Lightweight Smacircle ebike can be folded up and stored in your backpack

Why it matters to you

If you’re in the market for an ebike, then take a moment to check out the wacky-looking Smacircle.

Claiming to be the world’s most compact and lightweight ebike, the Smacircle sports one of the most striking designs we’ve ever seen for such a machine.

Looking from some angles like an elaborately designed pair of (very large) spectacles, the ebike’s strong carbon fiber frame tips the scales at just over 15 pounds (7 kg) and can handle anyone weighing up to 220 pounds (100 kg). Handily, the Smacircle folds up into such a tight package (and in just 10 seconds, apparently) that you can drop it in a backpack once you reach your destination, or carry it straight into your home or office.

Bikes like the Smacircle are often popular with folks with short commutes between a station and the workplace, with its top speed of 12.4 mph (20 kmh) likely to save you a decent amount of time than if you were to walk the route.

Of course, one of the burning questions for any potential ebike buyer is: “How long can I ride it for?” The Smacircle promises a one-hour ride at top speed, and twice that at 6 mph. The bike’s Samsung lithium-ion battery, tucked away in the seat, takes about 2.5 hours to fully recharge. Run out of juice mid-ride and you’ll have to carry it or shove it in your bag as there’s no manual ride option, though of course if you’re on a slope you’ll be able to coast down it.

An iOS and Android app lets you monitor battery usage and speed via your smartphone, which you can slot in the center of Smacircle’s handlebars. Speed is controlled via the app or handle, while other features include electronic brakes and built-in lights for night riders.

Shenzhen-based Smacircle recently smashed through its $30,000 funding goal on Indiegogo and is gearing up for an October release. Back the project to the tune of $649 and besides the ebike you’ll also receive a backpack to carry it in. The deal represents a 57 percent saving on the expected retail price.

As with any crowdfunding project, there are risks and challenges involved. Smacircle’s creator sounds confident it can make its bike a reality, although accepts that “unforeseen obstacles can arise during any manufacturing process.” It certainly looks promising, and it’s the kind of bike we’d definitely like to take for a ride to see if it really does deliver on all its promises.

Polar’s A370 fitness tracker monitors you whether it’s marathon day or bedtime

Why it matters to you

Whether you’re running a marathon or in a deep slumber, Polar’s A370 fitness tracker has you covered.

Leave it to Polar to announce a new fitness tracker that’s affordable yet comprehensive. On Wednesday, the 40-year-old fitness company took the wraps off the A370, a compact tracker with activity-recording features, a wrist-based heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, and much more.

The A370 boasts a color touchscreen display and vibrating notifications, but its heart-monitoring sensor is the real draw. It works in tandem with the A370’s “3D” accelerometer to detect pulse-pounding activities like walking and running. When you’re engaged in intense exercise, it captures heart rate at a higher resolution, and when you’re inactive, it ratchets down the heart-rate readings to save battery.

That heart data feeds the A370’s companion app, Polar Flow, which packs in Polar’s Smart Coaching, Activity Benefit, Smart Calories, and Training Benefit features.

Polar Sleep Plus, Polar’s sleep-tracking solution, uses a smart algorithm and data from the A370’s 3D accelerometer to record the timing, amount, and quality of sleep based on your position and wrist movements. Polar Sleep Plus uses those and other metrics — including the total duration of sleep, actual sleep time, when you fall asleep and wake up, and any interruptions that occur during sleep — to generate a “continuity” score that shows how long you slept uninterrupted.

“We spend a third of our life sleeping, so if you’re trying to gain holistic insight into your fitness, it’s equally as important to monitor and understand our bodies at rest as it is to understand them during physical activity,” Marco Suvilaakso, chief strategy officer at Polar, said in a statement. “With Polar Sleep Plus and [the A370], your data is analyzed to provide guidance that helps you better understand your sleep habits and the impact they have on your fitness, health and quality of life […] Polar A370’s continuous heart rate monitoring, coupled with Polar Sleep Plus insights, provides a 24/7 approach to fitness with actionable steps, whether you’re running, lifting weights, or home relaxing.”

The Polar A370 does more than track sleep and heart rate. Its 3D accelerometer can estimate running speed and distance when you’re on a treadmill or track. And it pairs with other compatible Bluetooth devices to track pace, distance, and route.

The Polar A370 begins shipping in early June for $180, and is available for pre-order starting today. Interchangeable bands in black, white, red, petrol, blue, and orange are $25 each.

