Facebook Smart Speaker Coming Next Year With 15-inch Touch Panel

Facebook is planning to release its own smart speaker to compete with similar connected devices offered by Amazon, Google, and Apple, a report out of Taiwan claimed on Tuesday.

However, instead of voice recognition functions in the vein of Siri or Alexa, Facebook’s speaker will focus more on displaying visual imagery via a 15-inch touch panel, according to sources in the supply chain.

Amazon’s Echo Show was the first smart speaker to feature a display
The device will be manufactured by Pegatron for release in the first quarter of 2018 and has already begun small volume pilot production at plants in China, said the sources. The touchscreen is said to be supplied by LG Display using in-cell technology, while the chassis is constructed from a magnesium-aluminum-alloy.

Market watchers predicted high growth for Pegatron going into the second half of the year, with the manufacturer already fulfilling iPhone orders for Apple as well as Surface and Xbox One orders for Microsoft.

Amazon is reportedly working on a successor to its popular flagship Echo speaker for release later this year. The company hopes to steal the spotlight from Apple as it prepares to launch its music-oriented HomePod speaker, costing $350.

Research firm Strategy Analytics claims worldwide smart speaker shipments reached 5.9 million units in 2016, 4.2 million of which were shipped in the fourth quarter of 2016. The smart speaker market is expected to reach $5.5 billion by 2022.

(Via DigiTimes.)

Related Roundup: HomePod
Tags: Facebook, Amazon Echo
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Google Search and Maps Apps Gain ‘SOS Alerts’ Feature

Google launched a new feature for its Search and Maps apps today that aims to help users stay on top of events when a natural disaster or other crisis occurs near their location (via TechCrunch).

Called “SOS Alerts”, the notifications will appear at the top of Google search results and Maps when a user looks for information about an incident or the affected area.

In the Search app, Google will offer an overview of the incident using maps, relevant news stories, emergency phone numbers where available, websites, and any other information that might be useful. In the event that the user is in close proximity to the incident, Google may also send notifications directing users to further details.

The same information will show up in the Maps app where relevant, for example in search results, with real-time updates detailing road closures and traffic and transit updates.

Google has worked with several organizations to bring the feature to its Search and Maps apps, including the Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Philippine Atmospheric, and Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

Google Maps and Search can be downloaded from the App Store for free.

Tags: Google, Google Maps
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Stanford built a ‘4D’ camera for cars, robots and VR

A team of Stanford scientists have created what could be the perfect “eye” for autonomous vehicles and delivery drones thus far. It’s a 4D camera that can capture nearly 140 degrees of information, allowing it to gather more information than conventional cameras in a single image. The researchers call their design the “first-ever single-lens, wide field of view, light field camera.” It relies on light field photography for the additional info to make its results four dimensional. That means it can observe and record the direction and distance of the light hitting the lens and bundle it with the resulting 2D image.

As a result, the team’s robot eye has the ability to refocus images after they’re taken, which is light field photography’s most popular feature. Remember Lytro? That small device can adjust the focus of an image, because it also uses light field imaging tech. The researchers compare the difference between looking through a normal camera and the one they designed to the difference between looking through a peephole and a window:

“A 2D photo is like a peephole because you can’t move your head around to gain more information about depth, translucency or light scattering’. Looking through a window, you can move and, as a result, identify features like shape, transparency and shininess.”

In the future, various types of robots and machines can take advantage of the camera’s capabilities. A rugged robot can use its light field features to refocus images as it makes its way through the rain. It can improve close-up images for search-and-rescue robots or self-driving cars while navigating small areas. The camera could also be used to capture images for augmented and virtual reality, since all the info it includes in one picture could lead to more seamless renderings.

At the moment, the device is still in its proof-of-concept stage and is a bit too big for actual use. The researchers are aiming to develop a smaller and lighter version that they can test on a robot, but for now, you can see some of its sample snapshots in the video below:

Source: Stanford University, Stanford Computational Imaging Lab

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 review: Six months later

The Redmi Note 4 has held up really well after 6 months of use.

Six months after its release, the Redmi Note 4 is still one of the best phones in the budget segment in India. There are plenty of options in this category — the Moto G5 Plus is Motorola’s best effort yet, and the Honor 6X is similarly great. Then we have the likes of Smartron, with its sophomore effort considerably better than its first phone, and Lenovo’s Z2 Plus has aged very well.

I used the Redmi Note 4 for a month back when it launched in January and rotated it as a secondary device on and off for the last five months. One of the main advantages of the Redmi Note 4 is the 4100mAh battery, which gives it excellent standby time and at least a day’s worth of use on a full charge. Read on to find out how the device has fared six months after its release.

