Microsoft Cortana skills: Which are available now and how do they work?

Microsoft has launched the first set of skills for Cortana.

During the company’s annual Build developers conference this week, Microsoft announced a Cortana Skills Kit so that developers could create Amazon Alexa-like skills for Microsoft’s voice assistant. A number of partners are already developing skills, and some of them are even available now as an early preview. Here’s everything you need to know about Cortana skills, including a list of the ones out.

• Microsoft unveils the Surface Laptop, a Windows 10 S device
• Microsoft will now release major Windows 10 updates twice a year
• Windows 10 S is a streamlined version of Windows for education

What is Microsoft Cortana?

Cortana is Microsoft’s assistant, sort of like how Apple has Siri, Google has Assistant, and Amazon has Alexa. Cortana is available on Windows 10 devices, as well as Android and iOS devices via the Cortana app.

What are Cortana skills?

Well, before we get into Cortana skills, you should keep in mind that Amazon’s Alexa was the first assistant to provide a set of built-in capabilities referred to as skills. While Amazon itself can create skills, it also opened up Alexa so that third-party developers can build skills for Alexa. Popular Alexa skills include the ability to hail a ride from Uber, post a message to Slack, order a pizza from Domino’s, etc.

Microsoft’s Cortana skills are essentially new skills that are similar to Alexa’s skills. The company has allowed developers to integrate their apps and services into the Cortana voice assistant. One of the first supported skills is the popular Dark Sky weather notification service. So, with it, you can say, “Hey Cortana, ask Dark Sky for today’s forecast,” and then you’ll get a weather forecast via Cortana.

There are actually a variety of other skills available, including iHeartRadio, TuneIn, OpenTable, and even a cute one like Cat Facts. Cortana’s skills are only available in an early preview right now, but many more are expected to launch in full in the coming months.

Which devices can use Cortana skills?

Remember, Cortana is cloud-powered. That means Cortana’s skills will work across any device that use Cortana – whether that is Windows, iOS, or Android. New Cortana-powered devices like Harman Kardon’s Cortana speaker and HP’s Cortana device can also use them. While at Build 2017, Microsoft said consumers can expect many more Cortana-powered devices to arrive later this year.

Microsoft

Which Cortana skills are available?

Microsoft published a list of 46 skills now available in early preview.

