Monument Valley: A short but sweet masterpiece (Review)

Every now and then, a developer comes out with a game so good that it gains critical acclaim by the industry and shapes it moving forward. Remember Flappy Bird? It wasn’t a complicated game at all (from a technical point of view) but it gained so much traction in the industry that even the developer could not handle it and pulled it from the stores.

The same can be said about Monument Valley, by ustwo games, a puzzle game that combines so many good elements on different levels that you are left wondering why does the developer is asking just $3.99 for it. It is easily the best puzzle game in the Play Store, and probably one of the best mobile games ever created. Seriously, I am not exaggerating.

Developer: ustwo games

Price: $3.99

Setup

You can see the philosophy of this game right from the beginning. You don’t get a conventional tutorial or anything. You get thrown right into this world and, after a couple of minutes, you will get the hang of the controls. If you tap somewhere and Ida is able to move there, then she will. There are also several elements that you can interact with, but I will not spoil the fun for you.

After finishing this very easy introductory level, which is actually Stage 1, you will get to the game itself, and then the fun starts for real.

Overview

The game will take you to the stage selection, which features a very nice spinning portal with the ten available levels. Yes, there are only ten levels in the game, but more on that later. Even the stage selection screen is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen, if not precisely functional.

Entering a level is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. Although every level has (obviously) the same art direction and chill vibe attached to it, they’re very different from each other. Each one has its own unique setting and mood. From dark, eerie environments to gleeful, yellow tinted backgrounds, there’s no level that feels the same to another.

This game can turn from colorful to eerie in no time.

These levels are called monuments, and it’s all part of a background story. The fact that the game actually has a story, something that is so rarely seen these days on mobile games (and even on some console games), is worthy to mention (if a bit sad, since it says a lot about the current state of mobile game development).

Don’t expect something ground-breaking, though. There’s only so much you can tell in a couple of hours with very few interaction between characters. However, it is still nice to have a story to follow through, and not just wander aimlessly without any explanation of what is going on and what are we doing here.

The stage selection screen is very innovative.

Along the way, said characters will help you understand what is going on. However, most of the time you’re going to be cracking down these puzzles and just being in awe about even the smallest aspects have been thought of and executed in an admirable way.

Your mission is always to reach a goal at the top of these monuments. When this happens, Ida places a geometric object on top of it and clears the stage. Monument Valley is not like common games in this day and age, in which you earn coins, orbs, gems, or similar, in order to buy in-game stuff and move forward, so you won’t actually win any kind of in-game currency.

Rather, the developer is focused on giving you the best possible experience. If I had to choose my favorite part of this game, then it would be this lack of “pay-to-win” strategies that has plagued the store these days.

General Impressions

As you go through each stage, they get bigger and more complicated, with Ida “learning” new stuff (such as walking sideways) and new ways of interacting with the environment. Elements such as the crow people are introduced in later levels to spice things up.

At first, the puzzles are easy, but, as you progress through the game, you have to think more deeply about your next move. There’s no timer, score, or anything related to competition. This game is meant to be as relaxing as possible while providing a decent challenge, and that goal is fulfilled in a superb manner.

Stages are easy at first but they get very complex later on.

Part of the challenge comes from the fact that you have to play around with the positioning of the world elements and your character in order to progress. Once you figure out things, you will see how clever puzzles are, and it is rewarding to figure out what it is needed to do in order to progress.

The only bad thing that could be said about this game is how short it is. Sure, it is a great experience that feels very polished, and probably generating these ten levels took an insane amount of time, but, when finishing the game, you still have this “I want more” feeling. It’s a shame that the game is not longer but probably the game developer had to choose between shipping it in its current state or spending more money and time developing it, and thus increase the asking price.

Graphics and Sound

This screenshot speaks for itself. Simply awesome.

In case you haven’t noticed yet, graphics are by far the most impressive aspect of this game.They are not flashy or cutting-edge, but they way they have been done is what makes this game special and unique. As previously said, each level has its own unique character and setting.