Great hardware in a new color variant

I initially used the gold color option of the Redmi Note 4, but I switched to the matte black variant in March. Of the two, I’m partial to the black color option, mainly because the black variant comes with a black front panel. The gold variant certainly gave the device a premium feel, but the black option with the silver antenna lines and camera accents looks much better.

Irrespective of whatever model you end up with, the Redmi Note 4 is a well-built device. The all-metal chassis gives it just the right amount of heft, and the subtle curves at the back make it comfortable to hold and use one-handed. The build quality is similarly top-notch.

The Redmi Note 4 has aged remarkably well, considering it took its fair share of tumbles. There aren’t a lot of scratches on the screen, and aside from a few nicks on the bottom edge, the phone is relatively unharmed. The Redmi Note 4 certainly held up to everyday use much better than the Mi 6, which picked up a litany of microscratches at the front and back in just under three weeks.

The Redmi Note 4 holds up well very to everyday use.

The Snapdragon 625 chipset on the Redmi Note 4 was initially thought to be a downgrade from the Snapdragon 650 used in the Redmi Note 3, but that perception soon changed once people actually started using the device. The phone continues to be dependable when it comes to everyday performance even after 6 months of use.

One of the best features from a hardware point of view on Xiaomi phones is the presence of the IR blaster. The IR sensor allows you to use the Redmi Note 4 as a remote control for the TV, air conditioner, DTH box, and much more. I’ve been testing out the Sensy Smart Remote over the last month, and if you’re using the Redmi Note 4, you don’t need to buy the ₹1,199 puck-sized device — you can directly use Sensy’s app to control your TV through your phone.

The display is still one of the best in this category, despite it not being an AMOLED panel. The colors are accurate, the screen is legible under harsh sunlight, and you can adjust the color saturation and screen temperature according to your tastes. With the speaker located at the bottom, the Redmi Note 4 also doubles up as a decent device for multimedia consumption. It’s no Mi Max 2, however.

The one downside with the black variant is that it tends to attract a lot of smudges. That’s because of the matte finish, and while it’s a minor nuisance, it doesn’t affect the way you use the phone. Overall, the Redmi Note 4 is one of the most reliable phones I’ve used all year.

Software is still lagging behind

Out of the box, the Redmi Note 4 ran a MIUI 8.1 build (8.1.10) based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, along with the December 1, 2016 security patch. Xiaomi announced a beta Nougat build for the phone at launch, but nothing materialized after that, as the device is still running Marshmallow 6 months after its debut.

While Xiaomi doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to delivering platform updates, the manufacturer is rolling out security patches on time. At the end of July, the Redmi Note 4 is on the May 01, 2017 security patch. Xiaomi has announced that it is testing the Nougat update for the Redmi Note 4, and we’ll likely see the update sometime next month. It’s likely the device will make the switch to MIUI 9, which is on the horizon.

The Redmi Note 4 is still running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

The software situation is certainly irksome, but Xiaomi isn’t the only manufacturer lagging behind when it comes to rolling out updates. Honor announced the rollout of the Nougat update to the Honor 6X back in May, but my unit didn’t receive the OTA update at the end of June. I had to manually flash the Nougat-based EMUI 5.0 build onto the device. Motorola seems to be the only company still focused on rolling out timely updates to its budget devices.

Although the lack of updates for the Redmi Note 4 is a letdown, there’s plenty to like in MIUI 8. The ROM is loaded with customizations, including the ability to change every facet of the UI with themes, Dual Apps, display and battery optimizations, a built-in video editor, and several features localized to the Indian market. There’s even a lite mode that simplifies the interface if you just want the basics.

MIUI definitely takes some getting used to, but it has its fans — over 200 million of them globally. I’m not a fan of how bloated the interface has become, but it’ll be interesting to see if that changes with MIUI 9.

Camera

The camera situation on the Redmi Note 4 is certainly better than its predecessors, but the phone is prone to the same pitfalls as other devices in this segment. The Redmi Note 4 takes decent shots in well-lit scenarios, but there’s far too much noise in photos taken under artificial lighting or in low-light conditions.

I don’t use HDR anymore because it takes too long to process the images, and more often than not, it takes a few tries to get a passable image. The camera app offers a ton of features, including filters with live previews, a beautify mode, ability to take panoramas, and a manual mode that lets you adjust the white balance and ISO. Overall, the camera on the Redmi Note 4 is decent, but there are better options available.

Battery life continues to be great

If there’s a trend to Xiaomi’s phone launches in 2017, it’s great battery life. With the energy-efficient Snapdragon 625 under the hood, the Redmi Note 4 consistently delivers at least a day’s worth of use. The phone also doubles up as the ideal backup or secondary device thanks to its generous standby time.