• Dark Sky: “Hey Cortana, ask Dark Sky for today’s forecast.”
• Domino’s Pizza: “Hey Cortana, ask Domino’s to place my Easy Order.”
• Food Network: “Hey Cortana, ask Food Network for recipes by Ina Garten.”
• OpenTable: “Hey Cortana, ask Open Table to reserve a table at Palomino.”
• Progressive: “Hey Cortana, ask Progressive for tips to save money.”
• Skyscanner: “Hey Cortana, ask Skyscanner if the flight to Edinburgh is on time?”
• TuneIn: “Hey Cortana, play 90.3 on TuneIn.”
• iHeartRadio: “Hey Cortana, play Z100 on iHeartRadio.”
• Akinator: “Hey Cortana, ask Akinator to start.”
• Bartender: “Hey Cortana, ask Bartender how to make a Manhattan. ”
• Gigseekr: “Hey Cortana, ask Gigseekr for information about Ed Sheeran.”
• Intelligent Inbox Assistant: “Hey Cortana, ask Knowmail for my emails.”
• MyTime: “Hey Cortana, ask MyTime to book a hair coloring in Bellevue.”
• Porch: “Hey Cortana, ask Porch to fix my roof.”
• TalkLocal: “Hey Cortana, tell TalkLocal that I need a plumber to repair a broken water heater.”
• VentureBeat News: “Hey Cortana, ask VentureBeat to read me the news?”
• Baby Stats: “Hey Cortana, ask Baby Stats to add poop and pee.”
• Celtics Fan: “Hey Cortana, ask Celtics Fan to give me a flash briefing.”
• The Pledge of Allegiance: “Hey Cortana, launch the Pledge of Allegiance.”
• Applause: “Hey Cortana, ask Applause to give me some applause. ”
• The Name Game Song: “Hey Cortana, ask Name Game.”
• Short Bedtime Story: “Hey Cortana, tell Bedtime Story.”
• Starfish Me: “Hey Cortana, Ask Starfish Me for my Wi-Fi pass.”
• Starfish Dico: “Hey Cortana, ask Starfish Dico to say dinner is ready.”
• Inspire Me: “Hey Cortana, launch Inspire Me.”
• My Therapist: “Hey Cortana, ask My Therapist for some conversation.”
• Starfish Messenger: “Hey Cortana, Ask Starfish for my messages.”
• Starfish Peeps: “Hey Cortana, ask Starfish Peeps who is Ryder?”
• The National Anthem: “Hey Cortana, open The National Anthem.”
• Haunted House: “Hey Cortana, ask Haunted House to scare me. ”
• Presidents Trivia: “Hey Cortana, open Presidents Trivia.”
• A Magic Trick: “Hey Cortana, launch Magic Trick.”
• Warriors Fan: “Hey Cortana, ask Warriors Fan to give me a flash briefing.”
• Woman of the Day: “Hey Cortana, ask Woman of the Day who’s the woman of the day?”
• Bargain Buddy: “Hey Cortana, ask Bargain Buddy for the Woot deal.”
• Sound Effects: “Hey Cortana, ask Sound Effects to play air horn.”
• Tact: “Hey Cortana, ask Tact what is the latest on Globex opportunity.”
• Cat Facts: “Hey Cortana, open Cat Facts.”
• Washington State Ferry: “Hey Cortana, ask Washington State Ferry when is the next ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island?”
• Spurs Fans: “Hey Cortana, ask Spurs Fan what is the Spurs conference standing?”
• Cavaliers Fan: “Hey Cortana, ask Cavaliers Fan to give me a flash briefing.”
• Ghost Detector: “Hey Cortana, launch Ghost Detector. ”
• Powerball Helper: “Hey Cortana ask Powerball Helper for lottery numbers. ”
• Internet of Things Facts: “Hey Cortana, ask Internet of Things for a fact. ”
• Ask My Buddy: “Hey Cortana, ask My Buddy to send help.”
• WebHR: “Hey Cortana, ask WebHR about the upcoming birthdays.”
• Headline News: “Hey Cortana, ask Headline News to get me the latest headlines from Asia. ”
• Starfish Band: “Hey Cortana, ask Starfish Band for my activities.”
• Word of the Day: “Hey Cortana ask Daily Word.”
• Bucket List: “Hey Cortana, ask Bucket List to give me a good idea.”
• Boo: “Hey Cortana, ask Boo. ”

How do Cortana skills work?

Some skills may need to be setup before you can invoke them. Domino’s has created a Cortana skill, for instance, but you need to link a Domino’s Pizza account before you can start ordering pizza through Cortana. You can learn more about each Cortana skill now available, including the phrases that invoke them, how to set them up, and which devices they support, on this Microsoft website.

MP3 is dead, long live AAC

MP3, the format that revolutionized the way we consume (and steal) music since the 90s, has been officially retired — in a manner of speaking. The German research institution that created the format, The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, announced that it had terminated licensing for certain MP3-related patents…in other words, they didn’t want to keep it on life support, because there are better ways to store music in the year 2017. Rest now forever, MP3.

In its place, the director of the Fraunhofer Institute told NPR, the Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) format has become the “de facto standard for music download and videos on mobile phones.” It’s simply more efficient and has greater functionality, as streaming TV and radio broadcasting use the format to deliver higher-quality audio at lower bitrates than MP3.

