Apple patent would enable wireless charging from anywhere in your home

Why it matters to you

With millimeter waves, the same technology you use to connect to the internet could one day power your phone.

Millimeter waves are one of the next great technologies in mobile computing. While they’re commonly associated with faster data transfers — 5G, when it eventually releases, should rely on millimeter waves in part for greatly improved throughput and coverage — they’re also being considered for battery recharging. Apple recently patented the development of a case which plugs into an iPhone’s Lightning port and receives power via millimeter waves.

The related patent application was filed in the fourth quarter of 2015 and unearthed this week by Patently Apple, meaning the project has been in the works for quite a while. The transmitter, as it’s described, is designed to be versatile enough to handle a number of uses. In addition to power, the antennas will also be able to deliver data, and can adjust their direction in real time to direct signals to devices as efficiently as possible.

Apple notes that phones aren’t intended to be the lone use case for millimeter waves. Wearables, like the Apple Watch, as well as smart glasses, appliances, and home audio and video equipment could all benefit from the emerging technology. Think of it this way: right now, we can transmit and receive data with systems like LTE and Wi-Fi, but we have to use wired connections or inductive chargers to deliver power. Millimeter waves are multifaceted enough to handle both.

As always with patents, though, you won’t see this happen overnight. 5G wireless networks incorporating millimeter waves aren’t expected to debut until 2020 at the earliest. No consumer devices support the technology quite yet, and if you remember the early days of LTE, chances are it’s going to take some time before we reach a point where millimeter waves are not only commonplace, but reliable. However, a removable case could be an excellent way for Apple to test the technology before it feels confident enough to fully integrate it into its devices.

Take your music on the go and save money with Bluetooth speaker deals

Bluetooth technology has opened the door for a lot of interesting gadgets and convenient ways to connect our smartphones to various devices. Perhaps the most popular Bluetooth technology today is wireless speakers, which make it easy to take your music on the go or to set up a small and lightweight home audio system.

Summer is the perfect season for parties, camping, and other outdoor activities where you can enjoy some tunes with your friends, so we’ve picked out some of our favorite Bluetooth speaker deals available right now that can save you up to $230 off retail prices.

Travel Inspira portable Bluetooth speaker

Kicking off our list is the attractive and super-compact Travel Inspira Bluetooth speaker, which delivers five watts of power and up to 10 hours of battery life. This portable speaker can also be used with non-Bluetooth devices thanks to its 3.5mm input jack, and one of the best features of the Travel Inspira is its handy slot which lets the speaker serve as a stand for your smartphone or tablet.

The Travel Inspira portable wireless speaker is currently priced at $18, but the checkout code LKRKI6QH knocks this down to $14.50 on Amazon, giving you a total discount of $85.50 off of the retail cost.

Amazon

Amazon Tap Bluetooth speaker

Amazon has been very busy lately with its ever-expanding family of smart home gadgets, and many of these devices – including the excellent Tap Bluetooth speaker – are currently on sale. The Amazon Tap features a 360-degree speaker which fills space with music in all directions, and its built-in Alexa capability gives you hands-free voice control. You can even use Alexa to perform internet searches, order food, and more, and the Tap can play music from either your connected smart device or any number of streaming services such as Pandora and Spotify.

The Tap Bluetooth speaker rings in at $100 on Amazon after a limited-time $30 discount.

Amazon

ThinkGeek mini vintage Bluetooth stereo

ThinkGeek has all sorts of nerdy and retro-inspired gadgets, and if you love all things vintage then this miniature Bluetooth stereo should be right up your alley. Its ’70s aesthetics are a throwback to the days of wood paneling and shag carpet, but despite its classic appearance, this little stereo packs modern wireless capability so you can connect your phone or other device and stream away. The small receiver measures in at 1.5 by 4 inches, while the speakers are 2 by 3 inches, making this compact stereo system shelf- and desktop-friendly.

