LG Watch Sport (Android Wear 2.0) review

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LG Watch Sport

The wearables category continues to grow, but smartwatches are still in an odd place. Companies are finding it hard to sell the idea of a watch that costs $300 or more, yet lacks the longevity or resale value of a traditional watch. Technology is supposed to make things easier, and for a lot of people smartwatches don’t offer a compelling solution to a problem, making them a tough purchase to justify.

The first iteration of Android Wear essentially offered people a glorified notification reader. Sure, the user interface looked nice, but it was a nightmare to navigate – and you don’t want to think about navigating a smartwatch, something meant to be used at a glance.

Android Wear 2.0 is Google’s second attempt, and it’s far more promising. The launch debuted on the LG Watch Sport and Watch Style, which were designed in collaboration with Google like its previous Nexus devices. The LG Watch Sport is our focus here, and it had us interested in smartwatches again — until it ran out of juice. Let’s take a deeper look.

Update: Verizon has confirmed that its variant of the LG Watch Sport has been canceled. The carrier is offering customers who pre-ordered the device $100 off another connected smartwatch of their choice. By Adam Ismail on May 16, 2017.

Design and specifications

When you think of sports watches, Casio’s G-Shock series come to mind, or even Casio’s new outdoor smartwatches, the WSD-F10 and WSD-F20. There’s typically a lot going on, not just on the watch face but on the case as well.

Watch faces are important. Google has kept the process of switching and customizing them incredibly simple.

The LG Watch Sport goes against the grain with a stainless-steel design that’s fairly minimal. What makes it sporty is the polyurethane band, its IP68 water-resistance rating, and GPS. It also has three buttons that help make it more functional than the Watch Style.

While I usually opt for leather-strap classic watches, the Watch Sport is more up my alley largely because of its design, though the dark blue is more beautiful than the grey. The gorgeous and large 1.38-inch P-OLED display helps too.

Unfortunately, it’s thick and heavy. It’s not a watch you’ll forget on your wrist because it’s not the most comfortable to wear. It feels like a premium watch, but the rubber strap — which isn’t replaceable — contributes to my desire to take the watch off after long periods of time to rub my wrist.

The screen is protected with Corning’s extra-durable Gorilla Glass 3, and the Watch Sport has an ambient light sensor that helps dim the screen and make it monochrome when you’re not looking at it.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor with 768MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and a 430mAh battery. It also sports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LTE connectivity — the latter will require a SIM card that you can insert in the back.

There’s also GPS, the IP68 rating that lets you take it for a swim, and NFC for Android Pay.

A streamlined interface and the Play Store

I fired up my second-generation Moto 360, which has been collecting dust, and the differences between Android Wear 1 and 2 are startling, namely the poor design choices Google made the first time around. Users were required to swipe through so many screens to access a particular setting! In retrospect, version 1.0 feels especially clunky.

Android Wear 2.0 – which I’m actually testing on the other hand — is a joy to use in comparison. The interface is streamlined and simple. Swipe down to access quick settings, and swipe up to move through your notifications. To minimize fingerprints on your watch screen, the crown rotates, allowing you to use it as a scroll wheel or to zoom in and out of maps.

It doesn’t always scroll through every screen, however: some apps aren’t optimized for that yet, including some screens in the Android Wear 2.0 interface, strangely. Pressing the crown instead (it’s the middle button on the Watch Sport) pulls up your apps. You can pin your most used apps to the top.

While there are a lot of Wear apps, the bulk of them have yet to be updated to version 2.0. This may take a while, and in general there needs to be more app support so that notifications can offer a richer experience. Uber finally joined, but where’s Lyft? Where’s Twitter? We’ll have to wait and see how soon third-party developers support version 2.0 or the platform in general.

There’s also the Google Play Store, which means you don’t need your phone to download Wear apps, and iPhone owners using the Watch Sport can bypass the App Store. It also means you don’t need to clutter your phone with apps you may use only on your smartwatch — a godsend for people who don’t like to have redundant or unnecessary apps on phones.

We don’t recommend hunting for apps through the Play Store, because it can be annoying on the small screen. Use the Google Play Store website on a computer and remotely install apps to your watch instead.

The user experience on the Watch Sport is solid for the most part; the Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor is sufficient, but there are moments of stutter and lag, such as when you’re downloading or updating apps. Loading apps, the Play Store, and even Google Assistant takes longer than expected too, but it’s unclear if this is a connectivity or processing issue.

