Nokia retires Withings brand, introduces redesigned digital health lineup

Why it matters to you

Looking on the shelves for a Withings product? You won’t find any, as Nokia has pulled them from stores and replaced them under the Nokia brand.

After operating a little under 10 years, Withings, the French digital health company, is no more. Its products, or at least most of them, will live on under a new brand — Nokia.

Nokia, once king of the mobile phone market, bought Withings last year for $191 million. At CES 2017, the French company announced it would retire the Withings brand name in favor of its own. The reason? In marketing surveys, the company found the Nokia brand name had 95 percent awareness globally. In India specifically, 99 percent of those surveyed had heard of Nokia before.

“There’s a great positive sentiment,” Rob Le Bras-Brown, chief marketing officer at Nokia Technologies, told Digital Trends. “People love the brand, and they want to love the brand more. When we asked them, ‘what does the brand mean to you,’ they say ‘trust, reliability, and quality.’ We couldn’t wish for better attributes when it comes to a digital health line.”

Nokia is pulling Withings products from retail stores, so you will no longer be able to find Withings-branded products from official sellers. Instead, you can find most of the same products under the Nokia name in redesigned packages. Nokia’s digital health range now includes: Nokia Steel (Withings Steel), Go (Withings Go), Nokia Body Cardio (Withings Body Cardio), Nokia Body+ (Withings Body), Nokia BPM (Withings BPM), Nokia Home (Withings Home), and Nokia Thermo (Withings Thermo).

But there are two new products as well — the Nokia Body and the Nokia BPM+. The Nokia Body strips down a lot of the features of the Body+ and the Body Cardio to offer basic smart scale features at a low cost. Namely, you can sync up to eight people’s weight, get coaching from the Health Mate app, and see your progress during each weigh-in. It is available now for $60.

The BPM+ is a blood pressure monitor that is more compact than the BPM. Le Bras-Brown said customers requested for a BPM that was easier to carry, considering they sometimes need to measure their blood pressure several times a day. The data is logged through the Health Mate app and it is shareable with medical professionals.

The third “new” product to come from this brand transition is a redesigned Health Mate app. The app houses data from most of the products above, and you can share access with family members. It also now includes coaching programs, but Le Bras-Brown said it’s more about health than fitness.

The Withings Steel HR, an analog watch with smart features, also has been rebranded to Nokia Steel HR — but it won’t be available until the fall due to some quality issues in the manufacturing process.

“As part of the final manufacturing ramp-up, we have seen a small, but unacceptable level of Steel HR product fail to reach our quality standards,” Nokia told Digital Trends. “Although the number of devices involved is low, we want all Nokia customers to have the best possible experience with our products and therefore we are instituting modifications to the production process.”

When asked if current Withings-branded Steel HR devices were affected by the same issue, the company said, “a small number of Withings Steel HR units have manifested this issue periodically.” But the reported problem does not affect the functionality of the watch, and it’s “purely aesthetic.”

“We have a comprehensive customer service program in place to respond quickly to any customers contacting us who are experiencing the issue,” Nokia said.

The rest of the lineup, including the new BPM+ and the Nokia Body, are available at Best Buy, Amazon, Bed, Bath & Beyond, as well as Nokia’s website. The company said the products will also be available at CVS, Target, and Babies ‘R’ Us soon.

Apple stopped selling Withings products earlier this year after Nokia filed a lawsuit claiming patent infringements. The two companies buried the hatchet and it seems like Nokia-branded products will soon be available at Apple stores as well.

Spotify may soon insert ‘sponsored songs’ to your playlists

Why it matters to you

For users of Spotify’s free tier, the inclusion of sponsored songs could be a big turn off.

A number of Spotify users have started to notice sponsored tracks appearing at the top of playlists on both desktop and mobile. It’s actually part of a new trial by the music streaming giant aimed at giving music labels the chance to highlight particular songs by select artists — for a fee.

