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. 

Six Pack Abs

Six Pack Abs by VGFIT helps you get in shape, lose belly fat, improve your core strength, and stay fit. Get your six-pack abs with the most intensive range of exercises you can perform at home, outside, and at the gym, with four levels of difficulty.

Available on:

iOS

3D Earth

3D Earth presents a stunning, live 3D simulation of our planet with weather, forecasts, and a world clock for cities around the world.

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

Magnifier Flash

Did you forget to take your reading glasses with you this morning? Just pick your iPhone to transform it instantly into a magnifying glass with a flashlight.

Available on:

iOS

Pocket Yoga

With Pocket Yoga you can keep up with your practice at your own pace in the comforts of your own home. Simply roll out your mat, place your device in front, and Pocket Yoga will guide you through your entire session.

Available on:

iOS

Ananda

Ananda promises to help you meditate, focus, and relax with progressive binaural tones and high quality peaceful sounds.

Available on:

iOS

Mobile smash hit ‘Threes’ has an actual ending — check it out here

Why it matters to you

If you were one of the countless players that got caught up in the Threes craze, this video might satiate your curiosity about what happens when the game is completed.

Back in 2014, indie puzzler Threes was the mobile game to have installed on your phone — it was something of a phenomenon, even being named the iPhone game of the year by Apple. However, unlike many of its peers in the puzzle genre, it’s now been discovered that the game has an ending.

A big part of the appeal of puzzle games, especially those designed for portable devices, is their capacity to waste time. Threes is certainly an effective time sink, but there’s also some real strategy to its numerical gameplay, and only a true expert will have the necessary skills to reach the very end.

Threes is all about sliding numbered tiles around a grid. Tiles that have the same value can be combined to make a bigger number, with higher values contributing more to the player’s high score at the end of the game.

As the numbers increase in size, a host of cartoon characters are introduced — Volleo, a lionlike beast that accompanies the number 6,144, is the final creature that most players come across, according to a report from A.V. Club. However, there is another individual that only shows up when the game has been completed.

OMG YOU CAN BEAT @ThreesGame

HOLY COW WE BEAT @ThreesGame

????????????????????????????‼️⁉️

Thank you @aeiowu & @AsherVo we are delighted!!!!!

7/7 pic.twitter.com/kCwR2XRnnC

— ThreesPorn (@ThreesPorn) June 20, 2017

Two Volleo tiles combine to form an ascendant, winged character wearing a crown of triangles, as seen in the above video posted on the official Twitter account of  preeminent Threes fan site ThreesPorn. Its regal appearance should leave players in little doubt that they have proven their complete mastery of the game.

This isn’t actually the first time that someone has uploaded footage of the ending of Threes to the internet. However, this particular clip is gaining some traction across the web, simply because many players weren’t aware that it was possible to complete the game — which may well spark a resurgence of the app’s popularity.

Threes originally launched as a paid iOS app, but a free-to-play version was made available in June 2015. It’s since been released on various other platforms, including Android and the Xbox One, and there’s even a free version of the game that you can play directly from your browser.

How does wireless electricity work? The magic of wire-free power transfer, explained

When you hear the term ‘wireless electricity,’ it might bring to mind Nikola Tesla and his grand plan to deliver wireless power to the world. While Tesla was a pioneer in the field, his work in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was not practical from a real world standpoint. However, since then, scientists have used his concepts to build real world applications for wireless electricity.

Unlike Tesla’s plans, however, electricity isn’t delivered by air per se. Here the term ‘wireless’ refers to the fact that you don’t have to plug the device into a wall outlet or other power source. Instead, the charging surface and the device being charged must be in contact.

As it stands now, there are two major wireless power standards. One, called Qi, is the product of a group of companies known as the Wireless Power Consortium. The other is the AirFuel Alliance, which makes an array of devices that generally carry the brand name PowerMat. While the two groups are competitors, the underlying technology is essentially the same.

Both rely on something called “resonant inductive coupling.” While it sounds complicated, the actual process of transferring power is not as complex as you think. It involves two coils — one a transmitter and the other a receiver — to create an electrical connection. Let’s look at the process in a little more detail.

How does it work?

Resonant inductive coupling (which is also referred to as inductive or resonant power transfer) works like this. Direct current (DC) is supplied to the charging system by a power source. In the transmitting coil, this is energy is converted into alternating current (AC) within the transmitter itself.

