Instagram begins trialling favourites tab for private list of friends

Instagram is said to be in the process of testing a new ‘favourites’ feature with a select number of users. The favourites feature will act in a similar way to friends lists on Facebook and Twitter, but will offer some notable improvements upon both.

• Instagram tips and tricks: How to master the app and post amazing pics

The Verge reports the feature will let Instagram users create a list of other users they consider to be their closest friends on the photo sharing social network. There’s no limit to the number of other users one can add, but Instagram reckons most lists will have between 10 – 30 users.

Instagram is thought to be developing the feature in response to users trying to create their own friends lists, which have been labelled “Finstagrams”. Users would create private Instagram accounts, which are intended to be followed by a limited number of people, and once followers have liked a photo, it will be deleted. Because of the way Instagram works, it wasn’t long before these ‘private’ account ended up being followed by hundreds of people.

With favourites, when you create a post, you’ll have the option to share it with your favourites list. If you do, only those followers in the favourites list will be able to see it, and it will be denoted by a green badge. A new favourites tab will appear on a user’s profile, and only followers in the favourites list will be able to see posts.

Anyone not on the list will be able to click on the tab, but won’t see any posts.Users can’t request to be added to a favourites list, and won’t be notified when they’re added or removed.

• Instagram users on Android can now use the app offline
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Robby Stein, product lead at Instagram said: “People are trying to hack Instagram to create smaller audiences, and we’re trying to recognise that”,

“We really want to get this right”.

“The best version of Instagram is one where you feel closer to the people you are connected with because you’re on Instagram together”,

“Even if you live all over the world, you feel like you’re with them. That’s something we want to drive as the core focus of the product”.

What is DisneyLife and why will it make your summer holidays better?

Disney has always been active on streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, with many of its movies available to view as part of a subscription. However, it has also been steadily growing its own, standalone streaming service since launching it almost two years ago.

DisneyLife is available as an app on multiple platforms and it provides access to a wealth of Disney movies, TV shows and much more, all for a monthly subscription fee.

And unlike Netflix and Amazon Video, you can also download Disney content to view offline, so it could be an ideal way to keep the kids happy on long car journeys or during your summer holidays.

Here then is everything you need to know about DisneyLife.

What is DisneyLife?

DisneyLife is Disney’s own subscription service where you can not only watch the studio’s movies and TV shows on demand, streamed to phones, tablets, computers and TVs, but also gain access to an extensive library of eBooks, audio books and music.

The service now also allows you to watch the live broadcasts of three of its TV channels: Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior.

All content is available both to watch, read or listen to online. The on demand movies and shows are also available to download for offline use. That makes it ideal for travelling, giving countless hours of Disney entertainment for young ones to enjoy on a plane, train or any other kind of vehicle. It also gives them something to watch while on holiday during a lull moment.

Disney

Where is DisneyLife available?

There are DisneyLife apps available for iOS and Android devices. The service can also be accessed through a computer using a web browser, by visiting disneylife.co.uk.

The mobile applications are also AirPlay and Chromecast-enabled, so you can send or cast content to a respective device for playing on a television, be that through Apple TV or a Google Chromecast stick. Apple TV also has its own dedicated DisneyLife app.

Amazon Fire tablets also have DisneyLife apps ready for download. Amazon Fire TV boxes and the streaming stick can also access the service, as can Android TV devices, such as the Nvidia Shield TV.

At present, while you can watch TV shows and movies on demand on all supported devices, music and books are only available on tablets and phones.

Live TV is currently not available on Android TV, Amazon Fire TV or the Amazon Fire TV Stick.

How much does DisneyLife cost?

A subscription to DisneyLife costs £4.99 per month these days (half the price it was originally) but the first seven days are free as part of a trial. There is no contracted period you are locked to, so you can cancel your subscription at any time, just paying for the month still outstanding. This means you can cancel the subscription before the end of the trial period and not have to pay a penny for that month.

Disney

How many devices can I register for DisneyLife?

Up to 10 different devices can be registered on one DisneyLife account and six separate profiles can be created for different members of the family. And as the service has pick-up where you last left off functionality, each child can carry on their own shows and films without fear that another family member might lose their place.

