The LG Q6 has the G6’s beautiful wide screen, but won’t have its high price

Why it matters to you

Love the LG G6’s wide, almost bezel-less screen? The new LG Q6 features one very similar, but with a lower internal specification for a more affordable price.

Despite rumors that hinted otherwise, the LG G6 Mini doesn’t exist, and instead LG has launched the LG Q6, a smaller version of the excellent LG G6 released earlier this year. It is, in all but name, exactly what we would have expected an LG G6 Mini to be. That means a smaller screen, lower specs, and we’re guessing a more affordable price, too. LG has made three different versions of the LG Q6, all split by the amount of internal storage space and RAM they offer. Here’s everything you need to know about the Q6.

It’s the screen that will make you want to buy the Q6. Like the G6, it minimizes the bezels around it for a sleek, really modern style that LG calls FullVision. On the Q6 it measures 5.5-inches and has an unusual 2160 x 1080 pixel resolution — described as FHD+ — that’s longer than the standard 1920 x 1080 pixels we’re used to seeing on a midrange phone screen. The reason is the elongated 18:9 aspect ratio of the Q6’s screen, just like on the G6.

This makes watching some videos a really immersive, full-screen experience. Check out some of Netflix’s most recent original shows, such as Daredevil, for evidence, as there are no black bars around the screen. We love it on the G6, and the prospect of a cheaper phone providing a comparable experience is really enticing. The aspect ratio also means the screen can be split into two perfect squares, which LG uses to its advantage in the LG UX 6.0 user interface, particularly in its Square Camera widget.

Square Camera previews pictures while shooting them, makes cool collages, and perfectly crops pictures for sharing them on Instagram. It’s paired with a 13-megapixel rear camera, and a 5-megapixel wide-angle selfie camera. The G6’s wide-angle rear camera isn’t featured on the G6, but selfie fans will get to enjoy a 100-degree lens on the front, for fitting more people into the final image.

The Q6 has an 8.1mm thick aluminum chassis and a brushed metal effect, curved-edge rear panel, with an overall weight of 149 grams. However, it’s the dimensions of the phone that impress. It’s 142mm long and 69mm wide, with a 5.5-inch screen. The OnePlus 5 has the same size display, yet is 155mm long and 74mm wide. The Q6 is very compact, even with a large screen. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor powers the phone, and a 3,000mAh battery is inside, with Android 7.1.1 hidden underneath the LG UX 6.0 interface. Google Assistant is on board, along with NFC for Android Pay. LG’s also pushing a face recognition unlock feature on the Q6, but doesn’t go into detail on how it operates.

There are three Q6 models from which to choose. The regular Q6 comes with 32GB of storage space and 3GB of RAM, and will be sold in black, white, ice platinum, or terra gold. It’s joined by the Q6+ with 64GB/4GB, and the Q6ɑ (making it the Q6 alpha, rather than the Q6 A) with 16GB/2GB. The Q6+ comes in black, ice platinum, or marine blue, while the Q6ɑ substitutes the blue for terra gold. Asia will be first to see the Q6 on sale, starting in August, with Europe, Latin America, and North America following later on. Prices haven’t been announced yet, but the Q6 will inevitably cost less than the $650 G6.

LG says the Q6 is the first device in its Q series, so we should look out for more models in the future.

Microsoft HoloLens and Google Tango create a lifelike WWII tank experience

Why it matters to you

Here’s an awesome example of how augmented reality technology can be used to create enhanced educational experiences.

A key concept that’s described by the term augmented reality (AR) is the idea that technology can be used to create an enhanced version of the reality that we experience every day. AR solutions like Microsoft’s HoloLens, therefore, promise to let us experience reality — actual reality, not the fictional environments of virtual reality (VR) — in different and often incredibly helpful ways.

All kinds of different applications for AR have popped up since the technology was first introduced, from incredibly popular games like Pokémon Go to a host of scientific and medical uses for AR. Now, World of Tanks developer Wargaming is showing off a solution that it created for the TankFest 2017 event at the Bovington Tank Museum, as DualShockers reports.

