Microsoft’s Edge browser to get direct updates from Windows store

Why it matters to you

More frequent updates to Microsoft Edge could help improve the user experience dramatically, providing more competition for the likes of Google Chrome and Firefox.

Since the software’s debut in July 2015, Microsoft has distributed major updates for its Edge internet browser alongside feature builds of the Windows 10 operating system. However, that’s all set to change when the company unleashes the Redstone 3 update later this year.

Internal sources at Microsoft indicate that users will be able to download Edge updates via the Windows Store following the next big update to Windows 10, according to a report from Neowin. While security fixes are already applied to the browser as and when required, this could mean that new features and other tweaks come at a steadier pace.

This decision seems to have been prompted by Microsoft’s ambition for Edge to better compete with Google Chrome. Given that the company is preparing Windows 10 Cloud to go head-to-head with Chrome OS, it’s imperative that its flagship browser doesn’t seem to lag behind its biggest rival.

Chrome receives regular updates throughout the year, which has contributed to its reputation as one of the best web browsers out there. Conversely, Edge seems like a relatively unimportant component of the wider Windows 10 platform, rather than a compelling browser that users might choose over other options.

The Edge browser was a prominent part of Microsoft’s attempts to hype up Windows 10 ahead of launch. It was pitched as a fresh start that would cast off the negative associations that had built up around its predecessor, Internet Explorer. However, slow progress toward modern browser features like support for extensions has impeded the growth of its user base.

Microsoft will hold its annual BUILD conference in Seattle, Washington later this month, and it wouldn’t be too surprising to hear more about Redstone 3 at that time. It’s not even been a month since the release of the Creators Update, but we’re already on the road to the next iteration of Windows 10.

AMD’s RX Vega 3Dmark result leak draws comparisons to GTX 1070

Why it matters to you

AMD’s Vega graphics cards could well offer solid competition for Nvidia’s top end, though maybe not at the bleeding edge.

AMD’s long-expected, high-end graphics card solution, Vega, may turn out to be pretty capable, though not as powerful as Nvidia’s top-tier offerings. A new leak of 3Dmark results which seem to come from an RX Vega card, suggest it would be roughly as powerful as a GTX 1070.

It’s been a long time since AMD truly rivaled Nvidia at the top end of the graphics card power spectrum, often preferring to offer competition at the midrange and entry-level. However, rumors over the past six months suggested that Vega could well do more than that and though these leaked results don’t make it a world beater, offering real competition for the GTX 1070 would still be quite a feat.

The 3Dmark result pairs a “Generic VGA” card with an AMD Ryzen 7 1800X. That card, however, has the Vega device ID (687F:C1), which is what tipped off Guru3D to its true identity. The card achieved an overall score of 5,950 and a graphics score of 5,721 in the TimeSpy demo. That’s comparable to the GTX 1070 test results Guru3D achieved in its own internal testing.

If the card is indeed an AMD Vega graphics processor (GPU), it’s not necessarily the world beater some expected. However, it comes with 8GB of (most likely) HBM2 memory and a clock speed of just 1,200MHz, which suggests there could be a lot more headroom. It could be that this isn’t a top-of-the-line Vega graphics card and AMD could have something else up its sleeve for the top end too.

The driver used in this test are beta, too, so post-release drivers with optimizations could also yield higher scores.

At the very least though, third party options with more impressive cooling and an aggressive overclock should make a card like this a viable contender for GTX 1080 performance. It’s also fair to assume that an Intel CPU could lead to an improvement in overall performance, though that wouldn’t do much to the graphics test score.

Much of this is speculation for now and it could turn out that GTX 1070 performance is the best we can hope for Vega. While that would be a shame, the market at the GTX 1080 and beyond level is very small and not something that offers much financial incentive to AMD, even though the moral victory of having the most powerful cards in the world can do a lot for a manufacturer’s image.

Google Home UK review: For all its potential, still mostly an early adopter gadget

Google Home is a great little connected speaker, but its smartest features will be lost on non-enthusiasts.

