ARM targets your brain with new implantable chips

Elon Musk isn’t the only one getting into the wetworks game. Chip manufacturer ARM announced on Wednesday that it is pairing with the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering (CSNE) at the University of Washington to develop a line of brain-implantable systems-on-a-chip that can interface between our squishy bits and the next generation of powered prosthetics.

One of the primary challenges facing prosthetic development today is the lack of sensory feedback. Sure, organizations are developing smart hands that can see and “think” for themselves but the ability for a prosthetic appendage to transmit sensory information back to its user remains woefully inadequate compared to their biological counterparts. But that’s where ARM’s SSoCs come in.

ARM will be leveraging its existing Cortex-M0 processor, the smallest one the company makes, as the basis for its wetware. “They have some early prototype devices,” ARM’s director of healthcare technologies, Peter Ferguson, told the BBC. “The challenge is power consumption and the heat that generates. They needed something ultra-small, ultra-low power.”

These chips are designed to act as intermediaries. They’ll work to decode the complex signals emanating from the brain and transcribe them into digital signals that computers can understand, and vice versa. It’s a more permanent version of what researchers at Braingate2 and the Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) center have already developed (without the giant OBD2 plug sticking out of the patient’s head, natch). It’s also a more direct connection than what the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and Ossur created, both of which rely on the patient’s peripheral nervous system.

Engineering challenges aside, the potential upside for this technology is enormous. ARM hopes that these chips will eventually be able to help patients suffering from everything from seizures to Parkinson’s disease, spinal injuries to strokes. There’s no word on how long it will take to mature the technology but for the people it can potentially help, that day can’t come soon enough.

Via: BBC

Source: ARM

If flippers aren’t enough for you, check out this handheld underwater jetpack

Why it matters to you

This powerful underwater booster will make your swimming experience more enjoyable, whether you’re splashing in a pool or exploring the open ocean.

Propelling yourself through the water by moving your arms and kicking your legs is so 2016. If you really want to channel your inner Aquaman (or, we guess, Namora for the ladies?) you’ll want to pick up Sublue’s new Whiteshark MIX device, a lightweight and powerful underwater booster which means you’ll never have to do anything as strenuous as actually swim again.

“Sublue has developed an underwater device that glides you through the water in an exhilarating, easy, and fun way,” Jiancang Wei, co-founder and CEO of Sublue, told Digital Trends. “It’s equipped with double propellers, which ensures speed and power as well as carefully thought-out safety features. The device is the smallest underwater scooter in the world, which can easily fit it in a backpack. It is the ultimate James Bond-style swimming accessory.”

The Whiteshark MIX boasts a top speed of 3.45 miles per hour, and can survive at depths of up to 130 feet. Its battery lasts up to one hour, and takes 2.5 hours to fully charge. If you’re in the mood for recording your travels, it also includes a built-in GoPro mount, especially positioned to capture underwater images and videos.

“We spent a lot of time researching to get the right type of blades for the propellers and decided on Kaplan four-leaf blades, which greatly reduced the high speed shock to ensure a smooth but still powerful glide through the water,” Wei continued.

Whether you’re a serious scuba diver or snorkeler who wants to explore the ocean or just a holidaymaker looking to have fun at the pool, the Whiteshark MIX is definitely worth a look. It’s currently available for pre-order on Indiegogo, with a price tag starting at $349 — which represents a 30-percent saving on the $499 it will eventually cost.

Shipping is set to take place in October, just in time for a freezing winter swim.

Thinking of redecorating? Don’t hire an interior designer, just use AI instead

Why it matters to you

Why hire a person to do your interior design work when you could just use AI instead? That’s the future Planner 5D envisions.

Why hire a human to design your home when you can just hire a machine? That appears to be the future Planner5D has in mind. The interior design app is working to incorporate artificial intelligence in its platform and hopes to help users create their dream home with the tap of their screen. Because when it comes down to it, wouldn’t you rather just click a button rather than sit through a consultation?

Already, AI is proving its usefulness in a variety of industries and a report from market intelligence firm Tractica suggests that AI software application will be a $60 billion industry by 2025. From making our coffee to building our instruments, the list of things AI can’t do is growing shorter by the day. And Planner 5D wants to make sure that interior design is not on that list.

Currently, the company says that it is creating machine learning algorithms that will learn from more than 40 million real user projects. “All these projects offer an opportunity for AI to figure out the thinking process behind home design: How do people choose the place for their bed, lights, and so on,” the company explains. “This thinking process will be learned by AI and optimized.”

