward user interface that gets out of the way and presents options clearly and concisely.

Almost a cut above

For such an inexpensive monitor, the Dell S2418H was surprisingly capable right out of the box, though it did have a few downsides.

The 1080p IPS display panel delivered lifelike colors without any calibration, and possesses a standard 60Hz refresh rate. It also features AMD’s FreeSync, which is a welcome addition for gaming,

Looking at overall quality, the Dell S2418H kept up with and even surpassed its nearest competition in a few important metrics, but fell short in a few others.

Starting with contrast, the S2418H fell behind the two Samsung displays, both of which featured impressive contrast ratios just below and just above 1000:1. On the other hand, hitting a contrast ratio of 760:1, the S2418H eclipsed its more expensive cousin, Dell S2417DG, which featured a score of just 500:1.

In practice that meant the two Samsung displays, the CFG70 and CF591, delivered brighter colors and deeper shadows than the Dell S2418H. It’s not too surprising that the CFG70 would eclipse the S2418H, as it features quantum dots — a nanocrystal semiconductor layer which can improve contrast and color fidelity — and costs about $100 more.

However, the S2418H beat both Samsung displays when it came to color accuracy. The Samsung CFG70 scored within an acceptable range, hitting an average color error 2.71. A perfect score is typically right at 1.0 or just below, meaning colors are rendered almost perfectly. The Dell S2418H scored 1.83, coming within striking distance of that perfect score, despite its budget pedigree.

Speaking of color, none of these displays managed to do particularly well when it came to color gamut. They all managed to render 100 percent of the sRGB spectrum, which most desktop monitors can do, but they each fell short of that percentage when rendering the finicky AdobeRGB spectrum.

The Samsung CFG70 was the winner here, hitting 87 percent of the AdobeRGB spectrum, with the CF591 coming in second with 80 percent. The Dell S2417DG scored 76, and again our Dell S2418H beat its more expensive cousin, hitting 77 percent of the AdobeRGB spectrum.

It’s not a great score, but it’s average, as most budget monitors are capable of landing somewhere between 70 and 80 percent in this metric.

Fine-tuning

Like tuning an instrument, sometimes calibration can bring out the best in a monitor, particularly a budget monitor. Finding hidden potential is always a pleasant surprise, and the S2418H is nothing if not filled with pleasant surprises.

Dell S2418H Compared To

LG 27MD5KA‑B Ultrafine 5K

Samsung CF791

Dell U3417W

Samsung CFG70

LG 38UC99

Dell s2417DG

Dell S2716DG

Acer S277HK

Acer XB280HK

Acer B286HK

AOC G2770PQU

AOC mySmart A2472PW4T

Dell P2314T

HP 2311gt

Gateway XHD3000

There weren’t any major changes after we calibrated the S2418H, but we did see an uptick in color accuracy. Its previous average color error of 1.84 was reduced to a near-perfect-but-not-quite-perfect 1.26. To the naked eye, the changes were very slight, and barely noticeable, but it’s a big enough change that potential buyers might want to consider giving the S2418H a calibration to kick that accuracy up a bit.

Big voice

This is usually the part where we lament the quality of a monitor’s built-in speakers, and recommend potential buyers invest in a decent pair of headphones or external speakers. Not today! Remember that goofy looking speaker we mentioned earlier?

Its strengths far outweigh its faults.

It produced high-quality sound, and acted as a center channel for S2418H. Music was clear, nuanced, and appropriately rich, while sound effects from games or movies were immersive and clear. Nothing sounded hollow, muddy, or clipped.

While it’s never a bad idea to invest in a good pair of headphones, the S2418H won’t have users running to the store to pick up a pair. The weird center-speaker that rests in the display stand is more than just a novelty.

Warranty

The Dell S2418H comes with a standard one-year warranty covering manufacturer defects, alongside one year of Dell’s Advanced Exchange Service, which provides next-day shipping for a replacement unit if needed. This is typical for a budget monitor.

Our Take

At a higher price, the Dell S2418H might not be worth the trouble, but this monitor is a steal at $240. Providing a stylish, nearly bezel-free viewing experience, and surprisingly robust sound quality, all for less than $300, the S2418H is great budget monitor.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes and no. There is always a better alternative if you’re willing to spend a little more. The Samsung CFG70, for instance, is about $150 more. For that extra bit of cash, you end up getting a better contrast ratio, a slightly curved display, a refresh rate of 144Hz, and a response time around 1ms. For serious gamers, the CFG70 is the better buy.

