Alexa can remind you to pick up the dry-cleaning

Amazon has begun rolling out a couple of upgrades for Alexa, and while they might sound pretty minor, they could make the voice assistant more helpful for every day tasks. If you’re in the US, you’ll soon receive an update for your Echo speaker (if you haven’t yet) that gives Alexa the capability to set reminders. For example, you can say “Alexa, remind me to pick up the dry cleaning on Thursday at 5PM” or “Alexa, remind me to pay rent June 1 at 10AM.” When that time comes, the speaker’s blue ring will light up, and Alexa will remind you of what you need to do. You can view all the reminders you set in the Alerts & Alarms section if you want to see your itinerary or to change it up.

In addition, you can now name timers to make them less confusing. You can, for instance, ask Alexa to set a pasta timer and a garlic bread timer, so the assistant can tell you which one is up when the timer goes off. That gives you a way to ask about the status of or to cancel a specific timer. Say, you can tell Alexa to cancel the garlic bread one if you finish making it before the timer goes off or ask it how much longer you still have to wait to take your lasagna out of the oven. While these features are exclusively available in the US at the moment, Amazon promises to release them in the UK and in Germany in the coming weeks.

Netflix cancels ‘Sense8’ after two seasons

Just a week after Netflix pulled the plug on its Baz Luhrmann-produced musical series The Get Down, the streaming service announced the cancellation of the Wachowski’s sci-fi series Sense8. The show revolved around a group of strangers with an unusual connection, and as a result required costly around the world filming. According to Deadline, its lengthy development process meant that the stars’ options for a third season had lapsed by the time season two launched, and even though Netflix had reached out to negotiate new contracts it ended up canceling the show anyway.

These shows aren’t the first ones Netflix has dropped. Its first original series Lilyhammer and the pricey production Marco Polo are both gone, as well as Hemlock Grove, Bloodline and Longmire. That last one had been revived after its initial run on A&E, and fans are usually asking Netflix to revive their original shows — there’s currently a campaign for WGN’s Underground to continue on the service — but even with billions committed to producing TV and movies, not everything makes the cut.

Thank you for being a part of our journey. Sensates forever. pic.twitter.com/SClwiY3rwy

— Sense8 (@sense8) June 1, 2017

Cindy Holland, VP Netflix original content:

“After 23 episodes, 16 cities and 13 countries, the story of the Sense8 cluster is coming to an end. It is everything we and the fans dreamed it would be: bold, emotional, stunning, kick ass, and outright unforgettable. Never has there been a more truly global show with an equally diverse and international cast and crew, which is only mirrored by the connected community of deeply passionate fans all around the world. We thank Lana, Lilly, Joe and Grant for their vision, and the entire cast and crew for their craftsmanship and commitment.

Source: Netflix

How to watch the 2017 NBA finals online

Update: Revised for the 2017 NBA Finals.

With three rounds of the NBA Playoffs in the books, a mere four victories separate the final two teams — the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers — from hoisting the coveted Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. Can LeBron James and the Cavaliers repeat as champions, or will Steph Curry and the lights-out Warriors continue their season-long dominance and bring the Bay Area yet another World Championship? It all starts Thursday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland; basketball fans, this is what you’ve waited for since October.

While the NBA’s popularity knows no boundaries, the same can’t be said for the broadcasts. Whether it’s your boss coming down on you for watching at work, your decision to cut cable, or some other obstacle, it’s not always easy to get your NBA fix. We feel your pain, so we’ve compiled this guide detailing how you can stream the Finals in the comforts of your own home. So bust out your favorite Bill Laimbeer throwback jersey and put on some Shawn Kemp Kamikazes, here’s your ticket to the 2017 NBA playoffs.

Streaming options

Live Stream on ABC’s website or using the ABC app

ABC offers a live stream of the NBA Finals online if you live in one of a few select markets, including Chicago, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, and San Francisco. Similarly, customers with a DirecTV subscription in areas such as Albuquerque, Boston, Ft. Smith/Fayetteville, Jackson (Mississippi), Kansas City, Milwaukee, Monterey-Salinas, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Pittsburgh, Portland-Auburn (Maine), Savannah, and West Palm Beach can view the ABC live stream. Of course, you’ll need to verify your TV provider beforehand. You can also watch the Finals on your smartphone or tablet with the ABC app — again, if you’re in one of the aforementioned cities — which is available on the following platforms.

