Huawei’s Matebook X: Our first take

The thin, light, and powerful Matebook X is one of the most ambitious laptops we’ve seen this year.

Huawei, the Shenzhen, China-based company behind the P10, Huawei Watch, the MediaPad M3, and a cavalcade of other mobile hardware, is a relative newcomer to PCs. Last year’s 2-in-1 Matebook, which packed Windows 10, an iPad-inspired aluminum unibody, and a full chicklet keyboard, marked the company’s first foray into premium computing.

The Matebook X is a traditional, all-metal laptop that boasts a thin frame, narrow bezels, and Dolby-optimized audio.

It didn’t make for a great first impression, unfortunately. The Matebook’s $700 asking price pitted it squarely against incumbents like the Surface Pro 4, and color accuracy and hard drive problems marred otherwise great hardware.

But Huawei’s nothing if not persistent. This year it’s back with the Matebook X, a traditional, all-metal laptop that boasts a thin frame, narrow bezels, and Dolby-optimized audio. Whether that’s enough to best standard-bearers like Apple, Dell, Microsoft will depend in large part on its pricing, which Huawei has yet to announce. But regardless, it looks like a stronger showing than the company’s first event.

As light and thin as a feather

The first thing you’ll notice about the 13-inch Matebook X is its slimness. Altogether, the laptop’s body measures 12mm thick and weighs 2.31 pounds — about a hair thinner and heavier than the incredibly compact LG Gram (12.7mm, and 2.4 pounds).

That’s all thanks to a fanless design that’s consistent across configurations. Even the most powerful Matebook X model, which packs Intel’s 7th Generation Core i7 processor, ships with a heat-dissipating backplate engineered by Huawei’s phone design team.

Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

Huawei said the Matebook X will launch in several flavors when it ships later this year. Storage and memory will start at 128GB and 4GB of RAM, up to a maximum of 512GB and 8GB. Core i5 models will be available, too, but only in select markets. Huawei says it will share more information soon.

All configurations will include the same inputs — a 3.5mm audio jack, two USB-C connectors (one on the right and on on the left), and a proprietary charging port. Battery life is quoted at 10 hours on a charge. Keep in mind that manufacturer estimates tend to be high, so real-world use will likely drain the battery more quickly.

Thin bezels steal the show

Just as impressive are its display bezels, which Huawei said are the narrowest on the market. The border between the Matebook X’s screen and edge measures 4.4mm, almost a full millimeter thinner than the bezels on the Dell XPS 13’s Infinity Display (5.2mm). In our brief time with it, we were impressed by the screen’s brightness. It’s a 2K (2,160 x 1,440) non-touch panel that’s vibrant both outdoors and in, though it’s a little prone to glare.

The Matebook X’s backlit, chicklet-style keyboard feels as good as its vibrant screen looks.

The Matebook X’s keyboard feels as good as the screen looks. The backlit, chicklet-style keys are something of a cross between the Microsoft’s Surface Type Cover and the Macbook Pro. They also accommodate a fingerprint sensor that supports Windows Hello authentication. Huawei says that multiple users can save profiles, settings, and pick up where they left off by swiping their finger across the sensor.

Not everything is perfect, though. The Matebook X’s aesthetics aren’t quite a match for its industrial design. Aside from its thin display bezels, we saw little to distinguish it from the dozens of the similarly thin, lightweight Ultrabooks already available. Choice of color is limited, too. U.S. buyers can only pick between gold and grey (a third option, rose gold, will be exclusive to China).

Dolby Atmos crammed into a tiny chassis

Huawei tapped Dolby’s expertise to optimize the Matebook X’s speakers. It’s the world’s second laptop with the Atmos Sound System, a combination of software-based equalization and custom speakers. Dolby engineers worked on “all aspects” of the Matebook X’s audio system, Huawei said, down to the size and placement of the speaker grills. And they collaborated with Huawei engineers on a unique “dual motor” design that’s purportedly much louder and crisper than standard, off-the-shelf laptop speakers.

Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

In a one-on-one demo with a company rep, we watched a clip from Mad Max: Fury Road with the Dolby Atmos app’s “Dynamic” mode enabled. Even beneath a whirring fan in a bustling hotel room, we were able to make out speech and dialogue easily. It won’t blow away a decent Bluetooth speaker, as the loudness of mid-range frequencies seemed a little inconsistent, and bass pretty much nonexistent (Huawei wasn’t able to stuff a subwoofer in the Matebook X’s tiny frame). But it’ll do in a pinch.

A free dock is hard to knock

All buyers get the Matebook Dock 2.0, a slimmer, enhanced version of Huawei’s first-gen USB-C dock. It offers a USB-C port for power, a VGA connector for video out, and an HDMI port, and can connect to a monitor and charge the Matebook X at the same. This inclusion is appreciated, as a good dock with similar ports can cost $50 to $100.

The Matebook X will also shipping with Huawei’s Smart Charger, a wall adapter that automatically optimizes voltage for plugged-in devices. Thanks to support for rapid charging, it can charge the Matebook X up to 45 percent in 15 minutes, Huawei said.

We’ll need to spend a little more time with the Matebook X before we can pass judgement, but our initial impression is quite positive. It might not be the most attractive laptop on the block, but it’s one of thinnest, lightest, loudest, and brightest. We’re eager to see how it holds up day-to-day.

Highs

• Extremely light
• Fanless, even with the Core i7
• World’s thinnest display bezels
• Dolby Atmos Sound System

Lows

• Generic design
• Plenty of screen glare
• Atmos-powered speakers didn’t impress

Our Siri guide: How to merge your life with Apple’s witty virtual assistant

Updated on 5-19-2017 by Kyree Leary to include updated text and new screenshots.

Touch is so 2011. Apple helped kick off the voice-control movement with Siri in 2011, when it first released the iPhone 4S to the masses. Apple’s virtual assistant ties together a range of voice commands and wraps them in a comic personality adorned with your accent of choice. Siri can take dictation for messages, put appointments in your calendar, tell you the latest scores, or give you directions to the nearest Thai restaurant.

Siri is built into the iOS platform and capable of using Apple’s lineup of apps, which includes everything from Music and iMessage, to Calendar and Maps. It can also pull answers from Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Wikipedia, and unlike Google Now, Siri does not pre-empt your needs — it waits for instructions and responds to your commands. The recently-released Google Assistant is now Siri’s biggest competition, but Siri can rest easy knowing it’s the only virtual assistant with full integration on every iOS platform.

Setting Siri up

You will be asked if you want to enable Siri when you first set up of your new iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. If you didn’t enable it, head into Settings > Siri and toggle it on. You will also find options for setting your language and changing the gender of Siri’s voice, along with options for determining when you want voice feedback and enabling the “Hey Siri“ feature. Keep in mind that Siri requires a Wi-Fi or cellular connection to work.

To launch Siri, press and hold the Home button until you see the multi-colored bar pop up at the bottom of your display. If you toggled “Hey Siri“ on, then you’ll also be able to launch Siri whenever your iPhone’s screen is on — assuming you have an iPhone 6S or later — by simply saying “Hey Siri” followed by your question or command. If you’re using an earlier model, your device will need to be plugged in to a power source in order to access the convenient feature.

If you’re using iOS 10, then you’ll see a question mark in the bottom left of the screen when Siri is active. Tap the question mark for a list of commands that Siri can understand. You can also just say “options” or ask “What can you do?” to get the list of possibilities.

Configuring and correcting Siri

Believe it or not, Siri is capable of remembering your relationships with different contacts. This means that you can say things like “Call Mom” or “Send a message to my wife,” and Siri will know who you mean, so long as you set it up first. The quickest way to set this up is to head into Contacts and select your own name and tap Edit in the upper-right corner. Scroll down and you’ll find a section called “add related name,” where you can specify contacts. Then, tap the addition icon, which will allow you to adjust the relationship label. If you tap the “i” icon, you can set a previously-made contact to it.

You can also specify your relationships with Siri directly. Start Siri up with the Home button and say “Steven Hill is my brother” and you’ll get the option to add the relationship. If you say “Call my brother,” and you haven’t specified it previously, then Siri will ask you who your brother is, and you can choose a contact.

It can be annoying when Siri doesn’t pronounce names correctly, but you can do something about that. Start Siri, say “That’s not how you pronounce Steven,” and Siri will ask you how to pronounce it, and then give you a couple of options to choose from. You can also go into Contacts, select the one you want, tap Add Field, and choose Phonetic First Name or Phonetic Last Name.

