Best Family Plan

What’s the best family plan in the U.S.?

If you’re looking to save money on your monthly mobile bill, then signing up multiple lines is the best way to go. The Big Four carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon) don’t really have “family plans” anymore, per se, but they do have multi-line plans that are similar to buying in bulk. The more you add, the more you save.

Here’s the best family plan you can get from the Big Four.

Best family plan: T-Mobile

Since all the major carriers switched to unlimited plans, T-Mobile has taken the lead in terms of savings with a family plan.

You can sign up up to four lines on one account for $160 per month ($40/month/line), taxes and fees included. With each line, you get “unlimited” data (up to 30GB of 4G LTE, 2G speeds after that), unlimited talk and text, Music Unlimited (unlimited streaming from select services with no data charges), and tethering at 3G speeds.

With certain services, like HBO Now, you can also stream as much video as you please without extra charges, though video streaming quality is throttled to 480p. If you like your HD video, you’ll have to compromise.

Though T-Mobile’s coverage still isn’t the best in the country, it’s quickly catching up to Verizon’s wide reach.

T-Mobile’s Buyer’s Guide: Everything you need to know

Runner up: Sprint

Sprint may not play nice when it comes to bringing your own device, and its CDMA technology might be a little dated, but Sprint’s “Unlimited Freedom” plan costs just as much as T-Mobile’s for four lines, and you get HD video streaming and 10GB of hotspot data per line. You’ll also get unlimited talk and text and 2G data.

The first line is $60/month, the second is $40/month, and each additional line is $30/month, so four lines are $160/month. This does not include taxes or other fees.

If you prefer Sprint’s service, or you’re already with Sprint and are considering resigning, know that you’ll get roughly the same deal as T-Mobile.

Sprint Buyer’s Guide: Everything you need to know

For your consideration: Verizon

Verizon may not have the best deal on family plans, but it does have the best coverage in the U.S., and its multi-line pricing is still competitive.

Verizon only offers multi-line plans on its unlimited data plans. Four lines are $180/month (taxes and fees not included). You get “unlimited” data (22GB of 4G LTE, 2G speeds after), unlimited talk and text, HD video streaming, tethering, and service in Mexico and Canada.

Like Sprint, bringing your own phone to Verizon is a bit difficult, but if you want the best coverage available, then check it out.

Verizon Buyer’s Guide: Everything you need to know

The other guy: AT&T

AT&T may be the second biggest carrier in the U.S., but its current unlimited family plans are a bit difficult to parse. For its “Unlimited Choice” plan, AT&T’s site says you can get 4 lines for “less than $40 per line, per month”, but the exact price isn’t listed anywhere. You’d have to speak directly with an AT&T rep to see. You can, however, have up to 10 lines on one account.

AT&T Buyer’s Guide: Everything you need to know

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: What’s the story so far?

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 was a fantastic phone, until the battery issues destroyed its reputation and left it with a legacy of being the only phone to be singled out before boarding a flight.

We expected the Note family to die with the Note 7, but there’s murmurs that it lives on, reborn like a phoenix from the ashes of its forebear. Here is everything we know so far about the Note 8, based on the rumours.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Release date

• Note 8 pretty much confirmed
• Likely to be latter half of 2017
• Codenamed “Great”

Samsung has pretty much confirmed the release of a Note 8 after it announced an upgrade scheme in South Korea following the Note 7 debacle. The scheme allowed anyone who bought a Note 7 to get a Galaxy S7 or S7 edge for half price, after which they would be able to upgrade to the Galaxy S8, now available, or Note 8 when it is released in 2017.

The device is apparently codenamed “Great” and SamMobile has claimed its model number is SM-N950F so that’s worth looking out for in any future leaks.

As to specifically when the Note 8 will be released, that’s anyone’s guess at the moment. Traditional patterns would suggest the end of the year, around August or September time, but Samsung might do it earlier in order to ensure it has a flagship phablet in the market that isn’t two years old and doesn’t explode.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus: What’s the story so far?

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Design

• Metal and glass sandwich design probable
• Reduced bezels and no home button likely
• S Pen and dedicated slot also a safe bet

Currently, rumours are few and far between when it comes to the Note 8’s design. We wouldn’t expect it to stray too much from what the Note 7 delivered, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see the bezels reduce like the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.

The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, which debuted on 29 March, ditch the physical home button in favour of an almost all-screen front, with the fingerprint sensor repositioning to the rear, next to the camera lens. We’d therefore expect the Note 8 to do similar, sticking with a curved display like the Note 7 and two new Galaxy S devices.

Slashleaks

A leak on Slashleaks shows off what it claims to be the Galaxy Note 8, featuring a very similar design to the S8 and S8 Plus but with a seemingly wider stance, which would be likely given the S Pen would need to slot in somewhere.

It is pictured with the S Pen next to it and Bixby on the screen, as well as the same on-screen controls as the recent S8 and S8 Plus devices, making a good case for its legitimacy. You can never be sure though, so grab that salt just in case.

In terms of materials, we’d be surprised to see a move away from the metal and glass combo that has served Samsung so well over the last couple of years. We can also assume USB Type-C will be on board, along with the S Pen.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 preview

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Display

• Big screen is a given, claimed to be 6.3-inches
• Dual-edge display is likely again
• 4K resolution for VR rumoured

The Samsung Galaxy Note series is known for its large display so it’s a given that the Note 8 will also have a big screen. Traditionally, this has been 5.7-inches, at least since the Note 3, though the S8 Plus offers 6.2-inches with only a slight change in its body dimensions so it is likely the Note 8 will do similar.

It has been claimed the Note 8 will offer a 6.3-inch screen with the same 18.5:9 ratio as the S8 and S8 Plus, making it only slightly larger than the S8 Plus. Super AMOLED technology and Mobile HDR are safe bets for the new device, the latter of which launched on the Note 7 and has since been introduced on the Galaxy S8, S8 Plus and the LG G6. 

