Relieve stress and anxiety with this top-rated meditation app

We’re living in anxious times where it can be tough to take the time to reflect and relax your mind with some mindful meditation. There are many mindfulness apps available out there, but not all are created equal. You’ll want to find one that’s been thoughtfully designed and optimized for personalization.

Save 82% on a lifetime subscription to Aura Premium! Learn more

Aura Premium is a highly-rated meditation app that’s been developed by top meditation teachers and therapists that’s been built around a groundbreaking AI that learns how to provide more specific meditation for your feelings the more you use it. It takes as little as three minutes of meditation every day to help relieve stress and anxiety, so you’ll be able to get in a quick session before starting work.

Android Central Digital Offers has a great deal on Aura subscriptions — you can get a lifetime subscription for just $69.99, a savings of 82% off the $399 regular price. Don’t know if you want to commit to a lifetime subscription? You also have options to get a 1-year subscription for $29.99 or a 2-year subscription for $49.99](https://digitaloffers.androidcentral.com/sales/aura-premium-2-year-subscription). It’s a great

Relieve stress and anxiety with Aura Premium! Learn more

If you’ve never used a meditation app before you can check it out from the app store and see if it’s right for you. If this is something that will improve your life, be sure to jump on this deal soon before it passes.

OnePlus 5: Top things you need to know

It’s time to get to know the OnePlus 5.

This is the most expensive phone OnePlus has ever made, and subsequently has the highest expectations. The base plan to meet those expectations is to double down on the formula that has at least got OnePlus this far: high-end specs, solid hardware and super-fast software. Then there’s the extra bit of marketing thrown behind its camera setup, which is the first substantial change to the formula of previous OnePlus phones.

The best place to get up to speed with the OnePlus 5 is right here — here are the top things you need to know about this phone.

The specs are top-notch

For another generation, OnePlus is giving us just about all of the top-end specs we want to see in a high-end phone today. It starts with the latest Snapdragon 835 processor, and continues on with a standard 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. There’s also an optional 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model for just $60 extra.

You’ll also see an above-average 3300mAh battery inside despite the phone’s 7.25 mm thickness, and it offers quick charging that can match or exceed how quickly other phones charge up with their Quick Charge 3.0 tech. You get USB-C connectivity, of course, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack — unfortunately, an increasingly rare item these days.

More: Spec comparison: OnePlus 5 vs. OnePlus 3

We’re missing waterproofing, though

But of course, a phone that starts at $479 can’t do it all. There are still a few specs and features “missing” here that you could find on other phones … but the biggest one is waterproofing.

Yup, you won’t find an IP rating at all on the OnePlus 5, and that’s something you find in just about all of the flagship competition. No matter that those phones are $150-250 more than the OnePlus 5, because OnePlus is definitely framing its latest phone as a competitor to those flagships.

Some things remain unchanged from the OnePlus 3

For all of the advancements in the OnePlus 5, some parts of its experience have remain unchanged — or imperceptibly changed — from its predecessor, the OnePlus 3.

Much of what you find on the OnePlus 5 was introduced in 2016’s OnePlus 3.

Some key parts of the hardware experience are the same now as they were before, including the 5.5-inch 1080p display, the one-touch fingerprint sensor below the screen, the great “Alert Slider” on the left edge, and the Dash Charge fast charging system. The phone’s dimensions are also near-identical, with the OnePlus 5 being marginally thinner and narrower, and just shy of 2 mm taller.

The Android 7.1 Nougat software on the OnePlus 5 is also very similar in features to the OnePlus 3, particularly if you’ve dabbled in any of the beta builds for the older phone where the new software has been in testing. The experience of using the phones side-by-side today is hardly different, and the small differences can (and should) be brought to the OnePlus 3 in due time.

In many cases the stagnation isn’t a bad thing, but it is worth noting that the OnePlus 5 has strong continuity with the phone that came before it.

You now have two rear cameras

A substantial area of change when compared to the OnePlus 3 is the OnePlus 5’s camera setup. The new phone has a new 16MP camera, a faster f/1.7 lens and new image processing techniques, but has lost OIS (optical image stabilization) in the process. The main camera feels like an overall upgrade from the OnePlus 3, and it’s capable of taking some great photos. But its lack of physical stabilization hamstrings it in scenes with mixed or little light, and the results end up being a bit grainy or blurry if you’re not careful with stabilizing your hands.

Dual cameras give you new options — and one important omission.