Currently on sale for $15 off, the mini vintage Bluetooth stereo can be yours for just $35 from ThinkGeek.

ThinkGeek

Mighty Rock Miniboom wireless speaker

If you prefer futuristic aesthetics, on the other hand, then look no further than Mighty Rock’s sleek Miniboom Bluetooth speaker. The Miniboom utilizes dual audio drivers and a passive subwoofer which deliver impressive sound for a speaker this size, and the slick black plastic housing features red-colored backlit touch controls for a striking look.

The Mighty Rock touch Bluetooth speaker is listed at $26, but an ongoing promotion lets you take another $7 off the price for a total savings of $51. Simply select the promo from the Amazon product page, click “redeem,” and see the updated price of $19 at checkout.

Amazon

Comiso bamboo Bluetooth speaker

Style-conscious buyers will appreciate the classic charm of the Comiso bamboo Bluetooth speaker. This device looks awesome in any room and boasts dual 15-watt drivers along with passive radiators for crisp highs and punchy bass. The internal battery lasts up to 20 hours on a single charge, and the speaker comes in two equally attractive color options: Light bamboo wood paneling with light gray wraparound canvas, or dark bamboo wood with black canvas.

At just $70 on Amazon, the Comiso bamboo wireless speaker offers a solid savings of $230 off of its retail price.

Amazon

Ultimate Ears Roll 2 waterproof Bluetooth speaker

The Ultimate Ears Roll 2 is among the most popular wireless speakers out there and is one of our own all-time favorites. The Roll 2 is waterproof for 30 minutes at a depth of up to three feet, making it a great speaker to take it on your outdoor adventures without worry. It even comes with an inflatable flotation device so you can take it in the pool with you. The speaker also features a stretchable marine-grade bungee so you can easily strap it to your gear.

Currently on sale for a $31 discount, the UE Roll 2 waterproof Bluetooth speaker is available in a variety of colors and comes in at just $69 from Amazon.

Amazon

Twitter’s refresh aims to create a less confusing user experience

Why it matters to you

If you use the Twitter app often, the new redesign might make it more enjoyable to navigate and interact with followers.

The users spoke and Twitter listened by giving the app a refresh while still keeping the interface familiar. The new update is meant to create a more aesthetically pleasing and easier user experience.

For those with an iPhone, you will find the update looks similar to the Android version since it saw these changes last year. For iOS, users can now access their profiles, settings, and Moments in a side navigation menu — reducing the number of tabs to switch from at the bottom of the screen — creating a simple browsing experience.

Another update, for iOS specifically, is the Safari View Controller now opens in the Twitter app, giving you access to websites where your account information is already saved. You will also be able to change your settings to always open the supported links in Safari Reader view as well as the option to increase color contrast.

Aside from usability, Twitter also switched up the typography by adding bolder headlines and rounded profile photos. These changes are meant to highlight categories like “In case you missed it” and “Today’s moments,” creating a greater distinction between sections on your feed. The rounded profile photos should also help make it easier to recognize exactly whose tweets are showing up on your timeline.

Tweets will also now be updated instantly — whether it is a retweet, like counts, or replies — you will see conversations happening in real time (bringing a new meaning to the term “live tweeting”). However, this feature is currently only available for iOS and Android, so you will not be able to see it on your web browser or Twitter Lite.

The last addition to the app is also Twitter’s way of making new tweeters feel comfortable using the platform, by making the icons easier to engage with. Users had apparently been attempting to use the reply icon — represented by an arrow — as a way to delete a tweet or go back to a previous page. The arrow has been replaced with a speech bubble to make its purpose more clear.

Twitter is gradually rolling out the update starting on Thursday for iOS, Android, TweetDeck, and Twitter Lite.

Google Photos can automatically generate a Father’s Day album for you

Why it matters to you

Looking for a quick way to cook up a Father’s Day photo album? Google Photos might be able to help.