Basic research in audio encoding began at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in the late 1980s. Researchers there and from the Fraunhofer Institute joined forces, and their result was the humble MP3 standard. The format takes up 10 percent of the storage space of the original file, a monumental reduction at the time. According to Stephen Witt’s book How Music Got Free, corporate sabotage and and other failures almost stonewalled the MP3 into irrelevancy. Finally, Fraunhofer just started giving away software consumers could use to rip songs from compact discs to MP3 files on their home computer, after which the format took off.

By the end of the 90s, however, those tiny files were zipping around the nascent internet, spawning a gold rush of digital piracy. It ruled illegal sharing for years as sites like Napster and Kazaa hosted popular peer-to-peer services allowing folks to download songs with a click. Of course, the format also enabled development on the legal side of the aisle as online vendors scrambled to lawfully meet the connected public’s need for digitally-acquired music.

Apple’s iTunes store dominated that market, which funneled music into their answer to the MP3 player market, the iPod. Apple gave users the option of using AAC almost from the start, and that format has proven the eventual successor. But MP3 deserves its place in history for enabling casual users to experience for the first time the internet’s true (if dubiously legal) potential for exchanging data.

Via: NPR

Source: The Fraunhofer Institute

Pay an American Express bill just by talking to Alexa

With Amazon’s Alexa getting smarter every day, soon enough you won’t have to do much yourself. American Express is the latest company to tap into the virtual assistant’s skills, allowing customers to use voice commands to check their account balance, review recent charges or make a payment. Alexa devices will also connect to Amex Offers, which is going to let card members browse limited-time deals that may be available through their card.

It’s worth noting American Express isn’t the first financial service to bring these kind of features to Amazon’s platform; Capital One started doing something similar earlier this year. If you have an Amex card, as well as an Alexa-enabled device, you can learn how to set this up right here.

Source: American Express

V-MODA REMIX Bluetooth Speaker review

Since its launch nearly a decade ago, V-MODA has been steadily putting out high-quality audio products, namely around headphones and amplifiers. Its latest product, the REMIX, is its first ever Bluetooth speaker.

While it stands on its own as a small footprint speaker, it packs an internal headphone amplifier and supports Amazon Alexa (via Echo Dot). Moreover, consumers have the option to order the speaker in a variety of finishes and custom 3D printed materials. The REMIX runs $300 and can be ordered immediately. Introduced only a few weeks ago, we are fortunate enough to have already received a demo unit.

Design

First things, first. The REMIX is much smaller in person than we anticipated. In fact, it was about half of the footprint that we expected. Dimensions shake out to 8.1 x 2.5 x 2.5 (in) / 205 x 65 x 68 (mm) and the whole thing weighs just under two pounds (1.9) for the aluminum model and 1.6 pounds in the vegan leather finish. We reviewed the aluminum variant.

The speaker feels really solid in hand and comes across as quite dense. Rather than introduce some weird, unconventional shape or form factor, V-MODA has opted for the traditional rectangular shape — but with a slight variation. As the first 3D printed custom speaker, the REMIX can be accented with a number of metals and fabrics with pricing that ranges from about $40 all the way up to thousands of dollars.

Looking down on top of the speaker, from left to right you’ll find buttons for LED status, power, volume down, multi-function, volume up, and Bluetooth pairing. To the right of the buttons is a small microphone. Around back we locate VAMP output, a USB-C charging port, and 3.5mm auxiliary input.

The speaker is a classy and stylish design and is almost the exact opposite of a rugged or outdoor unit. It looks right at home in a dining room or office and adds a bit of flair to any environment. Given its size, though, it doesn’t stand out or beg for attention.

What’s In the Box

• REMIX Speaker
• Elegant USB-A to USB-C charging cable (79″, 2m)
• Daisy Chain audio cable with 45° 24k gold plated plugs (55″, 1.4m)
• 4x REMIXRings (1 pair pre-installed on the speaker)

The metal grilles are strong and sturdy and complement the aluminum finish. It’s pretty obvious where the heft comes from as the speaker doesn’t have anything cheap or gimmicky. The REMIX doesn’t mess around.