Google Assistant

Pressing and holding the crown button calls up Google Assistant, or you can just say “OK Google.” The functionality is almost identical to what you could do previously with voice search on Android Wear.

While it can’t perform some functions the Assistant on Google Home can — such as controlling your smart home devices — it’s more personable. You can ask it to tell you stories, jokes, and more as you can with the Assistant on other platforms.

Google has built a great voice assistant that allows you to easily trigger actions like finding your heart rate, placing calls, setting a reminder, sending a text, and more. But there’s opportunity for more once Google decides to unify the Assistant across its platforms.

The company tells us Assistant on the watch will support third-party actions “like turning on/off the lights (through Philips Hue) and making a restaurant reservation (through OpenTable),” though no specific timeline was mentioned.

Watch faces and complications

By far, two of the best features of Wear 2.0 are face customizations and complications: Just swipe left or right to scroll through other watch faces. You can set one up by long-pressing it, or by tapping the settings icon when perusing.

Google has built a great voice assistant that allows you to easily trigger actions.

Complications, by the way, are meant to mimic those smaller subdials on a traditional watch. They offer up information at a quick glance, such as the time to your next calendar event, how active you’ve been this week, and more. You can change which one you’re showing by tapping on them when customizing the watch face — third-party apps can add their own complications as well.

Android 2.0 offers more control over the color scheme of a watch face and layout of the complications (you can also have none). The best part: If you have more than one favorite style, you can customize as many as you want and just swipe left or right to switch.

For example, if I’m heading to a fancy dinner I’ll swap to a minimal, traditional-looking face with no complications. When I’m out and about, I’ll swap to one that more readily gives me important information. This is my favorite feature in Android Wear 2.0 — watch faces are important, and Google has done a great job in keeping the process of switching and customizing them incredibly simple.

Notifications, Pay, and Fit

Google has added Smart Reply functionality from services like Inbox and Allo to the Android Wear OS itself. This is possible with on-device machine learning, which impacts third-party applications as well.

Smart Replies have definitely been useful, but if they aren’t doing it for you, tap Reply to access voice-to-text, an emoji scribbler, or the keyboard. I usually opt for voice input or the keyboard, where I can swipe through letters — it’s surprisingly accurate.

You can also press the globe sign to switch keyboards to the handwriting input, in case you want to draw your letters. This works well for when you want to write short responses, but the other input types are far more versatile.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Still, all these input methods allow for greater choice in how someone wants to respond to notifications. While it may look silly talking to your watch or trying to type, I’ve found it useful in situations like when I’m in a crowded train and can’t access my smartphone. Notifications are the crux of a smartwatch, and Android Wear handles them excellently.

A few gestures from the first version of Android Wear have carried over too, but you have to turn them on. Flick your watch away from you to pull notification cards up, and flick it towards you to go back and even pull your settings down. These gestures are my favorite way of interacting with a smartwatch, because it’s truly hands free.

In the world of finance, Google has finally caught up with the likes of Samsung and Apple with payment functionality on its smartwatch platform. Android Wear works with Android Pay thanks to the NFC sensor in the Watch Sport, meaning your smartwatch will need NFC to be able to use Android Pay.

LG Watch Sport Compared To

Huawei Fit

Apple Watch Series 2

Motorola Moto 360 (2015)

Martian Passport MP100WSB

Garmin fenix 2

Meta M1 Watch

LG G Watch R

Netatmo June

Neptune Pine

Motorola Moto 360

Martian Notifier Watch

Samsung Gear 2

Phosphor Touch Time

Samsung Gear Fit

Basis B1

The top button on the Watch Sport is configured to Google Fit, but the bottom is for Android Pay. This can be customized to your liking, but by default pressing the bottom button pulls up your credit card; all you have to do is hold your wrist up to the payment terminal. It works pretty well, though it may take a few extra seconds to load and process — expect to spend some awkward time with the cashier.

Google Fit has been improved in Wear 2.0 to automatically detect workouts, and the app can also offer tips on proper technique for some exercises. The GPS is relatively accurate — it would usually put me a little less than a block away from where I was standing.

Abysmal battery

And that finally brings us to battery life. No matter how much I enjoyed using Android Wear, I was constantly worried on my device’s battery life.

When I didn’t use the Watch Sport and left it on my desk for about 20 hours, it went down from 100 percent to 66 percent. Standby time needs to be improved and likely LG and Google can pull that off, but the watch probably just needs a bigger battery.