Up to four devices can also stream content over a home network concurrently.

Are there parental controls on DisneyLife?

There are simple to follow but effective parental controls, which include setting a content filter to limit access to films, shows, books and music through certification (U, PG and 12 – this is Disney after all).

Parents can also set time limits on how long a child is able to access the app. And each profile’s parental controls can be set independently.

Disney

What kind of content is available on DisneyLife?

As well as TV series box-sets for shows that usually appear on the Disney Channel, Disney XD or Disney Jnr, a healthy library of Disney classic animated films are available, as are almost all of Pixar’s movies. There are also films from the Disney archives, including those starring Herbie, the VW Beetle. And even the Pirates of the Caribbean movies are available.

There are over 100 books available, with a mixture of digital kids books and audio books. There is a variety of different titles, starring Disney characters, that even include staged-reading for kids of all ages.

Entire music albums can be downloaded or streamed through the app – and yep, that includes the Frozen soundtrack.

Basically, for Disney fans there is a hell of a lot of content.

Is DisneyLife also available in the US?

Sadly, there are currently no plans to launch DisneyLife outside of Europe. If that changes, we’ll let you know.

Hurry! Amazon Echo has been given a massive discount for today only

If you live in the US and have been wanting an Amazon Echo, now is the perfect time to get one.

Amazon has given its popular Amazon Echo speaker a huge price cut. It now costs $129.99. That means it’s currently $50 cheaper than normal; the usual price tag is $179.99. This is the best deal we’ve seen on the full-size Echo all year. Unfortunately, however, the sale seems limited to the US. We’ll keep you posted if that changes.

Keep in mind Amazon recently marked down the last-generation Fire 7 tablet by £25 in the UK – but the sale first went live in the US several weeks earlier. It’s likely Amazon will do the same thing for this new Echo discount, which is valid for 26 June only, starting at 12am EST through 11:59 pm EST, on Amazon’s website.

• Buy Amazon Echo (UK), Buy Amazon Echo (US)
• Buy Amazon Echo Dot (UK), Buy Amazon Echo (US)

Amazon in May unveiled the the Echo Show, which comes with a built-in 7-inch display, Dolby-powered speakers, eight noise-cancellation microphones, and a trio of buttons. It is set to retail for $230. If you find that price a bit too much to swallow but still want an Alexa-enabled speaker, the Echo is worth considering.

But you best hurry, as the promo is only live for the next 14 hours.

Faulty airbags cost Takata everything

Takata, the Japanese corporation at the heart of the auto industry’s largest ever product recall, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The business supplied airbag inflators that, thanks to poor standards in the plant where they were manufactured, were faulty. The scandal forced a worldwide recall of more than 40 million vehicles and several deaths have been linked to the issue.

CNBC reports that the company has filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware and will do so in Japan, where it is also based, on Monday. There’s no detail about how much the business owes in fines, settlements and other costs, but a Japanese financial analyst puts the figure at around $15 billion. But a rescue plan has already been agreed, with the US-based company Key Safety Systems buying Takata for $1.6 billion.

It appears that the deal will see Takata, essentially, broken into two: a division that Key Safety will own, involving the “non-toxic” assets, and the airbag arm. The latter business will remain operating to replace the damaged airbag components in the recall, and will be wound down soon after work is completed.

Earlier this year, executives at Takata were indicted on charges that they knowingly falsified safety checks to hide the news that they were selling faulty airbags. The company admitted criminal wire fraud back in January, and was planning to pay $1 billion in fines for its wrongdoing.

Source: CNBC, WSJ

Australia wants governments to decrypt terrorists’ secure messages

This week, the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand — the “Five Eyes” alliance — will meet in Ottawa, Canada, to discuss protecting borders and best practices for combatting terrorism. Yesterday, Australia announced they wanted to add something to the agenda: a push for tech companies to give governments more access to secure communication used by terrorists.

