Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 Expected to Debut at Upcoming August 23 Event

Samsung today sent out invitations announcing an upcoming Unpacked event set to be held on August 23 in New York City.

The South Korean company is widely expected to introduce its next-generation Galaxy Note device at the event, with the new smartphone hinted at through a “Do Bigger Things” slogan and a stylized image of an S Pen next to a smartphone-sized device.

Rumors suggest the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 will feature a design that’s similar to the existing Galaxy S8 with thin bezels, rounded corners, and a 12-megapixel dual-lens camera system. It is expected to feature a larger curved display than the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, measuring in at 6.3 inches.

Galaxy Note 8 rendering via BGR
Other features may include Bixby integration, 6GB RAM, an upgraded S Pen, iris scanning functionality, and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note device will be the first since the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, which the company was forced to recall after exploding batteries caused problems in both original Note 7 devices and their replacements.

The recall and the exploding Note 7 devices were highly publicized, even leading to an FAA ban that prevented them from being carried on airplanes. The debacle cost Samsung up to $5.4 billion, but Samsung is reportedly intent on continuing to use the Note brand despite the incident.

Save the date! August 23, 2017 #DoBiggerThingshttps://t.co/uSEvuV1QKN pic.twitter.com/9lbxtDtm0l

— Samsung Electronics (@Samsung) July 20, 2017

To avoid future problems and to assuage customer fears, Samsung has implemented an 8-Point Battery Safety Check procedure that involves putting all batteries used in Samsung devices through “extreme testing, inside and out, followed by careful inspection by X-ray and the human eye.”

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 will come just a few weeks before Apple is expected to introduce its highly anticipated iPhone 8, which is rumored to feature an edge-to-edge OLED display, a vertical dual-lens rear camera, a faster A11 processor, and a front-facing camera equipped with 3D sensors to enable AR and facial recognition features.

Tags: Samsung, Galaxy Note 8
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Puzzle Game ‘Yankai’s Triangle’ Available for Free as Apple’s App of the Week

Puzzle game Yankai’s Triangle was named Apple’s App of the Week, making it free to download for the next seven days. This is the first time the game has been made available for free since it was released in November of 2016.

Yankai’s Triangle is, as the name suggests, a puzzle game based on triangles. The idea is to tap on different colored triangles to rotate them into a triangle shape to solve puzzles. From the App Store Editors:

This deceptively simple puzzle game is pure Pythagorean pleasure. Rotating multicolored triangular puzzle pieces to snap them together with their mates is dead simple at first, but when layer after layer of triangles are in the mix, we truly come to respect the power of three. Bright hues and funny sound effects help seal the deal–you might even say it’s very acute.

Yankai’s Triangle features leaderboards, achievements, an option for colorblind players, a time-based scoring system, and no in-app purchases.

Yankai’s Triangle can be downloaded from the App Store for free for the next seven days, after which a new App of the Week will be chosen. [Direct Link]

Tag: App of the Week
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Lenovo commits to augmented reality with DaystAR headset and developer tools

Why it matters to you

Windows 10 is set to be a hot spot for augmented reality content thanks to brisk support from hardware manufacturers like Lenovo.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen various major tech companies attempt to carve out a niche in the blossoming market for virtual reality hardware. Now, many are turning their attention to augmented reality, and Lenovo has emerged as the latest manufacturer to unveil a product in this space. Today, July 20, Lenovo used its annual Tech World conference as a platform to showcase the DaystAR headset.

This project was previously teased in April 2017, at which time a spokesperson for the company indicated that the consumer version of the device would likely be ready for retail later this year.

The DaystAR headset will apparently boast an independent vision processing unit as well as free-formed surface lenses with a 40-degree field of view, according to a report from Road to VR. No details on pricing or an exact release date were given at this time.

It seems clear that Lenovo is in the midst of a major push into the increasingly competitive field of AR hardware. Just a few days ago, the company announced a smartphone-based AR headset that will launch alongside a Star Wars-themed experience called Jedi Challenges, which was developed in partnership with Disney.

