What are Moto Mods? Everything you need to know about the snap-on accessories for Moto Z

The smartphone industry is always seeking the next big thing. For Motorola that’s Moto Mods: clip-on accessories that work with its Z-series of phones and transform their functionality or style.

Lenovo launched the Moto Z in 2016, followed by big-battery Moto Z Play, which has just been updated in the Moto Z2 Play (there will be no “standard” Z2 for 2017).

Here’s a run-down of the Moto Mods available and a nod to the future of what to expect next.

Moto Mods: What are they and how do they work?

Each Mod attaches to the back of any Moto Z-series phone using the a collection of really strong built-in magnets. That means there’s no fiddling around with clumsy hinges or clips on the sides of the phone, no need to remove the battery, indeed no need to fuss at all.

• Moto Z2 Play review
• Moto Z Play review
• Moto Z review

The key to operation comes from the 16 golden contact points on the back of the phone, above a contact strip. These transmit data and power between the Mod and the phone. That means the USB port remains free and unused, regardless of which Mod you have clipped on.

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Following the launch of the Z2 Play, some Mods operate on second-generation hardware: they still fit just the same, but don’t use all the connecting pins if not needed, in a bid to reduce cost. Simple. That’s all background stuff, though, all you need to do is clip the Mod on as normal.

For some Mods you may have to go through a couple of setup pages, but Lenovo promises it only takes a couple of quick taps to get each one set up. Once Mods are connected they communicate with any Z-series phone, where a dedicated software area – accessible in the swipe-down Android shortcuts shade – details what’s what.

Moto Mods: What is there?

Hasselblad True Zoom

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Long before the Moto Z was an actual product, rumours suggested we’d see a unique modular camera made by Hasselblad, the company better known for building hideously expensive studio quality cameras.

That Mod, the True Zoom, delivers a 10x optical zoom lens, from a 25-250mm equivalent. Unlike the digital zoom of a built-in phone camera, this unit can zoom in without losing any quality until you get to the 10x limit. Its f/3.5-f/6.5 aperture is modest, however, as is its highest resolution video capture which sits at 1080p30.

The Mod uses it own 12-megapixel sensor, not the one that’s built-in to any Z-series phone. Capable of shooting up to ISO 3200, the Mod’s built-in optical image stabilisation will help with keeping that figure down while keeping shots sharp.

Like any good camera, you can adjust any settings like shutter speed, manual focus, aperture, ISO sensitivity, white balance and exposure. JPEG and raw file capture are both available.

A Xenon flash is built-in for more even, brighter flash coverage.

The True Zoom doesn’t come cheap though: it’s priced $250-300 in the States, or £199 in the UK.

JBL SoundBoost / SoundBoost 2

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Motorola partnered with JBL to create the SoundBoost, a stereo loudspeaker with two three-watt drivers. For 2017 there’s the SoundBoost 2, the fabric-covered, splashproof second-gen model with a better contoured design.

The Mod amplifies the phone’s sound, looking to replace the need for a portable speaker. It has a built-in 1,000mAh battery to extend the phone’s battery life, too, and a kick-stand so that the audio isn’t just firing upwards into the air, or downwards into whatever surface it’s lying on.

The JBL SoundBoost is available to buy now, priced $80 in the States and £70 in the UK. The JBL SoundBoost 2 will be priced $80 and is due to launch alongside the Z2 Play.

Moto Insta-Share projector

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The Moto Insta-Share is a pico projector which can beam an image or video measuring up to 70-inches diagonally from any angle, onto any surface. It also has a built-in loudspeaker.

The sad part is that it only has 480p resolution, so the bigger you make your projection, the worse the detail is going to look.

If you’re planning on using a Moto Z-series phone for some time then it might be a worthy investment, but it doesn’t come cheap: it’s $275 in the States and £250 in the UK.

Moto GamePad

Motorola

This one is a really interesting prospect. A rigid cradle to position any Moto Z phone into, the GamePad comes with all the physical controls you could need to transform the phone into a gaming device.

Created by Lenovo – you can tell, given the illuminated red Legion symbol to the pad’s rear – paired with an older-gen or second-hand phone and it’s a great way to play Android games when on the go.

The GamePad will be priced $79 when it launches in summer 2017.

Moto Style Shells / with wireless charging

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The first-generation Style Shells are simple covers, costing around £16 for a fabric Shell, or £20 for wood or leather. When you order a Moto Z through Moto Maker you’ll be able to choose which finish you’d like, to select between wood, coloured leather, nylon or plastic.

Version 2.0 of the Style Shells come with wireless charging, meaning you can chuck your Z-series phone on a charging pad and – boom – it’ll begin to juice the battery. A great idea, but you’ll need to buy a wireless charger separately as one is not included in the box, nor does any Moto Z-series phone come with such a charger. Plus the wireless charging shells will be pricier, at $40, when then launch in tandem with the Z2 Play.

Battery Power Packs 

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There are lots of power pack to choose from, listed below.

• Moto TurboPower Pack (3,490mAh battery), available summer 2017, $80
• Moto Power Pack (2,200mAh battery), available Z2 Play launch, $50
• Incipio Battery Case (2,200mAh battery), $80
• Incipio OffGrid wireless charging case (2,200mAh plus wireless charging), $90
• Tumi Wireless Charging Power Pack (2,200mAh plus wireless charging), $75
• Mophie Juice Pack (3,000mAh battery), $90
• Kate Spade (3,000mAh battery) US-only, $90

These battery packs can charge any Moto Z-series phone, so can be used for top-ups and then, say, left in your car so you needn’t carry that additional weight around. The battery packs can also be charged independently of the phone, which is handy.

Incipio Vehicle Dock

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If you’re looking for a great way to clip your phone into your car then this in-car dock from Incipio can turn a Z-series phone into your wingman.

As soon as the phone clips into place it launches Android Auto, including full music control and more. There’s an additional USB port for plugging into a car charger too. Perfect for navigation. 

