Google updates list of Chromebooks gaining Android app support

Why it matters to you

You’ll want to check if your Chromebook has been added to the list of those supporting Android apps, because it just got a little longer.

Google’s Chromebook platform has made some serious strides lately, gaining enough momentum in the education and business markets to spur Microsoft to respond with its Windows 10 S initiative. To be truly competitive, though, Chromebook needs more apps, and its long-anticipated Android app support is key.

Getting Android app support on the Chromebooks people already own has been a challenge, however, even as Google indicated that all 2017 and later Chromebooks would get Android support. The list of Chromebooks that can officially run Android apps has been a bit limited, but that’s changing, as Android Police reports.

Google on Thursday updated its list of Chromebooks that now have official support, and 16 new machines have been added. They include:

• Acer Chromebook 11 N7 (C731, C731T)
• Acer Chromebook 15 (CB3-532)
• Asus Chromebook C202SA
• ASUS Chromebook C300SA/C301SA
• CTL NL61 Chromebook
• Dell Chromebook 11 (3180)
• Dell Chromebook 11 Convertible (3189)
• Dell Chromebook 13 (3380)
• HP Chromebook 11 G5 EE
• HP Chromebook 13 G1
• Lenovo Flex 11 Chromebook
• Lenovo N23 Yoga Chromebook
• Lenovo N22 Chromebook
• Lenovo N23 Chromebook
• Samsung Chromebook 3
• Mercer Chromebook NL6D

If you check out Google’s list of supported devices, you’ll notice that there are three current levels. Some machines are supported in the Stable Channel, meaning that you should see the Google Play Store app out of the box and be able to install Android apps without doing anything special. Some Chromebooks are supported in the Beta Channel, meaning that you’ll need to change your system’s channel in order to get Android apps installed. It’s an easy enough process but it does mean you’re playing with pre-production code.

You can follow our guide here on how to install Android apps on your Chromebook. If your machine has a “Planned” status, then you’ll have to wait awhile before installing apps. If it’s not on the list at all, it’s still possible that it will be supported at some point. Be sure to keep up with this list, as it changes regularly.

Google updates list of Chromebooks gaining Android app support

Why it matters to you

You’ll want to check if your Chromebook has been added to the list of those supporting Android apps, because it just got a little longer.

Google’s Chromebook platform has made some serious strides lately, gaining enough momentum in the education and business markets to spur Microsoft to respond with its Windows 10 S initiative. To be truly competitive, though, Chromebook needs more apps, and its long-anticipated Android app support is key.

Getting Android app support on the Chromebooks people already own has been a challenge, however, even as Google indicated that all 2017 and later Chromebooks would get Android support. The list of Chromebooks that can officially run Android apps has been a bit limited, but that’s changing, as Android Police reports.

Google on Thursday updated its list of Chromebooks that now have official support, and 16 new machines have been added. They include:

• Acer Chromebook 11 N7 (C731, C731T)
• Acer Chromebook 15 (CB3-532)
• Asus Chromebook C202SA
• ASUS Chromebook C300SA/C301SA
• CTL NL61 Chromebook
• Dell Chromebook 11 (3180)
• Dell Chromebook 11 Convertible (3189)
• Dell Chromebook 13 (3380)
• HP Chromebook 11 G5 EE
• HP Chromebook 13 G1
• Lenovo Flex 11 Chromebook
• Lenovo N23 Yoga Chromebook
• Lenovo N22 Chromebook
• Lenovo N23 Chromebook
• Samsung Chromebook 3
• Mercer Chromebook NL6D

If you check out Google’s list of supported devices, you’ll notice that there are three current levels. Some machines are supported in the Stable Channel, meaning that you should see the Google Play Store app out of the box and be able to install Android apps without doing anything special. Some Chromebooks are supported in the Beta Channel, meaning that you’ll need to change your system’s channel in order to get Android apps installed. It’s an easy enough process but it does mean you’re playing with pre-production code.

You can follow our guide here on how to install Android apps on your Chromebook. If your machine has a “Planned” status, then you’ll have to wait awhile before installing apps. If it’s not on the list at all, it’s still possible that it will be supported at some point. Be sure to keep up with this list, as it changes regularly.

