Facebook stays online in Thailand — for now

Last week, Thailand’s government told Facebook that it had to take down 131 web addresses the country saw as threatening state security or insulting to its king, Maha Vajiralongkorn. There was an understandable groundswell of concern that Thailand would block Facebook if the social network did not comply. Today, however, the secretary-general of Thailand’s telecom commission, Takorn Tantasith, told reporters that there is no immediate plan to block access to Facebook. “Facebook has cooperated well in terms of taking steps to block the URLs that we asked them to in the past,” he said.

Thailand has blocked Facebook in the past, of course, and has jailed people for insulting their monarch. It’s hard to avoid, however, when there’s video of the king wearing a yellow crop top while strolling around Munich with his mistress. In addition to enforcing strict lèse-majesté laws, the current regime has ramped up online censorship since it took power in 2014, and has since blocked sales of video games it deems offensive as well as a ban on bitcoin.

The current request for blocking access via Facebook in Thailand had a deadline of Tuesday, but the sites are still accessible within the country, according to the president of the Thai Internet Service Provider Association, Morakot Kulthamyothin.

Source: Reuters

Samsung’s The Frame TV blends in with the art on your wall

In 2015, Samsung took a minimalist approach with its Serif TV, a 4K television designed to blend in with your furniture at home or office. That product is part of the company’s efforts to make TVs look and feel less obtrusive, all without losing their main functionality: letting you watch your favorite movies or TV shows. As of March, this now includes the “Frame TV,” which was created with the idea to double as an art piece. The concept is made up of and LCD, UHD panel, Tizen OS smart TV features and a wall-mounting system that, Samsung says, doesn’t require you to hire anyone to set it up.

To make The Frame TV more appealing, Samsung worked with famed Swiss industrial designer Yves Béhar, who curated some of the artwork you can display on TV in “art mode.” (I’m told the device consumes about the same amount of power as a cable box when it’s being used this way.) The Frame TV comes with 100 art pieces preloaded, ranging from categories such as landscape, action, architecture, drawings and wildlife. And just in case you’re into any of these, you do have the option to upload your own images via USB.

Samsung says it wanted to make customization a top priority with its new TV. For instance, the bezels are interchangeable (dark wood grain, black and white are some of the options), and art mode lets you change the border colors for each art piece that’s on the screen. There’s also a sensor that adjusts the TV’s brightness depending on the lighting of your room, making the digital images seem more like printed pictures at times. It actually took me a few seconds to notice the Frame TV on the wall during my demo, particularly because it was surrounded by a handful of picture frames.

The Frame TV will be available in 55- and 65-inch models when it starts shipping in early June, though Samsung hasn’t said just how much it’ll cost yet. We’ll let you know as soon as those details come out. For now, enjoy a closer look at Samsung’s latest lifestyle TV.

Photos by Evan Rodgers.

Chinese internet giant Tencent is building an eSports park

Chinese internet conglomerate Tencent has made some big moves to boost its profile among online gamers, not the least of which involved purchasing SuperCell, maker of the hit mobile game “Clash of Clans”, for a reported $10.2 billion. On Tuesday, Tencent announced that it will be going even further and will construct an “esports-themed industrial park” in the city of Wuhu.

According to the announcement, the park will include a “gaming university, cultural and creative park, animation industry park, creative neighborhood, Tencent cloud technology business community, Tencent cloud data center.” There are even talks of developing am on-site theme park and holding national esports tournaments there once construction is complete.

Wuhu isn’t the only place Tencent is looking to build in. The company is also reportedly working on an Honor of Kings theme park in Chengdu City, where the game’s developer is located. Honor of Kings is huge in China, notching 50 million active users since debuting in 2015 and raking in an estimated RMB 3 billion ($435 million) every month.

The move comes as Tencent continues to expand its esports footprint. The company’s online game segment revenue hit RMB 70.84 billion, a 25 percent increase over the previous year. In fact, its online gaming outfit now constitutes nearly half of the company’s annual revenue.

Via: Technode, PCGamer

Source: Wuhu.gov

Synthego aims to simplify CRISPR editing for genetic researchers

You’ve probably heard a lot about CRISPR, the gene editing technique that’s already being used in experimental therapies for things like sickle cell disease and cystic fibrosis. It’s something plenty of researchers are jumping on already, but Synthego is hoping to get even more people into CRISPR with its online toolkit. It lets you search across more than 100,000 genomes, covering over 9,000 species, to validate their CRISPR designs and order the appropriate RNA to chop out their desired genes.