Using Siri

You can ask Siri to find all sorts of information for you, set up appointments, send messages, and carry out a host of other useful tasks. All you need to do is start Siri up and ask for what you need. If Siri doesn’t understand your command or question, it will try to question you and narrow your request. Here’s a brief list of some of the things you can command or ask:

• “Call my wife at home.”
• “Set up a meeting with Jeff at 9 a.m. tomorrow.”
• “Where’s my next appointment?”
• “What day is it?”
• “Email Dad about the football game.”
• “How do I get home?”
• “Find a Thai restaurant nearby.”
• “Play Sabotage.”
• “Open Facebook.”
• “Remind me to buy milk when I leave work.”
• “What’s the weather like tomorrow?”
• “Turn off Bluetooth””
• “Who directed The Shining?”
• “When do the Giants play next?”
• “How far away is the moon?”

Siri can understand some conversational commands and it has a basic grasp of context, so if you say something like “Find a Thai restaurant nearby,” then you can say something like “how about Mexican?” next and it will search for nearby Mexican restaurants. This doesn’t work for everything, however.

Edit your text

If Siri hears you incorrectly, then you can always repeat your command or question. You can also tap the relevant text in the speech bubble and edit your request or question. You’ll see a line under words that it thinks might be wrong, and you can tap those to get some quick auto-correct suggestions. You can also dictate punctuation in messages, notes, or any app that uses a keyboard. You can enable the dictation feature by going to Settings > General > Keyboard and toggling “Enable Dictation.” Then, instead of typing, tap the microphone next to the space bar, say “comma” or “period,” and Siri will put it in.

Not as great outside the United States

You should generally find that Siri improves over time and gets better at understanding you, though, there’s no doubt it struggles with some accents more than others. It’s also worth pointing out that not all of Siri’s features are available outside of the United States.

Tell it to “Google this” to avoid Bing

When you search for information online, you’ll also find that Bing is the default search engine. You currently can’t change this, but you can say “Google the best iPhone apps” and it will search using Google instead of Bing. The same thing will work with Yahoo or Wikipedia, and you can also ask Siri to search Twitter as well.

It’s worth experimenting with questions and phrases to see what you can find because there are a few comic replies in there if you say things like “Hey Computer” or ask “What is zero divided by zero?” We recently asked Siri a number of things and discovered the virtual helper has a keener sense of humor than we initially thought.

Before we wrap up this section, it’s worth mentioning that you can ask Siri questions like “Where’s my daughter?” or “Is my wife at home?” If you want to keep tabs on your family at all times, then you can use Apple’s Find My iPhone service. The app also allows you to track family members and set alerts for when people get to specific locations, which can be particularly useful for parents. The feature doesn’t always work perfectly, but if it works for you, it can provide real peace of mind.

The future of Siri

Siri has been improving steadily since its first release, and the latest iteration is definitely the best we’ve seen thus far. It’s faster, more accurate, and has an expanding repertoire of tricks that grows with each new iteration of iOS. Previous versions of mobile OS improved the assistant’s pronunciation, and gave it the ability to launch apps and read your emails out loud. Now the assistant can help you send texts hands-free, add punctuation through dictation, call a Lyft, or initiate a Skype call.

It’s tough to predict how good Siri will get. It can already do so much, but the point of Siri is to make our everyday lives easier, and the best way to improve that is by making sure it understands people, allowing it to avoid mistakes caused by simple misunderstandings. Beyond that, being able to interact with more third-party apps and hardware would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps Apple will one day open Siri to everyone, allowing developers to implement new features, voices, questions, and commands at a faster rate. Imagine a future version of Siri that no longer needs the “Hey Siri” prompt, or requires you to hold down the Home button.

While it’s far from perfect, Siri can be an incredibly useful tool, and it’s becoming a part of daily life for many. It may even be on par with Tony Stark’s J.A.R.V.I.S. one day — who knows?

Microsoft’s Surface Pro vs. Samsung’s Galaxy Book: Can the student become the master?

Coming to existence on basically the same day, it’s all too easy to compare the 2017 update to the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 and Samsung’s brand new Galaxy Book.