The Note 7 featured a dual-edge display with a Quad HD resolution, and while the dual-edge is likely the remain, especially given both the S8 and S8 Plus have it, leaks suggest the Note 8 might increase the resolution to 4K in order to be better equipped for a new Gear VR.

This is plausible as there is now more 4K content becoming available and VR is becoming more prominent so the benefits of having a 4K display are more apparent than they were when Sony launched the original Xperia Z5 Premium, which has since been succeeded by the XZ Premium.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus review

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Camera

• Possibility of dual-rear cameras 
• Likely to offer same features as S8 and S8 Plus, with advancements

When it comes to smartphone cameras, more megapixels doesn’t always mean better, as Samsung and Apple have both proved, with both companies’ flagships producing great results despite not offering the highest resolution sensors.

The Note 8 is therefore likely to continue this legacy and offer brilliant snappers, though how many megapixels will appear and what other features will be on board remains to be seen for now. We’d expect the same functionality as the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, including optical image stabilisation, along with some advancements.  

The Galaxy S8 launched with same Duo Pixel rear camera as the S7 and S7 edge but with the addition of multi-frame image processing. There were talks of a dual-camera setup but those rumours never came to light.

That’s not to say Samsung might not change things up for the Note 8 though. Dual-cameras are a big trend in smartphone cameras at the moment, with Apple, LG and Huawei all offering their own takes and even though Samsung and Sony have both steered clear for now, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the Note 8 will take the leap.

According to Kuo, the new camera will be “the most important upgrade” for the Galaxy Note 8 and will feature a 12-megapixel CIS support dual photodiode (2PD), 13-megapixel telephoto CIS, dual 6P lenses, dual optical image stabilisation and three times optical zoom. He also said it would be superior to the dual camera on the iPhone 7 Plus.

A dual-camera on the Note 8 has also been suggested by the same tipster who claimed the 6.3-inch screen size so rumours are certainly pointing in this direction.

• Apple iPhone 7 Plus review

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Hardware

• Qualcomm or/and Exynos chips likely
• 6GB of RAM plausible expectation
• Large battery capacity expected

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will come with the latest hardware under its hood, as is typically the case with the Note series. The latest and greatest Exynos or Qualcomm chips will no doubt be running the show, depending on region, and there’s a good chance of 6GB of RAM.

The S8 arrived with 4GB of RAM though so it might be the Note 8 offers the same. We’d also expect a minimum of 32GB internal storage and microSD support for further storage expansion.

In terms of battery, the Note 8 will hopefully have one that doesn’t blow up. That would definitely be a good start anyway. The Note 7 offered a 3500mAh capacity, which is the same as the S8 Plus, so we would expect a similar capacity from the Note 8.

A report from The Korea Herald suggests Samsung will source batteries from LG Chem, along with its own Samsung SDI battery conglomerate and China ATL. 

• Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Software

• Android Nougat with TouchWiz
• Bixby voice assistant
• Improved S Pen features rumoured

The Galaxy Note 8 will no doubt arrive on Android Nougat with Samsung’s TouchWiz software over the top. TouchWiz was refined for the Note 7, S8 and S8 Plus offering less duplication and a more streamlined design so we would expect this to be the case for the Note 8 too.

There will no doubt be some new features for the Note 8 specifically, along with the S Pen features of course. Rumour has it the Note 8 will offer improved stylus features over the Note 7, along with the Bixby voice assistant, which debuted on the S8.

• What is Bixby? Samsung’s smart AI explained

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Conclusion

The main focus has been on the Galaxy S8 and the S8 Plus, so at the moment there isn’t a great deal to go on when it comes to the Note 8.

This is likely to change over the next few months and rumours and leaks will no doubt increase now the other two flagships are available.

The only thing we can be almost certain of is that a new Note will launch and it will hopefully bring all the brilliant elements of the Note 7, S8 and S8 Plus and more. As always, we will update this feature as more information appears.

What is Google Assistant, how does it work, and which devices offer it?

Google has taken on Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Microsoft Cortana with its own voice assistant: Google Assistant.

Google first unveiled Assistant at Google I/O in May 2016, launched it on the Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones, brought it to Google Home, and then Android Wear 2.0, before starting the rollout to other phones running Android Nougat. While that list is limited for now, we’re expecting much wider availability to become a major focus for Google this year. 

Here’s how Google Assistant works, which devices it is available on, and when you’ll be able to use it.

What is Google Assistant?

Google Assistant is Google’s latest iteration of an assistant. It’s considered an upgrade or an extension of Google Now – designed to be personal – as well as an expansion of Google’s existing “OK Google” voice controls.

For anyone who has been using an Android device for some time, you’ll know that the Google Now feature smartly pulls out relevant information for you. It knows where you work, and it knows your meeting locations and travel plans, the sports teams you like, and what interests you. This data is presented to you in cards and through reminders on your Android device.

The “OK Google” or “Hey, Google” side covers voice commands, voice searching, and voice-activated device control, letting you do things like send messages, check appointments and so on on your Android device, just like Apple’s Siri on an iPhone or iPad. Google Assistant fuses all this together with a new bot-centric AI experience, designed to give you conversational interactions that cover both these areas and more.

Which devices offer Google Assistant?

Google Assistant launched on the Google Pixel smartphones and Google Home. A limited version also saw early release in the Google Allo app. It’s available on Android Wear devices via Android Wear 2.0, and Google has confirmed it will be made available for Android TV (both televisions and set-top boxes) as well as in some cars.

Originally Google said Assistant would be exclusive to the Pixel phones – but this position has changed, with the company confirming on 26 February 2017 that it would be coming to a wider range of handsets running Marshmallow or Nougat.

Since then, we’ve seen the assistant make its way to devices like the LG G6, Samsung Galaxy S8 and OnePlus 3T. 

However, the full Google Assistant experience is deeply integrated into the Pixel devices, and it is very different to the iteration in Allo, which is limited by comparison – as we’ll discuss below. We expect Google to have Google Assistant on all Android, Android Wear, and Android Auto devices before too long though.

• Google Assistant tips and tricks: Master your Android assistant

When will my phone get Google Assistant?