It feels like a premium watch, but the rubber strap — which isn’t replaceable — contributes to my desire to take the watch off after long periods of time to rub my wrist.

Bottom line, it’s near impossible to get a full 24-hour cycle with the Watch Sport, and that’s without even using the GPS or fitness-tracking features. Moderate to heavy usage left me at 20 percent when I came home from work at about 6 p.m. If I had an after-work event to head to, the watch would most likely be dead.

Light usage — almost only checking notifications and responding to a few — fared a little better. I ended a work day with 30 percent battery, which still isn’t good enough — especially when the Apple Watch and the Samsung Gear S3 can keep going and going for comparable prices.

It’s unacceptable that battery life is so abysmal. I usually take off my watch when I get home, and the Watch Sport goes straight on the charger. Charging it every night isn’t an issue — it’s the fact that I have to think about my watch’s battery constantly that bugs me. People are already having a hard time justifying a smartwatch purchase. You know what makes it worse? Seeing a dead smartwatch that can’t even tell the time.

Batteries degrade over time, too. I imagine a year from now I’ll be coming home with an even lower amount of battery left — that’s worrying and makes it hard to recommend the watch.

Availability and warranty

The LG Watch Sport is exclusively available on AT&T’s network, and prices start at $250 for a two-year contract, or $350 outright. The device was originally to be released on Verizon as well, but after months of delays, the carrier has confirmed to Digital Trends that the watch’s release has been canceled. In response, Verizon is now offering those who pre-ordered the Watch Sport $100 off a connected smartwatch of their choice.

If you’re a Verizon customer looking for something similar on the network that supports LTE connectivity, there’s the carrier’s exclusive, just-released Wear24 smartwatch. There’s also LG’s own Urbane Watch 2nd Edition, which has not yet received Android Wear 2.0, but should get an update sometime in May. Samsung’s Gear S3, which runs the company’s proprietary Tizen operating system, should be launching soon on the network as well.

LG offers a limited warranty that covers your device for one year from the date of purchase, and you’re only protected from manufacturing defects.

Our Take

The LG Watch Sport is a good smartwatch, mostly thanks to Android Wear. If you’re interested, go to an AT&T store to see how it fits your wrist first, as that can make or break your decision.

For $350, you get the latest features of Android Wear plus GPS, an IP68-rating, three buttons, and NFC. Smartwatch enthusiasts will enjoy the device, but I think Android Wear still won’t incite the curiosity of the average person. That’s not necessarily a fault of the OS but an issue with smartwatches in general.

The DT Accessory Pack

LG Watch Sport screen protector

$2

Fugoo Sport portable Bluetooth wireless speaker

$150

Born to Run

$12

I find myself liking the device the more I wear it, but battery life is what kills it. If this can be fixed via a software update, we’ll update our review, but not being able to handle a day is inexcusable. The Apple Watch and Samsung Gear S3 can, and they cost around the same.

Are there better alternatives?

If you’re an iPhone user, there’s no reason to go for any smartwatch other than the Apple Watch — it’s the best hands down. The Samsung Gear S3 is also a solid option too.

There will be an onslaught of smartwatches powered by Android Wear this year due to the release of version 2.0. If you’re unsure about the Watch Sport’s design or battery life, you can always wait to see what’s coming from other manufacturers. The nice thing about Android Wear is the software experience will always be the same.

How long will it last?

Smartwatches aren’t like traditional watches. There will be a time when they will no longer get software updates (presumably around two years), and then it largely depends on how long the device’s battery will survive. Don’t expect to keep one for more than two to three years.

Should you buy it?

No. If you’re into smartwatches and Android Wear, you will likely enjoy the Watch Sport if you can get past its size. It easily lets you respond to notifications, you can track various activities, wear it while you swim, make calls, and send texts. It handles all these core functionalities well enough that you won’t need to rely on your phone all the time. But all of that’s pointless if you’re constantly worrying about the battery life.

Alexa will soon be talking a lot more with the upcoming Notifications update

Why it matters to you

Alexa will be getting even more helpful by alerting you to new information from your favorite skills.

Alexa, the electronic personal assistant present on many devices, will soon be more proactive in getting you important information as Amazon will be rolling out notification support to supported devices in the near future.