No green screen, no problem with Logitech’s C922x webcam, now $20 off

Online streaming has exploded in popularity among gamers in the past couple years. Although webcam technology is nothing new, the demands of amateur and pro streamers alike have pushed companies to develop new-and-improved units made specifically for streaming. If you’ve been getting by with a cheap webcam or the built-in one that came with your computer, then consider upgrading to the Logitech C922x Pro Stream camera.

This top-rated webcam is purpose-built for professional-quality video streaming and is capable of recording video in crisp 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second or in 720p resolution at 60fps.
The HD glass lens provides a consistently clear image while autofocus keeps the picture looking sharp. The camera also utilizes automatic light correction to keep things in focus in low-light conditions. A pair of microphones, one on each side of the camera body, pick up your voice to deliver clear stereo sound to your viewers.

The most noteworthy feature of the Logitech C922x Pro Stream webcam, aside from its HD video quality, is its background replacement technology. This unique functions tracks the user’s body silhouette and edits out the background, replicating the effect of a green screen without the need for one. While this effect won’t be identical to using a green screen, it is sufficient for casual streaming and is a great option for users who don’t have room for a green screen setup or simply don’t want to mess around with one.

The Logitech C922x Pro Stream usually costs $100, but a $20 discount lets you score this excellent webcam for just $80 from Amazon for a limited time. If you’re in the market for a new camera specifically built for streaming on Twitch or YouTube, and your current setup isn’t cutting it, then the top-rated C922x is an excellent choice – especially if you don’t want to fuss around with a green screen.

Amazon

Facebook fights against terrorist content on its site using A.I., human expertise

Why it matters to you

To help fight terrorism, Facebook is increasing its efforts to keep the platform a safe space for all users.

As the number of terrorist attacks continue to increase globally, Facebook is making an attempt to be completely transparent about its plans to keep terrorist content off its website. To make efforts more efficient, the company enlisted the help of both artificial intelligence and human expertise.

To kick off the initiative, Facebook introduced a thread called “Hard Questions” as a safe space to discuss complicated subjects. The first post within the thread is titled “How We Counter Terrorism” and written by Monika Bickert, Facebook’s director of global policy management, and Brian Fishman, counterterrorism policy manager, who explain in detail how Facebook is committed to making the platform a hostile environment for terrorists.

The post lists a number of current tactics that use AI, including image matching — where systems search for whether or not an uploaded image matches any terrorism content previously removed by Facebook — to prevent other accounts from posting the same photo or video. Another experiment Facebook is currently running involves analyzing text previously removed for supporting terrorist organizations in an effort to create text-based signals. This will help to strengthen the algorithm in place so it catches similar posts at a quicker speed.

To prevent AI from flagging a photo related to terrorism in a post like a news story, human judgment is still required. In order to ensure constant monitoring, the community operations team works 24 hours a day and its members are also skilled in dozens of languages. The company also added more people to its team of terrorism and safety specialists specifically — ranging from former prosecutors to engineers — whose responsibility is to concentrate solely on countering terrorism.

Facebook will continue to see employee growth after CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to expand the community operations team by adding 3,000 more employees across the globe — this decision came after a string of violent deaths and incidents were broadcast over Facebook Live. By having a larger team of reviewers, Zuckerberg pointed out that inappropriate content can be taken down faster and the response rate for those in danger can potentially be higher.

The company continues to develop different partnerships with researchers, governments, and other companies — including Microsoft, YouTube, and Twitter. These businesses continuously contribute to the shared database dedicated to gathering terrorist content.

Harnessing magnetic fields could allow phones, cars to charge on the move

Why it matters to you

This ambient charging-environment technology could end the tyranny of wires.

A bit like the way that products marketed as hoverboards don’t actually hover, today’s wireless charging technology is not all that wireless. Sure, you do not have to physically plug your phone in to get it charging, but placing your phone on a charging pad to juice up its battery still is not quite the wire-free dream we have been hankering after.

A new piece of research from researchers at Stanford University could make that dream a reality, however. In a paper published in the journal Nature, investigators describe a kind of ambient charging environment that would allow devices to start charging whenever you walk into a room — a bit like a Wi-fi setup you instantly connect to when in close proximity.

“What we’ve demonstrated is robust wireless power transfer,” Professor Shanhui Fan, a researcher on the project whose work involves computational and experimental photonics research, told Digital Trends. “It’s a system in which the transfer efficiency remains high as the receiver moves over a range of distances, without need for any external tuning. It means that you could walk around in a room, with your phone continuing to get charged.”

