Nokia will unveil its first Android flagship next month

Finnish startup HMD Global will give the world its first official look at its Nokia-branded Android flagship on August 16th. The manufacturer is sending out invites for a London event on that date, reports The Verge. The news comes just over a week after renders of the handset, dubbed the Nokia 8, were leaked online.

The rumour mill has it the Nokia 8 will be powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor and contain dual rear-facing cameras. As with previous Nokia offerings, the phone will pack a Carl Zeiss lens — which should whet the appetite of fans of the Lumia 1020, and its predecessor the 808 PureView. Last week’s leak was of a blue handset, but silver and copper variations could also be in the works.

Although HMD created its fair share of hype with its 3310 reboot, launching a successful high-end Android phone will be an altogether different proposition. The device will be squaring up against the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Google Pixel — two immaculate Android handsets. Simply put, the Nokia flasgship will need much more than a recognizable brand name to compete against its tried and tested rivals. The HMD event is set to kick off at 7:30PM London time (2:30PM ET) on August 16th.

Via: The Verge

Giphy’s GIF-making tool is now available in your mobile browser

Last October, Giphy reported that users made 100 million daily users serving 1 billion GIFs per day. But how many of those views — and creations — are on mobile? The moving image repository site has updated its GIF Maker to work while viewing from a device or smartphone, allowing mobile users to make joke animations on the go.

Simply go to the GIF Maker site while on mobile and add in a sequence of images from your camera roll, taken using your phone’s lens or pasting in a URL. After that, you can caption your newly-created GIF, add stickers and glitter, and draw on them. While you won’t find the creative image-altering effects on desktop, the biggest boon of the tool’s mobile browser version is likely creating GIFs without needing to download and finagle an app.

Source: GIF Maker (Giphy)

Musk and Zuckerberg bicker over the future of AI

It’s easy to imagine the world’s most powerful people as being mysterious and aloof, but thanks to the wonders of Twitter, we can now regularly witness them being just as petty as the rest of us. Everyone’s favorite eccentric billionaire Elon Musk is the latest example of this, publicly slamming Mark Zuckerberg with a tweet stating that the Facebook CEO’s understanding of AI “is limited.”

The 140 character burn came after comments made on a recent live stream by Zuckerberg, where the Facebook founder expressed some heavy-handed criticism of those who believe that we should be wary of AI and put in safeguards and regulations before the tech becomes mainstream. With AI becoming an increasingly key part of Facebook’s business, it’s hardly surprising that Zuckerberg is quick to champion the field.

I’ve talked to Mark about this. His understanding of the subject is limited.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 25, 2017

Musk hasn’t exactly been shy on the topic, previously proclaiming that artificial intelligence is “the biggest risk we face as a civilization.” Meeting with US governors earlier in the year, he went on to say that “AI is a rare case where we need to be proactive in regulation instead of reactive because if we’re reactive in AI regulation it’s too late.”

Still, while this may all sound fairly sensible, Elon’s also received some flak from experts in the AI field. Rodney Brooks, the founding director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence recently questioned Musk’s AI knowledge in much the same way Elon did about Zuckerberg. Given the fact that Brooks is also the co-founder of Rethink Robotics and iRobot, we think he might just know a thing or two about the subject.

This isn’t the first time that Musk and Zuckerberg have clashed. Yet, when two billionaires spend their time bickering about what for them is pocket change, or even which directions they should take their world-leading companies in – it’s difficult for most people who are struggling to pay rent to find the energy to care.

Via: Tech Crunch

Source: Twitter

LG Display Plans $13 Billion OLED Investment Over Next Three Years

Earlier in July, a report by The Korea Herald suggested that Apple and supplier LG Display were working on a deal that would see Apple investing $1.75-2.62 billion into LG Display’s OLED manufacturing, specifically a plant that would be exclusively devoted to Apple orders. Today, Reuters has provided a few more details on LG Display’s plans to enter the OLED display market for smartphones, which rival Samsung Display currently dominates.

In total, LG Display plans to invest $13.5 billion into boosting its output of OLED screens over the next three years, covering TV screens and specifically hoping to “make inroads against rival Samsung in smartphone displays.” LG Display is already the OLED leader in large-screen television displays, but now the supplier is said to be seeking a strong foothold in the OLED screen market for smartphones, coming in the wake of OLED-backed iPhone 8 rumors and Apple’s reported plans to go OLED-only on iPhones beginning in 2019, and perhaps even 2018.