While Alexa has access to over 12,000 “skills” — the equivalent of apps on the platform — that can do everything from giving you the latest news headlines from your favorite publications, to sending someone a text, or even ordering food, there is no way for Alexa to alert you to new information waiting for you on its own. Thankfully, Amazon’s upcoming update for Alexa will change that.

With this update, Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Show users will get notifications when they have new information waiting from one of their skills. When enabled, a flashing green LED will indicate that you have a new notification. Ask “Alexa, what are my notifications?” or “Alexa, what did I miss?” and the artificial intelligence assistant will fill you in. For example, say you have been waiting for an update on the status of your most recent Amazon purchase and you notice that you have a notification. After asking about it, Alexa may then inform you that your order has shipped and will give an estimated delivery date.

When the feature becomes available, users will need to opt-in to the service and then individually enable each skill you want notifications on. A number of skills will support notifications at launch, including Accuweather, The Washington Post, Just Eat, Life360, and Amazon shopping updates, with more coming in the future. Further, device manufacturers who develop Amazon Voice Service (AVS) devices will be able to add the feature, expanding device support for notifications beyond the Echo devices in the future.

Amazon will be rolling out the notifications feature in the coming months and you can sign up here to get notified when the feature becomes available.

Apple Watch 3: News and rumors

The Apple Watch is the best-selling smartwatch ever released, and it’s certainly a great product, but there’s always room for improvement. While the Apple Watch Series 2 did alter the Series 1 for the better in a few key areas, it’s the rumored Apple Watch Series 3 that may offer what we really want to see.

But what exactly will the release of the Apple Watch Series 3 bring? The device is shaping up to be quite an interesting one. Here’s everything we know about it so far.

Sensors

Rumor has it that Apple may be stepping up the health tracking capabilities on the Apple Watch for Series 3. According to a report from BGR, the new Apple Watch may be able to monitor blood glucose levels. Apple has reportedly been interested in helping tackle diabetes for some time now, and the glucose monitoring feature could be a game-changer for diabetics. Around 30 million people in the U.S. alone suffer from diabetes.

Currently, the only way to monitor blood glucose is to get a blood sample. According to the report, the Apple Watch’s glucose monitoring will be noninvasive.

Smart bands

Apple may introduce a whole slew of new functionality with the Apple Watch Series 3 through a series of interchangeable “smart bands,” which will add different functions to the Apple Watch quickly and easily. That will give the Apple Watch a modular design, and allow users to add features without having to pay more for the Apple Watch outright. It’s possible that the glucose monitoring system will be introduced as a smart band rather than as core functionality to the Apple Watch itself.

A SIM card and LTE

The Apple Watch Series 3 may be the first in Apple’s portfolio to support LTE connectivity, although rumors about such a feature have spread since the very first version, indicating it’s something Apple often experiments with ahead of launch.

At the end of March 2017, an analyst from Susquehanna Financial Group published findings from a data-gathering trip to Asia, and claimed, “several parties” said the new Apple Watch would have a SIM card slot and support LTE connectivity. The analyst met with Qualcomm and Broadcom, among others, during his trip. Additionally, Apple may be investigating a low-power LTE chip for use in the Apple Watch 3 to ensure battery life doesn’t suffer.

This fits in with a previous Bloomberg report, which stated company engineers weren’t able to finalize a cellular design for the Apple Watch without compromising battery, and was reportedly invested in “low-power cellular data chips.”

The addition of LTE would make phone calls possible directly from the Apple Watch, and the Susquehanna analyst says Apple will push its wireless AirPods as the ideal companion product for the job.

Display

The Apple Watch Series 3 won’t use the same touch panels as its predecessors. According to DigiTimes, Apple will source glass-film capacitive glass from Biel Crystal or General Interface Solutions.

The reason: Apple is reportedly unhappy with the yields of its current glass manufacturer, TPK. The firm has been unable to produce the Apple Watch’s particular brand of glass at scale, reportedly because of the smartwatch’s curved surface.

Moreover, a new report suggests that Apple will not be using OLED in the Apple Watch Series 3. Rather, it will be employing a new display technology called micro-LED. Back in 2014, Apple acquired LuxVue, a company that specializes in the technology, and now it appears the iEmpire is leveraging this company to bring micro-LED screens to market.

It would certainly make sense for Apple to begin testing out micro-LED tech in its smaller hardware, like the Apple Watch. After all, as Apple Insider points out, producing these panels is quite difficult, and as such, it’s likely not yet ready for application on say, the newest iPhone. That said, the smaller screen of Apple’s wearable makes it an ideal first candidate.

