How to sync your calendar with Alexa

Syncing up your Calendar to Alexa should only take a few moments.

Our lives have gotten progressively busier. Whether you’re bouncing between doctors appointments, play dates, meetings, or family occasions, keeping track of everything you have going on can be easier said than done. Thankfully Amazon Alexa is here to help you out by keeping track of your calendar for you. All you need to do is sync your account, and you’ll be good to go!

Alexa can keep track of your calendar

Life can get busy, and even if your calendar is sitting on your phone in your pocket, it can be easy to forget when you have an appointment. Alexa is here to help though, and can let you know when you have something coming up in your day. However before you can ask her what’s on the books, you’ll need to sync your calendar.

This is a fairly simple process; once you know what you’re doing and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Alexa can sync up with calendars from Google, Microsoft and even Apple. This means that even when your itinerary is on a different service, Alexa can still sync up so you never miss a beat. If you’ve got different events on different accounts, then you’re still free and clear, since you can add multiple calendars, and even choose which folders or events to ignore from within the Alexa app.

How to sync your calendar with Alexa

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

Tap Settings.

Scroll down and tap Calendar.
Tap the type of account you want to sync with Alexa.

Tap Link your calendar account.

Tap the account you want to link.
Tap the allow button in the lower right corner.

Is your calendar synced?

Have you synced your calendar with Alexa? Do you prefer not to? We want to know about it, so be sure to drop us a comment 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

Vivo could be the first to launch a smartphone with an on-screen fingerprint sensor

Vivo could edge out Samsung and other companies in launching a phone with an on-screen fingerprint sensor.

Samsung failed in its attempt to integrate a fingerprint sensor into the screen of the Galaxy S8, and it now looks like Vivo will be the first company to roll out a device with an on-screen fingerprint sensor. A leaked video on Weibo shows off a Vivo phone that looks a lot like the X9 Plus, albeit with an optical fingerprint sensor that’s embedded into the screen itself.

In related news, a report out of Korea reaffirms claims that Chinese manufacturers are looking to introduce on-screen fingerprint sensing, but it cites Huawei’s upcoming P11 as the first phone to include the feature, followed by Xiaomi and then Vivo.

The publication also noted that while Vivo will be the first to introduce the feature, Apple will be taking it mainstream by including it in the next iPhone. That’s a given considering Vivo primarily focuses on Asian markets. As for Samsung, it looks like the South Korean manufacturer won’t be able to roll out the feature in the Galaxy Note 8, with Korea’s ETNews citing “security vulnerabilities” as the reason.

Whatever the case, it looks like we’ll finally see on-screen fingerprint sensing tech sometime later this year.

Meet Astro, an email client for Android with artificial intelligence baked in

If you’re into the idea of using Alexa and Slack to answer your email, you might be interested in this little app.

There aren’t too many hearty email clients in the Google Play Store, so we’re naturally curious when one comes out that’s not only a delight to use, but it’s got artificial intelligence baked in, too.

I’ve been using Astro: AI Meets Email for the past week and it’s truly a breath of fresh air compared to the dual Gmail-and-Inbox life I’ve been juggling. Whether you’ve got a scattered brain or you’ve mastered the art of maintaining an inbox, Astro is worthy download for anyone who wants a little help on the backend ensuring that the important emails are always seen.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the features that make Astro a worthy download, and we’ll walk you through what it’s like to manage your inbox through Slack.

There’s priority, and then there’s “other”

Off the bat, my favorite part of Astro is the concise inbox. Unlike Google’s Inbox, which compartmentalizes emails into a number of different categories, Astro whittles them down to two: important and not important. The pressing stuff will be automatically funneled through to the priority inbox, while the extra stuff — like newsletters, daily mantras, and online shopping receipts — will be filed away to “other.” Best of all, Astro will work in the backend doing all of the message sorting right off the bat.

A look at Astro’s interface, from the hamburger menu (left), to the “priority” and “other” inboxes (middle two photos), to the ability to schedule an email (right).

If you’re finding that the Astro is having a bit of trouble properly parsing your contacts, you can add the very important people to the VIP list. This ensures that every email from the addresses you’ve specified make their way into the priority inbox. Then from the settings, you can control how you’re alerted for those especially crucial letters.