At the risk of stating the obvious, the home is a tough space to break into. Everyone’s home is set out differently, and we’re all looking for different things out of an internet-connected gadget for our living room, kitchen, bedroom or wherever. (Assuming we’re not creeped out by the very idea of this kind of always-listening product that we dismiss it out of hand.) And that’s to say nothing of the variety in tastes and services among people who are in the market for a connected speaker with internet-driven intelligence.

In the UK, Google Home makes its debut a good six months after Amazon’s Echo series. That device’s arrival shortly before the Christmas sales period, combined with heavy marketing, ensured Alexa had a substantial holiday-driven lead. Nevertheless, Google Home is here now, and after three weeks with the device, I’m mostly sold on it. Even so, I find I’m underutilizing Home’s higher functions, and on a day-to-day basis I’m mostly using it for audio content, as opposed to Google Assistant.

See at Google Store

Google Home is designed to blend into the background — unless you want it to stand out.

Physically, Google Home is an unassuming little matte plastic cylinder, sitting around six inches tall, with a slanted, touch-sensitive surface up top. It’s designed to look like furniture, not gadgetry, and it pulls off that look pretty well. The lower third makes up the actual speaker portion of this speaker. With the standard grey fabric base, it easily blends into the background. Other, jazzier colors are available for £18 from Google’s store if you want Home to match the aesthetic of a particular room. That includes one metal option (with others coming soon) that may be a better fit for rooms like your kitchen.

Google Home’s touch panel animates in the classic “Google” primary colors when you say the “OK Google” hot-word, and there’s a iPod Classic-style clickwheel volume with similar illumination. Should you wish to stop Google Home listening in, there’s a microphone mute button around the back. And that’s basically it as far as touch interactions go — everything else you’ll do directly on Google Home happens via voice.

Like Google Wifi, setup is quick and uncomplicated, handled via the Google Home app. In the process, you’ll pair your Google account with your Home, and set up news sources for your daily briefing. That app also gives you a non-touch way to manage anything casting to the device.

As a connected speaker, Google Home is surprisingly capable. You’d hope so for £129 — but Home, despite its diminutive size, manages to put out a great deal of volume, and does so with ample bass even at high volume levels. Thanks to the near ubiquity of Google Cast Chromecast support in popular streaming apps (with the notable exception of Apple Music), chances are whatever you’re using for music, podcasts and radio will just work via a phone or tablet.

On the device itself, your app options are a little more limited. Still, I was impressed by how well Home handled the multitude of commands I threw at it:

Stuff like “play the Android Central podcast”
… or “Skip ahead 60 seconds”
… or “Go back to the start”
… or “Play the previous track”

That’s only held back by the clunkiness of having to prefix everything you want to do with “OK Google.”

There have been a few mishaps along the way, too: Google Home once delivered me the BBQ Central Podcast instead of our own Android Central podcast — go figure. (I’m sure it’s a quality show!) And Home was repeatedly stumped by “play Chvrches” (pronounced “churches”), I guess because the written name doesn’t line up with the pronunciation. And of course there’s a non-zero chance it’ll accidentally spring to life if anyone nearby is talking about… well, Google.

Google’s far-field mics are sensitive enough to detect you a good distance away.

On that note, it’s worth underscoring just how good Google’s far-field microphones are in this gadget. (If you want to be creeped out a little, try whispering “OK Google” and see how quiet you can get and still have it respond.) The other side of that coin is that even in larger rooms, or situations where there’s a decent amount of background noise, Home has you covered.

In the smartphone world, we’re used to living in siloed apps. With Google Home, you’re supposed to just ask for what you want, without worrying about where it lives. Assuming it works with all the services you regularly use, as it does in my case, you’re all good.

Assistant is the other big tentpole feature of Google Home — and, as it has been since it first debuted on the Pixel phones, is a bit of a mixed bag. Bafflingly, Assistant on Google Home still can’t set reminders. There are issues with multiple accounts, where calendar entries from my Mobile Nations Google account wouldn’t show up in briefings and direct answers, because only my main Google account could be synced.

More: How to set up and use Google Assistant

Google Assistant is still a work-in-progress.

