You’ll probably want a case for your Galaxy S8 after seeing these photos

Let this forum member’s sad story encourage you to buy a case for your Galaxy S8.

The Galaxy S8 series, beautiful as it may be, is covered in glass. And while Samsung is using Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides to protect against scratches, with enough surface area, and an impact hard enough to cause damage, the substrate can crack and break. Such is glass.

One of our writers, Matt Brown, already went through this with his five day-old S8, but now forum member jfreeusa has some brutal photos of a new Galaxy S8 with an extensive network of cracks after a fall.

jfreeusa
05-21-2017 11:48 AM

“

Bought the Samsung S8 and unfortunately dropped it the first day and it shattered like glass. I cannot believe Samsung is doing this to us. The screen is gorilla glass which is great then they have the nerve to charge 600-800+ for a phone made of something so fragile. Where I bought it they did not have a case for it. I say buy a case first then the phone.

Reply

It’s not clear how the phone was dropped, nor from how high, but there are three clear points of impact that spider out to the center of the back. It’s quite a sight to behold, actually.

There are ways to protect the Galaxy S8 if it’s dropped — we have a list of great cases for the S8 — but the best solution is just to be careful with the phone. If that’s not possible, a Galaxy S8 Active is likely on its way to AT&T in the next few weeks.

Have you had an experience with a dropped or cracked Galaxy S8?

Join the conversation in the forums!

Samsung Galaxy S8 Active leaves behind the physical navigation buttons

An active Galaxy that doesn’t really look like it.

Leaks don’t get much more verifiable than this. The Wireless Power Consortium —the company in charge of the Qi standard — has posted what appears to be the front of the Galaxy S8 Active, a likely-AT&T exclusive that will debut in the next few weeks.

Though the phone shares the same basic design as the Galaxy S8, it doesn’t have the (fragile) curved glass, and a slightly larger side bezel buttresses the 5.8-inch screen, reinforced at the corners to protect against impact.

What’s perhaps most interesting about the design is what it lacks, the three physical navigation buttons that have been a mainstay of the Active line for years. Of course, to keep with the new 18.5:9 aspect ratio and general Galaxy S8 design language, the decision is not surprising, but it may come as a disappointment to those holding out hope that Samsung would maintain at least one flagship with physical keys.

As with previous Active versions of Galaxy phones, the Galaxy S8 Active is expected to be more robust, with a more extensive MIL-SPEC and IP water ingress rating. It’s also obvious from the leak that, like the Galaxy S8, there’s an additional button on the left side below the volume rocker, but it’s not clear whether this will be dedicated to Bixby or be customizable like on previous Actives.

What do you think? Would you buy a Galaxy S8 Active? Let us know in the comments below!

Icon Pack Studio is a neat icon mask maker with a bad name

Smart Launcher makes one hell of a launcher, and it just stepped up its theming game in a big, big way.

Smart Launcher released Icon Pack Studio last week, giving ordinary users with zero experience the ability to create icon masks that will evenly and beautifully apply to all of the apps on their home screen and app drawer. Even better, the way Smart Launcher made this move lets its victory come to other launchers as well, giving users a win and giving Smart Launcher a new way to try and coax users away from their long-time launcher.

I just wish they’d given it a name that wasn’t a lie.

See, icon packs like Whicons, Glim, and S_Eight leave gaps. There are millions of apps in Google Play, to say nothing of third-party app stores, and it’s impossible for icon makers to make specialized icons for them all in their packs. That’s why we have icon masks, to help smooth over the gaps an icon pack can leave in your app drawer. Some masks are better than others, depending on how well the developer codes them, but there’s no such thing as a seamless icon mask.

Icon Pack Studio is about as close as I think we’ll ever come, though.

Icon Pack Studio is a mask-maker, allowing you to set your mask’s shape color, and size; you can add strokes and shadows and lights. You can even pay to add fun textures and angles. The packs are easy to make, although the color picker can be a little odd, only letting you choose from a few basic colors during the initial mask creation and then letting you tweak them later in the advanced editor.