The DT Accessory Pack

Belkin Screen Cleaning Kit

$6.70

SteelSeries Rival 700 Gaming Mouse

$74.99

Razer DeathStalker Essential Gaming Keyboard

$38.49

SteelSeries Arctis 5 RGB Illuminated Gaming Headset

$99.26

However, if you’re just looking for a good all-around budget monitor that will get the job done and look good doing it, the Dell S2418H is a better choice.

How long will it last?

That’s a tricky question because the S2418H is, after all, a 1080p monitor. It’s already starting to show its age, or more accurately, its pixels. They’re visible to the naked eye, even if you’re sitting at about arm-length. Text suffers worse than images or videos, where it’s harder to discern individual pixels. With a Word document or Excel sheet open, you might have a hard time ignoring those pixels.

They’ll only become more noticeable over time, not because the display will deteriorate before your eyes, but because the prevalence of higher-resolution displays will make users more sensitive to the appearance of pixels. The monitor itself will last for quite a while, though, as it features a robust build quality, and a rock-solid stand.

Should you buy it?

Yes. For a home office, office-office, or entry-level gaming desktop, this monitor is a fantastic buy. It provides excellent image quality and attractive design at a reasonable price.

Fender’s smartest amplifier ever has a cool mobile app to control it

Why it matters to you

Fender has created its most advanced digital amp ever with its revamped Mustang GT line and Fender Tone app, allowing guitarists more tonal options than ever before.

Famed instrument maker Fender has launched its smartest guitar amplifier ever, aiming to help those in search of classic vintage-tube amp tone, but who don’t have the dough to buy the real thing.

An updated version of its popular Mustang GT amp — among the best-selling lines in the company’s seven-decade history — the new amplifiers feature both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality, and can be controlled via the free Fender Tone app.

In addition to modeling the sounds of some of the company’s most famed tube amps, many of which cost thousands of dollars, users can use the app to add such effects as reverb, tremolo, and many other outboard pedal sounds, and will even be able to choose where each pedal occurs in an effects chain. The amps can also serve as Bluetooth speakers, allowing musicians to play along with their favorite tracks.

Once a cool tone has been found, players can then save and share their presets with friends via the Fender Tone app. This marks an unprecedented ability to dial in a specific tone, with users being able to model the sounds of their favorite musicians and recordings. Fender has already partnered with famed musicians to capture their ideal tones and share them with Mustang GT users. In addition, the internet connectivity means that the new Mustang GT line can receive firmware updates, meaning that the line will likely only get improved modeling over time. 

“Fender Tone is the second release in Fender Digital’s suite of applications, and the first hardware companion application we have developed,” said Fender’s chief product officer, Ethan Kaplan. “It, alongside Fender Tune, aims to accompany players at every stage of their musical journey. Now, with artist-curated presets from Josh Adam Klinghoffer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gary Clark Jr., and Anthrax’s Scott Ian — channeling your favorite song or band for some added inspiration has never been easier.”

Musicians who play live will also love that the amp can be pre-programmed to execute live presets, allowing them to execute major tonal shifts between songs with the simple press of a foot switch or button.

The new Mustang GT line comes in three sizes, from a small 40-watt amp designed for bedrooms, to 100 and 200-watt variants for studios and stages. Prices run from $250 to $600, depending on the size, which is cheap considering that the classic amps being modeled often sell for thousands of dollars each. The free Fender Tone app is currently available on the Android and iOS app stores.

More information regarding new line of Mustang GT amps and the Fender Tone app can be found on Fender’s website.

Samsung Galaxy S8, a second opinion

Samsung continues to make a phone that appeals to a massive number of people, but it comes at a small cost of frustration.

The Galaxy S7 was easily my favorite phone of 2017 until the Google Pixel XL took its place in my pocket, and just as is the case for millions of consumers out there I couldn’t resist the call of the Galaxy S8. It’s a stunningly gorgeous phone to both look at and hold, while it continues to be a pleasure to use on a daily basis.

On the whole I agree with the views of Android Central’s official Galaxy S8 review, and encourage you to read it for the complete take on all aspects of the phone. But after a couple weeks of using the Galaxy S8 myself, I wanted to bring you my view on the hottest phone of the year so far and see where it fits in my hierarchy of phones today.

A personal decision

Choosing the smaller Galaxy S8

I used both the Galaxy S8 and larger Galaxy S8+ pretty extensively in the week before and after the public launch of the phones, and like everyone else had to weigh the pros and cons of deciding between the two. Ultimately, I settled on the smaller Galaxy S8. I was already used to the size and shape of the LG G6, which the Galaxy S8 nearly matches, and couldn’t manage reaching the top of the screen nor the fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S8+. Losing the extra battery life and screen real estate of the Galaxy S8+ was tough, and I know other members of the Android Central team prefer the larger phone, but for me the overall usability improvement of the GS8 was more important.

