UberEats delivery debacle ends with an unpleasant sandwich surprise

Why it matters to you

If you order pizza and it turns up in a bag, ask questions.

Imagine it. You’re in for a quiet night with your partner and don’t fancy cooking so you hit UberEats and order a couple of fresh pizzas and cans of pop from a local restaurant.

You follow the progress of your Uber-delivered dinner on the smartphone app, and notice that it seems to be taking longer than it needs to … half hour longer. The driver eventually turns up at your door and hands you your meal.

Tummies rumbling, you excitedly open the bag to tuck into your cheesy feast and … the escaping odor causes your salivary glands to pack up for the night and your esophagus to quietly slip away unannounced. Peering into the smelly void, you see not pizza but instead moldy sandwiches — one partly eaten — and two yellow puck-shaped objects that apparently require scientific analysis to accurately identify. Oh, and there’s an old-looking salad inside, too.

This is precisely what happened to Anna Kotlikova and Blake Weinzettl in Toronto on Sunday evening, according to an interview with CBC News. Uber — admittedly a company more familiar with delivering people than meals — says it’s now investigating the alleged incident.

Describing the episode, Kotlikova said, “The smell overwhelmed the whole room. I don’t know where [the driver] got this mysterious big brown bag with an order number, which wasn’t even our order number, or the order number from the restaurant.”

It all seemed a bit odd from the very start when the driver appeared to take much longer than necessary to reach their home. “I don’t know where this guy was driving to, because he definitely did go somewhere. And where is this old food coming from? And why is he doing this?” she told CBC. The fact that the “pizza” arrived at the door in a bag and not a box probably should’ve set alarm bells ringing, too.

After contacting UberEats about the debacle, the couple said they received scripted responses, a refund, and a $25 voucher. But no word on why their delivery was so messed up. Kotlikova said all she wants is for “Uber to have a sense of urgency and figure this out and at least update us on what’s going on.”

The restaurant also complained to Uber, and said that another of its customers reported an almost identical experience on the same night.

According to Uber, the driver at the center of the story has a rating of 4.8 out of a maximum 5.0, with no reports of any other sandwich-based shenanigans on his record.

Hoping to get to the bottom of the bizarre episode, the San Francisco-based company said it’s currently trying to get full accounts from both the driver and the restaurant.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2017) review

Research Center:
Amazon Fire HD 8 (2017)

Amazon’s Fire tablets aren’t as trendy or powerful as Apple’s popular iPads, but they’re far more affordable. For 2017, the online retail giant has updated its Fire HD lineup with a refreshed Fire HD 8, Fire 7, and Fire 7 Kids Edition, along with a new Fire HD 8 Kids Edition.

Price is a crucial factor for these tablets because it’s low. Amazon has the most affordable tablets on the market. The 7-inch starts at just $50, and the HD 8, which we reviewed here, starts at just $80. Yep, for less than $100 you get all of Amazon’s services, access to Alexa, the voice assistant that can control your smart home, as well as a functional tablet that can perform most smartphone tasks adequately well.

Let’s take a deeper look.

Lackluster display

The Fire HD 8’s 1,280 x 800-pixel resolution screen isn’t eye-catching, but it’s just bright enough to be visible outside on a sunny day. It offers decent viewing angles, and the colors aren’t over-saturated.

But it’s far from sharp. Pixels are easily visible, text isn’t as sharp as we’d like, and overall it’s not a good tablet for video consumption. It’s strange, considering Amazon has a whole section promoting its Prime Video service. Upgrading the screen to a 1,080-pixel resolution would greatly help, but understandably it would also jack up the price of the tablet. There’s a high chance that your phone offers a higher, more crisp, resolution, so you may want to stick with it for videos.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Amazon’s blue-light filter, Blue Shade, is a handy option to make it easier to fall asleep at night. It removes blue light from the display, which is said to disrupt sleep.

This display does the job, for the most part.

Solid build, standard design

The Fire HD 8’s design is fairly straightforward. The front offers a lot of unused space around the display (on all four sides), and you’ll find a front-facing camera at the top. The back and the frame are made of plastic, and it feels slippery. The Amazon logo sits in the center — it easily attracts dust and dirt — and on the top left you’ll find the rear camera.