Animations are extremely fluid and meticulous, while Ida’s movements are limited but fluid. Notable is the attention to detail by the developer, which can be easily seen thanks to the intricacies of each stage. This game is proof that you don’t need Need for Speed or Modern Combat graphics to create a visually appealing game.

Sure, those games look outstanding and it is sometimes even hard to believe that they’re being rendered by a mobile phone, but Monument Valley manages to look absolutely superb with its charming approach to graphic design.

Regarding sound, it tries to maintain the same tone set by the graphics and gameplay. Soothing music and simple sound effects are all you will hear in Monument Valley, and they do a superb job in not disrupting what is achieved by the other elements of the game.

Conclusion

Sometimes, a game comes that completely changes the gaming landscape. Super Mario 64, Pokemon Red & Blue, Metal Gear Solid, GTA: San Andreas, and Minecraft come to my mind as revolutionary games on consoles, while Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans, Pokémon Go, and Temple Run could be equivalent in terms of impact on the industry. I can confidently say that Monument Valley can be added to this list, thanks to its relaxing vibe, massive attention to detail and satisfying puzzles. While short, this game is easily one of the best games ever released for a mobile device, and one that every person even remotely interested in gaming should experience.

Download and install Monument Valley from the Google Play Store.

Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest apps on sale in the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money, and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Art Genius

Art Genius transforms your photos into cool works of art. Just press a button and watch Art Genius draw on your screen as it turns your images into stunning art.

Available on:

iOS

Cartoonatic 2

Use this app to turn your videos into hilarious cartoons with music and special effects.

Available on:

iOS

Note-ify

This app is a simple and convenient note-taking tool. Organize your notes, ideas, shopping lists, tasks, and different reference information. It features a user-friendly and customizable interface.

Available on:

iOS

Yoga

This app comes with HD videos of yoga poses developed and demonstrated by qualified yoga instructors. Search poses based on type, focus, and ability.

Available on:

iOS

Pocket Yoga

With Pocket Yoga, you can practice at a pace that’s right for you in the comfort of your own home. Simply roll out your mat, place your device in front, and Pocket Yoga will guide you through an entire session.

Available on:

iOS

TextGrabber

This app easily and quickly scans, translates, and saves your chosen text or QR codes from virtually any printed material.

Available on:

iOS

Facebook wants to make it harder for people to copy your profile picture

Why it matters to you

Having your profile picture stolen can be an alarming experience and Facebook wants to cut down on it.

In our digital day and age, there are more ways than one to steal an identity. But one of the more jarring instances may just be finding a copycat Facebook profile, complete with your profile picture. While Facebook is all about you making friends, it does not want you to sacrifice your privacy in the process. Now, the social media giant is helping you fight back, and has unveiled a new feature that promises to give users “more control over who can download and share their profile pictures.”

The announcement comes just a few days after the company announced new ways to fight terrorist content online as well. Currently being piloted in India, the new tools were developed in partnership with Indian safety organizations, including Centre for Social Research, Learning Links Foundation, Breakthrough India, and Youth Ki Awaaz. The goal, Facebook said, is to give individuals a greater degree of control over their online experience and furthermore, keep them safe.

“Profile pictures are an important part of building community on Facebook because they help people find friends and create meaningful connections,” wrote Aarati Soman, a product manager at Facebook. “But not everyone feels safe adding a profile picture. In our research with people and safety organizations in India, we’ve heard that some women choose not to share profile pictures that include their faces anywhere on the internet because they’re concerned about what may happen to their photos.”

So to keep them safe, Facebook is rolling out a new profile picture guard. If you opt into this feature, other users will not be able to download, share, or send your default photo in a message on Facebook. Furthermore, people you are not Facebook friends with won’t be able to tag anyone, including themselves, in your profile picture. Facebook is also going to try to prevent others from screenshotting your profile picture, a feature currently available only on Android devices. And finally, Facebook will display a blue border and shield around your profile picture to show that it is protected.

