Apple Pressing LG to Add OLED Display Production for 2018 iPhone, Limiting Samsung’s Leverage

Amid reports Apple is investing billions of dollars to help LG begin production of OLED displays for future iPhones, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a new report sharing his take on the situation.

According to Kuo, the OLED display panel for this year’s “iPhone 8” has been the “single most troublesome component for Apple in terms of bargaining power,” as Samsung is currently the only company with design and production capabilities to make the displays. To counter Samsung’s advantage, Apple is working hard to support LG’s efforts to ramp up similar expertise and capabilities.

We think Apple is therefore committed to having LGD geared up for its OLED iPhone display business in 2018 as it seeks to reduce supply risks. Even though LGD may likely start off with minimal initial penetration in 2018 (we estimate no more than 4-6%), the effort, with the full commitment of both Apple and LGD, will help LGD mature during the process and steadily gain supply share from 2019 onward. This will in turn continuously boost Apple’s bargaining power on OLED prices.

Kuo predicts LG will capture 10–20 percent of iPhone OLED display production in 2019 and up to 20–30 percent in 2020, helping to diversify Apple’s sourcing and limit Samsung’s leverage.

While LG will have expertise at production of the display panels themselves, Kuo predicts Foxconn subsidiary General Interface Solution (GIS) will be brought on board to assist with lamination processes. GIS would also offer expertise in production troubleshooting and vertical integration with Foxconn, so it would be an ideal partner for accelerating LG’s growth in Apple’s display supply chain.

Tags: KGI Securities, Ming-Chi Kuo, iPhone 9
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SoundCloud is close to getting a lifeline

It’s grim times for SoundCloud between massive job cuts and talk of mismanagement, but help might be coming soon… at a steep cost. Bloomberg sources understand that SoundCloud is in “advanced” talks to sell stakes in the company to two (as yet unnamed) private equity firms. The deals would ensure the streaming music service stays afloat, but it would also hand majority control to outside companies. In essence, SoundCloud would be giving up its vaunted independence in order to keep the lights on.

The insiders stress that the deals aren’t set in stone, and there’s good reason to be cautious when SoundCloud’s Spotify negotiations reportedly fell apart. However, SoundCloud isn’t exactly in a position to hold out for better deals given its trouble generating revenues.

The potential loss of control underscores SoundCloud’s problems, and the challenges of the streaming music business as a whole. SoundCloud built its reputation on free DJ sets, podcasts and rough cuts, and it has regularly had trouble both monetizing those free offerings and developing a subscription service you’d actually want. At the same time, it also doesn’t have a financial safety net to let it take risks like Apple or Google can. If a streaming service doesn’t have the luxury of a bigger business to back it up (and isn’t named Spotify), it faces an uphill battle — it has to rack up market share while still turning a healthy profit.

Source: Bloomberg

Russian censorship law bans proxies and VPNs

It’s going to be much harder to view the full web in Russia before the year is out. President Putin has signed a law that, as of November 1st, bans technology which lets you access banned websites, including virtual private networks and proxies. Internet providers will have to block websites hosting these tools. The measure is ostensibly meant to curb extremist content, but that’s just pretext — this is really about preventing Russians from seeing content that might be critical of Putin, not to mention communicating in secret.

Accordingly, the President has signed another law requiring that chat apps identify users through their phone numbers after January 1st, 2018. Some messaging clients already encourage you to attach an account to a phone number, but this makes it mandatory — Facebook and others can’t reject the idea if they’re prefer to give you some kind of anonymity. The measure also demands that operators limit users’ access if they’re spreading illegal material.

The timing likely isn’t coincidental. Russia is holding a presidential election in March, and banning technology like VPNs will make it harder for voters to see news that questions Putin’s authority. Likewise, you may be less likely to organize a protest if you know that the police can trace anonymous chats back to you through your phone number. As with China’s VPN crackdown, Russian officials are trying to control the online conversation at a crucial moment to make sure the powers that be go unchallenged.

Via: RadioFreeEurope, Reuters

Source: Gov.ru (translated 1), (2)

Human embryos were just edited in the U.S. for the first time

Why it matters to you

Editing human embryos has long been a controversial subject, and one that the U.S. has steered clear of. That all changed this week.

Last week, a team of researchers in Portland, Oregon, carried out the first known attempt at genetically modifying human embryos in the U.S. by way of CRISPR gene-editing technology. As initially reported by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Technology Review, the project involved editing the DNA of several one-cell embryos, and was led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon Health and Science University.

Previously, other attempts at editing human embryos had been carried out exclusively in other countries. Thus far, three other reports of this sort of genetic modification have all come out of China. However, this latest experiment is said to be revolutionary in its own right, both in the number of embryos involved in the work, and in the demonstration that human embryos can be modified in order to “correct defective genes that cause inherited diseases.”