It looks like Android

Snooze an email for later if you don’t need it.

The Astro app for Android has been designed so that it follows the basic rules of the Android design paradigm. It has a simple color scheme; two floating action buttons, one for composing a message and one to call upon the AstroBot; and a well-organized hamburger menu. What’s more: there’s a companion desktop app for the Mac that properly integrates with its mobile counterpart.

It also takes advantage of some user-friendly swiping mechanisms in its interface. You can swipe left on an email to immediately archive it, or swipe to the right to snooze it until you get back to your desktop at the office. Astro also lets you enable read receipts, and offers quick toggles for unsubscribing from newsletters and scheduling emails.

It’s not a useless bot

The “bot” categorization for Astro’s functionality might seem passe with the proliferation of so many digital assistants. But the good news is that the AI-based features in Astro are contained within the app so that you only hear from AstroBot when you’re in need. AstroBot will mostly rely on you to prompt it, too, so there’s no need for any Microsoft Clippy comparisons here.

AstroBot is especially useful if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your inbox.

AstroBot is especially useful for managing bulk tasks, which can become overwhelming if you’re terrible at trimming your inbox on the regular. For instance, if AstroBot notices you’re receiving newsletters that you don’t actually read, it will ask you whether you want help unsubscribing to them all. There are other prompts it will relay overtime, too, like whether you want to add a contact to your VIP list or archive a pile of messages.

It works with Slack and Alexa

One of the best features of Astro was added only a few days ago, and that’s integration with Slack and Amazon Alexa. I did not test the Alexa integration, but in the demonstration I saw, you can use it to compose and reply to emails with just your voice.

Slack integration is so robust, I couldn’t show you a screenshot without having to blur the whole thing out.

I have been using the Slack abilities and I can say it’s now a feature I rely on daily. If you spend most of the work day in Slack, as I do, you might find that email falls by the wayside. Having Astro set up with Slack helps ensure that I’m consistently notified whenever I receive an email from those ten very important contacts. I don’t have to leave Slack to reply to them either, as Astrobot works entirely inside the Slack app — on both the desktop and mobile Slack apps. The only downside is that the replies will appear weirdly formatted when they’re sent out if you’re using emoji in the body text (and yes — I use emoji in my email correspondence).

There’s also an included signature to let people know you’ve replied from Slack, in case there are any follies. I’ve already had one when I didn’t realize that Slack was stuck in the “reply to email” command. Fortunately, there are enough prompts so that you’re not constantly, accidentally sending emails.

Try it for yourself

Contextual engines and artificial intelligence and the ability to message bots — these are all the ways of the future, and it seems to be an especially popular tag line to add on to mobile apps. In Astro’s case, the AI-infusion seems legitimate enough after a week of use to take the app for a ride as a daily driver. Perhaps this is the kind of assistance we need to keep us from going insane from digital clutter.

Astro is free for now, so you can try it out as an email assistant without too much commitment. It works with email addresses that are served by Gmail, GSuite, and Office 365.

Download Astro (free)

LG G7: What’s the story so far?

LG was one of the first to release a flagship smartphone in 2017 with the G6. It’s a great phone with plenty going for it including a brilliant camera, excellent display and all-screen design.

Nothing ever stands still in the tech world though, especially not when it comes to the star smartphones. Here we are rounding up everything we have heard so far about the LG G7. Stay tuned and keep checking back as there will no doubt be plenty of rumours over the next few months.

LG G7: Release date

• LG G7 could have earlier launch date 
• CES 2018 potential platform instead of MWC 2018

The LG G5 was announced at Mobile World Congress 2016, while the LG G6 was announced a year later at MWC 2017 and both were available to buy around April of the same year they were announced. An educated guess would therefore suggest the LG G7 will be announced during the Barcelona show at the end of February 2018 and go on sale around April 2018.

That might not be the case though. Reports from Korea have claimed the forthcoming flagship might appear a little earlier than expected in order to give the company more time to sell devices before competitor devices arrive, such as the Samsung Galaxy S9.

Apparently the LG G7 is already in development and it could be announced at CES 2018, which takes place at the beginning of January in Las Vegas. We are a long way off from these dates though and plenty could change so don’t get too excited just yet.