However, Lenovo’s AR interests aren’t just limited to hardware. The company is also set to offer its own AR platform that will give developers access to services like cloud object recognition, multiplayer interaction, and a 3D object manager, according to a blog post published on its official website.

This platform seems to be conceived along the lines of Apple’s ARKit, which is expected to launch as part of iOS 11, ahead of new AR-friendly hardware features set to debut with the next iteration of the iPhone. Companies are investing heavily in this kind of infrastructure in an attempt to avoid the content droughts that have marred mainstream adoption of VR.

Lenovo’s headset bears a certain resemblance to Microsoft’s HoloLens — which isn’t entirely unexpected, given that the two companies have been in collaboration throughout the development of the DaystAR. Windows 10 and iOS are both set to place a major focus on AR in the coming years, but it will be the available content and the hardware pricing that determines whether and to what extent this effort catches on with users.

Google’s photo app Motion Stills is now available for Android

Why it matters to you

If you’re looking for an app to instantly create and share GIFs on an Android device, Motion Stills is now available to download through the Google Play Store.

Last year, Google launched its latest photography-centric app, Motion Stills. Designed specifically for iOS, this app brought a slew of new features to Apple’s Live Photos format by improving the image capture and simplifying the process of sharing the resulting images. On Thursday, July 20, Google announced the app is officially available for Android, specifically for devices running Android 5.1 or later.

Available for free in the iOS App Store and now the Google Play Store, Motion Stills uses a clever collection of algorithms and AI to analyze the photos and data captured in the Live Photos format. Using this data and imagery, Motion Stills can process the Live Photos in a range of creative ways.

Not only is Motion Stills able to stabilize the video captured before and after the still by processing the frames that are the most in-focus and detailed, it’s also capable of determining the best beginning and end point for the loop of the video.

Without so much as pressing a button, Motion Stills will automatically sort through your Live Photos and get all of the dirty work done behind the scenes. Below is an example clip of the stabilization feature in action:

For Android, the app has a bit of a different structure than what’s currently available on iOS. The Android version includes a new recording experience where everything you capture is transformed into short clips that you can watch and share.

Rather than using existing video footage and making it into a Motion Still, it has you capture content through the app to then create a loop. The redesigned video processing pipeline processes everything you capture into short clips that you can easily watch and share. You can create your own “Live Photos” by snapping a regular photo that then automatically turns into a GIF.

You can also record videos to turn into GIF files afterwards with Fast Forward — a new feature similar to time-lapse. It lets you speed up and condense long recordings into short clips that are easy to share. You can change the speed of playback after recording as well — from 1x to 8x depending on what you prefer. Other revamps to the app include an improved trimming algorithm to protect against pocket shots and camera shakes.

While the app is new for Android users, those running the iOS 11 public beta now have similar features built into the operating system through the photo library. Users can choose between adding Loop and Bounce effects to their photos by tapping on the preferred edit tool.

Update: Motion Stills is now available on Android devices running Android 5.1 or later.

This Apple selfie patent could mean group shots without the selfie stick

Why it matters to you

If this patent comes to life, you could automatically take better selfies.

Taking a selfie is easy, but taking a good selfie, on the other hand, isn’t always so simple. Apple, however, was recently awarded a patent for technology that would make it hard to snap a bad selfie by automatically detecting whether the smartphone is snapping a group selfie or just one person and adjusting the settings accordingly. The Apple selfie patent was filed back in 2015 but was officially granted on Tuesday.

Apple’s idea stems from the field of view (FOV), or the perspective that the camera covers. A wide-angle FOV is required to fit everyone inside a group photo. However, wide camera angles tend to exaggerate size and distances — which means taking a portrait with a wide angle lens can make the nose look larger than it really is and the eyes look farther apart, typically not the most flattering look for a selfie. Using a narrower field of view (or, essentially, zooming in) tends to create a more flattering look for portraits and, yes, selfies.