It’s also not initially apparent, but even though you have to begin with a shape on your icon pack, you can make that shape invisible in the advanced editor, allowing you to make an icon mask that themes the original icon in its original shape rather than slapping it inside a circle, or a pentagon, or one of those squircles everyone’s so in love with. You can also get more detailed with the FX on your icon mask, though things are still a bit sparse for now.

If you want to apply the pack within Smart Launcher 3, it’s easy to set right there, but if you want to use it somewhere else, you need to export your finished icon mask as an APK, install it the way you would any other icon pack, and then apply the icon pack in your launcher of choice. Because different launchers apply icon packs differently, your icon mask may work differently or not work at all. The icon masks worked perfectly in Action and Nova … but not in Aviate. That’s not Icon Pack Studio’s fault; that’s long been a problem of Android, and will continue to be so long as icon masking isn’t standardized across launchers.

Icon Pack Studio is an excellent start, and whenever they add more metallic and chrome textures for their masks, I might stay on it for most of my themes. Until then, Icon Pack Studio is a handy, if incomplete, tool … but please don’t call what it makes an icon pack.

Samsung Galaxy S9 apparently in development, because of course it is

Galaxy S9 and S9+ development reportedly 3-4 months ahead of previous devices.

Once again, your shiny new Samsung Galaxy S8 is OLD NEWS. According to reports from the Korean press, development of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ is apparently already well underway, under the codenames “Star” and “Star 2” respectively. That’s entirely unsurprinsing in itself — you’d certainly expect next year’s phone to be in the works by now, as we approach the midway point of 2017.

The main takeaway: GS9 development could be further along than previous phones in previous years.

But what’s supposedly different this time around, according to The Bell, is that the production schedule for the Galaxy S9 is reportedly some three to four months ahead of previous flagships. According to the outlet’s sources, that means the GS9 could enter mass production before the end of 2017, which could point to an earlier launch window in 2018 — which in turn could make a public unveiling at Mobile World Congress 2018 a real possibility.

At the same time, it’s worth taking unconfirmed reports like this with a pinch of salt, especially when they come from a single source. Even if the Galaxy S9’s production timeline is ahead of previous releases, we’re still a good nine months or more away from seeing the fruits of Samsung’s efforts.

As for the codename itself, “Star” fits into the standard pattern of telling us basically nothing about the phone itself. Previous Samsung codenames have included Dream (GS8), Grace (Note 7) and Zen (GS6 edge+); the upcoming Note 8 reportedly goes by the codename “Great.”

The only other nugget of GS9 info we have thus far is that Samsung is reportedlt working with Qualcomm on the next-gen Snapdragon chips that’ll power the phone in some regions. Again, no surprises there.

Samsung Galaxy S9 could be codenamed ‘Star’, entering development early

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ are now widely available, following a launch slightly later in the year than expected, but now we’re starting to hear gossip about Samsung’s next flagship, the Galaxy S9 scheduled for 2018.

We say it’s gossip and you should treat this with some suspicion, but there’s talk coming from Korea’s The Bell, saying that what we assume will be called the Galaxy S9 is under development using the codename “Star”.

The source claims that development of the new phone is in advance of previous years, although this sort of rumour is common in the early life of a new product: guessing the Galaxy S9 release date would be impossible and we can’t see that Samsung would vary too much from March or April 2018.

The company’s first priority will be the Galaxy Note 8, that, despite Samsung’s problem with the Note 7, looks to be ramping up for launch in the second half of 2017, perhaps late August or September.

• Samsung Galaxy Note 8: What’s the story so far?

There’s no information about what the Galaxy S9 might offer, but The Bell reports that it’s likely to focus on a development of the Infinity Display. We’d expect a subtle evolution, perhaps addressing the fingerprint scanner that seems like the phone’s biggest weakness, as well as rolling in some innovation introduced on the Note 8.

As we said, take it all with a pinch of salt and certainly don’t hang around deciding whether to wait or to buy the Galaxy S8. Samsung’s latest is a fantastic phone, certainly one of the best of 2017 so far.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 vs S8 Plus: Which should you choose?