Both pack all their power into the tablet, for completely detachable computing, and feature premium keyboards, active styli, and high-resolution panels

As you start to draw them out, though, the differences become more dramatic. Importantly, the Surface Pro offers more under-the-hood variations, while the Galaxy Book is available in different physical sizes. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s break it down and see how these two devices compare on paper.

Specifications

Surface Pro (2017)

Samsung Galaxy Book

Dimensions
11.50 x 7.9 x .33 inches
10.3 x 7.1 x .35 inches

11.5 x 7.7 x .29 inches

Weight
1.69 – 1.73 pounds
1.43 – 1.66 pounds
Processor
7th Generation Intel Core m3-7Y30, i5-7300U, i7-7660U
7th Generation Intel Core m3 or Core i5-7200U
RAM
4GB, 8GB, or 16GB LPDDR3
4GB or 8GB
Display
12.3-inch PixelSense Display, 10-point touch
12-inch Super AMOLED
Resolution
2,736 x 1,824
Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) or FHD+ (2,160 x 1,440)
Storage
128GB, 256GB, 512GB standard SSD, 1TB PCIe NVMe
64GB, 128GB eMMC, or 128GB, 256GB SSD
Networking
802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, optional LTE
802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, optional LTE
Ports
1 x USB 3.0, MicroSDXC, Surface Connect, 3.5mm Headphone, Mini DisplayPort
2 x USB 3.1 Type-C, MicroSD, 3.5mm headphone jack
Webcam
5.0MP Front-facing camera with Windows Hello

8.0MP Rear-facing camera

5.0MP Front-facing camera

13MP Rear-facing camera

Operating System
Windows 10
Windows 10
Quoted battery
13.5 hours
9 – 11 hours
Price
$799+
$629+
Availability
June 15, 2017
Available now (some configurations)
Review
Hands-on
Hands-on

Take the tablet with you

Both systems separate completely from their keyboards, for a portable, touchscreen-based experience. As we’ve seen over numerous products, putting together a system that accomplishes that naturally is no small feat. There are battery life, performance, heat, and even weight distribution considerations, each of which can take a 2-in-1 from best in show to impossible to recommend.

Microsoft has continued to revamp its signature product, and things have improved, but there’s still work to be done. The kickstand in the back isn’t exactly robust, which makes using it on a lap with the keyboard close to impossible. On the other hand, the system is built from gorgeous, tough materials, while still coming in under a lighter-than-ever two pounds.

Samsung, meanwhile, has also stuck to the script design-wise, favoring lightweight materials that look slick over those that feel particularly sturdy. It pays off in tablet use, where it cuts under even the Surface Pro’s light weight, although the kickstand is built into the keyboard, which feels awkward. There are actually two Galaxy Book models, a 10-inch and 12-inch version, but both are nearly identical otherwise. At least it gives users more options.

Personal preference will make a big play here, but we tend to think, at least from previous Surface devices, that Microsoft has the recipe boiled down for the computing market, where Samsung tends to borrow too much from its admittedly-successful mobile devices.

Winner: Surface Pro

Plug shortage

While botch machines may occupy a similar footprint, their connectivity options couldn’t be more different. Microsoft still hasn’t caught onto the Type-C bandwagon, opting instead for a lone 3.0 Type-A port, a Mini DisplayPort for video out. That’s not exactly archaic, but it isn’t cutting-edge for a brand new device. The Samsung includes two USB 3.1 Type-C ports, plus the requisite 3.5mm headphone jack.

That gives the Samsung a number of advantages. The system charges over USB Type-C, and the extra port means twice the peripherals, to put it simply. It’s also a more versatile port, with a higher total bandwidth.

Both systems pack in identical wireless options, although LTE isn’t available in the 10-inch Galaxy Book.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Book

A performance variety show

The new Surface Pro’s top-end configuration packs a Seventh Generation Intel Core i7-7660U, but that’s far from the end of the performance story. The base models both feature Intel Core M chips, which have progressed over the last few years into more substantial offerings. We appreciate both their decent performance in everyday tasks, as well as their positive effect on battery life.