Sound

Do not overlook the size of the speaker or assume its sound quality or volume. Indeed, this one can easily fill an average size room without breaking a sweat. Get into a larger environment of a few hundred square feet and you’ll find the speaker ready to rock. We had to take the REMIX outside in order to push volume toward its upper end.

Considering the $300 price tag, we had high expectations on sound. Volume-wise, this one does as well as any other speaker in this range, perhaps better. We can’t think of any other speakers in this size that can deliver the levels that come from the V-MODA REMIX.

We threw a wide range of music at our speaker to see how it handled various genres. Whether it was jazz, EDM, spoken word, or rock, the REMIX delivered clear and consistent audio. Layered music, like that of Radiohead or Daft Punk was a pleasure to listen to as we could easily identify the highs, mids, and lows. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon sounds every bit as warm and inviting on the speaker as it does in some of our favorite headphones.

Not that you’ll have to do so all that often, but we noticed distortion and muddied bass at about 90% volume level. We can’t imagine an environment where we’d want to listen to music that loud, especially for extended periods. But, if you like to rock out as loud as possible, we suggest dialing down just a smidge.

Should you have more than one REMIX speaker, you can daisy chain them together. To do so, plug the included cable into the VAMP port of your first speaker and into the next speaker’s “in” port.

We listened to the built-in headphone amplifier using the included audio cable, plugging our phone in and using a couple of different headphones. The difference was immediately obvious, and the effect was almost like pulling a curtain back. Sound was wider and appeared to have a much better range than without using the amp. If you have a favorite high-end pair of headphones that you like to listen to at home, you’ll want to keep the REMIX nearby.

Battery

The REMIX houses a 3,400mAh battery which is rated at more than ten hours, according to V-MODA. We found the speaker would get to ten hours without any problems, but we’d charge it up after using for extended periods. We can’t say for certain what a good high-end number is, but we feel it could be around 11-12 hours.

We would have liked to see a more obvious battery indicator and/or the option to charge a device through the speaker. The latter feature is becoming increasingly popular; this was a missed opportunity to us. Given this speaker is designed to work as an amplifier, it would have been great if we could steal off some of the juice while we had our phone parked next to it.

The LED indicator flashes when the battery gets low, and appears to breathe when charging. At full charge, it turns white. Listeners can tap the power button when the speaker is powered on to count flashes between one and four times to approximate remaining life.

Performance

Pairing the speaker is a rather simple and straightforward process. Once powered on, hold down the dedicated pairing button for about three seconds and listen for the pulsing tone. Go into your phone or tablet’s settings and find the speaker and you’re connected.

We appreciate that V-MODA opted for the Type-C USB charging port as most of our devices are going that way. If you’ve recently purchased a new phone you’ll likely have that type of cable; this keeps you from needing two cables on hand.

If we had a complaint about the REMIX its that the Bluetooth connection could be better. Sure, it gives you the standard 30 feet without any obstacles but put it in a room where the source and speaker are separated by a bunch of people and you’ll get some occasional breakups or disconnects. It didn’t happen a lot, but it was easier to “trip up” the connection than we thought for the price.

Conclusion

The REMIX is far more than a standard Bluetooth speaker. Not only can you daisy chain multiple units together, but it also doubles as an amplifier. Audiophiles who already know the V-MODA brand may own a pair of its headphones or something else from the higher end. If that’s the case, then the amp function brings about even more value.

We appreciate that, in addition to playing music, the speaker can make and receive calls, bring up a voice assistant (Google Assistant, Siri), and and more. If you own an Amazon Echo Dot, you’ll definitely want to connect the speaker via the included cable. Place the Echo Dot where you want the mic and set the REMIX in a spot that works best for listening.

The optional 3D customization is a nice touch, but it will come at a price. We didn’t get to see some of the different finishes and designs, however, the V-MODA website does show off a couple of examples. As a general consumer, we don’t see much reason to go beyond the standard design, but we can imagine scenarios where a business might.