LG G7: Design

• Large screen, small footprint design expected to continue
• Embedded fingerprint sensor?
• Iris scanning?

The LG G6 brought with it a fabulous redesign compared to the modular misfire of the LG G5. Like the Samsung Galaxy S8, the G6 offers a large screen, minimal bezels and a premium, solid build.

We’d expect the LG G7 to follow in the G6’s footsteps. Naturally there will no doubt be a few tweaks here and there, but we suspect many of the same principals will be followed, including the large screen in a minimal footprint format. 

The G6 features a circular fingerprint sensor on the rear, along with a dual-camera setup and unlike the Samsung Galaxy S8, there is no iris scanner on the front. We wouldn’t be too surprised to see a fingerprint embedded into the display for the G7, something rumoured for the iPhone 8, and we’d also hope to see iris scanning capabilities included on the 2018 flagship too.

Iris scanning was rumoured for the the LG G6 but it never appeared, suggesting LG was perhaps considering it but it may not have been ready for the 2017 flagship.

LG G7: Display

• Almost all-screen front expected again
• Will LG move to AMOLED?
• Aspect ratio expected to remain same

The display was one of the main focus areas of the LG G6 and rightly so as it is excellent. The 5.7-inch IPS LCD screen features an 18:9 aspect ratio, along with a Quad HD+ resolution at 2880 x 1440 pixels. It puts out a pixel density of 565ppi and it delivers accurate colours, sharp detail and good viewing angles. 

The LG G6 also supports HDR 10 and Dolby Vision, which will no doubt feature on the LG G7 too and probably be more useful next year as there will more than likely be more compatible content available from both Netflix and Amazon Video. 

Whether LG will increase the display size for the G7 remains unknown for now, though we wouldn’t be too surprised to see a bump in resolution and/or a switch to AMOLED in order to support Google’s Daydream VR.

As for the aspect ratio, that’s likely to stay the same too and although there is already plenty of compatible content available, including Netflix Original series, there will no doubt be more next year, making full use of the great display.

• Mobile HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10 and Mobile HDR Premium explained

LG G7: Camera

• Dual-rear camera expected to remain
• Improvements over G6 likely

The LG G6 features dual-lens rear cameras, as did the LG G5. The LG G6 improves on the G5’s camera and it delivers some excellent results. Both are 13-megapixel sensors, with one a standard lens and one wide-angle lens.

As the dual-camera setup has done so well for LG the last couple of years, we’d be surprised to see a move away from it, especially as more manufacturers jump on the bandwagon.

No doubt the LG G7 will deliver improvements over the LG G6 but at the moment, we don’t know what these will be.

• LG G6 review

LG G7: Hardware

The LG G6 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, rather than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset that can be found under most of 2017’s other flagship smartphones.

A report from Korea has claimed the LG G7 will offer the latest hardware from Qualcomm when it launches, which is reported to be the 7nm Snapdragon 845.

We also wouldn’t be surprised to see a bump in RAM, perhaps to 6GB and we’d expect at least 32GB of internal storage, if not 64GB, with microSD support for storage expansion.

LG has placed a big focus on audio capabilities over the last couple of years so we’d expect 2018 to be no different. We’d also expect a battery capacity of at least 3000mAh. The LG G6 has a 3300mAh cell under its hood.

LG G7: Software

The LG G7 is likely to launch on Android O with LG’s skin over the top. We already know about a couple of features coming with Android O, which you can read about in our separate feature, but we’ll learn about more when the software launches later this year. 

LG will no doubt take most of the Android O features and add a few of its own software tweaks to the LG G7. We’d expect the experience to be familiar for LG users though.

LG G7: Conclusion

Rumours surrounding the LG G7 are currently scarce at the moment but they will undoubtedly pick up in the next few months, especially if a January launch is true.

We will update this feature as soon as we hear any murmurings surrounding the LG G7 but in the meantime, feel free to let us know what you would like to see on the 2018 flagship in the comments.

Microsoft Modern Keyboard is a sleek slab of aluminium with a built-in fingerprint sensor

Continuing with its run of sleekly designed products and devices, Microsoft has, rather quietly, introduced an aluminium clad keyboard for use with Windows 10 PCs, macOS computers and the latest Android systems.