Apple’s patent describes a technology that would automatically select the best FOV based on the camera’s orientation. Hold the smartphone horizontal and the system will recognize that you are probably trying to fit more people in that selfie. Recognizing that, the phone would automatically switch to a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is a wider format that would help fit everyone in the frame, without using a selfie stick.

When the smartphone is held in the vertical position, the software automatically assumes you are not trying to fit multiple people in the group. With that assumption, the smartphone camera would switch to the more standard 4:3 aspect ratio. Along with that perspective switch, however, the image would also crop the image to a FOV that is closer to a 50mm lens on a DSLR, which is a favorite among portrait photographers because the lens does not have those distortions of a wide angle. By automatically cropping the frame, the user would have to hold the camera farther from their face, helping to create a better selfie through perspective.

The automatic cropping would force users to hold the smartphone at a more flattering angle, adjusting for group and individual selfies. However, the camera is just scaling or cropping the image, according to the patent, not adjusting through an optical zoom lens. Whenever an image is cropped, the resolution is lost so whatever megapixel count the iPhone that adopted the technology might have, the photos taken using the feature would lower that number.

Patents don’t always turn into actual technology, so it is unclear if the feature will ever make its way into a future iPhone. But, patents offer a glimpse at what companies are researching and introduces a few more “what ifs” to add to the rumors for future iPhones.

LG Q6 vs. Moto G5 Plus: Can LG’s newcomer take out the midrange champion?

LG has taken the wraps off its latest smartphone, the LG Q6 — aimed at offering an excellent experience at a reasonable price. Of course, the phone isn’t without competition in the midrange smartphone world — Lenovo has long offered one of the better midrange devices out there, the Moto G series. The latest in that series is the Lenovo Moto G5 Plus, which scored pretty well in our review.

Still, the new LG phone has a lot going for it. For starters, it offers those beautifully rounded display edges from the LG G6 — giving it a premium look. But can it take down what many consider to be the best midrange phone available in the Lenovo Moto G5 Plus? We put the two phones head to head to find out.

For the purpose of this comparison, we’re looking at the top-tier Moto G5 Plus — the one with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. That’s because it’s the more popular version in the U.S., and because it’s likely to be closer in price to the LG Q6.

Specs and performance

LG Q6

Lenovo Moto G5 Plus

Size
142.5 x 69.3 x 8.1mm (5.61 x 2.73 x 0.32-inches)
150.2 x 74 x 7.7mm (5.91 x 2.91 x 0.30-inches)
Weight
5.26oz
5.47oz
Screen
5.5-inch LCD
5.2-inch LCD
Resolution
1,080 x 2,160 (442ppi)
1,080 x 1,920 (424ppi)
OS
Android 7.1.1
Android 7.0
Storage
32GB
64GB
MicroSD card slot
Yes, up to 256GB
Yes, up to 256GB
NFC support
Yes
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 435
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
RAM
3GB
4GB
Connectivity
GSM / HSPA / LTE
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
Camera
13MP rear, 5MP front
12MP rear, 5MP front
Video
1,080p
2,160p
Bluetooth
Yes, version 4.2
Yes, version 4.2
Fingerprint sensor
No
Yes
Other sensors
Accelerometer
Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Water resistant
No
No
Battery
3,000mAh
3,000mAh
Ports
USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack
MicroUSB
Marketplace
Google Play
Google Play
Color offerings
Astro Black, Ice Platinum, Mystic White, Terra Gold
Lunar Grey, Fine Gold
Availability
TBD
Amazon
Price
TBD
$300
DT review
TBD
3.5 Stars

When it comes to specs, there’s a clear winner, and that’s the Moto G5 Plus. Let’s start with the processor. The new LG Q6 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 — which is a decent chip in its own right. It doesn’t compete, however, with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, which is found in the Lenovo Moto G5 Plus. In other words, if you’re looking for a daily driver that’s better at handling multitasking and some Android games, then the Moto G5 Plus is more powerful. Not only that, but it’s likely to last longer too, as it will be able to better handle more complex apps that are released in the future.