Certain logistical details are also being taught to Planner 5D’s AI. For example, the app wants its new software to know that a TV can’t be placed in front of a window, that a bed ought to stand adjacent to a light source, and that a couch ought to face a fireplace or some other common space in a living room. The AI is also learning the average square foot taken up by a person, the standard width of a door, and the average height of a ceiling.

“Currently, only professional designers know design rules and techniques. Our vision is to empower everyone to become interior designers with an app that combines AI with virtual reality,” says Alexey Sheremetyev, co-founder of Planner 5D. “When we connect interior design techniques with AI, we hope to surpass an average interior designer who works using ‘cookie cutter’ design methods. Later on, we might even win some interior design contests.”

So if you are looking to redecorate without hiring an expensive interior designer, you may think about looking to AI in the near future.

What’s the future of air travel? Watch this robot learn to fly and land a 737

Why it matters to you

Self-driving airplanes would eliminate the chances of human error during a flight.

We’ve got self-driving cars, so surely the next logical step is self-flying airplanes? That is what a collaboration between the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and aeronautics research company Aurora Flight Sciences has gotten one step closer to, courtesy of the latest breakthrough from its Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) technology.

This week, DARPA and Aurora proudly announced that their ALIAS robotic arm has managed to successfully fly and land a Boeing 737. Well, in a simulation involving a real cockpit, at least.

The feat took place at U.S. Department of Transportation’s John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It represented the biggest challenge yet for ALIAS, which has previously carried out similar flying demos on smaller aircraft such as the single-engine Cessna Caravan, capable of transporting 14 passengers at a time.

“Aurora has been developing the ALIAS automation technologies for over two years,” Jessica Duda, Humans and Autonomy Group Lead at Aurora Flight Sciences, told Digital Trends. “Installing the system into the Boeing 737 provided us an opportunity to extend the capabilities of the robotic system to interact directly with an existing highly capable autopilot and autoland system.”

While the Boeing 737 has long had an autopilot system, allowing for the plane’s trajectory to be controlled without requiring constant “hands-on” control from the pilot, Duda explained that ALIAS is something else entirely. “ALIAS as a whole is much more capable than an autopilot, as it includes procedures tracking and monitoring, contingency identification and response, and intelligent interaction with the onboard pilot,” she said.

Given that autonomous drones have (no pun intended) taken off in a big way in the past few years, a future filled with robot-controlled planes is clearly on the horizon. While the technology is not going to be arriving imminently on commercial airliners, Duda said the ALIAS team is definitely hoping to take their research to the next level in the form of an airborne, real world test.

“We are looking at a variety of applications for the integrated system and its enabling technologies, including commercial customers,” she said.

Google now lets you pay for things on your phone with any of your saved cards

Why it matters to you

Having to pull out your credit card every time you want to pay for something on Android can be a bit frustrating but soon you may not need to.

Google wants to make it a little easier to pay for things through third-party apps and through Google Assistant. However, to date, you’ve only been able to use your pre-loaded Android Pay cards to do so. Not anymore.

Google is expanding the Google Payments API to allows users to pay for things with any cards that they have used with their Google account — not just the cards that have been integrated with Android Pay.

“The Google Payment API enables merchants and developers to turbocharge checkout conversion by offering your users an easy way to pay with credit and debit cards saved to their Google Account,” Google said in a blog post. “Users will have multiple Google payment options at their fingertips, like a credit or a debit card previously saved via Android Pay, a payment card used to transact on the Play Store or a form of payment stored via Chrome.”

The news is not all that surprising. Android Pay has not been as popular as Apple Pay and forcing customers to use it could be limiting the extent to which they pay for things. While Android Pay is certainly growing, it still has a long way to go before it is used by a majority of Android users.

Google has, of course, collected data from millions of credit cards in its time, and not all of those were collected through Android Pay. Some cards are instead collected through the Google Play Store, YouTube, Google Drive, or really any Google service in which you have to pay for something. Now, you can choose from any of those used cards to pay on Android — which means you won’t necessarily have to pull out your card every time you need it.

The announcement is just one in a slew of announcements Google has made at Google I/O 2017, its annual developer show. You can keep up to date with all of our Google I/O coverage here.

11 laptop bags for travelers who want to get through security in style

Since 2008, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) started allowing certain laptop bags to go through X-ray screening, without having to remove them from the bag. The idea is to help speed up the screening process, since regulation requires all laptops to be removed from bags and placed into a bin — a process that not only confuses many passengers, but also leads to lost laptops. (This doesn’t apply to those in the TSA Precheck program, which doesn’t require them to remove their laptops.)

To help combat these issues, the TSA implemented guidelines for “checkpoint friendly” bags, which are designed to allow screeners to easily and clearly see the laptop and what’s inside it. They can be in a butterfly style (a bag folds open into two parts) or trifold style (three parts), or a laptop sleeve; whatever the style, it must be able to lie completely flat.

