The ZTE Axon 7 at $329 is one of the best unlocked phone deals around

One of the best unlocked phones of 2016 is getting a deep discount for 2017.

The ZTE Axon 7 was a surprise hit last summer, offering a great smartphone experience at $399. Here’s what I said in August 2016:

The Axon 7 is one of the best phone surprises I’ve had so far in 2016. Like the OnePlus 3, it provides tremendous value for its $400 asking price, and despite a few software quirks is without major compromise.

Not only is it wonderfully compact for a 5.5-inch phone, but it is well-made and nicely designed, replete with an excellent camera setup and superlative sound. If you can overcome the need to have the latest software (or expeditious software updates, for that matter), the ZTE Axon 7 is one of the best unlocked smartphones you can buy today.

The phone feels snappy and new on the updated software, and the OLED screen looks just as good as it did last summer.

Well, turns out I was wrong: my biggest gripe with the Axon 7 was unfounded, since it was updated to Android 7.0 relatively quickly, and is one of the few non-Google devices to run Android 7.1.1. In addition, most of the software gripes I had at launch were ironed out in subsequent point releases long before it received Nougat, which merely improved the phone’s overall performance.

Now, Amazon is offering a $40 discount on the Axon 7, bringing the 64GB-equipped smartphone down to $329.99 for the Ion Gold model. I decided to pick up the phone and use it as my daily driver for a couple of days to see how it holds up and, I must say, I’m impressed. The phone feels snappy and new on the updated software, and the OLED screen looks just as good as it did last summer. I still like the relative compactness of the 5.5-inch phone, and the aluminum build is solid without being too heavy.

The camera is really the only downside to this phone.

Indeed, the only major issue I continue to have with the phone is the camera. The 20MP rear camera is pretty terrible by today’s standards; it wasn’t great in daylight last summer and suffered tremendously in low light. Now, in mid-2017, with devices like the Pixel and Galaxy S8 owning that space, the Axon 7’s low-light photos look even worse. Sure, you can eke out some great shots in manual mode, but the sensor and pixels are too small to do much with the available light in dim scenes.

And while I haven’t seen many of the bugs surfaced in this Reddit thread, I am aware that ZTE doesn’t have the best software track record. And, like u/wereunstumpable says, it seems “each update they fix something and break something else.”

Comment from discussion ZTE Axon 7 Unlocked Smartphone,64GB Ion Gold (US Warranty) – $ 329.99.

If you can live with those minor quibbles — or are willing to install custom software like LineageOS, which is the successor to CyanogenMOD, the ZTE Axon 7 is still a great buy at its currently-discounted price of $329.99.

But you have to keep into account that a successor to the Axon 7 is expected in the next couple of months and with it, an upgraded design, Snapdragon 835 processor, and hopefully, an improved camera. What I hope ZTE doesn’t change is the focus on audio, which has helped it stand apart from the rest of the industry, especially in the unlocked space where the company is thriving.

Are you inclined to buy the ZTE Axon 7 at $329.99? Let us know!

See at Amazon

YouTube TV has managed to satiate my desire for live television

But with rival services making their way onto the scene, YouTube TV needs an edge.

Is there anyone out there who cut the cord and misses cable as much as I did? It wasn’t until I downloaded YouTube TV that I realized how much I missed the sensation of flipping through channels, or being able to watch programs at the same time as everyone else.

Sure, full-featured cable TV does have its drawbacks. In many cases, it’s overwrought with screeching advertisements and garbage content (says the reality TV connoisseur), not to mention that it can be pretty expensive if you want the whole kit and caboodle. But I found that the past few weeks with YouTube TV have been successful precisely because it evokes the same sensations of subscribing to cable TV while simultaneously filling in the blanks where some streaming services fall short.

It’s saving me from a bad habit

Let’s get this straight: There is nothing wrong with being a consumer of reality television. For me, it’s a way to escape the world at present and be ensconced in someone else’s drama for a change. But even I can admit that I was spending way too much money on the varying seasons of the Real Housewives and a few other shows simply because I wanted to watch them at the same timeline as everyone else. Most seasons range between $12-20 in the Google Play Store — it definitely adds up after a while, and then I’m left with seasons of old reality television tied to my Google account.