The Moto G5 Plus is also better in other areas of the specs. While the standard variant of the LG Q6 comes with 32GB of storage and 3GB of RAM, the Lenovo Moto G5 Plus offers a much more helpful 64GB of storage with 4GB of RAM.

On top of the performance-based specs, there are some other things that the Q6 is sorely lacking. Like, for example, a fingerprint sensor.

There’s not much debate here — the Moto G5 Plus is a more powerful phone.

Winner: Lenovo Moto G5 Plus

Design, display, and durability

While the Lenovo Moto G5 Plus is a more powerful device in the specs department, when it comes to design things are a little more competitive. In fact, we think that the LG Q6 is the winner here. For starters, it boasts a big and beautiful display with rounded corners — similar to the one you’ll find on LG’s flagship, the LG G6. The back of the phone is pretty simple, featuring only the Q6 logo, along with a camera in the top left-hand corner of the phone.

That’s not to say that the Moto G5 Plus is a bad-looking phone — it’s not. It’s just a little dated. On the front, you’ll find a fingerprint sensor, while on the back you’ll find a pretty prominent camera module.

The display on the two phones is pretty similar. While the Q6’s display sits in at 1,080 x 2,160, the G5 Plus’ basically matches it at 1,080 x 1,920. The Q6’s display is a little larger, sitting in at 5.5-inches, and also boasts a slightly higher pixel-density.

The durability on the two phones is more or less the same too. Considering neither of the phones feature waterproofing, and they both offer a metal unibody design, they should both be capable of withstanding the same abuse. You could make a case arguing that the Q6’s larger display makes it more prone to screen cracks, but the difference is negligible.

Because of the more modern design, the Q6 is the winner here.

Winner: LG Q6

Battery life and charging

Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

The similarities don’t end at the display. Both phones feature the exact same battery size, which is rated at 3,000mAh, however, it does not appear as though the LG Q6 offers any kind of fast charging, while the Moto G5 Plus does.

That can be an important difference. If you’re on the go, you may not have more than a few minutes at a time to charge your phone, and the more it can charge in that time the better. Because the Moto G5 Plus offers fast charging, it’s the winner here.

Winner: Lenovo Moto G5 Plus

Camera

The camera is an increasingly important part of the smartphone, and these days you don’t need to worry about carrying around any other kind of camera for day-to-day use. But which camera is the winner here? Well, it’s a little hard to tell at this point.

The camera on the Q6 sits in at 13MP, but we don’t really know much else about it beyond that it offers autofocus of some kind. The Moto G5 Plus’ camera comes in at 12MP with an aperture of f/1.7, autofocus, and a dual-tone flash.

The video capabilities of the cameras, however, are a little disappointing. The Q6 is only able to shoot video of up to 1,080p, while the Moto G5 Plus is able to shoot 2,160p video.

For now, considering we still have details to learn about the LG Q6’s camera, this one’s a tie — however we’re a little concerned about the video-shooting abilities of the Q6.

Winner: Tie

Software

Both of these phones feature Android 7.0 Nougat, which is the latest and greatest version of Google’s Android, however LG and Lenovo have made their own changes on top. For LG many of those changes are to make better use of the 18:9 aspect ratio, and others are simply small, aesthetic tweaks. For example, in our review of the LG G6, we noted that there are tweaks to the notification shade and settings menu — though not drastic changes.

Lenovo, on the other hand, sticks to near stock Android. The Motorola brand has long offered a pretty basic Android experience, which harkens back to the days when Google owned Motorola. These days, the company does make some small tweaks to Android — but they’re very subtle and largely consist of things like Moto Actions, which allows for gesture-based shortcuts to apps.