Sitting right next to the “main” camera is another camera as well: a 20MP sensor with an f/2.6 lens that has a longer focal length — around 40 mm equivalent to the main’s 24 mm. You can tap the “2x” button in the camera app to quickly switch to this lens and take photos with a unique perspective — and because it has 20MP of resolution you can even digitally zoom in a tad without losing much fidelity.

The big reason for including the second camera is “Portrait Mode,” which is a way to use both lenses at once to create a faux background blurring effect to try and mimic what you’d see in a DSLR. It can be hit or miss (this software is really hard to do right), but when it works you get a cool-looking photo that’s different from what you’d see from either camera on its own.

It works just about anywhere in the world … but not Verizon

OnePlus surpassed a pretty big technological hurdle to be able to ship one model of the phone with radio support for 30+ countries — particularly in facing the Chinese market that uses many bands you don’t find anywhere else. That means you can take your phone to most places in the world and have it work on the local carrier, which is great for international travelers. There are also two SIM slots, giving you even more possibilities.

More: There’s one OnePlus 5 version for the whole world

The one shortcoming, speaking purely from a U.S. perspective, is its lack of support for Verizon and Sprint. Even though the OnePlus 5 technically supports some of the necessary LTE bands for the carriers, OnePlus is making no claim of testing or certification for those networks. It’s annoying and frustrating, but you shouldn’t buy the OnePlus 5 expecting to use it on Verizon or Sprint.

If you bring the OnePlus 5 to T-Mobile you’ll find it works great, including support for both VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling. Unfortunately those advanced calling features aren’t available on AT&T — you’ll get the basic voice and data services there.

Dash Charge is awesome, but has some requirements

The in-house developed Dash Charge charging system helps your OnePlus 5’s battery charge up incredibly fast. But because of the way the charger has to interact with the phone to perform the fast charging without generating much heat, it requires a special charger and cable. You must use a OnePlus-made Dash Charge charger and cable, or it just won’t work. OnePlus includes the correct charger and cable in the OnePlus 5’s box, and also offers extra wall chargers and car chargers on its website.

The only frustrating part about Dash Charge is that it isn’t cross-compatible with other fast charging systems, like the widely used Qualcomm Quick Charge or the more generic USB-C Power Delivery spec. That means if you plug into another charger (or use another cable) it will likely top out at about 5V/2.4A — which is pretty fast, but not nearly as fast as Dash Charge is.

Read our review and other coverage

Get to know the OnePlus 5 in detail by reading our comprehensive review and seeing how the phone compares to the Galaxy S8 and then how [its camera stacks up to the Galaxy S8, too)(https://www.androidcentral.com/camera-comparison-oneplus-5-vs-samsung-galaxy-s8).

OnePlus 5

• Complete OnePlus 5 review
• Reviewing our first OnePlus 5 photos
• OnePlus 5 specs
• Which OnePlus 5 model should you buy?
• Camera comparison: OnePlus 5 vs. Galaxy S8
• The latest OnePlus 5 news
• Join the discussion in the forums

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Google removes private medical records from search results

Personal medical records are supposed to stay between you and your doctor, but in a digital age that’s not always what happens.

Healthcare systems get hacked, insurance providers suffer massive data breaches, and clerical errors lead to medical records being put up online for the world to see, and more importantly search for. Keeping your medical records private is something protected by law in many parts of the world, including HIPAA privacy laws in the United States, so it makes some sense that Google is removing confidential medical records from its search results.

The category was added to the list of content Google removes from searches this week, with confidential media information joining revenge porn on the list of removed content. Considering the damage people can do if they find your medical records (especially since many medical records are tied to a person’s social security number), it’s not that shocking to see it added to the list. Does this mean the information won’t show up somewhere, somehow on the internet? No, but it does mean that when and if it does, it’s going to be much harder for people to find it.

How to pair a PS4 or Xbox One controller to NVIDIA Shield TV

If you’re not happy with NVIDIA’s own controllers, why not use a PS4 or Xbox One controller instead with your Shield TV?

The NVIDIA Shield TV is a great little box for playing games on. Whether it’s native Android games or those streamed from your PC or Geforce Now, the Shield TV has some serious gaming chops.

It also has a pretty darn good controller in the box to play them with. But if you have a preference for either Sony’s PS4 Dualshock 4 controller or Microsoft’s Xbox One controller, you’re in luck. You can use both with the NVIDIA Shield TV without needing to use a cable.

Here’s how you do it.