The battle between governments and tech companies for access to private, secure information isn’t new. Terrorists can use secure platforms, such as WhatsApp, to communicate without fear of government eavesdropping. Tech companies are often caught between a need to protect their user base’s privacy — after all, if they lose trust, people will stop using their services– and helping to thwart terrorism. Meanwhile, governments have criticized these services for allowing terrorists to operate on their networks mostly unchecked.

While it’s unlikely that concrete policy changes will occur immediately, it’s noteworthy that Australia is making a priority at this meeting. “These discussions will focus on the need to cooperate with service providers to ensure reasonable assistance is provided to law enforcement and security agencies,” said Australian Attorney General Senator Brandeis to Reuters. However, Brandeis’ definition of “reasonable assistance” and what methods that the Australian government wants to use to obtain it from these companies remains to be seen.

Source: Reuters

Live out your stunt driver dreams in ‘Final Fantasy XV’

Final Fantasy XV’s latest update isn’t that Prompto spin-off episode you’ve been waiting for, but it does give you a new ride: the Type-D off-roader. (We’ll accept the substitution.) Yes, you can finally leave the confines of Eos’ roads and highways and tear up the countryside, gifted not only with monster truck tires but also a “jump” button for avoiding anything in your way and… just leaping off really tall things.

“Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”
The #FFXV Regalia Type-D (& the June Update) is now live! pic.twitter.com/symPUcXvQW

— Final Fantasy XV (@FFXVEN) June 26, 2017

You’ll have to hit up mechanic Cindy to upgrade your ride, and while it’s not a flying car this time, you do get monster truck tires and some pretty insane suspension alongside that new jump button. It’s time to do some stunts — and try not to trap everyone inside the car. Judging by what we’re seeing on Twitter, that might be harder than it sounds.

If you’re itching to off road ASAP, we’d temper that enthusiasm a little: you’ll need to pick up the meaty 8.65GB patch first. The size of the update is probably because it also houses that Episode Prompto DLC — set to go live later this week.

There’s a deodorizing coat hanger for the anti-laundry contingent

If you’re too lazy to take your clothes to the dry cleaner, well then Panasonic has the tech gadget you didn’t even know you needed (and face it, you probably don’t need it.) They’ve invented a clothes hanger, the Nanoe X, that deodorizes your clothes.

The deodorizing hanger uses negatively charged particles, or “nanoe,” to clean your clothes. These ions gather moisture from the air and are a billion times smaller than steam particles, and thus invisible to the naked eye. They won’t get stains off your clothes, but they will eliminate odors such as sweat and cigarette smoke without harming delicate fabrics.

The hanger has two cleaning modes and will take 5–7 hours to clean your garment. It also comes with a clothing cover that helps trap the nanoe, ensuring an even and thorough cleaning. As an added bonus for allergy sufferers, the hanger will also eliminate pollen from your garment.

The price for a hanger that will take 5 hours to eliminate the odor from (but not actually clean) one garment at a time? Kaden has the price at 20,000 yen, which translates to about $180. So if you have some extra cash laying around when this thing finally comes to the US market (it appears it’s initially only going to be available in Japan), you’ll finally have a way to deodorize your clothes without cleaning them (or, you know, using Febreze).

Source: Panasonic (1), Kaden, Panasonic (2)

LG Innotek to Begin Mass Producing Flexible Printed Circuit Boards With Eye on 2018’s ‘iPhone 9’

LG Innotek will begin mass production of flexible printed circuit boards in 2018, with supply chain sources stating that the supplier aims to become one of the main FPCB manufacturers for the “iPhone 9” (via The Korea Economic Daily).

The sources said that LG Innotek is nearing the completion of development on its first FPCB run, and will “likely” break ground for FPCB-focused facilities in the second half of 2017. The supplier is focusing on becoming a main FPCB component maker for Apple and LG Electronics, and would enter into the field currently dominated by Samsung and its production on FPCB components for the 2017 iPhone 8.

LG Innotek is set to kick-start the mass production of flexible printed circuit boards for smartphones from next year. With this move to become a flexible PCB supplier for Apple’s iPhone, LG Innotek would pose a challenge to Samsung Electro-Mechanics which has already accumulated know-how in this area.