Acer has a crazy large curved monitor for PC gamers for a crazy high price

Why it matters to you

Acer wants only the best for PC gamers, and has produced a huge curved desktop monitor that should give customers plenty of bang, but for plenty of bucks.

The latest entry from Acer in the PC gaming arena is the new Predator Z35P, a 35-inch curved desktop monitor packing a hefty 3,440 x 1,440 resolution. Available for pre-ordering now, the panel will cost a hefty $1,100 when it ships to retailers in the United States later this month. The panel originally launched in a few other countries overseas in early May.

Acer’s new desktop panel has an 1800R curvature, meaning that if the monitor created a complete visual circle, then the radius would measure 1,800 millimeters. This curvature appears to be the standard as of late, as panels with lower curvatures (like 3000R) are more expensive to make. Acer’s new panel is expensive as it is due to the screen size and 21:9 aspect ratio.

Here are the specs for Acer’s upcoming curved panel:

Screen size:
35 inches
Panel type:
Vertical Alignment
Backlight tech:
LED
Screen resolution:
3,440 x 1,440
Aspect ratio:
21:9
Pixel pitch:
0.34mm
Viewing angles:
178 degrees
Response time:
4ms
Max refresh rates:
100Hz (DisplayPort)
50Hz (HDMI)
Color support:
16.7 million colors
Color space support:
sRGB 100 percent
Contrast ratio:
2,500:1
Max brightness:
300 nits
Ports:
1x HDMI 1.4
1x DisplayPort 1.2
5x USB 3.1 Gen1 (1x Up, 4x Down)
Audio:
2x nine-watt speakers
True Harmony customized equalizer
Tilt angle:
-4 degrees to 35 degrees
Swivel angle:
20 degrees
Max adjustable height:
5.12 inches

For starters, Acer’s new desktop monitor relies on Vertical Alignment (VA) panel technology. This is essentially a compromise between two technologies: the older, generally used Twisted Nematic (TN) tech offering extremely high brightness levels and fast response times, and In-Plane Switching (IPS) tech providing rich colors and wide viewing angles. VA tech has better color and better viewing angles than TN panels, and better brightness levels than IPS panels.

Adding to the panel type is support for Nvidia’s G-Sync technology. When paired with a PC packing a supporting GeForce graphics chip/card, this technology will synchronize the output frame rate of the GeForce chip with the refresh rate of the monitor. This prevents the screen from tearing, stuttering, or exhibiting visual input lag produced when the two devices aren’t in sync. On top of that, Nvidia Ultra Low Motion Blur minimizes “ghosting” and motion blur during fast movements on-screen.

Of course, Acer’s new monitor includes proprietary technology to make the most out of the user’s visual experience. For instance, the Acer VisionCare suite reduces screen flicker, and reduces both the amount of brain-frying blue light and the amount of on-screen glare. There’s also a sensor that will adjust the brightness and contrast based on the ambient light conditions.

For gamers, Acer throws in its GameView technology. Accessible from the hotkeys on the monitor, GameView enables users to activate on-screen crosshairs when those available in-game just don’t cut it. Users can also adjust the darkness levels to better see in the shadows, and make precise color adjustments. Users can even save their customized settings in three profile slots.

To pre-purchase Acer’s new curved 35-inch Predator Z35P desktop monitor, head over to Amazon here.

B&O Play gets crafty with its newest product, a music-infused beer

Why it matters to you

B&O Play has been pushing the boundaries of music and science with experiments that may result in better tasting beer for everyone.

Danish audio experts B&O Play, quirky fun-loving sister company to the more serious Bang & Olufsen, has revealed a new music product. It’s not a Bluetooth speaker, or a pair of gorgeous headphones. It’s a beer. Not just any beer, but one infused with music played through the Beoplay A1 speaker. Don’t check you calendar, it really is the end of May, and not April 1.

Now we’ve established this isn’t a joke (at least, we don’t think it is), here’s what you should know about what’s being called the Beobrew. B&O Play worked with craft brewery Mikkeller to investigate the effect music has on how beer tastes. We imagine a fair amount of beer was consumed before this question was asked in the first place. To find out, a Beoplay A1 speaker was connected up to a classic third-generation iPod Nano, and submerged into a fermenting tank over the course of a two-week period.

It wasn’t just a case of streaming Spotify into the liquid. Both B&O Play and Mikkeller collaborated with Danish musician, DJ, and radio host Le Gammeltoft to create a special playlist that may eventually influence the desired flavor. Unsurprisingly, the playlist has a distinct Danish flavor of its own, and includes October Dance, Balvig, Kikos, and Louis Petri. Mikkeller’s head brewer, Kyle Wolak, says music is the “fifth ingredient that takes the beer to a new level,” and talks about the vibrations encouraging the yeasts to, “produce more flavorful esters.”