The display seems to attract fingerprints, so make sure you carry around a microfiber cloth if that sort of thing bothers you.

We like the 8-inch size of the tablet, but it’s a little harder to hold in one hand than the 7-inch Fire. The display seems to attract fingerprints, so make sure you carry around a microfiber cloth if that sort of thing bothers you.

All the buttons are situated on the top edge of the tablet — the power button is on the right, and the volume rocker is on the left. The headphone jack sits between the two, next to the Micro USB port, which is how you charge the Fire HD 8. Unsurprisingly, Amazon hasn’t updated its tablet to the reversible USB Type-C charging port standard that the fanciest Android smartphones and tablets now use.

Thankfully, the Fire HD 8 doesn’t feel fragile. The build quality seems solid, even if the plastic on the back feels a little cheap, and the buttons offer nice, clicky feedback.

The black color option is a little boring in our opinion, so we recommend opting for the red, blue, or yellow variants.

Decent performance, good battery life

The Fire HD 8 doesn’t have a lot of internal improvements over the 2016 model, but it does have dual-band Wi-Fi support — you’ll be able to connect to 2.5GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands, and it allows for faster internet download speeds. 5GHz lines are often more stable, and if you don’t have one at home, consider upgrading your router.

It’s powered by the MediaTek MT8163V system-on-a-chip, which has a quad-core processor with 1.5GB of RAM. It offers decent performance for the price, and it’s the same found on the 2016 Fire HD 8.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Fire’s interface is speedy and smooth, but we noticed stutters when scrolling through the Facebook app. Games like Crossy Road performed well, though again with the occasional stutter or lag. Don’t expect to easily play graphically-intense games, or to use this tablet as a productivity tablet. It’s best for browsing the web, playing light games, reading, and listening to music. This is probably why it’s a popular tablet for kids and teenagers.

Amazon offers 16GB or 32GB storage options, but thankfully there’s also support for a MicroSD card — you can expand your storage space to 256GB if needed. The only reason you’ll need this is if you download a lot of offline Amazon content.

The battery is supposed to be an improvement in the 2017 model. Amazon says it should last up to 12 hours on a single charge, which is 2-3 hours more than your standard tablet. We used the Fire HD 8 for five hours and saw its battery drop from 100 percent to 60 percent, which is on target and pretty impressive. What’s better is the battery life on standby — we left the Fire HD 8 on for four days and only saw the battery life drop from 100 percent to 70 percent.

There are also cameras on both sides of the tablet, but they’re really only there if you’re in a bind. The front offers a sub 1-megapixel sensor, so it can do basic video chats, and the rear camera is packed with 5 megapixels. The image quality is dreadful — stick to using your smartphone, which will undoubtedly have a better camera. But again, having a camera is better than none at all.

The stereo speakers are located on the edge of the left side — when in landscape mode, they end up as bottom-firing speakers. They get surprisingly loud, likely thanks to Dolby Atmos technology, and they sound nice.

Overall, despite some stutters and lag, performance is largely unmatched against tablets at this price range.

Fire OS

Our favorite use of the tablet is reading books, news articles, and browsing the web. It’s a great size, making it easy to carry around, and reading feels like you’re holding a book or a folded newspaper.

But Amazon’s Fire OS, which is based on Android, is currently on version 5.4. More specifically, it’s based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, an operating system version from 2015. Needless to say, it’s a little outdated. Amazon representatives told us that the company does regularly provide software updates for the Fire tablets, which include “new features, performance enhancements, security patches, and other updates.”

It’s a great size, making it easy to carry around, and reading feels like you’re holding a book or a folded newspaper.

Fire OS is different from regular Android phones or tablets. This doesn’t look like a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy tablet. The notification drawer and navigation buttons work the same as any normal phone or tablet, but the home screen shows all the apps you have installed in a vertical list. Swipe right and you can see recently-used apps (or just press the Recents button); and swiping left takes you to various “pages.” These include Books, Video, Games, Shop, Apps, Music, Audible, and Newsstand. Within these pages, you can buy and access all your multimedia Amazon content — you’ll need a Prime subscription to truly take advantage of everything it has to offer.