It’s not available in all regions, due to various restrictions, but in the States the Vehicle Dock is priced $65. 

Moto Mods: The Future?

AR/VR Mod for Project Tango

At the 2016 Moto Unlocked event, the company’s CEO, Aymar de Lencquesaing, quipped that there’s likely to be “a Tango module to basically enable the Z to have Tango functionality”. Straight from the horse’s mouth. Augmented reality and virtual reality are incoming.

However, at a follow-up 2017 event, Motorola declined to comment further about the progress of this Mod, giving the impression that it may never see the light of day.

Adventure Mod

One upcoming Mod, according to HelloMotoHK, is the Adventure Mod. Said to offer waterproof sealing and seemingly transform the Moto Z phones into an action camera of sorts. So you should be able to take your phone to swimming and take a bunch of cool underwater videos and pics. 

OneCompute dock

One concept on show back at the Moto launch was the OneCompute, a Windows Phone-style Continuum-like feature for Android, with the ability to turn Moto Z phones into a desktop computer of sorts. The phone attaches to the cradle Mod, which links to a hub containing various USB, HDMI and power ports to connects to a monitor.

Moto Mods Developer Program

Moto is also behind a developer drive. There’s a Moto Mods developer programme to encourage hardware and software makers to come up with their own Mods. The sky really is the limit.

A $125 Mods package can be bought by developers, including a variety of pre-made sensors – such as temperature, camera and beyond – to remove the need for hardware development from day one.

We could see all kinds of stuff coming to light, from secondary displays and alternative speaker systems, to computer docking solutions. It’s very likely we’ll also see a bunch of third party Style Shells, offering more variations in style and colour.

Moto Mods: Do they make sense?

Do you really need a modular phone? Wouldn’t it be easier to buy separate speaker/battery/projector/camera devices? Whether you see Mods as an essential or gimmick will be a key driver whether you want to buy a Moto Z-series phone.

What we can say for sure is that Motorola’s modular approach is ultra simple to use. It’s far less intrusive than, say, LG’s now-defunct Friends modules. The simple magnetic clip-on approach works a treat.

Samsung Connect Home Wi-Fi takes on Google Wifi with smart home skills to boot

Mesh Wi-Fi networks are gaining in popularity, as a way to ensure a whole house is covered in wireless internet connectivity without resorting to powerline extenders. Google Wifi is one of the best know on the market, and has tested well in reviews, including our own.

Now Samsung wants a slice of that action, and what’s more, it adds SmartThings technology to the mix.

A Connect Home system comes in a three-pack for $379.99 (£295), with a trio of Connect Home Wi-Fi devices included in order to cover a building of up to 1,500 square feet with wireless connectivity. An additional (or single) unit costs $169.99.

• What is Samsung Connect Home and how does it work?

Like Google Wifi, it creates a mesh network, with one unit cabled to your modem or existing router (in modem mode) and subsequent devices each connected wirelessly to each other. They ensure the Wi-Fi bandwidth available is even around the home.

Up to five Samsung Connect Home devices can be installed, which can technically cover an area up to 7,500 square feet.

Where the Samsung system differs from others is that a Connect Home can also double as a SmartThings Hub. That means you can use it to drive and connect hundreds of compatible smart home devices, including lighting, music systems, voice assistants, cameras and even door locks.

Samsung Connect Home will be available in the US from 2 July in Best Buy stores and online. A Samsung Connect Home Pro, with faster processing and more antennas for even more stable connectivity will be available, priced at $249.99.

What is Samsung Connect Home and how does it work?

Our homes are filled with connected devices, and yet, many people lack basic connectivity while at home.

To address this problem, Samsung introduced a new product: Samsung Connect Home. While at its special Galaxy Unpacked event in March, Samsung described Samsung Connect Home as a “premium router and IoT hub in one”. The company has essentially entered the mesh Wi-Fi router space, just like Google recently did with Google Wifi. Here’s everything you need to know about how Samsung’s offering works.

• Samsung Galaxy S8: The 5.8-incher that’s small enough for everyone
• Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus: 6-inches plus, but perfectly manageable

What is Samsung Connect Home?

At its core, Samsung Connect Home provides mesh-based Wi-Fi to boost your connectivity at home. With a mesh router, you can get online anywhere in your house. There will be no more spots where connectivity is slowed or just doesn’t reach. Imagine being able to stream in the living room and kitchen while someone else games in the basement – all without any contest for bandwidth or Wi-Fi congestion.

Another unique aspect of Samsung Connect Home is that it doubles as an Internet of Things Hub, meaning it allows different connected devices from different manufacturers to communicate with each other, and you can control them all through a smartphone app. Keep in mind Samsung bought the SmartThings home automation firm in 2014, and it makes a SmartThings IoT hub. The new Samsung Connect Home router basically has a built-in SmartThings hub, which removes the need to purchase a separate hub.

How does Samsung Connect Home work?

Mesh Wi-Fi

Samsung Connect Home is designed to be expandable. It will be sold on its own or in a three-pack, just like Google Wifi, so you can put several of these routers around your home to boost your entire network. You will get Wi-Fi signal everywhere, from your bathroom to your basement. So, instead of one router, multiple routers work together to create a mesh network that delivers fast input throughout your house.

You’ll use one Samsung Connect Home as a base to broadcast your signal and then use the other two in the bundle to extend that network throughout your house. Samsung said that each individual unit can cover up to 1,500 square feet, which is what Google Wifi also promises. Each unit also comes with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. However, there are two versions of the Samsung Connect Home.

The “standard” Samsung Connect Home has a 2 x 2 MU-MIMO antenna array and a slower 710MHz quad-core processor at AC1300 (capped speeds of 866Mbps in the 5GHz spectrum), while the “Pro” version has a 4 x 4 antenna and a faster 1.7GHz dual-core chip. It supports quad-band 802.11ac at AC2600 (capped speeds of 1.7Gbps). The Pro offers 1,500-square feet coverage but doesn’t come in a three-pack.