The event was held at the end of June and entertained over 20,000 visitors with live demonstrations of some of the most important and impressive historical fighting vehicles. The museum is host to 300 tanks, and Wargaming is a natural sponsor for the event given the popularity of the World of Tanks game.

The company used HoloLens and Google Project Tango technology to create a life-sized virtual representation of an extremely rare World War II tank. Specifically, the technology models the German tank Sturmmörserwagen 606/4 mit 38 cm RW 61, also known as the “Sturmtiger.” The AR experience provides not only a static view of the Sturmtiger tank, but also shows it sliding into place next to real tanks while demonstrating in a 3D explosive effect how the rocket-assisted shells were fired out of the massive gun barrel.

Although the TankFest event is an active one, participants aren’t actually allowed to go inside the tanks that are on display. The AR solution, however, allowed just that, letting visitors gain a literal inside look at the Sturmtiger and therefore providing a vastly superior educational experience.

AR solutions continue to make their way into the mainstream, and the technology is likely to get a boost given Apple’s announcement of its own ARKit AR solution. The TankFest 2017 exhibit, therefore, is likely to become the norm sooner rather than later, as more organizations and companies embrace AR to make their own events more interactive.

Xiaomi allegedly readying a new smartphone lineup to go after OPPO and Vivo

Xiaomi is rolling out a third sub-brand targeted at the offline segment.

Late last year, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun outlined his vision for the brand in 2017, which included increasing its focus on the offline market. While Xiaomi’s online-only business model has worked in the past, the likes of OPPO and Vivo have made huge strides by focusing on the lucrative offline segment by creating a robust distribution network in tier 2 and tier 3 cities in China and India.

And it looks like Xiaomi is doing exactly that. According to Chinese publication MyDrivers, Xiaomi is launching a new smartphone lineup that will be aimed at the offline segment, with the company taking on OPPO and Vivo. The manufacturer has 137 Mi Home stores throughout China, and launching a device that will primarily be sold offline gives it a better chance to compete in this segment.

The third sub-brand will co-exist with the Mi and Redmi devices, and the first phone in the series is rumored to make its debut sometime before the end of July. MyDrivers also obtained a render of the upcoming phone, highlighting a dual camera setup and antenna lines that look eerily similar to that of the OnePlus 5. Not much else is known about the device, but it is likely to sport the same sensors as the Mi 6.

Selling a phone via a retail distribution network creates a lot of overhead, so the upcoming device may not offer the same value for money as the Mi 6 or the entry-level Redmi phones. Xiaomi is instead said to be prioritizing the design over the internal hardware, emulating what OPPO and Vivo have done to great effect in this category. We should know more about the sub-brand in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

How to get Google Home to softly lull you to sleep

Google Home acts as a white noise machine for when you’re having trouble drifting off into slumber.

Finding it hard to fall asleep with the blaring summer heat? Google Home is good for more than turning off the lights or playing back your favorite podcast. You can use it as a noise machine of sorts for when the current environment just isn’t your vibe. If you’re in the U.S., you can use these quick tricks to get the Assistant-enabled speaker to drown out the noise of the trains, planes, and automobiles outside your window and instead transport you to a serene nature scene — or whatever else you need to be to fall asleep.

Start by asking it nicely

It’s straightforward: All you have to do is utter Ok Google and then ask it to play ambient noise. If you’d rather listen to a particular sound, ask it to play river sounds, for instance, or play white noise if you’re simply in need of a little background ambiance. Google Home will play the audio for an hour if it isn’t manually turned off, and since it typically takes 10-20 minutes for the average person to fall asleep, that should be plenty of time for you to get settled into slumberland.

Sometimes, if you shout out the command, Google Home doesn’t seem to budge or understand where you’re getting at, and it can become frustrating and thus keep you from working on getting to sleep. If you’re finding yourself there, ask Google, What other ambient sounds do you know? Google Assistant will give you a rundown of what it can do. Or, you can peep this list from the official Google Home support page:

Relaxing sounds

Nature sounds

Water sounds

Running water sounds

Outdoor sounds

Babbling brook sounds

Country night sounds

Oscillating fan sounds

Fireplace sounds

Forest sounds

Ocean sounds

Rain sounds

River sounds

Thunderstorm sounds

White noise

What’s your favorite sound?