That being said, the best part about this year’s Galaxy S launch is that the similarities between the two models are closer than ever before. No more deciding between curved vs. flat or small vs. big — you get subtle curves either way, and the phones are close together in size while the GS8 isn’t exactly “small” by any scale. You really just have to decide which size fits your hand and screen needs better, and then how much you need the extra battery offered by the GS8+.

Welcome to the future

Galaxy S8 Hardware and design

There’s no other way to say it: the Galaxy S8 looks downright futuristic. Despite tempering our design expectations with the introduction of really nice curved displays and sleek metal last year, Samsung managed to one-up itself properly with the tiny bezels and wonderful execution of the Galaxy S8’s body. I chose the super-stealth black model, but no matter which color you choose you’ll be impressed the moment you take this thing out of its box.

Smartphone hardware from the future, today.

The way the screen just melts over the edges so subtly is wonderful, with such a more dramatic effect than even the LG G6 offers with its own slim bezels. With smaller screen curves and what I assume is better palm rejection software Samsung has removed any issues I previously had with gripping the curved display. In fact, I haven’t had any issues at all with the tiny bezels — and I really expected to have some sort of learning curve on a phone that has a rapidly decreasing number of safe places to grab hold of.

Samsung continues to have all the right features in its displays

And oh my, what a display. Samsung still leads the industry in smartphone screens, and it’s not particularly close. Sure the Pixel XL and LG G6 do a great job in their own right, and I’m plenty happy using either of those, but the Galaxy S8’s range of colors, clarity for everything you look at and fantastic daylight visibility are absolutely a step above. The curved portions of the display are just icing on the cake, really.

The one concern that will continue to be repeated as these phones become more screen and less substance will be durability. I don’t really worry about that, even though I’m keenly aware that the back glass of my Galaxy S8 has picked up countless scratches in just two weeks. There will always be a balancing act between beauty and strength, and I totally get why Samsung has leaned toward the former. Beauty sells phones to a wider number of people. I’m not rough on my phone, and I don’t even use a case most of the time, and I don’t feel any more worried about the Galaxy S8 breaking with a drop than I do my other phones.

So. Many. Features.

Galaxy S8 Software and experience

I’ve maintained a relatively trouble-free relationship with Samsung’s software over the years. Though I’m not always personally excited about everything its software offers, I can understand most of the decisions. Things improved greatly starting with the Galaxy S6, and the Galaxy S8 easily offers the best overall software experience Samsung has ever shipped.

Samsung is operating in a tough position: it has to continue to support years of legacy features that keep consumers coming back to Galaxy S phones over and over again, while also integrating altogether new features to get people interested in the latest phone, but it also clearly wants to simplify its interface and make the core experience easier to handle for everyone. As much as I’d love to see Samsung slash features and cruft until it was left with something akin to a Google Pixel experience, it just isn’t going to happen for the fear of losing its years of built-up consumer confidence in all of its features.

The core software experience is really good on the Galaxy S8.

The core experience, where Samsung has clearly spent a considerable amount of time in both UI and UX, is really good on the Galaxy S8. I really like Samsung’s latest overhaul of its iconography, and appreciate the subtle touches throughout the interface that bring everything together. Simple transitions, light colors and this “wireframe” look feel modern and cohesive.

And thank you to every single engineer at Samsung who pushed and finally won the battle to move to an on-screen navigation bar. Thank you so very much.

Much along those same lines, Samsung’s performance is strong on my Snapdragon 835-powered U.S. model — even when bumping the screen resolution up to WQHD+ and leaving the “optimized” power mode on. No phone is immune to slowdowns at some point or another, and I think Samsung is going a bit too aggressive with its power management in some cases, but I just haven’t hit performance hiccups or stutters in my two weeks using the phone. That’s a great sign, and based on how well my Galaxy S7 held up over a year I don’t think I have anything to worry about with the longterm performance of the GS8.

Samsung still has an issue managing its immense number of features

But it isn’t all roses with the GS8’s software. As I mentioned earlier, Samsung still has an issue managing its immense number of features. Not only does it have dozens of truly useful features it needs to try and surface to those who need them, but there are dozens more that are just … there, not with much purpose and not found in the most intuitive places. Sure there are big misses like Bixby being baked into the operating system with little use to anyone, but there are lots of subtle issues with piles of features so few people want or need, yet are forced to have on their phone regardless. Even as what I would consider to be an advanced user, I find it tough to navigate everything the GS8 offers — I wonder how the average consumer ever deals with them.