Google Pixel and Pixel XL

The Google Pixel phones launched in the US in October 2016, with Google Assistant baked to the core, so they’re good to go.

Other phones and devices

Google started rolling out an update back in February for Android 7.0 Nougat and 6.0 Marshmallow phones. Since then, several new phones have been announced or launched running Google Assistant. Those include: 

• Samsung Galaxy S8
• Samsung Galaxy S8+
• LG G6
• HTC U11

The update brought Google Assistant to compatible phones in the US first, with the UK, Australia, Canada and Germany following.

The not-so-new phones that will get Google Assistant eventually include:

• Samsung Galaxy S7
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
• OnePlus 3T
• HTC 10
• HTC U Ultra
• LG G5
• LG V20
• Sony Xperia XZ
• Sony Xperia XZ Premium
• Huawei P9
• plus many more

Google hasn’t officially confirmed the full device list for the Google Assistant upgrade, but it comes as part of a Google Play Services update for devices running Android Nougat and Android Marshmallow, meaning that many phones should be supported.

Google Assistant will support English, as well as the German, and Google has said it will roll out support for more languages throughout 2017. The roll-out is expected to begin from 2 March 2017.

Google Home

Google Home is the company’s direct competitor to the Amazon Echo and launched in the US in November 2016, since then, it’s been made more widely available. It launched in the UK in spring 2017, with a British accent. 

• Google Home review: A better voice assistant than Amazon Echo?

Google Home is essentially a Chromecast enabled-speaker which serves as a voice-controlled assistant. You can ask it to do pretty much anything you can ask the Assistant on the Android phones to do. 

Android Wear 2.0 devices

Google’s long-awaited Android Wear 2.0 update gives you Google Assistant. Unfortunately, AW 2.0 won’t be available for every Android Wear smartwatch. Older devices like the original Moto 360 and the LG G Watch aren’t compatible, for example.

• When is Android Wear 2.0 coming to my smartwatch?

Keep in mind LG has designed the LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style in collaboration with Google – and these are the launch devices for Android Wear 2.0. Other watches to include the update include the Fossil Q range, Huawei Watch 2 and New Balance Run IQ. 

Android TV devices

While making an announcement at CES 2017 in January, Google confirmed Google Assistant is coming to Android TV-compatible televisions and set-top boxes. Your Sony Bravia TV will get an update allowing you access to Google Assistant on your TV, and Google said you can expect the update sometime in “the coming months”. 

While older models may still be waiting on an update, the Sony 4K HDR TV choices for 2017 already have the software implemented. 

However, Google has confirmed that the £190 new Nvidia Shield TV (pending a forthcoming software update) will be the first to give you the full hands-free Google Assistant experience. And, just like Google Home, Nvidia’s Shield Spot – a Wi-Fi-connected microphone/speaker peripheral that can be placed anywhere and connect to your Shield Android TV over Wi-Fi – will be one of the first devices to spread Google Assistant around your home (a little like the Amazon Echo Dot). Nvidia hasn’t yet announced a launch date for Spot.

Cars

Google has confirmed that Google Assistant is also going to be available in some cars. It recently announced that Android Auto will be built in to some new cars’ infotainment systems without the need for tethering a phone in any way. This system – coming to Audi and Volvo cars, among others – will also feature Google Assistant by default. 

Allo app

You can now use Google Assistant in the Google Allo app.

Google Assistant on iPhones? 

Something of a wild-card here; it’s been rumoured consistently over recent weeks that Google Assistant will be making its way to iPhones in the near future, through a downloadable native app. 

How do I know if my phone has Google Assistant?

To check if your phone has Google Assistant, say “Ok Google”, “Hey, Google”, or press-and-hold the home button. 

On Marshmallow or Nougat devices that have had the update, that long press will launch Google Assistant, popping up with a page asking how it can help, as pictured below. 

Pocket-lint

That’s the starting point for Google Assistant, after which you can type or speak questions and have Assistant respond.

How does Google Assistant work?

The thing to remember about Google Assistant is that it is designed to be conversational. That means you can ask a question and then ask several follow-up questions, and Google Assistant will be able to keep track of the conversation, determine context, and audibly respond with the right information. You do need to preface each with the “OK Google” or “Hey, Google” wake-up, but it’ll remember a string of questions, contextually too. Here’s how Google Assistant works across the different Google devices.

• Google Assistant tips and tricks: Master your Android assistant

Pocket-lint

Google Pixel and Pixel XL

With Google Assistant baked deep into the new Pixel smartphones, it’s no surprise to find that there’s instant access from the home button. Where this home button would once give you Now on Tap with a long press, that’s now replaced by Google Assistant.

Long press on the home button and you enter the Google Assistant interface. This looks a lot like OK Google and can be triggered with the same hot word, with listening bars picking up your voice and instantly transcribing what you say onto the screen. You are then delivered a spoken reply, with results returned on the screen too. You can speak or tap your selections and the conversation continues.

For example, you can ask what you should have for dinner, and Google Assistant will locate local places to eat and serve up suggestions, with cards for a selection of restaurants. Google has further demonstrated this example by then booking a table using OpenTable.

Google Assistant also takes over things like navigation. Say you want to navigate home – as you would with OK Google – that still works, but you can also ask to find coffee shops on the way, for example.

Things run much deeper, though. You can ask what your next flight is, when your trip is, and you can ask to watch a particular programme on Netflix, or you can ask to view dog photos from your collection. There’s also a wide range of fun options, like games, with a full panel show game hidden behind the “I’m feeling lucky” command.

Our experience so far suggests that Google Assistant is going to be huge and as it stands, it’s a long way ahead of Siri, Alexa or Cortana.

• Google Pixel XL vs Pixel: Which should you choose?

Google Home

Google Home is a connected speaker that also works as a smarthome control center and an assistant for the whole family. You can use it to playback entertainment throughout your entire home, effortlessly manage everyday tasks, and ask Google what you want to know. Google Home is able to do much of these things thanks to Google Assistant, working in a similar way to Alexa on Amazon’s Echo.