This AC energizes the transmitter coil, causing the coil to generate a magnetic field. Placing a receiving coil nearby triggers or induces AC within that receiving coil, and the process happens in reverse to charge the power source of the receiving device.

If you have an induction cooktop in your kitchen, the process here works much like that. In your kitchen, that magnetic field is heating a piece of metal in the special type of cookware necessary to cook on these ranges. Wireless power works in almost exactly the same way — but instead of using that energy to heat a piece of metal, it’s used to fill up a battery.

A Samsung-branded wireless charging pad.

What are the benefits?

There are a few tangible benefits to wireless charging technologies. The most obvious is the lack of wires. No doubt you have spent quite a bit of time at some point fishing around in a mountain of cables to find where you put the charger. Another nice feature is that the technologies can be built into a wide array of everyday objects — say, a kitchen countertop or a desk.

The lack of a power plug allows manufacturers to close up a potential entry point for water, dust, and other corrosive materials that might make their way into your device. It also includes built-in functionality to shut down the process when charging is complete.

What are the drawbacks?

Regardless of the technology used, wireless charging is still a rather inefficient process. As much as half of the energy is lost, either in the process of creating the magnetic field or the process of sending the energy from the transmitting to receiving coil. This is part of the reason why wireless charging is not as quick as wired.

As we mentioned earlier, the charging surface and the device itself must be in contact. This means that once you remove the device from that charging surface, it halts the process. These technologies are also quite expensive to produce at the moment, so if your device doesn’t have it built in, you’ll likely pay a pretty penny to add it retroactively.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Which technology is better?

Since both technologies generally work in the same fashion, it’s difficult to give one method the advantage over the other. However, Qi has thus far attracted the most attention. The group counts over 200 companies as members, and is the technology of choice for smartphone wireless charging. Qi is also working on wireless charging for not only mobile devices (5 watts), but a 120 watt standard for monitors and laptops, and a high end spec that can deliver up to 1KW of power.

Don’t count out the AirFuel Alliance however. While it does focus on inductive charging, in 2014 it signed a deal to merge with another wireless consortium called Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP). A4WP’s technologies work through magnets, and the two groups are pooling their resources and patents. This could result in some interesting new wireless power technologies down the road.

Does my phone support it?

Built-in support for wireless charging isn’t widely available, but by and large those who do support the Qi standard. Modern popular phones that support it include:

• Samsung S6, S6 Active, S6 Edge
• Samsung S7, S7 Active, S7 Edge*
• Samsung Galaxy Note 5
• BlackBerry Priv
• Moto Z (with mod)

* – also supports AirFuel

Most other devices — the Apple iPhone a good example — will support the technology with the addition of a special case or attachment/dongle of some kind. Do keep in mind, however, that adding wireless charging technologies after the fact is quite expensive: We would recommend buying a device with the technology built in, instead.

How does wireless electricity work? The magic of wire-free power transfer, explained

When you hear the term ‘wireless electricity,’ it might bring to mind Nikola Tesla and his grand plan to deliver wireless power to the world. While Tesla was a pioneer in the field, his work in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was not practical from a real world standpoint. However, since then, scientists have used his concepts to build real world applications for wireless electricity.

Unlike Tesla’s plans, however, electricity isn’t delivered by air per se. Here the term ‘wireless’ refers to the fact that you don’t have to plug the device into a wall outlet or other power source. Instead, the charging surface and the device being charged must be in contact.

As it stands now, there are two major wireless power standards. One, called Qi, is the product of a group of companies known as the Wireless Power Consortium. The other is the AirFuel Alliance, which makes an array of devices that generally carry the brand name PowerMat. While the two groups are competitors, the underlying technology is essentially the same.

Both rely on something called “resonant inductive coupling.” While it sounds complicated, the actual process of transferring power is not as complex as you think. It involves two coils — one a transmitter and the other a receiver — to create an electrical connection. Let’s look at the process in a little more detail.

How does it work?

Resonant inductive coupling (which is also referred to as inductive or resonant power transfer) works like this. Direct current (DC) is supplied to the charging system by a power source. In the transmitting coil, this is energy is converted into alternating current (AC) within the transmitter itself.