LG Display will invest around $4.5 billion for a new production line that will create flexible OLED panels to help bolster its position in the auto display and smartphone market, and another $2.5 billion will be saved for another line of “large-size OLED screens.” In regards to lines dedicated to small and mid-sized OLED displays, it’s said that Apple will help out with getting the lines up and running, continuing the investment rumors began earlier this month.

Around 5 trillion won is earmarked for a new line for flexible OLED aimed at bolstering its position in auto displays and smartphones while 2.8 trillion won will go toward a separate new line for large-size OLED screens. Both production lines will be located in Paju, northwest of Seoul. Its planned 15 trillion won investment over three years implies an average of 5 trillion won in capital spending per year, above its usual 4 trillion won, but analysts said it will probably not be enough.

“For small and mid-sized OLED, it is expected to receive additional investment from somewhere else, perhaps Apple,” said Lee Min-hee, analyst at Heungkuk Securities. “One production line for small and mid-sized OLED can require nearly 10 trillion won in investment. LG doesn’t have the firepower to single-handedly build a lot of OLED production lines.”

Apple’s current OLED deal with Samsung will see the manufacturer supply 92 million OLED panels over the next two years. In The Korea Herald’s report from early July, it was rumored that LG Display’s OLED output for Apple would gear up in 2019, aligning with the end of Apple’s contract with Samsung. A rumor this week has also pointed towards Apple’s plans to develop its own OLED technology to reduce its reliance on suppliers like Samsung Display.

Apple’s launch of the first-ever OLED iPhone is widely expected to be coming later this fall, in the majorly redesigned “iPhone 8,” while more iterative updates in the “iPhone 7s” and “iPhone 7s Plus” will receive traditional LCD screens.

Tags: OLED, LG Display
Discuss this article in our forums

Porsche Design’s special edition Huawei Watch 2 is expensive, but worth it

Why it matters to you

Watches are like jewelry, and the more special they are, the more you’ll want one on your wrist. Porsche Design’s Huawei Watch 2 ticks all the right boxes.

If you’ve been patiently waiting for a better look at Porsche Design’s Huawei Watch 2, the time (sorry) has finally arrived. The special edition smartwatch, announced alongside the Watch 2 earlier this year, but strangely absent since then, is now ready to be purchased directly from Porsche Design. However, there are a couple of problems. The first is that the watch is only sold in Europe and the United Kingdom, and the second is that it’ll cost you 800 euros, or about $925. The Huawei Watch 2, without Porsche Design’s involvement, will cost you less than $340.

What’s so special that it warrants three times the price of a normal Huawei Watch 2? The main design change is on the bezel, which is made from ceramic like the regular version, but features a tachymeter scale around the edge, something seen on other Porsche Design timepieces. What does this do? If you’re good at math, and have some time to spare, it can be used to calculate average speed. In reality, because no one will bother messing around with this, it just gives the watch an extra helping of motorsport-inspired cool.

The strap is a Porsche Design version of the leather/rubber hybrid strap available on the regular Huawei Watch 2 Classic. Here it has the Porsche Design logo and some red stitching — again, giving the watch a motorsport style — with breathable, ridged rubber next to your skin, and leather on the top for a classic look. The red highlights continue on the Huawei Watch 2’s buttons, which are mounted on a slick, black stainless steel case covered in a scratch resistant coating. There’s no mention of an upgrade from Gorilla Glass to sapphire for the cover over the screen, which is unfortunate at this price.

It wouldn’t be a special edition smartwatch without some custom watch faces, and Porsche Design has added several to its Huawei Watch 2, complete with a one-touch chronograph feature. Otherwise, the technical specification is the same as a standard Huawei Watch 2 Classic. It doesn’t come with 4G, but has all the Watch 2’s fitness tracking abilities, GPS, IP68 water resistance, 4GB of storage space, and the Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor with 512MB of RAM. Android Wear 2.0 is the operating system.

Huawei last teamed up with Porsche Design for the Porsche Design Mate 9, which would be the ideal companion device to the new smartwatch. Grabbing the limited edition phone will add another 1,400 euros ($1,630) to the final bill, but if you’re considering the watch already, that probably won’t matter.

Dad of the year made a D.Va mecha cosplay suit for his daughter

Why it matters to you

Mike Carambat shows that with ingenuity, foam, and a lot of time investment, crafting amazing cosplay outfits can be a lot of fun.