Spotify confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday that it’s started testing sponsored songs, explaining that it’s showing them only to users of its free tier. However, it seems that some of Spotify’s paying subscribers are also seeing tracks chosen and paid for by music labels at the top of their display.

Apparently disgruntled at having sponsored content pushed his way, Spotify subscriber Liam Maloney dived into his Settings to discover that he had to toggle a new “sponsored song” button to get rid of the unwanted content, indicating it’s opt-out rather than opt-in. We’ve reached out to Spotify for clarification on whether paying subscribers are supposed to be seeing sponsored songs and will update when we hear back.

Below you can see an example of a sponsored song, with Call Me by Neiked positioned at the top of a playlist along with a “save song” button.

Liam Maloney

As you can see, there’s no visual note informing users that the song is sponsored, though a verbal announcement is made just before the track starts playing.

Revenue stream

If Spotify decides to make sponsored songs a permanent part of its service, it will give music labels another way to push their artists, which could ultimately lead to an increase in sales of concert tickets and artist merchandise. For Spotify, sponsored songs offers another revenue stream via its free tier as the company continues with preparations to go public, possibly later this year.

While Spotify’s money-making efforts have long included banner ads as part of its free service, last year it also started letting brands sponsor its more popular playlists by allowing them to include logos and videos. Sponsored playlists try to blend content and context, so, for example, Spotify’s “Cardio” playlist that offers “upbeat songs to keep you motivated while doing your cardio” could be “perfect for a footwear brand expanding from lifestyle shoes to workout sneakers,” the company suggested.

If you’re seeing sponsored songs but would rather not, you can disable the function on desktop by hitting Settings and scrolling down to Display Options and toggling the Show Sponsored Songs button. On mobile, go to Sponsored Content in Settings and you’ll see the same option there.

Yota’s back with another dual-screen phone, but buying it will be a challenge

Why it matters to you

The Yota3 phone is different to every other phone on sale, but we should be wary of getting too excited, due to company struggles in the past.

Remember the headline-grabbing Yota phones, which stood out due to integrating both a regular touchscreen and an E Ink screen on the same device? The company is making a comeback with the Yota3, a new model set to go on sale later this year; but once again a wide international release seems unlikely. It’s the first we’ve heard of Yota since 2016, when a 30 percent stake in the Russian firm was acquired by Rex Global Entertainment Holdings, a Hong Kong-based entertainment company, under the name of China Baoli Innovation Technologies.

Should we be excited about the Yota3? If you liked the previous models, then probably, as the new model is more of the same, just a little bigger. The phone was revealed at a China-Russia Expo held in China in mid-June, but details from the event are slim. Apparently, we should expect a 5.5-inch AMOLED screen on the front, and a 5.2-inch E Ink screen on the back, according to specs published by Engadget.

A Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and 4GB of RAM is likely to power the phone, putting it squarely up against other mid-range Android phones such as the Motorola Moto Z Play, and the Huawei Nova. Two screens won’t stop the Yota3 from having two cameras. Expect a 12-megapixel camera on the back, and a 13-megapixel selfie cam on the front. Other specifications include a MicroSD card slot, Android 7.0 Nougat, and dual-SIM configuration.

Two versions are likely to be made, a $350 64GB model and a more expensive $450 model with 128GB of storage space. However, a Russian source say the Yota3 is only destined for release in China — where China Baoli have the sales rights — and in Russia around November this year. However, while Yota’s intentions are undoubtably good, the company has struggled recently, following a no-show manufacturing partnership with ZTE, various executives including the CEO leaving the firm, and a failed crowdfunding campaign to bring the YotaPhone 2 to the United States.

Whether the Yota3 actually goes on sale, and if anyone will want one if it does given the ageing specs, remains to be seen.

U.K. brand Vertu brings in BlackBerry maker TCL to build 30,000 new devices

Why it matters to you

Vertu’s British luxury heritage is changing with a new partnership with TCL Communication, but it will mean more phones are coming soon.