Besides that, Google Assistant is pretty much the same as the phone-based experience. It’s remarkably clever one moment, able to pull what you want from the web, even if it doesn’t exist in Google’s knowledge graph. (“What’s the tallest building in Berlin”, for instance.) Yet at the same time it’s undone by basic requests like “when will I next be in London”, and the long-running “reminders” thing.

That’s why I’ve mostly stuck to using Home as a glorified Google Cast target — albeit one with above-average intelligence, slick voice controls and a handy companion app. Google Assistant is still in its infancy, of course, and it’s almost certain the major functionality gaps will be plugged in the months and years ahead. Assistant on phones has had the same growing pains, and is slowly becoming smarter.

You probably already know whether or not you fall into the “early adopter” camp. If that’s you, there’s plenty of cool stuff to explore in Google Home beyond the core casting and streaming experience. If not, buy it because you want a good, stylish connected speaker that can occasionally tell you the distance between London and Edinburgh and remind you how many cups are in a quart.

Google Hardware

• Google Wifi review
• Google Home review
• Everything you need to know about the Chromecast Ultra
• Chromecast vs Chromecast Ultra: Which should you buy?

Google Wifi:

Google
Amazon

Google Home:

Google
Best Buy

Chromecast Ultra:

Google
Best Buy

How to fix Galaxy S8 battery life problems

Battery life on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ is actually pretty good — but it can always be better.

After the first couple of week using a phone where battery life seems great, things can go south as we load up our new phone with all kinds of things and turn on every last feature. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ aren’t immune to battery shortcomings if you push them hard enough, and that means you’ll be looking for ways to scale things back and return to great battery life.

We have a handful of solid tips here to help you get the most out of your Galaxy S8 or S8+ battery, whether you’re currently happy with its longevity or not. Read on.

Use power saving mode

The easiest way to save precious battery power is to use one of the built-in power saving modes. You can find them in settings, device maintenance then battery. You can also toggle power saving mode in the quick settings area of the notification shade.

It’s all about finding a balance between features and battery longevity.

The power saving mode most people will use is the “mid” level, which tries to strike a balance between saving power and letting your phone do everything you need. When you tap “mid” you’ll see what it does — decrease brightness, lower the screen resolution, limit CPU performance and disable both background network usage and the Always On Display. It’ll add multiple hours to your battery life over the course of the day, but you probably wouldn’t want to use this all the time.

You can also tweak the parameters to maybe find a middle ground that works for you — just tap “customize” and see what you can change. For example you may keep the CPU speed limiter on, but also turn on background network usage so apps continue to sync when you’re not actively using them.

For the dire situations when you have very little battery or don’t have any idea when you’ll find power again, look at the “max” power saving mode. This mode dramatically turns down your screen resolution, limits performance further and turns off even more features — all in the name of letting the battery last as long as possible, while giving you the basic phone functions you need.

Finally, if you don’t want to delve all the way into the settings, Samsung has made it really easy to temporarily put an app to sleep straight from the launcher. Just long-press an icon on the home screen and tap Sleep. This puts the app to sleep — and saves it from eating battery — until you open it again.

Uninstall unused apps

This is one of the easiest ways to cut down on battery drain, and also one that so many people forget as they use their phone over weeks and months. We all install apps that we use once or haven’t touched in a month, and those apps can sometimes be using battery even though you don’t need them. Head into settings then apps and scroll through to see if there are any apps hanging out that you’ve forgotten about and don’t need any more.

Remember, you can always re-install the app later on down the road if you think you need it again. There’s little need to keep an unused app installed and potentially running on your phone.

Check for power-hungry apps

The last couple versions of Android introduced some really nice system-level features that take care of runaway apps, but every once and a while they can get carried away. If you notice your battery draining faster than usual, it could be one or two apps causing it — whether they’re running when you aren’t aware, or are just using more battery than they should even though you’re using them. Go to settings, device maintenance and battery to see what apps are using notable amounts of juice.

These settings are a bit confusing, but powerful if you want to tweak things.

This is best to do at the end of the day to get an accurate picture of just how much battery an app is using, but the bottom half of this settings screen shows what percentage of the day’s battery has been used by any given app. You’ll see usual culprits like social media apps or photo apps, but if something looks out of the ordinary you can tap on that app and hit “save power” to completely limit that app from running in the background. We wouldn’t advise you do this for lots of apps, but if something’s being problematic you can remedy that here.