What do you like to fall asleep to at night? Let us know in the comments below!

Xiaomi’s supersized Mi Max 2 is launching in India on July 18

Xiaomi’s largest phone will be debuting in India next week.

Xiaomi will launch the Mi Max 2 in India on July 18. The first-generation Mi Max turned out to be one of the manufacturer’s best devices last year, and its successor has a larger 5300mAh battery while retaining the 6.44-inch screen size.

Other specs include a Snapdragon 653 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB storage options, 12MP camera at the back, 5MP front shooter, Wi-Fi ac, USB-C, and a 3.5mm jack. The phone runs a MIUI 8 build based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box.

The variant with 64GB storage retails for ¥1,699 ($250) in China, so the Indian version may end up costing somewhere in the vicinity of ₹17,000. We’ll know more next week, but in the meantime, who’s excited about the launch of the Mi Max 2 in India?

Blue Origin will take you on a (simulated) space ride at Oshkosh

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is displaying its historic New Shepard rocket and offering simulated space rides at the EAA AirVenture convention in Oshkosh. That’s the same New Shepard that served as key for the company to beat SpaceX in the reusable rocket race. In November 2015, it flew over the boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and outer space before heading back down to become the first rocket to achieve a vertical landing. Blue Origin then used it for four more missions in 2016 to prove that it truly is reusable.

While seeing the rocket in person already sounds like a treat, the private space corp has another offering you might appreciate even more. It’s also bringing a replica of its tourism-oriented crew capsule at the event and allowing visitors to climb in and use its reclining seats. Blue Origin’s capsule has windows that take up one-third of its surface area, so astronauts can enjoy the views going up. Since it can’t exactly fly people to space just yet, it’s treating guests to a simulated flight experience using actual footage taken by New Shepard’s on-board cameras.

Going to Oshkosh? Come sit inside @BlueOrigin’s crew capsule and enjoy a simulated ride to space @EAA #OSH17 https://t.co/E6uejQLDgG pic.twitter.com/EjUuY5bdw7

— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) July 10, 2017

The EAA AirVenture convention will take place on July 24th to 30th at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Blue Origin’s exhibit will be one of the main ones on Boeing Plaza during the event — we’re guessing guests will flock to it in hopes of getting a slot for the flight simulations, so you may want to brace yourself for the possible crowd.

Blue Origin president Rob Meyerson said in a statement:

“We are very excited to come to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017 and showcase our reusable New Shepard rocket and crew capsule so everyone can experience what it’s like to be an astronaut. We hope to inspire the explorers of tomorrow, the ones who will help us achieve Blue Origin’s goal of millions of people living and working in space.”

Source: Jeff Bezos (Twitter), EAA Airventure Oshkosh

The Morning After: Tuesday. July 11th 2017

Hey, good morning!

AI is learning parkour, Amazon’s huge sale is upon us and we see how technology is replacing painkillers.

These look familiar.
What happens when AI teaches itself parkour?

Come for the reinforcement learning, stay for the GIFs.

Happy holidays.

Amazon Prime Day is upon us, have you bought your Echo?

It’s hard to say what counts as a ‘real’ holiday these days, but discounts are discounts. Our friends from The Wirecutter have some advice on the best discounts, which just happen to include a couple of Amazon’s own products.

Wait, what?
Ubuntu Linux is available in the Windows Store

The year of the Linux desktop has arrived, but in an unexpected way. Microsoft has welcomed Ubuntu Linux into its app store, making it easier than ever to try out the OS. For now, support is limited to Windows Insider beta testers, but everyone will have access once the Fall Creator’s Update for Windows 10 arrives.

Stylish but flawed.
HP Spectre X2 (2017) review

The HP Spectre X2 is a better Surface Pro competitor than before, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement. It’s a cheaper alternative to Microsoft’s convertible, with a gorgeous design and comfortable keyboard, but the 2017 version still has touchpad issues and subpar battery life.