There’s no Google Play Store, which means there are a lot of apps that aren’t accessible. Most of Google’s apps, for example, are simply wrappers of the web version — some, like Google Maps, aren’t even on Amazon’s Appstore. Dropbox, for example, is another app that’s not available. That’s not to say there isn’t a wide variety of apps to choose from — just don’t expect everything to be there. You can browse Amazon’s app selection online, if you’re curious.

Alexa is available on the Fire HD 8, now for U.K. users as well. You can use it to control smart home devices, ask it questions like, “What’s the weather,” ask the voice assistant to launch apps, and more. It responds quickly and works pretty well. If you’re buying a Fire tablet as a cheap way to access Alexa, know that you’ll have to always have the tablet in your hand if you want to launch a voice command. It requires some button pressing, unlike the Amazon Echo.

Warranty information, pricing, and availability

The Fire HD 8 is covered by a limited 90-day warranty in the U.S. and Japan that protects your device of manufacturing defects from the date of purchase. If you buy the tablet from Amazon or authorized sellers in any other country, you will get a 1-year limited warranty.

The new Fire HD 8 actually has a price cut from the last generation, from $90 to $80. The $80 Fire HD 8 comes with “special offers,” or advertisements. You can buy a model without these special offers, but it will cost $15 more. The Kids Edition is the exact same, but it offers educational content, a parental control service, and it comes in a rugged case for protection.

It’s available for purchase from Amazon.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2017) Compared To

Xiaomi Mi Pad 3

Apple iPad 9.7

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

Dell Venue 8 7000

Nvidia Shield Tablet

Apple iPad Air 2

LG G Pad 7.0

Dell Venue 8 Pro

Apple iPad Mini 2

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (8-inch)

Smart Devices SmartQ U7

Barnes & Noble Nook HD+

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

Amazon Kindle Fire

Acer Iconia Tab A100

Our Take

Amazon’s Fire HD 8 is a fantastic tablet for the money, but just know what you’re buying it for: Amazon media and a few apps.

If you’re buying this for your little one, go with the $130 Kids Edition as the rugged protection alone is worth the extra money. We see zero reason to upgrade if you have a Fire tablet from 2016, but it’s worth the extra $30 to buy the Fire HD 8 over the refreshed Fire 7, if anything for the HD screen.

While most of the Fire HD 8’s features aren’t impressive if you compare them to a fancier tablet, it’s tough to find a polished tablet with solid performance at this price range.

Is there a better alternative?

For iOS users, not at this price. You’ll either have to shop for older iPads on Amazon, but they still don’t come close to the Fire HD 8’s price. We recommend the $330 9.7-inch iPad for iOS lovers who want a tablet, though it is undoubtedly pricier.

Most other Android tablets are still a little more expensive than the Fire HD 8, but if you have a little more money to spend, the Nvidia Shield K1 is a great value at $200. You can also look at Amazon’s own Fire tablet lineup for other options, such as the Fire HD 10, and the new Fire 7. We’d still choose the Fire HD 8 over those, though.

How long will it last?

Amazon’s Fire HD 8 should last you two years or so, at the most. The company told us that it does push regular security and software updates, but considering Fire OS is still based on the 2015 Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, we’re not expecting a jump to Android 7.1.2 Nougat any time soon.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Fire HD 8 is perfectly usable and it’s best feature is its price, which starts at $80. There’s hardly any competition at that price, and if you’re looking for an affordable tablet for media consumption, this is it.

You’ll soon be able to complain to businesses directly via iMessage

Why it matters to you

Any system that makes it easier for customers to get hold of someone that can help with an issue is surely a good thing.

Apple injected a lot of fun stuff into iMessage with the release of iOS 10 in 2016, but in the coming days it’ll announce Business Chat for the messaging app, a somewhat drier feature aimed at making it easier for users to connect with businesses.

A short post about Business Chat is already showing on the company’s website ahead of an official unveiling on Friday at this week’s WWDC event in San Jose, California.

Launching as part of iOS 11 in the fall, Apple is touting Business Chat as “a powerful new way for businesses to connect with customers directly from within Messages.”

Apple

It says anyone with an iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch will be able to use their device to “get answers to questions, resolve issues and complete transactions,” adding that customers will be able to find businesses and start conversations from Apple apps such as Safari, Maps, Spotlight, and Siri. In other words, it seems likely that when business information shows up in listings inside Apple’s apps, the option to initiate a  chat session via iMessage will be offered alongside the company’s phone number and other details.