How to pair a PS4 controller with the NVIDIA Shield TV

To pair the Dualshock 4 to your Shield TV simply follow these steps:

Put your controller in pairing mode by holding down the PS button and the share button together until the light bar blinks.
Go to settings on your Shield TV.
Select add accessory.
Wait for the Shield TV to find the controller over Bluetooth.
Select your controller to pair.

Your PS4 controller should now be paired wirelessly with the NVIDIA Shield TV for you to enjoy in your games.

How to pair an Xbox One controller with the NVIDIA Shield TV

There’s a little caveat to using an Xbox One controller, and that’s which version you have. To connect wirelessly you need to have the latest version of the controller that launched alongside the Xbox One S. The easy way to tell is that the Xbox button is surrounded by plastic the same color as the rest of the controller.

Only this version has Bluetooth inside it for pairing with non-Xbox devices.

You’ll also need to make sure the firmware is up to date if you’re not already using the same controller on an Xbox One console. If you need to do this on a PC, download the Xbox Accessories application from the Windows Store and you’ll be able to update it from within.

The steps then are really simple:

Go to settings on your Shield TV.
Select add accessory.
Wait for the Shield TV to find the controller over Bluetooth.
Select your controller to pair.

As with the PS4 controller you too should now have a paired controller to enjoy your games on the Shield TV wire free. And if you ever have troubleshooting to do, the Shield TV support forums are a great place to start.

NVIDIA Shield Android TV

• Read our Shield Android TV review
• The latest Shield Android TV news
• Shield vs. Shield Pro: Which should I buy?
• Join the forum discussion
• Complete Shield Android TV specs

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8 may debut in September with two stabilized cameras, 6GB RAM

The Galaxy Note 8 is coming soon, and the rumor mill has started to churn.

Samsung will debut the Galaxy Note 8 in mid-September, two weeks later than previously rumored, and after the hubbub of IFA has died down. It would also be a year and a month later than the Galaxy Note 7’s August debut, lining up with a later-than-usual March announcement of the Galaxy S8. This according to typically-reliable leaker, Evan Blass, of Venturebeat.

His sources go on to say that the phone will be priced around €999, which may translate into a U.S. street price of just over $900, a considerable premium over the $725/$825 of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, respectively.

Inside, a smaller 3300mAh battery will likely assuage worries of another recall.

As for the phone itself, it’s not a surprise that the Note 8 appears to be on its way to looking like a larger Galaxy S8+: a 6.3-inch edge-to-edge Infinity Display in an 18.5:9 aspect ratio will mean slim top and bottom bezels and curved sides. Internally, Samsung is testing the Note 8 with the same processors as the Galaxy S8, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 in the U.S. and its well-received Exynos 8895 SoC for the rest of the world. That combination will be paired with 6GB of RAM, however, which should provide ample power for even the most multitasking-heavy activities.

Likely the most interesting and exciting feature of the Note 8, and something that has been rumored before, is the inclusion of two camera sensors. According to the report, both 12MP sensors will be optically stabilized, which will be an industry first for a dual-camera setup, though it’s not clear whether their focal lengths will differ. The fingerprint sensor will remain on the back of the phone, corroborating previous reports that Samsung’s under-the-screen fingerprint solution will have to wait until 2018, but the Note 8’s is reportedly more clearly separated from the camera assembly.

As for battery, the phone will have a relatively small 3,300mAh cell, likely to assuage worries of another battery-related recall.

The phone’s eponymous S Pen will also have a new set of features, including “full-sentence language translation and currency conversion), and added the ability to pin handwritten notes to the always-on display,” according to Blass. DeX dock support will also likely be beefed up. As for Bixby, it’s a safe bet that we’ll see a left-side button to activate the on-device assistant — this helper isn’t going anywhere!

That’s all we know of the Galaxy Note 8 right now, but the spigot is open, and we’ll likely see prototypes of the actual phone leak in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

A Guide to Waterproofing Your Google Pixel

So the Pixel’s not waterproof — there are workarounds!

For most people, the Google Pixel’s lack of waterproofing isn’t a total dealbreaker, and most folks will pick up a Pixel or Pixel XL without giving waterproofing a second thought.

Then there are those of us who have dropped our phones in the toilet at some point or have a loved one who has (like a certain writer’s wife), so we know the perils that can come from a not-so-waterproof phone. Even if you’ve had cell phones since the 90s and have never had a phone damaged by water, you might believe waterproofing your phone is just good sense.