The same goes for all of the bloatware, duplicate apps and services baked into the system with no recourse. I don’t want anything to do with a Samsung Account, or Samsung’s Calendar app or the various carrier-pushed bloatware it lets on its phone. It’s all hurting the experience of what would otherwise be a super clean interface. The process of setting up a new Samsung phone is still overwhelming, and that’s before you try to get your own apps and services installed the way you want.

The unlocking conundrum

The one true blunder in the Galaxy S8 is the way you keep it secure. After being one of the pioneers of great one-touch fingerprint sensors in phones, Samsung has delivered a complete hodgepodge on the GS8 — and I don’t have many nice things to say about it. The fingerprint sensor, even on the smaller Galaxy S8, is just too hard to reliably reach and press. The face unlocking never worked properly for me, no matter how many times I re-trained it. Iris scanning has been the lone bright spot, and actually works some 80% of the time for me — problem being the other 20% of the time when I look like a fool staring at my phone while it fails.

Yes you have options like smart unlock, and you may have better success with iris scanning or face scanning than I have (taking a look at social media, I doubt it). But when it comes to unlocking apps, they still all want a fingerprint sensor — and each time I reach up there, I’m going to smudge my camera lens because it’s in a baffling location. Let’s hope Samsung rectifies this situation somehow with the Galaxy S9, or even sooner in the Galaxy Note 8, because this is a really bad look for a company that usually leads the industry in so many ways.

Battery life

As I said above, I chose the Galaxy S8 knowing its smaller 3000mAh battery wouldn’t give me as much wiggle room as the larger GS8+. On an average day, I’m not a very heavy user — I spend a lot of time listening to music over Bluetooth, but I don’t have the screen on a ton (around 3 hours per day) and I’m on Wi-Fi networks a lot. But at the same time, I don’t take any real proactive measures to save battery: I leave automatic brightness on, I leave Wi-Fi and Bluetooth active, I use Always On Display and I leave the screen at full resolution.

Plenty of battery to work with, even if it isn’t a two-day champion.

For this kind of usage, the Galaxy S8 battery is more than adequate — I can use the Galaxy S8 to its full potential, and I don’t have to charge during the day. Even in a heavier-than-usual day I’ll end with at least 15% battery left when I’m getting into bed — which is a nice little buffer in case I have a heavier day, albeit a smaller one than on my other favorite devices the LG G6 and Pixel XL that will be closer to 30% at night.

That’s not enough battery to make me confident I could make it through even half a travel day with the Galaxy S8, though, which is something again I kind of resigned when I chose the smaller model. I could turn off Always On Display or drop the screen resolution to FHD+ to save a bit, but this just isn’t going to be a marathon device — and that’s okay, because for me those are fringe cases, and I can deal with them. My daily routine fits into the Galaxy S8’s battery constraints just fine without any sort of power anxiety, and that’s what matters most.

Great, but not unmatched

Galaxy S8 Camera

When Samsung came out of the blocks talking about having the “same” camera setup as last year, I was immediately worried it would be lost this generation among other phones that have made big improvements since the Galaxy S7. Since then we now know the sensor has changed ever so slightly, but the real key here is how Samsung is processing the data it gets through the f/1.7 lens and into that sensor.

Samsung’s camera app is still great, and it continues to be amazingly fast to open, capture and operate. Being able to slide the shutter key to zoom is genius. And even though I’ll never use Bixby Vision or these Snapchat ripoff filters, I’ll put up with those being there because the rest of the experience is fantastic all around.

The Galaxy S8 has a really good camera. With its better handling of sharp edges and color reproduction than its predecessor, it takes a nice little jump from last year in terms of the quality you can get out of each and every shot. At the same time, you didn’t lose anything from the GS7: it’s still super fast, good in low light and capable of taking photos in a wide variety of situations that can make you say “wow.”

I’m still very confident in the camera’s abilities, but the competition can hit the same quality.

But that doesn’t mean the Galaxy S8’s camera is far and away the best camera out there — the competition has caught up in the last year. The Pixel XL can arguably beat the Galaxy S8’s quality in many situations, even though it may not offer such a full-featured camera app or as much speed. I also miss the flexibility of the LG G6’s dual camera setup — being able to take unique wide-angle shots is great, and that’s while its main camera is on average the same quality as the GS8’s.

Every day I walk out of the house with the GS8 I don’t feel like I’m carrying an inferior camera, and I know when I press the shutter I’ll get something good just about every time. It just isn’t as mind-blowingly ahead of the competition as the GS7 was. Samsung has just set such a high standard in cameras with the past couple years of phones, and we continue to expect that quality to improve.

