Snapchat lets you create custom geofilters straight from its app

Why it matters to you

Have an event coming up that you will broadcast on Snapchat? You can now easily create custom geofilters through the app’s settings tool to use on your photos.

A little over a week after Snapchat released Snap Map — a location-based feature that shows users where their Snapchat friends are and events going on around them — the company has introduced a new way to create custom geofilters. Snapchatters can now submit tons of designs for any event through the app on their phones.

Although custom Snapchat geofilters themselves are not new to the app, the process has now definitely become easier. If you wanted to create one prior to the new feature, you had to go through its “On-Demand Geofilters” website and submit the design using one of the existing templates or one you made yourself using an image editor like Photoshop.

Instead of going through a web browser, users can now create the geofilters easily through Snapchat’s built-in mobile creative studio that lets you add filters, text, stickers, and Bitmojis. Once you are satisfied with the filter, you can choose where and when you want it to appear.

When you are on the app, simply tap on the left settings button in the top-left hand corner of your camera screen. The option for On-Demand Geofilters will appear letting you choose what the filter is for and the template you want to use. From there, you can edit the text within the template or add your own text and stickers. After scheduling the filter and choosing the area you want it to cover, you will receive a confirmation of approval from Snapchat.

The filters can cover an entire block or an event for as little as an hour and as long as 90 days starting at $6. The price is calculated based on a number of factors like how long it will last, how in-demand the location is at the moment, and how big the geofilter is.

Having this option available might make it easier for those who are not as savvy with image editors or want to be able to create filters on the spot whenever inspiration strikes — without having to settle for Snapchat’s pre-made templates if they are not near a computer. But if you are set on a particular design that you created using a third-party program, you can still submit it through Snapchat’s original site for geofilters.

LeEco facing continued cash shortage amidst market expansion, business turbulence

Over-extending at a time of lowered sales and under-performing units is a bad combination.

LeEco’s troubles in 2017 have been numerous and well-documented, but it seems the issues with cash flow have continued and expanded as of late. Speaking this week, LeEco chairman Jia Yueting said the company’s cash issues are “far worse than expected” despite a massive $2.4 billion investment earlier this year.

Despite LeEco’s U.S. launch reaching the point of taking on the “failure” tag, issues with the company run far deeper. Launching a suite of TVs and phones in the U.S. was an ambitious move for sure, but it was really just an example of LeEco perhaps extending itself too widely when it didn’t have the cash flow to cover operations. LeEco decided to pay back a considerable amount of debt at a time in which its overall business was in a downturn — a confluence that really hurt the company.

Despite LeEco’s U.S. launch reaching the point of failure, issues with the company run far deeper.

Jia said in a shareholder meeting that he had expected the large investment from earlier in the year to “solve all the problems” but that clearly wasn’t the case as some of LeEco’s non-public units continued to have tighter-than-expected finances. The plans is to consolidate and liquidate assets within those non-listed units to help out its overall cash position. Jia also said it’s full steam ahead in getting its electric car unit into production after a big round of funding — something that seems increasingly speculative for a company facing financial issues.

Even though its deal to buy Vizio ended up falling through, the hope is for the profitable TV segment of LeEco to focus on the smart TV business and center it around larger panels. The smartphone business, as we all could’ve expected, isn’t likely to be a large driver of revenue going forward when looking at these plans.

14 things you might not know Amazon’s Alexa can do for you

Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, comes loaded with a variety of features. But it’s the “skills” that really allow you to customize your experience to your liking. Skills are the Echo’s (and Dot’s and, now, Show’s) version of apps: Programs that, when enabled, provide some extra functionality. There are currently thousands of skills available on Amazon’s site, and more are added every day.

Some of these skills are specifically designed to interface with Alexa-compatible products — i.e., thermostats, lights, remotes — while others take a stand-alone approach to voice control. Below are some the more useful ones, whether you’re looking for your phone or a cocktail recipe.

