Essential Phone coming to Canada as a Telus exclusive

Telus nabs Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone for sole distribution up in Canada.

This was unexpected. Essential Phone, the titanium-and-ceramic wünderhandset from Android creator Andy Rubin’s company of the same name, will debut in Canada later this summer on Telus.

The company said in a press release that the phone will be available for pre-order at the end of July, with availability later this summer. According to Rubin, Telus was chosen as the sole carrier “due to our strong alignment on the importance of continuous innovation and support for consumer choice.”

Essential Phone Specs

Essential announced earlier this month that the Phone would be available for $699 when it goes on sale unlocked in the U.S. Sprint then came out as the sole U.S. carrier offering the phone. With Telus locked in for Canadian distribution, it would seem that Essential’s strategy is in place.

Canadian pricing hasn’t been confirmed just yet, but Telus said it will be available outright — likely for close to $1,000 given today’s exchange rates — or on subsidy with select shared data plans. Telus also plans to sell Essential’s 4K 360-degree camera accessory in its stores.

See at Telus

The case for a Material Dark culture on Android

I love hex black and a dark UI!

You Android-lovers can’t deny,

That when an app installs in an itty-bitty space,

With a dark theme in your face,

You get sprung!

Google and Android are filled with white, white, white UIs. It wasn’t always that way, but it is now. The only real dark system UIs available right now are downloadable TouchWiz themes and third-party apps and Google’s apps are whiter than my jeans-365-days-a-year legs. Night modes have been toyed with in Developer Previews the last two years but have never amounted to much — and it’s been left out of even the Developer Previews on Android O.

Really, even if they had stuck around, it wouldn’t’ve been the dark theme we need — or want — anyway.

A dark theme, a night mode, and a Material Dark app.

Let’s get some terminology straight first because we keep interchanging some similar but very distinct terms. A dark theme is a UI that is primarily a dark color rather than white. Android itself used a dark theme back in the Holo days. There are a lot of apps with dark themes out there, frequently calling them night modes, but they’re wrong. Night mode should be reserved for the blue light filter that’ll keep your screen from keeping you up while you surf YouTube in bed. Some manufacturers have included blue-light filters in the past, and third-party apps have offered it, too.

We shouldn’t be lobbying Google for this. We should be lobbying everyone.

Then we have what I’m affectionately calling Material Dark, a Material Design-compliant UI based on a dark gray or black background with strong pops of accent colors. It’s not enough to ask for an app to have a dark theme; it needs to be a well-designed and tested dark theme that fits current developer guidelines. Material Dark is what we should push for in Google’s apps and in every app that we use and care about.

And we shouldn’t just be lobbying Google for this. We should be lobbying everyone. Lobby Google to give us Material Dark Google Apps — please, please lobby Google for Material Dark Google Apps — but ask the developers of your favorite apps if they could add a dark theme. Samsung has a dark theme for most of its system apps, so ask Motorola and LG why your Moto G5 Plus and your LG G6 can’t have a dark phone app so you won’t burn your retinas answering a call at 5 in the morning to fill in for a sick coworker.

Lobby for Material Dark for individual apps rather than begging for some magical device-wide dark theme because individual apps can easily add a dark theme without a system or device upgrade like any system night mode would’ve required. It can reach more people and improve the experience for more users without having them shell out money for a new phone.

Also, think of this: how often do you open the Settings app on your phone? How often do you open YouTube? On which one would a dark theme matter more to you day-to-day? So why is it we bitch more about Settings not having Material Dark than YouTube? The white, bright Material Design theme on YouTube can take users out of the videos they’re trying to watch and strain their eyes, meaning they watch fewer videos and Google loses views. Why doesn’t YouTube use Material Dark — like YouTube Music already does — when users will get far more use out of it?

It can potentially double the UI work for a developer, but Material Dark is a feature that users actively seek out in their apps, and adding one can help developers make their apps stand out from the pack. But we have to ask developers to take the time and effort for it. Politely, repeatedly, and in numbers. I’ve been asking for a Material Dark Google Play Music app since the day they announced the current white/orange color scheme. I love pumpkin seeds — I will rock the jack-o-lantern music player! What apps do you want to see go Material Dark? Sound off in the comments!