On stage at TechCrunch Disrupt today, Synthego co-founder and CEO Paul Dabrowski noted that 80 percent of people looking into CRISPR today are newcomers to genetic engineering, so there’s clearly a need for a tool that simplifies the entire CRISPR design process. You can also use Synthego’s online tool for validating CRISPR designs from other services, as well as to share your designs with colleagues. Synthego’s toolkit isn’t something typical consumers would use, but it could lead to more CRISPR solutions down the line.

Source: TechCrunch, Synthego

Lowe’s exoskeletons help workers carry what you can’t

Exoskeletons aren’t just for shipyard workers or people with limited mobility. If Lowe’s has its way, they’ll help store staff fetch your giant bucket of paint. The home improvement retailer has partnered with Virginia Tech to test prototype passive exoskeletons that make it easier to haul heavy objects. Carbon fiber in the suits’ back and legs serves as a “taut bow” that stores energy when you bend down — that energy comes back the moment you stand back up, making it much easier to lift that heavy bag of concrete. The material’s flexible nature should also help the suits feel relatively comfortable… a rather important consideration for warehouse workers who may need to wear it for an entire shift.

This isn’t an extensive test, at least not right now. Only four suits are currently in testing at a store in Christiansburg, Virginia. It’ll be months before Lowe’s and VT have enough information to understand the longer-term effects of the exoskeleton. If it’s deemed trustworthy, though, you could easily see it used across many Lowe’s locations. The exoskeleton wouldn’t just help staffers carry heavy items without help — it could save the chain money in the long term by reducing injuries.

Via: The Verge

Source: PR Newswire

Apple to Announce New MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Possibly MacBook Air at WWDC

Apple is planning to announce refreshes for its notebook lineup at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference set to take place in June, reports Bloomberg. New versions of the MacBook and MacBook Pro are expected to be announced, and Apple is also considering updating the MacBook Air, its most affordable notebook.

The MacBook Pro, which was just updated in October with a slimmer design and a Touch Bar, will be refreshed with a faster Kaby Lake processor, an update from the Skylake processors in the current machines. It will look the same as the current model, adopting only internal updates.

Apple has been working on a custom-designed ARM chip that could handle low power features in the MacBook Pro, but the chip may not be ready for the June MacBook Pro refresh.

Apple’s MacBook, last updated in April of 2016, will gain an updated processor, also likely to be in the Kaby Lake family.

Apple has not updated its MacBook Air since March of 2015 and has been phasing it out in favor of the MacBook and the MacBook Pro, both of which are now thinner than the “Air” model, but Bloomberg suggests Apple is thinking about refreshing it with an updated processor, which would mean the MacBook Air could stick around for at least another few years as a low-cost notebook option. Sales of the MacBook Air “remain surprisingly strong” due to its affordability.

The new notebooks are likely to be announced at Apple’s June 5 keynote, which is set to kick off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Rumors also suggest Apple could use the event to introduce both a new Siri speaker and the long-rumored 10.5-inch iPad Pro, which is said to feature slimmer bezels for a nearly edge-to-edge design.

Today’s report makes no mention of the iMac or Mac mini, two of Apple’s desktop machines that have not been updated in some time. It has been more than 580 days since the iMac was last updated in October of 2015, and more than 940 days since the Mac mini was updated in October of 2014.

Apple has said it has updated iMacs in the works, but it is not clear when the machines will debut.

Related Roundups: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, WWDC 2017, MacBook
Tag: bloomberg.com
Buyer’s Guide: MacBook Air (Don’t Buy), MacBook Pro (Neutral), MacBook (Don’t Buy)
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Apple Launches ‘Today at Apple’ Classes Around the World

Apple in April announced plans to begin offering “Today at Apple” educational classes at all of its 495 stores around the world, and as of today, the company has launched a new website to allow customers to sign up for the sessions.

More than 4,000 sessions are being offered each day this week across all of Apple’s retail stores.

The “Today at Apple” program, which has been in place at Apple’s Union Square location since the store opened, offers a range of classes on topics like coding, art, music, design, and photography. There are classes designed for both beginners and more experienced users, as well as classes for all ages, including children.

Most sessions are taught by trained employees known as “Creative Pros,” but in select cities, there are classes taught by well-known artists, photographers, and musicians. Session content will vary across different locations, but all 495 of Apple’s retail stores are expected to offer “Photo Walks” and “Kids Hour” sessions by May 20.

Today at Apple classes focus on everything from basic iPhone, iPad, and Mac skills to more advanced topics like mixing music on a Mac, editing photos on an iPhone, and drawing on an iPad. There are also “Studio Hours” where customers can bring in personal projects and get help from Apple staff.

Most sessions are an hour in length, with the exception of Studio Hours, which last for an hour and a half.

Apple Store chief Angela Ahrendts says the “Today at Apple” classes are designed to turn Apple locations into a “modern-day town square” where everyone is welcome to “discover a new passion” or take a skill to the next level. “We think it will be a fun and enlightening experience for everyone who joins,” she said in a statement when the program was announced.