Father’s Day is right around the corner, in case you didn’t know, and Google wants to help you celebrate in the best way possible — with mementos. On Thursday, Google Photos, Google’s pic-centric cloud storage service, launched a seasonal feature that automatically generates an album of a father and kids from a picture collection.

The feature is launching in earnest ahead of Father’s Day, and it’s similar to the Mother’s Day feature that rolled out earlier this year. Once you’ve navigated to the designated webpage (photos.google.com/fathersday) and signed into your Google account, you’ll be prompted to select photos of a dad you’d like to include in a video montage. From there, you’ll be prompted to pick the kids that will appear alongside him, and you can choose as many as you want. Once you’ve finished curating, clicking the “Go to Assistant” button will spit out the finished product, which can be saved from the Google Photos Assistant feed or shared via Twitter, Facebook, and other social channels.

Before you head on over to the Google Photos page, note that the Father’s Day feature isn’t available everywhere. Only regions that support Photo’s new Face Grouping, which uses machine learning to identify people, family members, and similar faces, will see the new webpage. And as of now, that list excludes the U.K., Europe, and Germany.

But there’s no denying that the Photos experience has improved for much of the world recently. In May, Google rolled out two new features: Suggested Sharing, which allows users to share snaps with friends as their taken, and Sharing, a new in-app options menu that serves up suggestions on how to share photos with friends and family. More recently, Google launched Photo Book, a paid service that lets you select photos to have printed in a high-quality photo book.

Those are only the tip of the iceberg. Google Lens, a new service that uses AI to intelligently recognize a range of information including foreign languages and paintings, is baked into the latest version of Google Photos. AirPlay support lets you beam photos and albums to a plugged-in Apple TV. And AI-powered correction features automatically correct white balance, stabilize photos and videos, and generate collections.

For the privacy-conscious, there’s an even better new enhancement: private archiving. In the newest version of the Google Photos app for iOS and Android, opening or long-pressing on a photo, tapping the menu button on the top right, and selecting “Archive” moves pictures to a separate folder accessible from the left-hand menu.

Google Photos can automatically generate a Father’s Day album for you

Why it matters to you

Looking for a quick way to cook up a Father’s Day photo album? Google Photos might be able to help.

Father’s Day is right around the corner, in case you didn’t know, and Google wants to help you celebrate in the best way possible — with mementos. On Thursday, Google Photos, Google’s pic-centric cloud storage service, launched a seasonal feature that automatically generates an album of a father and kids from a picture collection.

The feature is launching in earnest ahead of Father’s Day, and it’s similar to the Mother’s Day feature that rolled out earlier this year. Once you’ve navigated to the designated webpage (photos.google.com/fathersday) and signed into your Google account, you’ll be prompted to select photos of a dad you’d like to include in a video montage. From there, you’ll be prompted to pick the kids that will appear alongside him, and you can choose as many as you want. Once you’ve finished curating, clicking the “Go to Assistant” button will spit out the finished product, which can be saved from the Google Photos Assistant feed or shared via Twitter, Facebook, and other social channels.

Before you head on over to the Google Photos page, note that the Father’s Day feature isn’t available everywhere. Only regions that support Photo’s new Face Grouping, which uses machine learning to identify people, family members, and similar faces, will see the new webpage. And as of now, that list excludes the U.K., Europe, and Germany.

But there’s no denying that the Photos experience has improved for much of the world recently. In May, Google rolled out two new features: Suggested Sharing, which allows users to share snaps with friends as their taken, and Sharing, a new in-app options menu that serves up suggestions on how to share photos with friends and family. More recently, Google launched Photo Book, a paid service that lets you select photos to have printed in a high-quality photo book.

Those are only the tip of the iceberg. Google Lens, a new service that uses AI to intelligently recognize a range of information including foreign languages and paintings, is baked into the latest version of Google Photos. AirPlay support lets you beam photos and albums to a plugged-in Apple TV. And AI-powered correction features automatically correct white balance, stabilize photos and videos, and generate collections.