What resulted was a deluge of checkpoint-friendly bags. And like most computer bags, the problem is that most of them are more utilitarian than stylish. They tend to be black, boxy, boring, and in a sea of similar-looking bags, they won’t win you any points for style or personality. If you want a checkpoint-friendly bag that will help you quickly get through security, but that you won’t be embarrassed about carrying around, we’ve found 11 products that are well-made, smart, and trendy. And since they all look great, you can use them even when you’re grounded.

Note: Despite the TSA approving these bags, it doesn’t endorse any brand nor is it obligated to acknowledge them during security checks. To be frank, it’s really up to the TSA agents who are working on your day of travel. From our experience, we’ve had agents tell us to keep our laptops in their sleeves, but on other occasions, the agents made everyone remove their laptops, regardless of the bag and the signs indicating the use of TSA-approved bags.

Incase EO Travel Backpack ($180)

Incase’s EO Travel Backpack offers plenty of storage space within a compact, multi-purpose design. There’s enough room to fit a 17-inch laptop as well as an iPad, and the portion devoted to computer storage opens flat to help bypass airport security. As an added bonus, the main compartment expands 35 percent, making this backpack ideal for overnight business trips. This allows you to maximize extra space when needed, or maintain a slimmer bag when minimal storage space will do. Padded shoulder straps, breathable mesh paneling, and an adjustable sternum strap are all ergonomic bonuses. A side-mounted handle also allows the backpack to be carried as a briefcase.

The only real complaint would be the aesthetic of the bag when used as a briefcase. If the straps could be concealed, or easily removed, it would look more like a briefcase rather than a backpack with a side-mounted handle. Nonetheless, the overall product is still practical and the clean, with an angular design that will definitely stand out in the crowd.

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Incase Jet

Timbuk2 Uptown Laptop TSA-Friendly Backpack ($83+)

The Uptown Laptop TSA-Friendly is — you guessed it — ideal for bypassing the TSA process. The overall design meets all TSA requirements for sending your backpack and laptop through without removing your device(s), and the main computer compartment can fit laptops up to 15 inches in size. There’s also a dedicated pocket for stowing your iPad or Android tablet, along with a series of tricot-lined pockets designed to protect delicate items such as sunglasses and smartphones. The elastic side pouch is perfect for storing an array of items, both large and small, and the body includes a vista loop for a bike light. A channeled, mesh panel on the back and an adjustable front strap also help ensure a comfortable fit.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Timbuk2 Commute laptop messenger bag ($65+)

The trademark bike messenger bag — a favorite with both delivery guys and gals, as well as Web startup employees — gets an update for today’s frequent fliers. The Commute is made with the same materials Timbuk2 users are familiar with — soft lining to protect gadgets, while the environmentally friendly, waterproof flap keeps crap out. The laptop compartment opens all the way so that it lies flat, meeting TSA requirements. Available in various sizes and colors, the largest version has enough room for a quick trip.

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Timbuk2 Amazon ebags

Tumi Alpha 2 T-Pass expandable laptop Brief ($395+) or Tumi Alpha 2 T-Pass laptop Brief Pack ($495)

Understated elegance for the business traveler, the Tumi Alpha 2 opens and folds flat for passing through checkpoint scanners. A separate compartment has dividers to keep your files organized, with room for an iPad or other accessories. Inside, there’s a zip pocket with what Tumi calls Tumi ID Lock; it’s made with special material that blocks RFID signals, keeping things like credit cards and passports secure from wireless identity theft (although actual risk is debatable). A pass-through on the back lets you slip the briefcase onto a rolling luggage’s handle bar. The Alpha 2 is made with Tumi’s FXT ballistic nylon that’s tough yet soft. A backpack version is also available.

Tumi Alpha 2 T-Pass expandable laptop Brief
Tumi Alpha 2 T-Pass laptop Brief Pack

Buy one now from:
Buy one now from:

Tumi Amazon eBags

Tumi Amazon

Manhattan Portage Harbor backpack ($275)

With its big capacity, the Harbor Backpack from Manhattan Portage does double-duty as a carry-on for a weekend trip. Inside is a removable sleeve that accommodates a 15-inch laptop. Unlike the other bags listed, you will have to pull the sleeve out of the bag before sending it through a scanner; however, the large mouth opening makes it easy to quickly stash it back in.

The entire bag is made with a plastic membrane that’s waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about your clothes or electronics getting wet. Also ideal for bicycle commuters (Manhattan Portage, like Timbuk2, has its roots in making bike messenger bags), the bag is part of the company’s high-style Black Label line.