What is Amazon Prime and what do you get for £79 or $99 a year?

Amazon Prime launched in 2007 in the UK and two-years earlier in the US. It’s now available in multiple countries around the world and millions of members have signed up to receive a swathe of benefits.

However, it can be a little confusing as to what it actually offers. There’s actually so many small deals and services attached to Prime membership that even if you are a subscriber already, you might not realise what you get.

That’s why we’ve put together this explainer, to give newcomers and existing members the rundown of what Amazon Prime has to offer.

What is Amazon Prime?

Amazon Prime is a paid membership that, for an annual or monthly fee, gives access to a number of Amazon services and enhancements.

It is available at Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or from most of the other local Amazon websites around the globe.

How much does Amazon Prime cost?

In the UK, Amazon Prime membership costs either £7.99 a month or £79 a year – the latter clearly makes more economic sense but requires an annual payment so you might want to spread the cost monthly.

You can also subscribe to Prime Video exclusively for £5.99 a month. That’s if you don’t want the other Prime benefits. Prime Video is included in the other Prime membership fees.

In the US, Amazon Prime membership costs $10.99 a month or $99 a year. A Prime Video only account costs $8.99 a month.

In both regions, you can try Prime membership for free for the first 30-days. If you cancel within that time, it doesn’t cost you a penny. You will be charged after the 30 days are up if you don’t cancel, however.

• Try it for 30-days for free on Amazon.co.uk here
• Try it for 30-days for free on Amazon.com here

What do you get with Amazon Prime membership?

Amazon Prime membership covers several key services, which come at no extra cost.

Unlimited one-day and same-day delivery

Prime was originally devised to offer free one-day delivery on millions of eligible items across all categories on Amazon’s online store. Order an item tagged as Prime and you will get it the next day – even on Sundays.

In some cases this includes same-day delivery, with postcodes and zipcodes in and around many major cities across the UK and US covered by Amazon’s same-day delivery scheme.

Amazon

Prime Now

Access to Amazon’s Prime Now service even means you can have an item delivered for free within two-hours. This includes thousands of “best of Amazon” items and even groceries.

You can also get one-hour deliveries if you pay an additional £6.99 or $7.99 per delivery.

It’s only available in certain locations for now, including London, Liverpool and Manchester in the UK, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles in the States.

Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video is the company’s alternative to Netflix. It offers thousands of TV shows, documentaries and movies to stream to multiple devices, without having to pay anything extra.

This includes blockbuster movies, such as American Sniper, The Hateful Eight, Edge of Tomorrow and Interstellar. It also includes TV series, including exclusives made by Amazon itself – as part of the Amazon Originals line-up – or licensed by the company.

Amazon

In the UK, this includes Mr Robot, The Man in the High Castle and Preacher. The Grand Tour, starring Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, is an Amazon Original and therefore only available on Prime Video.

As detailed above, you can also subscribe to Amazon Prime Video in the UK and US for £5.99 or $8.99 a month respectively without any of the other Prime benefits, but considering it only costs £2/$2 a month more for full Prime membership (less if you pay annually) it seems a waste.

• How to watch Amazon Video on your Android phone or tablet
• How to watch Amazon Prime Video on TV: Your complete guide

Prime Music and Amazon Music Unlimited

Prime Music offers more than two million music tracks to listen to on demand, streamed over the internet to any one of multiple devices. It is included with a Prime subscription, but you can also choose to pay extra (£7.99 a month, £79 a year for Prime members in the UK, $7.99/$79 in the US)  for a Music Unlimited pass to expand the music choice to more than 40 million tracks.

Music Unlimited costs more for non-Prime members.

It also offers a 30-day free trial.

• Subscribe to Music Unlimited on Amazon.co.uk here
• Subscribe to Music Unlimited on Amazon.com here

Prime Reading

You can read over a thousand books, magazines, comics and more with Prime Reading. It works with any of the Kindle apps for multiple devices, or on Kindle eBook readers. You just need to find content supported for Prime Reading and read it as part of your overall Prime membership.

