BenQ’s 25-inch display for video and animation pros is Technicolor-certified

Why it matters to you

BenQ’s upcoming 25-inch desktop display should be a great solution for CAD designers and video editors who don’t want to break the bank for an upgrade.

On Monday, BenQ introduced the PD2500Q desktop monitor for professionals. It’s another Technicolor color-certified solution promising pure and accurate on-screen colors during the video post-production process. Technicolor first launched this certification program in June 2013, which pushes products through “a gauntlet of tests” to ensure that video editors see the actual colors they will get in the finished product.

“Certification testing includes measuring critical color parameters such as gamut, gamma, white point, and target color accuracy,” Technicolor states. “Once a device passes all of the test criteria, that model is awarded Technicolor Color Certification.”

BenQ’s latest certified monitor supports 100 percent of the sRGB and Rec. 709 color spaces. It also includes three specialized modes to meet the needs of architects (CAD/CAM), designers (Animation), and photo/video editors (Darkroom). For instance, the Darkroom Mode is optimized for image brightness and contrast while the CAD/CAM Mode sharpens lines and shapes.

Here are the hardware specs:

Screen size:
25 inches
Panel type:
IPS
Backlight type:
LED
Resolution:
2,560 x 1,440
Brightness (typical):
350 nits
Contrast ratio (native):
1,000:1
Response time:
14ms, 4ms GtG
Display color amount:
16.7 million
Color depth:
8-bit
Color spaces:
Rec. 709 100-percent
sRGB 100-percent
Viewing angles:
178 degrees
Audio:
2x two-watt speakers
Ports:
1x HDMI
1x DisplayPort
1x Mini DisplayPort
1x Headphone jack
1x Audio line in/out
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A

As the specs show, the monitor relies on a panel based on In-Plane Switching technology. This display tech is best known for its rich colors and wide viewing angles. Meanwhile, the older Twisted Nematic (TN) technology still used in many desktop monitors today provides faster response times and brighter screens. However, the specs of BenQ’s latest designer monitor shows that it has a very bright screen despite the color-focused technology.

What is surprising is that this panel is missing support for the Adobe RGB color space, indicating that users of Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator might want to look elsewhere. As the Technicolor certification implies, BenQ’s new monitor seems more in tune with video production and animation for high-resolution color-accurate results.

Of course, what is a BenQ display without proprietary features? The new panel comes packed with Flicker-Free Technology to smooth out the panel’s refresh rate and reduce flicker, Melatonin-preserving Low Blue Light technology, and Brightness Intelligence Technology. This latter feature does not make the user smarter, but simply monitors the surrounding ambient light and adjusts the brightness and contrast accordingly.

“Ideal for dual-monitor usage in creative environments, PD2500Q’s edge-to-edge ultra slim bezels maximize workspaces with minimal footprint, and its 90-degree pivoting, height-adjustable stand enhances display productivity and versatility,” the company said.

That dual-monitor environment is backed by the panel’s support for Multi-Stream Transport (MST) for daisy-chaining multiple PD2500Q panels together. The monitor’s base provides several unique ways to customize a multi-monitor setup too including a height adjustment of up to 130mm, and a panel rotation of 90 degrees to provide a viewing space 25-inches tall.

The pricing and availability of BenQ’s PD2500Q panel are unknown for now, but a larger 27-inch version (PD2700Q) is already available now for $399.

Google’s Project Zero finds Windows vulnerability, calls it “crazy bad”

Why it matters to you

Google’s Project Zero just discovered a Windows vulnerability, which highlights the importance of making sure you keep your Windows PC up to date.

Judging by the number of exploits that have surfaced over the last several months, one might be tempted to think that the internet and PCs are generally unprotected and wide open for attack. Whether or not that is actually true, a significant number of highly visible and scary-sounding vulnerabilities have been documented lately.

The latest comes from Google’s Project Zero, which locates flaws in systems like Microsoft Windows and promises to publicize them no later than 90 days after notifying the developer. That team has been true to its word, publishing exploits before they’ve actually been patched, and it has discovered one that it claims is the “worst … in recent memory,” as The The Hacker News reports.