YouTube TV saves me a ton of money.

YouTube TV saves me a ton of money. For $35 a month, I can watch garbage television on Bravo, E!, and The CW in real time, or subscribe to them — it’s the thing to do on YouTube, after all — so that I can watch them later.

I also appreciate the duality of the YouTube TV app. Not only do I have access to 50 live channels, including a variety of sports-centric networks (ESPN , FS1, and NBC Sports Network, to name a few), but I can also keep a mark on the other network shows I like to watch, too, without having to wait for Hulu to publish the episodes. And if it’s a live special that won’t appear on the internet after the fact, I can use the built-in DVR capabilities to record it and watch later.

YouTube TV offers live TV (left), but there’s also on demand content (middle) in addition to YouTube originals (right).

That’s the other thing about YouTube TV: the promise of nearly-unlimited DVR. You can record shows as they air and keep them tied to your account for up to nine months. There’s a downside to doing this, however, and it’s also a reminder of why I cut the cord in the first place: I’m forced to watch the advertisements in between scenes, and I can’t skip ’em either.

But considering I’ve been a Hulu subscriber for such a long time — six years! — and I’ve never paid to eliminate the ads, I’m okay with sitting through a few of them when I’m watching TV. If anything, it adds to the effect of “having cable,” and I don’t have to worry about pausing the content in between segments to get up and take a break from the couch.

The beginning of a burgeoning trend

YouTube isn’t the first to jump on the live-TV-over-the-internet trend. Sling TV has been long offering this kind of functionality on a variety of devices. I found its packages to be a bit too limiting for my liking, however, and the channels I wanted to watch in real time were part of its highest subscription tier. It’s since changed its offerings, however, and I’ll be curious to see if I can get more variety for the same price as YouTube TV.

Hulu is currently accepting sign-ups for its live television abilities.

Hulu has also joined the ranks in delivering live television over the internet, and that’s the service that I’m feeling particularly conflicted about. The pricing and variety of channels are about on par with YouTube TV, and though I’ve yet to try it out, it seems to be more worth the cash. It only offers 200 hours of cloud DVR, however, but that’s in addition to the breadth of original content and movies available on demand.

YouTube doesn’t necessarily have all that content available. Sure, I have access to whatever is on demand from the various network channels — this includes made-for-TV movies and past seasons of terrible reality television — but the feed is also clogged with mentions of YouTube Red content that doesn’t appear as appealing to watch.

One thing’s for sure: the idea of live TV wherever you are is definitely heating up.

I’ll be curious to see if Hulu Live can offer an edge of what’s essentially a beta service offered by YouTube. I like the flexibility of the YouTube TV app, however; the ability to watch TV on either my Android device or through Chromecast. But Hulu is even more cross compatible in that regard, particularly since it’s available on practically everything. What’s a gal to do?

One thing’s for sure: the idea of live TV wherever you are is definitely heating up. It’s also a great reminder of how the methodology of watching TV has drastically changed over the years. Before, you could only watch live TV by subscribing to cable or sharing shady links with your friends. Now, you can do almost everything a traditional set-top box with DVR used to do right from your smartphone.

Apex Launcher is back and better than ever, but you should wait a while before switching

Apex Launcher isn’t back just yet, but that hasn’t stopped people from saying that it is.

Apex Launcher announced its comeback weeks ago with a May arrival date. Lo, it is May, and and Apex Launcher beta has pushed out for the testers to enjoy. But I’d hold off for a little while.

Hey, I’m as ready for another customization-heavy launcher to join the ranks of Nova Launcher and Action Launcher as anyone else, but after playing with the new beta, I can tell you it’s not there yet.

Now, I refuse to make a bunch of hasty conclusions about Apex’s resurgence until it makes its way to the stable release, or at least makes it through a few more beta updates, but so far, things look a lot like they did back in 2015. There’s a few new-ish card styles and animations, but the majority of Apex looks and acts like it did before, right down to the way it cuts off icons when your grid gets too big.