Both versions also have two RJ-45 Ethernet ports on the back.

IoT hub

Samsung Connect Home removes the need for Samsung’s separate SmartThings Hub. Because Samsung Connect Home has a SmartThings hub built in, it can directly communicate with connected gadgets over Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, or Z-wave. These gadgets include things like Philips Hue lights, Netgear Arlo security cameras, and Samsung appliances. Once set up, you can control all these with a mobile app.

Does Samsung Connect Home have an app?

Yes, there is an app experience for Samsung Connect Home. It appears to be integrated into Samsung smartphones, working on the same system that you’d use to control devices connected to your phone, like Bluetooth headphones, or the same system you can use to connect to your Samsung TV. Whether Samsung will split this app experience out to other devices so that Samsung Connect Home isn’t dependent on using a Samsung smartphone, we don’t know.

Samsung also confirmed that there would be Bixby support, so you’ll be able to control everything connected to your Samsung Connect Home using your voice.

• What is Bixby? Samsung’s smart AI explained

We will keep you posted when we learn more.

How much is Samsung Connect Home?

Samsung didn’t announce pricing information.

When will Samsung Connect Home be available?

Samsung didn’t announce a release date or which markets will get Samsung Connect Home.

Motorola’s Z2 Play sacrifices battery life for sleekness

Motorola’s first Z-series smartphones were as impressive as they were divisive. Remember, the Z was insanely thin, the Z Force was nearly indestructible and both could be augmented with Moto Mods, but they were among the first devices to completely give up on the headphone jack. Then came the Moto Z Play, which felt like a more sensible spin on the Z formula — it wasn’t quite as fast, but it was cheaper, still modular, and ushered in the return of that classic audio port. Is it any surprise that Motorola wanted to build a sequel?

Motorola officially announced the Moto Z2 Play today, a $499 refresh of a phone that was almost shockingly good the first time around. Our full review is still in the works (thanks, Computex) but so far it’s been a remarkably capable performer. For better or worse though, it has the potential to throw the Z line we already know into sort of a tizzy.

Before we dive into that, we need to check out the basics. The Moto Z2 Play should feel familiar to current Moto Z owners, as it’s just a hair thicker — just under 6mm thick, compared to the Z’s 5.2mm waistline. Both also pack 5.5-inch Super AMOLED screens, though the Z2 Play’s panel only runs at 1080p. Fortunately, this display has been very easy to read, even under the smoldering Taipei sun. And the standard headphone jack is here, even though the device is incredibly thin. In fact, some people might find it a little too thin, but I actually kind of love this design. Even better, Motorola seems to be done with the smudge-prone glass seen on last year’s Zs — the Z2 Play has a sleek, fully metal body.

Inside, there’s an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 chipset and either 3 or 4GB of RAM, depending on where you got the phone. The new chipset provides offers a more than modest boost in performance over the original Z Play, but don’t get your hopes up — it’s a long way from flagship territory. I loaded up a few high-end games (namely, Afterpulse and Telltale Games’ Guardians of the Galaxy) and both were just terribly choppy. So far the Z2 Play feels like a perfectly adequate machine for all the Slacking and Telegramming and emailing we’ve been doing here at Computex, but you’d do well to keep your performance expectations in check. The Play line was never known for its powerhouses.

Chris Velazco/Engadget

Beyond that, there’s a surprisingly fast 12-megapixel camera around the back. Most of the test shots I’ve taken so far have turned out well, with crisp detail and accurate colors, but this seemingly decent performance comes at a cost: the camera module dramatically juts out of the phone’s back. I’ve used the Moto Z series for a while now so the hump barely registers anymore, though.

The Z2 Play runs the latest version of Android Nougat, and you can talk to Google’s Assistant whenever you need a fact check. Moto also cooked up a new approach of its own, though. Just say “Show me my calendar” or “show me my settings” and the phone will respond, usually by giving you an icon you can slide down to access your info. Sometimes it’s quicker to respond than Google Assistant, and other times I’m left wondering why we have two different approaches for a set of similar problems. Don’t get me wrong: Moto’s idea is clever and well-executed. I’m just not sure if it’s worth using over Google Assistant all the time yet.

All of your Moto Mods still work here, too, and Motorola has a few new ones, like an updated JBL speaker and the gamepad the company teased at its MWC press conference. (The latter isn’t quite done yet, and frankly needs a bit of work.) There’s also a like a Turbo-charging battery pack that’s meant for super-fast recharges, which is more important than you might think. See, the single best reason to buy last year’s Moto Z Play was its awesome battery life, but this year’s model definitely doesn’t stack up as well because of its smaller 3,000mAh cell. Don’t get me wrong: it’s not terrible by any stretch. It’s just a far cry from the truly excellent battery life we got last year.

It’s no wonder why the battery had to take a hit: the Z2 Play is much, much thinner than the model it replaces. With that being the case, I really doubt that Motorola plans to do another standard Moto Z this year. After all, the Z Force was the Moto I recommended last year — the only advantage the regular Z had over it was its incredibly slim waistline. The thing is, the Z2 Play sits in between the original Z and Z Play in a way that doesn’t feel really feel as fulfilling. Sure, it’s sleek — it also lacks the horsepower that usually made the first Moto Z such a joy to use. In any case, it won’t be long until the fate of the Moto Z line is fully revealed — in the meantime, stay tuned for our full Z2 Play review.

EU: Social networks are getting better at reviewing hate speech

Calls for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft to get better at removing hate speech on their networks have partly been acted upon, the European Commission confirmed today. Officials noted that in the last six months, Facebook did a better job than its rivals at reviewing the most complaints within the 24-hour window agreed with the Commission a year ago.