Samsung’s device also offers Core M and Core i5 chips, but no Core i7 is available. Maximum RAM tops out at 8GB, as well. While the Galaxy Book with Core i5 and 8GB is more than adequate for most people, hardcore power users will desire more. If you’re looking for a real runner, the Surface Pro may be the only option.

Winner: Microsoft Surface Pro

Two solid displays, but a clear winner

With one foot in the tablet world, both of these screens need clear, bright, high-resolution displays to function away from their keyboards, and both deliver. Samsung has opted for a 1,920 x 1,080 Super AMOLED panel on the smaller Galaxy Book, and a 2,160 x 1,440 Super AMOLED on the larger version. These screens have great black levels, and wide viewing angles, which makes for excellent movie watching. Both versions feature full touchscreen support, and active styli, an area familiar to both manufacturers.

Microsoft once again steals the show with its 12.3-inch PixelSense display, or at least it should. Previous iterations in the Surface Pro, Surface Studio, and Surface Pro 4 have impressed us with deep contrast, beautiful color reproduction, and very high pixel density. Combined with the excellent, sturdy Surface Pen and the Surface Dial, and the fact the higher-resolution panel is available on every model, Microsoft’s offering looks solid.

Both the Galaxy Book and Microsoft Surface Pro are packing redesigned type covers this time around, and both have lofty claims about how comfortable and revolutionary they are. We’ll reserve judgement until we’ve got a chance to spend time with both.

Winner: Tie

All-day portability, either way

Both systems make long claims for battery life, and as we know all too well, they rarely come anywhere near those manufacturer promises. Microsoft hasn’t shared an actual battery size for this year’s Surface Pro, so we’re only left with a few facts to educate us about potential longevity.

For one, both systems are almost identically sized — at least when comparing the 12-inch Galaxy Book to the Surface Pro — so their batteries are likely to be close to the same size as well, with the larger Samsung holding a 39.04Wh battery. The Samsung’s Super AMOLED screen is built with mobile devices in mind, so it should be more battery efficient than the Surface’s bright PixelSense display. However, the Samsung quotes a lower 9-11 hour battery life. Whether Microsoft is more boastful, or the Samsung hides a dark secret, will have to wait until we have a chance to test both systems in-house under identical conditions.

Winner: Tie

Pricing and availability

The Samsung starts at $629, and for that, users will receive a somewhat watered-down version of the Galaxy Book, with a Core m3, 4GB of RAM, an eMMC SSD, and a 1080p panel. The 12-inch version, on the other hand, starts at $1,130, with an Intel Core i5, a full-fledged SSD, and the higher-resolution panel.

The Surface Pro’s starting price point is about $150 higher than the Galaxy Book, but the value is a bit better. It already packs in the PixelSense panel, and a PCIe NVMe drive. It’s worth noting that neither device includes a keyboard or active stylus, so users will have to buy those or their own, adding to the price considerably.

Winner: Microsoft Surface Pro

Conclusion

There’s a lot more to building a successful 2-in-1 than just winning on paper, and Samsung and Microsoft both know it. Battery life is a major factor for the category, and only performance testing will reveal any great truths about either of these system’s endurance. Ergonomics, and the keyboard options, remain mysteries as well, at least for now.

The 2-in-1 category grows ever more refined with each generation, and the Samsung Galaxy Book and Surface Pro for 2017 are both solid offerings facing down some tricky problems with considerable courage. The Redmond team has considerable experience in this area, and it ultimately leads to a victory for the Surface Book, at least on paper.

There’s finally a pillow designed specifically with side-sleepers in mind

Why it matters to you

Getting a good night’s sleep can be hard when your pillow won’t cooperate. But now, there’s a smart pillow that will always be exactly how you want it.

Whether you’re the big spoon or little spoon, your side needs some loving in your sleep. That is, the side of your head. Alas, the majority of the pillows currently on the market aren’t exactly designed with us side-sleepers in mind, leading to long nights of fluffing, re-fluffing, adjusting, and re-adjusting in vain. But soon, you’ll fluff no more. Meet the SleepSmart Pillow, an adjustable pillow meant for people who don’t sleep on their backs on on their stomachs, but rather, on one side.