For a bit of background, the system also automatically throttles back apps that haven’t been used in 3 days (customizable up to 7 days), so chances are any runaway app that you’re not using won’t be able to muck things up for too long anyway. If you don’t want an app to ever be throttled in the background, you can select it in the “unmonitored apps” area at the bottom of the settings pane.

Lower the screen resolution

One quick setting you can change semi-permanently to improve battery life without really hurting your experience is to reduce the screen resolution. Just go into settings, display and screen resolution to see your options. By default the Galaxy S8 and S8+ actually don’t run at their max resolution — they stick at “FHD+” instead, because the processor doesn’t have to work as hard to run the phone, which saves you battery lie.

If you’ve moved up to “WQHD+” for the best-looking screen possible, you can scale it back down to save a little battery life. We wouldn’t recommend going with “HD+” unless you’re really trying to save battery life … but in that case you may be better off considering the overall power saving mode instead.

Reduce screen brightness

Samsung’s AMOLED displays keep getting more efficient, but the screen continues to be a notable drain on a phone’s battery life. You can simply lower the screen brightness on your Galaxy S8 to save battery life — either by using the slider in the notification shade, or in settings then display.

If you want, you can also turn off automatic brightness here so that even in bright conditions the screen doesn’t ramp up and use up more battery. Just realize that the amount of battery you save by doing so may not be worth it when you consider you won’t be able to see your screen as well in those conditions.

Turn off unused radios

If you’re looking to save battery at the cost of convenience, you should turn off both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when they’re not in use. You can toggle either one from the notification shade quick settings, which makes the process easy.

Going a step further, you can also turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning, which is actually used to help with location services even when both radios are technically turned off. You can find this in settings, connections, location then improve accuracy. By turning off these two switches your phone won’t use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth at all unless you have them turned on — the one downside being that it may take marginally longer to locate your phone in the world if your data connection and GPS aren’t functioning properly.

Last resort: a battery pack

No matter how much you tweak and change on your phone, sometimes that just isn’t enough — after all, the battery isn’t getting any larger either way. For those times when the power you need out of your Galaxy S8 or S8+ is more than you can reasonably achieve with the built-in battery, check out the battery pack and battery case options available out there.

Most of the battery cases out there are a pretty terrible compromise of bulk for not very much battery power, so we would recommend a compact external battery pack that offers fast charging instead. Samsung makes its own line of battery packs that will quickly charge the Galaxy S8 and S8+ while matching its look, but there are tons available out there from Anker, Aukey and more.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ review!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint

Leaked specs of the HTC U 11 reveal Snapdragon 835 and 6GB RAM

HTC U 11 will be available with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage.

The HTC U 11 is slated to make its debut in just over two weeks, and we’ve already seen what the device will look like. Earlier rumors hinted at a Snapdragon 835 SoC along with a 12MP camera, as well as a squeezable frame that lets you perform various actions by squeezing the sides of the phone. Today’s leak out of Gear India gices us a detailed spec sheet of HTC’s upcoming flagship, which includes Bluetooth 5.0, IP57 certifcation, and much more.

As detailed in the image above, the HTC U 11 will feature a 5.5-inch QHD display backed by Gorilla Glass 5, Qualcomm’s octa-core 10nm Snapdragon 835 SoC, 6GB RAM and 128GB storage (along with a variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage), microSD card that can take up to 2TB cards, 12MP UltraPixel 3 imaging sensor with f/1.7 lens, OIS, and 4K video recording, 16MP f/2.0 camera, and a 3000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 and USB 3.1 Type-C connectivity.

Other specs include a fingerprint sensor, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, Wi-Fi ac, HTC’s BoomSond and USonic, Hi-Res audio certification, 3D audio recording, and IP57 dust and water resistance. The HTC U 11 certainly looks enticing, and the company is focusing on the squeezable frame — dubbed Edge Sense — as the differentiator against the likes of the Galaxy S8 and LG G6.

What are your thoughts on the specs of the HTC U 11?