In the US, some books with Audible narration are supported too.

Audible original audio series can also be listened to with an American Prime membership. That service is yet to come to the UK.

Twitch Prime

After Amazon bought videogames video streaming service Twitch it added some benefits for Prime subscribers. Discounts on games, additional in-game content and ad-free viewing of Twitch streams are on offer. You can also subscribe to your favourite Twitch channel at no extra cost.

Prime Photos

As part of your membership, you get unlimited photo storage on Amazon Drive – the retailer’s cloud service. That means you can upload and keep a copy of every photo on your desktop PC, Mac or mobile device. There are apps for both iOS and Android. You can even set them up to automatically upload your pictures as you take them, ensuring you never lose an image, even if you phone is lost or stolen.

Early access to Lightning Deals

All year round, Amazon runs a sales and deals section of its website called Lightning Deals, which offers big bargains on products for a limited time. There is a finite amount of stock on offer for each item and when they have all been bought, the deal is over.

Prime membership means you get a 30-minute heads-up on all deals before non-members can also purchase them, so you get the chance to snaffle them first. This is especially attractive during big sales periods, such as during the build-up to Black Friday each year.

• Search for Lightning Deals on Amazon.co.uk here
• Search for Lightning Deals on Amazon.com here

Amazon Family

With a Prime membership, you can also sign up to Amazon Family, which gives you other benefits, such as 20 per cent off nappies when ordered with Amazon’s Subscribe & Save scheme.

Create an Amazon Household and you can also share your Prime benefits with one other adult. You can also manage digital content and parental controls for kids services, such as Kindle for Kids or Fire for Kids.

Pocket-lint

Fire for Kids Unlimited

While it’s not an included benefit, Fire for Kids Unlimited is a no-add subscription service that works across Amazon Fire Tablets and is much cheaper for Prime members. It’s also known as Amazon FreeTime Unlimited in the US.

It costs £1.99 ($2.99) a month for access for one child, £4.99 ($6.99) for up to four children. The usual price for non-Prime members is £3.99 ($4.99) and £7.99 ($9.99) a month respectively.

US parents can also subscribe for a yearly fee of $83 for Prime members, $119 for non-members. That gives access for up to four children.

Fire for Kids Unlimited / Amazon FreeTime Unlimited includes access to a large, curated selection of age-appropriate eBooks, TV shows, movies, games and educational apps.

Dummy iPhone 8 hands-on video once again shows vertical camera

The launch might not be for another four months or so but that doesn’t stop the iPhone 8 rumour mill gathering pace.

A video has been posted online, claiming to show a display dummy version of the much talked-about new premium handset from Apple. It doesn’t work, most likely doesn’t have any inner hardware and there’s no way to confirm whether it originated from Apple, one of its suppliers or a case manufacturer.

However, even if a fan-made mock-up based on former rumours, it does give an indication as to how the phone could look when launched later this year – if the current spate of speculated features are true.

For one, you can see what a vertical camera unit on the rear could look like. It matches the same location and size of the camera slot in “leaked” case moulds we’ve also seen recently.

You can also see how the curved OLED screen could be utilised.

Of course, it could all be poppycock and yet another in a long string of fakes that we fully expect to emerge over the coming weeks and months. But hey, the video is short so it can’t harm to give it a quick gander.

You can also catch up with Pocket-lint’s rumour round-up of all the iPhone 8 news so far: Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus: What’s the story so far?

Dolby Atmos in a laptop? First impressions of Dolby Atmos Sound System

Huawei has unveiled the MateBook X, its attempt to muscle in on the thin and light laptop space, rivalling devices like the Apple MacBook or the Asus ZenBook 3.

There’s a number of firsts that you totally expect from Huawei: really thin bezels give you a 13-inch display in the space you’d normally find a 12-inch, it’s incredibly thin at 12.5mm and it also will run Intel’s Core i7 processors with no fan, thanks to “space age” cooling technology.

The MateBook X also introduces something called Dolby Atmos Sound System and it’s promising to totally change audio on your laptop.