Long story short, it’s still more old Apex than new Apex. Until that new Apex is a little more visible, unless you’re really into betas and giving feedback to launcher developers, I’d sit tight. If you want to take part in the Beta, you’ll need to join the Apex Launcher Google+ community and then opt-in to the beta before downloading Apex Launcher from Google Play.

Google revises app review process following phishing attacks

In the wake of the Google Docs phishing debacle last week, Google has added a few new safeguards to better protect us from these types of attacks. The Gmail app for Android scans for suspect links and Google has tightened up its policies on third party authentication to help keep phishing scams from even getting to you. Today, the company has come out with more guidelines and systems at the developer level that should help prevent even more of these kinds of attacks.

Google already has a policy requiring that web app names must be unique to any single application. The company plans to update its publishing process, assessment systems and user-facing consent pages to “better detect spoofed or misleading application identities.” In addition, if a web app requests user data, it may undergo a manual review, much like Apple requires for all of its mobile apps. Google hopes to process these reviews within three to seven business days, and developers can request a review to allow access to a testing version of their app before it is officially approved.

Google also points developers to a blog post explaining their responsibilities when requesting user data. While that may be a good idea for scrupulous app makers, it isn’t going to deter those who want to steal such data. Adding a human review to the updated automated systems within Google’s process could be a much better first step.

Source: Google

iPhone 8 Predicted to Cost $999 For 128GB And $1,099 For 256GB, With No 32GB Model

Apple’s so-called “iPhone 8” with an OLED display and wireless charging is widely expected to cost in the neighborhood of $1,000 in the United States, and Wall Street analysts continue to guess just how much it’ll sell for.

iPhone 8 concept by Benjamin Geskin
The latest prediction comes from Goldman Sachs analyst Simona Jankowski, who today said she expects the rumored high-end iPhone to be available in 128GB and 256GB storage capacities for $999 and $1,099 respectively. Unlike the iPhone 7, she doesn’t believe the iPhone 8 will be available in 32GB.

An excerpt from her research note distributed today:

Relative to the 128GB iPhone 7 Plus, we estimate the new features and higher commodity prices to increase the bill of materials by over $70, which we expect Apple to offset via a $130 price increase, resulting in a starting price of $999 for the 128GB capacity and $1,099 for the 256GB capacity (we don’t expect the iPhone 8 to come in 32GB).

Apple’s most expensive smartphone to date is the iPhone 7 Plus with 256GB of storage, which retails for $969 in the United States.

UBS analyst Steven Milunovich shared entirely different pricing expectations last month, so it’s clear that analysts are simply guesstimating. He thinks the iPhone 8 will come in 64GB and 256GB storage capacities for $850-$900 and $950-$1,000 respectively. His research note didn’t mention 32GB or 128GB models.

The takeaway here is that the iPhone 8 will likely be very expensive. The device’s exact price tag is likely privy only to Apple at this point, however, so treat any estimate with a healthy dose of skepticism for now.

Goldman Sachs raised its 12-month price target for Apple’s stock to $170, up from $164, based on strong iPhone 8 expectations.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
Tags: Goldman Sachs, Simona Jankowski
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‘PaRappa’ and ‘Gitaroo Man’ creators team up for ‘Project Rap Rabbit’

PaRappa the Rapper and Gitaroo Man are some of the brightest, weirdest and catchiest music games I’ve ever played. They’re crazy for sure — how many titles let you spit rhymes with a humanoid onion in a kung fu dojo? But they’re also bold, imaginative and constantly surprising, begging you to tap X and see what happens next. Now, Masaya Matsuura, the creator of PaRappa and Vib-Ribbon, and Keiichi Yano, the mastermind behind Gitaroo Man and Osu! Tatakae! Oeunden (the original inspiration for Elite Beat Agents on the DS), are teaming up for a new game called Project Rap Rabbit.