LG’s Second Year Promise gives the G6 an extra year of warranty

LG is making a big move to win customer loyalty.

The LG G6 has consistently been heralded as one of the best smartphones of 2017, all but erasing the negative impression of the G5 before it. Now, LG wants to continue that goodwill with a new program called the Second Year Promise, which extends the G6’s regular warranty from one year to two in the U.S.

While this isn’t quite like HTC’s Uh-Oh Protection, which acts more as a low-deductible insurance policy, the Second Year Promise, according to a report by The Verge, merely extends the G6’s regular manufacturer’s warranty an extra 12 months. This puts the phone’s U.S. warranty on par with its European one, which tends to be two years for electronics goods.

Here’s what you need to know:

• This applies to all LG G6s sold in the U.S., both from carriers and unlocked through online retailers.
• This doesn’t apply to user-caused damage, so if you drop your phone on day one or day 401, it doesn’t matter — this won’t cover you.
• Users need to register their G6 with LG 90 days after the announcement of the program in order to extend the warranty.
  • If you’ve already bought an LG G6, don’t worry, you’re still covered as long as you sign up within 90 days from June 15.
• If a phone is found to be defective, it will be replaced within two business days of shipping it back to LG.

That’s it! Easy peasy. What do you think of the new program? Is it going to entice you to buy a G6 if you haven’t already, or a future LG product in the future?

See at LG

LG G6

• LG G6 review!
• LG G6 specs
• LG G6 vs. Google Pixel: The two best cameras right now
• Everything you need to know about the G6’s cameras
• LG forums

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What you need to know when considering a smart lock for your home

Not all smart locks are created equal. In fact, many aren’t even all that smart.

There are some incredible benefits to home automation, but when it comes to securing your home, it’s important to not simply buy the cheapest thing on the shelf. There’s a lot to these “smart” locks, and not all of them live up to the promises in the packaging.

Here’s a quick look at what you can do to make sure your smart lock is both convenient and safe.

Understand how the lock you want works

Smart locks come in several different flavors. Some add a Wi-Fi connection to your lock and let you control the ability to lock and unlock from wherever you are. Some rely on Bluetooth and only give you the ability to automatically unlock when your phone is close by. Some rely on touch to unlock, while others offer a keypad for a security pin.

The point is, there isn’t one kind of smart lock. It’s important to understand how the lock you install works and understand how it keeps you safe when locked.

Make sure the lock itself is safe

Just because your smart lock is shinier and more expensive than a normal door lock does not mean it is more safe or secure. Many first-generation smart locks offered compromised, less expensive locks with all of the smart trimmings around it.

It’s also important to make sure the smart tech you are buying actually works as advertised. That’s not always the case, which is dangerous. Some early locks using Bluetooth Beacons couldn’t actually tell which side of the door you were on, meaning if your phone was inside the house and near the door it could still be unlocked. Obviously, that’s not great.

Beware of misbehaving apps

Assuming you have found a lock that is safe and works the way you want it to, it’s important to keep an eye on how the app behaves on your phone. Early versions of the Kwikset Kevo app, for example, kept the phone awake when nearby a lock and constantly draining the power from your phone while doing largely nothing.

This isn’t easy to test before bringing the lock home, so it’s important to rely on hands-on reviews with testing on battery life over time. App power problems are less common now, especially with changes Google has made to recent versions of Android, but it’s still something to keep an eye out for.

The good ones really are worth it

As disheartening as it can be to see stories about connected home tech going wrong and leaving people vulnerable when they think they are more secure, there’s a lot to like about the good smart locks.

Being able to remotely lock your home if you forget, or being able to give someone a temporary virtual key if they’re house sitting while you’re away, or even using the locked state of the door to control the away modes of other connected home tech are all important. These features save you money over time by conserving energy, keep your home safe by using smart lights to make it look like people are here when you’re away, and are generally more convenient than digging around for your keys.

The most important first step is making sure you’re buying a quality lock from a reputable company with features you actually want. When that happens, you’ll be much happier with how you use your front door.

Do you have a smart lock?

Which one? Has it worked out well for you? Share your success or horror story in the comments below!