Things are really changing at luxury phone maker Vertu. An acquisition by a controversial Turkish businessman earlier this year was surprise enough, and now the brand has now partnered with TCL Communication to build 30,000 new Vertu smartphones at its Hampshire, United Kingdom production facility. Vertu made its name with luxury phones, often costing more than $10,000 each, and usually with the signature of the person responsible for making the device stamped under a panel. TCL Communication will give Vertu access to, “advanced and innovative technology,” in a deal worth $40 million to build the 30,000 devices, which are still referred to as handcrafted.

It has also been revealed Vertu’s corporate office has moved from the U.K. to Paris, and is named as Vertu AK France, in the press release. New owner Hakan Uzan said the TCL deal was the first of many, “considerable investments,” being made in Vertu, and talked about a, “substantial restructuring and modernization” process being carried out at the firm.

In July, Vertu will release a limited run of Constellation X smartphones, which may be the Constellation phone we tried in February, with a wider release slated for September. After this, Uzan says the Vertu Concierge service will be revamped. Concierge is a major selling point of Vertu devices, giving owners their own personal assistant, available 24/7 through the phone, to do their bidding. A new range of Vertu lifestyle products will launch in September, but no further details are given.

Vertu currently sells a pair of headphones, a wireless charging dock, and a Bluetooth speaker in addition to its smartphones. Finally, several partnerships with other luxury brands will be announced in September. Vertu has always been selective with its partnerships, with the best known being carmaker Bentley.

TCL Communication is part of Chinese electronics company TCL Corporation, which designs and markets an ever-widening array of smartphones and other electronics devices. It received plenty of attention after licensing the BlackBerry name, which resulted in the launch of the BlackBerry KeyOne, but also manages Alcatel devices, and most recently partnered with Turing Robotic Industries to build a new Turing branded device.

Vertu has always prided itself on its British heritage — a large part of the company’s appeal — its craftsmanship, and dedication to only selecting the very best materials and components. How TCL Communication’s involvement, and owner Hakan Uzan’s plans, will alter this remains to be seen. We’ve reached out to Vertu for comment, and will update this post when we hear back.

Lost your Joy-Con? Nintendo’s new Switch firmware will help you find it

Why it matters to you

It’s a good idea to keep your software updated, and the new features added to the Switch in this firmware update should be of real benefit.

Nintendo has released firmware version 3.0 for the Nintendo Switch, adding a number of new features, including one that helps find Joy-Cons that have slipped down the side of the couch. It also helps you bring over old friends from your 3DS and Wii U systems, and lets you connect a USB keyboard to make text communication far easier.

Since the Nintendo Switch first debuted in March, Nintendo has released a number of firmware updates that have improved stability and enhanced the user experience. This latest version, 3.0, goes well beyond that, though, and adds a number of exciting and much-requested features.

USB keyboard support is a big one, making it much easier to type to friends or search on the Nintendo store, but it’s far from the only one. You can now remotely enable the Joy-Con vibration feature, making it easy to find them if lost and you can now change the user icon on the Home Menu, with a selection of six new Splatoon 2 characters to choose from, as well as the original options.

Other changes include the ability to adjust the system volume from the quick settings menu, the option to drop the maximum volume for headphone or speakers connected to the audio jack, and a choice of advanced screen color effects, letting you invert what’s on screen, or switch to grayscale.

Further improving its online service, Nintendo has also made it possible to import your friends from lists on the 3DS and Wii U. After applying this latest update, you’ll also receive new notifications when your friends go online, making it easier to connect with them for joint gaming experiences.

To top it all off, this firmware update adds the option to subscribe to certain game feeds and news sources, helping you stay up to date with the latest happenings with your favorite, or most anticipated games.

Your Switch should download the latest firmware update itself, but if it doesn’t, try restarting the system. You can also check which version you’re running in the settings menu, as well as trigger a manual update from there.

If you’re having any other problems with your Switch, check out our handy guide for some of the most common fixes.