“Based on preliminary tests, we’ve learned that when someone adds an extra design layer to their profile picture, other people are at least 75 percent less likely to copy that picture,” Soman said. So if you’re looking for ways to keep yourself safe on social media, you may want to start with your profile picture.

Imagination is up for sale after its relationship with Apple is cut off

Why it matters to you

Apple could be forced to make major changes to its iPhone and iPad hardware if its split with Imagination Technologies turns sour.

In April, it was confirmed that Apple was planning to replace the PowerVR GPU designed by Imagination Technologies that is currently implemented across its iPhone and iPad product lines. For obvious reasons, this was not great news for the U.K.-based company and as a result, it is putting itself up for sale.

A statement posted on the Imagination website on Thursday confirmed that the company has already been in contact with several parties interested in making the purchase. “The Board of Imagination has therefore decided to initiate a formal sale process for the Group and is engaged in preliminary discussions with potential bidders,” read the announcement.

Imagination lost 70 percent of its value after it emerged that Apple would source its GPU components from elsewhere, according to a report from Engadget. With that in mind, it is really not too surprising that finding a buyer would be the next logical step to ensure the company’s survival.

From Apple’s perspective, bringing the design and manufacture of GPU chips in-house — which seems to be the long-term plan — brings all kind of financial and practical benefits. Of course, losing an account as large as this could easily spell doom for a company like Imagination, if it isn’t quick to find a path forward.

Imagination considers itself to be in a “dispute” with Apple over their parting, which is referenced in the published statement. It remains to be seen how this will impact both the acquisition process and Apple’s capacity to design its own bespoke GPU.

Apparently, Apple still owns an 8.1 percent stake in Imagination, something of a holdover from when it made preliminary moves to acquire the company in 2016. Apple could be convinced to play nicely, as the GPU specialist seems to have an ace up its sleeve that could scupper its former collaborator’s future plans.

The easiest path forward for Apple in terms of GPU design is to create a new chip that resembles its predecessor — but that model is protected by patents held by Imagination. Given that this split does not seem to be particularly amicable, expect to see Imagination fight to protect its intellectual property.

OnePlus 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S8 camera comparison: Playing catch-up

No matter what we pay for phones, we always want a great camera.

OnePlus has consistently nailed the core experience of a high-end smartphone, over-achieving its price in so many ways. But one area where it felt more native to its price point was the camera — but the OnePlus 5 is designed to change that. Even though it is notably less expensive than the flagship competition, the OnePlus 5 will constantly be compared to the top-end phones available today. It’s when you start to compare cameras, especially, that the battle gets tough: the past two years have seen fantastic improvements in smartphone cameras at the high end.

Millions of people are familiar with how the Galaxy S8 takes photos, and it’s well-regarded as having a consistently good camera in a variety of ways. If the OnePlus 5 can beat — or even just match — the likes of the Galaxy S8, it’s going to be in great shape to pick up sales as people look for the best value in a smartphone that includes a great camera. This is how the two compared in our testing.

Daylight photos

OnePlus 5 (left) / Galaxy S8 (right) — click to view larger

When viewing these photos at typical size embedded in a webpage, it isn’t easy to pick out differences. That’s a good sign for OnePlus, as it shows the OnePlus 5 can put out nice-looking photos what are generally indiscernible from a leading smartphone at a glance.

You have to zoom in pretty tightly to see differences in these photos.

Once you zoom in and start to nitpick a little bit, you can see where the Galaxy S8 does things a bit better. The GS8’s photos easily have sharper edges and finer detail when you start to closely inspect them. In most cases, it doesn’t really come across in the end product viewed at a typical size (especially when just viewed on a phone) — but sometimes you just get a sense of the GS8’s photos being crisper than the OnePlus 5’s.