Apple TV (2nd generation and later)
Roku
Amazon Fire TV
Amazon Fire TV Stick
Windows (Windows XP and later)

Hardware: Processor: 2.33GHz or faster x86-compatible processor, Intel Atom 1.6GHz or faster processor (for netbooks)

MacOS (Mac OS X 10.6 and later)

Hardware: Intel Core Duo 1.33GHz or faster processor, MacOS v10.6 or later, 256MB of RAM, 128MB of graphics memory

Apple iPhone (iOS 8 and later)
Apple iPad (iOS 8 and later)
iPod touch  (iOS 8 and later)
Android phones (Android 4.0 and later)
Android tablets (Android 4.0 and later)
Kindle Fire HD  (7.0 and 8.9-inch)
Kindle Fire (2nd generation and later)

WatchESPN

ESPN’s companion client, WatchESPN, gives NBA fans live access to any Finals game set to stream on either ESPN or ESPN 2. The service does require users to sign-in with a compatible cable or satellite subscription, hindering access to those who’ve completely gone off the grid. Nevertheless, those who possess the required credentials — or know someone who does — gain access to the exact same broadcast as those who choose to watch on television. Basically this means you won’t miss out on hearing Jeff Van Gundy go on about fired coaches, how to stop LeBron James, and his disdain for the Chicago Bulls’ management team.

Apple iPad (iOS 8 and later)
Android TV
Apple iPhone (iOS 8 and later)
PlayStation 4
Apple TV
Xbox One
Apple iPod touch (iOS 8 or later)
Android phones (Android 4.0 and later)
Android tablets (Android 4.0 and later)
Chromecast
Roku
Kindle Fire
Xbox One S

Sling TV

The new cord-cutter’s special from Dish Network provides a great way to watch the NBA Finals without a cable or satellite subscription. Subscribers to Sling TV’s introductory package ($20 a month) get channels such as TNT, TBS, and ESPN, granting even basic users access to the Finals.

Microsoft’s Xbox One even recently gained access to a Sling TV application, and DISH Network currently offers users a free trial of everything the streaming service offers. Although the trial lasts a mere seven days, it’s worth checking out given the sheer amount of content users have access to. Do keep in mind, however, that you need to cancel the trial before it ends, otherwise you’ll notice a one-month charge for $20 on your next bank statement. You can check availability in your area here, and browse the list of Sling TV-compatible devices below.

Apple iPad (iOS 9 and later)
Roku (Roku LT and later)
Apple iPhone (iOS 9 and later)
Select LG Smart TVs
Apple TV (4th generation and later)
Xbox One
LeEco Smart TVs
Android phones (Android 4.4 and later)
Android tablets (Android 4.4 and later)
Mac (Lion 10.7 and later)
Amazon Fire TV
Kindle Fire
Chromecast
PC (Windows 7 or later)

PlayStation Vue

Like Dish Network, Sony recently joined the cord-cutting revolution and now offers subscriptions for its own version of an online streaming service. Called PlayStation Vue, subscribers to the service gain broadcast access to channels such as NBC, Fox, CBS, TNT, ABC, ESPN and a host of other top-tier networks. The prices of these plans vary and the most basic option with Finals coverage starts at $40.

Similar to ABC’s aforementioned streaming option, the Finals games are only available on PlayStation Vue in select cities. If you live outside of these select markets, you can watch NBA Finals games after they have aired. If you visit the PlayStation Vue website and you’re only allowed to peruse the Slim packages, then odds are you do not live in one of the select markets showing the NBA Finals. If you do, however, you can access PlayStation Vue using any of the following devices.

iPad (2nd generation and later)
Google Chromecast (1st generation and later)
Apple iPhone (iOS 7 and later)
Roku devices (OS 7.1 and later)
iPod touch
iPad Mini (1st generation and later)
PlayStation 3
Amazon Fire TV
PlayStation 4
Android TV
Apple TV (4th generation running OS 10 and later)
Android tablets (Android OS version 4.4 and later)
Android phones (Android OS version 4.4 and later)
PlayStation Vue Mobile
Amazon Fire tablets (3rd generation and later)
Amazon Fire TV Stick