Together, the four companies reviewed 51 percent of notifications within the allotted timeframe, an improvement from 40 percent before the turn of the year. Facebook was the only one that achieved the target of responding to the majority of notifications — 58 percent of referrals — within a day.

Twitter also improved, reviewing 39 percent of notifications compared with 23.5 percent in December. However, Google slowed down, reviewing 42.6 percent of YouTube cases, a significant fall from 60.8 percent late last year. According to Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova, almost two thirds of cases (59.1 percent) resulted in the removal of illegal content, more than twice the number (28 percent) recorded in the six months previous.

Jourova noted that the results were “encouraging” and that their actions were “an important step in the right direction.” Should Facebook, Twitter, Google and Microsoft continue to improve, the Commission would allow them continue self regulating, rather than forcing removals via new legislation. Currently, the firms operate via a voluntary code of conduct.

As well as asking each of the firms to continue improving their response times, the Commission earmarked another area for improvement: the need to better feed back information to the people who flag illegal hate speech. Facebook is the best in that respect, notifying 93.7 percent of people who flagged content that incites racism or xenophobia. In contrast, Twitter did so in only 32.8 percent of cases and YouTube managed just 20.7 percent.

Via: Reuters

Source: Europa

The semi-nude lives of webcam stars

Harli Lotts (not her real name) knows her audience better than just about anyone I’ve ever met in online media. In just two years, the bubbly blonde from El Paso, Texas, has gone from manager of a rent-to-own store to rising internet starlet by making personal connections with a loyal online audience. She arrived at our interview on a sweltering Friday morning in a hotel suite on the Las Vegas strip with a small entourage of two other budding social media influencers, Amber Vixx and Stefanie Joy (also not their names).

NSFW Warning: This story may contain links to and descriptions or images of explicit sexual acts.

After our interview, she and her friends will probably hit the pool at a local apartment complex and do what millennials do: eat pizza and play out their lives in front of tiny, portable cameras. During our wide-ranging conversation she’ll talk confidently about the business of live streaming video, the ephemeral nature of online fame, Rashida Jones’ controversial Netflix documentary Hot Girls Wanted and the markup on consumer eyewear.

But one question gives her pause.

“Have you ever thought about how intimate your relationship is with your computer?” I ask.

“Not until right now, actually, talking to you. I’ve just realized that, yeah, like, probably it’s my best friend right now. It helps me through everything,” she says.

Lotts’ computer isn’t just her best friend — it’s her main revenue generator and her connection, not only to her fans but also to the outside world. Lotts is a social media star in the truest sense of the word. She is one of a growing number of independent, live streaming video personalities who can make thousands of dollars in just a few hours broadcasting mostly unremarkable acts for a captive internet audience. She just happens to do some of it naked.

Lotts is a cam girl, part of a booming at-home workforce made up of young women — and a few men — who are upending the adult entertainment industry and social media at the same time. Like Instagram influencers or YouTube makers, today’s webcam models need little more than a strong WiFi connection and an internet-connected camera to make a living.

Signing up for services like My Free Cams, Flirt4Free, or Chaturbate, which are essentially platforms like Facebook or Snapchat, is simple. Once you’ve filled out a web form, verified your age and agreed to the service’s terms and conditions, you can immediately start streaming to a limitless audience of viewers seeking human connection and, of course, sexual release. With the right tools and an ID that says they’re 18 or older, these 21st-century push-button celebrities don’t even have to leave their bedrooms to make a living, and they all have one woman to thank.

When Jennifer Ringley picked up a webcam at her college book store in 1996, she had no way of knowing she’d serve as the catalyst for an industry that’s been estimated to pull in more than $1 billion in revenue annually. Just two years earlier, Connectix, a small peripheral maker released the QuickCam, a digital camera that sat on top of your Apple’s Macintosh and delivered 320-x-240 black-and-white images at 15 frames per second for $100.

In a rare 2015 interview, Ringley told Gimlet Media’s Reply All podcast that she found herself at a loss for what to do with her impulse purchase and decided to put her amateur programming skills to the test. She rigged her webcam to constantly record candid stills from inside her dorm room and upload a new image every 15 minutes to her site, Jennicam.org.

Ringley wasn’t the first subject of an experiment in webcamming. That honor belonged to a coffee pot at Cambridge University, but she was the first to give the world 24-hour access to her private life via the internet. For the next seven years, Ringley streamed her daily life, uncut and uncensored for an audience of millions of strangers.

She would become something of an internet phenomenon, a precursor to the unvarnished YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram celebrities of today. She appeared in profiles for major media organizations and eventually made a much-cited appearance on David Letterman’s show. But for all of the mainstream hype, Jennicam’s appeal was decidedly NSFW.

Early on, she decided to giver her followers unrestricted access to her daily activities, including intimate moments like masturbation and sex. At its peak, Jennicam attracted seven million visits per day. Despite its success, Ringley took Jennicam offline in 2003, following a sex scandal in which she hooked up with a fellow lifecaster’s boyfriend on camera.

The following year Facebook was born and over the next decade, live streaming video would become a cornerstone of mainstream social media. YouTube launched its live video service in 2010, followed by Facebook and Twitter in 2015 and Instagram in 2016. The big social networks have put their money on live video but anyone working in the adult cam industry could have told you: It’s been a safe bet for years.

“Cams are the adult industry’s response to Facebook, frankly.”

Kelly Holland, owner and CEO of Penthouse, says beyond driving profits, the adult entertainment industry and social networks are serving the same basic need.

“Cams are the adult industry’s response to Facebook, frankly,” Holland says. “Facebook happened for a reason. It became what it was, I would tell you, not through Zuckerberg’s brilliance, but because it was just the right thing at the right time. It was in the pocket for where we were culturally, and where were we. We were in this incredibly desperate world where we had all moved away from home, we weren’t with the kids that grew up with. We weren’t with our families, and we were in this huge world of billions of people, and we needed to create our little tribes.”