What is Dolby Atmos Sound System?

There’s two parts to that name, there’s the Dolby Atmos part that you recognise from home cinema or movie theatres and then there’s the Sound System part tagged on the end.

This is potentially confusing: Dolby Atmos is all about creating an immersive sound space that differentiates itself from common or garden surround sound by adding height: it’s being able to place a sound objects above you that really defines the Dolby Atmos experience.

We’ve seen a slight dilution of that brand over the early parts of 2017. The move into mobile devices like smartphones sees Dolby Atmos branding, but not delivering the experience in the way you would expect if you’ve see it in the cinema.

• Dolby Atmos explained: What is it and how do I get it?

So Dolby Atmos Sound System isn’t exactly the same thing. It has some of the same aims – creating a greater stereo separation and the ability to create and place sonic object effects, but it isn’t the same as a full home Atmos system that will have sounds moving around behind your head, like you’re sitting in a sound bubble.

Dolby says that it’s about making the sound experience better than it has been before, but accepts that it’s not going to be the same as sitting in a Dolby Atmos cinema.

How does the Dolby Atmos Sound System work?

In the case of the MateBook X, the key is that Dolby got to work with Huawei early on in the design process. This means that Dolby could have more input into the design of the speaker drivers, how they were located and housed within the new Ultrabook, as well as the grille design.

Dolby told us that in many partnerships of this type, the audio company is handed the near-finished product and asked to make the sound better, meaning that they have very little real input.

Pocket-lint

Dolby Atmos Sound System is both a hardware and software solution. It relies on the speaker hardware as well as the software processing to create the effect, with Dolby saying that the MateBook X has bespoke speakers, with two motors each, meaning they can drive more air and create better audio effects – as well as producing sound beyond what you’d expect from a compact notebook.

On the software side, you get a control panel will let you switch between different sound modes –  dynamic, movie, music, voice and game – as well as letting you personalise the experience.

Software is important because it’s managing the whole process and using the stereo speakers the virtualise the immersive effects.

How good does Dolby Atmos Sound System sound?

First impressions are good. We’ve not had long to listen in too much depth, but the demos we’ve experienced create a noticeable immersive effect, the sort of thing you’d expect from a surround sound system, albeit not having rear channels or the sense of a vast soundscape that a good Atmos system will create.

The demos we listened to were at very high volume and things sounded a little shrill, at the high end, but watching the opening scene of Max Mad: Fury Road, the whispers were swirling around us when sitting in front of the MateBook X. Subsequently we’ve watched a number of movies and found a definite widening of the sound stage, if not quite as impressive as the original demos.

For a 2.0 system in the MateBook X there’s surprising depth to the sound quality, so listening to music is pretty good and switching sound modes can make a difference: music is a little flatter than movie, for example.

Pocket-lint

On the MateBook X is you turn the speakers up full volume there’s a still a lot of distortion that destroys the experience and playing bass-heavy tracks will do the same: Dolby Atmos Sound System isn’t a magic bullet in that sense, it still has limitations.

Dolby is also promising a great headphone experience and we assume that having a Dolby Atmos Sound System laptop will mean you can get greater separation and more delicate handling from movies, for a more immersive experience – of course you need movies that will deliver that degree of separation. Again, the volume levels on offer far exceed what we’d be able to listen to through headphones, so on the MateBook X, it might be pushing a little too powerfully.

Will Dolby Atmos Sound System be coming to other devices?

Yes. It made its debut on the Huawei MateBook X, but at the launch event, Dolby closed its section of the presentation by saying that it was looking forward to seeing the spread of Dolby Atmos Sound System.

Dolby is presenting Atmos Sound System as something that can be used by OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to improve the performance of their audio offering. It’s on the MateBook X and MateBook D, but we’re sure we’ll see it appearing in other devices soon enough.

Best movies to look forward to in 2017: Here are all the top film trailers

We’re finally into big movie season, with Easter now passed. That means the big blockbuster season is in full swing and there are plenty of major motion pictures in cinemas now and coming up over the next eight months.