At $300 the REMIX doesn’t come cheap. If you’re in the market for a utility-type Bluetooth speaker that can come and go with you, this isn’t it. This is the sort of unit that offers up extra features and which you’ll have for years. It won’t go to the beach or sit next to the pool, but it classes up a family room with excellent sound.

Considering an amp for your headphones? Like the functionality that comes with Amazon Alexa? If you say yes to both of those, your list of potential speakers just got much shorter.

The V-MODA REMIX comes with the company’s Six-Star service plan which includes 50% replacement cost for life. Not just for basic problems, mind you, but scenarios where you might drop the speaker off a building or run it over. Moreover, it comes with a standard one-year “Premier” warranty and a 60-day test drive.

Microsoft revealed its plans for world domination at Build

Microsoft just wrapped up its Build developer conference, and the theme unifying all the news is clear: Windows and Cortana everywhere. Whether it’s linking Windows to all your other devices or letting developers code for various platforms from their PCs, Microsoft made a bigger effort to get its hooks in all aspects of our tech lives.

CEO Satya Nadella kicked off the first keynote by outlining the company’s vision for the future of computing, which will incorporate devices from laptops and smartphones to cars, forklifts, thermostats and robots.

Although the first day served up more news for developers than consumers, it offered a taste of what Microsoft services could be coming soon. For instance, the just-released Cortana Skills Kit public preview will let creators build more functions for the voice assistant that span your personal and professional life.

The day one keynote also revealed new AI skills, including intelligent workplace monitoring systems that could make job sites safer, as well as live speech translation in PowerPoint.

But the meat of the event’s announcements came on the second day, where Microsoft showed off new features coming to Windows 10 in its Fall Creators Update. Tools like Clipboard, You Can Pick Up Where You Left Off and OneDrive Files on Demand let you easily carry your content from one device to the next whether it’s a phone or a computer. Meanwhile, Timeline keeps a history of everything you’ve ever pulled up across all your gadgets (even iOS and Android) and organizes it in chronological order. It’s like a browser history, but for all of your tech. It’s all part of Microsoft’s refined focus, which cares less about the device you use than the data you’re sharing.

To make this multi-device universe work, developers will need a convenient platform to code on, and Build 2017 also provided exciting news on that. In addition to unveiling a Fluent Design framework to simplify coding for all manner of gadgets (whether they are headsets, phones or speakers), Microsoft also released a Project Rome SDK for iOS (previously available on Android) for developers to create apps that can work across devices running those operating systems. All these tools tap into the Microsoft Graph, which is a database of information about each user that programmers can employ to learn more about your preferences, identity and other devices you use. This might sound creepy, but you will have control over who gets access to your data, and it’s essential to the convenient cross-device experience Microsoft is trying to create.

Microsoft also unveiled Mixed Reality controllers for its headsets, as well as pricing and availability for the first of the dev kits. There was also a fun new app called Story Remix, that uses AI to generate home movies out of your photos and videos. It also lets you add engaging and realistic special effects that can quickly add personality to your videos.

Microsoft’s desire to play nice with other operating systems is no secret, but the announcements at Build 2017 point towards more ambitious plans. Whether it’s through Cortana-enabled devices, Windows tweaked for various gadgets or multi-platform access to the Graph, it’s clear that Microsoft is laying down the groundwork to slide into all aspects of your life. The company’s past endeavors have either petered out or have yet to gain traction, though, so it still remains to be seen if this year’s updates will make a real difference.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from Microsoft Build 2017.

‘Madden 18’ may follow ‘FIFA 17’ with a story mode of its own

It looks like American football is taking something from soccer beyond the sport’s name. Well, as far as Electronic Arts’ virtual versions go, that is. This year’s Madden will feature a full-fledged story mode akin to what FIFA ’17 had. In the very evocative trailer below, a young man stares out at the Indianapolis Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium, dreaming of either a burrito or being on the cover of a video game. It’s hard to tell which considering all we can see is the unnamed protagonist’s expression in the reflection of a hotel window.