The method the team developed involves a large magnetic field “amplifier” that can power a device wirelessly. In their proof-of-concept demonstration, the simple device the researchers chose to focus on was an LED light which they moved further and further away from its power source. The work built on research developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2007, which showed that it is possible to transmit electricity wirelessly over a distance of several feet to a stationary object. This time, however, the Stanford researchers augmented the setup with a voltage amplifier and feedback resistor. As Fan noted, the result is a system that can work out the correct frequency for variable distances without a human needing to fine-tune it along the way.

The idea of true wireless charging phones is certainly exciting, but Fan said there is another larger goal involved: Wirelessly charging electric cars. “If you’re driving on the road, and somehow energy can be sent into your electric car, that would be very useful,” he said. “It’s also an example of a situation in which it wouldn’t be practical to do plugged-in charging, since you would be driving at the time.”

There is still more work to be done on increasing the amount of electricity that can be transferred using the method, but — provided this research advances as planned — this could turn out to be the start of something very significant.

“I think it’s a fairly practical technology, but it’s always difficult to predict commercialization,” Fan said. “What we’ve currently done is to file a patent application, which takes us one step closer.”

Harnessing magnetic fields could allow phones, cars to charge on the move

Why it matters to you

This ambient charging-environment technology could end the tyranny of wires.

A bit like the way that products marketed as hoverboards don’t actually hover, today’s wireless charging technology is not all that wireless. Sure, you do not have to physically plug your phone in to get it charging, but placing your phone on a charging pad to juice up its battery still is not quite the wire-free dream we have been hankering after.

A new piece of research from researchers at Stanford University could make that dream a reality, however. In a paper published in the journal Nature, investigators describe a kind of ambient charging environment that would allow devices to start charging whenever you walk into a room — a bit like a Wi-fi setup you instantly connect to when in close proximity.

“What we’ve demonstrated is robust wireless power transfer,” Professor Shanhui Fan, a researcher on the project whose work involves computational and experimental photonics research, told Digital Trends. “It’s a system in which the transfer efficiency remains high as the receiver moves over a range of distances, without need for any external tuning. It means that you could walk around in a room, with your phone continuing to get charged.”

The method the team developed involves a large magnetic field “amplifier” that can power a device wirelessly. In their proof-of-concept demonstration, the simple device the researchers chose to focus on was an LED light which they moved further and further away from its power source. The work built on research developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2007, which showed that it is possible to transmit electricity wirelessly over a distance of several feet to a stationary object. This time, however, the Stanford researchers augmented the setup with a voltage amplifier and feedback resistor. As Fan noted, the result is a system that can work out the correct frequency for variable distances without a human needing to fine-tune it along the way.

The idea of true wireless charging phones is certainly exciting, but Fan said there is another larger goal involved: Wirelessly charging electric cars. “If you’re driving on the road, and somehow energy can be sent into your electric car, that would be very useful,” he said. “It’s also an example of a situation in which it wouldn’t be practical to do plugged-in charging, since you would be driving at the time.”

There is still more work to be done on increasing the amount of electricity that can be transferred using the method, but — provided this research advances as planned — this could turn out to be the start of something very significant.

“I think it’s a fairly practical technology, but it’s always difficult to predict commercialization,” Fan said. “What we’ve currently done is to file a patent application, which takes us one step closer.”

Google Backup & Sync app will help you maintain all your computer files

Why it matters to you

If you’re a Google Drive user, you likely want it to be as easy as possible to sync your files across different platforms.

Google wants to be better at backing up your computer’s files. While the company already offers a Drive folder that can be installed on your computer, soon Google will be able to back up and sync any folder that you point it to on your computer. If you want, it can back up your desktop, entire documents folder, and more. Or, you can get more specific and tell it to only back up a specific set of files on your desktop.

The new feature will begin rolling out to users starting on June 28 in the form of an app called Backup & Sync, and it will incorporate features from both the Google Drive and Google Photos backup apps. The app is aimed at regular consumers rather than business users — and Google recommends business users stick with the already available Drive app.

Not too much is known about Backup & Sync just yet, and we don’t know the full extent of what it will be able to do. One thing, however, is for sure — syncing your entire computer will likely count pretty quickly toward your Google Drive storage limits, which sit in at 15GB for the free version — although you can buy more.