Imperfect, but still great

Galaxy S8 Second opinion

There’s a reason why Samsung is on such a high level that it’s no longer worried about other Android manufacturers and is instead going head-to-head with Apple. In the past two years it has completely redefined how it makes smartphones, building hardware that is absolutely tops in the market from a standpoint of physical design but also technical execution. The Galaxy S8 is beautiful in so many ways, and you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth every time you hold it in your hand, look at that display, play a high-end game or see the photos it takes.

You can’t dispute the GS8 does what it takes to completely deserve the top spot.

Even taking into consideration a total fumble in terms of its biometric unlocking situation, Samsung made the right calls overall in its hardware. The Galaxy S8 continues to integrate the features that the mass market crave, and the ones that keep selling phones: a higher screen-to-body ratio, a bright and colorful display, fast performance, waterproofing, a fast camera, and a feature in every nook and cranny to appeal to as many people as possible.

But even while dumping heaps of praise on the Galaxy S8 for all it does to appeal to the vast majority of smartphone buyers today, I can also say it isn’t necessarily the best phone for everyone. If you value simplicity over all else, you won’t find the Galaxy S8 to be to your tastes. While the Galaxy S line has continued to amass huge market share by attempting to be all things to all people, Samsung’s lack of restraint in including features works against it for many people who just want something simpler. Some people can ignore the software, apps and features they don’t want, but others can’t stand having tons of unnecessary cruft in their way when they paid top dollar for a phone.

When someone comes up to me and asks “what phone should I buy?” the conversation is still going to start with the Galaxy S8 and work from there. It’s the default choice for anyone looking to buy a high-end phone, and you really can’t dispute that the Galaxy S8 does what it takes to completely deserve that top spot.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ review!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

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The apps we use and the apps we love [Roundtable]

See what apps for work and play are used by people who play with apps at work!

Everyone loves apps! The success of Google Play makes that clear; we love to use smartphones and tablets because of the apps we can install. And there are a lot of apps you can install.

It’s easy to go overboard, especially when you first get a new phone and visit Google play with it. All those apps in your list that might want are there wanting a place on your phone. But when all is said and done, how many apps do we really use? That’s this week’s question for the AC staff. Check out the answers below.

Andrew Martonik

Picking up my Galaxy S8, which I’ve been using for a couple of weeks now, I have 107 apps installed. My Pixel XL, which has obviously been in use longer, has amassed 120 apps. I’d say that’s about normal for me, to land somewhere in the low 100’s — if I were to trim back the very rarely used apps, I could probably sneak under 100.

Of the 100 or so installed, I really only use about 25.

How many do I actually use on a weekly basis, though? Shoot, only about 25. On a daily basis, that number probably drops to about a dozen core apps: the ones that populate my home screen. Apps like Pocket Casts, Twitter, Instagram, Maps, Hangouts, Slack, Dropbox, and Chrome are all used daily, plus core services like Gmail, Google Photos, Google Calendar and Google Now are constantly there.

Ara Wagoner

Google Play tells me I have 140 apps installed. On a given day, I use about 40 of them. Yes, 40, including every app that contributes to my home screen theme, from my launcher to my widget apps to my icon pack. With two jobs, I have about eight work apps I switch between on a regular basis (and I rue the day I installed Outlook on this thing for work email). Google Play Music is always used, and I dip into Play Movies and YouTube at least three or four times a day.

I prune my app list each time I switch phones.

A number of the apps I have downloaded are media apps that I only pull out when the stars align and I am both A) free and B) bored. Another 15-20 apps are theming related, like icon packs that aren’t being actively used but I keep in case I use them next time and live wallpapers and widget apps. If I need to skinny down, I could maybe get down to 80, but what would be the point? I’ve got plenty of space on my phone, I’m not seeing much if any lag and most of these apps are something I’ll use every now and again. I prune my app list when I switch phones or factory reset, and that’s about it.

Marc Lagace

I currently have 95 apps on my Google Pixel, which I’ve used as my daily driver since it’s release. Of those, nearly a third of them are games or gaming related, which are typically rotated in and out as new games have released that catch my interest or when I need to free up more space. Even if I wasn’t covering Android games as part of my daily job, my phone would still be brimming with games to play for any occasion because I’m a gaming addict. There, I said it.

A third of my 85 apps are games because I’m a gaming addict!

Of the non-gaming apps on my phone, I probably have about 15 or so apps that I use on a daily basis and fall under three categories: social media (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter), multimedia apps (Camera, Google Photos, Apple Music, Google Play and Netflix) and the slew of stock apps I rely on (Clock, Calendar, Chrome, Gmail, and Messages).