The other intriguing part? A title card for publisher EA’s Frostbite engine bisecting the video. In 2013, EA announced that sports games would all run on Ignite, and everything else would be powered by developer DICE’s Frostbite toolset. Since then, however, Ignite has been more or less been out of the picture.

Rory McIlroy PGA Tour from 2015 ran on Frostbite, and last year’s FIFA did as well. When we asked EA the reasoning for FIFA switching over, at the time we were told that it was due to the ease of implementing that game’s “The Journey” story mode.

Before you start mourning Ignite (which might be a little weird), know that EA Sports has been working to incorporate large swaths of the framework into Frostbite. If the FIFA parallels hold true for this year’s Madden, come August, that should mean better looking player faces, lighting and animations on the virtual gridiron paired with the physics systems Ignite was know for.

Of course, FIFA ’17 wasn’t the first sports game EA added a story mode to in recent history. That’d be Fight Night: Champion from 2011. Speaking of, we haven’t had a new Fight Night since 2011 but there have been a few middling UFC games since. No rush, EA.

With video gaming’s Paris Fashion Week (E3) rapidly approaching, it shouldn’t be too long before we hear more about what else is changing for Madden.

Via: GamesRadar+

Source: EA Sports (YouTube)

Will they or won’t they? T-Mobile and Sprint resume merger discussions

Why it matters to you

Consolidation between two of America’s four major carriers appears more likely than ever, meaning consumers could lose an option in the market.

The on-again, off-again merger talks between T-Mobile and Sprint are reportedly on again, according to Bloomberg. Discussions between the U.S. carriers and their primary shareholders, Deutsche Telekom, which owns T-Mobile, and SoftBank, which owns Sprint, were put on hold for nearly a year until the Federal Communications Commission finalized its spectrum auction.

That auction finished on April 27, and executives from both SoftBank and Sprint confirmed to Bloomberg this week that they are now in contact with Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile over a potential agreement. Back in 2014, Sprint had been angling to acquire T-Mobile, but ultimately abandoned the deal due to anti-trust regulatory pressure. AT&T’s attempt to buy T-Mobile back in 2011 failed for similar reasons.

Now, it would appear that if a transaction were to go through, the tables have turned; it seems more likely that SoftBank would be looking to give Sprint up to Deustche Telekom. Back in November, Tim Hoettge, a chief executive from T-Mobile’s parent company, stated there was no interest internally about selling the “Un-carrier,” which now ranks third in subscribers behind Verizon and AT&T.

T-Mobile’s relative success over the past two years makes the proposition of a merger between the two last-place carriers a bit more interesting this time around. When discussions began in 2014, Sprint was in third, and T-Mobile was valued at $20 billion less than it is today. According to data from February, T-Mobile now claims roughly 10 million more customers than Sprint.

The other difference that could help move things along is the Trump administration’s more favorable attitude toward consolidation. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son has spoken openly about the difficulty of achieving similar deals under former President Barack Obama’s tenure. Son also received praise back in December from then-President Elect Donald Trump for pledging to bring 50,000 Sprint jobs to America.

T-Mobile and Sprint each saw their stock prices rise about 3 percent earlier in the week, in anticipation of resuming negotiations. But if SoftBank is unable to work out a deal with Deutsche Telekom, it might look to major players in the cable industry as Sprint’s savior. Back in April, media juggernaut Comcast and Charter Communications expressed interest in partnering with a wireless carrier to enter the market.

Still, Son has said a transaction with T-Mobile, in some capacity, remains his first choice.

Here is everything we know about the Alcatel Idol 5

Why it matters to you

Alcatel is known for building relatively powerful phones at a reasonable price. The Alcatel Idol 5 should be no exception.

It looks like Alcatel is prepping a follow-up to last year’s Idol 4S with the Alcatel Idol 5. Rumors about the device have been surfacing for some time and we now have an idea of what we expect the specs for the phone to be.