There are returns for some much-loved comic book characters, some long-awaited sequels and a few movie debuts. Oh, and then there’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, of course.

So here’s our pick of the big screen delights either about to hit cinemas or awaiting us later in 2017, all listed in release date order. We’ll also update this round-up as new trailers emerge

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge

• UK release date: 26 May 2017
• Directors: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg
• Stars: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem

The Pirates franchise returns with a fifth outing for Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp), also known as Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales in the US. Directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg made their names directing on the Marco Polo TV series (currently on Netflix), so it’ll look good at the very least.

Wonder Woman

• UK release date: 2 June 2017
• Director: Patty Jenkins
• Stars: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright

After stealing the limelight in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and ahead of Justice League, Gal Gadot once again dons the star-spangled pants of Wonder Woman in an origin story that could well be better than most DC Comics-based movies of the last few years.

Baywatch

• UK release date: 2 June
• Director: Seth Gordon
• Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario

Baywatch is back, albeit as a tongue-in-cheek, self-referential comedy. Seth Gordon directed the great Horrible Bosses (not the weaker sequel) so there’s hope for some excellent comedy timing and set-pieces. And with The Rock and Zac Efron on board, what can go wrong?

The Mummy

• UK release date: 9 June 2017
• Director: Alex Kurtzman
• Stars: Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Annabelle Wallis

Universal reboots its monster series again, this time with Tom Cruise starring. Kurtzman hasn’t got a long directorial history, but his writing CV includes Star Trek and Mission Impossible movies so it should at least be tightly packed with humour and action in equal measure.

Transformers: The Last Knight

• UK release date: 23 June 2017
• Director: Michael Bay
• Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Isabela Moner

Another Transformers movie – the fifth – and this time there’s no Optimus Prime. Or is there? A massive cast is headed by Mark Wahlberg once again, with Humans’ Gemma Chan joining the fun.

Despicable Me 3

• UK release date: 30 June 2017
• Directors: Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin, Eric Guillon
• Stars: Steve Carell, Kirstin Wiig, Trey Parker

The Minions was good, but this is what we want – another full on Despicable Me sequel. Gru discovers he has a twin brother, Dru and chaos ensues. Of course.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

• UK release date: 7 July 2017
• Director: Jon Watts
• Stars: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jnr

Spider-Man finally gets his own film as part of the Marvel cinematic universe. Loosely based on the Ultimate Spider-Man stories and fitting in with the current Marvel movie continuity, the new film (and trailer) looks like dispelling bad memories of The (less-than) Amazing Spider-Man 2.

War for the Planet of the Apes

• UK release date: 14 July 2017
• Director: Matt Reeves
• Stars: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Judy Greer

The recent Planet of the Apes films have been excellent so far, so this third in the series welcome around these parts. Matt Reeves directs again after the respectable Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. He’s also attached to the future Batman solo film: The Batman.

Cars 3

• UK release date: 14 July 2017
• Director: Brian Fee
• Stars: Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy

Pixar brings back Cars yet again, which will excite younger ones as they clamour over the toys once more. Perhaps with a knowing wink, the plot focuses on the replacement of Lightning McQueen as the best racer on the circuit, and his subsequent quest to get back on top.

Dunkirk

• UK release date: 21 July 2017
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Stars: Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Brannagh

We fully expect Saving Private Ryan style realism and shocks in this telling of one of World War II’s biggest and most infamous battles. It also stars Harry Stiles from One Direction, don’t you know?

The Emoji Movie

• UK release date: 4 August 2017
• Director: Tony Leondis
• Stars: Steven Wright, TJ Miller, James Cordon

Sir Patrick Stewart plays the Poop emoji. ‘Nuff said.