We have yet to sip the Beobrew, so can’t say how the music has influenced the beer’s taste; but Mikkeller describes it as refreshing, and calls it a 6.8 percent American-style IPA beer with a, “bright and aromatic taste with citrus fruit and floral notes.” Plus musical notes as well, one presumes. A special label, with a design by Philadelphia designer Keith Shore on it, will be pasted to the amber glass bottle.

Although the Beobrew sounds more like it should be the preferred tipple of Spinal Tap, you can actually try it out for yourself, either by visiting one of the Mikkeller bars in Denmark, German, Sweden, or Spain, or this summer in the United States at the Ace Hotel in New York and Los Angeles. Finally, if you’d rather take a sip of the musical beer in the comfort of your own home, Mikkeller will offer a mail-order service to Europe from its website soon.

Samsung Galaxy S9: News and rumors

Why it matters to you

The next Galaxy phone is as highly anticipated as the next iPhone, and the Galaxy S9 is already being discussed in rumors.

The Galaxy S8 may be the Samsung phone to have right now, but in 2018, it will likely be replaced by another phone in the company’s range, which we’d all expect to be named the Galaxy S9. Although the S8 is only just reaching store shelves right now, talk has already begun regarding its successor. It’s very early days, but here’s what’s already being rumored for the next Galaxy phone.

Name and release date

Samsung has apparently started developing the Galaxy S9 in earnest, and the code name it has given the device has been leaked by Korean publication The Bell. According to the report, the Galaxy S9 is code-named Star, and a larger version of the phone, which we can assume is the S9 Plus, is known as the Star 2. It’s also said development has started several months earlier than it did for the Galaxy S8, which may imply either an earlier release date, or the inclusion of new features and technology, which requires time to integrate. However, no official sources have confirmed this story, therefore treat it as speculation for now.

A release date during the first half of 2018 is anticipated.

Specs

The Galaxy S phones are among Samsung’s most powerful devices, so we should expect the S9 to follow the tradition. It’s being rumored the device will use the next top-of-the-range Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, known at the moment as the Snapdragon 845.

A report published by the Korean publication The Investor quoting sources speaking to the Aju Business Daily says Samsung and Qualcomm are teaming up again for the Galaxy S9, and the new phone may use a next-generation, and as-yet unconfirmed processor inside. It’s speculated the chip will be called the Snapdragon 845, and the two companies are developing it right now. Once the chip has been finalized, manufacturing duties may be given to Samsung or Taiwanese company TMSC.

Samsung worked closely with Qualcomm on the Snapdragon 835 processor, which powers the Galaxy S8. While other smartphone manufacturers are also announcing phones with the Snapdragon 835 inside — Sony and Xiaomi, for example — Samsung had the monopoly on the chip initially, and supply is low. The close working relationship between the two has clearly been successful, if these rumors prove to be accurate. However, another period of exclusivity on the new processor in 2018 won’t be well-received by Qualcomm’s other partners.

Little has been said elsewhere about a Snapdragon 845 processor. A rumor originating from a Weibo social network source at the beginning of 2017 said a future Qualcomm chip referred to as the Snapdragon 84x would be revealed during the final three months of 2017. Whether this will end up being an 840 or 845 remains to be seen, as does the authenticity of the rumor. Apparently, the chip will have eight cores.

Nothing else is known about the Galaxy S9, but we’ll keep you updated here as we hear more. For now though, if you want a new Samsung, phone grab yourself a Galaxy S8, because we’re still almost a year away from seeing a sequel.

Microsoft enables free wireless internet for Virginia’s rural students

Why it matters to you

Microsoft is making it possible for students in rural communities to have affordable access to high-speed internet.

Microsoft has launched a new “Homework Network,” offering wireless internet access to students in rural Virginia for the first time. Set to be made available to thousands of school-age children within Charlotte and Halifax counties, the wireless initiative makes use of free white space parts of the wireless spectrum, making it possible to offer the service for free.

White space is the designation of gaps in the the wireless spectrum which sit between existing broadcast bands. Often unused, the Homework Network leverages that space to extend existing wireless access from local schools to the wider communities. The technology uses a connection between base stations installed on towers or near fiber-connected schools, which link up with outdoor antennas attached to students’ homes.