The idea behind Google Home, however, is to be more integrated into your home environment. The Google Assistant is access with the “OK Google” hot word, or by tapping on the top of the Home device. Smarthome support comes in the form of IFTTT, Nest, Hue, SmartThings, so you’ll be able to speak commands, as well as Chromecast support, meaning you can just speak to watch Netflix on your TV, which is really clever.

Like Amazon’s Alexa, you can ask almost anything – weights, measures, check your schedule, book an Uber, and more. Where this would all be phone-centric in the past, Google Assistant makes it easier to do all of this stuff through Google Home, just by using your voice.

Of course, services and features are being added all the time. So if your smarthome products aren’t compatible yet, that doesn’t mean they won’t be soon.  

• What is Google Home, how does it work, and when can you buy it?

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Android Wear 2.0

A lot of the original Android Wear experience relied on voice control. With Android Wear 2.0, the whole platform is now better equipped to deal with alternative inputs, like the swipe keyboard, as well as voice. Google Assistant is now available to better service your commands and demands. It can hold contextual conversations to deliver the information you want, as well as take other actions.

For example, you’ll be able to ask Google to find an restaurant and navigate you there. In addition to a microphone, you’ll also be able to hear replies through the watch’s speaker (if supported by hardware). Best of all, Google Assistant works in English and German, with more languages coming soon. The LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style are the launch devices for Android Wear 2.0, and, unfortunately, the update won’t be made available for every Android Wear smartwatch, especially the older ones like the original Moto 360.

• Android Wear 2.0: What’s new in the major software update?

The Google Assistant you get with Android Wear 2.0 is a lot like what you find in the Pixel phones and Google Home. On the LG Watch Style, you can call upon Google Assistant by holding down the exterior crown. Assistant will ask you how it can help. You can use it do a range of tasks – such as a quick conversion for foreign exchange rates, or sending a message, or  tracking your run or to launch an app.

And, if you’re watching TV via Chromecast, you can use your Android Wear 2.0 watch a remote of sorts. Assistant will let you control any compatible smart home device – from Samsung Smart Things to Nest. What you can’t do seems to be hit or miss. For instance, you can’t call an Uber through Assistant on the watch like you can through Google Home. You also can’t get Spotify to play a specific playlist.

Pocket-lint

Android TV

The full integration of Google Assistant is coming to Android TV-compatible televisions and set-top boxes.

Pending a forthcoming software update, it will enable the new Nvidia Shield TV to be controlled almost entirely by voice, and Samsung SmartThings support will add the ability to control smart devices around the house. It will effectively turn your Shield into a Google Home or Amazon Echo, albeit one that plays media through a TV rather than speaker and has the ability to bring up on-screen results.

We’ve seen it work with a Nest thermostat, coffee maker and lighting in an early demo, so it’s an excellent addition when it comes. Nvidia chose to use the game controller as the mic, however, so you do need to leave it lying around within earshot. Nvidia told us that was necessary. Putting the mic in the Shield TV box meant that it would have to be proudly displayed instead. 

This same set of features is available through Android TV on the 2017 range of Sony TVs too. 

• Nvidia Shield TV (2017) review: The daddy of 4K HDR media streaming

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Google Allo

Allo is Google’s new smart chat app.

The messenger has started its roll out on Android and iOS and is designed to give you plenty of options when it comes to chatting to your friends. Rather than just giving you a straight-down-the-line messaging app, Allo makes chat more fun and interactive. It’s based on your phone number – like WhatsApp – and seems to be going after all the popular chat apps, with emoji, stickers, and more.

• Google Allo: How to install, set up and use the latest smart messenger
• What is Google Allo, how does it work, and why would you use it?

One of its hottest features in the app is Google Assistant. Google took the voice assistant, as well as bots like the ones found in Facebook Messenger, and rolled them all into one product. In Allo, you can to ask Google Assistant questions by either typing “@google” and then asking your question or by using your voice to dictate.

Google Assistant will serve up results for or responses to your questions in Allo. Again, this is all conversational, so you can ask follow-up questions and the clever bot remains contextually aware. You can ask anything you’d type in to Google Search or Maps, including asking it to find you a place to eat nearby or how many euros are in a number of pounds. You can interact with it by asking it to tell you something interesting, show you something funny, or show a video about something specific, and it all shows up within the chat you’re in. You don’t need to leave the app.

One of the cool features is the in-chat game. Type “@google let’s play a game” and you’ll get the option to play emoji based trivia games. The app also features an incognito mode so that you can make your conversations more private, and you can even set them to self-destruct within a specified amount of time.

Motorola’s entry-level Moto E4 and Moto E4 Plus revealed in spec leak

Details on the new entry-level Moto E phones from Lenovo-owned Motorola have leaked out. German website Winfuture.de has picked up all the details and shared them for all to see.

The biggest change with 2017’s model compared to 2016 is the introduction of a plus-sized model. The two phones will feature 5-inch and 5.5-inch 720p HD screens, so while the ppi counts haven’t been given, the smaller 5-inch version will be the slightly sharper of the two. We were already aware that Motorola would be launching two version of the E-series  following a leak of a presentation slide.

• • Motorola’s smartphone strategy for 2017 revealed, Moto X returns
  • Motorola budget phones, Moto C and Moto C Plus, revealed in new leak
  • Motorola Moto E3 (2016) vs Moto G3 (2015): What’s the difference?

Both phones share much of the same DNA, which includes a 1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek processor with 2GB of RAM, although the Moto E4 Plus will be available with 3GB of RAM in “some regions”. Both will also receive 16GB of onboard storage which will be expandable via microSD card.

Where the Moto E4 and E4 Plus differ is in the camera and battery departments. The 5-inch Moto E4 will have an 8-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel camera on the front. The Moto E4 Plus will have the same 5-megapixel snapper on the front, but instead gets a 13-megapixel camera on the back.

As for batteries, the E4 will be fitted with a modest 2,800mAh unit, but the E4 Plus will allegedly get a mammoth 5,000mAh battery instead. On paper, the E4 Plus will be the model to go for, but the better specs compared to its smaller sibling mean it will be around 47g heavier at 198g.