It’s a great kitchen assistant

Alexa comes preloaded with the ability to add items to a master grocery list. On its own, being able to quickly shout to Alexa that you just ran out of cayenne pepper as you cook is incredibly handy, but My Chef goes several steps further. It pairs with the Chefling app and allows you to track and read recipes, send shopping lists, and track expiration dates. It will even remind you what you have in your pantry while you’re out shopping. If you prepare a lot of meals at home and tend to be forgetful while out shopping, My Chef will save you a lot of frustration.

Enable skill via:

Amazon

If can find your phone

It’s easy to misplace your phone or have it slip out of your pocket into the depths of the couch. If someone else is home, your first instinct is likely to frantically ask them to call it. With its Where’sMyPhone skill, Alexa can do that for you, so you don’t need to wait for a roommate or spouse to get home.

Enable skill via:

Amazon

It can call an Uber or Lyft

If you’re a heavy public transportation user, chances are you’ve found yourself running late and trying to call a ride with one hand while getting dressed with the other. Once you set this skill up on Alexa — the app needs to know the location of your Echo — you can desperately scream for a ride while showering and thinking of what excuse for being late you’re going to tell your boss this time. These are the kinds of things voice-activated systems were made for.

Uber on Amazon Lyft on Amazon

It can keep you updated on your favorite sports teams

Although it’s a default skill, you might not be aware that you can go into your settings via Alexa and customize your sports news. You can add your favorite professional or college teams and get updates regarding their schedules and scores.

It can read you a short bedtime story

This one is for any parent who gets tired of reading the same bedtime stories over and over. You might not like the idea of a robot reading your child to sleep, but your kid will love it. The app also lets you customize the story to include your child’s name. Each of the stories clock in at under a minute (and Alexa’s monotone reading voice is no substitute for yours), but it’s worth enabling if you ever need a rest for a night.

Enable skill via:

Amazon

It can let you dictate text messages without your phone

By default, Alexa doesn’t have access to your devices and contacts. But the ‘SMS with Molly’ skill will allow you dictate text messages when your phone isn’t within reach. It does require a fair bit of setting up — creating a profile is painless, but you’ll have to add contacts manually. Still, if you’re a frequent texter, you’ll get a lot of mileage out of this.

Enable skill via:

Amazon

It can read you customized news briefings

We’re not referring to a specific skill, but rather the ability to customize the news you get every day. By default, asking Alexa for a ‘flash briefing’ runs you through the top news stories from a few handpicked sources. But you can enable everything from The Wall Street Journal to an (unofficial) Reddit app, if you should so desire. The settings page on the Alexa companion app will let you add or remove sources until you have a flash briefing tailored to your liking.

It can book you a reservation with OpenTable

Set up a profile and then quickly make a dinner reservation at your favorite spot while keeping your eyes glued to your video games. Like the mobile app of the same name, this skill will let you make, modify, and cancel reservations, and now, you can do this on your Echo Show, too. You can either use your voice, or tap the touchscreen of the latest Alexa-enabled smart home hub to ask for a reservation at your favorite restaurant. If the skill is unable to find your exact match, it will provide a list of alternative options. Sadly, it’s not as robust as the full app. There is no search functionality.

Enable skill via:

Amazon

It can learn 12,000 cocktails and tell you what wine to drink

“The Bartender” skill gives you access to more than 12,000 cocktail recipes. If you’re watching TV and see someone order an unfamiliar cocktail, or if you just don’t know what’s in your favorite mixed drink, the app will rattle off the ingredients for you. You can also reverse engineer a concoction by telling The Bartender what you’ve got on hand to make a drink with.

“MySomm” also lets you know what kind of wines pair best with what you’re having for dinner. If you tend to entertain and have a well-stocked liquor cabinet, you’ll be using these constantly. It’s worth noting that “MySomm” asks you to activate it by referring to it as “Wine Gal,” which means said company will probably make fun of you.