Harish Jonnalagadda

I have 108 apps installed on my Galaxy S8+, which I’ve been using for just over a week now. My Pixel XL has 162 apps that have amassed over the course of the last six months. On a daily basis, I probably use around 30 to 35 apps — WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger for staying in touch with friends and family, Twitter and Instagram for social media, Slack for work communication, Simplenote to quickly jot down notes, and Pocket Casts for podcasts.

I rely heavily on Google’s apps and services, including Photos, Maps, Gmail, Chrome, Duo, Keep, Gboard, Android Messages, and YouTube. Then there’s Pushbullet for notification mirroring, Netflix, Hotstar, and Spotify for multimedia needs, and Relay for browsing Reddit.

I’ve installed 108 apps on my Galaxy S8+ in just a week.

When it comes to India-specific apps, I have BookMyShow installed for movie tickets, iMobile for banking needs, Paytm as a digital wallet service, and Zomato for restaurant recommendations. The rise of a mobile-first economy has led to an increase in hyperlocal services, including Faasos, Swiggy, and Zomato Order for food delivery, and BigBasket and Grofers for delivering groceries to my doorstep.

I have several smart home products by Xiaomi, and the company’s Mi Home app is a mainstay on my home screen as it lets me easily manage all the connected devices throughout my house. Starting with the Galaxy S8+, I started using Samsung Pay, and it has been a revelation. The service’s convenience combined with ease of use and wide acceptance has led Samsung to dominate the mobile payments segment.

Daniel Bader

When I get a new phone, I tend to use an old phone to populate its apps and settings, and I’ve reached an equilibrium at 107 apps, give or take seven apps.

But I had a realization a few months ago that instead of stuffing my face home screen full of folders, I should simplify my life and place only the apps I truly need on that all-important screen. Turns out that number is 15:

• Phone
• Messages
• Newton (email)
• Chrome
• Camera
• Maps
• Hangouts
• Slack
• Twitter
• Play Store
• Instagram
• Newsblur (RSS)
• Trello (project management)
• Spotify
• Google Photos

Of course, those aren’t the only apps I use, but I find that I generally spend most of my day in one of those apps, the most popular being Slack and Instagram, followed by Twitter and Newton. Shows how much my life revolves around work.

I have 107 apps, but 15 of them get a spot where it counts — my home screen.

I do use others: I spend quite a lot of time in Facebook Messenger with my friends planning outings, or WhatsApp talking to family overseas. And my smart home consists of four regularly-opened programs, including Nest, which oversees my heat and cooling along with my three connected security cameras; Ring, which lets me see who’s at my doorbell from anywhere in the world; and Kevo, which lets me open and lock my front door deadbolt.

1Password and Authy are also completely indispensable, especially in the hours after setting up a new phone, which happens quite often. I don’t know how I lived without this dynamic duo — well, I do, but I guess I don’t know how I wasn’t more regularly hacked while using such insecure authentication methods.

For fun — what’s that, again? — I relax with music from Spotify and podcasts from Pocket Casts, though lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the excellent NPR One app, which I dismissed offhand upon its launch a few years ago until I actually dug around and learned to love it. And while I don’t play many mobile games, some sort of quick-hit title is always nearby. Lately, that has been PinOut, the amazing “endless runner” pinball game from the makers of Smash Hit.

Alex Dobie

After a couple of weeks with the Samsung Galaxy S8+, I’ve got 72 apps installed. Some context for that number — I’ve disabled some of the built-in Microsoft apps that I don’t use, and I’m using a European unlocked GS8, so there’s less preloaded crapware than U.S. carrier models have. Google Play tells me I’ve used 31 of them in the past day, including staple messaging apps like WhatsApp, Slack and Hangouts, and social apps like Twitter and Instagram.

There’s nothing too out of the ordinary in my list of daily apps — the likes of Chrome, Gmail, Trello (for editorial planning), and the Google app, which I’m dipping into more often since Google Assistant took over the long-press home shortcut. I’m using Google Photos as my main photo app, not Samsung’s Gallery app, so that’s one of my dailies too. Google Fit and Samsung Health for various activity tracking — using a Gear smartwatch pretty much forces me to use Samsung’s app as well as Google’s. My streaming app of choice is Google Play Music, And then there’s YouTube and YouTube Creator Studio for keeping an eye on the video side of AC.

My daily app list is normal, but from time to time I need a little more.