Details are scarce, but a short teaser shows the hero facing off against a toad in feudal Japan. A motorbike hums in the background while some colorful drones dance overhead. In the distance, a trio of cannons poke out of the city walls before slowly sliding back into their holes. Some upbeat music plays in the background, a blend of turntable scratching and playful pan pipes. It’s all very cool. Given the project’s name, it’s safe to assume that music will play a central role. But will this be another pure rhythm-action game like PaRappa and Gitaroo Man, or something wildly different?

It’s hard to say for sure, but the developers are promising more information “soon.” In the meantime, there’s always PaRappa the Rapper Remastered, which upgrades the classic PS One title with 1080p and 4K visuals. “Kick! Punch! It’s all in the mind! If you wanna test me, I’m sure you’ll find…”

Source: Project Rap Rabbit

This is your last chance to buy ‘Alan Wake’

One of Alan Wake’s best features was its licensed soundtrack, and now the tunes developer Remedy Entertainment carefully curated are causing a bit of grief. Remedy’s rights to The Black Angels’ “Young Men Dead” and “Up Jumped The Devil” from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (among others) are expiring, and with them, so must Alan Wake itself. Remedy tweeted that because of this, the game will be delisted from Steam and other digital storefronts after May 15th.

To make sure everyone who wants to play it still has a chance to, Remedy will discount the game by a whopping 90 percent on Steam. It’s going for $30 at time of publication, so when the sale starts tomorrow the price should drop to $3. Oh, and if you’re buying it, don’t forget to hit the jukebox in the game’s diner early on for an easy achievement/trophy for playing “Lime in the Coconut.”

Alan Wake sale on @steam_games 90% discount starting 5/13. Game will be removed from stores after 5/15 due to expiring music licenses. pic.twitter.com/y10DPgY8Q0

— Remedy Entertainment (@remedygames) May 12, 2017

The delisting also applies to the Xbox 360 version that’s available on the Xbox Store, but the difference is that there, Remedy can’t control pricing for the backwards compatible game. If you’d want to play the game on your Xbox One and didn’t already own it, that’ll set you back $20, but add-on episodes “The Writer” and “The Signal” won’t cost you a dime.

Remedy stresses that no, the delisting won’t remove the game from your Steam or Xbox libraries, the developer just can’t continue to sell it.

This doesn’t apply to the action-heavy downloadable side-story Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, however.

If you’ve already burned through both of those but missed out on Remedy’s most recent project, Quantum Break, the time-traveling tale features an awesome soundtrack as well, both in terms of hand-picked licensed tracks like “Circles” by Kate Tempest and the score by Finnish composer Petri Alanko. Speaking of Quantum Break and music, that game has an option for turning licensed music off completely as a way to ensure streamers don’t get their videos flagged for copyright infringement.

To combat expiring licenses prior, other games have been patched to remove the offending tunes. But given how Remedy used specific tracks to punctuate the end of chapters/episodes in Alan Wake that very likely wouldn’t work here. It’s just one of the unfortunate side effects of the digital future we live in.

The “Alan Wake Sunset Sale” begins tomorrow at 1pm Pacific.

Source: Remedy Entertainment (Twitter), Steam, Xbox Marketplace

The best action camera

By Ben Keough

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here.

After spending 20 hours testing the latest action cameras (building on the hundreds of hours Wirecutter staffers have spent with action cameras over the past three years), including hiking through the rain, attaching them to cars and bicycles, and even mounting them on a dog playing on a beach, we think the GoPro Hero5 Black is the best action camera for most people.

Who should buy one

If you spend a lot of time outdoors and want to be able to relive crazy moments, an action cam is essential. What sets an action camera apart from other cameras is its diminutive size, toughness, and wealth of mounting options when compared with a point-and-shoot, a DSLR, or a video camera. This makes action cameras uniquely suited to capturing footage from a first-person (or animal) perspective.

An action camera has a very wide wide-angle lens, so it can capture as much of the slopes or racetrack as you want. You can mount it to a helmet, fasten it to the tip of a surfboard, attach it to a hockey stick, or sit it atop a tripod standing super-close to the action. However, unlike a rugged camera, an action camera doesn’t have an optical zoom lens, so what you see is what you record. But rugged cameras lack the mounting abilities, wide-angle lens, and compact nature of an action camera. They’re also typically designed to capture stills first and foremost—video is where action cameras shine.