People in the adult camming business consistently draw the connection between online social networks like Facebook and the work that they do. Clinton Cox, founder of Havoc Media and Cam Con, a “model convention” focused on webcamming and other forms of social media, got his start in the early days of commercialized live streaming video.

At the time, large webcamming studios were being built across the US, Latin America and Eastern Europe, churning out 24-hour streams from sometimes hundreds of models per day. These studios provided, and still do outside of the US, access to a safe space as well as the means to stream. Ten years ago, Cox, who worked in live music video production, was hired to build out a network of studios in Colombia. He says that at the peak of that project, the studio network shot 250 models per day.

Marco Ducati, a stout, muscular webcam model and adult film star, got his start camming at a Flirt4Free studio in Los Angeles 11 years ago.

“At the time I was going to school and working construction,” he says. “I was making $600 a week, which wasn’t bad, especially being sort of young. And I remember [my girlfriend] took me to West Hollywood where a webcam studio was set up, and I made like over $400 my first night. Like, literally in three hours. Safe to say I wasn’t in construction for long.”

Ariana Marie lives in a DIY cam house, where her fans can watch her 24 hours a day.

AOL

Soon after Ducati started camming, Flirt4Free shuttered its West Hollywood studio. According to Pew Research, nearly 75 percent of American households have broadband internet, compared to about 50 percent in 2007 and many laptops have cameras capable of streaming HD video live to the internet. Models no longer needed the studios to make a living in the US, but developing countries in Latin America and Eastern Europe still rely heavily on studios to provide technology and a safe space for camming. While US models split revenue with services like Flirt4Free, MyFreeCams and Chaturbate, they’re otherwise largely independent.

“I love cams because at one level I like to say that it is the ultimate entrepreneurial experience for young women.” Holland says. “They can make as much money or not as they choose.”

While webcamming has taken off, traditional adult entertainment has struggled to remain relevant. Businesses like Penthouse have had to be creative to thrive, due in part to the economic recession of the late aughts, the rise of free tube sites and internet piracy. The material effect of camming on adult media pioneers like Penthouse is unclear, but Holland says it has changed the way that they work. She says her staff now trolls sites like MyFreeCams and Chaturbate for its infamous Penthouse Pets and recently introduced a monthly cam girl spotlight called Cyber Cuties.

“In a world of a quarter of a million girls, and that’s a complete back of the napkin number, success is how you can differentiate, how you can become your own superstar,” she says. “How you can become the influencer in your own environment? Part of that is if we make you a Penthouse Pet, or we put you on the pages of a magazine. There may only be a hundred thousand people that see that magazine, but that moniker ‘Penthouse Pet’ counts as a differentiation.”

My Free Cams President Leo Radvinsky has said the site serves more than 100,000 models and 5 million users worldwide. One of those models is Aspen Rae, a one-time Penthouse Pet and full-time webcam model. When we meet at the AVN studios in Chatsworth, California, Rae’s flawless, long black hair cascades over her chiseled muscles, creating an immediate visual dichotomy. In her downtime, Rae is basically a real-life John McClane in the making.

She uses the money she makes as an award-winning cam model to fund an amateur bodybuilding career and commercial helicopter lessons. She says keeping her life interesting gives her plenty to talk about during her streams, but Rae uses the adult industry to keep her name relevant and boost her visibility. She occasionally shoots girl-on-girl films and has a list of XXX accolades, despite the fact that camming is her main source of income. She demurs when I ask how much she makes but says her goals are in the thousands per day. She only cams for two to three hours daily.

“Some girls might do extremely well. They’re gonna have to shoot every day. They’re gonna have to be working their asses off.”

“I make a hell of a lot more doing webcamming and that might not be the same for everybody,” she says. “Some girls might do extremely well. They’re gonna have to shoot every day. They’re gonna have to be working their asses off, you know, shooting full-time, which is something that I couldn’t imagine doing, and I give mad props to anybody who can shoot full-time. But with [MyFreeCams] I’ll have tremendous days where I will make more in one day than I could ever possibly imagine shooting for one week.”

Rae, who now serves as a spokesperson for MyFreeCams and co-hosted the 2017 AVN awards (the so-called Oscars of porn), prides herself on being a self-made woman. She does all of her own lighting, editing and booking, and though many models do the same, there’s no industry standard for how to be a cam model.

About 300 miles northeast of the AVN studio, in the desert suburbs of Las Vegas, Ariana Marie, a Southern waitress turned cam girl, is returning to camming in a big way after a short stint in hardcore porn. Marie, also a former Penthouse Pet, and her husband, Jack Spade, a retired adult performer, are building an empire around her good-girl-gone-bad brand. Their large, stucco home in a palm-tree-lined gated community is kitted out with a series of always-on cameras that give her fans 24-hour access to her most private moments.

As Marie gives me a tour of their home, which she proudly says she’s decorated almost exclusively with furniture from Ross, I can’t help but be reminded of Jennicam, and how simple her always-on streaming experiment now seems. Like today’s most successful social media influencers, Marie isn’t just a personality — she’s a holistic brand selling connection to an otherwise inaccessible lifestyle.

I’ve created my own little community within this giant community. And the reward is, you get to see me naked every once in awhile.

Harli Lotts

“I still shoot movies — adult film — I webcam, I feature dance, we have a cam house here in Vegas, which is our house,” she says. “And that’s pretty much the main stuff, but it comes with a bunch of other things here and there. You know, like custom videos and just all that. It’s crazy. Like I can’t even sometimes. I don’t even know what I did yesterday because of how much we do.”

Camming offers a nearly endless supply of revenue streams. Models are only limited by their own inhibitions, time and motivation. In addition to adult films, Marie regularly performs at strip clubs as a feature dancer, solicits gifts from fans via an Amazon wish list and records videos scripted and commissioned by her fans. She also charges by the minute or message for direct communication through an app called Sex Panther. During our visit, she and Spade will also take a break to entertain a pitch for a reality television show.