The decision to bring customers and businesses closer together via one of its core apps mirrors similar moves by the likes of Facebook with both Messenger and WhatsApp, while Twitter, too, has been developing its app to enable customer service interactions in the Direct Messages section of its social media app.

Adding extra features like this is also in Apple’s interest as it increases the likelihood of users staying inside the app instead of heading off to another service or a company’s website to get in touch. Better for Apple if a user stays with iMessage, especially as the app will soon be offering extra services like Apple Pay where you’ll be able to make financial transactions between yourself and family and friends — all part of the tech giant’s ongoing efforts to broaden Apple Pay’s appeal and ultimately to keep customers within its burgeoning ecosystem.

OnePlus 5 is launching in India on June 22

OnePlus is planning a major launch event for the OnePlus 5 in India.

The OnePlus 5 will make its way to India on June 22, just two days after its global unveil. OnePlus founder and CEO Pete Lau will oversee the launch, and as this is the first time the company has hosted a major event in the country, it is opening the gates to its fan community.

Fans will be able to purchase tickets to attend the launch through OnePlus’ website on June 12. Those attending the event will walk away with a gift hamper “full of super add-ons and OnePlus merchandise,” and select fans will be able to purchase the OnePlus 5 at the event itself.

OnePlus will also stage the finale of the “Best Smartphone Contest” at the event, with the winner taking home a cash prize of 1 crore. As for the device itself, a leaked render from yesterday highlighted dual cameras at the back, 2.5D curved glass at the front, and large bezels on the top and bottom of the screen. We already know that the phone will be the first to be powered by the Snapdragon 835 in the country.

Who’s excited for the launch of the OnePlus 5?

OnePlus 5

• Latest OnePlus 5 rumors
• OnePlus 5 confirmed to have Snapdragon 835
• OnePlus 3T discontinued to make room for OnePlus 5

OnePlus

4G in India: Everything you need to know

4G is finally going mainstream in India.

India’s mobile market has seen a meteoric rise in the last few years, and it doesn’t look like the growth will abate anytime soon. A key part of that vision is 4G connectivity, which has been rolling out in phases since 2012. One of the key stories in the country’s digital transformation in 2016 was the launch of Reliance Jio.

Jio made its debut late last year, offering affordable tariffs and a robust network that’s built entirely on 4G. The fact that the carrier gave away huge amounts of data for free for everyone for the first six months allowed it to climb up the ranks in a short time, amassing over 100 million subscribers already. When it comes to 4G, Jio is in the lead by a huge margin. Here’s what you need to know about the state of 4G in India.

4G bands and frequencies

When compared to 3G, 4G offers greater bandwidth at a lower latency, with downloads quoted in the vicinity of 45Mbps. However, receiving those speeds is entirely reliant on network connectivity and congestion, which was a major issue during the 3G rollout. Carriers often saw a high amount of congestion on their networks, which meant that most customers never saw the claimed download speeds. This time around, carriers are looking to mitigate the issue of congestion by investing heavily in infrastructure. That said, there’s still no guarantee that you’ll actually see the claimed download seeds. For instance, although Airtel offers 4G in Hyderabad, the bandwidth is only marginally higher than what you get on 3G.

If you’re looking to buy a 4G phone in India, look for Bands 3, 5, and 40.

Indian carriers are leveraging both TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE standards to offer 4G connectivity in the country. The government auctions spectrum to the carriers for a duration of twenty years, with the most recent auction netting over $16 billion in revenue. The government was slated to offer up huge chunks of the 700MHz frequency in an auction last year, but there were no takers. Low-frequency bands offer a wider range and are unaffected by buildings, whereas higher frequency bands such as 2300MHz can transfer more bandwidth over a smaller area.

Band 3 (1800MHz) is primarily used for 4G coverage in India, as the spectrum was already in use during the 2G era. Carriers that offer 4G on Band 3 include Aircel, Airtel, Idea, Reliance Communications, Reliance Jio, Telenor, Vodafone, and Videocon.