Battery

A report from DigiTimes, meanwhile, mentions two key improvements to the Apple Watch Series 3 — performance and battery life. The Apple Watch has never been a high performer and it has always suffered from battery life issues, so improvements in those areas will certainly be welcome changes. Still, the Apple Watch Series 2 battery can generally last for around 2 or more days — so if Apple is seriously focusing on battery life for the Series 3, it’s possible that it’s also introducing new features that could put a bigger drain on the battery.

Design

Many are hoping that the Apple Watch Series 3 will bring with it a major redesign, however if recent reports are anything to go by, unfortunately this may not be the year we see that happen. According to a report from DigiTimes, which sources Chinese publication Economic Daily News, the overall design of the third Apple Watch will remain the same, despite the fact that it will include a few new key features.

What that means is that those hoping for a round Apple Watch may have to wait a little longer, if one is ever released at all. While round smartwatches have become quite a trend in the Android Wear market, the Apple Watch has stuck with a four-cornered form factor.

Release date

So when will we get the new Apple Watch? The report from DigiTimes suggests it will land at some point in the third quarter of this year, meaning that Apple could be shifting to a yearly upgrade cycle for the Apple Watch.

We’ll keep this post updated as we learn more about the Apple Watch Series 3.

Article originally published in January 2017. Updated on 05-16-2017 by Christian de Looper: Added news that Apple is looking into glucose monitoring and introduction of smart bands.

Samsung has already sold more than 5 million Galaxy S8 units, report says

Why it matters to you

These kind of numbers indicate that Samsung’s demise amid the Galaxy Note 7 debacle was greatly exaggerated.

It looks like the Samsung Galaxy S8 is on track to be one of the most popular phones ever. Samsung has confirmed that it has sold 5 million units during the first few weeks of the phone’s availability.

“Although we cannot provide detailed figures, the sales are going smoothly around the globe. The combined sales already are beyond 5 million units,” Samsung stold Korean publication The Investor.

The news is good for Samsung. There was some skepticism over how well the Galaxy S8 would sell following the disaster that was the Galaxy Note 7. Clearly, the damage to the brand that was suffered during the Galaxy Note 7 debacle was not enough to seriously threaten future sales. Another report claims the the 5 million figure could actually be low — YonhapNews, another Korean publication, suggests the company sold a 7.2 million units so far. Not only that, but new reports indicate that while Samsung has sold 5 million units to end users, it has shipped 10 million units to carriers and retailers, so it is on track to reach far beyond that 5 million mark.

According to Samsung, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus enjoyed the best pre-sale period in Samsung’s history. Still, Galaxy S8 figures do not come close to the launch of Apple’s iPhone — typically Apple sells 40 to 75 million iPhone units per quarter, though of course, that includes all iPhone sales, not just the sales of the latest model. Samsung’s strategy has been to launch more phones rather than focusing on one or two per year and, as such, the company sells more units than Apple overall — but it cannot pin those figures on one or two specific launches.

It will be interesting to see how well the Galaxy S8 sells after a few more months and how its sales compare to the dominant iPhone.

Heatworks Model 3 adds an app to its next-gen tankless water heater

Why it matters to you

Unless you’re a fan of cold showers, your water heater is of the utmost importance to your household. Now, make it as energy efficient as possible with the Heatworks Model 3.

Three years ago, we told you about Heatworks Model 1 — a revolutionary tankless water heater that met with great success on Kickstarter, ultimately raising more than $430,000 from an adoring public. Now, three years later, we’re on to the third model of the next-generation water heater. Meet the Heatworks Model 3, heralded as the world’s most advanced Wi-Fi-enabled tankless water heater. This time, it comes with an app.

So how does it work? As the Heatworks team explains on its new Kickstarter page, “Rather than coils or traditional heating elements, our Wi-Fi-enabled water heater uses our patented Ohmic Array Technology to heat water.” This in turn translates to endless, on-demand hot water, because water itself is used as the heating element. And according to Heatworks, that also means that the hot water that emerges from one of these units is “purer than water from any other water heater available today”

While the Model 1 was groundbreaking for its time, the latest iteration of the product promises to be even further ahead of its predecessor. Heatworks promises that it has not only improved, but supercharged its technology, providing customers with twice the power and twice the hot water capabilities of the initial model. In fact, one Model 3 unit is said to produce a rise of 41 degrees Fahrenheit at a 4.0 gallons per minute (GPM) demand or an 82 degree Fahrenheit rise in temperature at a 2.0 GPM.