According to industry sources on June 25, LG Innotek has almost completed the development of flexible PCBs and would likely to break the ground for related facilities in the latter half of this year. LG Innotek aims to become a main flexible PCB supplier for Apple and LG Electronics.

With Apple’s move to an OLED display in the iPhone 8 this year, the company had to source flexible PCBs because existing PCBs were incompatible with the new flexible OLED screen. Although early rumors pointed towards a display with a curved edges around the sides of the iPhone, it’s now expected that the iPhone 8 will have the same slightly curved 2.5D display of the iPhone 7.

The supply chain report today is the second story in the past few weeks that has already begun looking towards next year and the so-called “iPhone 9” that is expected to launch fall 2018. In May, sources knowledgeable of Apple’s and Samsung’s iPhone 9 supply chain talks said that the 2018 smartphone will launch in two OLED screen sizes: 5.28-inch and 6.46-inch.

Tags: LG, iPhone 9
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Pocket-lint newsletter: How to sign up to get the latest stories and offers weekly

The weekly Pocket-lint newsletter is back. You can now get a concise round-up of the week’s hottest news stories, deals and features sent directly to your email inbox each Friday.

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Pocket-lint UK deals of the day: Raspberry Pi 3 Kit for £36.99 today

Welcome to Pocket-lint deals of the day were we scour the internet to find you the very best deals that are available in the UK today.

We will be regularly updating this page, so bookmark it and check back regularly to make sure you don’t miss out on some of the best tech deals online.

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Tech and Gadgets

• NeeGo Raspberry Pi 3 Kit – reduced from £100 on Amazon today to £36.99.
• Oral-B Smart Series 4000 Electric Rechargeable Toothbrush – £39.99 on Amazon.
• Pebble 14 mm Time Round Smartwatch – Silver/Red – £59.98 on Amazon.
• Logitech MX Anywhere 2 Mouse is reduced on Amazon today from £69.99 to £36.99. 
• Lenovo 65CDGAC1UK ThinkVision X24 OLED FHD Monitor has been reduced from £179.99 to £119.99 on Amazon.
• HP Pavilion x360 15-bk150sa 15.6-inch 2 in 1 – Silver laptop is £499.00, saving you £150 off on Currys.
• Microsoft Universal Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard is £32.99 today reduced from £99.99 on Amazon.

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Games

• Xbox Live 3 Month Gold Membership and Rocket League for free – £14.99 on Amazon.
• Sony PlayStation VR – £317.99 on Amazon.
• Mortal Kombat XL (PS4) – £12.49 on Base.
• Dead by Daylight (PS4) – £19.99 on Amazon.
• Yakuza Kiwami Steel Book Edition (PS4) – £23.85 on Base.
• 8BITDO NES30 Pro Wireless Bluetooth Controller Dual Classic Joystick YIKESHU For Android Gamepad – £28.45 on Amazon.
• Rime (PS4 & Xbox) – £17.49 on Argos.
• Need for Speed: Most Wanted (PlayStation Vita) – £7.49 on Base.
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Day One Edition (Xbox One) – £8.64 on Amazon.
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands Inc The Peruvia PS4 – £26.86 on ShopTo.net.
• Prey (PS4) – £22.85 on Base.

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Audiovisual

• HISENSE H49M3000 49″ Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV – £369.00 on Currys.
• LG 43UH603V 43 inch Ultra HD 4K Smart TV – £379.00 on Amazon.
• Philips 55PUS6401 55 Inch SMART 4K – £499.00 on Amazon.
• Hisense 55M7000 4K TV – £599.00 on John Lewis.

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Phones

• Google Pixel 32GB Black with 5GB data – £25.00 upfront cost £27.99 per month £696.76 total cost over 2 years at Mobiles
• Diamond X 4G Andorid 6.0 – £75.68 on Amazon.
• Apple iPhone 7 256GB in red – £779.00 on John Lewis.
• Bush Spira D3 – £99.95 on Argos.

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Entertainment

• Heroes complete box set in Blu-ray is £17.99 using code BINGE10 on Zavvi.
• John Wick 2 – £19.99 on Zavvi.
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Blu Ray – £15.00 on Amazon.