Related Roundup: Apple Stores
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Tim Cook Charity Lunch Auction Earns Over $680,000 for RFK Center

Tim Cook’s fifth annual CharityBuzz auction ended this afternoon, earning more than $680,000 for the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.

More than 30 people placed bids for the chance to eat lunch with Tim Cook, and at over $680,000, the auction broke past earnings records which previously topped out at $610,000 in 2013.

Image via setteB.IT
Today’s auction winner will be able to eat lunch with Tim Cook at Apple Park, Apple’s brand new campus that is still in the final stages of construction. The winner is able to bring one additional person to have a ~one-hour lunch with Cook, and while the cost of the lunch is included in the auction price, travel and accommodations are not.

Unlike past years, Cook’s 2017 auction is limited to lunch alone and does not include tickets to an upcoming Apple keynote event.

All proceeds from today’s auction will benefit the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, a charity that Tim Cook has now supported for five years. The RFK Center aims to achieve “a just and peaceful world by partnering with human rights leaders, teaching social justice, and advancing corporate responsibility.”

Past auctions have raised $610,000 (2013), $330,001 (2014), $200,000 (2015), and $515,000 (2016) for the RFK Center.

Tags: Tim Cook, Charitybuzz
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Pi Music Player: It’s all the small things that matter (Review)

There’s no denying that online music services provide such an unparalleled level of convenience that some people have opted to use them exclusively. No more dealing with files, synchronization, ID3 tags, and finding a way of storing all of these files in the sometimes pitiful storage options offered by manufacturers.

However, there’s also a huge market out there who prefers to have their songs with them at all times. This is especially true in places where data is prohibitively expensive, so services like Spotify should either be used with offline files or with WiFi at all times. For these people, the Google Play Store has a lot of apps worthy of your attention, and Pi Music Player is one of those.

Developer: 100Pi Labs
Price: Free

Setup

Select a theme and off you go.

When starting the app, the only thing Pi asks of you is to select a theme. Since normally music players these days are either white or black, I decided to go with the Gloss theme in order to give the app a bit more color and personality. In my opinion, all of the themes look fine, though. After this, the app’s main screen will show up and you’ll have your whole library waiting for you.

Overview

As happens in many music players these days, Pi borrows from the Google Play Store design and puts a tab bar at the top. The tabs available are: Tracks, Albums, Artists, Genres, Playlists, and Folders. However, unlike the plethora of music players available in the marketplace, the tabs order cannot be changed.

Since everyone uses music players in a different way, this might pose an inconvenience for some people. For example, I never use playlists but some of my friends use their music players exclusively through playlists, so having to scroll the tab bar every time they want to access the playlist section might become a bit tiresome for them.

There’s a hamburger menu at the top left. Triggering it will show you items such as Smart Playlists, Ringtone Cutter, Equalizer, and Settings. On the top right, there’s a search button that does exactly what you expect from it. There’s also a feature Pi Power Share, which lets you share music with other users across platforms.

General Impressions

The highlight of Pi Music Player interface-wise is its animations. Swiping between different tabs, opening the Now Playing screen, and the splash screen are some of the noteworthy examples of this fact.

1 of 6

However, I feel like the rest of the app is not as beautiful as it could be. For example, the Artist tab consists of a list with the name of the artist, the number of albums, and the number of tracks. There’s no Artist picture or anything to make it a bit more appealing. Also, stuff like displaying “1 Tracks” is such an easy thing to avoid that I can’t understand the decision to leave it like that.

The Artist page is also something that I’ve seen executed in a more beautiful way in other apps. While apps like Shuttle and Pulsar opt for a grid to show album arts and then show the songs of a specific artist in a list, Pi shows a scroll view on top with all of the albums. There’s no Artist picture or something similar to spice things up, making things bland compared to other options.

Another thing I noticed is that album art works in a very weird way in this app. While some players opt for downloading everything from online databases, Pi prefers information embedded into the song’s ID3 tags. After hours of hard work throughout the years, my library is pretty well organized, with album arts and decent structure. However, Pi refused to acknowledge my hard work and showed me a generic album art for all of my songs.

Listen to this song, please.

However, I noticed that as I played songs more and more, then the album art started to pop up for some of them. This probably means that the artwork gets processed only after a song has been opened for the first time. It’s hard for me to understand the logic behind this after seeing so many smooth implementations on the Play Store. Also, when you play a song for the first time, you won’t see its artwork in the Now Playing screen. But if you go back one screen and then press the Now Playing bar at the top of the app, it is then displayed. Weird, right?