Atomic Blonde

• UK release date: 11 August 2017
• Director: David Leitch
• Stars: Charlize Theron, Sofia Boutella, James McAvoy

Based on The Coldest City, a graphic novel authored by the writer of the Dead Space games, Antony Johnston, Atomic Blonde is a hard hitting, adult spy movie based in the cold war period. The red band trailer is especially revealing.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard

• UK release date: 18 August 2017
• Director: Patrick Hughes
• Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L Jackson, Salma Hayek

Ryan Reynolds plays a bodyguard who must look after Samuel L Jackson’s hitman before he testifies in court – cue much hilarity and much swearing. This is the red band trailer, so also contains many an MF bomb, so be careful with playing it out loud. 

The Dark Tower

• UK release date: 18 August 2017
• Director: Nikolaj Arcel
• Stars: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Katheryn Winnick

Based on the Stephen King series of novels, Sony will hope that it has a major franchise on its hands with the first chapter. There are eight books in total, after all.

Inhumans

• UK release date: 1 September 2017
• Director: Scott Buck (created by)
• Stars: Sonya Balmores, Isabelle Cornish, Eme Ikwuakor 

Although it is, strictly speaking, a superhero TV series from Marvel, due to be screened on ABC in the States, the first two episodes will be screened in IMAX cinemas globally. You’ll have two weeks to go see them before the show officially starts on TV.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle

• UK release date: 29 September 2017
• Director: Matthew Vaughn
• Stars: Taron Egerton, Channing Tatum, Colin Firth

The sequel to one of the best comic book movie adaptations of recent times reunites Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Harry (Colin Firth) in an even more bombastic take on the James Bond spy genre. Superb stuff.

Blade Runner 2049

• UK release date: 6 October 2017
• Director: Denis Villeneuve
• Stars: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto

Blade Runner returns after many years with Ryan Gosling taking on the role of an investigator out to find Harrison Ford’s Deckard 30 years after the events of the first film. After directing Sicario and the superb Arrival, we have high hopes that Villeneuve’s style will live up to the original – the trailer suggests it will.

Thor: Ragnarok

• UK release date: 27 October 2017
• Director: Taika Waititi
• Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hiddleston

As we race headlong towards the Infinity War and the mother of all star-studded crossovers, Thor finds himself stranded on a distant planet and up against former fellow Avenger The Hulk. Yes, Planet Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at last!

Justice League

• UK release date: 17 November 2017
• Director: Zack Snyder
• Stars: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill

Please don’t be rubbish. Please don’t be rubbish. Please don’t be…

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

• UK release date: 15 December 2017
• Director: Rian Johnson
• Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill

After the brief prequel excursion of Rogue One – out now on Blu-ray – we get the next chapter in the latest trilogy. And we cannot wait.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, otherwise known as Episode VIII, will start with Rey’s meeting with Luke Skywalker and presumably chart her path to becoming a Jedi. Or perhaps not, if rumours are to be believed.

Deadpool 2

• UK release date: 1 June 2018
• Director: David Leitch
• Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin

Okay, so it’s not coming out in 2017 and the above isn’t technically a trailer – that sequence won’t be in the final movie – but it’s so funny we couldn’t not include it. Roll on Deadpool 2. Oh yes!

Bang & Olufsen’s new product is… beer!

Bang & Olufsen, through its B&O Play brand, has taken an odd swerve with its latest product. It has produced its own beer.

Beobrew IPA has been crafted in partnership with Danish microbrewery Mikkeller and is unique in that a Beoplay A1 speaker is used in the brewing process.

The Bluetooth speaker is lowered into the fermenting tank and music is played at high volumes during the two-week conditioning process. The vibrations apparently forces the yeast into producing more flavour.

B&O Play

“By playing music in the fermenting tank, we are adding a fifth ingredient that takes the beer to a new level. As the music plays, it pumps out a unique pattern of vibrations that assists the yeast during fermentation and encourages the yeast to produce more flavourful esters than it would have without the presence of music,” said Mikkeller head brewer Kyle Wolak.

• Which B&O Play speaker is right for you?

The process results in a 6.8 per cent American style IPA beer that has a “bright and aromatic taste” with “citrus fruit and floral notes”.

B&O or beer fans can buy the beer from Mikkeller’s own website. You can also check out the video below to get a more in-depth look at the brewing process.

And yes, it is May rather than the beginning of April.