Enable skill via:

The Bartender on Amazon MySomm on Amazon

It can call your friend in an emergency

‘Ask My Buddy’ is a helpful skill for anyone who might find themselves in a situation where they need help but can’t access their phone. It can call or text a specific contact (or all programmed contacts) quickly and easily in case of an emergency. It does not call 911 or other emergency services, however.

Enable skill via:

Amazon

It can let you listen to ‘The Tonight Show’

Even if you don’t watch the show religiously, this app is great for listening to the show’s opening monologue and a few choice bits. If you’re a Jimmy Fallon fan, it’s some nice, light entertainment to listen to while you’re brushing your teeth or cleaning up around the house.

Enable skill via:

Amazon

It can help you navigate the NYC Subway

There are a variety of skills for public transportation hubs similar to ‘NYC Subway.’ Enabling these skills will allow Alexa to rattle of delays along specific lines, so you know just how much time you’ll need to get where you’re going.

Enable skill via:

Amazon

It can tell you intricate details about the weather

Alexa does give you local forecasts by default, but this Dark Sky-based skill called ‘Weather Sky’ gives incredibly detailed breakdowns. If you want to know the sunrise and sunset times, for example, or what the weather was like a year ago, this app can do that for you.

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Amazon

It can order Domino’s and Pizza Hut

Quality of the pizza notwithstanding, ordering food without stopping what you’re doing has never been easier. Both skills require you to set up a customer profile, but once you do, Alexa can order your favorite ‘zas with a simple voice command.

Enable skill via:

Domino’s on Amazon Pizza Hut on Amazon

Update: Added news that OpenTable has updated its Alexa skill for Amazon Echo Show compatibility. 

Android Things Console developer preview is available for those who like to tinker

Doing its part to make Android Things into a thing, Google gives its developers a dedicated control console.

Ready to sync more things together in your house to make the next, best smart home? Android Things now offers a console for developers to more easily interact and tinker with all the devices operating on the Internet of Things (IoT) platform.

The Things console essentially gives developers more control over what’s going with their connected Android Things-compatible devices. As explained in the official Android Developers blog:

This console allows developers to manage the software running on their fleet of Android Things IoT devices, including creating factory images, as well as updating the operating system and developer-provided APKs. Devices need to run a system image downloaded via the Android Things Console to receive future updates, such as the upcoming Developer Preview 5. Google provides all of the infrastructure for over-the-air (OTA) updates, so developers can focus on their specific application and not have to build their own implementation – getting their IoT devices to enter the market faster and more securely than before.

The console offers a variety of features that let you individually control each of the IoT devices you might have running Android Things, including the ability to update the firmware. You can also use the console to configure Google Play Services on each connected gadget in your house or to create custom factory images and side-load APKs. Any devices you register through the console will also receive future software updates for Android Things, including the forthcoming Developer Preview 5.

There are links in the original post to a beautiful set of documentation, and Google encourages you to join its IoT Developers Community if you aren’t already.

What to Do When Your PlayStation VR Won’t Turn On

There are few things more stressful than when technology fails, but relax: we’ve got you covered

If you’re a gamer, chances are you’re familiar with all sorts of technological terrors. Red ring of death. “The servers are busy at this time.” The exciting, seemingly random combination of letters, numbers, and dashes. But if there’s one thing that brings heart to the fear of every gamer, it’s pressing the power button on your console or accessory, and nothing happening.

Sometimes that can happen with PlayStation VR, but if it happens to you, don’t panic: we’ll teach you ways to troubleshoot this on your own.

Read more at VRheads

Aukey is offering 3-packs of its USB-C cables for as little as $9, 5-packs for $14

USB-C has been slowly taking over, and recently we’ve seen more and more electronics include it as the standard charging method. While USB-C has plenty of advantages, this change means that all of your old cables will no longer help you charge, and now you’ll need a bunch of new ones. Right now, Aukey is offering some pretty nice discounts on its 3 and 5-packs of USB-C cables, which helps make the transition a bit more affordable.