CamSoda wants you to broadcast your life, sex optional

CamSoda may be a relatively small porn industry player, but it has embraced new technology by offering things like holographic girls and virtual blowjobs. Now, it’s trying to meld two other popular attractions: amateur performers and live webcams with an offering called LifeStream. That gives ordinary folks the chance to broadcast their lives, with or without sexual activity, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In exchange, you get up to three 720P webcams, paid internet service and $200 per month.

The company points out that since social networks all offer users the ability to stream their lives, why not them? “Our offering broadcasts everything, from surfing the internet to eating lunch,” says CamSoda VP Darren Press. “It’s a true depiction of someone’s entire life, and doesn’t require any nudity or sex.”

You might be rolling your eyes about watching regular, non-naked people surfing the internet, but Press thinks there are enough voyeurs out there to make it work. “We’re confident people will want to share and watch it.” Should you just want the highlights, participants can also create Snapchat-style stories featuring video sequences from the past 24 hours.

It’s hard to say whether the free camera, internet and $200 a month is too much or too little compensation for broadcasting your life. On shows like Big Brother, producers intervene to add drama to everyday events, but most real people’s day-to-day lives are probably pretty dull. In other words, you might spend tons of time and money to watch something juicy, and end up with nothing.

On the other hand, if someone is really willing to get naked or busy on camera, they probably want to be paid a lot more, so there’s a risk you could see professional or wannabe performers on the supposedly amateur LifeStreams. It’s also worth noting that lots of other sites offer amateur webcams, but those usually guaranteed to offer sex or nudity, and we image that the money is a lot better for the subjects.

CamSoda is also testing VR with LifeStream, and plans to incorporate it in the “coming months.” As with its other livestreams, users must sign up for the service and purchase tokens to see anything. Just bear in mind that juggling VR with livestreamed porn can be “one big technological boner-killer,” as Engadget’s Christopher Trout put it. If you’re interested in being a “performer,” you can sign up here.

A tiny sensor turns any stationary bike into a VR workout machine

A $400 VR exercise bike might be a tough sell for VirZOOM, but the company has a new option that could make working out in virtual reality more compelling. At E3 2017, the company is showing off its new VZ Sensor, a small device that attaches to the crank of any stationary bike. For $99, you can turn a bike that you may already have into a VR workout center.

If you’re not familiar with the company, VirZOOM is a VR exercise company that wants to make breaking a sweat a little more fun with immersive games. There are seven options, including the road cycling and tanks demos I pedal-powered here at E3. In addition to working with PlayStation VR, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, VirZOOM announced compatibility with the Samsung Gear VR this week. And yes, it will soon work with Google Daydream. If you happen to also have a Samsung Gear smartwatch, the system will gather heart-rate info to keep tabs on your effort.

The affordability of the VZ Sensor makes what VirZOOM is trying to do a lot more accessible to people looking to giving their workouts a gaming twist. The only downside is you have to hold a controller in your hand while you ride to play some of the games (the VZ bike has built-in controllers). Those tank canons aren’t going to fire themselves, after all.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Source: VirZOOM

Amazon’s Dash Wand lets you order groceries with your voice

You may remember the Amazon Dash, a small handheld device that made it easier for you to buy even more stuff. Now, Amazon has released a new version of the device, the Dash Wand, that is functionally free for Prime members.

The Amazon Dash Wand integrates with Alexa to help you out in the kitchen — you can convert measurements, find recipes and buy ingredients you’ve run out of. All you have to do is press the button and speak or scan a barcode, and your wish is the Dash’s command. The device is also water resistant, so it can handle living in a busy kitchen, and is magnetic.

The price and perks are where the Amazon Dash Wand really shines, though. It retails for $20 and is only available for Prime members. But currently, there’s a promo that snags you a $20 Amazon credit after you register the device. What’s more, after buying the Dash Wand, you get a 3-month trial of AmazonFresh (normally $14.99 per month) if you live in Seattle, Northern California, Southern California, New York or Philadelphia, where the service is currently available.

It seems a little silly to buy something in order to make it easier to buy other things, but at a price of basically free, it’s hard to argue with the Amazon Dash Wand. Amazon’s doing a smart thing with this little device, giving Prime customers a low-risk way to try out Alexa and, possibly, buy more Amazon devices in the future.

Via: The Verge

Source: Amazon

Scott Forstall to Discuss Creation of iPhone at Computer History Museum Next Week

The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California has announced that former iOS chief Scott Forstall will sit down with journalist John Markoff on June 20 for a fireside chat about how the iPhone came to be.