Both phones will ship with Android 7.1.1 Nougat and, for the first time on the E-series, will have fingerprint scanners embedded in the home button. Winfuture isn’t sure when the two phones can expected to be unveiled, but expects the Moto E4 to cost around €150 and be available in grey, gold and blue.

The E4 Plus meanwhile will cost around €190 and will likely only be available in gray and gold colour finishes, but could be available in blue in select regions.

Galaxy Note 8 to be the first Samsung phone with a dual camera

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus have been released to much acclaim, but while they may be an evolution in smartphone technology when it comes to 18.5:9 screen, the camera is the same as the one that featured on the Galaxy S7 Edge. It may have a few new features the help improve photos, but ultimately, it’s the same single sensor.

• Samsung Galaxy Note 8: What’s the story so far?

The same thing may not be said for the Galaxy Note 8 though, as it’s expected to arrive with a vastly different camera to the one found on itsNote 7 predecessor. The Galaxy Note 8 will instead come with a dual camera setup, the first for a Samsung phone, at least, that’s according to Ming-Chi Kuo, who is a noted tipster when it comes to making predictions about Apple’s new devices. The prediction is further backed up by Park Kang-ho, an analyst for Daishin Securities.

Between them, Kuo and Kang-ho say the new camera will be “the most important upgrade” for the Galaxy Note 8 and will feature a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, coupled with a 13-megapixel telephoto lens. The camera system will also feature dual optical image stabilisation and a 3x optical zoom.

Kuo adds that he believes the Note 8’s potential dual camera will be superior to the one found on the iPhone 7 Plus, and could match the one that Apple is expected to fit to the iPhone 8 with OLED display due out later this year.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 was at one point, thought to come with a dual rear camera of its own. A leaked prototype showed a Samsung device with a dual camera in a vertical array, however company executives said Samsung saw no real value in it, at least at the time.

• This amazing picture leak could show us the Samsung Galaxy Note 8
• Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will have 4K display and Bixby voice assistant

The Galaxy Note 8 is due out sometime this year, Samsung confirmed the phone itself when it announced an upgrade program for anyone who bought a Galaxy Note 7. We’re no closer to knowing a date though, but as ever we’ll bring you all the latest news as and when we hear it.

Android O: What’s the story so far?

Android Nougat released last August, so you know what that means? Android O is around the corner. There’s no doubt Google will use its main I/O 2017 keynote to show off its next mobile operating system. 

• How to watch Google I/O 2017 and what to expect from the Google developer conference

Google updates its mobile operating system every year, and although we’re still a few months away from the next version rolling out to our devices, Google may be pushing it out as a public beta soon. Despite not being ready for the public yet, Google has already released the first preview for deliveropers. So we can look at that and past patterns to determine what it might feature when it finally releases for consumers later this year.

Here’s everything you need to know about Android O, including the first developer preview and all the current rumours.

• Android for beginners: Tips and tricks for your new smartphone

What is Android O?

Android O is the next major update to the Android. It follows the release of Android Nougat from last summer. Android O will also likely be labelled Android 8.0. After all, Android Marshmallow got the numerical designation Android 6.0, and Android Nougat got Android 7.0-7.1. However, older versions of Android, such as Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, and KitKat, were all labelled 4.x updates.

What will Android O be called?

Google usually names its major Android OS updates after desserts – and in alphabetical order. So far, the company has released Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow, and Nougat. It’s safe to say that Google will release Android O in 2017 with a sweet treat-themed name that begins with the letter O.

@dcseifert ???? pic.twitter.com/u8nMzjTIO1

— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) February 20, 2017

Google’s Hiroshi Lockheimer tends to tease Android update names on Twitter, and most recently, he’s been suggesting Android Oreo is the likely candidate for Android O. He may be kidding, though, considering he also tweeted an image of Pocky with the caption #2018. He also teased the name “Nutella” for Android N a number of times, and was plain just trolling everyone. 

What does Android O feature?

Google has released the first preview of Android O. It’s now available to download for developers. Here’s an early look at what it features:

Picture-in-picture display

The first Android N developer preview from last year had a picture-in-picture mode, like you’d see in Apple’s iPads, but it was for Android TV. And according to 9to5Google, Google planned to bring it to other devices, including Android tablets specifically.

Now, based on what’s available in the first Android O developer preview, we know that picture-in-picture display – also known as PIP – is coming to phones and tablets, so you can continue watching a video while, for instance, answering a chat in another app. Another new windowing feature includes a new app overlay window for apps to use instead of system alert window.

Multi-display support

This allows you to launch your screen activity on a remote display.

Notification channels

The preview brings developer-controlled notification channels, which let developers give users fine-grained control over different kinds of notifications. You can change the behavior or block content of each channel individually, rather than all of the app’s notifications together.

Background limits

To improve the battery life of Android devices, 9to5Google had claimed that Google plans to reduce the background activity of apps in Android O. The site was right, because with the developer preview of Android O, Android can now limit how apps function in the background, thus improving a user’s battery life and the device’s interactive performance.

Keyboard navigation

Google added a “reliable, predictable model” for “arrow” and “tab” navigation that helps both developers and users, the company said.

Connectivity

Android O supports Bluetooth audio codecs like the LDAC codec. There’s also a new “Wi-Fi Aware”, which was previously known as Neighbor Awareness Networking. On supported devices, apps and nearby devices can communicate over Wi-Fi without an internet access point.

Support for wider colour gamuts

Android O will make it possible for app developers to take advantage of support for a wide-colour gamut displays. There’s a growing trend for improving displays by making them HDR compatible (both on Android TV, but also in smartphones and tablets). A large component of HDR is supporting wider colour gamuts, which goes hand-in-hand with this aspect of Android O. Google says it’s aimed at imaging apps, however, with support for profiles like AdobeRGB, Pro Photo RGB or DCI-P3 to get the most out of the display.

Are there any Android O rumours?