The SleepSmart team tells Digital Trends that this new pillow is the first to be designed with both a comfort layer and an easily adjustable support layer, which allows you to set the pillow at just the right height for your neck. The pillow was designed after more than 1,000 interviews with side sleepers, who aired their grievances with existing pillows that don’t quite support their heads they way they ought to. And many of these grievances resonated with SleepSmart creator, Brandon Larson.

“I got fed up with sleep solutions on the market, especially the tech, so I built SleepSmart with an inventor/engineer friend of mine, who was also frustrated with pillow options on the market,” Larson told Digital Trends. “We developed a pillow that quickly and easily adjusts its height. It has both a comfort layer and an adjustable support layer so people don’t have to compromise when trying to find a pillow.”

So how does the support layer work? As Larson explains, a “bladder” located inside the pillow allows air to travel in and out depending on where you place your head. This increases or decreases the support height into the optimal position for your unique sleeping position.

But being adjustable isn’t the only thing that sets the SleepSmart apart. Rather, this smart pillow comes with a companion app that helps you monitor your sleep, or wakes you up with a vibration alarm. “We went back to basics [in designing the app],” Larson told us. “The apps tracks only what is fundamentally the most important for sleep tracking — sleep duration, consistency habits, and lifestyle context. The goal is to provide user with awareness so they can understand how life affects sleeps and vice versa.” 

So if you’re in need of a good night’s sleep as a side sleeper, this may be the pillow for you. You can pre-order one now from Kickstarter for $100, with an expected shipment date of December 2017.

Your crucial travel partner this summer is none other than Google Maps

Why it matters to you

Figuring out how to get somewhere is only half the battle — you have to figure out where you want to go first. Google Maps is here to help on both counts.

It’s never too early to start planning your summer vacation (Memorial Day is just around the corner, after all), and here to lend a helping hand is Google Maps. Not only will the app tell you how to get places, it’ll tell you what places you should plan on getting to. By examining historical Google Maps data, the team over in California’s Silicon Valley is bringing you the top trending places of the season across the country. So whether you want to go to the buzziest scenes or stray far from the madding crowd, Google Maps has you covered with its series of lists.

For example, if you know that you’ll want a boozy beginning to your summer, you can check out Google Maps’ summer bars list, which is rife with watering holes in New York City. There are bars are outside, on patios, on roofs, and even on the water, so come prepared to party.

On the other hand, if you’re more interested in an educational summer, you can venture into Google’s edutainment list, which highlights the museums, aquariums, and zoos you ought to see throughout the United States.

But whether you’re learning or letting loose, you’re sure to work up an appetite, which you can satiate with the restaurants list, which features dining locales from fast casual to seafood buffets to pizzerias. And best of all, most of these restaurants come with pretty idyllic views, as do the beaches on the trending summer beaches list from Google Maps.

No matter where you choose to go, you can go with friends (or have them meet you there) using Google Maps’ Location Sharing feature. And now that you can use the service even if you’re offline, you can totally go off the grid without losing your sense of direction. And Google Maps also comes with automatically translated reviews of various hot spots, so you’ll be in the know no matter what language you speak.

So regardless of what your plans are for the summer, make sure you have Google Maps in your back pocket, and you’ll be fully prepared.

Apple and Nokia resolve their patent spat, sign multiyear licensing agreement

Why it matters to you

The new partnership will give Apple continued access to Nokia’s thousands of hardware and software patents, many of which are used in Apple’s most-popular devices.

Apple and Nokia have agreed to bury the hatchet — at least for now.

After Nokia sued Apple and filed several complaints against the company in both Germany and the United States earlier this year, alleging that Apple infringed upon Nokia patents, the two parties have settled out of court. Reuters reported that on Tuesday, the lawyers for the companies announced that they had inked a new patent license agreement and business deal.

“(The agreement) moves our relationship with Apple from being adversaries in court to business partners,” Nokia’s chief legal officer Maria Varsellona said in a statement.

As part of the agreement, Nokia will receive an upfront cash payment and higher patent revenues from Apple starting from the current quarter, after the previous patent license contract between the companies expires. That’s good news for Nokia, which cut its annual forecast in December for patent and brand licensing in the absence of a new deal.

“We are pleased with this resolution of our dispute and we look forward to expanding our business relationship with Nokia,” Apple chief operating officer Jeff Williams said in a joint statement from the companies.