The Morning After: Monday, May 1st 2017

Welcome to your Monday morning. China is making its own giant fighting robot, hackers have pillaged a bunch of forthcoming TV shows, and we explain how The Circle takes anti-tech paranoia a little too far.

Monkey King expands the battle between enormous machines.China makes a giant fighting robot

MegaBots’ giant robot duel might just turn into a full-scale brawl. Beijing outfit Greatmetal has unveiled a prototype of Monkey King, China’s take on an enormous battle machine. It’s still human-piloted, but it has a distinct trick up its sleeve: it can either fight on all fours (good for stability) or stand on its hind legs to wield a staff. It’s all gone Pacific Rim.

‘New Girl’ and ‘Portlandia’ are among the shows reportedly affected.
‘Orange is the New Black’ hackers may have stolen 36 other shows

Hackers that swiped Netflix’s unreleased Orange is the New Black season warned that they had shows from other TV networks, and they weren’t kidding. TheDarkOverlord has reportedly provided DataBreaches.net with a “preview” of the shows it obtained from Larson Studios, and it looks like there could be 36 more titles in the mix — many of which you’ve likely heard about. The mix includes recent and yet-to-air episodes of Fox’s New Girl, FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, IFC’s Portlandia and CBS’ NCIS: Los Angeles.

The “Metal Gear Solid” creator went deep at the Tribeca Games Festival.
Hideo Kojima on his cinematic influences, ‘Death Stranding’ and VR

If you’re starting a new gaming festival, having Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima aboard is a good way to prove you mean business. That was the case for the inaugural Tribeca Games Festival, which featured Kojima in a keynote conversation tonight with Geoff Keighley, producer of The Game Awards. The wide-ranging chat covered Kojima’s cinematic influences — of which there were many — and his progress on Death Stranding, his long-awaited upcoming project. He, er, compared it to an Italian restaurant,.

It might just prevent pain without nasty side effects.
Gene editing could lead to a vaccine for arthritis

Arthritis treatment tends to be an all-or-nothing proposition: the drugs you take affect your entire body, causing havoc with your immune system and leaving you prone to infections. But how do you narrow the treatment to just those areas where you feel pain? Genetics! Researchers have used CRISPR gene editing to turn stem cells into cartilage that releases a biological anti-inflammatory drug when they encounter inflammation. It not only limits treatment to the affected area, but responds only when there’s a pain flare. You only get relief when you need it — which is kind of incredible.

But wait, there’s more…

• ‘The Circle’ takes anti-tech paranoia to ludicrous heights (and it’s not that good either)
• DNA in dirt can reveal where human ancestors lived
• EPA pulls climate science web pages to reflect White House views
• Amazon’s free Android app program is nearing its end

Amazon’s Alexa learns how to pronounce British slang

Amazon’s voice-controlled assistant should soon sound more natural to Brits. The company has upgraded the UK version of Alexa with “Speechcons,” an extensive list of words and phrases that can be delivered in a more lively, expressive manner. These include “whoops a daisy,” “bob’s your uncle” and “oh my giddy aunt,” as well as “crikey,” “blimey” and “geronimo!” Speechcons are part of the Alexa development platform, meaning anyone can draw on them for third-party “skills.” As long as it’s wrapped in an “interjection” tag, Alexa will check the word against its Speechcon bank and, if it’s listed, enunciate with a little extra oomph.

The rollout is part of a broader push to keep Alexa at the forefront of virtual assistants. Alongside Speechcons, Amazon is working on SSML, a form of markup for Alexa-based responses. These allow developers to customise how specific words and phrases are delivered by Alexa. The latest, announced last week, include whispers, added emphasis, and subtle changes in volume, pitch and tone. If they’re widely adopted, Alexa should become a more vibrant, personable assistant — whether you’re using the stock skills made by Amazon, or those created by third-party developers.

Source: Amazon

Domino’s and IFTTT make getting takeout even lazier

Domino’s Pizza has already enabled people to track the location of their pizza as it comes from the shop to their home. But that’s not enough for the company, which has teamed up with If This, Then That, to connect the platform to your smart home. Yes, it’s a publicity stunt, although it’s one that has a couple of useful applications if you’re rocking a sufficiently futuristic abode.