How we picked and tested

Top row, from left: Sony FDR-X3000, GoPro Hero5 Black, Yi 4K Action Camera. Bottom row, from left: Sony HDR-AS300, Garmin Virb Ultra 30. Photo: Ben Keough

Numerous action cameras have been announced since our last update, but ultimately we called in only five to test. Our ideal action camera has a bevy of mounting options, easy-to-use controls, excellent video quality, and decent Wi-Fi/Bluetooth functionality. Additionally, a top-tier action cam must offer multiple frame rates to choose from and include at least 1080/60p (that’s Full HD resolution at 60 frames per second), though 4K/30p is quickly becoming the norm.

Many cameras we considered failed to meet our criteria, as they had inadequate resolution or frame-rate options, insufficient battery life, or big and heavy designs. A list of these cameras is in our full guide.

Action cameras are designed for use in all sorts of conditions, so we put our five test models through as many challenges as possible to gauge their toughness, video quality, and usability. A good action cam should respond well to changing light, cope well with water and dust, handle vibrations with aplomb, and remain easy to use even when you’re engaged in strenuous physical activity.

We stress-tested cameras to see if they met our criteria by mounting cameras to a car for a winding sunset drive in Santa Fe, strapping them to a dog who romped around California’s Huntington Dog Beach, and taking them on a strenuous hike through Washington’s temperate rainforests. For more on our testing process, see our full guide.

We downloaded each manufacturer’s app and checked out how difficult it was to connect a phone to each camera, and how much control each app gave over vital shooting settings. We looked at sharing options, and tried out each brand’s desktop apps and editing tools, where available.

Finally, we put all of the cameras through battery-rundown tests at 1080/30p, 1080/60p, and 4K/30p to see how well they lived up to their promised endurance. Then, we timed how long they took to charge.

Our pick

The GoPro Hero5 Black provides the best combination of UI, video quality, and value for most people. Photo: Ben Keough

The GoPro Hero5 Black combines everything we loved about our previous pick, the GoPro Hero4 Silver (excellent video quality, intuitive touchscreen interface, affordable price), with the pro features that made the high-end Hero4 Black our upgrade pick (most notably, 4K video). Then the Hero5 Black ups the ante with built-in waterproofing, image stabilization, and voice control, wrapping everything in a small and convenient package. Best of all, it costs the same as the Hero4 Silver, despite all the new features. All of that adds up to the best action camera for most people.

Although the Hero5 Black’s video quality is more than good enough for most users and most applications, it’s the intuitive interface and clever extras that push this camera ahead of the pack.

The touchscreen UI is vitally important, because it’s how most people will interact with the Hero5 Black, and GoPro nailed this iteration. The screen provides direct access to all of the most-used settings, including shooting mode, resolution, frame rate, and field of view. Battery status is always visible, too. Swiping from the left brings up the playback menu, and swiping from the right accesses additional shooting settings such as ProTune adjustments, stabilization, auto low light, and audio control. Swiping down from the top produces less-used options like screen lock and voice control, plus deeper menus for Wi-Fi and basic device settings.

Runner-up: Better video quality, but harder to use

The Sony FDR-X3000 offers the best video quality and true optical image stabilization, but it’s harder to use than the competition. Photo: Ben Keough

Both our main and budget picks produce beautiful 4K footage, but for the best possible ultrahigh-definition clips, the best choice is the Sony FDR-X3000. Not only can it claim the widest lens, the highest bit rates, and the sharpest footage, but it also offers optical image stabilization using Sony’s BOSS (Balanced Optical SteadyShot) system. It’s the only action camera available today that can shoot stabilized 4K footage, and for the right user, that’s a huge advantage.

Whereas the electronic stabilization in the Garmin, GoPro, and Yi cameras we tested selectively crops the frame to mimic true stabilization, the Sony model actually does it with real live floating lens elements. This system provides dramatically improved stabilization, particularly when it comes to high-frequency vibrations—when you’re running over rumble strips or dirt-road hardpan in your car, for instance. Pros will probably want to pair the X3000’s optical image stabilization with a gimbal setup, but for most people BOSS will be more than enough.