You can grab a basic 3-pack for as little as $8.80, or opt for the braided ones which are perfect for those who are a bit harsher on their cables) for just $11.99. You’ll need to use a coupon code during checkout at Amazon to get these prices, so be sure to use the matching coupon code below for the listing you select.

• (3) 3.3ft USB 3.0 A to C Braided Nylon Cables – $11.99 with code HERD4ZTU
• (3) 3.3ft USB 3.0 A to C Cables – $8.80 with code MYGKA8LL
• (5) USB 3.0 A to C Cables – $13.99 with code FGHO3V96

Be sure to stock up on these cables now, your future self will thank you later.

Did you know Google+ is 6 years old today?

Are you even still using the social network?

Look, I’d never go up to a six-year-old kid and say, bluntly, “I forgot it was your birthday.” That would probably melt the child’s heart enough to warrant at least a year of therapy when he hits college. But the truth is, I forgot that today was Google+’s birthday (thanks to Android Police for reminding us to send a card).

I didn’t even realize that it’s been around six years. Will it make it to 10?

Part of the reason I’m not as engaged with Google+ as I used to be years ago is that the feature I was most excited about has been effectively removed from the social network. Google Photos is its own thing now, and the photo albums and sharing features I loved in Google+’s heydays are better than ever before.

But the social network is still ripe with thriving communities, whether they be photographers, cooks or Pokémon enthusiasts. Google is still encouraging its developers to get involved in the social network, too, and it even redesigned the site late last year to give it a bit of a bump.

Tell us: are you still using Google+? And will you blow a candle out in honor of the social network?

iPhone Photography Awards 2017 – The best photos taken on an iPhone

The Apple iPhone always has an incredibly good camera, no matter which version you have. With the very latest iPhone 7 Plus, Apple used a dual-lens camera for the first time to offer greater zoom and effective bokeh effects.

Photographers often turn to the iPhone to take professional-style photos, ditching the need for ‘proper’ DSLR cameras and expensive kit. Apple’s smartphone has become so popular for taking photos, that the term iPhoneography was coined, which refers to an image that has been shot and processed solely on the phone.

It’s with that in mind that the iPhone Photography Awards were born, and have been going since 2008. There are 20 categories in total, which include:

• Photographer of the Year
• The America I Know
• Abstract
• Animals
• Architecture
• Children
• Floral
• Landscape
• Lifestyle
• Nature
• News/Events
• Other
• Panorama
• People
• Portrait
• Series
• Still Life
• Sunset
• Travel
• Trees

The winners of this year’s competition are in, and the successful photos are better than ever. 

Children of Qayyarah – Grand Prize Winner, Photographer of the Year

Sebastiano Tomada

Sebastiano Tomada, from Brooklyn New York, United States. Children of Qayyarah was shot on an iPhone 6s.

Dock Worker – 1st Prize Winner, Photographer of the Year

Branda O Se

Branda O Se, from Cork, Ireland. Dock Worker was shot on an iPhone 6s.

The Performer – 2nd Place, Photographer of the Year

Yeow-Kwang Yeo

Yeow-Kwang Yeo, from Singapore. The Performer was shot on an iPhone 6 Plus.

The City Palace – 3rd Place, Photographer of the Year

Kuanglong Zhang

Kuanglong Zhang, from Shenzhen, China. The City Palace was shot on an iPhone 7.

1st Place – The America I Know

Juan Carlos Castañeda

Juan Carlos Castañeda from Astoria NY, United States. This photo was shot on an iPhone 7 Plus.

2nd Place – The America I Know

Davis Bell

Davis Bell, from Los Angeles CA, United States. This photo was shot on an iPhone 6.

3rd Place – The America I Know

Maria K. Pianu

Maria K. Pianu, from Pordenone, Italy. This photo was shot on an iPhone 6s.