• Microsoft Surface Laptop: Much more than an elite Chromebook competitor

Called the Modern Keyboard, Microsoft’s new accessory is full-width with a numerical keypad, is slim at 19.3mm in height, and has a built-in fingerprint sensor where you would normally find the Windows key on the right-hand side. The fingerprint sensor can be used to log into a Windows computer, or websites using Windows Hello.

It’s primarily a wireless Bluetooth keyboard, but can be connected to a computer using a wired connection instead. If you connect using a wire when you first use the Modern Keyboard, it will automatically pair via Bluetooth next time you come to use it. 

Microsoft says the Bluetooth range is up to 15 metres in open-air, or up to seven metres in an office environment, and the built-in rechargeable battery can last up to two months. 

• Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) review: Every bit the pro, but battery life is still a blow
• Which Microsoft Surface device is best for you? Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, Surface Book or Surface Studio?

The Microsoft Modern Keyboard is “coming soon” to the US Microsoft Store where it will cost $129.99, there’s currently no word on UK or global availability. The Modern Keyboard is the ideal match for the Modern Mouse, which can be yours for $49.99.

Temp-Mail.org temporary disposable email address lets you keep your email anonymous

We’ve all been there. Signed up for a Wi-Fi in a coffee shop, a shopping service, or something else, only to be then bombarded with dozens if not hundreds of emails from a range of different services that quickly fills your inbox with spam and junk.

Temp-Mail is a disposable email service that allows you to receive email at a temporary address that self-destructs after a certain time elapses meaning it works long enough to get that verify email, but not long to actually hang around for any real length of time.

Users can use the service by either going to the temp-mail.org website, downloading the iOS or Android app, or by installing a dedicated extension for Chrome, Firefox, or Opera .

Here are four reasons to get a temp-mail address

Email is deleted automatically

The temp-mail service automatically deletes the email you’ve been sent after 1 hour so you never have to worry about emptying your inbox.

Temp-mail.org

Temporary email isn’t stored on your computer

Because the email you’ve been assigned isn’t stored on your computer it doesn’t pose as a virus threat. Furthermore, because the email address is deleted within an hour you won’t get the chance to get phishing emails telling you to check your bank account details or that you’ve had a windfall from a wealthy Nigerian relative you never realised you had.

You don’t have to give your details

Temp-mail grants you a temporary email address with no need for you to go through a long sign-up process, leave personal details, or confirm registration via your principal email or a phone number. 

You can use temporary mail details for loads of things

The list is endless, but some popular uses for temporary mail include when visiting coupon and discount websites to get the codes without getting bombarded with “offers” later on, one-time shopping purchases for stores you aren’t 100 per cent confident about, and pesky Wi-Fi forms that insist on getting an email address so you can log on to the network.

Temp-mail.org

Then there is protection against spam that contains viruses or phishing attempts. Having a disposable email address allows you to avoid such issues and ensure the protection of your device.

And if you’re a developer, a disposable email addresses allows you to quickly perform testing of any online processes. You won’t have to delete these unnecessary emails later as they will get deleted automatically after an hour.

You can get a temp-mail email address at temp-mail.org

Apple AirPlay 2: What is it, how does it work and what devices are supported?

Apple announced iOS 11, the latest iteration of its mobile operating software, at WWDC 2017. Included in iOS 11 is an updated version of AirPlay, Apple’s audio and video streaming platform. Conveniently called AirPlay 2, the new version will open up a whole world of multi-room audio streaming capabilities that were previously not available on the iPhone or iPad.

• Apple WWDC 2017: All the announcements that matter

So what exactly is AirPlay 2, what will it be able to do and what products will you be able to use it with? Allow us to explain all.

What is Apple AirPlay 2?

• Update to Apple’s long-running AirPlay protocol
• Will be introduced with iOS 11

Apple AirPlay 2 is the latest version of the AirPlay protocol. AirPlay was first introduced in September 2010, having previously been called AirTunes and available only for audio streaming. AirPlay found its way onto iOS devices in November 2010, and it could eventually be used for screen mirroring from June 2011.