And it is, just in case.

The Pixel’s IP rating

First off, the Pixel isn’t entirely vulnerable to water. It has an IP53 rating. This means that it’s nearly impervious to dust (5) and can handle light sprays of water (3), like a light drizzle or mist.

No phone can ever be called truly waterproof, since there’s no consensus on what constitutes a “waterproof” rating, so the best any manufacturer or you can do is try and make your device water-resistant. Here’s how to up your Pixel’s water resistance.

For time’s sake, I’ll say “waterproofing” throughout this article, but I really meant “adding water resistance”.

Get a water-resistant case

The most logical option for waterproofing your Pixel is to slap on a water-resistant case. This way you still get full use of your phone without having to hide it away from the elements. Here are some of the best waterproof cases you can get:

LifeProof FRE

The LifeProof FRE is your answer to protecting your Pixel or Pixel XL from everything. LifeProof claims these cases are waterproof, dirt-proof, snow-proof, and drop-proof (from up to 6.6 feet), so you’ll never have to worry about your Pixel — it’s in good hands.

LifeProof’s FRE is rated IP68 for ingress protection, which is as high as it gets, meaning that you’ll have to work pretty hard to get any dirt or dust in there, and your Pixel would have to be submerged in 3 feet of water for more than half an hour to risk damage. Each case also passes the U.S. Military Standard test for drops and vibrations, so you’d be hard-pressed to rattle your Pixel’s cage.

This is likely the best case for you if you’re looking to waterproof your Pixel and protect it from whatever else might befall it.

For now, the FRE only comes in Asphalt Black and starts around $90.

See at Amazon

Grab a sack… A water-resistant sack!

Universal water-resistant phone bags are an awesome way to keep your Pixel totally dry and are perfect for folks living the active life or vacation. Water-resistant bags aren’t practical solution, so you likely won’t use one every day, but for times when you’re at the beach, hiking, or know you’ll be out in heavy rain, they’re excellent for keeping your phone a phone and not a brick.

JOTO universal dry bag

JOTO’s waterproof bag is rated IPX8, which is as good as it gets for ingress protection. It basically means that your phone can be safely submerged in this bag for an indeterminate amount of time. JOTO even says it’s good to 100 feet deep!

There’s a clear window on the front and back, so you can continue to use your Pixel and even take photos with the case/bag on. These bags fit phones up to 6 inches diagonally, so your Pixel XL is good to go, but you might have to remove a protective case if you have one on already.

The snap and lock closure is easy to use, and while securing your Pixel tightly, it’s easy to put it in and take it out without much fuss. There’s also a handy lanyard attached, so you can secure it to your swim trunks or cargo shorts and off you go!

You might as well grab a few, since these are only $7 apiece.

See at Amazon

Best practices

If you don’t feel like shelling out $90 for a LifeProof case and a waterproof bag doesn’t really suit your lifestyle, then you’ll just want to do your best to your keep your Pixel as dry as possible.

Don’t take it out in the rain

This may seem like a no-brainer, but the urge to check a text while walking down the street on a rainy day can sometimes overcome you. Yes, the Pixel has an IP53 rating, so a little rain won’t bring it down, but if you’re looking to keep it pristine, inside and out, then keep it pocketed in the wet weather.

Bring a comic book!

Don’t bring your Pixel into the bathroom with you. Yes, playing Two Dots on the can is a great way to… “pass” the time (badum tshhh!). Not only is it grody, but what if you’re running a bath while you’re on the John? You rest your phone on the edge of the tub just for a second so you can finish off and wash up. As you stand, your knee grazes your phone. Splash! Au revoir, Pixel.

OK, so maybe it’s not that dramatic, but just leave your phone outta the bathroom and bring a comic book instead, huh?

If it gets wet, dry it off

That may seem like another no-brainer, but if your Pixel gets a little wet, wipe it down with a soft cloth or, at the very least, the sleeve of your shirt, especially if your phone’s in a case. No, it’s not likely that that water will get inside and do any damage, but do you want to take that chance?

Front pockets only

If you have to pocket your Pixel, make sure it’s the front pocket only. There seems to be this trend (especially among women) or folks keeping their phones in their back pockets. My wife kindly explained to me that women often do this because their jeans aren’t made with big front pockets because they’re so tight. Fair enough. Put it in your purse or anywhere else that’s not your bra.