You’ll notice from the photos above that the Galaxy S8 still tends to take warmer photos, and although the OnePlus 5’s color balance seems better it doesn’t have quite the brightness and saturation that the Galaxy S8 does. That’s a bit more of a personal preference … but in general, the average smartphone buyer enjoys the look of those punchy, extra-contrast shots the Galaxy S8 tends to take.

Low light photos

OnePlus 5 (left) / Galaxy S8 (right) — click to view larger

Switching to low-light photos, you can more easily see differences in the output of these cameras at a typical size before even zooming in. The Galaxy S8 on average takes sharper, clearer photos when the lights get dim. When you start to inspect the photos more closely, you’ll see the OnePlus 5 has a considerable amount of grain to low-light photos that the Galaxy S8 manages to avoid through a combination of a lower ISO and better overall processing.

The Galaxy S8 is still better in low light, but the gap is narrowing.

Of course you’ll notice once again the Galaxy S8’s photos are warmer than the OnePlus 5’s, but in many low-light scenes that warm color is a bit more accurate to the scene. In some cases it felt like the OnePlus 5 was again too cool in its color temperature adjustment. Having a warmer color temperature is a fine trade off in this case, considering how much sharper the fine details in dark scenes are in most photos compared to the OnePlus 5.

Though it doesn’t quite match the Galaxy S8, I’m rather impressed by the OnePlus 5’s ability to take solid photos in bad lighting conditions considering its small 1.12-micron pixels and lack of OIS — but if you look at the photos with a critical eye you do notice some of its shortcomings. In some very dark scenes it took multiple shots to get an acceptable one, as it’s easier to reach a point where the ISO has to go too high and the shutter speed just can’t go any lower without OIS. Considering the fact that the OnePlus 5 isn’t that far off from the pace here, it’s conceivable that improvements could be made with some software updates. Let’s hope it gets tweaked in the future.

Bottom line

The OnePlus 5 takes an admirable swing at reaching a leading camera like the Galaxy S8’s, but ultimately doesn’t quite get there. Daylight shots are just about neck-and-neck, with the tie-breakers being your personal preference on how the Galaxy S8 tends to over-warm and over-saturate photos and where the OnePlus 5 ends up being a little softer and dimmer. The real separator is low light shots, where the GS8 on average takes a clearer, better-balanced photo — the OnePlus 5 does admirably, but doesn’t have the processing (or the hardware, frankly) to perfectly match it.

The Galaxy S8 has a better camera, but the OnePlus 5 is close and has a few extra features, too.

Aside from the main cameras compared here, let’s also remember that the OnePlus 5 packs a complete secondary camera that offers a longer focal length for interesting shots and a Portrait Mode that gives you unique background blurring in certain photos. Whether or not those additions bring the entire OnePlus 5 camera experience up to the level of the Galaxy S8 for you is a good question to ask when comparing the two.

The fact that this is a relatively close competition should be taken as a good thing from the perspective of OnePlus, as the OnePlus 5 is over $200 less than the Galaxy S8. It’s completely reasonable to see the OnePlus 5’s camera capabilities — to say nothing of all its other great qualities — and say it’s darn well close enough to the Galaxy S8 that the extra $200+ isn’t worth the small improvement.

OnePlus 5

• Complete OnePlus 5 review
• Reviewing our first OnePlus 5 photos
• OnePlus 5 specs
• Which model should you buy?
• OnePlus 5 vs. Galaxy S8
• The latest OnePlus 5 news
• Join the discussion in the forums

OnePlus

How to manually enable Daydream on phones Google has not approved

How do I install Daydream on my phone?

Google’s philosophy with their newest VR platform is simple. In order to offer the best possible experience in Daydream, there needs to be a minimum list of requirements met. The phone must be capable of delivering two video streams at 60fps with no stutter, and when you turn your head inside a Daydream headset there should be as little motion blur as possible. Unfortunately that means no matter how capable your phone is, if it’s got an LCD display Google won’t be enabling Daydream by default. The “motion to photon latency” in LCD panels being used in phones right now is just too high, and the end result is a VR experience that doesn’t meet Google’s quality threshold.