The Android experience is very similar on these phones, and you won’t be disappointed with either.

Winner: Tie

Price and availability

The Lenovo Moto G5 Plus is already available for purchase — so you can get your hands on it right now if you so choose. The device comes at $300 straight from Amazon, but it’s also available from your favorite carrier. The LG Q6 has yet to be released — and we don’t even know specific pricing for the phone, though rumors point to a price around $350. If accurate, that will make the Moto G5 Plus a far better choice.

Because the Lenovo Moto G5 Plus is available right now, it’s the winner — though once the Q6 launches in the U.S. that may change, depending on how much it costs.

Winner: Lenovo Moto G5 Plus

Overall winner

The LG Q6 is a nice-looking phone, and it’s a better choice if you’re looking for a phone with a great design. Unfortunately for LG, however, the Moto G5 Plus beats it out in almost every other category. The G5 Plus is more powerful, has fast charging, and will seemingly be quite a bit cheaper too. It’s possible that the Q6 will offer a better camera, and it does have a slightly larger display, but those things just aren’t enough to justify buying the Q6 over the Lenovo Moto G5 Plus.

Samsung will reveal the Galaxy Note 8 on August 23rd

Samsung’s next large-screened phone is on its way, as invites have just gone out for the company’s Unpacked event on August 23rd. A teaser image promises to “Do bigger things,” which is about what we’d expect from the followup to last year’s Galaxy Note 7 debacle.

Developing…

Source: Samsung

3D-printed ear-mounted wearable will monitor your body’s core temperature

Why it matters to you

Core temperature is one of the best indicators of a person’s well-being. This wearable device is designed to help track it in real-time.

Wrist-based wearable devices like the Apple Watch or Fitbit are so early 2017! Here in late July, researchers are busy coming up with ways to monopolize various other parts of the body with wearable tech — and it’s yielding some pretty interesting results.

The latest example is a project coming out of the University of California, Berkeley, where researchers have developed a 3D-printed device worn over the ear, called (wait for it!) “Earable.”

“We are utilizing 3D printing to build sensors that we can fit into an individual’s ear and continuously measure the core temperature,” Ali Javey, professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, told Digital Trends. “This device utilizes the unique feature of 3D-printing process which is that every printed object can be made to the desired dimensions and specs. The work represents a class of ‘structural electronics’ where sensors and electronics are embedded in the fabricated structure itself.

The so-called “Earable” device measures core temperature using special infrared sensors. While there have been fitness-tracking devices that measure skin temperature on the market for a while, these are not the same as core temperature since they respond to factors like outside temperature. Core temperature, meanwhile, measures the inner body temperature: something which serves as a key indicator of a person’s overall well-being. In this way, you can think of the Earable device like a long-term oral thermometer.

“Monitoring core body temperature in a continuous fashion could have important medical applications,” Javey continued. “Examples can include monitoring patients with severe conditions, or infants.” According to the investigators, core body temperature is “one of the most important basic medical indicators of fever, insomnia, fatigue, metabolic functionality, and depression.”

The wearables incorporates some additional smart tech, such as a microphone and actuator that allows the device to also act as a “bone conduction hearing aid.” This is something of a necessity since users will be losing a good portion of their hearing by covering their ear with the device. It also has a Bluetooth module for wirelessly transmitting the core temperature data to a paired mobile device.

Up next, Javey said the goal is to work on miniaturizing the device, as well as expanding the range of sensors that are implemented. A paper describing the work was published in the journal ACS Sensors.

AI-powered robot harness can help train stroke patients to walk again

Why it matters to you

Smart technology helps rehab patients with poor mobility by simulating real walking conditions.

From robot exoskeletons to smart staircases, technology is making great advances in helping people with reduced mobility to get moving. The latest exciting piece of research in this vein is a project carried out by researchers in Switzerland and the Netherlands. Using cutting-edge artificial intelligence software and a robotic harness, they’ve developed smart assistive technology that’s designed to help stroke and spinal cord injury patients to walk again.