On average, the battery life on the Redmi Note 4 is good for anywhere between four to five hours of screen-on time, spread out over the course of the day. When you do need to top up, you have to do so over MicroUSB, so if you’re using the Redmi Note 4 as a secondary device like I have, you’ll need to carry two sets of cables. Thankfully, it looks like Xiaomi has fully embraced USB-C, as the Mi Max 2 uses the new standard.

The only issue I have with regards to the battery on the Redmi Note 4 is the charging time — the phone takes just over two hours to charge.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 6 months on

The Redmi Note 4 is the best-selling device in India in Q1 2017, and it isn’t hard to see why. The build quality is right up there with the likes of Samsung and LG, you get a lot of value for your money, and while the software situation isn’t ideal, MIUI does offer a lot of features.

Of the three variants the phone is available in, the model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage is the best option as it has provides you with a decent enough buffer in terms of memory and internal storage. You do get a microSD card slot with the phone, but considering the minor ₹2,000 difference in cost between the 3GB model and 4GB version, you’re better off picking the latter.

For ₹12,999, there still isn’t a phone on the market that delivers quite as much as the Redmi Note 4. The fact that you can’t just go to an e-commerce site and pick it up shows the sheer amount of interest in the device.

See at Flipkart

Yi’s home and action cameras are now available on Amazon India

Yi’s products finally make their debut in India.

You no longer have to go through Chinese resellers to get your hands on Yi Technology’s excellent home and action cameras as the brand is now offering its products directly on Amazon India.

The Xiaomi-backed manufacturer is currently listing two internet-connected home security cameras — a dome camera with a 720p imaging sensor and 360-degree field of view that retails for ₹4,490 and a 180-degree camera with a 720p sensor for just ₹2,999. The dome camera has pan, zoom, and tilt options, and you can configure it to send alerts if it detects any motion in a room.

As for action cameras, you can choose between the standard 1080p variant with a 16MP sensor that costs ₹6,999, or the newer model that shoots in 4K. The 4K action camera has a 12MP Sony IMX377 imaging sensor, and will set you back ₹17,999.

The 4K action camera has a 2.19-inch LCD touchscreen and hooks up to Wi-Fi to wirelessly transfer images. You have the ability to shoot 4K videos at 30fps, 1080p at 120fps, and 720p video at 240fps. The 1400mAh battery allows for up to two hours of 4K video. Interested? Head down to Amazon to get your hands on Yi’s action camera.

See at Amazon

Nikon working on next-gen D850 DSLR for its 100th anniversary

Nikon has become a bit set in its ways, failing to compete with Sony, Fujifilm and others in the profitable mirrorless and high-end compact realm. For its 100th anniversary, it has no intention of ceding the high-end professional market, however: It just announced the development of the full-frame (FX) D850, the successor to the 36.3-megapixel, full-frame D810 (above).

Nikon didn’t say much in its blog, other than the camera will be a “full-frame, high-resolution, high speed” model. Nikon does promise that it will be “engineered with a range of new technologies, features and performance enhancements that are a direct result of feedback from users over the years.” It also calls it a “formidable tool” for pro photographers, hobbyists, landscape as well as commercial sports shooters, fashion and wedding photographers and multimedia content creators.

For the D810 successor, most pros and serious hobbyist want a new focus system, better RAW images, controls that match the D5, in-body stabilization, built-in WiFi, a tilting touchscreen, faster max shutter speeds and 4K video, to name a few things. So if Nikon is listening to its buyers as it says, hopefully it will ll implement most or all of those things.

Nikon released a 4K teaser YouTube video (above) with a mix of live video and time lapse. It says it was shot with the D850 and shows that the new model could have Ultra HD video, very low light capability and 8K time-lapse capabilities for star-shooting.

For its 100th anniversary, Nikon President Kazuo Ushida also unveiled a new company philosophy and strategy. “The difference from our past strategies is that we will offer not only products, but also ideas and solutions as well,” he wrote. “Nikon will be reborn as a solution company providing superior technologies and ideas, holding ‘light’ as our core philosophy.”

As part of that philosophy, it promises to bring “curiosity,” through “a wide range of interests to cultivate fresh ideas,” and “acceptance,” in which it will “warmly embrace diverse ideas.” That might sound a bit fluffy, but it it does seem like a break from Nikon’s current stodgy ways.

While it’s still doing fine in the high-end DSLR market, Nikon’s strategy up until now has led to the disastrous cancellation of its compact DL Series, and no mirrorless cameras behind the foundering Nikon 1 lineup. That led to “extraordinary losses” and the announcement of a major restructuring in February this year. Hopefully the company has realized that 100 years of success is nice, but if it can’t listen to customers and keep up with rivals, it may not last many more.

Source: Nikon

Tech Hunters: Opening up new worlds with the Nintendo GameBoy

You have to hand it to Nintendo: the company knows how to change the way people play video games. As millions of gamers getting to grips with the Switch, which delivers A+ games on-the-go as well as it does docked at home, many will remember the console that pioneered the concept of portable gaming: the GameBoy.