If you go to sit on the toilet with your phone in your back pocket, you may just drop it in when you pull your pants up or down. Trust me. It happens. And you might have even just bought her an awesome case that was probably a little more expensive than cool phone cases should be, and when she got a new phone, she got the next iteration, so the awesome case didn’t fit.

Front pockets or purses only (or jacket pockets or whatever; just no parking in rear)!

In summation

Your best option for waterproofing your new Pixel or Pixel XL is the LifeProof FRE, but if that’s too expensive for you, get a waterproof bag for traveling, and just be careful otherwise.

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Google Pixel and Pixel XL review
• Google Pixel XL review: A U.S. perspective
• Google Pixel FAQ: Should you upgrade?
• Pixel + Pixel XL specs
• Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
• Join the discussion in the forums!

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Verizon

An algorithm customizes exoskeletons to fit a person’s needs

Scientists have been studying exoskeletons in nature for years, and they’ve been trying to figure out how to adapt them for human use. After all, a powered exoskeleton could change the lives of people who have mobility issues, whether due to age, injury or disease. The problem is that exoskeletons aren’t one size fits all. Adapting them to individual humans is a difficult and time-consuming process. But now, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University may have found a way to make it a whole lot easier.

The team used a leg exoskeleton, which covered from the upper calf to the toes, for their experiment. Rather than calibrate the device once and use it on all the participants, though, the researchers had the participants walk on a treadmill while the powered exoskeleton helped. The aim was for the device to remove some of the effort it took to walk.

An algorithm took stock of how participants walked using the exoskeleton and adjusted four different parameters on the device to compensate for individual walking habits. They recorded the participants’ metabolic exertion, or how hard they were working in order to walk, during the entire process. They called this process “human-in-the-loop optimization” and were able to cut participant energy usage up to 40 percent.

Not only is this genetic algorithm important for creating exoskeletons that can fit a wider number of people, but it also hints that we may be able to create more complex assistive devices. The responsiveness of this algorithm to continually changing conditions (walking on a treadmill) could be applied to many different types of exoskeletons, including ones related to increasing speed, endurance and balance.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: Science, EurekAlert

OnePlus 5 tips and tricks: The essential guide to the flagship killer

OnePlus 5 has just been launched, and while it’s pricier than its predecessors, it’s still a good amount of phone for the £499 price tag. It’s comfortably cheaper than the likes of the Pixel XL, iPhone 7 Plus and Galaxy S8 Plus, and offers a true high-end experience. 

• OnePlus 5 review: The flagship-killer’s coming of age
• OnePlus 5: Release date, hardware specs and everything else you need to know

If you’ve bought one recently, or plan to, let us guide you through some of the software features you’re going to want to learn. OnePlus’ OxygenOS system is full of tricks, even though it looks from the outside like it’s just a pure version of Android.

OnePlus 5 home screen tips

Open app shortcuts: Some apps have a list of shortcuts that pop up on the home screen. Press and hold an app icon, and you’ll get those pop-up options above the icon. These only appear on compatible apps. Some won’t respond this way. 

Pin app shortcuts to home screen: When you have the app shortcuts showing, press and hold one that you want to pin to your screen, and drag it where you want it. Now you’ll be able to perform that action just by tapping the shortcut that’s permanently on your home screen. 

Disable app shortcuts: Press and hold the home screen wallpaper, hit “Settings” then toggle “App Shortcuts” to the off position. 

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Add widgets to Shelf: Shelf is a custom screen that sits to the left of your main home screen. By default it has your weather, most-used apps and contacts, but you can add practically any other widget you want to it by tapping the floating action button in the bottom right corner, then choosing your desired widget.

Customise Shelf widgets: In the shelf, you can press and hold the top widget to change the text displayed, or choose to disable the weather information. Press and hold any of the other widgets, then drag them to reorganize, or press the red “X” to delete that particular card.

Disable Shelf: For whatever reason, you might just decide you don’t want the Shelf. To disable it, head to your regular home screen, then tap and hold the wallpaper. Choose “settings” then switch the “Shelf” toggle to the off position.

Swipe down for notifications: You can access your drop down notifications by swiping downwards anywhere on the home screen. This gesture is enabled by default. To disable, press and hold the home screen wallpaper, choose “Settings” and toggle the “Swipe Down” off. 

Change app icon shape: Press and hold the home screen wallpaper and tap “Settings” then “Icon pack”. This lets you choose between three default options: OnePlus, Round and Square. 

Change icon/content size: Head to Settings > Display > Display size, then move the slider along the bottom of the screen until the icons and text are the size that you want them to be. 