One of the applications for the Domino’s-branded applets involves turning on your home’s porch lights when the delivery person is near. Another is letting the system deactivate your sprinkler system to avoid any pizza-splash incidents that would ruin your evening. Then there’s the ability to activate specific Samsung smart vacuums to clean your carpets before your dinner arrives.

If you’re already a member of the IFTTT family, all you need to do is head to the IF website and download the Domino’s Applets. You can also develop your own recipes so that, say, your house lights change color as the pizza cooks. Or you could set an alert to remind yourself that you’ll need to get some exercise in every now and again.

Watch SpaceX’s second attempt at launching a US spy satellite

Yesterday morning, SpaceX had big plans for launching US spy satellite NROL-76 on the back of a Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral. Unfortunately, a sensor issue put paid to the idea, but just one day later, the company is back and attempting a do-over for the mission. At 7:15am ET, SpaceX will attempt to fire the secretive craft into the heavens and then, crucially, return the Falcon 9 to the ground.

All systems go for launch of NROL-76. Currently tracking upper level winds. Targeting liftoff at 7:15 a.m. EDT, 11:15 UTC. pic.twitter.com/GKQUTy5GC3

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 1, 2017

Following separation, the Falcon 9’s first stage is hopefully going to return and land on SpaceX’s pad at Cape Canaveral. As we pointed out yesterday, the land-based return is fairly unique and means that we’ll get high-quality video of the event that isn’t normally possible with drone ship landings. It’s also another milestone on the road to Elon Musk being able to boast of saving a small fortune on space travel with his reusable rockets.

Update: Success! The first stage has successfully landed back in Cape Canaveral.

Source: SpaceX

Twitter Partners With Bloomberg for 24/7 Live Streaming News Network Launching This Fall

Last week, Twitter announced plans to launch a network of news-based TV shows that would stream on the social media company’s apps 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now, a report by The Wall Street Journal has confirmed that Twitter will be partnering with Bloomberg in its live streaming endeavor, and together the two plan to launch a service “that will stream news produced solely for Twitter,” and is set to debut sometime in the fall of 2017.

The network, which has yet to be officially named, will showcase the “most important” pieces of news going on every day around the world, and Bloomberg Media CEO Justin Smith mentioned that it will be “broader in focus” than the media company’s existing network. The Bloomberg/Twitter hybrid won’t be a simple rebroadcasting of Bloomberg’s existing news streams, but consist of all-new reporting from various global Bloomberg bureaus.

Twitter’s contribution to the network will come in the addition of crowdsourced footage being added into news pieces through videos posted on Twitter during related news coverage.

“It is going to be focused on the most important news for an intelligent audience around the globe and it’s going to be broader in focus than our existing network,” said Bloomberg Media’s chief executive officer, Justin Smith.

“We really think we can reach audiences that are not paying for TV and are watching television on the go and we think Bloomberg is the perfect partner for us to start with,” said Anthony Noto, Twitter’s chief financial and operating officer.

The monetary aspect of the deal was not disclosed by either Twitter or Bloomberg, but the companies did confirm that the network would be supported by advertisements and that programming duties would entirely fall on Bloomberg’s shoulders.

The report comes ahead of the official announcement of the partnership, set to happen later today at an event that Bloomberg is holding for advertisers, where Michael Bloomberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will both be in attendance. Previously, Twitter and Bloomberg partnered to cover the presidential debates last year on the social media network.

Besides those debates, Twitter has embraced live video during a number of special events, including the inauguration and pre- and post-shows for the 2017 Oscars. Video has subsequently turned into a major effort for Twitter, and in the first quarter of 2017 became one of the largest portions of the company’s ad revenue, ramping up alongside similar video projects from rivals Facebook and Snapchat.

The advantage for users watching Twitter and Bloomberg’s network will come thanks to the ability to watch live news coverage while simultaneously viewing and posting commentary of it from Twitter’s social network. “Viewers have already embraced a multistream experience with live events,” said Smith. “And marrying those experiences seemed like a very powerful thing to offer to consumers.”

Tag: Twitter
Discuss this article in our forums