As cam models go, Marie is as close as you can get to a bona fide star. She admits that her time in adult films set the stage for the success that she’s experienced, but it also cemented her audience’s expectations.

“I can’t compare myself to the regular cam models that haven’t done adult films,” she says. “My guys are gonna expect me to do something more crazy than a girl playing video games or something. Like I’m not going to make any money from a guy that’s watched my scenes just playing a video game.”

From the early days of Jennicam, webcamming has been as much about the promise of the eventual money shot as it has been about all of the moments in between. With the tools of production in the hands of the models, they decide what those moments look like. Holland says she loves it “because it gives so many more girls so many more opportunities to do what they want with their bodies.”

Models can be as hardcore or reserved as they want, but everyone I’ve spoken with says it’s all about giving your fans what they want, and, according to Cox, that’s not always an orgasm.

“The majority of it’s just interaction and talking and people spilling their guts to each other. It’s just like psychotherapy, digital psychotherapy.”

“Eighty percent of it is interactivity — if we’re talking about hardcore cams — the final 10 percent is where there’s actually something sexual that happens,” Cox says. “The majority of it’s just interaction and talking and people spilling their guts to each other. It’s just like psychotherapy, digital psychotherapy. I literally used to watch the numbers and watch these people consume the amount they would consume, and it wasn’t anything more than just internet companionship. Like, ‘Hey, let’s press play on this movie at the same time on YouTube and watch it together.’ Play. Press pause. ‘You want to order a pizza? Let’s get a pizza going.’ Pause. Order a pizza. ‘Pizza’s here! Let’s eat pizza.’

“It wasn’t about porn, or about adult. It was about two people that were just digitally connected.”

The nature of interaction on cam sites has allowed a new breed of adult performers to emerge. Models are known as much for the personality, party tricks and gimmicks as they are for their sexual prowess. Lotts tells me she shot a hardcore scene once. It was a girl-girl scene with Aspen Rae. It wasn’t as profitable as she’d hoped and her fans aren’t looking to her for that sort of hardcore action anyway. As opposed to the “girlfriend experience” or the “porn star experience,” Lotts says she provides her fans with “the best friend experience”.

Aspen Rae’s reputation in the adult entertainment industry, with titles like Penthouse Pet, has catapulted her above the competition.

AOL

“I think I play the-girl-next-door role the most,” Lotts says. “I think that’s how I come off. So, my audience is like those boys who had girl best friends in high school, and they’re just used to having girls to talk to. And they run their ideas by me, or they ask me their opinions. I kind of feel like a therapist sometimes.”

Lotts is constantly connected to her fans through Instagram and Twitter; she plays games with them on her streams, raffles off PlayStations and Oculus Rifts, and dresses up as their favorite video game and comic book characters at their request. For Lotts, her viewers aren’t just pay-to-play voyeurs but a community of close, personal friends.

“It’s a chat room,” she says. “We’re just all hanging out as friends. They hang out as friends outside of my chat room now, because they’ve met outside of my chat room. I’ve created my own little community within this giant community. And the reward is, you get to see me naked every once in awhile.”

Throughout my conversations with Aspen, Marco, Ariana, Harli, Stefanie and Amber, the conversation always comes back to connection: that same connection that Kelly Holland and Clinton Cox speak of, the one Mark Zuckerberg proselytizes to investors and journalists. It’s the same thing that drove millions of people to flock to Jennicam.org. Cox says he doesn’t see the difference between what these girls do and what plays out on social media every day, and with mainstream celebrities like Kim Kardashian proudly exposing their bodies on mainstream apps like Instagram, it’s hard to argue with that logic.

But just as in the real world, that pursuit of connection online has real consequences. Mounting evidence shows that the more we connect online, the more isolated we feel in real life. Loneliness is a very real thing.

Live webcamming gives lonely, introverted people all over the world the opportunity for human connection. For Lotts and her friends Amber Vixx and Stefanie Joy, that connection isn’t a one-way experience. Lotts says that the most successful cam models are the shy ones, the ones who never leave their houses. She says that since she took up camming she’s spent more and more time at home. Today, she rarely leaves her house, except for conventions, going as far as to have her groceries delivered to avoid the outside world. Her computer has become, at least for her, more than a source of income or a way of cashing in on male desire. Camming has created a unique relationship with her tools of production

“It is a security blanket,” she says. “That’s exactly how I put it. As long as I have it on, I feel okay.”

The success of Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone may depend on carriers

When Android co-founder Andy Rubin left Google in November of 2014, shortly after a major executive shake-up within the search giant, his next move wasn’t particularly clear. All we knew back then was that he reportedly wanted to start something on his own, which turned out to be building a high-end phone with a company called Essential Products Inc. And after much speculation and multiple teases by Rubin himself, we now know that device is the Essential Phone, an Android handset with a gorgeous design and top-of-the-line specs.

The Essential features a 5.7-inch edge-to-edge display (similar to the one on Samsung’s Galaxy S8), the latest Snapdragon 835 processor, 128GB of built-in storage, 4GB RAM and near-vanilla version of Android Nougat. It’s basically everything you’d want in an Android handset in 2017. And there’s more: The Essential Phone takes a cue from Motorola’s modular Moto Z, thanks to two tiny magnetic inputs on its back that let you attach accessories like a 360-degree camera. This all comes together in a body that’s made out of titanium and ceramic, materials we don’t typically see on smartphones, even high-end ones.

Andy Rubin

Rubin clearly didn’t cut any corners, but his toughest tasks still lie ahead. For one, people who want a flagship smartphone nowadays probably have their mind set on an iPhone 7 or a Galaxy S8. One area where the Essential Phone could succeed is the market companies like Motorola and OnePlus are trying to conquer, made up of well-specced, carrier-free devices that range anywhere between $50 to $450. Problem is, the Essential is aiming for higher grounds, since it’ll cost $699, or $749 when bundled with a 360-degree video camera when it ships next month.