The news came via Project Zero member Tavis Ormandy’s tweet the other day:

I think @natashenka and I just discovered the worst Windows remote code exec in recent memory. This is crazy bad. Report on the way. ????????????

— Tavis Ormandy (@taviso) May 6, 2017

In a subsequent tweet, Ormandy provided a few more details about the vulnerability:

.@natashenka Attack works against a default install, don't need to be on the same LAN, and it's wormable. ????

— Tavis Ormandy (@taviso) May 6, 2017

Project Zero won’t reveal any additional details about the flaw, because of its own 90-day disclosure deadline. Presumably, Project Zero has passed the information along to Microsoft, which is hopefully in the process of determining how best to fix the exploit. While Microsoft may not be able to provide a fix in this month’s Patch Tuesday security update scheduled for May 9, it would still have at least one more Patch Tuesday to issue a fix before Project Zero makes the vulnerability public.

Microsoft has been a Project Zero target in the past, including some instances where a vulnerability was publicized before Microsoft issued a patch. The Google team has therefore been a target of some general angst around its policies, even as it has likely succeeded in prodding developers to move expeditiously in fixing flaws in their code.

Natalie Silvanovich, another Project Zero member, responded to just these sorts of concerns with a tweet of her own:

If a tweet is causing panic or confusion in your organization, the problem isn't the tweet, the problem is your organization

— Natalie Silvanovich (@natashenka) May 6, 2017

This particular vulnerability serves as a reminder to make sure to keep your PCs updated with the latest security patches, and to ensure that your malware software is also up to date. While this vulnerability affects Windows, Apple’s MacOS users are not immune to attack and should take their own precautions as well.

Robot bridge inspector uses sensors and machine learning to hunt for defects

Why it matters to you

Autonomous bridge-inspecting robot could save lives by using smart sensors and machine learning algorithms to detect dangerous defects.

Researchers at the University of Nevada have developed an autonomous robot, designed to inspect bridges and detect any structural damage before it can cause potential injury.

The four-wheeled robot bridge inspector, called Seekur, uses a variety of tools to carry out its important task. These include ground-penetrating radar for looking beneath the surface of a bridge for underlying instabilities, sensors designed to search for possible corrosion of steel or cement, and a camera which analyzes cracks in the bridge’s surface.

A machine learning algorithm then analyzes all of this information and uses it to generate a color-coded map, which is passed on to (human) engineers to make them aware of weak spots. Impressively, this vital analysis work can be carried out in real time.

“The robot takes the same amount of time to physically scan the bridge as a human inspector but it processes the data in minutes instead of hours,” lead researcher Spencer Gibb told New Scientist.

Already, the robot has been tested on road bridges in Nevada, New Hampshire, Maine, and Montana. In all cases, it was reportedly faster and more accurate than human inspectors.

As with other areas where machine learning has been used for prediction, the ambition is that using AI to help assess the stability of bridges could cut down on human error. While human bridge inspectors perform a valuable job, they are capable of missing details. For example, in 2007 a bridge over the Mississippi river in Minnesota collapsed due to defects in steel plates which had been missed by safety inspectors. Thirteen people tragically lost their lives in the collapse.

There is no guarantee that a robot would not also make errors, of course, but it would be easier to ensure that they have carried out full examinations. Furthermore, due to the shortage of human inspectors, the presence of Seekur robots would hopefully result in more regular check-ups for the thousands of bridges around the United States.

Digital Trends contacted Spencer Gibb, but he was unable to provide more details about the potential rollout of the bridge-checking bots at this time.

Google makes it easier to save offline content for later viewing for Android

Why it matters to you

Regularly find yourself in patchy reception? Google Chrome for Android just got better at saving web pages, music, and videos.

Google wants to make it a little easier to access content, even when you don’t have an internet connection. The company is launching a few tweaks and changes to its Downloads feature in the latest version of Chrome for Android.

Downloads launched in Chrome for Android in December and it basically allowed users to save things like web pages, music, and even videos for viewing at a later date. At launch, to download a web page you would have had to open up the Chrome menu in the top-right of the browser, then hit the “Save” button. Then, hit the “Downloads” button to see all of your saved content. Now, however, you can simply long press a link, and you’ll see the option to “Download Link.”