Otherwise, the app is responsive and loads everything quickly enough on my Huawei Honor 7 Lite with approximately 1300 songs. From playing a song to skipping to the next tune to applying EQ settings, Pi provided a snappy experience. I experienced no cutoffs or other performance nuances.

Options and In-App Purchases

A rather limited set of options are available.

This is a very interesting part to analyze since Pi includes some very neat options but lacks other seemingly basic ones. For example, an EQ provided in the free version is a welcome addition, since some developers hide the equalizer behind a pro purchase.

Also, there’s a ringtone maker, in which you cut a specific part of any of the songs in your library and makes it a brand-new ringtone for your phone. I haven’t seen a feature like this in a music player in a long time, and, even though it’s nice to have, it might not be as useful as other options.

Pi incorporates a sleep timer so that music can turn off after a certain period of time, a filter for songs of a specific length, lock screen album art, and an option to keep the phone’s screen on when you’re on the Playback screen.

Notably absent are Last.fm scrobbling, gapless playback, download artwork from online sources, whitelist/blacklist, and the ability to specify actions when connecting or disconnecting wired and wireless headsets.

There’s a store in which you can buy backgrounds for your app, but it also houses the ad-free version of the app. See, Pi can be used completely for free, and, the first ten times you open the app, you will get the ad-free experience. However, from launch 11 onwards, you will get ads while using it. To avoid this, you can pay approximately $1 to unlock the version without ads.

Conclusion

Pi Music Player is a solid competitor in the moderately crowded and competitive music player market. With more people embracing online services such as Spotify and Deezer thanks to the convenience and lack of onboard storage on modern smartphones, there’s less of a demand for music players.

However, for those of us who still prefer to have our libraries with us the whole time and not depend on internet connection, the number of good options available is astounding. Pi needs to correct some stuff in order to be able to compete, such as beautifying a bit the interface and resolve minor errors here and there. As I said previously, there’s small things that are missing, but, with enough updates, it could easily enter the group of elite music players.

Download and install Pi Music Player from the Google Play Store.

Gear Up: JOBY debuts new solutions for mobile users

Do you like to shoot pictures or video from your smartphone? Are you in the early stages of kicking off a YouTube vlogging career?  What are you using to hold your handset? How can you hope to nab great panoramic shots or fun video when you have to hold onto it physically? Get yourself a mount of some sort.

JOBY, a brand who specializes in tripods, photo gear, and more, has introduced a pair of products which speak directly to the mobile user. If you’re in the market for something compact, light, and well-built, we suggest you give them a look.

We’ve had the new GripTight PRO Video Mount and the GripTight PRO Video GP Stand in our possession for a week or so and simply love them. Both make it really easy to shoot video or take pictures from any smartphone. Additionally, each travels well and should find a place in your travel bag.

GripTight PRO Video Mount

The GripTight PRO Video Mount attaches to any tripod and employs a locking tilt functionality. Set it at a variety of angles and step back; you’re hands-free, remember?

Want to switch from portrait to landscape mode? A quick loosening on the back lets you flip your phone on its end for a different look. This one is designed to fit pretty much any phone on the market, even those with a wider body.

The panning arm gives you total control for panoramic pictures, time lapse photos, videos, and more. Not using it? Simply unlock it from the base and rotate it into a more comfortable position.

The whole thing weighs practically nothing, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at it. We found it to be solidly built and constructed from quality materials.

The legs are perhaps one of the signature features of the GorillaPod line of products from JOBY. While they stay in place quite well, they can be bent and angled it seemingly endless ways. Wrap it around a pole or snug it up against a door and you can grab some really interesting perspectives.

GripTight PRO Video GP Stand

For those of you who don’t necessarily need a panning arm or would prefer something a little smaller, the GripTight PRO Video GP Stand might be your cup of tea. Strong enough to hold up to 500 grams, it’s a more compact, yet still versatile product.

The unique mount folds up nice and tight and screws directly into any standard tripod mount. Open it up and you’ll find it fits essentially all smartphones. It won’t let you flip to portrait mode, but, if wide angle and landscape is your main concern, this is a non-issue.

This one also features the strong and flexible legs that you’ll find across the entire portfolio. Again, they’re smaller, but no less practical. Rest assured that you still wrap them around various things like tree branches or bicycle handlebars.

As a much more portable unit, you can slide this into a bag or even a pocket without much notice. You’ll want to unscrew the mount from the top before doing so lest you risk breaking it.

What we like most about products like these is the universal fit and interchangeability. You can swap the mounts out for the other base or put them on top of an existing tripod. This way, you can shoot from the home office with your favorite stand but then hit the road with something more suited to your mobile needs.

Availability

The GripTight PRO Video Mount and the GripTight PRO Video GP Stand are both available from JOBY’s website starting from May 16. Prices are $49.95 and $69.95, respectively.