The Finals schedule

(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (2) Cleveland Cavaliers

Game 1: Thursday, June 1 – Cleveland at Golden State (9 p.m. ET – ABC)

Game 2: Sunday, June 4 – Cleveland at Golden State, (8 p.m. ET – ABC)

Game 3: Wednesday, June 7 – Golden State at Cleveland, (9 p.m. ET – ABC)

Game 4: Friday, June 9 – Golden State at Cleveland, (9 p.m. ET – ABC)

Game 5*: Monday, June 12 – Cleveland at Golden State, (9 p.m. ET – ABC)

Game 6*: Thursday, June 15 – Golden State at Cleveland, (9 p.m. ET – ABC)

Game 7*: Sunday, June 18 – Cleveland at Golden State, (8 p.m. ET – ABC)

*if necessary

Google is helping websites make their ads a little less annoying

Why it matters to you

Your web browsing experience should get a lot better soon, as Google works hard to make online advertising less annoying.

The internet is a tricky business today. Users are growing increasingly tired of obtrusive and disruptive web ads, while publishers still need to generate revenue to pay for their ongoing operations.

While some people don’t want to see any ads at all, many users just want advertising to be manageable and to no longer detract so badly from the browsing experience. That’s where Google’s efforts to make advertising less intrusive come in.

Google is an advertising company itself, of course. The majority of its revenue comes from internet ads, and so it has a vested interest in making sure that users can enjoy the web experience without resorting to ad blocker software that could destroy the online advertising industry. In other words, Google doesn’t want people to block all ads just to get rid of that single annoying one that blasts music unexpectedly and can’t be turned off.

In order to help make online ads more effective by being less obtrusive and obnoxious, Google joined the Coalition for Better Ads. This industry group aims to improve online ads and has created a set of Better Ads Standards intended to guide the industry toward improving ads by providing clear, public, and data-driven guidelines.

As part of its efforts, Google is creating the Ad Experience Report, which will help publishers get a handle on the Better Ads Standards and learn how to apply them to their own sites. Publishers can check out Google’s new best practices guide to get an idea of the right kinds of ads to use.

In addition, Google has a new service, called Funding Choices, that publishers can use to display a customized message to site visitors who are running ad blocker software. The message invites users to enable ads on that particular site — presuming that the standards are being followed — and offer up a paid pass that can remove those sites. The new Google Contributor is the mechanism that sites can use to charge this fee.

Google is making changes to its own Chrome browser to help resolve the situation as well. For example, Chrome already blocks ads that want to pop-up in new tabs, and Chrome will eventually block ads on sites that don’t comply with the Better Ads Standards. That will start in early 2018.

Fixing the ad situation is important for users, publishers, and advertisers alike. The more that Google can do to keep users happy while still serving up ads, the better it is for its business — meaning that this is one Google initiative that we’re sure it won’t abandon anytime soon.

Walmart invites its employees to deliver packages to customers’ homes

Why it matters to you

No brick and mortar or online store offers free shipping for next or same-day delivery. But Walmart may.

Looking to expand upon its no-membership-needed two-day shipping option, Walmart is calling upon its own employees to deliver packages to customers. Participation by store employees is completely voluntary, and is being presented as a way to make additional money.

Right now, the service is only active in two stores in New Jersey and a third store in northwest Arkansas. Essentially, an employee tells their home store how they commute home, with the option to also add other after-work destinations. A proprietary system then matches the employee’s travels with potential deliveries, which he or she can choose to fulfill.

Special algorithms ensure that any delivery is not too far off the employee’s typical commute. This suggests that the company is attempting to make employee participation as attractive as possible by minimizing the inconvenience of delivery. A special app will navigate the employee from delivery to delivery to optimize their route.

“It just makes sense: We already have trucks moving orders from fulfillment centers to stores for pickup,” Walmart ecommerce president and CEO Marc Lore says. “Those same trucks could be used to bring ship-to-home orders to a store close to their final destination, where a participating associate can sign up to deliver them to the customer’s house.”