On top of that, the Chrome offline page has been given a new button to “Download Page Later” and if you press that, Chrome will download the page when you get connected to the internet.

“Now you’ll always have a ready-to-go list of pages or articles to read even if you are out of data for the month or lose the network in a dead zone. Update to the latest version of Chrome and tap the download icon on any page to get started,” Google said in a blog post.

The New Tab page has also been tweaked a little — now it’ll include articles that you previously downloaded, and you’ll be able to tell that they’re downloaded thanks to a special offline badge.

The new feature does help put the browser on-par with other apps and services like Pocket, which allow users to save online content for offline viewing. Because the feature is built into Chrome, however, it could see much wider adoption and it could signal the beginning of the end for third-party services.

You can now use your own voice for turn-by-turn directions with Waze

Add some personality to your driving directions with Waze!

Millions of people use navigation apps like Waze or Google Maps to get turn-by-turn voice directions during their daily commute or while running errands. We’ve always had a limited choice of voices — until now. The latest update to the Waze app includes a new feature, Voice Recorder, which lets you custom record your own driving instructions.

Once you’ve updated the app, you’ll find the voice recorder settings buried in the Waze settings. To find them, you’ll need to tap the Search icon, then tap the Settings icon in the top right corner. Scroll down and tap Sound and Voice and you’ll see the new Voice Recorder menu.

With Voice Recorder turned on, you have the option to record your own voice (or get a loved one or friend to record their voice) for 39 different driving instructions and road warnings. Any that you don’t record will use the default navigation voice.

It doesn’t take more than a minute to record the 39 short instructions requires to cover all the situations Waze notifies you on the road, and you have total freedom to embellish or add your own personality to the recordings — though we should reiterate that you’ll want your voice navigation to be clear and easy to understand. Only one recording is stored at one time and you can re-record them as many times as you need until you’re satisfied.

It’s really quick and easy to set up so the next time you meet a cool celebrity, forgo the selfie and get them to record some Waze directions instead!

These Bluetooth headphones aren’t the best looking but they are certainly worth $8

Our friends at Thrifter are back again, this time with an $8 pair of Bluetooth headphones that you’ll want to try out!

If you’ve thought about ditching the wires on your headphones and giving Bluetooth a try, this may be the pair for you. Right now, you can pick up these (somewhat ugly) Vtin sweatproof headphones for just $7.99 with coupon code PAV3E7VR, a savings of $8. Sure, you won’t get the same quality out of these as you may the Jaybird options, but for less than 10% of the price, you can’t expect that.

The headphones have an ear hook to help keep them in place as you lift weights, ride your bike, or go for a run. They offer around 6 hours of music playback per charge and even help cancel out a bit of the background noise. Stop wondering if Bluetooth headphones will work for you, and give these a shot today!

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For more great deals be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

Instagram introduces ability to upload images through its mobile web app

It’s limited to the mobile browser, but it’s been added to help Instagram in its attempt at world social network domination.

In its neverending quest for global takeover, Facebook’s other social network, Instagram, has finally enabled the ability to upload images for anyone accessing it through a mobile browser.

Previously, you could only access a few limited functions through the browser page, including the ability to fully peruse your feed. But now, when you navigate to Instagram.com from your mobile browser, it takes you to an app-like layout, complete with the ability to upload a photo or video stored locally on your device. Bear in mind that this is only accessible on mobile browsers at present—those of you clicking through on your desktop browser will not have the upload ability.

TechCrunch asked Instagram about the changes. The company responded that this new web experience is optimized for mobile phones, particularly in an effort to “help people have a fuller experience on Instagram no matter what device or network they are on.” TechCrunch adds:

The mobile web launch ties in with Instagram’s global growth strategy aimed at the 80% of its users outside the US. Other product updates in this vein include web sign-up, a better on-boarding flow for low-end Android users, and the recent addition of offline functionality. These helped Instagram speed through the 700 million monthly user mark. It added its last 100 million in just 4 months after averaging 9 months per 100 million users for several years.