For the privacy-conscious, there’s an even better new enhancement: private archiving. In the newest version of the Google Photos app for iOS and Android, opening or long-pressing on a photo, tapping the menu button on the top right, and selecting “Archive” moves pictures to a separate folder accessible from the left-hand menu.

AMD’s latest driver for Radeon graphics cards fixes ‘Dirt 4’ performance issue

Why it matters to you

If you’re having troubles running Dirt 4 optimally on your Radeon-based desktop or laptop, AMD’s latest driver suite should be installed to fix possible Radeon-related performance issues.

During E3 2017, AMD released a new driver suite for its Radeon-branded graphics cards and discrete chips: Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition 17.6.2. The only highlight AMD lists with this release is a fix for Dirt4, which saw a lower-than-expected performance with the latest game build running on Radeon hardware. Outside of that, the 17.6.2 driver notes only list the current known general and Radeon ReLive-based issues.

On the gaming front, here are the outstanding issues regarding specific games:

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege:
With MSAA enabled, players may see graphical corruption.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive &World of Warcraft:
If the PC boots with FreeSync enabled, these games may have performance issues when launched for the first time.

For the Counter-Strike and World of Warcraft problem, AMD suggests that gamers exit the game and then re-launch it, or task switch (ALT + TAB) in and out until AMD resolves the nagging problem. Other issues include Adobe Lightroom crashing on Windows 7 PCs with the Radeon RX 390 Series GPUs, and problems with Borderless Fullscreen mode combined with FreeSync when apps and game launchers are lurking in the background.

On the known Radeon ReLive front, AMD still has five issues to stomp out. For the uninitiated, this is AMD’s built-in solution for capturing and streaming gameplay that is supposedly lightweight so there’s “minimal” impact on gaming performance. The feature made its debut in the first Crimson ReLive-branded driver suite and provides several different overlays along with means for customizing overlay images.

That said, ReLive had a number of issues from the start, but AMD is slowly knocking them out. One persistent issue is a conflict with the Xbox DVR application, which users are suggested to disable if the conflict between the two game-sharing services cause trouble. ReLive is still having troubles with AMD’s APU family of all-in-one processors too: Either the software will not install at all, it causes a system hang, or it fails to record.

Here are the remaining ReLive issues:

• Recording or streaming issues may be experienced when task switching using ALT+TAB
• Recordings may exhibit corruption when capturing Microsoft Office apps
• Performing task switches may cause ReLive to intermittently fail to work. A workaround is to disable and then enable ReLive in the Radeon software control panel.

To grab the latest Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition driver suite, pick your poison below:

Windows 10:
64-bit
32-bit
Windows 8.1:
64-bit
N/A
Windows 7:
64-bit
32-bit

Google wants to solve the Silicon Valley housing crisis with quick-fix apartments

Why it matters to you

The easier it is for tech companies to get more talent in, the more they can focus on making cool stuff.

Finding an apartment in California’s Silicon Valley can be a real pain — and it is affecting Google employees. So much so, that Google is working toward building a solution, at least for the short-term. That solution? Stackable apartments.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Google ordered 300 modular units from a company called Factory OS, which develops modular homes. The deal between the two companies is reportedly worth between $25 and $30 million.

Modular homes are exactly what they sound like — homes that are built inside of a factory, then assembled where they will eventually stay. According to reports, this method of building a home can reduce construction costs by 20 to 50 percent. Those savings eventually rolls over to the people who live in the home and tenants could save as much as $700 per month on rent.

There are other advantages apart from cost. Because the houses do not need to be built from the ground up, they can be constructed more quickly — which makes them perfect for addressing emergency housing.

Google and other tech companies are increasingly trying to solve housing issues in the Silicon Valley. Not only is there a shortage of housing, but that shortage is only going to get worse — Apple is currently moving into its shiny new headquarters, while Google has plans of its own for new offices — although those plans may have been temporarily stalled.