Launched in collaboration between Microsoft’s Affordable Access Initiative and the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities group, the network is being installed by local service provider, B2X Online. It’s able to cover large geographic areas without much infrastructure, despite the hilly and forested local terrain.

So far 100 homes have been tested as part of a pilot scheme. Now the plan is to install it in a thousand homes by the end of the year. That should give around 3,000 students access to the high-speed wireless internet.

Microsoft stated that it hopes the FCC can allocate white space like this to local wireless internet initiatives across the country, but especially in rural communities where access to high-speed internet is far from common, if not impossible.

As it stands, some 5 million homes in the United States are said to be lacking fast internet access (as per MSPowerUser), which Microsoft and others claim leaves students behind when it comes to research and learning outside of school. That so-called “homework gap” is something it wants to close, to ensure that rural students have just as much access to information as those in more built up areas.

IFTTT advances smart homes by expanding its Applet platform for Makers

Why it matters to you

IFTTT serves the valuable purpose of linking devices, apps, and services that wouldn’t otherwise talk to each other. Now, it’s getting better at it.

If you aren’t familiar with IFTTT — short for “If This Then That” — it can be a little tough to wrap your head around. The basic gist of the platform, though, is this: It cleverly links together hardware, services, and apps that wouldn’t otherwise talk to each other. Using IFTTT, you can trigger a Philips Hue bulb to turn blue when one of your Twitter followers favorites a post, for instance, or update your Facebook status every time you post a new Instagram pic.

But those are just the basics. IFTTT’s growing platform, which includes more than 430 unique integrations and more than 200,000 developers, affords an almost endless degree of customization. And on Wednesday, May 24, IFTTT announced a new program that’ll allow developers to extend its capabilities even further.

“Each service you use is locked away in a silo — it has data about you, and that data has value,” IFTTT CEO Linden Tibbets told Digital Trends. “We offer to facilitate the exchange between silos.”

To that end, IFTT’s expanded developer program builds on two components it introduced last year: Applets, or integrations bundled into single, configurable sets; and Maker, a suite of tools that lets developers build and publish sophisticated routines.

Applets, put simply, are pre-configured IFTTT connections users can enable with the flick of a switch. A IFTTT news Applet might save stories from the New York Times to Instapaper, and a smart home Applet might unlock your front door and switch on your living room lamp.

The goal with Applets was simplicity. Tibbets said. More than 60 percent of new IFTTT users start with integrations curated by the platform’s editorial team.

But simplicity necessitated limitations. Until Tuesday, users couldn’t build Applets that worked with more than two IFTTT services, making it impossible to publish an Applet that’d, say, post your tweets to Reddit and Facebook.

Now, developers in IFTTT’s Maker program can build apps that work with any service, including proprietary platforms like Philips Hue and BMW Connected. Makers and IFTTT partners can now build Applets that work with standard JavaScript code. And Maker developers can now build Applets with multiple actions — a capability previously exclusive to IFTTT partners like GE and Google.

Tibbets gave a few examples. Users enrolled in the Maker program can publish an Applet that triggers the garage door when a BMW pulls up to the driveway, for example, or an Applet that flips on the lights and turns down the blinds with a Google Home voice command.

Starting today, Maker developers will have a public profile page where they can showcase their Applets. And in the near future, IFTTT’s partners will be able to feature Applets built by makers on pages of their own.

“We’re constantly thinking about how access is handled today — and when to grant access. Users and services are at the same negotiating table.” Tibbets said. “They both have a say in how data can move. We want to make better use of the services and connections that you already have.”

Farming Simulator 18 heading to Android on June 6

As is now customary, the new version of Farming Simulator for mobile drops in alternate years to the desktop and console. Farming Simulator 18 is now official and will arrive on Android alongside iOS, PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS on June 6.

Become a modern farmer in Farming Simulator 18! Immerse yourself in a new, engaging Southern US environment, harvesting wheat, canola, corn, sugar beet, potatoes and, for the first time, sunflowers. Take care of your livestock with new animals to breed and transport, as pigs are now joining the indispensable sheep and cows!

As ever Farming Simulator comes packed to the rafters with licensing, with a wide range of meticulously recreated machinery making its way into the game from the top names in farming machinery. For the first time, too, legendary brands Fendt and Massey Ferguson are included.

Farming Simulator is one of those games that sounds incredibly dull until you actually play it. Then you get completely sucked in. Expect nothing less from the ’18 edition!

Get £25 off the Amazon Echo right now in the UK!