It’s nice to see Drive getting some upgrades. The Drive app has been around for some time now, and while it has gotten minor upgrades over the years it has also gotten a little outdated. Another nice touch — and a necessary one — is that Google says your settings from the Google Drive app will remain untouched after the upgrade, so you shouldn’t have to worry about any of your files being lost or deleted during the switch. The integration with Google Photos is also a nice touch — and means that users should be able to more easily manage their photo libraries.

As mentioned, the Backup & Sync app will begin rolling out to customers on Wednesday June 28.

Google Backup & Sync app will help you maintain all your computer files

Why it matters to you

If you’re a Google Drive user, you likely want it to be as easy as possible to sync your files across different platforms.

Google wants to be better at backing up your computer’s files. While the company already offers a Drive folder that can be installed on your computer, soon Google will be able to back up and sync any folder that you point it to on your computer. If you want, it can back up your desktop, entire documents folder, and more. Or, you can get more specific and tell it to only back up a specific set of files on your desktop.

The new feature will begin rolling out to users starting on June 28 in the form of an app called Backup & Sync, and it will incorporate features from both the Google Drive and Google Photos backup apps. The app is aimed at regular consumers rather than business users — and Google recommends business users stick with the already available Drive app.

Not too much is known about Backup & Sync just yet, and we don’t know the full extent of what it will be able to do. One thing, however, is for sure — syncing your entire computer will likely count pretty quickly toward your Google Drive storage limits, which sit in at 15GB for the free version — although you can buy more.

It’s nice to see Drive getting some upgrades. The Drive app has been around for some time now, and while it has gotten minor upgrades over the years it has also gotten a little outdated. Another nice touch — and a necessary one — is that Google says your settings from the Google Drive app will remain untouched after the upgrade, so you shouldn’t have to worry about any of your files being lost or deleted during the switch. The integration with Google Photos is also a nice touch — and means that users should be able to more easily manage their photo libraries.

As mentioned, the Backup & Sync app will begin rolling out to customers on Wednesday June 28.

New algorithm predicts how faces can change, could help find missing persons

Why it matters to you

More accurately predicting how faces change over time could help locate long-missing people.

When someone goes missing, their friends or family can provide a photo for police to circulate in case they are recognized by a member of the public. When it comes to longer-term missing person cases, however, police can take an image of the person as they were when they disappeared, and then age it to show how their appearance might have changed over time. The results can be extremely helpful — but also subject to plenty of imprecise guesswork.

That is something a new research project from the U.K.’s University of Bradford aims to improve. What researchers there have developed is a method for — or so its creators claim — more accurately aging facial images, courtesy of some smart machine-learning technology.

“In our work, we teach the computer by presenting hundreds to thousands of face images and the corresponding ages,” Ali Maina Bukar, a researcher on the project with expertise in facial analysis and synthesis, told Digital Trends. “Thereafter, having learned the human aging process, the machine explicitly progresses images on the fly. This is a faster and less subjective technique.”

The algorithm the team developed captures the nonlinear shape and muscular variations of the human face as a way of “learning the pattern” of aging. Given an image, it first extracts the identity of the person and then maps it to the aging pattern it has learned, thereby modeling an age-progressed realistic image.

In their test case, the researchers used the algorithm to generate aged images of Ben Needham, who disappeared on the Greek island of Kos in 1991, at the age of just 21 months. Needham has never been found, but the algorithm enabled the investigators to create images of him as he may have looked at various ages. They believe that these images are more accurate than the ones used by the police; based on how well the algorithm has performed in other demonstrations.

However, while the hope is to eventually roll this AI-aging algorithm out as a police tool, Bukar notes there is still more work to be done. At the moment, the algorithm works on cropped images only, meaning that it doesn’t currently consider the subject’s hair in the same way that it does the face.

“We are working on enhancing it such that both face and hair can be generated,” Bukar said. “We hope this project gets accepted by the public and the police so it can be applied in real world. This is the main reason why we chose a popular subject — Ben Needham — in our experiment. It illustrates to the world our algorithm’s applicability and potential in the search for missing loved ones.”

A paper describing the work was published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences.

NSFW: Everything you need to know about porn on the Gear VR

What’s not to like about a private viewing booth you wear on your face?

Just about as soon as Gear VR became available as a household device came a very serious question: Can you watch porn in VR? We can happily answer “Yes” to that question. It’s probably not the only question you have about porn in VR, though, and that’s why we’re here to help. Whether you’re not sure what to expect, or where to find it, we’ve got you covered.

Read more at VRHeads.com