Walmart requires that employees pass additional background checks and motor vehicle inspections, and provide proof of insurance. However, the employee can control what type of deliveries they’re comfortable with, including how many packages they’re willing to deliver and maximum size and weight.

In terms of scale, such an effort could be substantial if Walmart can get enough employees to participate. Lore says 90 percent of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a Walmart location. The speed of the Walmart distribution system itself could even get packages to online customers the next day — something that no online or brick-and-mortar retailer can do at no cost to the consumer.

Indeed, Lowe sees the move as game-changing, even hinting at same-day deliveries if the system works well. But don’t expect Walmart employees to make a substantial amount of money through the new offering: TechCrunch reports that employees that participate do so at their typical hourly rate.

Given that the cost of gas and wear and tear to an employee’s vehicle are factors that are similar to driving for Uber and Lyft, that is one area where Walmart’s plans might need a little work — even if employees are benefiting from the fact that they’re actual employees, not contractors as is the case with some other local carrier options and ridesharing services.

Misfit now lets you fully customise your wearable before you buy it

Remember Moto Maker? Well, Misfit has a similar tool for its devices.

Motorola launched an online tool in 2013 that allowed customers to customise the look of their Moto X phones. We reviewed it and loved the experience. Now, taking a page from Motorola’s playbook, Misfit’s My Misfit tool lets you you personalise a Misfit device. You can change the colour, strap style, and material of a variety of Misfit products. There’s a total of “600 unique possible combinations”, Misfit said.

Colours include Jet, Rose Tone, Silver, Midnight, and Champagne, while strap styles range from paracode to leather to silicone. But the new tool only works with select Misfit products. You can use it to customise the Shine 2, which has the original Misfit design, Ray, which is a minimalist movement tracker, Phase, a simple analog watch with tracking features, and Vapor, a touchscreen smartwatch.

• Misfit Phase is the company’s first smartwatch
• Misfit Shine 2 gets Speedo swim tracker upgrade
• Misfit Ray review: Design over delivery

Here’s how it works: go to the tool, pick your device, choose a colour, select a strap, and that’s it. Misfit said it will build it and ship it straight to your door, and it’ll even cover shipping. It of course has visualisations of anything you want to buy, so you can check it out completely before you cash out. Will it help Misfit to beat Fitbit and other companies making affordable trackers? Who knows.

But it’s still a nice addition nevertheless.

Facebook Albums will store any kind of status update

Next time you create a Facebook album for a trip or an event, you can toss everything in there for posterity, not just photos and videos. That means if you posted a text-only status update or checked-into a hotel, a theme park, a resto, a tourist spot or anywhere else, you can add them all to the album for that specific outing. According to TechCrunch, Facebook has already begun rolling out the changes to the web and to Android devices. We have no exact date for iOS, but the new features will apparently be available for iPhones and iPads “soon.”

In addition to being able to compile and categorize pretty much every kind of status update, you can now choose a “featured” album to display on your profile. If you have friends who go on crazy adventures, you can follow theirs to get notified about their latest escapades. But if you went with them on those adventures, you can all collaborate on a single album now that Facebook has made the process easier — all you have to do is toggle the option on when you create a new one.

With these changes, you can tell a fuller and more compelling story with each and every folder in your collection. The social network is clearly aiming to turn creating and maintaining albums a more interactive and personal experience, probably as a way to compete with its youth-focused rivals like Snapchat.

Source: TechCrunch

All-new Skype: What’s changed and why is it better?

Microsoft bought Skype nearly six years ago, and to be honest, it feels like the service hasn’t changed much since.

Sure, it’s moved from a peer-to-peer service to the cloud, and it’s rolled out some design changes and features, such as free group video calling and Skype for Web, but in a world that is now dominated with messaging challengers like Slack, FaceTime, iMessage, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and more, it somehow feels a bit antiquated. We at Pocket-lint even ditched Skype for Slack.

In attempt to stop more users from fleeing the service, and perhaps inject a little excitement into it as well, Microsoft is redesigning Skype. The new update, which is touted as “the next generation of Skype”, is all about messaging – even though Skype is known for video and audio calls. Here’s everything you need to know about the all-new Skype, including what’s changed and whether it is better now.