Improving AI accessibility.
Google’s ‘PAIR’ project wants AI and humans to get along

A Google initiative called PAIR, or People + AI Research initiative, aims to make sure AI technology is beneficial and empowering for everyone, and it will focus on tools for AI developers and how to make sure AI systems are inclusive. “PAIR is devoted to advancing the research and design of people-centric AI systems. We’re interested in the full spectrum of human interaction with machine intelligence, from supporting engineers to understanding everyday experiences with AI.”

It’s like a G6 mini.

LG’s Q6 lineup fits FullVision screens on midrange phones

If you like the look of LG’s G6 but decided it’s too expensive, relax. Soon you’ll be able to get it in a cheaper version. The Q6+, Q6 and Q6 Alpha have varying amounts of built-in storage and RAM, but share the big screen, metal frame and features like facial recognition cribbed from their bigger brother. We don’t have pricetags yet, but they will start rolling out next month in Asia.

Looking for a drug-free answer to pain management.
Can tech replace painkillers?

While Jennifer was on a series of medications for her pain relief — off-label antidepressants, muscle relaxers and lesser opioids like tramadol — she found what she calls an unexpected alternative to heavy opioids. It’s a small wearable called Quell, a band she wears around her calf that disperses pain relief using low-intensity electrical signals throughout her body’s nervous system. It’s one of several technological solutions that might offer a different way of dealing with pain. Brian Mastroianni reports on what’s happening.

But wait, there’s more…

• The endangered Great Barrier Reef is not in danger, says UNESCO
• Microsoft 365 is yet another stab at attracting IT love
• An excess of ‘failed’ stars is a bad sign for alien life
• What’s on TV this week: ‘Game of Thrones’
• People won’t stop stealing this company’s rentable umbrellas

The best Amazon UK Prime Day 2017 deals

It’s July 11th. For many, it’s just another Tuesday, but for Amazon, it’s another opportunity for the company to sell you loads of stuff you probably don’t need. That’s right, it’s Prime Day, a marketing trick where Amazon “discounts” thousands of products for Prime subscribers. This year, there are plenty of deals to be had, especially if you’re in the mood for a new piece of technology.We’ve put together a list of all-day deals that we think are worth keeping an eye on.

Amazon Echo: £79.99 (normally £149.99) — Where better to start than Amazon’s smart speaker. For today only, the Echo is 47 percent off and is the cheapest it’s ever been. If you’re looking for something that can connect to your smart home gadgets, play your favourite music and let you order from Just Eat, this can do that and more.

Amazon Echo Dot: £34.99 (normally £49.99) — Like the Echo but smaller, the Echo Dot is an easy way to buy into Amazon’s ecosystem. Instead of serving as the main speaker in a room, the Dot can be connected to your existing audio setup, making it super smart in the process.

Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa: £29.99 (normally £39.99) — The updated Fire TV Stick hasn’t been available for long in the UK, but already it’s seeing a significant discount. Amazon’s little dongle supports voice control via Alexa, but also delivers apps like Amazon Video, Netflix and BBC iPlayer. A great little gadget that will make even the dumbest TV smart.

Amazon Fire 7 Tablet: £29.99 (normally £49.99) — Amazon’s cheapest Android tablet has got even cheaper. For today only, you can save £20 on the 7-inch slate. Perfect for the kids or for browsing in bed.

Kindle Paperwhite: £79.99 (normally £109.99) — The popular e-reader is currently £30 cheaper, thanks to Prime Day. Perfect for your summer holiday.

Xbox One S with Forza Horizon 3, Minecraft, Chatpad & Headset and second Controller: £179.99 (normally £296) — Console deals are always popular on Amazon UK, and this is no exception. If you’ve been putting off getting an Xbox One, today’s deal bundles two popular games, a headset and a second controller for less than £180.

PlayStation 4 with Overwatch, Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy and second Dualshock 4 controller: £179.99 (normally £344) — Fancy jumping aboard the Sony bandwagon? You won’t find many better deals than this one.

PlayStation 4 Pro with Horizon Zero Dawn, Wipeout and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare: £349.99 (normally £447.73) — Want a PS4? Go big or go home. This package gives you the beefer PlayStation 4 as well as three top games for almost £100 less than usual.