Thanks to Venture Beat and a few other reports, we know Google has been developing new “assistive features” for Android, and some of those features might make it to the final version of Android O that releases later this year. Here’s a look at what’s rumoured:

Copy Less

The first feature is called Copy Less, and it’s designed to “cut down on the annoyance of copying text from one app and pasting it in another”. It works like this: imagine you and a friend are having a conversation in a chat app and you open Yelp to find a restaurant. When you go back to your conversation and type “it’s at,” the address of the restaurant will appear. You can then add it to the text box.

The feature may end up in Google’s standard-issue Gboard virtual keyboard app or the Android OS itself. Google is also working on ways to enhance certain types of text in messaging apps. So, if someone sends you a message containing an address, Copy Less will allow Android (or maybe Android’s stock Message app) to recognise the text is an address, and tapping on it will open it up Google Maps.

Gesture triggers

Google has reportedly found a way to let people use finger gestures to trigger actions in Android. For instance, when you draw the letter C onscreen, Android will show a short list of recent contacts. Gesture triggers could get delayed or might not ever ship, VentureBeat said.

When will Google announce Android O?

Google usually uses Google I/O to tease improvements to Android. Last year, it talked about the split-screen mode, ability to reply to texts from notifications, and an update to the Doze battery saver. It also teased Android N. Google will more than likely mention the next version of Android at this year’s show. So, expect to hear something about Android O/8.0 at Google I/O 2017.

Can you try Android O’s dev preview?

Google surprised everyone in 2016 by announcing a Developer Preview of Android Nougat in advance of Google I/O 2016. It didn’t roll out the final release to consumers until August 2016. Google always announces a new Android OS with new hardware, but that was no longer the case last year, as Android Nougat didn’t land for new hardware until Google released its own Pixel flagships in late 2016.

We expected to see the Android O Developer Preview announced ahead of Google I/O, which kicks off on 17 May, and true to form, Google has released it. It includes an SDK with system images for testing on the Android Emulator, as well as Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel, Pixel XL, and Pixel C devices. Developers building for wearables can now use an emulator for testing Android Wear 2.0 on Android O.

Google offers instructions on how to install the preview on its developer website. It said the developer is in “early days” and cautioned the first developer preview should only be downloaded by developers. Google said it will release updated developer previews in the coming months, and will be “doing a deep dive on all things Android at Google I/O in May,” Google wrote in a blog post.

A second developer preview is expected to come sometime in the week of I/O 2017, and a public beta offering may be available at some point in the summer. 

When is Android O coming to my phone?

The final release of Android O should be available in the second half of  2017 – prior to any new hardware releases from Google. At least, if the company follows the same strategy as 2016. Google phones and tablets are the first to get new operating system updates, and security updates are provided for three years following the device’s release.

In other words, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P will be supported by Google until September 2017. That means they may just about get Android O. Last year’s Pixel and Pixel XL will undoubtedly be among the first phones to be updated to Android O. If you have a recent flagship phone or tablet, you’ll likely see the update rolled out within the first few months of 2018.

In its marketing of the Moto G4 Plus, Motorola teased that it will receive both Android Nougat and Android O.

Seat Ateca review: A genuine Qashqai alternative

SUV and crossover cars sales are booming. But it’s only now that some brands are debuting an SUV for the first time. Case in point: the Seat Ateca, which began production in 2016.

The new Ateca sits above the Leon in Seat’s range and is built on the Volkswagen group’s MQB platform, meaning it shares its underpinning with the Leon… and also the Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3, Skoda Octavia and many more besides. The car it’s most closely related to – and which you might be considering it as an alternative to – is the VW Tiguan, which was recently refreshed.

But if you’re thinking the Ateca is just a VW with a Seat badge on, then think again. For the urban-bound, the Ateca is a useful 10cm shorter than the Tiguan, thanks to a shorter wheelbase. It’s cheaper than the VW too. And it’s got a usefully sized cabin and much bigger boot than the Leon hatch.

However, it’s less VW and more Nissan that Seat is going head-to-head against. Given its competitive price and well-equipped specification, the Ateca’s most obvious competitor is the ubiquitous Nissan Qashqai. Can Seat usurp the UK’s best-selling, default purchase crossover?

Seat Ateca 1.4 EcoTSI SE review: Taking the fight to Nissan

Talking to many Qashqai owners, it seems to have become a default car choice. It’s keenly priced, looks right, is small enough to park but big enough for a family and loaded out with tech. It’s the go-to choice, so why would you buy the Seat instead?

Pocket-lint

After spending a week with the Ateca, we think we’ve uncovered a few reasons, with the key factor being the way the Ateca drives. With many crossovers – the new Peugeot 3008, for example – the way they drive lets the side down. We know a crossover isn’t going to be bought for its Nurburgring lap times, but nonetheless, there’s precious little pleasure to be had in the way many crossovers move down the road.

The Seat is different. It feels like a very well sorted hatchback. By that, we mean the extra ride height barely seems to have an impact on it. It doesn’t feel heavy or bloated. It rides firmly, without lots of body roll, meaning it’s comfortable. Our SE car’s smallish, 17-inch wheels no doubt helped here. The steering is sharp and precise and it clings on gamely if you go wild with cornering speeds.

This particular model – the 1.4 EcoTSI sporting 150bhp and teamed with a six-speed manual box – shows the Ateca in a particularly strong light. Feeling good for every single one of those 150 horses, it accelerates briskly, revs happily yet smoothly and, as a driver, you get into a nice rhythm with the car.

Pocket-lint

The gearbox is slick, at motorway speeds the car is quiet and this engine’s novel cylinder deactivation technology (it shuts off two cylinders to save fuel in certain circumstances) is barely noticeable. It returned nearly 40mpg, despite much of our driving being on urban roads. Officially, this Ateca will return 53mpg and produces 122g/km CO2. In short, it’s impressive to ride in, and enjoyable to drive. And as a driving device alone, we’d take an Ateca over a Qashqai in a heartbeat.

Seat Ateca 1.4 EcoTSI SE review: Superior interior?