There’s not a lot on there I don’t frequently use, perhaps because this is a relatively new phone, perhaps because I’m just used to setting up what I need and getting on with it. Travel stuff makes up much of my “occasional” app usage — Trainline for train travel within the UK, Skyscanner and Concur for flights, AirBNB for accommodation, as well as CityMapper and Uber (yeah, I know). Other occasionals include Pocket Casts — I usually only fire this up when I’m traveling — and a revolving selection of games. Right now I’m getting reacquainted with Need for Speed: Most Wanted and the original Sonic the Hedgehog.

Florence Ion

On the phone that I use every day, I have 127 apps installed. That’s actually quite a bit, and I thought the number would be lower. But then I realized it’s because I recently took a trip, and I still have a host of photography apps installed.

For the most part, each one on my Home screen is carefully curated and placed in a space based on its importance. Any other app lives in the drawer, where it’s stowed away until I need it next. There’s even a spot on my Home screen specifically devoted to a folder that holds the I use them enough to have them on the Home screen apps. These include apps like my banking app or the app devoted to the nearby transit system that I ride only a few times a month.

A recent trip means I have a slew of photography apps, which bumps me over the 100 mark.

Everything else is placed based on importance; the daily-use ones are on the first page and the sub-tier to the right. Of the apps I use daily, a majority of devoted to messaging and social media. This includes the Android Messages app, Snapchat (Beta!), and my absolute favorite, Allo, which lives in the center on the first Home screen so that it’s always the first thing my thumb hovers above.

Jerry Hildenbrand

I do things a bit differently than most people because I am 100% a multiple-device guy. I only have 40-ish apps on my phone in total because I can use a Chromebook for anything that’s a better experience in a proper web browser on a bigger screen. If you count the various Chrome and Android apps I have on my Chromebook, then I’m near that 100-app line like everyone else. Those count, right?

I have as many apps (if not more) on my Chromebook as I do on my phone.

Anyhoo, on my phone, I stick to just a handful of apps I use every day. One of those will be my casual game of the moment (right now that’s Let’s Get High which has nothing to do with whatever you’re thinking) but mostly I use apps to communicate. Work stuff includes Slack, Trello and the various apps for all the Mobile Nations sites as well as Google Drive, Docs, and Gmail. I’m a project Fi user so Hangouts is a must on phones that aren’t a Pixel to make calls and send messages using one number, and my family and close friends use Allo for instant messaging since they broke down and tried it.

I also have my personal email through the ProtonMail app and use Signal for SMS and to chat with other folks who use it. Toss in apps that are needed so the other gadgets in my house work (Nest, Google Home, etc.) and that’s it. All in all, a pretty boring selection. Thank goodness for my Chromebook!

Russell Holly

Doesn’t really matter what phone I’m using, I have 46 apps that I use over the course of a given week.

I’ve got my streaming apps — Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBOGo, Plex, Comedy Central, Google Play, YouTube, TiVO, and The CW

My Google Apps — Gmail (for work), Inbox (for personal), Gboard, Android Wear, Device Manager, Voice, Calendar, Drive, Sheets, Docs, Photos, G+, Hangouts, Chrome, Home, Fit, Wallpapers, and Maps

My Smart Home apps — Nest, Nanoleaf, Hue, IFTTT, Alexa

Google Play Music, Pocket Casts, and 98Rock for music. Authy for 2FA. Daydream or Oculus for VR. Uber for when I’m travelling. Slack and Trello for work management. Eat24 on the rare occasion that I want to order in. Twitter to annoy everyone. Camera and Settings because I can’t remove them from my app drawer. Pokémon Go because I have a problem.

Your turn

What are some of your favorite apps and games? Which ones can’t you live without? Sound off in the comments!

This appears be our first look at an Amazon Echo with a built-in touchscreen

Amazon seems to be shifting the Alexa platform towards video integration.

It’s a low-resolution image scraped from Amazon’s servers, but this thumbnail might be our first look at Amazon’s new flagship device for Alexa, and the first to include a built-in screen. This image was first reported by AFTVnews, which previously discovered the Echo Look using the same methods back in March.

Image by AFTVnews.

It’s hard to glean too much from the image given the low resolution as there isn’t any other information other than the image itself, but AFTVnews says the screen is rumored to be a 7-inch touchscreen. Early rumors about Amazon’s 2017 Echo devices back in March hinted at the inclusion of voice calling and intercom functionality to the Alexa platform. We can now add video calls to that list of rumors — that small circle just above the screen appears to be a camera.

This would be the second Echo we’ve seen with a camera. Last week, Amazon unveiled the Echo Look, a new Alexa device equipped with a camera that’s designed to give you fashion tips in your bedroom. Based on this new leak, it would appear that Amazon is going full-tilt towards integrating video into the Alexa platform.