But perhaps the best feature is the amount of energy (and therefore money) you’ll save with this tankless heater. The Model 3 promises to be 99-percent efficient, reducing the overall cost of heating a household’s water by around 40 percent. And you won’t have to worry about replacing the Model 3 — thanks to its Ohmic Array Technology, water heats instantly without heating elements, using graphite electrodes rather than traditional metal heating elements. That means that you won’t have to worry about scaling or corrosion over time, no matter how hard or soft your water may be.

And because we now live in the 21st century, the Model 3 is of course mobile-connected. The Heatworks app will let you monitor the amount of hot water and energy used on a given day, keep tabs on your favorite shower temperatures, and more.

You can pre-order a Heatworks Model 3 from Kickstarter for $389, with an estimated delivery date of October 2017.

Want six months of free cellphone service? Republic Wireless hopes you do

Why it matters to you

Republic Wireless wants to save you money on your cellphone bill, and this offer should do it.

What’s better than cheap wireless service? Cheaper wireless service. Republic Wireless, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) which delivers discounted cellphone coverage over a patchwork of Sprint, T-Mobile, and Wi-Fi towers, is launching a new promotion that will give new customers who sign up six months of free service.

The new Republic Wireless plan requires that you bring an approved Android device (running Marshmallow or later) and order a $5 SIM card — Republic Wireless will waive shipping. But once you check those two boxes, it’s downhill from there — unlimited talk and text service, plus 2GB of 4G LTE data, is free for six months. That’s a $30 per month value.

You’re not limited to the free 2GB data bucket option, of course. You can opt for 1GB of data and have it free, or upgrade to a 10GB, $90-per-month talk and text plan.

You’ll have to activate your SIM card before June 7 in order to take advantage of the promotion.

Republic Wireless’s plans aren’t perfect, of course. If you don’t opt for the limited-time promotional line, you’re stuck choosing from one of the devices in the carrier’s storefront. This past summer, Republic Wireless stopped issuing refunds on monthly data its subscribers didn’t use. And unlike Google Fi, where the phones switch between T-Mobile and Sprint at will, Republic Wireless customers have to choose between Sprint or “GSM” (T-Mobile) phones based on whichever carrier has the best service near them.

But its rates are undeniably cheap — especially compared to the competition. After Republic Wireless spun off from parent company Bandwidth in December, it launched a $15 per month plan for unlimited Wi-Fi calling and texting. AT&T’s least expensive equivalent starts at $45 a month.

“The past five years have been an incredible ride as we’ve worked hard to save our customers tens of millions of dollars off their cell phone bills,” Republic CEO Chris Chaung said in a statement. “However, the best days are still ahead of us. With this extraordinarily talented [staff] and all the benefits this spin-off provides, we will accelerate our mission to provide remarkably simple and affordable ways for people to stay in touch.”

The MVNO market has seen a substantial uptick in recent years. US Mobile, an MVNO founded in the beginning of this year, expects to grow from an initial 20,000 subscribers to 100,000 by the end of this year, representing an annual rate of 30 percent. TracFone, another MVNO, added more customers in June 2016 than in any other month in the last two years.

Allo hints at Duo integration, new group chat-sharing features in future update

Why it matters to you

Using Duo, Google’s video calling service, alongside Allo should become a little easier thanks to a future update.

Google has made a habit out of revealing features it intends to introduce in the code of apps currently on the Play Store. Allo, in particular, has been a recent beneficiary of this practice, with news of chat backups and group incognito conversations being teased behind the scenes long before those features actually debuted.

Well, 9to5Google has torn down the latest Allo APK, and wouldn’t you know, it happened again. In addition to personalized stickers generated based on your selfies, Allo 11 carries evidence of a handful of other features that could debut in the coming weeks and months.

First, Duo integration. Duo is Allo’s video chat focused sibling, and a future update should allow you to make Duo calls from within Allo. The presumption is that, upon initiating a call, you’ll be redirected to Duo. However, if you don’t have the app installed, Allo will suggest you get on that.

There are also new features to get your friends into group conversations much quicker. Eventually, you will be able to push out invite links, and reset them if they go bad. You will also have the option of sharing QR codes — when other users scan them, they can instantly join your chat.

Finally, there are new settings related to Google Assistant lurking in the background, though the report does not elaborate as to what they might entail.