No fewer than 32 patents were involved in the lawsuit, related to everything from the display to user interface to software.

In a press release earlier this year, Nokia noted that it has invested over $120 billion in research and development over the last two decades, and owns tens of thousands of patents that cover technology found in smartphones, tablets, computers, and other electronics. The company is alleged that Apple had infringed upon some of those patents.

Apple complained that it was being overcharged for the patents.

“Since agreeing a license covering some patents from the Nokia Technologies portfolio in 2011, Apple has declined subsequent offers made by Nokia to license other of its patented inventions which are used by many of Apple’s products,” the company wrote in its release.

“Through our sustained investment in research and development, Nokia has created or contributed to many of the fundamental technologies used in today’s mobile devices, including Apple products,” said Ilkka Rahnasto, Nokia’s head of patent business, in a statement. “After several years of negotiations trying to reach agreement to cover Apple’s use of these patents, we are now taking action to defend our rights.”

The lawsuits were filed with the Regional Courts in Dusseldorf, Mannheim, and Munich in Germany. In the U.S., the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas fielded the complaints. Nokia was also in the process of filing further actions in other jurisdictions, the company said.

Article originally published in March 2016. Updated on 05-23-2016 by Kyle Wiggers: Added in details that the patent dispute has been resolved. 

Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest apps on sale in the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Juice

This app pairs your iPhone with your Apple Watch more effectively than ever before. All complication types are supported and you can pick up to three different display styles for each complication from the watch app.

Available on:

iOS

Direction Compass

This is the “must have” tool to locate yourself easily whether it be in a town/ city, while out hiking, on a boat, or more. The app itself is a compass that automatically orients itself.

Available on:

iOS

Phoenix Photo Editor

Phoenix is a powerful and fast photo editor with a lot of editing tools, and importing and sharing options. With Phoenix you will have all the freedom to customize your photos with pretty filters, effects, borders, and fonts.

Available on:

iOS

Willio

Create an event, and add the participants from your contacts. Then add a payment each time someone pays for the group. If the payment should not be split equally among the participants, you can specify specific shares or amounts.

Available on:

iOS

Illuminating Compound Interest

This app is an educational financial app that not only calculates your interest rates but also features plain English explanations of each compound interest calculation.

Available on:

iOS

TranslateSafari

The app is a Safari extension that translates and speaks aloud the entire web page of the Safari app. A must-have app to translate and speak aloud web pages of Safari.

Available on:

iOS

Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.K. may now take seats in the Reading library

Why it matters to you

If you’re a Prime subscriber based in the U.K., you can now take advantage of a rotating library of books and magazines at no extra cost.

Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.K. have finally been given access to the Prime Reading benefit that was introduced to the U.S. version of the service last year. Prime Reading offers a rotating selection of books and magazines for no added fee over the cost of a subscription.

This added incentive shouldn’t be confused with Kindle Unlimited, which is a separate subscription service offered by Amazon that grants unlimited access to a broad range of books, magazines, and audiobooks. Kindle Unlimited certainly boasts a more comprehensive selection, but Prime Reading is no slouch considering it’s a free bonus.

Prime Reading launched in the U.S. in October 2016, so it has taken a little while for the incentive to make its way across the pond. This isn’t particularly uncommon — despite Prime Video having been available in some form stateside since 2006, it wasn’t available in the U.K. until 2014.

However, Amazon should be praised for localizing the content with care, as the reading material available to customers in the U.K. is quite different from the selection available in the U.S.. This is particularly true of the list of magazines that are on offer, which includes the likes of Chat, Red, and BBC Gardeners’ World, according to a report from Engadget.

The fact that Prime Reading offers a selection of content that lends itself to the Kindle line of devices certainly plays into the wider Amazon ecosystem, but the incentive isn’t only available to users of the company’s proprietary eReaders and tablets. The Kindle app can be used to access the library across a wide range of devices.

Prime is a hugely important part of Amazon’s business model, so it makes a lot of sense for the company to continue to bolster the subscription service in all its key markets. Customer retention is key for a business like Amazon, and appealing Prime incentives such as this one help ensure that shoppers keep coming back.

Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.K. may now take seats in the Reading library

Why it matters to you

If you’re a Prime subscriber based in the U.K., you can now take advantage of a rotating library of books and magazines at no extra cost.

Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.K. have finally been given access to the Prime Reading benefit that was introduced to the U.S. version of the service last year. Prime Reading offers a rotating selection of books and magazines for no added fee over the cost of a subscription.

This added incentive shouldn’t be confused with Kindle Unlimited, which is a separate subscription service offered by Amazon that grants unlimited access to a broad range of books, magazines, and audiobooks. Kindle Unlimited certainly boasts a more comprehensive selection, but Prime Reading is no slouch considering it’s a free bonus.

Prime Reading launched in the U.S. in October 2016, so it has taken a little while for the incentive to make its way across the pond. This isn’t particularly uncommon — despite Prime Video having been available in some form stateside since 2006, it wasn’t available in the U.K. until 2014.

However, Amazon should be praised for localizing the content with care, as the reading material available to customers in the U.K. is quite different from the selection available in the U.S.. This is particularly true of the list of magazines that are on offer, which includes the likes of Chat, Red, and BBC Gardeners’ World, according to a report from Engadget.

The fact that Prime Reading offers a selection of content that lends itself to the Kindle line of devices certainly plays into the wider Amazon ecosystem, but the incentive isn’t only available to users of the company’s proprietary eReaders and tablets. The Kindle app can be used to access the library across a wide range of devices.

Prime is a hugely important part of Amazon’s business model, so it makes a lot of sense for the company to continue to bolster the subscription service in all its key markets. Customer retention is key for a business like Amazon, and appealing Prime incentives such as this one help ensure that shoppers keep coming back.

New houseplant wilting already? Grovio will make sure it never happens again

Why it matters to you

Grovio, a new smart indoor watering system, will have your houseplants blooming like never before.

Office and home flora brighten any room — not to mention reduce carbon dioxide, keep air temperatures down, and get rid of pollutants like benzene. But they can be a pain in the rear to care for. If you don’t find them a sunny window and an ideal humidity, it’s pretty much game over — you’ll be staring at wilting, browning leaves before long.

But there’s hope for folks without green thumbs in Grovio, a project from Concepter that aims to take the guesswork out of plant care.

There’s more to Grovio, a 11.8-inch-tall, 1-pound cylinder that connects to a tube and “pot module,” than meets the eye. It packs a light intensity sensor, moisture sensor, air temperature sensor, humidity sensor, and motion sensor that monitor up to three plants simultaneously. And it automatically waters plants according to their specific needs, dispensing tap water from a refillable reservoir (1,600 milliliters) to connected probes.

“When habitable conditions are not provided, it usually kills [plants] quickly,” Oleksandr Ivanov, Grovio’s chief product engineer, told Digital Trends. “That’s because your plants can’t talk and express directly what they need. They may need very careful and accurate watering. Some of them need more light, and some less. Air temperature and humidity are also highly important.”

It’s a hands-off affair if you want it to be. Grovio lasts for up to 45 days on a single water refill and four AA batteries, and adjusts watering rates based on plant type. But if you prefer to be hands-on with your greenery, Grovio’s “suggestions” mode will nudge you to make small changes that could help with growth. If Grovio detects that a plant is receiving too much direct sunlight, it’ll tell you to move it somewhere shadier.

Grovio’s smartphone app lets you get even more granular. It relays watering settings and current soil conditions for your horticultural pleasure. You can name plants, if you wish, and “interact” with them in a chatbot-like interface — if you name your African Violet “Johnny,” for instance, you’ll get a message from the personified plant when it’s “thirsty.”

Grovio isn’t compatible with smart home platforms like Samsung’s SmartThings and Apple’s HomeKit, but it works with voice assistants like Siri and Alexa.  You can say things like, “Have you monitored my plant yet?” and you’ll get a response.

One thing Grovio can’t do is fine-tune settings for individual plant species, which Ivanov said would have stretched the company’s engineering resources too thin. “You have to build a database of thousands of plants,” he said. “It’s too much work.” Instead, Grovio will encourage users to send pictures of plants to support staff, who will recommend settings based on climatic conditions, genus, and other factors.

Grovio starts at $150. It launches on Kickstarter today for the discounted price of $90, and begins shipping to backers in November.