The Instagram track seems to run directly parallel to Facebook’s in the sense that it also appears to be heavily focusing its developing on its mobile web app for emerging markets. Many users in the developing world don’t necessarily have a fast enough connection or the ability to download Instagram’s full mobile app, and this offering should help bridge that gap.

Perhaps this is also a great method for posting to two Instagram accounts at once —save one account for the app and the other for the mobile browser — especially since the current way of switching between accounts is still sort of agonizing.

Steel HR on sale just in time for Mother’s Day!

My fitness smartwatch of choice is on sale. Mother’s Day is just days away. I know what to do, then …

I get it — sweaty, hairy man arms aren’t always the best look for things. Even mine. They’re real, but c’mon. I can do better. And so can you, actually. I’ve been singing the praises of the Steel HR when it comes to a watch that’s smart but not ridiculously large. I’ve been wearing it to the gym for months now, and when I walk in the morning. And that is a perfect segue into this:

I have absolutely no idea what I’m getting my mother for Mother’s Day, and I’m very quickly running out of time. … It’s possible you are, too. So consider this:

The Steel HR is on sale all month. That’s 20 percent off (so long as you’re not trying to combine it with any other deals) the full 40mm model, as well as the smaller 36mm model. (Which my wife is, uh, modeling here.) I’ve brought home a lot of smartwatches over the years. So many of them didn’t get anywhere close to looking good on my wife. Until now.

Even better? A super special Steel HR leather edition. Everything is better in leather. Even mom.

Now consider this: If it’s good enough for one’s wife, it’s good enough for one’s mother. (If you’re a newlywed this may well be the most important piece of wisdom I can impart on you.

See at Withings See at Amazon

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Amazon Echo may be number one, but Google Home is quickly catching up

Amazon Echo is certainly dominating the market, but that’s because there hasn’t been much competition until now.

Amazon’s line of assistant-enabled Echo devices remain as the punchline of every connected home joke, which is why it’s no surprise it’s the number one line of assistant-enabled connected speaker in U.S. households. According to research firm eMarketer, the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot devices now claim roughy 70% of the marketshare for this particular category of devices.

Google Home ranks in at number two, but it’s trailing far behind at nearly 24% marketshare. Still, that’s not bad for a device that’s only been on the market for about 6 months. The remaining portion of the marketshare goes to smaller players, including Lenovo, LG, Harmon Kardon, and Mattel.

eMarketer said that it expects the broader category of virtual assistants to grow by 23% this year, though it’s worth noting that the statistics featured here focused on speakers with a built-in digital assistant and do not include usage data from Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana.

Reuters reports that Google Home’s share is also expected to grow. Tests by analysts have shown that the technology running Google’s connected devices is seen as a match or “superior to competitors”. Additionally, a survey done by RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Mahaney found Google’s brand awareness in the U.S. to be about 80% of Alexa’s, despite it being a relatively nascent release.

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Chrome for Android makes it easier to download a web page and read it offline

Saving a local copy of a web article just got better in Chrome for Android.

Did you know you can long press on a link in Chrome for Android and you have the option to save it so you can read it offline? If you said no, it’s probably because it was one of those features nobody mentions and is mostly hidden. Google is changing that in the newest version of Chrome for Android.

Last year, we introduced the ability to download any webpage, so you can view the whole page completely offline. More than 45 million web pages are downloaded every week—and today we’re adding improvements to make it even easier to download pages.

You’ll now have a better dialog box when you long press any link, and the simpler design means you’ll notice that you can download it to your phone’s storage. If you enter the URL or click a bookmark to it while you’re offline, you’ll see the saved version instead of the dinosaur page that tells you that you’re offline, and if you try to load a page while offline, that same dinosaur page now has a button that will automatically download the page the next time you get connected to the internet.

The biggest change is how saved pages are displayed. When you open a new page or tab, you’ll see everything you’ve saved with a new offline badge. A quick tap opens the saved page in Chrome with a link to refresh with the online copy at the bottom.

We have an active connection to the internet on our phones most of the time, but for those times you don’t — like on the train or an airplane — you can read all the great things you’ve saved in Chrome.