If you’ve got a hankering for an Amazon Echo but you were waiting for a deal, now would be the time to bite. For a “limited time” Amazon UK has taken £25 off the price of the big Echo, bringing it down to £124.99.

It’s valid on both colors and is a decent chunk off the usual £150 asking price. Though predictably Amazon isn’t saying how limited the limited time is, so it’s probably wise to jump on it sooner rather than later.

The bigger Echo has the advantage of being a much better speaker than the Echo Dot and it’s actually pretty great for listening to music through as well as engaging in all the connected goodness Alexa brings.

See at Amazon

Amazon Echo

• Amazon Echo review
• Echo Dot review
• Top Echo Tips & Tricks
• Tap, Echo or Dot: The ultimate Alexa question
• Amazon Echo vs. Google Home
• Get the latest Alexa news

Amazon

Top Kodi Tips and Tricks

Get the most out of your Kodi experience on Android!

Kodi is king when it comes to media centers.

Whether you’ve just installed Kodi from the Google Play Store on your Android phone or have it set up on an Android TV box such as the NVIDIA Shield, we’ve got some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your Kodi experience.

It’s all about the add-ons

Kodi is a great option for organizing and accessing all your media: from photos and music, to your favorite movies and videos. However, the really interesting stuff comes when you start diving into the addons.

There’s a bustling community of developers who have created a whole slew of add-ons for Kodi which allow you to stream content from all sorts of places. You’ll find add-ons for popular sites like YouTube, twitch.tv and much more in the repository included within Kodi — but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Independent parties have created their own repositories of Kodi add-ons that you may be interested in. Some of them offer illegal streams of content, so you’ll need to use your own discretion to keep things legal and safe You can find communities dedicated to Kodi addons which offer plenty of resources and support for new users just starting out using Kodi.

Add your favorite shows and add-ons to your favorites

Kodi is really great for storing and organizing your media, but having to navigate through the menus to find specific content can be a bit clunky.

Fortunately, there’s the Kodi Favorites menu, which lets you add quick links to your favorite stored media, as well as your favorite add-ons and even content from your addons. What you add to your favorites menu is entirely up to you — to lets you quickly access not only your favorite media stored on your device, but also lets you add not only your most used addons as well.

Screencast your phone to watch Kodi on Chromecast

Kodi doesn’t currently include native support for streaming from your phone to a Chromecast-enabled TV, but the screencasting function built into the Google Home app offers a quick workaround for streaming content from your phone to your TV without needing to buy a separate Android TV box or dealing with wires and adapters.

The benefits are that you’ll be able to keep touch controls for your media literally in-hand while streaming to your TV using only your phone and a Chromecast. This setup works even better if you’re able to dedicate it to an older Android phone you have laying around.

Explore the deep audio settings

Kodi offers deep audio settings for your media playback, and it’s something you’re definitely going to use if you’re streaming content or using the screencast tip above.

On top of letting you crank up the audio amplification if you need that extra oomph, the menu also includes subtitles also the option to fine tune the audio offset if you find the audio is out of sync with the video. These audio settings are easily available to you while you’re watching a video, simply tap or select the settings gear then select Audio Settings.

If you find the perfect audio settings for your home theater setup, you can choose to save them as the default for all media so you don’t have to continue to tweak them every time.

Change the skin

Kodi is open-source, which means you’re able to control nearly every aspect of your Kodi experience. Now, you may enjoy the default look and feel of Kodi, but you should know you have plenty of different skins to choose from, which offer different menu layouts and themes depending on how you intend to use Kodi.

For example, if you’ve installed Kodi on your phone or tablet, there are skins that are optimized for touch controls. With the Kodi 17.1 app for Android, the default skin is much easier to control on a touchscreen, however, there’s still a skin specifically for touchscreens that makes it even easier to use.

Use your phone as a Kodi remote

Kodi runs great on an Android TV box, but the remotes that ship with most of those devices are notoriously simplistic and cheap. You do have another option — you can use your phone to control Kodi.

Kore is the official remote app for Kodi which lets you control your Kodi media center using your phone. It works with Kodi 14.0 and includes a slew of smart features: it will show what’s currently playing including any relevant information, let you change and download subtitles, manage your playlists and more.

Arguably the best feature here is the ability to use your phone to enter text — a huge time-saver if you’re using an addon with a search function because using the on-screen keyboard for Android TV is brutal.

Kore will walk you through the setup process, which requires your two devices to be on the same wireless network and go into Kodi Settings > Services > Control and enable Allow remote control via HTTP.

Download: Kore (Free)