Forstall was Apple’s Vice President of iOS from 2007 until 2012
Forstall will be talking publicly about Apple for the first time since he was reportedly ousted from the company in October 2012, following the botched launch of Apple Maps. Forstall has maintained a quiet presence since then, although he did announce he was co-producing the Broadway musical Fun Home in 2015.

How did the iPhone come to be? The leader of the iPhone software team Scott Forstall sits down with Computer History Museum historian John Markoff to share his experience working with Steve Jobs on the secretive Apple iPhone project, codenamed “Project Purple.”

Forstall’s fireside chat will be preceded by a panel discussion with a trio of engineers from the original iPhone development team, Nitin Ganatra, Scott Herz, and Hugo Fiennes, who will talk about their work on the transformative device.

The two-part event is part of the Computer History Museum’s ongoing “iPhone 360” project this year that explores the story of the iPhone, from its prehistory, inception, and launch, to its evolution and impact.

Coinciding with the 10th anniversary year of the iPhone launch in 2007, iPhone 360 includes integrated initiatives across the Computer History Museum to create new collections of artifacts and oral histories, scholarly research and insights, dynamic events, and educational content and curriculum.

“Putting Your Finger On It: Creating the iPhone” is scheduled for Tuesday between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Pacific Time at the museum’s Exponential Center. Check-in begins at 6 p.m. Registration is available online.

June 20 also marks the release of the book The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone by Brian Merchant, in which Forstall is quoted. Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller and former iPod chief Tony Fadell have both turned to Twitter in recent days to refute some of the book’s contents.

Tags: Scott Forstall, Computer History Museum
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Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) review: Every bit the pro, but battery life is still a blow

Say hello to the Microsoft Surface 5. Ok, ok, so it’s “the new Microsoft Surface Pro”, rather than adopting the generational number format in its name. And that’s quite possibly because this fifth-generation model looks suspiciously like its predecessor.

It’s all change under the hood, however, with the 2017 Surface Pro adopting Intel’s seventh-generation Kaby Lake processors in fanless (and therefore silent) Core m and Core i5 form, or showing extra muscle with the Core i7 (as reviewed here, it has a fan but you’d struggle to hear it). The latest architecture ought to mean better battery life – which was out biggest complaint about the Surface Pro 4.

With a nip here and a tuck there, then, has the new Surface Pro achieved laptop-replacement perfection, or does it still exhibit familiar shortcomings?

Microsoft Surface Pro 5 review: Design and software

• 292.1 x 201.4 x 8.5mm; 766-786g
• 1x USB 3.0, 1x mini DisplayPort, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x microSD slot
• Infinite hinge angles to 165-degrees for versatile positioning
• Full Windows 10 Pro included (not Windows 10 S)

From afar the Surface Pro 5 looks just like the Pro 4. It has the same footprint and the same 12.3-inch screen size, but this time around its tidied things up at many possible turns.

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The heat vents are sunken deeper into the aperture between front and rear panels; the front dual Windows Hello cameras now match their surroundings to be less visible; the rear hinges on the adjustable stand are the same metal finish of their surroundings – not black as they were on the Pro 4.

That adjustable stand is a major part of the Surface Pro’s design, too, able to adjust near infinitely in its position from upright down to 165-degrees downwards for an approaching flat position (in the Pro 4 that was limited to 150-degrees).

As for port choice, the Pro 5 sticks with the full-size USB 3.0 to its side, ensuring current compatibility with accessories. Our only ponder is why there’s not also a Type-C port alongside (instead there’s a mini DisplayPort, which is also handy) to make this pricey bit of kit even more future-proof.

It’s here we’ll also mention software: the Surface Pro sticks with Windows 10 Pro, which is fitting of its market position. As Microsoft has also launched the Surface Laptop with more basic Windows 10 S, it’s worth pointing out that the Pro can handle full Windows executable files, not just Store apps like its Laptop cousin.

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Overall, we think the Surface Pro looks like a truly high-end device and it certainly feels robust as anything. That solid metal body has become an almost iconic look for Microsoft’s products and in its fifth-gen form it’s the most sophisticated it’s ever been.