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Manhattan Portage Amazon

Mobile Edge Alienware Vindicator Briefcase 18″ ($55)

With the same design cues and iconic logo as the gaming laptops and desktops, this Alienware Vindicator can accommodate Alienware’s 18-inch laptop (thankfully, other sizes are also available). Made by Mobile Edge, the bag has a checkpoint-friendly compartment, while another has enough room for all your gaming accessories and other gear. Perfect for that traveler heading to E3, PAX, Comic-Con, or any gaming convention. Mobile Edge also makes a bunch of checkpoint-friendly bags (it calls them ScanFast) for different users, not just gamers.

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Mobile Edge Amazon eBags Dell

Tom Bihn Daylight Briefcase ($80) and Cache protective sleeve ($40)

To keep the Daylight Briefcase compact while checkpoint friendly, Tom Bihn created an attachment system that lets you easily pull out the laptop sleeve when needed (you can remove the sleeve completely for when you’re not flying). It not only meets TSA regulations, but it minimizes the risk of forgetting the laptop in a bin (trust us, we’ve been there). The stylish urban bag is made in the United States, using lightweight but strong materials, and inside there are plenty of what Tom Bihn calls O-rings, which lets you clip on a variety of pouches, straps, etc.

Tom Bihn Daylight Briefcase
Tom Bihn Cache protective sleeve
Buy one now from:
Buy one now from:
Tom Bihn
Tom Bihn

Booq expandable Taipan superslim for MacBook Pro ($80)

Since the TSA doesn’t require you to remove a laptop if it’s in a sleeve, you can use the Taipan Superslim 15, provided it’s just a laptop that’s inside. But the bag has a clever trick: For all other times, the bottom of the case can expand to accommodate additional items. We’re fans of Booq’s camera bags for their quality and design, and the Taipan Superslim 15 has a similar build, like water-resistant, lightweight 1680D triple-weaved polyester. Like Booq’s camera bags, the laptop case has the Terralinq ID, a unique serial number that could help you recover a bag.

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Amazon

Eagle Creek Straight Up Business Brief RFID ($112)

If you can’t decide between a messenger bag, backpack, or handheld briefcase, why not have all three? The Straight Up briefcase converts into any of those modes to suit your mood, while the laptop compartment folds open for airport screeners. The shoulder straps are well padded for the long haul, and, like Tumi’s Alpha 2, there’s an RFID-blocking pocket for IDs, cards, passports.

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Eagle Creek

Everki Titan ($167)

The Titan is a colossal backpack, one capable of holding an 18.4-inch laptop. This makes it ideal for anyone with a large gaming laptop who travels frequently. Additionally, the bag features several large compartments, so you can store plenty of gear, including laptop accessories and other devices (i.e., tablets, handhelds). The tablet pocket is even lined with felt, making it safe for any screen.

Although it may seem like such a large backpack would be terrible for moving through security, the titan opens up 180 degrees, so it can move through a screening machine easily. The pack’s innovative design also makes it easy to rifle through compartments and grab the specific device you want at any given moment. It may not be the right choice for every consumer, but those with mammoth laptops and an assortment of gadgets will appreciate the Titan’s bountiful pockets and smart organization.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Samsonite Classic Business 3 Gusset Business Case ($45)

Few brand names in the luggage industry carry the gravitas of Samsonite — in fact, the company is so old and prestigious, it was even featured in an episode of Mad Men! If Don Draper were alive today, he’d probably appreciate Samsonite’s modern designs for the contemporary traveler. This particular business case features three sections: One for a 15-inch laptop, an organizer pocket for files and other such items, and one for whatever else you want to carry.

The case is made out of 1680D ballistic nylon, so it’s durable while still being lightweight. The strap is also padded for comfort, and the case can be attached to the handle of an upright suitcase for easy transport. It’s not the flashiest case around, but if you have a medium or smaller-sized laptop and an assortment of papers to carry, it gets the job done.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Bitplay Snap! 7 iPhone case and lenses: Our first take

With the feel of a camera and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses, the Bitplay Snap! 7 makes iPhone photography feel like photography again.

The iPhone is now one of the most widely used cameras — smartphone or otherwise — but the experience of shooting with one can be a bit uninspiring for anyone who enjoys working with dedicated cameras. The Bitplay 7 case and lens series is designed to make taking photos with a thin touchscreen device actually feel like using a camera again. It gives the iPhone 7 both swappable, screw-in lenses as well as a hand grip and physical shutter release, bringing the iPhone closer to the classic ergonomics of an interchangeable lens camera. While the system has a few quirks, the case design and mid-range pricing could bring the fun back into mobile photography for the right user.