Budget pick: High quality at a low price

The Yi 4K offers surprising quality at an affordable price. Photo: Ben Keough

The Yi 4K Action Camera is yet further proof that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover—or, rather, an action cam by its lack of a big brand name. Made by a company tied to Chinese tech giant Xiaomi, this upstart offers 4K/30p recording, electronic image stabilization, a simple and fluid touchscreen UI, fantastic battery life, a user-friendly smartphone app, and a surprisingly low price. For beginners and budget-conscious shoppers, the Yi 4K might be a smarter buy than more-expensive options like the GoPro Hero5 Black and Sony FDR-X3000.

This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

Note from The Wirecutter: When readers choose to buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn affiliate commissions that support our work.

NHS hospitals in England hit by a widespread cyberattack

Various NHS Trusts are currently battling with what appears to be a large-scale cyberattack affecting IT systems across the country. According to reports, hospitals and GP surgeries are falling victim to a widespread ransomware attack, causing them to shut down their computer networks. The East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust was one of the first to acknowledge the problem and switch off its systems, warning locals that they will have trouble getting through on the phone and asking them not to visit accident and emergency unless absolutely necessary.

Trusts in Essex, Blackpool, Derbyshire and elsewhere have confirmed they too have been targeted, and are issuing similar statements urging people to avoid A&E departments where possible. Routine appointments are also being cancelled. With systems down, staff are unable to use phones, access schedules, patient records, emails, X-rays, test results and prescriptions. Needless to say, it’s serious.

Reports from hospitals and GP surgeries are piling up, with a lot of activity on Twitter suggesting the ransomware is spreading throughout the entire IT network of NHS England. According to the BBC, the NHS in Wales, which runs on a separate system, remains unaffected.

Here’s the malware attack which appears to have hit NHS hospitals right across England today pic.twitter.com/zIAJ6wbAG5

— Lawrence Dunhill (@LawrenceDunhill) May 12, 2017

NHS Digital has released this statement on the ongoing cyberattack:

“A number of NHS organisations have reported to NHS Digital that they have been affected by a ransomware attack.

The investigation is at an early stage but we believe the malware variant is Wanna Decryptor.

This attack was not specifically targeted at the NHS and is affecting organisations from across a range of sectors.

At this stage we do not have any evidence that patient data has been accessed.

NHS Digital is working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre, the Department of Health and NHS England to support affected organisations and ensure patient safety is protected.

Our focus is on supporting organisations to manage the incident swiftly and decisively, but we will continue to communicate with NHS colleagues and will share more information as it becomes available.”

The ransomware in question is thought to be spreading via internal email, and is demanding $300 in Bitcoin in exchange for returning user control and decrypting files. Earlier today, Spain’s National Cryptology Centre said various local firms were being targeted by this same variant of the WannaCry virus, including Telefonica and several energy suppliers.

Via: The Register

Source: NHS Digital

Twitch dedicates May 26th to celebrating diversity

On May 26th, video streaming platform Twitch will celebrate a site-wide holiday called “TwitchUnity” that celebrates diversity and inclusivity. It plans to highlight channels on its front page that “exemplify a positive culture” that day, and it’s encouraging streamers to generate relevant discussions. The platform is also releasing an official emoji for the event, which you can see in the image above. If you want to personally support the effort, you can buy the special t-shirt Twitch is releasing for the event or check out the dance-a-thon it’s conducting. All proceeds from both efforts will be donated to Amnesty International’s fight for human rights around the globe.

The platform might have created the event to encourage more women and persons of color to join the community. As Paste Magazine wrote in 2015, Twitch has a diversity problem. Most of its video game streamers, for instance, are white dudes. The company has been trying to address the issue for quite a while now and even held a streamed panel called “Diversify Twitch” during its annual convention in 2016. Unfortunately, the African-American speakers were mercilessly attacked with racial slurs in chat, something we hope doesn’t happen to streamers joining the event this time around.

Source: Twitch