Microsoft Surface Pro 5 review: Display

• 12.3-inch, 2736 x 1824 resolution (267ppi)
• 10-point multi-touch operation

The new Surface Pro has the very same screen as its Surface Pro 4 predecessor. Which means it’s a very fine panel indeed, with that so-called PixelSense – yes, it’s just a marketing term – meaning there are heaps of pixels at play. Almost five million of them, in fact, which ensures that content looks super crisp.

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At 12.3-inches in a footprint with relatively small bezels – although these aren’t nearing non-existent like on Dell, Huawei and HP laptops – the screen ensures the tablet portion of the Surface can be hand-held without accidentally making adjustments on the screen. For this is a 10-point touch-responsive panel, just like any tablet product.

Our only complaint is the glossy surface choice, which makes the new Surface Pro just as reflective as its predecessor. It’s not like a mirror, but if you allow your eyes to drift then you might catch your own reflection and find it rather distracting. As this was an issue in the Pro 4, it’s a shame a different panel hasn’t been employed – although this would likely make a different to colours and contrast, so might not be ideal.

Microsoft Surface Pro 5 review: New Pen stylus & Type Cover keyboards

• Surface Pen and Surface Keyboard sold separately
• New keyboard finishes in Alcantara / fingerprint scanner also available

Out of the box the Surface Pro 5 is effectively a tablet. There’s no keyboard or stylus in the box which, considering its £799 starting price (which quickly escalates into multiple thousands of pounds), has felt like a constant ongoing niggle since Surface began its life. Sure, older Type Cover keyboards will fit the new model no problems, but we still view the Surface as a laptop-replacement or 2-in-1 device – even though it can’t be called that out of the box, exactly.

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For the new generation Surface Pro those Type Covers have seen a makeover: the latest offerings, which are priced at £150 each, come in platinum/cobalt blue/burgundy Alcantara material finish. These look great and add a certain softness to the Surface’s look – making it ultimately similar to the look of the Surface Laptop. The new Type Covers also have a longer key travel for an improved typing experience. Which is all well and good but, as we say – and have said for a long time – the absence of the keyboard in the box feels limiting. It’s a real nice keyboard, even if there’s not quite the rigidity that you’ll find from a full-on laptop.

On the stylus front, the Surface Pen isn’t included… and if you’re thinking about getting one then you might want to wait. Why? Because a new £100 Surface Pen will be launched – also in cobalt blue/burgundy, if you’re interested – with pressure sensitivity up from 1,024 levels to an impressive 4,094 levels. If you’re an illustrator that’ll be a must-have, we suspect, although at the time of writing we only have the older Pen in hand, the same as we used with the Surface Pro 4.

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There’s no doubting the ability of the Pen. Click the eraser to open an app, draw and annotate to your heart’s content; eventually you’ll become a whizz in lobbing documents between programmes like a pro. The built-in battery lasts for months at a time, too, if not a whole year.

Microsoft Surface Pro 5 review: Performance & battery life

• Intel Core m (fanless) with 4GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 615, 128GB SSD
• Intel Core i5 (fanless) with 4GB/8GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 620, 128GB/256GB SSD
• Intel Core i7 (fan cooled) with 8GB/16GB RAM, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB SSD
• Seventh-gen Intel Kaby Lake processors for improved battery life
• Bespoke magnetic charging port

And so to the meat of the Surface Pro: how well it works. In the Intel Core i7 guise of our review model, it’s a perfectly capable machine, save for its lack of discrete graphics options.

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We’ve been using the device as a day-to-day machine, for emails, word processing and Photoshop work, where it’s been able to crunch through images quicker than our MacBook Air is capable. Perhaps no surprise given the more powerful load out.

We’ve even downloaded some games to see how the Surface can cope, with PayDay 2 running at a usable frame-rate in Full HD resolution. The back of the device heats up a little, but it’s not considerable. And if full 3D games work then we’re sure that CAD project will be light work for this Surface Pro too.

One of the greatest things about the new Surface Pro, however, is how wonderfully quiet it is. It’s approaching silent. Which, for a fan-based Intel setup, is very impressive indeed. Nothing like the atrocious sound we got from the recent Lenovo Yoga 910 laptop.