It is worth reiterating that finding mention of features in code is never a guarantee they will appear in a reasonable timeframe, or at all. That said, these seem like pretty safe bets, and Google likes to discreetly push these kinds of changes out individually. Chances are we may not even know when these features finally hit our devices but they give us a good idea of what to expect from Google’s messaging service going forward.

Allo 11 is rolling out right now on the Play Store, so you should be receiving it shortly if you have not already.

This robotic fish patrols the ocean, gathering water quality info as it swims

Why it matters to you

This robot fish is doing its part to make sure your seafood is contaminant-free.

A robotic fish could soon be patrolling the waters near you, used to monitor water quality by checking pH levels to make sure they fall within normal levels.

The polycarbonate and latex robot is the work of researchers from the Technical University of Madrid and the University of Florence. They hope that it can be used in fish farms, where it will play a valuable role in keeping aquaculture systems at an optimal level.

“We designed a bio-inspired fish robot that is able to swim according to the directives sent in form of chemical messengers,” Giovanna Marrazza, an associate professor of Microbiology and Molecular Biology who worked on the project, told Digital Trends. “The concentration of hydrogen ions in the environment is detected by an electrochemical multi-sensor platform. The acquired signal is then transformed into an electronic signal to be used in robot electronics control.”

These special pH sensors mean that the robot fish can detect and highlight the areas of acidity or pollutant concentration, modifying its autonomous swimming if it senses a change in the water quality that requires it to take a closer look.

While it might sound like a gimmick to shape a robot for fish farms like a fish, however, Marrazza noted that there is a good reason for it. For one thing, the fish shape turns out to be pretty good for swimming (funny how evolution works, huh?). It also minimizes fish stress, which allows it to patrol the water without upsetting the area’s (living) residents. This could be particularly useful if the fish robot is later repurposed for fish-related behavioral studies. It can even use its tail to easily and quickly reveal its welfare and “emotions” to people watching on land.

Marrazza said that, at present, the robot is just a proof-of-concept and not quite ready to roll out into the real world. “It is necessary to continue the research, and we are looking for a source of funding or an entrepreneur who wants to invest in this exciting project,” she said.

You can read a research paper on the project, titled “Bio-inspired fish robot based on chemical sensors,” here.

Get your pre-orders ready, Apple could unveil three new MacBooks at WWDC

Why it matters to you

Apple doesn’t typically announce hardware at WWDC, but stiff competition might prompt the firm to upgrade its hardware more frequently — and that’s a good thing for users.

Disappointed by the latest MacBook Pro refresh? Well, you might be in luck. Apple could be planning to unveil a new slate of MacBooks at this year’s WWDC in a bid to win back some loyalists who fled after the most recent update late last year.

Just which models are due for an update? According to Bloomberg, there are three new MacBooks in the works, all of which will likely feature updated 7th-generation Intel processors. It’s unclear, however, which particular MacBooks will be graced with much-needed updates.

Bloomberg claims Apple is working on an updated version of its 12-inch entry-level MacBook, and is even considering a refresh of the wildly popular, ultra-portable, and woefully outdated MacBook Air.

These two products might see a physical redesign, but if the MacBook Pro is set to receive some internal upgrades, it’s likely that’s all it will be — the external design was revamped just last year, so don’t get your hopes up that we’ll see any fancy new colors in the MacBook Pro lineup.

Still, Apple is facing increasing pressure from competitors like Microsoft, and a more aggressive laptop and desktop release schedule could help win back some Apple loyalists who have been disappointed with the company’s update schedule recently.

Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop is just one of many premium laptops taking aim at the now-ancient MacBook Air, which Apple hasn’t updated in over two years. Manufacturers like Dell, Asus, and Acer have all released premium, high-quality, high-portability laptops in direct competition with the MacBook Air, but according to Bloomberg, Apple still sells a fair number of the venerable ultrabooks.

That enduring popularity is definitely a good thing for customers hoping to see a modern take on the MacBook Air, which would not only benefit from an internal refresh but an external one as well. The old design is starting to look a little dated, and if brought in line with the MacBook and MacBook Pro, a brand-new Air could look pretty slick.

The 2017 World Superyacht Awards winners include two with double wins

Why it matters to you

Peruse this year’s superyacht award winners for inspiration for your ideal yacht.