The Bitplay 7 Case

Smartphones are designed first and foremost for communication — but the design of the Bitplay case ($50) gives the iPhone 7 a body that feels like it was made for photography. Using a naked smartphone as a camera creates a number of issues because of the design. Gripping the phone by the sides and reaching over to tap an on-screen shutter button isn’t comfortable or steady. And while sliding the phone out to take a few snapshots is fine, using a smartphone as a camera for long stretches will soon grow uncomfortable.

Even without a lens attached, the Bitplay case makes the iPhone actually feel like a camera.

The Bitplay 7 case takes all the positives of smartphone photography (convenience, simplicity, immediate sharing) and wraps them in a body that’s designed for actual photography. A removable, right-handed grip combined with a physical shutter button that rests right beneath your index finger naturally creates a steadier shooting position. And when you would rather not shoot handheld, there’s a standard tripod screw at the bottom of the grip, meaning you can easily mount your iPhone to any tripod without a specialized holder.

As many users are already aware, the iPhone 7 actually has a physical shutter button built-in. In the native camera app (and several other third-party apps), the volume controls double as shutter release buttons. The problem is that these buttons are located too close to the lens. While this doesn’t cause a problem in portrait orientation, in landscape orientation if you hold the iPhone so that the volume buttons are facing up, you’re fingers will want to fall into a natural resting position that will put them right in front of the lens. So you need to either hold your phone gingerly by the edges or flip it over and trigger the shot with your left thumb with the volume buttons now on the bottom side — not exactly the most ergonomic experience.

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

The Bitplay 7 case moves the shutter release to exactly where you’d expect to find it on a point-and-shoot camera — right above the grip, but on the opposite end of the phone from the lens so you won’t end up shooting your own fingers. The newly located shutter release is somehow connected on the inside of the case to the volume button, so it doesn’t need to be plugged into the lightning port or paired over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Your phone doesn’t even know it’s there.

Fortunately, the shutter button remains in place even if you remove the grip, so if you want to keep things compact, you can. The standard grip feels much like the faux leather wrap on many mirrorless cameras and has a nice, molded curve to it. Bitplay also offers a grip upgrade — you can swap out the pleather for a natural wood version for another $45. This stylish enhancement won’t change the user experience but, hey, looking the part can be half the battle.

The Bitplay 7 case moves the shutter release to exactly where you’d expect to find it on a point-and-shoot camera — right above the grip.

The Bitplay 7 takes one more nod of inspiration from the point-and-shoot — a wrist strap. The strap, a typical nylon design not uncommon on smaller cameras, slips through a small eyelet on the corner of the case underneath the grip. The eyelet is small enough that you can choose to leave the wrist strap off and won’t end up with an odd-looking empty hole on the case. For an extra $20, you can upgrade to a leather strap, which undoubtedly will look excellent with the upgraded wooden grip.

The majority of the case is made with ABS plastic, and while it is still plastic, it does feel very sturdy — the case even uses two layers for additional shock protection. The bumper-style case appears to protect the back and sides of the phone from scratches fairly well, and should do fine with short drops. Like any normal case, however, it does not offer any protection for the screen, so you may want a screen protector.

The Bitplay 7 case makes shooting with the iPhone 7 feel like shooting with a dedicated camera. The only downside is that the grip makes using the iPhone as, well, a phone a bit more awkward. It also makes it tougher (though not impossible) to slide it into a pocket. While the grip is lovely for taking photos, it’s hard to operate the phone with one hand when it’s attached. You can, of course, easily remove the grip, but then you’re stuck carrying it around separately.

The Bitplay 7 Lenses

Bitplay offers a wide number of lenses for the iPhone 7, from a fisheye to a 3x telephoto. The lenses screw into the case, and getting the threads properly aligned can be a bit tricky at first. The more we played with it, though, the faster we got. It’s not as quick as a magnetic mounting system, as some other iPhone accessory lenses use, but it’s more secure and is easy enough.

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

All of the lenses tested didn’t seem to negatively affect image quality, except in the edges, which were a bit soft compared to just the built-in lens. At the center, every lens produced sharp results, but you might want to avoid composing your shots with anything important near the edges.

Build-wise, all of the lenses are constructed with metal bodies, and all but the EF 18mm use plastic lens caps. All of the lenses include a basic slip pouch and all the basic lenses can fit inside a nice $25 case with a foam divider. The largest HD lens requires a separate case, also priced at $25.

Wide Angle With Macro

The standard wide angle ($25) is one of several Bitplay lenses that features a two-in-one design. The two piece lens shoots a 0.68X wide angle, but with the top optic removed, it becomes a macro. Overall quality is good, but this is designed more as a value lens.