Cosplay is often considered a labor of love, given the effort and time investment required, and it’s even more so if you’re building an outfit for someone else. In the case of Mike Carambat, he poured his familial affections into a fully functioning mecha suit for his daughter, inspired by Overwatch’s D.Va

Even though any effort is to be applauded in the cosplay world, there are certain levels to it. There are those who put some stickers on some spandex and there are those who build walking, smoking, backlit mecha suits. Carambat’s creation certainly falls into that latter category, as the D.Va suit not only “walks” but has visibly functioning thrusters, rotating guns, color changing lights and a sound system for pumping out D.Va’s iconic lines from the game.

This hefty project began back in September 2016, with Carambat posting a pair of potential mecha suits on his Instagram. While commenters were torn on which to go for, he ultimately settled on the D.Va design and began work in earnest in the months that followed.

A post shared by Mike C (@retroresource) on Jul 23, 2017 at 10:49pm PDT

The first step was figuring out how it could work with a singular occupant. That was followed by the building of the wheeled assembly that would actually move the suit around, while the legs rotated around the hip joints to give the impression of bipedal movement. After early tests proved successful, the legs and frame were gradually constructed and he even pulled in the suit’s eventual pilot to test out some of the features before it was completed.

A post shared by Mike C (@retroresource) on Jun 25, 2017 at 9:15pm PDT

With smoking vents, whirring gattling cannons and pumping speakers from the LED-lit interior, the suit was almost ready to go. It just needed a few finishing touches that were hampered by Carambat’s holiday commitments. He managed to get it done in time for MechaCon 2017 though, which runs from July 28-30. Practically a photo finish.

All in all the project took many man (and daughter) hours to be completed, but the end results are rather spectacular. The internet shouldn’t be too surprised though, as Carambat and his talented daughters have been producing and winning competitions with, amazing cosplay outfits for years now. From Big Daddy and Little Sister team ups, to fully functioning Ezra Scarlet armor sets.

Nokia’s first Android flagship will be unveiled on August 16

Nokia 8 will be unveiled in London on August 16.

Nokia’s re-entry into the world of smartphones via HMD Global saw the brand focus on the budget segment, but the manufacturer’s first flagship running Android will be unveiled next month. As noted by The Verge, HMD Global is sending out media invites for a launch event in London on August 16, where it will unveil its flagship device — the Nokia 8.

Based on recent leaks, the Nokia 8 will feature dual 13MP cameras at the back with Carl Zeiss optics, along with a 5.3-inch QHD display, snapdragon 835, 4GB or 6GB of RAM, and 64GB storage. The phone is likely to run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box.

The Nokia 8 will be offered in at least three color options — blue, silver, and gold. Leaked renders show off a design aesthetic similar to Lumias of old, a fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button, capacitive navigation keys, and generous bezels. The phone is rumored to cost in the vicinity of $600, and with the launch just over two weeks away, we should know more soon.

Who’s looking forward to the Nokia 8?

Huawei’s Porsche Design Smartwatch is now available in Europe

Exclusive version of Huawei’s latest wearable will set you back €795 ($925).

You could be forgiven for forgetting all about the Huawei Porsche Design Smartwatch, a footnote at the company’s Mobile World Congress press conference back in February. But now the watch is actually available to buy, with the listing on Porsche Design’s official site having quietly gone up in the past 24 hours.

Porsche Design’s first smartwatch will set you back a cool €795 ($925) — not a huge amount by luxury watch standards, or Porsche Design standards — but around double the cost of the non-PD Huawei Watch Classic, upon which it’s based. There are European and UK SKUs available direct from Porsche Design, but no words when (or if) the watch will be heading to American shores. (The $1,500 Porsche Design Mate 9 never came to the U.S., so maybe don’t hold your breath.)

Aside from the extra branding and design flair, you’re effectively getting a Huawei Watch 2 Classic with some extra watch faces. On the inside, it’s the same Snapdragon Wear 2100-based setup, complete with 1.2-inch AMOLED display and 768MB of RAM.

If you’re curious about how this device would look and feel in a cheaper plastic shell, check out our Huawei Watch 2 review.

See at Porsche Design

The Morning After: Tuesday, July 25th 2017

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

The big news in tech this morning? Microsoft’s 32-year-old Paint program. Oh — and we’re expecting a new phone or two from Motorola. It’s that kind of day.

Heroes never die.Microsoft Paint isn’t dead, it’s just sleeping

Yesterday Microsoft’s venerable art program popped up on the list of “deprecated features” in Windows 10’s next update, and the world exploded. According to Microsoft, it isn’t killing Paint (yet) in favor of the new-school Paint 3D, it’s just moving the old app to a farm in the country where it can run free its Store.