PlayStation Plus (15 months): £29.99 (normally £54.99) — PlayStation Plus doesn’t only help you play online with your friends, it also throws in a couple of free games every month.

Philips Hue Starter Kit: £89.99 (normally £144.95): Philips’ Hue range has set the standard for smart home lighting. Connect these up to your Amazon Echo or Google Home and control your lights simply by using your voice.

Amazon Dash Buttons: £1.99 with £4.99 credit (normally £4.99) — Amazon’s Dash buttons make it super easy to re-order every day items. For today only, they’re less than half price and offer a fiver off your first purchase.

Garmin Forerunner 35 fitness watch: £109.99 (normally £159) — This simple running watch can monitor your heart rate, track the speed and distance of your run and tell you many steps you’ve taken each day. The Garmin is a great introduction to fitness watches.

Ultimate Ears BOOM 2 wireless speaker: £71 (normally £118) — After some portable beats? UE’s popular wireless speaker is £47 cheaper, thanks to Prime Day. It’s waterproof and supports up to eight devices at once.

Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen: £134.99 (normally £199) — Google’s smart heating controller is £60 today. Connect this up to your smartphone or smart home speaker and heat your house from wherever you are.

Wileyfox Swift 2 X: £149.99 (normally £219.99) — Wileyfox has made a name for itself with its cheap premium smartphones and often discounts handsets on Amazon. Today, you can save £70 on the Swift 2 X, which is undoubtedly the best phone in the Swift 2 family.

Revisit the ’90s with a collection of AOL CDs

The Internet Archive is a treasure trove for software geeks. In recent months, the site has hosted everything from GIFs from Geocities to Macintosh games from the 80s. Its latest blast from the past is an entire section dedicated to AOL CD-ROMs.

Back when Mark Wahlberg was Marky Mark, Engadget’s parent company AOL was busy carpet-bombing everyone with CDs offering free web trials. The CD-ROMs were AOL’s way of capitalizing on the hype surrounding the nascent medium. And, for many, they provided their first taster of the internet.

Fast forward 27 years and everyone you know is online and compact discs are considered junk. As the era of the CD as a distribution method dies a slow death — thanks, in part, to streaming services — the round discs are becoming even more important to archivists, like Jason Scott. In 2015, Scott urged people to send him their AOL CD-ROMs. Strangely, there are people out there who collect America Online’s glossy discs, but they’re probably less likely to hand over their prized possessions.

…the @internetarchive begins hosting AOL CD-ROMs en masse this year. Here’s the first few dozen. https://t.co/D4GuA8FE5C

— Jason Scott (@textfiles) July 10, 2017

Now, the Internet Archive is hosting the first few dozen CDs, complete with their very 90s graphics. You can browse through the expanding collection and download torrents of the full disc ISO. “For some time, half of all CDs manufactured in the world had an AOL logo on them,” wrote Scott in a blog post. “Like it or not, folks – those things are payloads of history.”

The tiny time capsules cost AOL a lot of money too. Back in 2011, co-founder Steve Case said he didn’t recall the exact amount spent on the CDs, but that AOL’s goal was to fork out ten percent of lifetime revenue to get a new subscriber. He claimed that average subscriber life was around 25 months and revenue was about $350. So, Case estimated the company spent $35 per user on marketing material such as the CDs.

Source: Internet Archive

Vodafone shows again that own-brand phones can be good value

Vodafone’s own-brand devices have been hit and miss over the past few years. There was the Smart Ultra 6, which was one of the best affordable phones of its time, and the Smart Platinum 7, which was an interesting step into more expensive, sub-flagship category. But alongside those, there have been a number of humdrum handsets that failed to impress. As per its yearly update cycle, Vodafone recently released new own-brand hardware, with the Smart V8 in particular slotting into the carrier’s roster as one of the best affordable options.

The most immediately striking feature of the Smart V8 when you free it from its box is the build quality. It’s almost entirely brushed metal aside from two pockets of textured plastic, with neatly chamfered edges and loudspeaker grilles. While it’s not pushing the boundaries of design by any means, it certainly looks and feels like it’s punching above the £159 pay-as-you-go price point.