1st Place – Abstract

Christopher Armstrong

Christopher Armstrong from Sydney, Australia.

2nd Place – Abstract

David Redhill

David Redhill from Sydney, Australia. This photo was shot on an iPhone 7 Plus.

3rd Place – Abstract

Lee Jones

Lee Jones from Shanghai, China. This photo was shot on an iPhone 7.

1st Place – Animals

Francesca Tonegutti

Francesca Tonegutti from Milan, Italy. This photo was shot on an iPhone 6.

2nd Place – Animals

Dongrui Yu

Dongrui Yu from Yunnan, China. This photo was shot on an iPhone 6s Plus.

3rd Place – Animals

Shuo Li

Shuo Li from Beijing, China. This photo was shot on an iPhone 7 Plus.

1st Place – Architecture

Paddy Chao

Paddy Chao, from Taipei, Taiwan. This photo was shot on an iPhone 7 Plus.

2nd Place – Architecture

Patryk Kuleta

Patryk Kuleta from Warsaw, Poland.

3rd Place – Architecture

Naian Feng

Naian Feng from Shanghai, China. This photo was shot on an iPhone 6s Plus.

1st Place – Children

 

Szymon Felkel

 

Szymon Felkel from Poznan, Poland.

2nd Place – Children

Varvara Vislenko

Varvara Vislenko from St. Petersburg, Russia. This photo was shot on an iPhone 6s.

3rd Place – Children

Barry Mayes

Barry Mayes from Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.

1st Place – Floral

Sidney Po

Sidney Po from Cebu, Phillipines.

2nd Place – Floral

Smetanina Julia

Smetanina Julia from Moscow, Russia.

3rd Place – Floral

Laura Warren

Laura Warren from Putney, VT, United States.

1st Place – Landscape

Christian Horgan

Christian Horgan from Freemantle, Australia.

2nd Place – Landscape

Sergey Pesterev

Sergey Pesterev from Mendeleevo, Russia.

3rd Place – Landscape

Alexandra Maldonado

Alexandra Maldonado from Quito, Ecuador.

1st Place – Lifestyle

 

Nick Trombola

 

Nick Trombola from Pittsburgh, PA USA.

2nd Place – Lifestyle

YuMing Guan

YuMing Guan from Guangdong, China.

3rd Place – Lifestyle

Chung Hung

Chung Hung from Taipei, Taiwan.

1st Place – Nature

Aaron Sandberg

Aaron Sandberg from Chicago IL, United States. This photo was shot on an iPhone 6s.

2nd Place – Nature

Dongrui Yu

Dongrui Yu from Yunnan, China.

3rd Place – Nature

Joseph-Cyr

Joseph-Cyr from Tucson AZ, United States.

1st Place – News/Events

Samuel Nacar

Samuel Nacar from Albacete, Spain.

2nd Place – News/Events

Thea Mihu

Thea Mihu from Sibiu, Romania.

3rd Place – News/Events

Xirui Huang

Xirui Huang from Hunan, China.

1st Place – Other

Darren Boyd

Darren Boyd from London, United Kingdom.

2nd Place – Other

Zarni Myo Win

Zarni Myo Win from Yangon, Myanmar.

3rd Place – Other

Glenn Homann

Glenn Homann from Ipswich Queensland, Australia.

1st Place – Panorama

Nick Trombola

Nick Trombola from Pittsburgh PA, USA.

2nd Place – Panorama

Andrew McCausland

Andrew McCausland from Abbotsford BC, Canada.

3rd Place – Panorama

Brian Marchuck

Brian Marchuck from Lancaster PA, United States.

1st Place – People

Dina Alfasi

Dina Alfasi from Israel.

2nd Place – People

Jiabing He

Jiabing He from Guangdong, China.

3rd Place – People

Marina Spironetti

Marina Spironetti from Milano, Italy.