A device believed to be the Alcatel Idol 5 popped up on Geekbench, showing off both how the device will perform and what specs the phone will feature. For example, the listing notes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, along with 3GB of RAM and Android 7.1.1.

The leaked specs are interesting, considering that previous leaks seemingly contradict the new reports. Previously, a phone labeled “Alcatel 6060” popped up on GFXBench with both a different processor and a different amount of RAM. Instead of the Snapdragon 625, the previous leak noted a MediaTek Helio P20 and instead of 3GB of RAM, the older leak mentioned 2GB.

Of course, it is entirely possible that different variants of the Alcatel Idol 5 will launch. After all, the two leaks mention a slightly different model number — the Alcatel 6060S and the Alcatel 6060. Perhaps we will see a standard version alongside an Alcatel Idol 5S — something that Alcatel has been known to do in the past, especially with the Idol series.

The GFXBench leak, which was picked up by Android Headlines, also mentioned a few other specs that we did not see in the new Geekbench leak. For example, it showed that the phone could come with a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera, along with an 8MP front-facing shooter. Last but not least, the phone seemingly comes with 32GB of storage.

It will be interesting to see what kind of specs the Alcatel Idol 5 ends up with, and it is likely we will hear more about the phone before it officially launches. If we do, we will keep this article updated.

Selling your phone or tablet? Here’s how to completely wipe your Android device

Our smartphones are privy to some of our most important secrets. Sensitive business emails, financial details, contact information, and perhaps even a risqué photo are not things you want falling into the wrong hands. Performing a factory reset is always a good idea, but it might not always be enough. When the security firm Avast bought 20 Android smartphones from eBay, for example, it was able to recover photos, Google searches, emails, text messages, and contact details. We’re going to show you how to make sure that can’t happen to you.

Factory Reset Protection

You’ll want to start by removing Factory Reset Protection (FRP). Google introduced FRP in Android 5.0 Lollipop as an extra layer of security. It’s designed to prevent thieves from being able to steal your phone, wipe it, and then use it or sell it.

When you factory reset a phone with FRP enabled and try to set it up as a new device, you’ll be prompted to enter the user name and password for the last Google account that was registered on the device. If you don’t have those details, then the phone will remain locked and you can’t gain access. Obviously, this is no good if you’re trying to sell it or give it away.

Here’s how to disable it:

This step will differ slightly depending on your phone. On a Samsung Galaxy, go to Settings > Lock screen and security > Screen lock type and choose None. On an LG G6, go to Settings > Display > Lock screen > Select screen lock and choose None. On a Google Pixel, go to Settings > Personal > Security > Screen lock and choose None.
The next thing you must do is remove your Google account. On a Samsung Galaxy, go to Settings > Cloud & accounts > Accounts and tap on Google, then tap the three vertical dots in the upper right or More > Remove account. On an LG G6 or a Google Pixel, go to Settings > Accounts & sync > Google and tap the three vertical dots in the upper right, then tap Remove account. If you have more than one Google account registered with your phone, then make sure you remove all of them.
If you have a Samsung Galaxy, then you should remove your Samsung account, too. To do this, go to Settings > Lock screen and security > Find My Mobile. Then, enter your password, tap on your account at the top, and select More > Remove account.

Once your Google and Samsung accounts have been removed, you can proceed with the factory reset.

How does a factory reset work?

When you do a factory reset on your Android smartphone, it’s supposed to wipe it clean, but it doesn’t. It deletes the addresses of all of your data, so it no longer knows where it’s stored, but it doesn’t actually overwrite the data. That being the case, it’s possible for someone to employ off-the-shelf recovery software and get some of that data back. Let’s look at how to wipe your Android smartphone properly.

Encrypt your data

The first step is to encrypt your data. This option is built in to Android, and requires you to enter a PIN or password every time you turn your phone on. It means that anyone attempting to recover data from your phone after you will need a special key to decrypt it, and they won’t have the key.