16 impressive cases and covers for your new iPad (2017)

Update: We refreshed this article to include cases for the latest iPad (2017), and remove some older options.

The Apple iPad (2017) brings together everything you need in a tablet for an affordable price. It offers a vibrant 9.7-inch screen, snappy performance, and long battery life. The exterior design is familiar by now, though the latest iPad is a touch thicker than its predecessor — the iPad Air 2. If you want to add a flourish of personal style to Apple’s minimalist design, choose functional elements to enhance your daily use, and make sure your iPad is safe when you sling it in your bag — all it takes is the right case.

On the first two pages, you’ll find recommended iPad cases that are available for the new iPad, as well as some of the older models. On the last page, you’ll find some of our favorite iPad Air 2 cases, which are mostly available for the original iPad Air as well, but not for Apple’s latest iPad just yet.

Griffin Survivor Journey Folio Case ($50)

This is a versatile iPad case with plenty to offer. The main shell is tough TPU that will protect your Apple tablet from falls of up to 6 feet. The clever folio cover attaches via magnets, so it can be removed when you don’t need it. The cover also folds back to act as a stand for typing or watching videos. Because of the built-in magnets, you can also stick your iPad to the fridge door. The gold, silver, and gray finishes are designed to match your iPad.

Available at:

Amazon Griffin

New Trent Gladius Case ($30)

The obvious star of the show here is the 360-degree rotating leather hand strap, which makes holding your iPad a breeze. This rugged case also provides good drop protection. The hard-shell interior is surrounded by rubber and there’s a built-in screen protector. Underneath the strap, there’s a metal arm that can fold out to act as sturdy stand. The cut-outs are all accurate, providing easy access to the camera and Touch ID, and there are durable button covers for the controls.

Available at:

Amazon

Twelve South BookBook Case ($65)

You can disguise your iPad as an old book with this stylish case from Twelve South. These genuine leather cases look just like vintage tomes. Each case is distressed to create an aged aesthetic that brings some unique character. Two zippers with leather tags allow you to securely close your iPad inside. Open the case, and you’ll find a leather frame to hold your iPad snug and secure, along with a dark, soft, suede interior that prevents scratches. The interior leather sleeve that holds your iPad can be partially detached via two stud closures, so you can prop the case open and use it as a stand in a viewing or typing position. Although there’s no camera cut-out in the book, the leather sleeve has one, so you can pop the closures open and snap a shot without having to fully remove the iPad.

Available at:

Amazon Twelve South

BrydgeAir Keyboard ($130)

Do you like the idea of transforming your iPad into a MacBook? Our main complaint with keyboard cases is the added bulk, but they also tend to be plastic, and they rarely match the style of the iPad. Brydge is a clever keyboard that circumvents the usual issues. It’s crafted from premium aluminum, colored to match your iPad finish, and bulk is minimized because your tablet slots into the minimal hinge mechanism, instead of a traditional case. The hinge can rotate 180 degrees, so you can find the right angle for you, and the island keys are well-spaced with good travel and backlighting. To make it even more tempting, you’ll find stereo speakers built-in, to give your iPad’s audio output a boost. It hooks up via Bluetooth, and boasts up to 3 months use from a single charge, with a Micro USB port to recharge. It’s quite heavy, at 520g, but that adds to the MacBook feel, and you know this is a solid, quality piece of kit.

Available at:

Amazon Best Buy Brydge

Devicewear Ridge Case ($27)

You’ll be pleased with the blend of functionality and style that Devicewear offers with the Ridge folio case. It’s crafted from vegan leather (fake leather), but it doesn’t feel or look cheap. There’s a soft micro-suede lining, it supports the automatic sleep/wake function, and has a magnetic closure. A hard shell protects your iPad and a number of grooves support a wide variety of landscape positions when you fold the cover back. It’s sturdy, practical, and stylish, which makes it one of our favorite iPad cases.

Available at:

Amazon

Xiaomi updates its Mi Notebook Air with today’s best components

Why it matters to you

If you’re in China or don’t mind buying international, then you have a nice new thin-and-light notebook option to consider.