This AC energizes the transmitter coil, causing the coil to generate a magnetic field. Placing a receiving coil nearby triggers or induces AC within that receiving coil, and the process happens in reverse to charge the power source of the receiving device.

If you have an induction cooktop in your kitchen, the process here works much like that. In your kitchen, that magnetic field is heating a piece of metal in the special type of cookware necessary to cook on these ranges. Wireless power works in almost exactly the same way — but instead of using that energy to heat a piece of metal, it’s used to fill up a battery.

A Samsung-branded wireless charging pad.

What are the benefits?

There are a few tangible benefits to wireless charging technologies. The most obvious is the lack of wires. No doubt you have spent quite a bit of time at some point fishing around in a mountain of cables to find where you put the charger. Another nice feature is that the technologies can be built into a wide array of everyday objects — say, a kitchen countertop or a desk.

The lack of a power plug allows manufacturers to close up a potential entry point for water, dust, and other corrosive materials that might make their way into your device. It also includes built-in functionality to shut down the process when charging is complete.

What are the drawbacks?

Regardless of the technology used, wireless charging is still a rather inefficient process. As much as half of the energy is lost, either in the process of creating the magnetic field or the process of sending the energy from the transmitting to receiving coil. This is part of the reason why wireless charging is not as quick as wired.

As we mentioned earlier, the charging surface and the device itself must be in contact. This means that once you remove the device from that charging surface, it halts the process. These technologies are also quite expensive to produce at the moment, so if your device doesn’t have it built in, you’ll likely pay a pretty penny to add it retroactively.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Which technology is better?

Since both technologies generally work in the same fashion, it’s difficult to give one method the advantage over the other. However, Qi has thus far attracted the most attention. The group counts over 200 companies as members, and is the technology of choice for smartphone wireless charging. Qi is also working on wireless charging for not only mobile devices (5 watts), but a 120 watt standard for monitors and laptops, and a high end spec that can deliver up to 1KW of power.

Don’t count out the AirFuel Alliance however. While it does focus on inductive charging, in 2014 it signed a deal to merge with another wireless consortium called Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP). A4WP’s technologies work through magnets, and the two groups are pooling their resources and patents. This could result in some interesting new wireless power technologies down the road.

Does my phone support it?

Built-in support for wireless charging isn’t widely available, but by and large those who do support the Qi standard. Modern popular phones that support it include:

• Samsung S6, S6 Active, S6 Edge
• Samsung S7, S7 Active, S7 Edge*
• Samsung Galaxy Note 5
• BlackBerry Priv
• Moto Z (with mod)

* – also supports AirFuel

Most other devices — the Apple iPhone a good example — will support the technology with the addition of a special case or attachment/dongle of some kind. Do keep in mind, however, that adding wireless charging technologies after the fact is quite expensive: We would recommend buying a device with the technology built in, instead.

There’s a single OnePlus 5 version for the whole world

OnePlus managed to build a single version of the OnePlus 5 for the whole world. That means easier roaming and much better worldwide compatibility.

The OnePlus 5 is here, and it’s a pretty great device in a lot of ways. But in terms of network connectivity, it breaks down interesting new ground, and finds itself among a select few devices that takes advantage of some of the Snapdragon 835’s latest advances.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the device that is available to purchase right now.

Every model comes unlocked out of the box

Like all previous OnePlus devices, the OnePlus 5 comes unlocked out of the box. This means that as long as it supports a particular network, you’ll be able to put in your SIM card and it will just work. If the network is really obscure, you may have to enter the APN information manually, but those are edge cases and shouldn’t apply to the vast majority of users.

What is an APN and how do you change it?

It’s dual-SIM

The OnePlus 5 has two SIM slots, which for many Americans will be an unusual inclusion but for millions of others it will be essential. Both SIM cards can operate at 4G LTE speeds which is nice, and Android can dynamically switch between them if necessary. Flexibility FTW!

There’s only one version for the entire world

This is really neat. The OnePlus 5 is only being released in one version for the entire world, which means that the version sold to Americans is physically the same hardware as the one sold in China, India and South Africa. This is a big deal. Last year’s OnePlus 3T had two distinct versions for the U.S. and Europe/Asia, and the LTE bands were largely not compatible between the two regions, which made it difficult to roam.