The spec sheet isn’t to be taken lightly either. You’re looking at a 5.5-inch, 1080p LCD display, an octa-core 1.4GHz Snapdragon 435, 3 gigs of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, a 16-megapixel primary camera and 8MP front-facer, all powered by a decent-sized 3,000mAh battery. You also get a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and NFC chip — hello Android Pay. Perhaps even more important, the Smart V8 is running Android 7.1.1, so it’s basically as up-to-date as you can get on the software front.

It’s more or less the stock Android experience, albeit with a few borderline-bloatware apps from Vodafone added in. One quirk I’ve discovered worth noting is I can’t seem to resize widgets on the homescreen. Not a huge deal, but it does mean the digital clock widget is naturally off-centre, which is slightly irritating.

In sunny summer conditions, the 16MP camera can be pretty handy. Good colour saturation, clarity, and contrast thanks to the HDR mode. The app is pretty busy with filters and features and settings, from full manual control to long exposure and “active photo” modes (kinda like GIFs/Live Photos). You won’t find much help in them in low-light conditions, though, where the camera begins to fall off fairly quickly.

All in all, there’s nothing particularly special about the Smart V8. These days, metalwork, this kind of spec sheet and value-added features like fingerprint sensor and NFC are becoming standard at the mid-to-low end. The new handset does have something going for it, though — a pretty competitive price tag.

Vodafone’s pay-as-you-go range is relatively sparse around the £150 mark. You’ve got the £149 Sony Xperia L1, which is less attractive enough on paper to justify the jump to the £159 Smart V8. The closest handset beyond that point is the fairly comparable £199 Huawei P8 lite (2017). The Moto G5 gets a nod too, obviously, as well as the Wileyfox Swift 2, since they can be bought elsewhere for bang on £159. You wouldn’t say either of them are significantly better than the Smart V8, though.

Smart N8

If you’ve set yourself a slightly tighter budget, Vodafone also recently launched the Smart N8, an £85 handset sitting in the crowded low-end of the pay-as-you-go spectrum. It’s more than appropriately specced, with a 5-inch, 720p display, quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek chip, 1.5GB of RAM, 16 gigs of expandable storage, 13- and 5-megapixel cameras, fingerprint sensor, NFC and 2,400mAh battery.

Despite looking a little on the drab side, it’s a decent value device. You could always save yourself a London pint and opt for the £79 Moto G4 Play instead, which recently began receiving Android Nougat, but you would be sacrificing the fingerprint reader/NFC combo. But that’s true of most other devices dipping below the £100 marker at the moment.

Smart Tab N8

While the two smartphones have obvious places in Vodafone’s backroom, the new Smart Tab N8 is where things get confusing. The draw of pretty much all own-brand tablets is ultimate portability, thanks to 4G, at a reasonable cost. I wouldn’t call the Smart Tab N8 very portable though, because it’s massive. It’s not that heavy at 465g and it’s pretty thin, too, with 8.95mm between the glass front and textured, tactile plastic back — it’s that it’s all face.

Not only does the slate carry a 10.1-inch display, but a significant bloating of bezel around it. It’s not something you could slip into a handbag and it not be a nuisance, let’s say. Worse yet, that 10.1-inch screen runs at a very noticeable 1,280 x 800 resolution, making it easy to pick out individual pixels. Large tablets are typically geared more towards entertainment, but 149 ppi doesn’t really cut it nowadays.

The other specs are largely irrelevant: A quad-core 1.1GHz MediaTek processor, 2 gigs of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, 4,600mAh battery and 5MP/2MP cameras on the appropriate sides. Vodafone is selling the Smart Tab N8 on contracts starting at £16 per month for a 5GB data cap and no upfront payment. I’d sooner get exactly the same plan with Samsung’s 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab A (2016), since it’s been upgraded to Nougat already and waves a more alluring spec sheet, the 1,920 x 1,200 display being the most important upgrade. Hits and misses for Vodafone again, it would appear.