While the usual PC notebook players like Dell, HP, Lenovo, and others continue to refresh their own lines, some newcomers to the market are releasing their own updated models. One such company is Xiaomi, which broke into the notebook market last year with its Mi Notebook Air — at least in China.

That machine sported some nice specifications, including a choice between 13.3-inch and 12.5-inch displays, sixth-generation Intel Core processors, and Nvidia GeForce 940MX discrete graphics. Now, Xiaomi is getting set to release a new 13.3-inch version with updated components, as Liliputing reports.

Apparently, the new larger model will take on the same size and design as the previous version, meaning it will be sport a lightweight metal chassis that will come in at 2.8 pounds and 0.6 inches thick. Xiaomi offered a series of stickers for the earlier version that cover up the otherwise unadorned lid, made from leather, imitation leather, or microfiber material. We don’t have information on whether the company will continue that practice with the new model, but it seems reasonable to assume that it will.

In terms of components, the new models will upgrade to seventh-generation Intel Core i5-7200U processor and update to Nvidia’s newest Pascal-based mobile GPU, the GeForce MX150. That chip offers up to four times the performance of Intel’s integrated graphics, and significantly improved performance over the Maxwell-based 940MX. While that likely won’t make the Mi Notebook Air into a gaming system, it should help considerably with creative productivity tasks like video editing.

Other specifications include 8GB of RAM standard with the ability to upgrade to 16GB, and 128GB and 256GB SSD options. Connectivity will include two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a USB Type-C connection, HDMI, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.1. The display will be a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution panel, and it follows the typical practice today of minimizing bezel thickness to decrease the size of the chassis.

The 12.5-inch version already received an update earlier in 2017, also updating to seventh-generation Intel Core M3 processors. Pricing for the new 13.3-inch model will start at $730 in China, and while Xiaomi doesn’t sell outside of that country itself, it’s possible to buy its machines through various retailers.

Stealth Finnish startup promises ‘human eye-resolution’ VR displays

Why it matters to you

Virtual reality that provides real-life detail is coming, and it promises to equal the human eye in resolution.

Virtual reality systems are in their infancy, using much of the same technology that’s used in other contemporary devices. That limits their ability to produce truly lifelike experiences that are not only more immersive and realistic but also more usable for practical applications.

Going beyond today’s VR systems, therefore, requires utilizing new technologies, and nowhere is that truer than in the displays that are used to create the visual aspect of the experience. Finnish company Varjo, which means “shadow” in Finnish, has come out of nowhere to introduce new display technology that promises to equal the human eye.

One of the problems with current VR headsets is that its relatively low resolution is incapable of allowing users to view particularly fine visual elements. Examples include the instruments in a virtual airplane cockpit, text on a virtual web page, and the details on a 2D architectural drawing.

Varjo hopes to change all of that, with its “20/20” system, which it calls “the first human eye-resolution VR/AR/XR immersive display.” The technology provides 70 megapixels of detail, or 70 times as detailed compared to today’s 1-megapixel displays used by current VR systems from Oculus, Vive, Microsoft, and Magic Leap.

As Varjo’s CEO and Founder, Urho Konttori, puts it:

“Varjo’s patented display innovation pushes VR technology 10 years ahead of the current state of the art, where people can experience unprecedented resolution of VR and AR content limited only by the perception of the human eye itself. This technology, along with Varjo VST, jump-starts the immersive computing age overnight — VR is no longer a curiosity, but now can be a professional tool for all industries.”

Varjo doesn’t provide much in the way of details on how the 20/20 technology works, but it has actively demonstrated it to various media and it promises that it will show up in preview products by the end of 2017. These initial products will be aimed at professional users and applications, and they won’t be cheap — according to Wired, Varjo is using a pair of Sony OLED microdisplays that pack full HD (1920 x 1080) into 0.7-inch sensors that by themselves costs $900 each.