Now, the OnePlus 5 has 34 distinct cellular bands, covering at least one band in every country — in one piece of hardware. That’s pretty impressive.

It’s only meant to work on AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S.

The OnePlus 5 may have 34 distinct cellular bands, but none of them form explicit compatibility with Verizon or Sprint in the U.S. Instead, the phone has been developed with AT&T and T-Mobile users in mind, and it will work flawlessly out of the box with both of them.

It has even been optimized for T-Mobile’s Advanced Calling features, including VoLTE (Voice over LTE) and VoWiFi (Voice of Wi-Fi), which are configured and enabled out of the box. Just pop in a T-Mobile SIM and it should work.

So no Verizon compatibility?

Nope. It may look that way because the phone technically supports one of Verizon’s legacy CDMA frequencies and a handful of its LTE bands, but OnePlus has no intention of ever officially supporting Verizon.

Turn a bunch of technical jargon into English for me

From a network perspective, the OnePlus is more about efficiency than speed.

Sure! The OnePlus 5 supports download speeds of 600Mbps and upload speeds of 150Mbps thanks to the use of 3x carrier aggregation, 256QAM and 2×2 MIMO.

Let’s break things down: carrier aggregation is the combination of three separate “channels” of airwaves into a single stream of data. It forms the foundation of the LTE-Advance standard, and makes it possible for phones to come close to those “gigabit” speeds that we’ve seen in recent marketing.

256QAM is the modulation, or shape, the data forms. Think of it as a ones and zeroes packed really tightly together into a box; the more tightly packed the data, the more information the box can store.

And finally, 2×2 MIMO indicates the number of antennas in the phone that can send and receive data at the same time. Other phones like the Galaxy S8 and HTC U11 support 4×4 MIMO, which together with 3x carrier aggregation and 256QAM can achieve download speeds of close to 1,000Mbps, or 1Gbps.

OnePlus 5 specs

Does this matter in the real world?

Will you notice a difference in download speeds between the OnePlus 5 and Galaxy S8 on the same network? Maybe, but only in artificial speed tests, since real-world usage maxes out at speeds much lower than even the OnePlus 5’s theoretical maximum.

At the same time, it’s unfortunate that OnePlus chose not to try to implement 4×4 MIMO, which from an engineering perspective is admittedly quite hard to do, but would have been great for its speed-focused marketing to include gigabit cellular.

What about Wi-Fi? Bluetooth?

Here there’s some good news. The OnePlus 5 supports 2×2 MIMO, dual-band (2.4/5GHz) 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which is among the fastest you can find in a device today. It also supports the nascent Bluetooth 5.0 standard, which has no hardware support at this point, but this should future-proof the phone for when speakers, smartwatches and other gadgets beginning including the new wireless tech.

It also supports aptX and aptX HD audio codecs, which is great for those (like me) who use Bluetooth headphones and want to eke the best-possible sound quality.

Anything else cool?

Yes! The OnePlus 5 is actually the first phone from a Chinese manufacturer to support Envelope Tracking and closed-loop Antenna Tuning, two technologies that, relatively new to the industry, maintain high signal quality while keeping battery use down and prevent the dreaded “death grip” that older devices used to suffer from.

So what’s the takeaway here?

The OnePlus 5 is one of the most advanced phones on the market from a network perspective, and manages to reinforce the company’s strategy of simplicity by building one model for the entire world. Even Samsung and Apple, with its enormous resources, haven’t managed to do that. Sure, OnePlus alienates a few networks in the process — Verizon and Sprint, in particular — but this is as worldwide a phone as it comes these days.

OnePlus 5

• Complete OnePlus 5 review
• Reviewing our first OnePlus 5 photos
• OnePlus 5 vs. OnePlus 3: Should you upgrade?
• OnePlus 5 specs
• The latest OnePlus 5 news
• Join the discussion in the forums

OnePlus

Love wins when you use these Pride-themed wallpapers

Show your love and your compassion with pride.

June is Pride month, one of unity and hope and celebration and love, and in trying times like these, I can think of nothing we need more. No matter who you love — or who you don’t love, for the asexuals and aromantics out here — we can all unite in love, and we can let that love and unity protect us all. We all want the same thing: to be safe, to be accepted, to be happy. So let’s be happy and let our colors fly.