We’re kind of sad we didn’t get to review the fanless Intel Core i5 machine instead of this top-spec model, because that ought to be completely silent in operation. Plus, with no fan and a lower clock speed there’s less strain on the battery.

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Which brings us to the new Surface Pro’s inevitable bugbear: its battery life. In the Core i7 form it isn’t that great. We streamed YouTube videos for two hours and the battery drained by 48 per cent. Yikes. In normal operation things have performed fairer that that, but over the two full days of initial use we’ve not been getting anything more than we did from the previous Surface Pro, which, for us, offsets the need for its ultra-powerful Core i7 version. Choose wisely, then, to make sure you get the right balance of power to battery.

Verdict

The new Surface Pro shows how far Microsoft has come with the series. It’s a really well made and great performing Windows device. Even in the Core i7 form of this review model it’s approaching silent in operation, thanks to seventh-generation Intel Kaby Lake processors, which is fantastic.

However, despite the nips and tucks making for a more sophisticated design in this fifth-generation model, there are still familiar issues: the battery life isn’t great, there’s no keyboard included, and with accessories and higher spec selections can get very expensive – this review model hitting a whopping £2399. That’s rather a lot of cash given the competition now available in the 2-in-1 market space, from the Acer Switch 5, to Lenovo Miix 720 or even Samsung Galaxy Tab S3.

That said, with an official Type Cover clipped into place, the Surface Pro is a formidable machine that not only looks better than its rivals, but brings fewer compromises than many too. Pick your spec wisely, however, because we suspect the Core i5 model’s battery life would score the new Surface Pro an extra half star. As it stands, however, the six hours of normal use from the Core i7 model doesn’t see it accelerate enough beyond where last year’s model left off. Shame, because it’s a great product in so many ways.

The alternatives to consider…

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Acer Switch 5

• from €1,099

With keyboard and stylus included, along with silent operation and oodles of power to boot, the Acer Switch 5 certainly isn’t messing around. You’ll get more for your money overall, even if the finish isn’t quite as iconic or standout as the Microsoft device.

Read the full article: Acer Switch 5 preview

Pocket-lint

Lenovo Miix 720

• from $999

Adding a bit of bling with its watchband hinge to the rear, the Lenovo clearly apes the Surface Pro’s design – but comes in at a cut of the price.

Read the full article: Lenovo Miix 720 preview

Pocket-lint

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

• £599 (keyboard sold separately)

Ok, ok, so it’s a tablet. But, in some respects, so is the Surface Pro. As tablets go, the Samsung is fairly pricey, but pop a keyboard accessory on (an extra £100) and it’s a slender, fast acting Android device. No full Windows here, but an interesting compromise that might work if you’re not looking for the need to run heavyweight applications.

Read the full article: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 review

Sphero ditches the robots for a storytelling Spider-Man toy

Sphero is moving beyond cute, connected rolling balls fast. Less than a month after introducing a tie-in for the animated movie franchise Cars, the company’s now taking the wraps off of its first non-robotic product. And it’s another toy built in partnership with Disney. Meet Sphero’s Spider-Man, a replica of the beloved Marvel superhero than listens and responds to your voice commands. Unlike with its versions of BB-8 and Ultimate Lightning McQueen though, this Spider-Man doesn’t depend on an app to be fully functional.

Right behind the character’s light-up eyes, there’s an Android device, and all you have to do to turn the “premium rubber” doll into a talking and listening companion is click the spider on his chest. Sphero says the toy features “100 comic books” worth of storytelling , which you can bring up by using simple voice commands like, “Hey Spidey, tell me a story.” You can also ask him what his favorite color is or what he’s up to, and his responses will be just as quirky and playful as you’d expect from Spider-Man himself.

Once you pair the toy with its mobile app, you can see how much battery it has or turn it into an alarm clock. More importantly perhaps, Sphero says it took all the precautions to make sure its new toy is secure, which is why all the voice processing is stored locally and never sent up to the cloud. That’s important considering the target audience for this are kids, and we know how careless some toy makers have been with sensitive data.

Either way, you won’t have to wait long for Sphero’s Spider-Man. It’s hitting stores today for $159/£149, and you can get one for yourself from the Sphero online store or retailers like Best Buy and Target in the US, or Argos, John Lewis and others in the UK. Just in time for the premiere of Spider-Man: Homecoming next month, on July 7th.