Band 40 (2300MHz) is the second frequency on which carriers offer 4G connectivity. The government had auctioned airwaves in this spectrum to Aircel, Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Tikona in 2010. Reliance’s pan-India network primarily relies on the 2300MHz frequency for cellular coverage.

Band 5 (850MHz) will be used by Reliance Jio and Reliance Communications in ten circles. If you’re interested in purchasing a handset to access 4G connectivity, make sure the phone supports Bands 3, 5, and 40.

Carriers and their circles

India’s 29 states and seven union territories are broken down into 22 telecom circles, which are largely defined by state boundaries. Moving between circles incurs roaming charges for calls and texts, which is a main reason why phones with two SIM card slots are preferred in the country. Having two SIM slots available makes it that much more convenient for those traveling between two circles to cut down on charges. Here’s the breakdown of the telecom circles in India:

• Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
• Assam
• Bihar & Jharkhand
• Delhi
• Gujarat and Daman and Diu
• Haryana
• Himachal Pradesh
• Jammu and Kashmir
• Karnataka
• Kerala and Lakshadweep
• Kolkata
• Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
• Maharashtra and Goa
• Mumbai
• Odisha
• Punjab
• North East (Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura)
• Rajasthan
• Tamil Nadu
• Uttar Pradesh (East)
• Uttar Pradesh (West) and Uttarakhand
• West Bengal

Airtel

Airtel was the first to offer 4G services in India all the way back in 2012. Dubbed the “widest 4G network” in India, Airtel is offering 4G in over 420 cities across 15 circles. The carrier operates on the 2300MHz frequency and has access to 20MHz of bandwidth, along with a license to offer data on the 1800MHz frequency in six circles. Airtel has a user base in excess of 10 million, with that number set to gain a massive increase by the end of 2017. The carrier has extended its 4G network 15 kilometers off the coastline at the behest of the Indian Navy.

On the 2300MHz frequency, Airtel has a license in eight out of 22 circles in India (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, Kerala, and Punjab) and has acquired access to Aircel’s spectrum in eight additional circles in 2016: Tamil Nadu (including Chennai), Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Assam, North East, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. The move puts Airtel in a much better position to face the imminent arrival of Reliance Jio.

Airtel also offers its own suite of music, movie, and game streaming apps on Android and iOS, dubbed Wynk. You can choose to subscribe to Wynk separately for ₹99 a month, or buy a bundled plan that offers these services for free. For instance, 1GB of 4G data combined with a 28-day subscription to Wynk Music (including unlimited song downloads) currently costs ₹279, whereas a standalone data plan costs ₹259. In essence, you’re getting Wynk Music for just ₹20.

If you’re looking to make the switch to Airtel’s 4G network, head down to the link below to see the coverage and tariff for your locale.

See at Airtel

Reliance Jio

Reliance Jio has the most amount of liberalized spectrum among Indian carriers, with a nationwide license on the 2300MHz frequency, along with airwaves in the 1800MHz band and 10MHz spectrum in the 850MHz frequency that’s purchased from RCOM in ten circles: Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, North East, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh (East).

One of the key differentiators with Jio’s network is VoLTE, which allows for high-definition voice calls to be placed over the data network. The carrier has integrated 4G network that leverages all three frequencies to provide seamless connectivity, and is using its network to deliver a robust on-demand digital content platform. With over 100 million subscribers, Jio is the frontrunner in the Indian 4G market, but the customer acquisition has led to sustained losses at the carrier.

Idea and Vodafone

Idea has merged with Vodafone, and the combined entity is now offering 4G in over 570 cities and towns in 10 circles. In terms of userbase, Idea is the third largest carrier in the country, coming behind Airtel and Reliance. Idea uses the 1800MHz for 4G coverage, holding spectrum in ten key circles which culminate to over 60% of the carrier’s revenues: Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Goa, North East, Odisha, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu and Chennai.

The carrier’s coverage indicator offers a city-wise breakdown of where the 4G service is available. If you’re an existing subscriber, you can check out if your location has 4G services by heading to the link below.

See at Idea

Reliance Communications, and BSNL

Reliance Communications — a different entity from Reliance Jio — has signed an agreement with Jio to let the latter use its 850MHz frequency in ten circles: Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, North East, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh (East). The carrier will switch its CDMA customers to 4G once the network goes live.