However, the average crossover isn’t bought for getting your kicks on the B66. Instead, families and empty nesters buy these cars for their elevated ride height, more sporting “go-outdoors” image and practical, commodious interiors.

The Ateca ticks off the first two of these qualities just by virtue of what it is. And the car is wrapped in a neat, non-challenging exterior design – whose most stand-out element on the next-level up SE Technology and Xcellence spec cars is bold, full-LED technology headlamps.

Pocket-lint

There’s not the bold graphics of the Peugeot 3008, and sheet metal radiuses aren’t as tightly pressed as the Ateca’s more expensive Volkswagen cousin, the Tiguan. But there’s little to offend about the Ateca’s design.

It’s a similar story with the interior, which after some of the more advanced and premium cockpits that Pocket-lint has experienced recently, feels a little plain Jane. There are huge swathes of black plastic, which aren’t bad quality but could just really do with a splash of colour or an island of trim inserting to brighten them up. Our SE spec car came with blue seats. By blue we mean they’re that shade that you drive around in for three days thinking they’re actually grey – yep, they’re that subtle – before taking a much closer look.

Still, like any good VW group product, every switch is where you expect to find it, everything you press is nicely dampened, there are a few helpful cubby holes to help out the family types (open them to remind yourself you’re in the lower reaches of the group food-chain, because they’re not soft lined) and all the important stuff is present. A toddler could use the Ateca, it’s that logical, and all of the on-board technology works well.

Pocket-lint

It’s well-proportioned inside too. Back seats aren’t as big as many competitor crossovers, but will still happily house a pair of adults or brace of car seats. Many will be attracted to a car like this because the boot is usefully bigger than a similarly sized hatchback like the Leon, and the Ateca doesn’t disappoint – its 510-litre capacity is bigger than a Qashqai’s and it swallowed our big-wheeled buggy and a heap of weekend-away kit without blinking.

Seat Ateca 1.4 EcoTSI SE review: Engine and spec options

One of the Ateca’s key appeals is its conspicuous good value. The model we’re reviewing here is a mid-spec 1.4 petrol, in SE trim – priced at £21,550.

Seat added Sat Nav and DAB (£525), Parking sensors (£330), Keyless entry, electric tailgate and a wireless phone charger (£780) and surround cameras (£650), to our test car taking the price to £24,410 – and all the kit most people will want to have.

Pocket-lint

Instead of adding the options Seat did to our car, you could instead upgrade to an SE Tech model to get the Nav and DAB as standard, along with some more modern-looking alloy wheels, LED lamps and a few other bits. Were it our money we’d be tempted to do that – given it’s only an extra £1,735 over the SE. But a basic, 1.0 S-spec Ateca for just £18,150 is an awful lot of car for the money, which has intrinsic appeal given that we know how sweet the 3-cylinder petrol engine is.

Several engines are available with the DSG automatic gearbox, plus there are 115-, 150- and 190-horsepower diesel options which will cost more to buy than the petrols but return around 10-miles extra to every gallon. If you want your Ateca to be a true SUV and have four-wheel drive, you’ll need a 150 or 190 diesel. Unless we lived up a track or towed regularly, we’re not sure we’d bother.

Seat Ateca 1.4 EcoTSI SE review: Equipped to please

The good news on the tech-front for anyone going for an SE model or above, is that your Ateca will come with an 8-inch colour touchscreen, even if you don’t option the navigation model.

Pocket-lint

With physical menu shortcut buttons flanking the screen, this system is less explicitly modern than the new, all-digital screens that debuted in the new Golf, but we found this easier to use on the move. It’s hardly unresponsive, either.

Good news for those put off by the thought of spending extra on the Sat Nav option on SE spec cars, is that SE models and above come with Seat’s “full-link” system as standard, which means Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirrorlink options are all there and ready to use out of the box.

As mentioned, almost everything is logical and easy to use for both driver and passenger. The Ateca is one of those rare cars that, in this spec at least, doesn’t overwhelm and distract you with new technologies while you’re driving (the instrument cluster is refreshingly analogue, for instance) but still manages to provide all the useful technology support – USB, Bluetooth, online search for addresses and postcodes, DAB radio if you get the Sat Nav, cruise control, stop-start, and so on – that most of us have come to take for granted.

Pocket-lint

We’re keen advocates that in-car technology should work to augment rather than distract you from driving – and the Ateca is refreshingly well-judged in this regard. Despite the ostensibly plain interior, we’ve really enjoyed being in and driving it.

Verdict

Sometimes cars come along that impress us with their new approach or innovative technology. The Ateca is not such a car. But within the space of a week spent with a car for review, sometimes the initial novelty wears off and we’re left questioning whether some try-hard design or over-stated tech can mask fundamental deficiencies in the depth of a product’s development.

The Seat Ateca is the opposite of that. It’s really quite unassuming; in some ways it’s very forgettable – it doesn’t stand-out, it doesn’t do anything dramatically different to any other cars in the compact SUV/crossover class – but that’s at the heart of its appeal. It does everything either well, or very well – there’s no flat note to be found. Its appeal is that it will slip into your life unnoticed and simply work – doing little to annoy, irritate or confuse.

If you’re looking to stand-out, you’ll need to look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for objectively the best vehicle in its class then you’ll be wanting at a Seat Ateca… or the default Nissan Qashqai. Given how well the Seat drives, how well priced it is and the range of options its engines and equipment levels offer, however, we can see why many will now choose the car from Spain rather than the default Nissan.

The Morning After: Wednesday, May 17th 2017

Welcome to Wednesday. We’re in peak developer conference season. Microsoft wrapped up last week, Apple is coming soon, and Google is, well, today! We’ll be reporting live from the I/O keynote, which starts this afternoon. We also take a look at the origins of the sex robot.

Nexus Q 2?
Google I/O 2017 preview

This year’s Google developer event kicks off today. We’re expecting to learn more about the future of Android, Chrome and other projects. Follow along with our live blog of the keynote speech starting at 1 PM ET, and if you can’t wait that long, get an early preview of what we’re anticipating right here. Android O and Google Assistant are sure bets, while a “Fuschia” preview or the return of Google Glass (with a skydiving entrance) appear to be less likely.