Change battery icon: With OxygenOS you can choose what battery information you want to see in the status bar. Go to Settings > Status bar, then tap “Battery style” and choose which style battery icon you would like.

Show battery percentage: Below this option in same screen you can also choose to toggle the battery percentage on or off.

OnePlus 5 buttons tips

Capacitive or virtual buttons: As has been the case with every OnePlus phone since the beginning, you can choose whether or not you want to use onscreen software buttons, or the built-in capacitive buttons. By default, the capacitive buttons are in use, but if you want software buttons simply head to Settings > Buttons and toggle “on-screen navigation bar”.

Custom actions: In Oxygen OS you can assign secondary functions to all three of the capacitive keys on the OnePlus 5. Each button can have two secondary functions, launched by either a long-press or quick double-tap. There are seven options in total, which include opening recent apps, launching search assistant, turning off the screen, opening the camera, voice search, opening the last used app and opening Shelf. You’ll find the options in the same settings menu under the Buttons category.

Backlight on/off: Both the capacitive buttons have a backlight, which light up when any of the buttons (including the home key) are touched. You can switch this off if you don’t want it on just by tapping the Backlight toggle in Settings > Buttons.

Swap recent/back order: By default, the left capacitive button is the back button, and the right button is the recent apps button. If you’re more accustomed to having them the other way around, you can switch those. Just toggle the “Swap buttons” option in the same settings Buttons menu.

Alert slider: The one other button on the OnePlus 5 is the three-position alert slider on the left edge. Sliding down is regular, show me all the notifications mode. In the middle is priority mode which restricts most apps from sending you notifications. The top position is total silence, which practically silences everything.

You can customise the Do Not Disturb option by heading to Settings > Alert slider. Here you can allow alerts from certain contacts to get through.

OnePlus 3T display tips

Enable Reading Mode: Swipe down the quick settings shade and you should see tile to enable Reading Mode. This turns the screen greyscale, slightly increases contrast and kills the blue light to mimic an e-reader type experience. 

Launch Reading Mode automatically: If you don’t want to manually activate Reading Mode every time, you can choose to have specific apps launch it automatically. Go to Settings > Display > Reading Mode then add the apps you want to have in this mode every time you open them. 

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Adjust colour temperature: How good the colours on screen look to an individual can often be a point of debate. A perfect balance to some is too cool (blue) or too warm (yellow) for others. Thankfully, OnePlus includes the option to manually adjust the colour temperature. Head to Settings > Display > Screen Calibration and you’ll find a colour balance slider if you select the “Custom color” option. Sliding right makes the screen warmer, sliding left makes it cooler.

Choose sRGB or DCI-P3:  In the same settings menu as the colour temperature customisation you’ll find the option to choose from two additional colour profiles. These are sRGB and DCI-P3, both offering different colour accuracy for people who prefer those. 

Lift to wake: With the OnePlus 5 you can have the screen wake up just by lifting the phone. To activate this feature, simply tap the “Lift up display” toggle in the display settings.

Ambient display: You can also set your OnePlus to wake up whenever you receive a notification. Activating it is very simple. Like the proximity wake option, just switch on the toggle in the settings menu. Rather than have a fully active screen, Ambient display mode is a black screen with white text/notifications.

Night mode: As with most phones with the feature, night mode strips the blue tint from the screen, making it warmer, more yellow and easier on your eyes at night time. Just like the colour balance option, there’s a slider to adjust how deep you want the yellow tint to be.

Change font size: Half way down the list of main display settings is the option to change the font size. Here you can choose between small, default, large and largest.

OnePlus 5 camera tips

Double tap power button to launch: By default, the OnePlus 5 camera can be launched by quickly double-tapping the power button on the right edge. If yours doesn’t have the feature switched on, or you want to switch it off, head to Settings > Buttons and then hit the toggle next to “Press power button twice for camera”.

Quick capture: You choose to have the camera take a photo when you double click the power button. Open the camera app, then open the sidebar menu and hit the settings cog in the corner. Here you’ll find a toggle that enables quick capture. 

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“Shot on OnePlus” watermark: In the same settings menu tap “Shot on OnePlus Watermark”. Here you can enable a feature that automatically applies the watermark, which you can also customise to include your name. The end result is a photo which has a “Shot on OnePlus by [Your name/handle]” in the bottom corner. 