Some parts of the Pride community are more visible than others, but they are all beautiful and they are all worthy of admiration and acceptance. That’s why this series from FannimalToTheBone brings me joy and pride for showcasing some of the sexualities that are often overlooked: Pansexuality (attraction to people of any gender), Aromantic (little to no romantic attraction), and Asexuality (little to no sexual attraction). These wallpapers are bold, vibrant, and incorporate each sexualities’ colors in beautiful, fluid ways.

Pansexuality by FannimalToTheBone

The Pride Flag is beautiful and beautifully diverse, and this patchwork Pride Flag wallpaper reminds us that within each color, within each aspect, within each person lies a myriad of beauty, symmetry, and divinity. This patchwork wallpaper also feels communal, as each square speaks to a different style and sensibility.

LGBT+ Pride Flag from Lilyas

Technically Pride Month is June, but who are we to argue with a wallpaper this bright and hopeful? Let’s have a whole Pride Summer! This design may seem familiar to Apple fans, but it’s brighter, bolder, and it gives me hope that tomorrow could be just as bright.

Rainbow July by Dynamicz34

This seemingly simple wallpaper works well on busy desktops or simple home screens, once again blurring the lines and showing a gentle, shifting rainbow.

Pride by DangerouslyComposed

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all. And while the LGBTQIA community is a community that has almost always faced adversity, that adversity brings it together and makes it stronger. And I have no doubts that this community will indeed continue to bloom and grow in love and inclusion.

Let Me Be Your Rainbow by Anyzamarah

No matter who you are, no matter who you love and who you surround yourself with, there is a place for us all in this society and there is a place for us all in the light. No matter how dark it seems at times, the light of love will prevail, and at the end of a dark storm, all we can hope for is that we see a rainbow shining in the sky.

Silky Rainbow Curtain by This-Lovely-Horse

Best headphones for Daydream View

Headphones make a massive difference in your Daydream View experience.

Few things improve your Daydream View experience quite like a good set of headphones. It’s the difference between having a mediocre VR trip through a game and feeling totally immersed in the world around you. Sometimes that immersion can be a little too real, like when you’re having the daylights scared out of you, but in most situations you need some good headphones to really complete the experience!

Read More at VR Heads!

For less than $15, you can add this missing feature to the OnePlus 5

The OnePlus 5 is out and it looks pretty great… except for one thing.

The OnePlus 5 has landed and it looks top shelf — featuring high-end specs, blazing fast charging speeds and that premium build quality that OnePlus is known.

But the one thing that is missing (besides water resistance, I guess) is support for microSD expandable memory. If you end up settling for the 64GB model, you might feel the storage crunch sooner than if you went with the 128GB model depending on how many apps, games, media, and photos you collect on your phone. Fortunately, there’s a workaround available using USB On-The-Go.

You’re able to turn on USB OTG in the Advanced Storage Settings on your device, which then let you plug in a USB-C adapter for connecting flash drives, microSD cards, or other USB accessories. Having an SD card filled with your favorite media is perfect for those times you’re traveling or out of service range, or for those of us who quickly fill up your phone’s included storage. Best of all, these accessories are typically around $15 or less.

It needs to be said that these accessories are for temporary situations. Leaving a small accessory plugged into your phone’s charging port 24/7 isn’t a great idea, as your daily pocket carry and usage might put stress on the phone’s port, which might lead to damage. With that said, let’s take a look.

Dash Micro USB-C Mini MicroSD Card Reader

This handy adapter has been tested on the OnePlus 3 and works great, letting you quickly connect a microSD card to your phone and access all your favorite media on the go.

Alternatively, you can use this accessory to transfer photos or larger videos off of your phone to free up space. The adapter comes with a pocket-sized carrying case with a ring for adding it to a keychain. That way, you can take this handy tool with you, and have it within an arm’s length at all times.

See at Amazon

Anker USB-C to USB 3.1 Adapter

If you’re like me, you probably have a ton of USB flash drives sitting around collecting dust. Give them new life with your OnePlus 5 and this handy USB-C to USB 3.1 adapter from Anker.

This short cable connects to your phone via USB-C and then offers a full USB 3.1 port for connecting your own microSD card adapter, flash drives, or any other USB accessory you may have including a mouse and/or keyboard. If you want more options for transferring or accessing files, along with using other accessories you might have to kicking around the house, this is an affordable accessory to look into. It will also work with the latest laptops that use USB-C, too, so you should get years of use out of it.