State-run BSNL is also getting into the action, and has announced that it will offer 4G in 14 circles. The network holds 20MHz liberalized broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum in the 2500MHz band.

What about phones?

The momentum is not limited to carriers, but has also made its way to the handset ecosystem. Most phones sold in India now offer LTE as standard, even in the budget segment. There are a slew of phones available for as low as ₹4,500 that allow you to connect to 4G networks and have access to VoLTE.

The aggressive expansion by Jio and the resulting moves by Airtel, Idea, and Vodafone mean that 4G services are no longer limited to a few cities in the country. Combine that with low tariffs and affordable devices, and it’s easy to see the meteoric rise in connectivity over the last six months.

These Galaxy Note 8 images allude to on-screen fingerprint sensor and dual-lens camera

The Samsung Galaxy 8 will arrive with a vertically-aligned dual-lens rear camera, an on-screen fingerprint sensor and an Infinity display with a smaller corner radius to cram in more pixels. At least, that’s according to the Poyoco Tech and Ice Universe twitter accounts.

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

Poyoco Tech has posted some renders of the Note 8, which clearly shows a device that looks similar to the Galaxy S8 and S8+, with a full-screen Infinity display and incredibly slim bezels. We’re expecting the Note 8 to follow a similar design language, so so far so good. The render showing the rear of the phone is the most interesting though, as it shows a dual-lens camera. We’ve heard before that the Note 8 will sport one, so this is yet another cog in the mill. If true, the Galaxy Note 8 will be the first Samsung phone to have a dual-lens camera. Image quality on the single-lens S8 and S8+ is already exemplary, so it will be interesting to see how well a dual-lens module fares in comparison.

Note8 will have similar design to what we saw with the s8. Samsung will attempt to perfect their deisgn by having uniformly alligned ports. https://t.co/w04rZcTv12

— Poyoco Tech (@PoyocoTech) 6 June 2017

The other thing to note from the render of the rear panel, is the lack of fingerprint sensor. On the Galaxy S8, the fingerprint sensor is positioned next to the camera module, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. There’s also no physical button on the front, because it’s taken up by screen. This would therefore suggest Samsung will manage to embed the sensor into the screen. This is something that has already been alluded to in a leaked dummy of the alleged Galaxy Note 8, which also shows a vertical camera module with a flash underneath. As ever with rumours and leaks, though, they should be taken with a pinch of salt as they could always change or be fake in the first place.

• Samsung Galaxy Note 8 said to have 6.3-inch 18.5:9 screen
• This amazing picture leak could show us the Samsung Galaxy Note 8

The Poyoco Tech render also shows an AKG logo on the rear of the Note 8, which would suggest the speakers have been tuned by the audio company. This wouldn’t be much of a surprise since Samsung acquired AKG’s parent company, Harman, earlier this year.

Poyoco Tech adds further information about the Note 8 on its twitter account, saying the new S Pen that will come with the Note 8, will have a built-in vibrating function which can be used with the Find My Mobile app to help you find it if you lose it.Finally, a twitter account with the handle Ice Universe, has posted an image showing the Galaxy Note 8 with a smaller corner radius.

About Samsung Galaxy Note 8, smaller angle, which is 100% sure the message. pic.twitter.com/OJDXcLUPkg

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) 6 June 2017

It’s not obviously clear from the image, as the change is incredibly small, but if true, it would mean a few more pixels could be crammed into the screen, resulting in a slightly sharper image. There’s no official word on when we can expect the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 to be released, but going by previous releases, we’d expect it to be launched either at the end of August or beginning of September.

All-new Amazon Fire 7 and Fire HD 8 tablets now on sale, from £50

Amazon’s refreshed range of Fire tablets is now available to buy.

Amazon announced it was making a couple of updates to its family of Fire tablets in May, updating the new Fire 7 and dropping the price of the refreshed Fire HD 8.

The Fire 7 tablet, that’s the smallest of the bunch, has a new display. The display doesn’t change in size or resolution, but Amazon says there have been changes at the pixel level to make the display clearer and sharper, and to boost the contrast. The body is now thinner and lighter, but with a slightly extended 8-hour battery life. 

The Fire 7 comes in four colours, black, blue, red and yellow. The price remains the same at £49.99 for the 8GB storage option with Amazon’s “special offers”, which is basically lock screen advertising. 