Pro mode: Go in to the main sidebar menu in the camera app to see the list of shooting options. Pro mode is in that list and selecting it enables you to manually control a number of important settings. Tapping on ISO will then let you change the brightness/gain, the next one along lets you set the white balance to counteract any artificial (or natural) lighting. You can also manually set the shutter speed to take long exposures up to 30 seconds, and manually focus.

Adjusting each of these settings is pretty easy. Once the manual mode has been selected, you just need to press on whichever setting you’d like to change, then you get a semicircle control on-screen. Adjust the ISO, shutter speed, or focus by rotating this onscreen “wheel” clockwise or anticlockwise.

Remove histogram: By default, the Pro mode has a histogram on screen. If you don’t want it there because it’s blocking your video, you go back in to the camera settings and switch the Histogram toggle off. You can do the same for the horizontal reference line.

Shoot straight photos: When you launch Pro mode, you’ll see a line in the middle of the screen, it turns green when your phone is level. 

Immersive mode: In Pro mode, by default there’s a lot of information and many control options on screen. You can clear it all away by activating Immersive mode. Go to the camera settings as before, toggle the “Immersive mode” option, then whenever you’re in Pro mode, you can clear everything from the screen by swiping upwards. 

Save custom preset: Still in Pro mode, you can save a specific preset by tapping the “C” in the toolbar, then adjust your settings and tap “save C1”. If you need to create a second, you can follow the same process, and hit “save C2”. It allows two presets in total. 

Portrait mode: To switch to the depth effect mode, swipe from right to left in the regular camera view. This launches Portrait mode and uses both cameras to create a bokeh/background blur effect behind your subject. 

Save regular photo in Portrait mode: If you want a copy of your Portrait mode photo without the depth effect added, head back into the camera settings and scroll down to the Portrait section. Toggle “save normal photo”, and each time you take a depth effect shot, it’ll save you a normal version as well. 

Add grid lines: Back in the camera settings, select “Grid” and then chose between a 3×3, 4×4 or Golden Ratio grid.  

Change image ratio: In the main camera view, in the toolbar, you’ll see a “4:3” icon. Tap this and you can change the shooting ratio to either a 1:1 square or 16:9 widescreen shot. 

Save RAW photos: Launch Pro mode, then tap the little “RAW” icon in the main toolbar. 

OnePlus 5 other tips

Dual SIM options: Just like the OnePlus 2, 3 and 3T, there’s a dual SIM tray which means you can have two SIM cards in the phone at once. If you have a work and personal line, or have a SIM for two different carriers, it can be an invaluable feature, especially if you know one network in your area is better for data speeds than another.

Heading into Settings then “SIM & network settings”, you can choose which SIM is the preferred option for mobile data, calls or text messages. So if one SIM has a higher data allowance, you could set that as your main data SIM.

Reorder quick tiles: In Android N, Google is introduced the ability to move around quick settings tiles in the drop down settings panel, but OnePlus has had that feature in Oxygen OS for a little while now. Drop down the panel as usual, then tap the little pencil in the top right corner. Then you can reorder the tiles on the screen to suit your preferences.

OnePlus 5 gestures: Like many modern Android phones, you can enable a number of gestures for launching apps or functions. Go to Settings > Gestures then you then activate the ability to flip the phone over on its face to mute a call, swipe with three fingers to take a screenshot, double tap to wake the phone or draw II  on the lock screen with two fingers to play or pause music. 

As well as that you can choose apps to launch by drawing an O, V, S, M or W on the lock screen. 

Take a long screenshot: When you’re on a long page, you can capture all of it by taking a long screenshot. Press the volume down and power button together as usual, then you’ll see a row of four actions on the bottom of the screen. There’s a rectangle icon, press it, and it’ll start taking a long screenshot of the page you’re on. 

Markup screenshots: Once you’ve taken a screenshot, choose the pencil from the row of four actions. This takes you to an editing screen where you can adjust image properties, as well as being able to edit the image and draw/write on it. 

Easter egg: Last but not least, head to the preinstalled calculator and type in “1+=”. See what happens.

What is Snap Map? Snapchat’s new feature explained

Another day, another Snapchat update.

There was once a time when people complained about continual UI updates from Facebook, but with apps like Snapchat adding new features on what seems like a weekly basis, we’ve come to accept – and maybe even appreciate – that the services we use regularly are constantly being refreshed with new tricks to keep us interested.