Fully charge your phone or keep it plugged in to the charger while this process is running, because it can take several hours depending on how much data you have.
The exact method for navigating this next step will differ slightly from phone to phone. It will generally be Settings > Security > Encrypt phone. But on a Samsung Galaxy, for example, you want to go to Settings > Lock screen & security > Protect encrypted data. You have the option to encrypt the SD card as well, but if you’re passing the phone on, we would recommend removing it instead.

If your phone came with Android 6.0 Marshmallow or above, it should be encrypted by default, and you can skip to the next section. If you’re unsure about which version of Android your phone is running, then take a look in Settings > About device/phone > Software info. Keep in mind that it will only be encrypted by default if Android 6.0 Marshmallow was installed out of the box.

Factory reset the phone

Make sure that you have anything you want to keep backed up before you do this because it will wipe everything.

• Go to Settings > Backup & reset > Factory data reset and then tap Reset phone or Reset device.

When the process is done, your phone will be wiped and any data that could be recovered will be encrypted and should be impossible to decrypt. It’s now safe to sell your Android smartphone, or pass it along to someone else.

Overwriting with junk data

If you want to be absolutely certain, you can overwrite the encrypted data with junk data and then perform another factory reset — then it would be genuinely impossible to recover any of your old data. This is probably overkill. If you want to do it, however, then simply load a bunch of dummy data onto your phone until the storage is full — a few large videos should do the trick — and then perform another factory reset.

You can also get an app to do it for you. There are a few options in the Play Store, such as Secure Erase with iShredder 5.

There you have it. That’s how you completely wipe your Android phone. Let us know if you have a better technique.

Updated on 05-12-2017 by Simon Hill: Added methods for LG G6 and Google Pixel.

Whoa! Elon Musk’s ‘Boring’ video of a Hyperloop sled is anything but

Why it matters to you

Elon Musk’s underground high-speed tunnels could help solve our traffic congestion problems.

Want a slightly terrifying glimpse at what the future of transportation will look like? Elon Musk is more than happy to oblige.

On Friday, the Tesla and SpaceX entrepreneur dropped a bunch of images and one video online showing that ground has officially broken on his latest project, the so-called “Boring Company.” While we appreciate a good pun, never has a company name seemed less appropriate.

The “boring” in question refers to the boring of a network of underground tunnels which will, Musk hopes, resolve the traffic problems that can cause city roads to grind to a standstill. The attention-grabbing video he posted shows the testing of a high-speed electric sled traveling through one such tunnel, which could one day transport cars at a speed of 125 miles per hour.

[Warning, this may cause motion sickness or seizures] This is a test run of our electric sled that would transport cars at 125 mph (200 km/h) through the tunnels, automatically switching from one tunnel to the next. Would mean Westwood to LAX in 5 mins.

A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on May 12, 2017 at 5:48am PDT

He also spelled out California’s first tunnel route The Boring Company will be offering: Los Angeles International Airport to Culver City, Santa Monica, Westwood and Sherman Oaks. He claims that future tunnels will cover all of greater Los Angeles. The journey between Westwood and LAX can normally take more than half an hour in everyday LA traffic, but Musk says travel duration could be slashed to just five minutes using his high-speed tunnel. He also notes that the underground tunnels will allow automatic switching from one tunnel to the next.

First tunnel for The Boring Company begins … Full length of first tunnel will run from LAX to Culver City, Santa Monica, Westwood and Sherman Oaks. Future tunnels will cover all of greater LA.

A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on May 12, 2017 at 5:31am PDT

Accompanying images meanwhile depict the boring machine segments being lowered into the starter tunnel. “Going through final assembly,” a caption reads. “Will be a few hundred feet long when complete.”

There are still plenty of questions still to be answered about the work, but we can’t wait for this to come to fruition.

Although The Boring Company has chosen to name its first boring machine Godot — after the Samuel Beckett play about a waiting for a person who never turns up — maybe Musk is hinting we will be waiting a little while before we get to ride this thing.