• Apple iOS 11: 11 new features coming to your iPhone and iPad

The basic premise of AirPlay and AirPlay 2 is a system comprising a sender and a receiver. The sender is something like your MacBook or iPhone, and the receiver is an Apple TV or third-party speaker. All devices need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

AirPlay 2 will introduce some features to the iPhone and iPad, such as controlling multiple speakers, that up until now you were only able to do on the MacBook.

Apple

Which Apple devices will support AirPlay 2?

AirPlay 2 support rolls in with Apple’s iOS 11 and TvOS operating system. That means all recent iPhone and iPad devices will work. The full list is as follows:

iPhone

• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 6S
• iPhone 6S Plus
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 6 Plus
• iPhone SE
• iPhone 5S

iPad

• 12.9in iPad Pro (first generation)
• 12.9in iPad Pro (second generation)
• 9.7in iPad Pro
• 10.5in iPad Pro
• iPad (fifth generation)
• iPad Air 2
• iPad Air
• iPad mini 4
• iPad mini 3
• iPad mini 2

iPod touch

• iPod touch (6th generation)

Apple TV

• Apple TV 4th Gen

MacBook and MacBook Pro

• MacBook: Late 2009 or later
• iMac/iMac Pro:Late 2009 or later
• MacBook Air: 2010 or later
• MacBook Pro: 2010 or later
• Mac mini: 2010 or later
• Mac Pro: 2010 or later

In other words, anything made more than 7 years ago is obsolete and will no longer be supported.

What can Apple AirPlay 2 do?

• Control multiple speakers from the iPhone or iPad
• Multiple users can add songs to one playlist

Apple AirPlay 2 will add speaker control to the Home app, meaning you will be able to individually control all of your AirPlay speakers from your iPhone for the first time. This is something that can already be done using a MacBook with iTunes, but iOS devices have lacked the ability.

Apple didn’t confirm during its keynote address which streaming services will support AirPlay 2, and of course only gave demos using Apple Music, but we believe Spotify has already said that it will be working with the new technology. Considering it’s more down to the phone sending the audio signals to the speakers, we’d expect any streaming service you have installed on your iPhone to be able to work with AirPlay 2 speakers.

When you play music from your iOS device, you will be able to select which speakers around your home you want it to be sent to and control individual volumes of those speakers. Something Apple didn’t demonstrate was whether you would have the ability to send different songs to different rooms. We would be surprised if you could, though, as the speakers rely on the iPhone to get their music, as opposed to Sonos speakers for example, which are individually connected to the internet, so can obtain different songs from cloud servers.

Another new feature with AirPlay 2, is the ability for multiple users to add songs to one playlist. Say you’re at a party, and one person has their iPhone as the music source, playing Apple Music. Other Apple Music users will be able to send songs they want played to the source iPhone, to save having to connect and reconnect several phones.

Apple

What speakers are AirPlay 2 compatible?

• Wide range of AirPlay 2 speakers expected in the near-future
• Some current AirPlay speakers can be upgraded with a software update

AirPlay 2 will work in harmony with Apple’s very own HomePod smart home speaker. While it can be used as a sort of Amazon Echo, to answer questions and control smart home products, it has audio at its core. While the HomePod will use Apple AirPlay 2 to stream from the phone, the majority of its music playback will come from its own direct connection with your WiFi. 

• Apple HomePod: Price, release date, specs and everything you need to know

But it’s not just Apple’s speaker that will be compatible, as a rather illustrious list of hi-fi companies that have pledged their support to AirPlay 2. The companies signed up include:

• Bang & Olufsen
• Beats
• Bluesound
• Bose
• Bowers & Wilkins
• Definitive Technologies 
• Denon
• Devialet
• Dynaudio
• Libratone
• Marantz
• McIntosh
• Naim
• Polk

Can current AirPlay products be upgraded to support AirPlay 2?

Yes and no. Some manufacturers, like Naim and Libratone, have confirmed that you’ll be able to simply run a software update on the speaker to benefit from the new features, but others will need you to buy a completely new speaker. 

Libratone has confirmed that its current range of Zipp and Zipp Mini speakers can be upgraded to meet AirPlay 2 requirements, but a similar thing can’t be said for Bowers & Wilkins AirPlay speakers.