“We have developed an adaptive algorithm that personalizes a robotic harness to enable and train locomotion in people with spinal cord injury or stroke,” Jean-Baptiste Mignardot, a researcher at the Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, told Digital Trends. “We then demonstrated its efficacy to enable natural walking in non-ambulatory individuals, and to enhance skilled locomotor control in the less-impaired subjects.”

Rehab programs have long since involved asking patients to walk on treadmills, while they are held upright by a harness. What this new technology improves on is the use of AI and robotics to help simulate the forces people will encounter in various real-world situations — whether this be walking along a straight path, on a wavy path, or across irregularly positioned rungs on a downward-facing ladder.

“We implemented an algorithm that can predict the optimal upward and forward support given by the robotic harness,” Mignardot continued. “The optimal upward is determined by an artificial neural network which integers kinematic and kinetic data from the patient. Then the algorithm combines the optimal upward support with the preferred speed of the patient — or the speed chosen by the physical therapist — to determine the optimal forward support.”

It’s even possible to set the system to imitate different gravitational pulls, so that users can see what it would be like to walk on other planets!

In trials, the technology was shown to work impressively well. For example, after using the AI-assisted robot harness, three patients with spinal cord injuries were able to walk independently — despite not previously being able to stand. Much the same proved true for stroke patients. A paper describing the research was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

“Until now, the general guidelines on the use of bodyweight support system in rehabilitation field advises to stay below 30 to 40 percent of body weight,” Mignardot said. “Here we showed that, with an appropriate forward component, the full range of body weight support can be applied without restriction.”

Going forward, the plan is for the technology to be commercialized for use in rehabilitation centers as part of the clinical routine.

AI-powered robot harness can help train stroke patients to walk again

Why it matters to you

Smart technology helps rehab patients with poor mobility by simulating real walking conditions.

From robot exoskeletons to smart staircases, technology is making great advances in helping people with reduced mobility to get moving. The latest exciting piece of research in this vein is a project carried out by researchers in Switzerland and the Netherlands. Using cutting-edge artificial intelligence software and a robotic harness, they’ve developed smart assistive technology that’s designed to help stroke and spinal cord injury patients to walk again.

“We have developed an adaptive algorithm that personalizes a robotic harness to enable and train locomotion in people with spinal cord injury or stroke,” Jean-Baptiste Mignardot, a researcher at the Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, told Digital Trends. “We then demonstrated its efficacy to enable natural walking in non-ambulatory individuals, and to enhance skilled locomotor control in the less-impaired subjects.”

Rehab programs have long since involved asking patients to walk on treadmills, while they are held upright by a harness. What this new technology improves on is the use of AI and robotics to help simulate the forces people will encounter in various real-world situations — whether this be walking along a straight path, on a wavy path, or across irregularly positioned rungs on a downward-facing ladder.

“We implemented an algorithm that can predict the optimal upward and forward support given by the robotic harness,” Mignardot continued. “The optimal upward is determined by an artificial neural network which integers kinematic and kinetic data from the patient. Then the algorithm combines the optimal upward support with the preferred speed of the patient — or the speed chosen by the physical therapist — to determine the optimal forward support.”

It’s even possible to set the system to imitate different gravitational pulls, so that users can see what it would be like to walk on other planets!

In trials, the technology was shown to work impressively well. For example, after using the AI-assisted robot harness, three patients with spinal cord injuries were able to walk independently — despite not previously being able to stand. Much the same proved true for stroke patients. A paper describing the research was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

“Until now, the general guidelines on the use of bodyweight support system in rehabilitation field advises to stay below 30 to 40 percent of body weight,” Mignardot said. “Here we showed that, with an appropriate forward component, the full range of body weight support can be applied without restriction.”

Going forward, the plan is for the technology to be commercialized for use in rehabilitation centers as part of the clinical routine.