See at Amazon

Transcend JetFlash 890S

Combining the best of both worlds mentioned above, the Transcend JetFlash 890S is a USB-C to USB 3.1 adapter with 64GB of onboard flash storage. This means you can connect your own flash drives or microSD cards for transferring files, or simply use the 64GB of storage included on this keychain-sized accessory.

It’s the pricier option but offers much more functionality and convenience. Double up your OnePlus 5’s storage with this sleek, impressive accessory.

See at Amazon

Is 64GB enough for you?

It seems like just yesterday that 16GB was an insurmountable amount of storage for the average user, but that’s no longer the case. If you’re getting the OnePlus 5, let us know which size you’re getting (64GB or 128GB) and whether OTG storage options are something you’d consider!

OnePlus 5

• Complete OnePlus 5 review
• Reviewing our first OnePlus 5 photos
• OnePlus 5 vs. OnePlus 3: Should you upgrade?
• OnePlus 5 specs
• The latest OnePlus 5 news
• Join the discussion in the forums

OnePlus

Samsung Galaxy S8 in wonderful Coral Blue is now available to pre-order from Carphone Warehouse

When the Samsung Galaxy S8 was launched, we quickly gravitated to the Coral Blue edition of this phone. Sadly, only the black and grey versions have been available, until now.

Carphone Warehouse has announced that its exclusive Coral Blue Samsung Galaxy S8 is now available for pre-order, so you can get the hottest colour of what might be this year’s hottest phone.

• Latest Coral Blue Samsung Galaxy S8 on Carphone Warehouse

Carphone Warehouse are offering the Galaxy S8 in Coral Blue SIM free for £689, or it’s being offered on a Vodafone contract with 16GB data with unlimited texts for £42, with an upfront payment of £50.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 64GB in Coral Blue, 8GB data, unlimited texts & minutes, £89 upfront – £32.99 a month
• Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus 64GB in Coral Blue, 4GB data, unlimited texts & minutes, £25 upfront – £50.00 a month
• Sim free Samsung Galaxy S8 64GB in Coral Blue 
• Sim free Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus 64GB in Coral Blue

Pocket-lint

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ have evolved the great work started by the Galaxy S7 edge, but expanded the display, obliterating the bezels, while packing in plenty of power. The software offers loads of functionality, along with an excellent camera on the rear of the phone.

We rate the Samsung Galaxy S8 as being one of the best phones we’ve seen in 2017 and the Coral Blue is certainly the more original colour that it comes in.

• Samsung Galaxy S8+ review: The best Android phone, bar none

Andy Rubin-backed Owl Labs’ new 360-degree camera looks like an owl

You know what could make 360-degree conferencing cams more interesting? Make them look like owls.

Owl Labs, a startup that’s backed by Playground Ventures, the firm from Andy Rubin, who is the creator of Android, has been working on a standalone video conferencing device since at least 2015. That device, called Owl, is now available for purchase. It’s a cylinder-shaped, fabric-covered, Wi-Fi-enabled robotic video camera with two round LED indicator lights and a single fish-eye lens.

And, yes, it looks like an owl. It can recognise and focus on whoever is speaker and works with all sorts of video conferencing services, including Skype. Its ability to automatically shift eliminates the need for remote control or manual turning of the camera. Everything is captured in 720p HD from the fish-eye lens at the top. There’s also an eight-microphone array at the top and built-in speakers.

• The creator of Android is making his own high-end smartphone
• Essential Phone: Price, release date, and everything you need to know

It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 processor and runs a forked version of Android. And it connects to a computer or monitor via USB. It has much of the tech needed to become a full-fledged assistant like Amazon Echo, but for right now, it’s only offering video conferencing capabilities. You can’t use it to control the lights with your voice or take notes. But that doesn’t mean it can’t evolve.

The Owl works with a mobile app that enables remote control of the camera. Owl Labs is also planning smart meeting analytics software and has told Venture Beat and The Verge that it will one day push software updates with features, though for right now, it’s interested in getting user feedback. Once it better understands how consumers use the device, it may develop new features down the road.

The Owl camera is now available for $799. There’s no word yet on UK pricing or availability.