Amazon Echo

• Amazon Echo review
• Echo Dot review
• Top Echo Tips & Tricks
• Tap, Echo or Dot: The ultimate Alexa question
• Amazon Echo vs. Google Home
• Get the latest Alexa news

Amazon

What keyboard are you using with your Galaxy S8?

The Galaxy S8 comes with a keyboard, but you may not want to use it.

There are so many keyboards available in the Play Store — sometimes it’s difficult to keep up with which one to download.

Things get confusing, especially for newer users, with the reality that most companies, from Samsung to LG to HTC, equips their phones with their own keyboards, often of very different quality.

Samsung’s built-in keyboard, the autocorrect algorithms of which are reportedly powered by SwiftKey, is a mixed bag. While it’s improved considerably over the past few years, it’s still not as user-friendly as it could be, especially when, out of the box, some important settings are turned off by default. Given that we love Gboard and SwiftKey over here, we were curious about what keyboards you’re using with the Galaxy S8 and S8+, and took to the forums to check it out.

The best Android keyboards

steelers1
05-03-2017 12:35 PM

“

I’ve always used the Samsung keyboard on all my Samsung phones with no problem but ever since the nougat update on my s7 edge and now the s8+ the keyboard has been horrible to type on. It never seems to get my swipes right. My girlfriend’s s6 just got the nougat update and now she hates her keyboard too. I tried swift key and really didn’t like it at all. I also tried gboard and actually really…

Reply

One user used to like the Samsung Keyboard, but found it got worse over time, which is the opposite of what we’ve found. So his search continues.

michaelp68
04-24-2017 10:57 AM

“

I used SwiftKey for a long time and always thought it was the best. Then I tried Gboard for a month based on all the good reviews. I thought that it worked well, but just not as good as SwiftKey. I have since gone back to SwiftKey and that is what I’m using on my new S8 +.

Reply

Another user enjoyed SwiftKey, but got intrigued by Gboard, switched to it, and then decided to go back. A fairly common scenario, we’ve found.

Ecm
04-29-2017 07:43 AM

“

The BlackBerry Keyboard is in the Google Play store, but is technically only available (at present) for BlackBerry-Android devices.

Many of us who grew to love the BlackBerry vKB missed tis when switching to other Android devices. A relatively simple process is available to install it on another device. Working BlackBerry Priv apps for any Android device – BlackBerry Forums at…

Reply

BlackBerry’s keyboard, which isn’t technically available on non-BlackBerry phones, is quite a popular tool for input. It’s fairly easy to install with a bit of sideloading, too.

ffejjj
04-28-2017 03:23 PM

“

I like Gboard because I can sloppy swipe and it understands better than any other I’ve ever used.

Reply

Google’s Gboard gets some love, too, especially now that it allows for customizable heights. Given that the Galaxy S8 has an extra-tall screen, it’s nice to be able to adjust the size (though SwiftKey supports this, too).

What is your keyboard of choice for the Galaxy S8? Let us know in the forums!

Felony charges dropped after officer admits faking body cam video

Police body-cam footage is supposed to be an objective account of what happens during a traffic stop or whatever’s taking place when an officer’s device is activated. The emphasis is on the “supposed to be.” Recently, a Colorado case was dismissed after it was discovered that police officer Seth Jensen allegedly recreated the search of Joseph Cajar’s vehicle after his November 2016 arrest, according to local publication The Pueblo Chieftain.

During the search, Jensen apparently found 6.8 grams of what was believed to be heroin, a .357 Magnum, a pill bottle with amphetamine residue and $43 in singles. The problem is that Jensen allegedly admitted that his on-camera search wasn’t the real McCoy to deputy district attorney Anne Mayer via text messages obtained by the Chieftain.

“You’ll have to watch your body cam before the motions to make sure the report and camera are the same,” Mayer instructed.

“For the search, the body cam shows different than the report because it was. Prior to turning my body cam on I conducted the search. Once I found the [expletive], I stepped back, called [officer], then activated my body cam and walked the courts through it,” Cajar replied.

Mayer told Cajar that he needed to write a supplement to his police report indicating that the body cam was powered down during the original search, and that what was recorded was actually a recreation.

Cajar was facing felony charges for possession with intent to manufacture or distribute a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a weapon by a previous offender and special offender. Now those charges have been dropped and Cajar may face disciplinary measures for his actions.

There have been instances where the veracity of body-cam footage has been called into question before, but this may be the first time alterations have come to light and resulted in charges being dropped.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: The Pueblo Chieftain