Coupled with video-see-through (VST) technology, Varjo’s solution will provide for entirely new of immersive VR and augmented reality (AR) solutions that will be the first to provide human eye-resolution experiences. Don’t get too excited yet, however — improvements in other technologies, such as the graphics chips that need to drive the new displays, will also need to occur before final products will ship.

Have an easier time finding a job using Google’s new search functionality

Why it matters to you

The next time you’re looking for a new job, a simple Google search might be the best way to find relevant positions from across the web.

In the modern age, when there is something we need to know, we Google it — it is a one-stop shop for everything from how to cook the perfect scrambled eggs to last weekend’s football results. Now, a new update to the search engine might mean that you find your next job using the service, too.

Google will now pull job listings from various sources across the internet and present them to the user within the search interface. This functionality was first detailed at the company’s I/O conference in May.

Users will be able to use natural search terms like “jobs near me” and “teaching jobs” to find work, according to a report from Engadget. Their results will be offered up in a clean, information-rich interface that is packed with all the most relevant information, streamlining the ever-frustrating job hunt process.

Jobs are listed alongside their location, the site that the role has been advertised on, and how long it has been since the posting went live. There is also an icon that states whether the work is full-time or part-time and, where possible, there is an estimate of how long the user’s commute will take.

The service also integrates Google Alerts functionality to make sure that job hunters do not need to run a search every day to avoid missing out on the perfect role. Users can tie an alert to a particular search, so that they will receive an email notification whenever new jobs are added to the results.

In a post published on the Google Blog on Thursday, product manager Nick Zakrasek explains how the company is collaborating with some of the biggest job listing sites around to perfect this new service. Monster, LinkedIn, WayUp, DirectEmployers, CareerBuilder, Glassdoor, and Facebook are already on board.

“Monster is actively focused on helping candidates connect with the right job opportunities — faster and easier,” said Monster’s chief technology officer, Conal Thompson. “Our alliance with Google supports our ongoing efforts to reach more candidates wherever they are.”

Google will continue to expand the range of job listings included in this service over time. The company has already published open documentation intended to help job boards and direct employers alike make their openings visible via search results.

Have an easier time finding a job using Google’s new search functionality

Why it matters to you

The next time you’re looking for a new job, a simple Google search might be the best way to find relevant positions from across the web.

In the modern age, when there is something we need to know, we Google it — it is a one-stop shop for everything from how to cook the perfect scrambled eggs to last weekend’s football results. Now, a new update to the search engine might mean that you find your next job using the service, too.

Google will now pull job listings from various sources across the internet and present them to the user within the search interface. This functionality was first detailed at the company’s I/O conference in May.

Users will be able to use natural search terms like “jobs near me” and “teaching jobs” to find work, according to a report from Engadget. Their results will be offered up in a clean, information-rich interface that is packed with all the most relevant information, streamlining the ever-frustrating job hunt process.

Jobs are listed alongside their location, the site that the role has been advertised on, and how long it has been since the posting went live. There is also an icon that states whether the work is full-time or part-time and, where possible, there is an estimate of how long the user’s commute will take.

The service also integrates Google Alerts functionality to make sure that job hunters do not need to run a search every day to avoid missing out on the perfect role. Users can tie an alert to a particular search, so that they will receive an email notification whenever new jobs are added to the results.

In a post published on the Google Blog on Thursday, product manager Nick Zakrasek explains how the company is collaborating with some of the biggest job listing sites around to perfect this new service. Monster, LinkedIn, WayUp, DirectEmployers, CareerBuilder, Glassdoor, and Facebook are already on board.

“Monster is actively focused on helping candidates connect with the right job opportunities — faster and easier,” said Monster’s chief technology officer, Conal Thompson. “Our alliance with Google supports our ongoing efforts to reach more candidates wherever they are.”

Google will continue to expand the range of job listings included in this service over time. The company has already published open documentation intended to help job boards and direct employers alike make their openings visible via search results.