Launched in Japan in 1989, the GameBoy sold over 300,000 in its first two weeks and over 100 million in total. The 8-bit handheld console supported small interchangeable cartridges and its monochromatic display could screen render games in four different colors of gray, but thanks to titles like the side-scrolling Super Mario Land, Kirby’s Dream Land and Tetris, consumers just couldn’t get enough of it.

With so many units sold, there’s a plethora of handsets still available to quench your retro gaming needs, as Julia Hardy discovered in Croydon. But what if we could open up new worlds on the portable brick? We’ll hand it over to Simon Ellis from Retrogamebase to see what else we can get it to do.

Tech Hunters is a 10-part video series that uncovers the devices we were once obsessed with, looking at how they disrupted the tech industry, and what they’re worth today. From the pocket pet obsession with the original Tamagotchi, to mix-tapes and Sony Walkman, Tech Hunters explores the audio, visual, interactive and transport innovations that have shaped today’s culture.

TiVo’s voice-controlled Bluetooth remote has a Netflix button

The TiVo peanut-style remote has only changed slightly over the years, but ZatzNotFunny points out that a new revision is close to release. Labeled S6V, this Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connected remote popped up in FCC filings, while a clearer image appeared in an earlier leak along with a trademark for TiVo Bolt Vox and TiVo Mini Vox. TiVo will hardly be the first company to put a microphone inside its remote, as the Apple TV control is built around Siri and even Comcast has a version already available. The manual included in the filing describes a two-button pairing process with the TiVo and back buttons, for the company’s first Bluetooth unit since the TiVo Slide keyboard-equipped remote.

Besides the big blue microphone button, the picture also reveals a dedicated commercial skip button (currently the feature is relegated to the nondescript D button, the earlier leak had this button labeled for video on-demand) that highlights the TiVo’s capabilities in that area. Also, it appears that Netflix has negotiated the inclusion of a branded button on this remote, just like so many other connected TV boxes. TiVo has had a comprehensive universal search built in for longer than many other platforms, so there should be plenty to do by voice whenever this remote is officially revealed.

Source: ZatzNotFunny, (2), FCC

You can now order the HTC U11 with 128GB storage and 6GB RAM

The HTC U11 is getting a new model, and it’s even better than before.

HTC’s U11 flagship is one of the year’s best phones so far, and the company is doing everything it can to get it into as many peoples’ hands as possible. Starting today, July 25, you can order a 128GB version of the phone in the U.S. for $729, a $70 premium over the 64GB model that’s been available since May.

Available from HTC.com as an unlocked model exclusively in “Amazing Silver”, the 128GB model also comes with 6GB of RAM, which matches the model sold in China. With the extra memory and storage, the HTC U11 looks pretty future-proofed, a device that people will feel comfortable holding on to for a couple of years at least. It’s also pretty great value against something like the Galaxy S8, which is sold unlocked $725 with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM (though it’s on sale right now).

If you’re looking for something a little less pricey, HTC is discounting some older devices until August 7. The HTC U Ultra is down to $499 (a $250 discount); the HTC 10 is down to $399 (a $300 discount); and the UA Healthbox is down to $220 (a $180 discount). Not bad, especially on the HTC 10, which has aged really well.

Recently, the HTC U11 received Alexa support to shore up its existing smart assistant features.

See at HTC

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Snapdragon 836 in a Google Pixel 2 would be the least interesting thing about the phone

It’s slightly faster.

The Google Pixel 2 might ship with revised internal hardware from Qualcomm in the form of a new processor, the Snapdragon 836. That’s according to silicon rumormonger Fudzilla, which offers up the following plausible but completely unsurprising info, courtesy of its sources:

• The Pixel 2 phones will be the first to ship with Snapdragon 836
• The chip itself will supposedly be a minor revision to the 835, with a small bump to maximum clock speeds. (Base clock speeds may not increase, or only increase negligibly.)
• There’ll also be some battery life improvements.

If true, this would mirror the situation of last year, when the first Pixel emerged as the first phone with Snapdragon 821 in the West — the 821 being a minor revision of the 820 chip powering many of 2016’s flagships. Once again, a prominent new flagship would end up using the latest processor from Qualcomm. That’s not the most unexpected thing in the world.

More: Everything we know so far about the Google Pixel 2

Silicon revisions are all well and good, and it’d certainly be a small big significant win for Google to achieve the tiny performance and battery life edge presumably offered by the new platform. But are they the most interesting thing about a phone we still know relatively little about? Probably not.

So far, only a small amount of information has leaked out, and we’re still waiting for reliable details on important areas like the camera, battery capacity and other key specs.

Google Pixel 2 — 2017

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