That’s not to say the Essential Phone isn’t worth its price tag, or that it isn’t a solid alternative to Apple’s or Samsung’s flagships, because everything on paper suggests it could be. But if Rubin wants to appeal to consumers beyond gadget fetishists (who may be inclined to buy the Essential based on his reputation) he’s going to need help from wireless carriers. According to IDC, Samsung and Apple accounted for 22.8 and 14.9 percent of handset shipments worldwide, respectively, in April of 2017. And what do these two tech giants have in common? They have carrier partnerships all across the globe.

On the Android side alone, a recent Mobile Connectivity survey by research firm NPD claimed 55 percent of users on the platform have a Samsung phone, another telltale sign of the challenge ahead for Essential and any other company that wants a piece of that pie.

Take Google’s Pixel, for example. As highly anticipated as the device was, Verizon is the only carrier in the US that offers it to post-paid customers. Sure, you can buy it straight from Google unlocked, but that simply isn’t enough to move the needle in its favor in terms of market share. “Right now this phone is priced very, very close to the flagships out there from Apple and Samsung,” says Brad Akyuz, NPD’s Connected Intelligence industry analyst. “I think that’s a big challenge.”

Akyuz thinks it’ll be difficult for the device to reach a mass audience without support from carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon. In particular, he says the Essential Phone could benefit from being offered by carriers on monthly installment plans, the same way they do an iPhone 7 or a Galaxy S8. “Without that,” he says, “we’re probably looking at a phone, that will do well in a very, very limited niche market.”

That said, it also matters how Rubin will view and measure the success of his new product, because it may not be all about the numbers. Along with its new namesake smartphone, Essential also introduced “Home,” a smart assistant with a shiny circular design that can be controlled via voice commands. Home is powered by Ambient OS, a new platform that Essential hopes will compete with the likes of Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant. (Rubin mentioned that Home will be able to run Siri, Alexa and Assistant at Recode’s Code Conference, though it’s unclear how that might work.)

The Essential Home

Of course, Rubin isn’t the first high-profile Google alumnus to leave and go to work for a rival or start a new company. Hugo Barra, former VP of Android, left Google in 2013 to join Chinese phone maker Xiaomi, where he led different hardware efforts before departing to Facebook to be head of Oculus VR. Mike Chan, a longtime Android engineer, worked on the promising Nextbit Robin phone that ultimately ended up being a bit of a disappointment.

Only time will tell if Essential can succeed where others have failed, but Rubin is setting the bar pretty high with a device that’s both sleek and powerful. I’m intrigued by the Essential Phone, I’m just not sure I’m ready to leave my iPhone behind — especially since I’m still paying it off.

Image credits: Essential

Apple’s kid-friendly coding app can now bring toys to life

In 2014, Apple introduced a programming language called Swift that made waves in the developer community — not just for its power and flexibility, but for how easy it is to learn. So easy, in fact, that Apple believes it could be anyone’s first programming language. That’s why it went ahead and created Swift Playgrounds, a free iPad app designed to teach kids how to code. Now, a year after its release, Apple is ready to step up its educational repertoire further. With the June 5th release of Swift Playgrounds 1.5, Apple’s app will now teach kids to program robots and drones as well.

What this means is that kids will be able to program and control a variety of Bluetooth-enabled robots and toys right within the Swift Playgrounds app. So instead of just tapping around on a touchscreen to move virtual characters, kids can write snippets of Swift code and translate them to physical robot actions. At launch, Swift Playgrounds 1.5 will be compatible with the following third-party toys: Lego Mindstorms Education EV3, Sphero SPRK+ robotic ball, Parrot’s Mambo, Rolling Spider and Airborne mini-drones, UBTECH’s Jimu Robot MeeBot Kit, Wonder Workshop’s Dash robot and Skoog, a tactile cube speaker. It bears mentioning that there are already several toys out there that aims to teach code to kids, but Apple’s solution is one of a few — if not the only one — that uses genuine programming language instead of just block-based code.

Apple demonstrated several of these Swift Playground programs to a small group of reporters in its Cupertino office right along with the Bluetooth-enabled toys. A Lego spokesperson showed us how you could use Playgrounds to basically create anything from a robot turtle to a robot dinosaur simply by applying certain bits of code to specific motors and sensors. Hit “Run” and voilà, the robot will come to life, walking along or wagging its tail according to what you’ve programmed. The initial game that comes with the Lego EV3 kit is called Animal Rescue, where you’re tasked with, well, rescuing animals from danger.

Next is the Sphero SPRK+, a robotic ball that lights up, accelerates, turns and rolls around on command. With Playgrounds, you can change its color and program it to recognize your feet and other obstacles. A Sphero spokesperson even showed us a Sphero Arcade application, which allows you to program the ball and use it to play a game of Pong with a friend. When asked if Sphero was planning on introducing even more Swift Playgrounds apps, a spokesperson hinted that one for the adorable BB-8 could be coming in the future, which would certainly please any kid who’s a Star Wars fan.

By far the most exciting demonstration was with Parrot’s mini-drones. Using a simple Parrot Education tutorial on Swift Playgrounds, kids can essentially learn how to pilot drones through code; they’ll learn all about pitch, yaw and roll and get the drones to perform a variety of tricks. Kids can also learn how to control the drone with the iPad itself; tilting the iPad will prompt the drone to go up, while giving it a quick shake will prompt it to flip over.

Last but not least, Apple showed off how UBTECH’s Jimu Robot could be programmed to walk and dance in a variety of ways (our favorite was probably “Gangnam Style”).

Of course, Swift Playgrounds is not all fun and play. Through learning how to program these toys, kids are learning actual Swift code — the same language that’s used in more than a quarter-million iOS apps. “They’re learning the real language,” said Tim Triemstra, Apple’s product manager for Swift Playgrounds. “It’s not block programming [like you’d find on other kid’s coding toys]. It’s real code from day one.”