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

Along with some softness at the edges, parallel lines start to curve away from the center. This barrel distortion is common in wide angle lenses and particularly with cheaper options. There’s also some color fringing (called chromatic aberration) when shooting high contrast scenes. The colors and the sharpness in the middle of the photograph, however, are solid.

Fisheye with Macro

The Fisheye ($35) is another two-piece lens, also paired with the same macro. Again, together the two optics work as a fisheye, but remove the top lens and you’re left with a macro. The fisheye is also circular — it renders a completely round image bordered by black.

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

Image quality is decent and we actually didn’t mind the edge softness so much, since it feels more like part of the effect. There’s some lens flaring shooting towards the light (as many lenses will do), but color and center sharpness is good. If you like the wide, distorted effect, this is a fun lens to use.

Macro

So how does that macro that’s paired with the fisheye and wide angle lens fare? Since the iPhone has a smaller sensor than a DSLR, you can get almost microscopically close. In fact, you almost need to be touching the object to get it in focus — we’re talking millimeters. The tech specs say you can get as close as 14 millimeters, but we found it easiest to actually place the lens right up to the subject then back off slowly until the iPhone was able to lock focus.

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

Getting in close naturally creates a very narrow depth of field, even on an iPhone, and also emphasizes any camera shake, so it’s difficult to use this lens handheld. It’s worth it to take multiple shots to make sure you get a one in sharp focus.

As for image quality, the lens has good bokeh with soft edges. While the high magnification makes getting a clear image difficult, in-focus shots are sharp at the center and slightly soft on the edges, with a nice falloff into a blurred background.

The macro lens is a tough one to use since you have to get so close, but it offers a 5x magnification that’s pretty fun to experiment with. Don’t expect to get photos like the sample shot of a bumble bee that’s on the box — you’ll probably get stung if you get close enough to get it in focus, and most other tiny critters will likely be too skittish and quick as well. But for still life macro photos, this lens will let you discover an entirely new world without leaving your backyard.

Full Frame Fisheye FX

Unlike the regular Fisheye, the Fisheye FX ($35) creates a standard rectangular image. The super wide angle — about three times wider than the iPhone’s built-in lens — still curves those edges around in the same way, but this lens is designed to fill the entire frame. Quality is similar, with a sharp center and softer edges. You may also catch some lens flare from direct light.

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

Telephoto

The Bitplay telephoto lens ($40) brings a 3x optical zoom to the iPhone 7. Having a longer focal length handy is often underrated, but it’s a great option not just for more distant subjects, but also for portraits. It’s no DSLR, but the telephoto lens will help you get softer backgrounds. Of course, like the other lenses, there’s still that edge softness. Still, the center is sharp and this lens is definitely nice to have.

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

Bitplay HD Wide Angle Lens (EF 18 MM)

Bitplay’s biggest and priciest lens offers the best quality. Unlike the budget wide angle lens, the EF 18 mm ($100) has almost no barrel distortion. Instead, straight lines remain nearly perfectly straight. The lens offers a similar view to the standard Bitplay wide angle, but doesn’t have the line distortion, making it clearly the better option — if you can afford it.

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

Image quality on the HD lens was the best of the bunch — edges are still slightly soft but much less than with the other lenses in the series. The center is sharp and colors are good. We also didn’t notice any of the color fringing that plagued the cheaper wide angle lens.

The build quality of the HD lens is also better than the cheaper options. The lens is constructed with magnesium alloy — and, with perhaps a smidgeon of overkill, the lens caps are, too. This is also the only Bitplay lens that includes a hood, which helps control flaring and protects the glass.

Bitplay Circular Polarizing Filter

Finally, Bitplay also offers one more option that isn’t actually a lens — it’s a circular polarizing filter (CPL). If you’re not familiar with CPLs, they control reflected light. By twisting the front of the filter, you can either enhance the reflection on a window or other reflective surface or remove it entirely.

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

Hillary Grigonis/Digital Trends

CPLs are also good for making the sky a bit more blue and the landscape a bit more green. Just how dramatic the effect of a CPL is will also depend on the angle of the light — in some scenes, you’ll see a dramatic difference while others are more subtle. A CPL will also reduce the total amount of light, so don’t leave it on indoors if you don’t need it.

The Bitplay circular polarizer ($35) performed beautifully, adjusting the intensity of reflections without appearing to mute any colors like cheaper CPLs are sometimes known to do. Since it’s only a filter and not a lens, it also doesn’t create any edge softness.