That having been said, if you’re willing to mess around with your phone a little there may be a way to enable Daydream on your phone without Google’s blessing.

Read more at VR Heads!

How to track what’s being said to Alexa with the history feature

Alexa history automatically saves your conversations; here’s how to review them.

Alexa, the Amazon Echo’s virtual assistant, learns about you as you interact with her, and part of the reason she’s able to do this is that she records all of your conversations. The history is where all of these conversations are stored and where you can delete conversations you don’t want Alexa to learn from. It’s located right in your settings and we have the details for you here!

• How to view Alexa’s history
• How to delete a conversation from history

How to view Alexa’s history

When viewing your Alexa history, you can see a text transcript of all of your questions, and you can even listen to audio recordings.

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

Tap Settings.

Scroll all the way down to the bottom and tap History.
Tap the entry you want to view or listen to.

Tap the play button to listen to the recording.

How to delete a conversation from history

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

Tap Settings.

Scroll all the way down to the bottom, and tap History.
Tap the conversation you want to delete.

Tap Delete voice recordings.

Are you using the history feature?

Have you deleted conversations with Alexa? Have questions? Let us know about it 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

Moto E4 review: Keeping it simple

The Moto E4 is one of the best prepaid deals you can get right now.

The Moto E4 is fine. It’s not particularly good looking or powerful, nor is it filled with features. When you think a generic smartphone, this is kind of what you think of.

And yet, for $129, I would probably recommend it, warts and all, over any other phone. At $70 on Verizon’s prepaid service, it’s an absolute steal. Here’s why.

It’s got decent specs for the price

The Moto E4 is good enough for most tasks, thanks to its quad-core Snapdragon 425 processor, Adreno 308 GPU, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It’s also got an 8MP autofocus rear camera on the back and a 5MP front camera, both of which are better than I thought they’d be on a phone this inexpensive.

The screen is forgettable, but everything else is pretty great.

There’s a fingerprint sensor on the front, which works about as well as any from Motorola, as well as a Micro-USB charging port on the bottom. A removable 2800mAh battery sits behind the plastic back cover, with nano-SIM and microSD slots hidden behind the battery compartment. On top of the phone, a headphone jack. All pretty simple.

Moto E4 specs

The 5-inch 1280×720 pixel LCD display is probably the phone’s weakest point. It’s not just the resolution — I can easily deal with “mere HD” on a 5-inch screen — but the washed-out colors and gap between the glass and the panel itself make the phone feel a bit dated. More 2015 than 2017. That said, touch response is excellent, and after a few minutes with the phone I completely forgot about any misgivings I had towards the screen. It just works.

The design is really nice

I am a fan of Motorola’s new design language that debuted last year with the Moto Z line and continues with the Moto G5 series and, now, the Moto E4. The bezels are a big bigger than what you’d expect on the company’s more expensive phones, but not much, and the back cover is made of a textured, soft touch plastic that I actually prefer over the cold and distracting metal/plastic hybrid of the Moto G5.

The phone is supremely comfortable to hold, thanks to its slight 150 gram weight, and narrow enough to use with one hand, which I found myself doing quite a bit over the course of my week with the device.

The camera is impressive

The camera on this phone rarely disappoints, which is an amazing achievement.

When it comes to cost cutting in phones, the screen and camera — two expensive components — are often the first to get compromised. As a result, I was expecting to equivocate photos taken on the Moto E4 to that of a potato sack, but was pleasantly surprised when viewing them on my laptop screen.

Sure, detail is lacking, since there are more than a third fewer pixels in the 8MP sensor than on, say, the Moto G5, but the quality in good lighting is actually quite impressive. Even in poor lighting, the phone manages to eke some decent shots, and should suffice for everything from kids birthdays to midnight walks in the park.