• 5 apps that give you free voice calling
• 5 best alternatives to Skype

What is Skype?

Skype is a communications service owned by Microsoft. It offers text, voice, and video calling. You can use it on your phone, computer, or even a TV. It is free to start using Skype, and you can can even try out group video, but if you pay to upgrade, you can do more things, like call phones. Check out Skype’s website to learn more information. Pocket-lint also has an entire Skype hub with related articles.

What’s changed in Skype?

Find and Chat

Microsoft said it rebuilt Skype from “the ground up” – with chatting features finally front and center. The new Skype messaging interface now shows three sections in a conversation: find, chat, and capture. Find lets you search in a conversation, whether you want to find images, restaurants, or tie-ins like Giphy, while Chat is the basic conversation view with options for emoji and images, etc.

Capture

Capture is the newest and most interesting section. It’s kind of like Snapchat, but it’s inside Skype. It opens the camera to let you take pictures or video. If you’re shooting a video, you’ll see a curvy line that shows the amount of time for a recording. You’ll also see this line when calling or when contacts are typing. After you’ve captured a video or picture, you can add effects like stickers and text and more.

Highlights

There’s also a new Highlights feature, which reminds us of Snapchat stories. With it, you can share a stream of photos and videos that others can see and react with emoticons. Skype also lets you react to text and video conversations. During calls, for instance, you can drag and drop people around and then just tap on the reaction icon next to any message or video call to express how you feel.

To post a Highlight, swipe to access your camera, then take a photo or video, and post it to your Highlights or send it directly to your contacts or groups. Check out Skype’s FAQ page here for more information on how to post a Highlight.

Is Skype better now?

Microsoft has been tweaking Skype here and there over the years, trying different ways to get people to use Skype instead of the growing list competitors. Skype Qik, for instance, was a way to conquer mobile video messaging, but that didn’t work out. Nevertheless, people all over still use Skype for video and audio calls. Microsoft has the users and brand, it just needs to make Skype cool again.

That’s where this redesign comes in – but, unfortunately, it just copies Snapchat, which is something Facebook has been trying to do for years, and seems to be failing at, to be frank. Still, we think universal search, a simple user interface, fresh design, and new features are exciting. It made us re-open the app after a long while, but will we drop Snapchat or Messenger for it? Probably not.

When will the new Skype roll out?

Microsoft is rolling out the new Skype to Android mobile devices first, followed by iOS, Windows, and Mac.

Want to know more?

Check out Skype’s blog post or visit the Skype.com feature page and FAQ hub to learn more.

US is now asking for visa applicants’ social media names 

Last month, the Trump administration formally proposed tougher vetting for visa applicants that would require more social media scrutiny. Today, the State Department formally enacted the expanded questionnaire, which will force applicants to disclose their social media handles from the last five years and biographical information going back 15 years.

The additional questions also include email addresses, phone numbers, past addresses, previous employment and travel history. A State Department official told Reuters that officials will be able to request additional information “to confirm identity or conduct more rigorous national security vetting.” Previously, the department claimed that only about 0.5 percent of applicants worldwide would receive the extended questionnaire.

The questions are technically voluntary, but the form notes that failing to answer could delay or outright prevent the visa’s processing. During the public comment period following the proposed questionnaire expansion, critics attacked the effort for likely increasing the already-slow process and potentially discouraging international students and scientists from attempting to enter the country. Immigration lawyers noted that tracking personal history back so far might open up applicants to innocent mistakes, which could also delay visa processing.

Asking for social media information didn’t start with the Trump administration: Last June, the Department of Homeland Security requested that such questions go on visa applications. They were approved in December, but only for those applying for visa waivers.

Source: Reuters

Nintendo Switch’s online features will cost just $20 a year

When Nintendo announced that the Switch would feature a paid online subscription model like Xbox Live and PlayStation Plus, it was vauge on the details. We knew the service would cost less than the competition and offer some kind of subscription bonus, but the specifics werne’t clear. Today, Nintendo filled in some of those details: starting in 2018, online services for Nintendo Switch will cost just $20 a year — a fee that buys online play, voice chat and access to a “compilation” of classic Nintendo titles that have been modded for online multiplayer.

Developing…