Design-wise, since the CPL is so thin, it’s tough to get the cover off. It is also only designed to be used with the iPhone’s native lens, the size isn’t compatible to adding it on top of another Bitplay lens.

Comparison

Even without one of the lenses attached, the Bitplay Snap! 7 case makes the iPhone actually feel like a camera.

With the iPhone’s popularity, there’s no shortage of add-on lens options. Bitplay sits in the middle of the road price-wise and the features seem to reflect that.

Zeiss’ popular iPhone lenses don’t suffer from the edge softness of the Bitplay lenses, with sharpness throughout the entire frame — but they also cost significantly more. The Zeiss 15mm is twice as much as the Bitplay HD 18mm, and the Zeiss 2x telephoto is more than five times as much. While the Zeiss lens family offers better overall image quality, the compatible ExoLens case is just a case — there’s no grip, physical shutter button, or wrist strap.

Bitplay lenses are more in line with the cost of Olloclip’s $99 three-lens kit, but the case also doesn’t have a grip. Moment is also launching a similar case with more designs and lenses in the $80-$100 price range, but the iPhone 7 version hasn’t launched yet outside of Kickstarter.

Conclusion

The Bitplay 7 case and lens series is not the best iPhone lens out there — but it might just be the best for the price range. The ExoLens/Zeiss system is nice, but $250 is a steep price to pay for an iPhone lens (in fact, that’s in line with the cost of a 50mm DSLR lens). The Bitplay series is much more budget friendly and topped off with a better case.

It’s worth noting that while the case has been updated for the iPhone 7, the lenses are the same as the iPhone 6 version. The eventual iPhone 8 will likely require buying a new case, but probably not buying an entirely new set of lenses, which is good news.

Even without a lens attached, the Bitplay case makes the iPhone actually feel like a camera. If you’re looking for a more comfortable mobile photography experience and more versatility than you can get with the iPhone alone, the Bitplay 7 should be on your short list.

Highs

• Great ergonomics
• Versatile lens selection
• Good pricing
• Makes iPhone photography more fun

Lows

• Lenses have soft edges, some distortion
• Case and grip adds bulk to phone

Kodi 18 Leia: What you need to know about the next version of Kodi for Android

Everything you need to know about the next version of Kodi that’s heading to Android.

Kodi 17.1 “Krypton” is the current release that’s available through the Google Play Store, but work on next version of the popular media server software is already well underway. In a break from the normal routine of choosing names within the community, Kodi 18 will be known as “Leia,” in honor of everyone’s favorite princess who sadly left us.

It hurts our hearts to have lost a great woman and actress and, with her, the character she portrayed, the princess we grew up with. It feels fitting, then, to announce that Kodi 18 will be named ‘Leia’ in honor of the late Carrie Fisher, as a tribute to one of the characters that defined an industry, and as a celebration of the whole Star Wars universe.

It’s still early days right now, and there’s not a massive amount to talk about regarding Kodi 18. But here’s what we do know so far. And as updates become available, we’ll keep this guide updated, so be sure to slap it into your bookmarks.

When will Kodi 18 Leia be available?

There isn’t an official release date for the final stable release, but early builds are already available!

What’s new?

It’s still in development, so the final feature list isn’t publicly revealed. It’s still in the early stages, too, so there’s not a lot immediately obvious that has changed. The best place to keep tabs on new features is the Kodi 18 Leia changelog on the official Kodi Wiki.

Kodi 18 Leia changelog

Anything cool for Android been announced yet?

Absolutely! One of the headline features for Android TV is integration with voice search and recommendations. Just as you see from other media sources, Kodi will be able to suggest content for you along the top of your Android TV home screen.

Voice search is a pretty big deal, as it gives you the same freedom as you already have to search other media apps on your Android TV. If you’re using Kodi seriously and you’ve a lot of media in there, this could make your experience so much better. Additionally, voice to text typing will be available, since using a remote with the on-screen keyboard can be a royal pain!

Can I try it yet?

Absolutely! If you’re OK with being on the bleeding edge and dealing with bugs, you can already get the latest nightly builds for version 18. The Android TV specific features mentioned above are already available to try in the Leia nightly builds.

Hit the link below to get started.

Download Kodi 18 Leia nightly builds

Do I need to uninstall Kodi 17 to try the new nightly builds?

No. If you’re using Kodi 17 already the nightly installer will place the new version alongside it.

Is it good enough for my main build right now?

No, you should stick with the release version of Kodi 17. Leia is still a long way off, and lots of things don’t work properly. It’s definitely only suitable for experimenting with as a separate build.

Does it look any different?