While there is a Pro mode on the Moto E4, Motorola’s best camera feature, the acclaimed “double-twist-to-open” gesture, is nowhere to be found on this phone, likely due to the lack of advanced sensors necessary to make such a thing possible. This is the reality of a $130 phone — the gesture is present on the Moto G5 — but it’s still a bit disappointing.

Battery life isn’t great

The Moto G5 (left) and Moto E4 (right) share the same 2800mAh battery.

The Snapdragon 425 inside the Moto E4 may not be old per se, but it’s built on an aging 28nm manufacturing process that isn’t very efficient. And while the 2800mAh battery cell has plenty of juice, I found myself looking at a dying phone before 8pm most days.

Thankfully, the cell itself is replaceable — it uses the same one as the Moto G5, for what it’s worth — which means that it shouldn’t be too hard finding and keeping charged a spare for those emergencies. The phone uses the legacy Micro-USB connector, too, which ensures compatibility with existing chargers and battery packs from older Motorola phones, something the company says was top-of-mind when choosing to maintain the charging method.

The software is outstanding

This is probably the best software you can find on a $70 phone.

I have two Moto E4 units, a $130 unlocked model that will be sold directly from Motorola, and a $70 prepaid version from Verizon. The former came with no bloatware to speak of and worked out of the box with any SIM card I threw in it.

The Verizon one had a bunch of pre-installed apps and wouldn’t work on any other SIM card, a compromise one signs up for when buying a highly-subsidized phone from Big Red. That said, all of Verizon’s apps, from its Messenger+ text client to NFL Mobile, can be disabled, and the phone can be made to easily resemble its unlocked counterpart.

Motorola’s software, which is based on Android 7.1, continues to be among the best in the business. From the excellent and indispensable Moto Display, which works the same here as it does on the much more expensive Moto Z2 Play, to the limited selection of Moto Actions due to a lack of sensors, the Moto E4 works extremely well with almost app on the Play Store.

You have to be cognizant of the limited amount of RAM and storage — 2GB of RAM means only a few apps can be kept in memory, and 9GB of usable storage out of the box screams for a 32 to 64GB microSD card — but in my week with the phone I rarely encountered anything that resembled slowdown. Instead, you just have to be aware that things aren’t going to operate with butter smoothness as they would on, say, a Moto Z2 Play.

A note about the Moto G5

The Moto G5 isn’t available in the U.S., likely because there isn’t enough room in the U.S. market for it, the Moto E4 Plus, which is coming later this summer for $179, and the Moto G5 Plus, which is available now for $229.

But the Moto G5 is remarkably similar in many ways to the Moto E4, with only a slightly nicer build (hints of metal in the back cover), an ever-so-slightly more powerful Snapdragon 430 SoC (octa-core compared to the Moto E4’s quad-core S425) and an admittedly much nicer 1080p display.

Here in Canada, both the Moto E4 and Moto G5 are sold at various carriers for between $200 and $250, which is odd, since the Moto G5 is clearly the better phone of the two, but U.S. users don’t have to make such a confusing decision. You can find the international version of the Moto G5 on Amazon for $220, but you’re much better off spending the extra money on the Moto G5 Plus, which has a U.S. warranty (and a lot more power) for a few dollars more.

Perfect for the prepaid market

While using the Moto E4, I was constantly aware of its price, and how most people — through a Verizon store — will be interacting with it for the first time. Yes, Motorola has a robust unlocked market in the U.S., and the phone is excellent value at $129.99 (it works on all major U.S. carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon), but the real gem here is its $69.99 price on Verizon prepaid, which is outstanding value. Paired with a $40 plan, which comes with 3GB of data per month, I can see the Moto E4 becoming a first phone with a lot of high school students and recent graduates.

The phone is available now on Verizon prepaid and will be coming unlocked to online retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, Motorola.com and Newegg on June 30. It’s also going to be available at Boost, Sprint, Republic Wireless and Ting in July.

See at Verizon

What is Amazon Prime Wardrobe and how does it work?