First step: Send in a sample.Lose It app introduces DNA-based weight-loss plan

The embodyDNA weight-loss plan starts off with a cheek swab and $190 DNA test. Once that’s done, users can open up their Lose It app for personalized recommendations (avoid bacon/sugar/everything else that tastes great) based on the results. It isn’t the first weight-loss system with a genetics tie-in, but working through an app that already tracks your food intake adds a unique spin.

Truly the gift that keeps on giving.Nikon celebrates its 100th anniversary with a new DSLR

Nikon President Kazuo Ushida says his company “will be reborn as a solution company providing superior technologies and ideas, holding ‘light’ as our core philosophy.” The first example of that appears to be its upcoming D850 camera, which will replace the 34.3MP full-frame D810 DSLR (above).

Like an iPod shuffle, but for SpotifyMighty offline Spotify player review

While many users have gone from downloaded MP3 collections to cloud music services, it usually means being tied to your phone for music. The $86 Mighty player brings back the iPod Shuffle’s simplified setup, by syncing Spotify playlists for offline listening on a device with no screen or other apps. According to Billy Steele, “it’s a solid concept that needs a little fine-tuning.”

Everything from a backpack to an electric kettle.Back to School 2017: The best accessories for your dorm

We’d be remiss if we didn’t also include some more-domestic items in our back-to-school guide — stuff intended for a home but compact enough to fit comfortably into a cramped dorm room.

What’s going on with Bungie’s next game.A ‘Destiny 2’ beta co-opinion

This weekend Timothy Seppala and Jessica Conditt spent some quality time in the world of Destiny 2, then had this conversation about their experiences. So, are they ready to pick up the mantle of Guardian once again? While the game has a few more months of baking to do before it launches, Jessica’s still intrigued by those “moments of almost-accidental teamwork when the digital stars align and transform a haphazard group of video-game fans into a real crew capable of getting shit done.”

Not-so-subtle.‘The Emoji Movie’ confirms it’s the nightmare we all feared

Maybe don’t use a classic novel about a terrifying dystopia to market your horrible movie.

Watching it at home just won’t be the same‘Dunkirk’ demands to be experienced in a theater

Dunkirk is the cinematic mic drop by Christopher Nolan — 106 minutes of sound, fury and, if you’re lucky, glorious 70mm IMAX film. It’s a movie that uses all of the latest technology to not only show you the relentless horror of war but also make you feel as if you’re right there alongside the steadfast British soldiers. And it’s the best argument yet for why movies should be experienced on massive screens, with sound systems that would get you evicted.

But wait, there’s more…

• Roomba maker iRobot plans to sell digital maps of your home
• Galaxy S8 Active ditches the curved display in leaked images
• Google ships final Android O beta before official launch
• What’s on TV: ‘Ghost in the Shell’ 4K Blu-ray and ‘Titanfall 2’ co-op DLC
• Google’s Q2 2017 earnings: That $2.7 billion fine made an impact
• The soccer game made by someone who doesn’t know much about soccer
• How Intel broadcasts live baseball in VR

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you’ll miss if you don’t subscribe.

MIT-developed plugin makes CAD changes ‘instant’

A new computer-aided-design (CAD) plug-in could drastically improve products you use on a daily basis. Researchers from MIT and Columbia University say the tool will allow engineers to develop prototypes in real-time. They claim its ease of use will have an immediate impact on objects with complex designs, such as cars, planes, and robots.

Many of the products you use are developed using computer-aided-design systems. However, the laborious nature of those same systems can also make them a hindrance during the design process. They can prove particularly time-consuming for engineers developing intricate products (like cars), which undergo a range of modifications.

According to its creators, the new InstantCAD plug-in can cut days (and even weeks) from the development period. This is mainly down to its use of a custom algorithm that provides instant feedback on how to improve an item’s design. For example, if you were building a drone, it could tell you how to make it as lightweight as possible while still being able to carry your desired weight.

“From more ergonomic desks to higher-performance cars, this is really about creating better products in less time,” said lead researcher Adriana Schulz. “We think this could be a real game changer for automakers and other companies that want to be able to test and improve complex designs in a matter of seconds.”

InstantCad forms part of a paper that will be presented at this month’s SIGGRAPH computer graphics conference in Los Angeles. Its authors claim the optmization of tricky CAD systems is critical in a world where 3D printing and robotics are becoming more accessible.

Source: MIT News