It does not. The stock skin was updated from Kodi 16 to Kodi 17, from the old “Confluence” skin to the new, more modern looking “Estuary.” There’s nothing to suggest that will change for version 18, but you can always install your own skins anyway. Making it your own is easy, so go nuts!

Where can I find out more?

New features are being discussed, and the developers are highlighting them to the community through “dev journals.” Those will be posted on the official Kodi blog covering all the various platforms that Kodi is available on.

There’s still much development to happen, and much new hotness to be revealed, and that will happen all in good time. If you have questions, drop them into the comments below. Hopefully, we can help with some answers.

Google’s ‘Find My Device’ app is the next-gen Android Device Manager

Android Device Manager is now Find My Device, and it has a few new features to keep it useful and relevant.

One of the less publicized announcements at Google I/O was the rebranding of the popular Android Device Manager — the app that allows you to find or reset a lost or stolen phone — to Find My Device, with a new design and some additional features.

The fundamentals of the app haven’t changed — you still use it to look up the current location, or last GPS location, of any Android device associated with that particular Google account. But the app looks new, with a nice dose of Material Design, and the ability to check the battery and Wi-Fi status if the phone is searchable.

If the phone isn’t accessible to Find My Device, it shows the last known location, which could prove incredibly useful when searching for a phone that’s been stolen or lost under the proverbial seat cushion.

Find your phone: the ultimate guide to Android Device Manager

Google Photos gets smarter and more social: Top 4 announcements from Google IO 2017

The new features will certainly be helpful for loyal users, but they also exist to help you to spread the word on what Google Photos can do.

Google has more than half a billion active users uploading over a billion image files to Google Photos daily, so it’s no surprise that the company is doubling down on what’s turning out to be a successful photo-sharing platform.

At Google I/O 2017, the company announced a host of new features coming to the feature-filled photo sharing service. Here’s a quick jaunt through what’s new with Google Photos, as well as some of the new features that are coming later this summer.

Watch Google’s explainer on what’s new with Google Photos.

Suggested sharing

You’re using Google Photos to store your photos, so naturally Google wants you to share them with other people. Suggested sharing uses machine learning to actively suggestion who to share a picture with. If your friend Brad is in the photo, for instance, Google Photos will suggest that you send the photo to him so that he knows how silly he looked at the pool party last Saturday. Additionally, Google’s machine learning will give Brad suggestions when he sees this photo, so that he can share it with anyone else who might be interested.

You can invite anyone to see a photo, even if they don’t have the Google Photos app installed. iPhone users, for instance, will receive a notification with a link to the photo, and be invited to add others to share the photo with, too. It’s a share-share situation!

Shared libraries

Google Photos’ Anil Sabharwal shows the crowd at Google I/O 2017 what Shared Libraries are all about.

Got a giant extended family? That’s fine; now you can share an entire photo library with them all so that anyone can share photos of each other whenever there’s occasion to. Shared Libraries work akin to shared photo albums, though they’ll stay integrated in your own camera roll. You’ll be able to search through those pictures without having to navigate to a particular photo album, too, and with the machine learning engine working behind the scenes in Google Photos, any extra, non-interesting photos you snap won’t be filed in there.

Google Lens

Google Lens is coming soon, and it’s going to add more functionality to Google Photos.

The Google Lens features aren’t ready for Google Photos yet, but the machine learning engine is coming later this summer. Google Lens will be able to understand what’s in an image, identify what you’re looking at, and help you edit photos on the fly. It’ll even get rid of obstructions in an image — in the event you actually catch your finger ruining an an otherwise amazing photo, for example.

Photo Books

You can order a Photo Book now from Google Photos.

Photo books are a major thing for many families, and they’re especially helpful if you just want to show a number of choices photos from your last trip, for example. Google Photos will be able to identify the best photos you’ve taken from any album and curate it into a worth-to-share picture book.

A 7-inch softcover will cost $9.99, while the hardcover version will cost $19.99. The books are 20 pages by defaults and features 40 of the best photos. Additional pages will cost $0.35 in the softcover, and $0.65 on hardcover. Photo Books are available now for Google Photos on the web and will come to iOS and Android soon.

The easiest-to-use photo app

The latest announcements for Google Photos should be no surprise if you’ve been utilizing the service since its major revamp two years back, particularly with regards to its machine learning capabilities. Shared Libraries are also merely evolutions of a sharing feature that’s already existed — you’ve been able to share individual photos and albums before, but now it’s more inviting to those who may not be privy to the Photos’ existence.

It’s obvious Google is committed to making its photo-storage service soar, which is why it’s intent on getting the word out on its usefulness. These features have been added to encourage its veteran users to share photos while inspiring the uninitiated to switch to the service and take advantage of what it can do.