Amazon has launched a new service: Prime Wardrobe.

It follows the Amazon Echo Look, a new type of Alexa-enabled device for those who have an interest in fashion. The device allows you to take a photo of your outfit and then get recommendations on what to wear, among other things. Now, with Prime Wardrobe, Amazon is making it very clear that it plans to tackle the fashion industry, sort of like how it transformed the book industry years ago.

Until Amazon became everyone’s go-to source for online shopping, including for books, most people would go to their local book store or even a larger retailer like Barnes and Noble in order to get their reading materials. Now, we go to Amazon to order a book or even an ebook. But what about clothes? One could argue that malls and shops are still relevant because people like to try on their clothes.

That’s where Prime Wardrobe comes in, and it could potentially change clothes shopping forever. It’s a new program that will let you try on clothes before you buy them. Here’s everything you need to know about it, including how it works.

What is Prime Wardrobe?

Amazon said Prime Wardrobe is a new service that “brings the fitting room to you, so you can try on the latest styles and find your perfect fit before you buy.” Prime Wardrobe is considered a new Prime benefit, so subscribe to Amazon Prime to take advantage of the service. Once you do, you can order clothes, shoes, and accessories – with no upfront charge – and you get seven days to test them out.

Amazon

How does Prime Wardrobe work?

Subscribe to Prime

Amazon Prime is a paid membership program that gives you access to free shipping on Amazon, as well as the ability to stream video and music and more. There are several Amazon-specific services and deals included in the membership. It costs $99 per year or $10.99 per month. Some Prime benefits, like Prime Video, are available to purchase separately. Prime Wardrobe is not one of those.

Select eligible items

Go to Amazon and look for  Prime Wardrobe-eligible pieces (they will have a ‘Prime Wardrobe’ badge). You must select at least three items. Amazon said there are over a million clothing options to choose from at launch. Amazon said you can find items across women’s, men’s, girls’, boys’, baby clothing, shoes, and accessories. You will not be charge for any item, unless keep it after trying it on.

Try on your items

After you pick out everything, Amazon will ship your selections to you in a resealable return box with a prepaid shipping label. From the moment your package arrives, you get seven days to try on everything. 

Return unwanted items

You can put the items you don’t want back in the resealable return box and leave it at your front door, if you request a free UPS pick-up. Otherwise, you can return it to your nearest UPS location. If you decide to keep at least three items, Amazon said you will get a 10-per cent discount off your purchase, and if you keep five or more pieces, the discount will rise to 20-per cent off. Nice, right?

Amazon

Which brands can you try?

At launch, you can find items from brands like Calvin Klein, Levi’s, Adidas, Timex, Carter’s, Theory, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, J Brand, Milly, Parker, and more.

When will Prime Wardrobe be available?

Amazon Prime Wardrobe is currently in beta, but you can sign up to get notified when it officially launches.

Stanford study uses big data to highlight racial biases in policing

A group at Stanford University has taken on the issue of racial bias in law enforcement with an ongoing study called the Open Policing Project. The researchers have also created a website that makes not only their findings available, but all of their data and analysis coding as well.

The project began a couple of years ago. Interested in figuring out what role racial bias plays in everyday traffic stops, the research team, made up of scientists and journalists, began collecting records of traffic and pedestrian stops from law enforcement agencies in every state. As of now, they’ve analyzed — and made available — data from 31 state police agencies, which includes 130 million records.

From this data, the group found that black and Hispanic drivers are stopped more frequently than white drivers. Black and Hispanic drivers are 20 percent and 30 percent more likely to be ticketed than white drivers, respectively. And compared to white drivers, black and Hispanic drivers are searched based on less evidence — a finding calculated from both search rates and how often police actually found contraband during a search.

The researchers are continuing to collect data and have begun to look at records from major cities. You can access their findings and all of their data on the project’s website and you can watch the video below for more information on the research.

Via: Co.Design

Source: Open Policing Project