Customers can get a Powerwall for $15 a month or a flat fee of $1,500.
US utility offers clients cheap Tesla batteries for grid backup

Vermont’s Green Mountain Power (GMP) is not only installing Tesla’s industrial Powerpacks on utility land, it’s also subsidizing home Powerwall 2s for up to 2,000 customers. Rather than firing up polluting diesel generators, the utility can use them to provide electricity around the state. At night, when power usage is low, they’re charged back up again. This is the first time a power utility has teamed up with Tesla to use its battery packs for extra grid power during peak usage times. GMP believes the Tesla batteries are not only less polluting than regular generators, but more economical too.

Even the aging MacBook Air could get a much-needed speed bump.
Apple reportedly announcing a slew of MacBook updates next month

Apple’s annual developer conference hasn’t had a big product reveal in a few years, but this year might be different. Bloomberg sources hear that Apple is planning to upgrade at least the 12-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro line when WWDC kicks off in June. The Pros would get updated 7th-generation Core processors with little to no external changes, while the 12-inch system is only said to be getting a “faster Intel chip” The biggest news may be an update to the left-for-dead MacBook Air. There’s no mention of a Retina Display or other more dramatic upgrades, however. The rumors point to a maintenance update, not an overhaul.

It integrates live TV channels and multiple input devices.
The first television with Amazon Fire TV built in is just fine

Sure, you can get a Fire TV stick with an Alexa remote and plug it into your existing television set to make it smart. But that setup can’t pull in streams from all the devices you have connected, like your PlayStation, antenna and whatever else you have stuck in your HDMI ports. Nor can it integrate all those inputs seamlessly. If a central hub for all of your streaming content is important to you, and you have money just laying around, consider the new Element Fire TV Edition. It’s the first television with Fire TV OS built in, and prices start at $449 for a 43-inch version.

Designed for people who want a TV that doesn’t look like one.
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.It was all part of the company’s efforts to make TVs look and feel less obtrusive, all without losing their main functionality: the whole “being a TV” part. Revealed in March, the Frame TV takes that subtlety to the extreme, looking like nothing more than a picture frame. The statement set 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.

Think outside the box.
Computer Love: Blow-up dolls, vibrators and the sex robot’s uninspired origins

Our latest episode of Computer Love covers the history of the vibrator and the inevitable march towards sex robots.

Humans need only virtually perform a task once for the ‘bot to fully learn it.OpenAI’s new system lets you train robots entirely in VR

OpenAI’s “one-shot imitation learning”, requires humans to demonstrate a task just once in VR for a robot to learn it. This training model is only a prototype, but teaching robots entirely in simulation could allow researchers to train them for complex tasks without needing physical elements at all. Researchers could safely and easily approximate extreme environments like arctic waters, areas soaked in nuclear radiation or even other planets.

But wait, there’s more…

• Olympus’ TG-5 rugged camera has 4K video in a compact body
• Rumor claims Apple will discontinue the iPad mini
• IBM unveils its most powerful quantum processor yet
• Elysium Space will send your ashes into orbit on a SpaceX rocket for $2,500
• UploadVR sued for ‘rampant’ sexism, general awfulness

AI will take control of Milton Keynes traffic lights next year

Whatever sins you’ve committed in life, being sandwiched in traffic in Milton Keynes is a punishment no one rightfully deserves. This modern penance should become less gruelling from autumn next year, when Milton Keynes is expected to become the first UK city (or is it a town?) to switch on an AI-powered traffic management system. A company called Vivacity Labs, with a little help from the public purse, will begin installing 2,500 cameras into traffic lights around the city this September. When live, the system will monitor major junctions and car parking spaces in a 50 square mile zone, and be tasked primarily with tackling congestion.

With thousands of eyes built into lights, the AI will be able to direct traffic more efficiently and dynamically prioritise emergency vehicles, buses and cyclists where appropriate. By dialing into existing infrastructure like electronic signage, it could also divert traffic away from bunged-up areas and notify drivers of impending road hazards. In the longer-term, Vivacity Labs hopes the AI traffic conductor will talk directly to self-driving cars in true smart city style. And fittingly, Milton Keynes just happens to be one of the UK’s autonomous vehicle testbeds.

Optimising traffic flow with AI isn’t an entirely new concept, but it’s also not uncommon for signals to run on simple timers, or for humans to manually flick switches from a monitor-walled control room. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a decentralised network of AI traffic lights has been managing traffic flow at junctions for years. Systems you’d call “smart” are in use in the UK, too. London has SCOOT (Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique), for example, and tech trials in the capital have looked at how lights can react to emergency vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

AI promises to be something of a next step in traffic management, and anything that gets you out of Milton Keynes quicker is worth a shot.

Via: The Telegraph

US Senate approves encrypted chat app Signal for staff use

The United States Senate has been taking cybersecurity more seriously than ever before, thanks to the DNC leaks and various government cyberattacks. Senate Sergeant at Arms Frank J. Larkin and his team have recently finished encrypting all Senators’ websites, and it turns out he has also approved Signal for official use by Senate staff members. Sen. Ron Wyden, a privacy and encryption advocate, has revealed that Larkin’s office has given one of the most secure messaging apps out there its seal of approval in a letter thanking the Sergeant at Arms for his efforts. While the letter was sent on May 9th, ZDNet says staff members were first allowed to use the app for official business back in March.

That the current administration would approve Signal for official use came as somewhat of a surprise. Back in February, House Republicans Darin LaHood and Lamar Smith demanded an investigation into the EPA’s use of secure messaging apps to secretly express their dissatisfaction with President Trump’s policies. They said encrypted conversations can “run afoul” of the government’s record-keeping rules. Nevertheless, Signal’s approval isn’t really groundbreaking. The National Archives and Records Administration told ZDNet that Senate staff members are exempt from those rules, so long as they don’t use encrypted apps for anything considered “historically valuable.”

Via: ZDNet

Source: Senator Ron Wyden