The Fire has been the best-selling tablet in Amazon’s Fire family and we’re not surprised: it’s durable, it’s affordable, and it makes a great buy if you’re after a tablet for home or travels.

• See the Fire 7 on Amazon UK or Amazon US

Pocket-lint

The Fire HD 8 has also had an update, again with new colours and is now faster than the version it replaces. This larger tablet is now even more tempting as Amazon has reduced the price, so it will start from £79.99, £10 cheaper than it previously was.

• See the Fire HD 8 on Amazon UK or Amazon US

Amazon is also offering a kids version of both these tablets, for the first time offering the Fire HD 8 with a bumper cover, 2-year warranty and a 1-year subscription to Kindle for Kids Unlimited. 

Finally for those in the UK, Alexa for tablets will be available soon, meaning you can ask your tablet to do a whole range of things, like turn your lights off, play music, set timers or read you the daily news. The roll-out to exiting tablets will be starting on 8 June and will take a couple of weeks to complete. 

• Amazon Fire 7 vs Fire HD 8 vs Fire HD 10: Which tablet should you choose?

The best TomTom Sports devices: Spark, Touch, Golfer and Adventurer compared

TomTom has turned its expertise in GPS tracking in a new direction, splitting out into a full range of sports devices for all occasions, whether that’s tracking your steps, your round on the golf course or your daily training.

TomTom sports watches offer some distinct advantages, especially when it comes to running where the Spark 3 is a real star, offering a range of features you won’t find on all other devices, and neatly sharing data with the TomTom Sports app on your Android or iPhone. 

The best TomTom watch

Pocket-lint

Best for the runner

For those who want plenty of training information, the TomTom Spark 3 will light up your world. Spark 3 offers GPS tracking and heart rate, with the option to have Bluetooth music too on some versions of the watch. That means you can track your run, listen to power tunes and monitor your heart rate all from one device, with no need to carry your phone. 

TomTom Spark is also one of the best performing wrist-worn heart rate trackers, quick to respond and accurate. You also have the option to find your way back to where you started with the route trace feature, as well as the benefits of all-day activity, step tracking, as well as multi-sport functionality, so it can be used for cycling, swimming and running. At this price, the feature set is really strong. 

Buy the TomTom Spark 3 from Argos

Pocket-lint

Best for the fitness fan

For those looking to keep track of daily steps and activity there’s TomTom Touch. This fitness band uniquely offers body composition tracking in addition to the normal steps, meaning you can see how your body fat and muscle is changing over weeks and months of activity.

TomTom Touch will also track your sleep to ensure you’re getting the rest you need, as well as your heart rate during your workouts to ensure you’re hitting your target zones. 

Buy the TomTom Touch from Argos

Pocket-lint

Best for the golfer

If golf is your game, then TomTom Golfer 2 is the device for you. The real magic is automatic shot detection, as well as coming pre-loaded with some of the most popular courses, so you’ll know how you played every hole, with full post-game analysis. 

If you’re not on the golf course, the TomTom Golfer 2 will also support activity tracking, so it’s a win-win.

Buy the TomTom Golfer 2 from Argos

Pocket-lint

Best for action heroes

For those who love the great outdoors, there’s little that compares to the TomTom Adventurer. Not only do you get the full functionality of TomTom’s Spark 3 sports watch – that’s step, sleep, heart rate and GPS tracking – you get Bluetooth music support and a barometric altimeter, so you’ll know how high you’ve climbed on your run or walk.

There are profiles for outdoor sports like skiing and snowboarding, and it even includes automatic lift detection when you’re on the pistes. This is the sports watch that’s as happy on the running track as it is in the mountains, offering a great all-round experience.

Buy the TomTom Adventurer from Argos

Monument Valley 2 review: Beautiful yes, but is it worth £5?

Monument Valley 2 was one of the few genuine surprise reveals during Apple’s WWDC 17 keynote in San Jose. The HomePod Siri speaker, iOS 11, even the new iMacs had been rumoured in the preceding months. But, we’d not heard that Ustwo was ready to unleash one of the most sought after sequels onto the App Store.