1st Place – Portrait

Gabriel Ribeiro

Gabriel Ribeiro from Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

2nd Place – Portrait

Dan Liu

Dan Liu from Sichuan, China

3rd Place – Portrait

Vlad Vasylkevych

Vlad Vasylkevych from Kiev, Ukraine

1st Place – Series – Image of Structure

Joshua Sarinana

Joshua Sarinana from Cambridge MA, United States

2nd Place – Series – Hidden Parts

Javier Wandosell

Javier Wandosell from Madrid, Spain

3rd Place – Series – Alzheimer

Pierfrancesco Ajroldi

Pierfrancesco Ajroldi from Roma, Italy

1st Place – Still Life

David Hayes

David Hayes from Milford OH, United States

2nd Place – Still Life

Deena Berton

Deena Berton from Weston MA, United States

3rd Place – Still Life

Waldemar Nowak

Waldemar Nowak from Gdańsk, Polan

1st Place – Sunset

Kuanglong Zhang

Kuanglong Zhang from Guangdong, China

2nd Place – Sunset

Xiaoying Tang

Xiaoying Tang from Zhejiang, China

3rd Place – Sunset

Joseph Cyr

Joseph Cyr from Tucson AZ, United States

1st Place – Travel

Jen Pollack Bianco

Jen Pollack Bianco from Seattle WA, United States

2nd Place – Travel

Joshua Sarinana

Joshua Sarinana from Cambridge MA, United States

3rd Place – Travel

Li Jinquan

Li Jinquan from Beijing, Chin

1st Place – Trees

Magali Chesnel

Magali Chesnel from Ferney-Voltaire, France

2nd Place – Trees

Dyllon Wolf

Dyllon Wolf from Huntingtown MD, United States

3rd Place – Trees

Kaiyuan Teng

Kaiyuan Teng from Taipei, Taiwan

A lizard-inspired robot gripper may solve our space-junk problems

Space junk is a huge problem in orbit. Over 500,000 pieces of debris are currently orbiting the Earth at up to 17,500 miles per hour, and we haven’t yet figured out how to clean it up. But engineers at Stanford may have made a breakthrough: They’ve designed a robotic gripper based on gecko’s feet that works in zero-g. The end goal is to use it to clean up space junk.

The problem with existing technology is that everything is designed to work at Earth’s gravity, within Earth’s temperature range. Scotch tape and other sticky substances aren’t adhesive in the cold temperatures of space. Suction cups rely on atmospheric pressure, which doesn’t exist in the vacuum of space. And many other devices, such as harpoons, nets and traditional grippers, require too much force, which could send debris in dangerous and unintended directions.

Geckos can climb up walls and other vertical surfaces because of microscopic flaps on their feet that create an adhesive force. By modeling their technology on these flaps, the team was able to create a gripper that only requires a small push to stick to a surface. Instead of using force to grab the object, coauthor Elliot Hawkes says in the news release, “I can touch the adhesive pads very gently to a floating object, squeeze the pads toward each other so that they’re locked and then I’m able to move the object around.”

So far, the gripper has been tested in multiple zero gravity environments, including on a parabolic airplane flight (also known as the vomit comet). A small version of the robotic gripper was sent to the International Space Station for testing aboard the station, but it hasn’t yet been used outside in the vacuum of space. The team’s next step is to design a larger, more durable gripper that can handle both space’s temperature extremes and the higher radiation outside the ISS.

Via: EurekAlert

Source: Stanford University

Adidas’ All Day fitness app hits iOS and Android devices

Exactly three months after announcing its All Day fitness app, Adidas is finally launching it in the US. The application, which is available for iOS and Android, focuses on serving up insights about different health aspects, such as mindset, movement, nutrition rest. Adidas says that All Day is designed for “versatile” athletes, meaning that the app’s goal isn’t just to help you with tough workouts, but also showing you anything from quick meditation moves to how to cook healthy recipes. While All Day is only available for those of you in the States right now, the sportswear giant tells Engadget that the app will be coming to other markets later this fall.

Source: Adidas