Still, the tech companies that are the root cause of this issue are investing in trying to fix it. Facebook announced it would be spending $20 million in Palo Alto and Menlo Park last year in an attempt to fund new housing. It will be interesting to see if Google’s new project has any real effect and what the modular housing structure ultimately ends up looking like.

Riva’s launch event for 56-foot Rivale is the party you’re sorry you missed

Why it matters to you

If you don’t want the yacht, at least you’ll wish you had been at the party.

European yacht builders apparently don’t see any reason to skimp on the celebration of a new yacht. Ferretti Group’s Riva Yacht’s 56-foot Rivale launch party on Lake Iseo in Italy, to use a totally non-Italian expression was, “off the hook.” According to Boat International, the event’s full-out features included a three-star Michelin chef, a 16-piece band, and a top DJ for the after-hours crowd. The event was also the occasion for the reveal of a limited edition Abarth Fiat 500 695 Rivale named for the new yacht.

But the focus of the night wasn’t the car, the food, or the music and dancing. The night belonged to the new yacht. Riva’s new 56-foot Rivale is what’s described as an “open motor yacht.” At 56 feet, 7 inches long, the Rivale isn’t a superyacht, because it misses the agreed-upon demarcation by about 23 feet. But as you can see in the video just above when the sleek Rivale emerged from behind gigantic mirror-glassed boxes that had dancers both on top and at water level, it looked magnificent.

The 56-foot Rivale was designed and created by a team that included Officina Italiana Design along with the Ferretti Group’s Product Strategy Committee and Engineering Department. According to a Riva statement, “The goal was a boat with a unique style, excellent performance at sea, and cutting-edge technological solutions.” Riva aimed high and didn’t miss.

The GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) fast-displacement-hull yacht has a MAN V8-1000 turbo-diesel engine. With single-stage exhaust turbocharging this motor is projected to power the Rivale to a maximum speed of 35 knots and a cruising speed of 31 knots. That speed is moving right along, but if you want more a MAN V8-1200 can be substituted with dual-stage turbocharging, which raises the top speed to 38.

The Rivale’s range is estimated at 260 nautical miles with the V8-1000 engine and 240 nm with the V8-1200. The larger motor goes faster but uses more fuel from the 713-gallon tank. The numbers translate to just under 3 nautical miles per gallon with either engine

There are two luxury staterooms, each with an en-suite. There’s also a bathroom near the crew quarters — the standard configuration will accommodate one crew member.

According to Boat International, the Ferretti Group expects to build and deliver 8 to 10 56-foot Rivales a year. The starting cost is just over $2 million.

Canada bans locked phones as it looks to make switching carriers easier

The Wireless Code of Conduct has received an update to address some of its widely-held complaints. But it doesn’t fix everything.

In a review of Canada’s Wireless Code of Conduct, which debuted in June 2013, the country’s telecom regulator has made two important changes that will potentially lower the cost of ownership and make it easier for consumers to switch providers.

In a statement, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced, as of December 1, 2017, the end of unlocking fees for Canadians with existing devices and, perhaps more significantly, a mandate that all new devices as of that day will need to be sold unlocked, even if purchased from a carrier on contract.

As of December 1, all Canadians will be able to request an unlock code for a locked phone from their carrier at no charge — currently, the Big Three providers charge between $35 and $50 for the service — which will allow it to be used on any competing network, domestically or while traveling abroad. It will also easily allow customers to switch carriers and bring their compatible phone over to a new one should they desire. What isn’t being said, though, is that many phones being sold at the carrier level today, including the Google Pixel and upcoming Essential Phone, are unlocked out of the box from the manufacturer. Other devices, like the Galaxy S8, are sold unlocked and become locked to the first SIM card inserted in the phone.

Switching to a different network will also be simpler under the new rules because customers will be able to cancel service contracts within 15 days while paying no penalties for phone restocking, something that the first draft of the Wireless Code tried to address but, according to consumer advocacy groups, didn’t go far enough.