It did and in doing so made us giddy like children as the prospect of revisiting some of the most beautiful landscapes and puzzle concepts on tablet and smartphone. Even the £4.99 cover price wasn’t enough to deter us. Although it did make us baulk a little.

The Apple exclusive – which we presumed is timed considering the original eventually released for Android too – asks you to pay from the off. The first Monument Valley was half that price on release: £2.49 (now up to £3.99). So is Monument Valley 2 twice as good? Well, almost.

Monument Valley 2 review: Takes two to tango

There are 10 chapters in the first game, 14 in the sequel. That adds a fraction more longevity to the gameplay. You also get twice the characters to play with, as this time the lead avatar, Ro, is joined by her daughter – which makes for some expanded puzzles as you occasionally have to control both at the same time.

The basic concept of Monument Valley 2 is very similar to the first. Gorgeous, pastel-shaded buildings and vistas must be manipulated to progress Ro and her daughter through each level. Visual perception is important, as sometimes rotating or swiping past of the building changes their perspective to create new walkways and routes.

In many ways, the puzzles are inspired by Escher paintings, often to the same effect where one character is walking upside down on a bridge while another is the right-way up. It is all superbly rendered and very, very clever.

The only issue is it is about as taxing as licking a stamp. Monument Valley 2 is not difficult and therefore takes barely any time to complete.

Ustwo

Monument Valley 2 review: High fiver

That will irk some, who might not consider it value for money. However, it isn’t intended to be a long-winded RPG or brain teaser that will have you scratching your head for weeks. It is a sweet, melodic, beautiful tale of a mother and daughter that you interact with. In many ways, it is theatre. And a fiver for the few hours of pure, innocent entertainment it provides is a darn sight cheaper than buying the Blu-ray of Batman vs Superman, or some other piece of cinematic nonsense.

And in this age of buying games for PC, PS4 and Xbox One that are ticketed many times higher yet have yielded less, we can forgive Ustwo’s pricing strategy for this little gem.

Verdict

Monument Valley 2 is as sweet and instantly playable as the first, with a more cohesive story about love and parenting.

It is one of the few genuine games that understand the medium, providing simple, touch-friendly fun for formats that require simplicity and bite-sized enjoyment.

Yes, £5 seems a lot of money in the app world, but not in the games market. And there’s nary an in-app purchase in sight, so at least you get exactly what you pay for.

Stunning.

SpaceX will launch a secretive space drone for the Air Force

SpaceX fought hard for the right to launch Air Force projects and it has landed a pretty prestigious one. Elon Musk’s company will fire the X-37B miniature spaceplane into orbit with the Falcon 9, taking over from the reliable Atlas V built by United Launch Alliance, according to Reuters. And here’s the kicker: It will launch the space shuttle-like drone in just two months, meaning it will be SpaceX’s first mission for the Air Force.

Perhaps because of the secrecy around the X-37B, the Air Force made its announcement just months ahead of the launch. It was thought that the private space company’s first Air Force mission would be lofting a GPS satellite into orbit 2018, since it was awarded a contract for that last year. It’s been speculated that the unmanned spaceplane, which lands back on Earth like the space shuttle, is used for top-secret reconnaissance or even anti-satellite purposes. (The Air Force didn’t specify why it chose SpaceX for the launch.)

United Launch Alliance, a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, launched the last four X-37B missions with the Atlas V rocket. The Air Force’s decision to use SpaceX is unusual, since not only does the Atlas V have a perfect record since 2002, Boeing is the prime contractor on the X-37B itself. The Air Force has two X-37Bs, one of which spent over a year in orbit, finally coming down in 2012.

Back in 2014, SpaceX’s Elon Musk essentially accused ULA of bribing the Air Force to get an exclusive deal to launch 36 missions. Sooner after, the Air Force approved SpaceX as a launch contractor, and reauthorized it again after a SpaceX rocket exploded on the launchpad during refueling in September, 2016.

The mission will be SpaceX’s third for the Air Force. The other two missions for GPS satellites, valued at $83 million and $96 million, will launch in 2018 and beyond. While the X-39B contract is a coup for SpaceX, it’s reportedly not a difficult launch. The low Earth orbit-bound spaceplane weighs just 5 tons, and the Falcon 9 has five times that capacity — so expect to see a recovery of the first stage.

Source: Reuters