Snapchat, for instance, has announced that it “built a whole new way to explore the world”. It’s basically a location-sharing feature. The idea is, with Snapchat, you can easily meet up with friends in real life. It lets you share your current location, which then appears to friends on a map and updates when you open Snapchat.

But if you decide you want to keep your location to yourself, you can, with Ghost Mode. Confused? No worries. Here’s everything you need to know about Snapchat’s latest feature, called Snap Map.

• Snap Spectacles now available in UK, take videos with your eyes
• 33 of the best Snapchat fails and comedy snaps around
• 28 Snapchatters to follow for their awesome Snapchat stories

What is Snapchat?

You can read all about Snapchat from Pocket-lint’s guide here:

• What’s the point of Snapchat and how does it work?

What is Snap Map?

Here’s how Snap has described Snapchat’s latest feature:

“With the Snap Map, you can view Snaps of sporting events, celebrations, breaking news, and more from all across the world. If you and a friend follow one another, you can share your locations with each other so you can see where they’re at and what’s going on around them! Plus, meeting up can be a cinch.”

In other words, Snap Map essentially lets you share your location with all your friends or a few friends, and it also allows you to scroll around an actual map to see where your friends are located. When you open the updated Snapchat app, you will have access to the feature and can choose whether to share your location.

The goal is to get users to engage with their friends instead of just watching their activities via Snapchat, supposedly. But we don’t think Snapchat would never really encourage its users to not use the app, and to be honest, by getting users to open Snapchat to see where friends are, it is ironically making them use Snapchat.

Snap

How does Snap Map work?

Open Snap Map

Make sure you’re running the latest version of Snapchat. Then, go to your Camera screen, then pinch your fingers on the screen like you’re zooming out from a photo. The Snap Map should then appear.

Actionmoji

Snap Map shows your friends and their location as illustrations – so-called Actionmoji – in real time. Actionmojis are created by Snapchat. They’re a new form of Bitmoji. Remember, Snapchat bought Bitmoji, a free app that allows you to create personalised avatars of yourself. Anyway, Actionmoji are based on your actions.

So, if you’re listening to music, Snapchat will know that and show your Actionmoji with a pair of headphones. Snapchat may look at things like your location, time of day, or speed of travel to come up with your Actionmoji. Examples of Actionmoji also include things like: at the beach, at the airport, sitting, and more.

Location settings

When you open the Snap Map for the first time, you’ll get a prompt to choose who to share your location with. If you choose to do this later, just tap the Settings button in the corner of the map screen. You can change who can see your location (all friends or select friends), or you can hide your location entirely with Ghost Mode.

Note: Your location is only updated when you’re using Snapchat.

Find friends

If your friends share their location with you, then you can easily see them on Snap Map – just look for their Actionmoji. If they don’t have their Bitmoji account linked, then you’ll see them as a blank Bitmoji outline. To zoom back to your current location, just tap the current location button in the bottom corner of the Map screen.

You can tap on any friend on the map to start a chat or see when their location was last updated. To search for a friend, tap Search at the top of a screen and type in their name. Easy.

Stories

With the Snap Map, you can also view stories from all across the world. (See this Snap FAQ guide on how to post a story on Snapchat.) Snaps that were submitted to ‘Our Story’ will be visible on the map. You can view them by tapping their circular thumbnail. They show up at special locations, such as a museum. You can also follow the heatmap: blue = a few snaps taken; red = tonnes of snaps.

Just remember that Our Stories are collections of snaps submitted from different Snapchatters throughout the world. They’re curated by Snapchat to capture a place or event from different points of view.

Want to know more?

Check out our Snapchat tips and tricks guide.

Join Pluralsight for a Free Gift

Pluralsight has teamed up with Pocket-lint to give you, for a limited time, the chance to get a $10 Visa gift card when you sign up for a monthly Pluralsight subscription or a $30 Visa gift card when you sign up for an annual subscription.

Someone once said that a day without a mistake is a day wasted for you have learnt nothing. It’s true isn’t it? We are all looking to learn more, to improve, to be better at what we want to do.

Pluralsight, an online education resource, lets you develop new skills with expert-led content and the latest technologies all from the comfort of your own home or office. The company, founded in 2004, knows what and where to start your learning, and lets you rate your skills and uncover knowledge gaps to close them fast.

The site offers over 5,000 courses to choose from in areas such as software development, IT Ops, and Creative professions with varying levels to suit your needs from beginner to advanced. You can even jump past the bits you know or go over again the bits you need more practice with.

To claim your free gift, you need to sign up by the 30 June 2017.