If you’re going to check out superyachts, start with the very best. Boat International Media’s World Superyacht Awards 2017 winners were announced last weekend, at the 12th annual presentation event held in Florence, Italy. Comparable to the film industry’s Academy Awards, World Superyacht Awards winners take home Neptune trophies instead of Oscars.

Fifteen of the world’s biggest and best superyachts were selected for 17 awards from 60 nominees. Two vessels, Dilbar and Sybaris won two awards each.

The following is a summary of the winners.

Dilbar — Displacement Motor Yacht of 3,000gt and Above and Motor Yacht of the Year Awards

Boat International Media

Dilbar won both the Displacement Motor Yacht of 3,000gt and Above and Motor Yacht of the Year Awards. Her 180-cubic-meter swimming pool and 30,000-kilowatt diesel electric power plant are the largest of any yacht. Plus, what other superyacht has two helipads?

Sybaris — Sailing Yacht of 40-meters and Above and Sailing Yacht of the Year Awards

Boat International Media

Sybaris won both the Sailing Yacht of 40-meters and Above and Sailing Yacht of the Year Awards. The 70-meter sailing vessel has deceptively low-profile styling, a luxurious interior, technical innovation, and highly rated sailing ability.

Glaze — Voyager’s Award

Boat International Media

The 49-meter Glaze won the Voyager’s Award for the most daring and inspiring expedition by a superyacht. The cruise was along North West Australia’s rugged coastline, much of which is poorly or totally uncharted.

Cloudbreak — Displacement Motor Yachts of Between 1,500gt and 2,999gt Award

Boat International Media

Cloudbreak is an explorer superyacht designed specifically to support mountaineering, hiking, and snow sports. Cloudbreak won the Displacement Motor Yachts of Between 1,500gt and 2,999gt Award.

Joy — Displacement Motor Yachts of Between 500gt and 1,499g Award

Boat International Media

Joy impressed with her spacious decks, full height sliding glass panels, and active noise attenuation when underway. Joy won the Displacement Motor Yachts of Between 500gt and 1,499g Award.

La Passion — Displacement Motor Yachts of Below 500gt — 43 meters and Above Award

Boat International Media

La Passion won the Displacement Motor Yachts of Below 500gt — 43 meters and Above Award because of her interior and exterior design, seaworthiness, and hull efficiency. This is the first yacht launched by SARP Yachts.

Superyacht X — Displacement Motor Yachts of Below 500gt, 30-42.9 meters Award.

Boat International Media

The Displacement Motor Yachts of Below 500gt, 30-42.9 meters Award went to X, an explorer yacht. X was praised by the judges for her power and range as well as loads of space on the main deck for toys.

Galactica Super Nova — Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts 50-meters and Above Award

Boat International Media

Galactica Super Nova won the Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts 50meters and Above Award. She was judged for her performance, build quality, appearance, and facilities, including an outdoor cinema.

Amore Mio — Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts of 40-49.9 meters Award

Boat International Media

The winner of the Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts of 40-49.9 meters Award, Amore Mio, won because of her versatility as a “summer house on the sea.”

Gipsy — Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts of 34-39.9 meters Award

Boat International Media

Gipsy’s simple lines and optimized use of space appealed to the judges. Gipsy is lived in year round and won the Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts of 34-39.9 meters Award.

Botti — Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts of 30-33.9 meters Award

Boat International Media

Botti’s 32.3-meter design, including a bimini-covered sundeck, a bathing platform, and a foredeck lounge with a cinema. Botti won the Semi-Displacement or Planning Motor Yachts of 30-33.9 meters Award.

My Song — Sailing Yacht of 30-39.9 meters Award

Boat International Media

The sailing yacht My Song is a comfort-filled cruising yacht that also does well in races. For that combination, My Song won the Sailing Yacht of 30–39.9 meters Award.

Narvalo — Judge’s Special Award for Quality and Value Award

Boat International Media

The explorer superyacht Narvalo won the Judge’s Special Award for Quality and Value Award. Narvalo scored on the basis of her spacious staterooms and living spaces as well as her long range, well-equipped and sturdy tender, and high level of autonomy.

Legend — Rebuilt Yachts Award

Boat International Media

Legend started as a 34-year-old Russian tugboat. Little remains of that source vessel. Her hull was extended 3.6 meters and now includes a bathing platform, a 16-person swimming pool, and a helipad.

Aquila — Refitted Yacht Award

Boat International Media

The 85.6-meter Aquila has no visible resemblance to her former self, which was the reason for her Refitted Yacht Award.