The A5, A7 and Zeppelin Air will still be able to work as AirPlay speakers, but they won’t be able to reap the full benefits of the new technology.

Apple AirPlay 2 with Apple TV

Yes, once you upgrade to tvOS 11, which is expected around September, your Apple TV can send audio to speakers around your home as well, rather than just coming from your iPhone or iPad. Furthermore, Apple has suggested that whatever speaker is connected to the Apple TV, be it a soundbar or speaker system, that would automatically become a de facto AirPlay 2 speaker.

Apple AirPlay 2 in HomeKit

AirPlay 2 will also be able to be used with other HomeKit devices to create scenes. Imagine coming home and not only your lights coming on to welcome you but a fanfare of trumpets played through AirPlay 2 supporting speakers. On a more serious note though, you could use it to alert you of certain things that are happening – like an alarm – or merely that part of your evening routine is to have music played at a certain time automatically without you having to worry about turning it on. 

Will the original AirPlay still work?

Yes.

When is AirPlay 2 out?

Apple says that there are plenty more details to confirm with AirPlay 2 and we should expect to hear a lot more in the coming months especially around the launch of iOS 11, TvOS 11, and MacOS High Sierra (10.13) and then even more when the HomePod launches in the US and UK in December 2017.

The Morning After: Friday, June 16th 2017

It might only be Friday morning, but yesterday marked the end of the world’s biggest gaming show, E3. Today, we’re bringing you even more impressions from the biggest titles you’ll be playing in the next 12 months or so, as well as Amazon’s new Dash wand and the eventual launch of Microsoft’s Surface laptop.

Cartoon Network and Capybara are challenging how cartoons and tie-in games are made.‘OK K.O.’ is a brilliant cartoon with a game to match

OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes, an animated series from Cartoon Network, will premiere this August with, if all goes to plan, a tie-in game alongside it. The release is unusual for two reasons: One, this type of game is usually developed after a show has been launched and drawn a large, lucrative audience. Two, they’re typically low-quality or made by studios with a lacklustre pedigree. Capy Games, meanwhile, is an independent studio with bags of talent. Both the game and show look intriguing, but how does such a collaboration even begin?

Ubisoft’s E3 demo avoided the controversial setting and sticks to slick set pieces.In ‘Far Cry 5,’ your teammates might be the real stars

Far Cry 5 is one of the most anticipated games at E3 2017, even if it won’t be out until 2018. That distant launch date might be why Mat Smith felt surprised that the early demo on show at Ubisoft’s booth was already so polished. In typical Far Cry style, the environments are lush and detailed (and delightfully colorful too). Cultist fighters also swarm on your location and chase you through the forest, just as you’d expect. The most notable change, then, isn’t the series’ relocation to Montana, but the company you keep as you battle the cult. Yep, while you are still pretty much a one-man army, at least one person (or canine) has your back this time around, which not only makes things slightly easier but also affects how you play through the game.

It’s a completely new experience in 4K/60 FPS.
‘Destiny 2’ on PC is nothing like the first game

After spending some quality time with the PC version of Destiny 2 at E3, Devindra Hardawar can attest it’s a much speedier, more intense experience. That’s partially due to some gameplay improvements — switching between weapons and reloading feels a lot quicker than before — as well as the fact that he was playing the game in 4K at a silky-smooth 60 frames per second. That frame-rate bump alone makes the entire experience feel more immediate, as there’s less of a lag between what you’re inputting and how the game responds. It simply plays better.

The company is also releasing its pricey Surface Studio in more locations.
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop and Pro are now available worldwide

If you’re looking to buy the Surface Laptop or the Surface Pro, there’s a chance that you’ll be able to get it right now, even if you’re not in the US. Both PCs are now available in over a dozen markets across the globe. The Surface Laptop is now out in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It’s the flagship device for Windows 10 S, Microsoft’s ChromeOS-like platform for the education market meant to run web apps and software from its official store. A Surface Laptop will set you back at least $999 in the US and £979 (up to £2,149) in the UK.

It solves all of the problems with cord-free mice for gamers.
Logitech’s wireless-mouse charging tech feels like a miracle

Logitech’s main mission at E3 this year: proving to gamers that wireless mice are just as capable, and sometimes more so, than their corded counterparts. The company revealed two innovations at the show: Lightspeed, its low-latency wireless-transmission technology, and PowerPlay, a way to charge mice while using them on a custom mat. Both solve the main complaints some gamers have around wireless mice: that they’re laggy and could lose charge at any moment.