Unlocked phones may be going away, but carriers will still pursue phone exclusives to differentiate themselves.

Given that the vast majority of Canadians pay one of three companies for mobile service, all of whom share a number of similarities in network speed, coverage, device availability and plan costs, this is more a convenience than anything else, but current return policies limit handset returns to 30 minutes of talk time and 50MB of data use, an absurdly rapacious set of numbers.

One of the most important changes to the Wireless Code is also going to be the least talked-about: secondary line users will no longer be able to consent to overage charges without the permission of the primary account holder. This means that parents will be able to supervise and approve roaming or data overage charges on a per-line basis, fixing an oversight in the first Wireless Code draft that caused millions of dollars in unnecessary fees. Primary account holders will still be able to let secondary lines approve overages, but it will be an opt-in process.

The existing overages of $50 for domestic and $100 international roaming are still in place, but the CRTC has explicitly stated that they apply to one’s entire account, not an individual line holder. For big families that share data plans, this may lead to limits being hit, and overages needing to be approved, far earlier in the billing cycle.

This will make it easier for Canadians to leave the carriers they love to hate.

Since its inception in 2013, and its strict enforcement in 2015, the Wireless Code has been criticized for allowing wireless carriers to continue raising the cost of service within the existing rules. Advocacy groups believe that without a robust MVNO market, where carriers sell wholesale access to their networks to smaller companies in a model popularized by broadband internet, Canadians will be forced to continue paying a high price for their monthly service. Carriers justify the prices by saying that, Canada being a huge country, network upgrades and maintenance are more expensive than anywhere else in the world, but critics point to a lack of competition keeping prices high.

The Wireless Code doesn’t mandate pricing, and these new changes, while admirable, don’t address the core issues of competition within the Canadian wireless market. Still, being able to move devices more freely, and having penalty-free service trials, will make it easier for Canadians to shop around, which may have the effect of lowering complaints against the companies Canadians love to hate.

How to add new smart home hardware to Alexa Groups

Adding your new smart home hardware to an Alexa group should only take a moment or two.

Alexa works hard to make itself a hub for all of your questions and technology. This of course includes Smart Home hardware, like Hue bulbs. Before you can go about making your house listen to your spoken commands though, you’ll need to add that new hardware to Alexa. Thankfully this is a very easy process, and shouldn’t take you more than five minutes.

Get organized with Groups!

When it comes to truly being a connected hub, Alexa does a great job. Between Groups letting you organize what room of the house you are talking to and its ability to automatically detect smart home hardware, Alexa does most of the heavy lifting for you. This of course means that once you’ve got that new hardware home and ready to roll, you can be connected in just a few moments, seriously cutting down on frustration.

Groups within Alexa are how you separate all of your devices, which is especially handy if you have hardware in different rooms of your home. This means you can have a group for the Bedroom, the Living Room, the Kitchen, and so on. Using groups makes talking to your Smart Home hardware, and from within groups you can easily add that hardware to the room it lives in.

How to add Smart Home hardware to an Alexa group

Open the Alexa app on your phone.
Tap the menu button in the upper left corner. It looks like three horizontal lines.

Tap Smart Home from the menu.

Tap Groups.
Tap the group you would like to add hardware to.

Tap the checkbox next to the Smart Home hardware you would like to add.

Have you added Smart Home hardware to your Alexa groups?

Alexa makes it easy to edit your groups and add new Smart Home hardware in just a few moments. Since Alexa will automatically detect devices that can be added to a group, all that you need to do is hit a checkbox to connect it. This also means it’s easy to disconnect if you decide to move things around in the house. Have you connected Smart Home hardware to your Alexa? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!

Amazon Echo

• Amazon Echo review
• Echo Dot review
• Top Echo Tips & Tricks
• Tap, Echo or Dot: The ultimate Alexa question
• Amazon Echo vs. Google Home
• Get the latest Alexa news

Amazon