Over the past year, Apple has been spreading the gospel of Swift Playgrounds to the developer community and those in education. Indeed, it partnered with educators to come up with Swift Playgrounds teaching guides and curricula, which are already in use in schools across the country. And, apparently, it’s pretty popular. So popular that Apple has already expanded its Swift coursework all the way through junior colleges.

“Coding is part of what makes the really cool things in the world, really cool,” said Kelly Croy, a teacher from Oak Harbor Middle School in Washington state, who was brought in by Apple to meet with the press. “For kids to use the same real language, and interact with robots in the physical world — it’s a game-changer.” That Swift Playgrounds is on an iPad rather than a computer is also pretty important, according to Croy. “They can go outside; they’re not sitting around a desk or a computer screen all day.”

It was this level of engagement that inspired the team at Apple to collaborate with these toymakers. The iPad is already much more accessible than a computer, but adding robots to the mix makes it that much more exciting. “It combines coding with robotics and the physical world,” said Cheryl Thomas, VP of engineering for Swift Playgrounds. “You’ll see how engaging it all is.”

“Education is in our DNA,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s VP of product marketing for apps, markets and services. “Coding is an area where we could make a positive impact. It’s an exciting step forward in education.”

“It’s really important to us to figure out how technology can transform teaching and learning,” continued Prescott. “We take it very seriously.”

Plex Rolls Out Live TV Support for Over-The-Air Channels Within iOS App

Plex will today begin integrating a live television feature into its popular video streaming and personal media application for iOS and Android TV, allowing Plex subscribers to stream live TV on their smartphones wherever they are located. The company said that live TV is supported only under the Plex Pass subscription tier, which starts at $4.99/month.

To use Plex Live TV, users will have to install a digital antenna, connect a digital tuner, and sync everything to their Plex Pass subscription account. Once set up, subscribers will be able to watch live HD content on channels available over-the-air, from major US networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and CW, as well as local programming, news, and sports. International programming includes CBC, BBC, ITV, Telemundo, and Univision. As with all live video streaming services, the channels available vary depending on your zip code.

That’s right, today we’re rolling out support for Live TV! And we’re doing it in a truly Plexy way. It’s built right in to the Media Server, so you’ll be able to stream live (starting with our Android TV and iOS apps, with more to come) anywhere in the world through the power of Plex!

Plex Live TV is launching only on iOS and Android TV right now, but the company mentioned that any content recorded to Plex DVR from a live broadcast can then be watched on any device that Plex supports. With the launch of live TV, Plex has also enhanced its DVR features, allowing overlapping recordings on the same channel, a “smarter” scheduling system, taped show management within the iOS app, and general improvements to the DVR user interface.

Plex has also expanded the supported DVR devices that work with the service so that it’s easier than ever to begin using live TV and DVR features. Additionally, the company has rolled out support for a wider array of digital tuners including models from Hauppauge, AVerMedia, DVBLogic and more. Users can find a complete list of supported antennas, tuners, and DVR systems here.

Besides the low-tier $4.99/month option, Plex Pass is available in a $39.99/year tier and $119.99 for a lifetime subscription. Plex said that after launching on iOS and Android TV, more of its apps will gain the live TV feature sometime soon.

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Skype Reveals Redesigned iOS App With Chat Bots and Snapchat-Like ‘Highlights’ Feature

Microsoft today introduced an enhanced, all-new version of Skype for iOS and Android devices that puts an emphasis on chats, chatbots, camera features, and its own version of Snapchat’s Stories. The update comes with an overall change to Skype’s visual design as well, with the company stating that it’s decided to focus on allowing personal user choice to dictate how sections of the app look, including the ability to customize the app with your favorite color.

Skype’s home screen now sits with a “Chat” window on launch, and users can easily swipe to the Camera and new “Highlights” feature, which is an extended version of Stories. Here, users can take a picture or video, decorate it with emojis and text, and then post it to their Highlight. After posting, content is available for a full week instead of just 24 hours, and only users who follow you can see your Highlight. Specific individuals and groups can also be sent a Highlight before it’s posted.

Skype has also introduced Facebook-like reactions to both chats and Highlights, allowing users to select emojis to react to messages, pictures, and videos without having to text. In a talk with TechCrunch, Skype didn’t balk at admitting it was inspired by Snapchat Stories, pointing out Facebook’s own argument that the “Story” model is a format that can be used by anyone in the industry and isn’t owned by Snapchat.

Highlights are Skype’s own take on Stories – something the company readily admits. “It’s like Facebook has said,” says Amritansh Raghav, Corporate Vice President of Skype, referencing remarks made by Facebook’s VP of messaging David Marcus, who recently argued that Stories “is definitely a format, the same way the feed is a format.”

Raghav agrees. The feed is now commonly used in a range of apps – even those that aren’t personal social networks, like Microsoft’s business communications service Yammer. “There’s a new medium that has risen,” he says of Stories. “When you think about this new way of interacting, [we want that to be] available also in this application.”

Microsoft is also introducing its smart assistant Cortana into Skype, providing shortcuts to users in texts and suggesting quick responses. Other bots, or “add-ins,” include Gfycat, Giphy, MSN Weather, Bing, Polls, Expedia, Stubhub, BigOven, YouTube, and Upworthy.

Less emphasized in the update are Skype’s traditional video call features, although they have received a few overhauls as well. Users will now be able to send large emojis over video chats, as well as text messages, stickers, and photos that appear as an overlay on the screen. Skype said that in the future it plans to introduce gaming features into video calls and the ability to synchronize and watch streaming videos together, rumored to begin with videos from YouTube, similar to Google’s own UpTime app.

The Skype update launches on Android first today, and is set to roll out to iOS devices in about a month. Mac and Windows devices will receive the update sometime within the next few months.

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