But wait, there’s more…

• Amazon’s Dash Wand lets you order groceries with your voice
• ‘Forza Motorsport 7’ has more than just 4K to offer Xbox racers
• Telegram founder says US government tried to bribe developers
• At last, you can get Microsoft Office from the Windows Store
• Subway hopes touchscreens will bust up its sales slump
• I used E3 to take a very public crash course in ‘Arms’

Microsoft’s Modern Keyboard hides a fingerprint sensor

Microsoft has quietly unveiled the Modern Mouse and Modern Keyboard, its next generation of Windows 10 input devices that match the latest Surface models in design and finish. Much like Apple’s keyboard, the new model has “Chiclet”-style keys and aluminum frame that’s heavy and “virtually indestructible,” Microsoft says. The most interesting feature is a hidden fingerprint sensor located between the Alt and Ctrl keys so it won’t interfere with the typing experience.

The keyboard, in a silver and gray finish, works either wired or via Bluetooth 4.0, with automatic pairing out of the box when you first connect the cable. It uses a rechargeable battery and is compatible with Windows 8-10, Windows 10 Phone, Android and macOS, as long as the device supports Bluetooth 4.0 or higher. Naturally, Microsoft promises it will work particularly well with its new Windows 10 Surface Studio, Pro and Laptop devices.

As for the Modern Mouse, it really looks a lot better than past models, with a smooth, rounded aesthetic, nearly invisible buttons and a metal scroll wheel. It also uses Bluetooth 4.0, and Microsoft promises “exceptional precision,” though it didn’t reveal an exact PPI rating. It requires a pair of (included) AAA alkaline batteries, and is compatible with most operating systems and devices that support Bluetooth 4.0.

The Modern Mouse costs $50 and and the Modern Keyboard is $130, and both devices are “coming soon.” There are no press releases or other information on the devices, apart from the product pages and YouTube videos, so we’ve reached out for more information. Naturally, we’re also curious to try them out and will endeavor to do that as soon as possible.

Source: Microsoft (1), (2)

Amazon’s new policy kills ad network that monetizes Echo Skills

When VoiceLabs debuted its interactive ads for the Amazon Echo, it had backing from big names like ESPN and Wendy’s. For a while, it gave developers using the service called “Sponsored Messages” a way to make money from their Alexa Skills. Unfortunately, even its powerful pals can’t do anything for it now that Amazon has updated its advertising policy to ban ads using a voice that’s similar to Alexa and those that imitate Alexa interactions. Since those are exactly what the company’s interactive ads do, it has no choice but to stop offering Sponsored Messages altogether.

If you’ve never heard a Sponsored Message before, here’s how VoiceLabs describes its product:

“For example, a consumer would be asked if they were going to watch the NBA finals game airing that day. If the user said yes, it would let them know to tune in for the 6pm start time. If not, the Sponsored Message would let them which channel to tune into at 10pm for all the highlights.”

The company says it has no choice but to stop offering Sponsored Messages, since it intends to operate within Amazon policy. That means Skills developers looking to make money with the product’s help — one told TechCrunch that he could’ve quit his day job if the service wasn’t suspended — would have to wait until there’s a legit and viable way to earn from their creations.

It’s worth noting that Amazon showed signs of cracking down on interactive ads before VoiceLabs even debuted. An earlier policy change banned ads that use Alexa’s voice and ads for third-party products, except in streaming music and streaming radio. The more recent policy change merely made those rules more clear.

While Sponsored Messages’ demise might be a tough pill to swallow for developers, this might be a victory for smart speaker owners who don’t seem to like ads at all. Amazon is very well aware that’s the case, based on the statement it sent to TechCrunch, thought it promises to find ways for devs to earn money in the future:

“Our advertising policy is designed to maintain the delightful experience customers expect on Alexa and our top priority is to maintain that experience. It’s early days for voice and we will continue to explore ways for developers to monetize in the future while maintaining the best possible experience for our customers.”

Via: TechCrunch

Source: VoiceLabs