Mitalipov is no stranger to the spotlight, nor to controversy. The scientist is also the first to have cloned embryonic stem cells in humans, as well as the mind behind three-parent in-vitro fertilization. He’s also worked in China when restrictions in the U.S. became too, well, restrictive for his work. And of course, editing human embryos is no less controversial than anything else he’s done.

None of the modified embryos was given the time to develop for more than a few days, and Mitalipov’s team claims that there was “never any intention of implanting them into a womb.” Rather, the work was done to determine what is possible when it comes to genetically modifying people. The hope is to prove that modern science and medicine can either erase or mend genes responsible for inherited disease, but critics note that, once the technology is developed, it could be used for other purposes.

Previous attempts at using CRISPR on human embryos were not fully successful, as certain editing errors occurred and DNA changes were not adopted by all the cells of an embryo. However, Mitalipov’s team appears to have found a way to circumvent those problems.

That said, there are skeptics who fear that this kind of work opens up the door for designer babies, and the U.S. intelligence community went so far last year as to call CRISPR a potential “weapon of mass destruction.”

Regardless, the work is a major breakthrough in the genetics field, though how it will ultimately be implemented is yet to be determined.

App Attack: Dancing Hot Dog is more addicting than the Snapchat filter

App Attack is a weekly series where we search the App Store and Google Play Store for the best apps of the week. Check out App Attack every Sunday for the latest.

Can’t get enough of the break-dancing hot dog emoji on Snapchat? We can’t either. But if your Snapchat viewers don’t find it funny anymore, we’ve got an app this week that might replace your need to use the filter 24/7.

Dancing Hot Dog is a mobile game that has absolutely no affiliation with Snapchat but the developer — Ketchapp Games — clearly isn’t afraid of trouble because these hot dogs look almost identical. The hot dog in this game basically has the exact same cartoonish design as Snapchat’s — ketchup and mustard squiggles, with weird green lining underneath the bun I assume is relish or pickles.

The app took the Snapchat filter and gave it the complete college frat bro makeover —  sporting a gold chain, glasses, a snapback, and laced up sneakers. It gets better — the app store description mentions he’s “super-swaggy” and the EDM background music also contributes to my theory that this game is themed around a college house party.

The point is simple — tap to jump on the platforms and stack as many as you can in attempt to crown yourself as the “top hot dog jumper.” The blocks come in from both the left and right side of the screen in all different sizes, so you have jump on top of them before they float away. You can see your score update in real time at the top of the screen as the blocks continue to pile up, but if you land too far on the edge the hot dog falls off and you’re back to square one.

Unlock prizes to customize the graphics.

Collect as many ketchup bottles as you can throughout the game.

Tap to jump on the platform in order to stack as many as possible.

Every so often, a block will include a ketchup bottle that gets added to your collection and you can use them as currency to purchase customizable items. The first gift I spent 200 ketchup bottles on turned the standard blue and purple color scheme into cute rubber ducks instead. Since the prizes are labeled with a question mark, you won’t know what design scheme you’ll get but can always switch back to existing ones if you don’t like it.

As for the level of difficulty, Dancing Hot Dog isn’t as easy as I thought it would be for an app that’s based around a dancing hot dog. Even though all you have to do is tap every time the platform comes along, it would be more enjoyable if it allowed you to have more control over the jumps. Since the blocks are all different sizes, long jumps aren’t always needed and it’s ultimately what leads hot dog bro to his demise.

Sadly, the dancing hot dog doesn’t dance very well. He only sticks to one move by holding his arms up and wobbling — I was disappointed to see it didn’t include his well-renowned break dancing moves from the Snapchat filter. On a separate note, it’s a little creepy that even when he falls from more than 20 blocks above, he never loses the smile on his face.

Regardless of how frustrating the game might get, it’s definitely addicting. Since it’s so mindless, I found myself playing over and over just to beat my high score. Its available for free on iOS and Android with ads included but if you really love playing it that much, you can also purchase the full version without them for $2.

Lenovo Moto Z2 Force vs. Google Pixel XL: Can the new phone beat the Android champion?

Well folks, the new Lenovo Moto Z2 Force is finally here, and it’s shaping up to be an excellent choice for one of the smartphones for the year. The phone boasts a few upgrades over last year’s Moto Z Force, including the latest and greatest Qualcomm processor, the Snapdragon 835. Of course, there are plenty of other great phones out there. Like, for example, Google’s current flagship, the Google Pixel XL.

It’s a bit of a case of new vs. old here. The Pixel and Pixel XL were launched late last year, and at the time the new Qualcomm chip hadn’t even been released yet. Still, many consider it to be the best Android phone money can buy, thanks to its excellent software experience. Is the new Lenovo Moto Z2 Force enough to take on Google’s champion? We put the two phones head to head to find out.

Specs and performance

Lenovo Moto Z2 Force

Google Pixel XL

Size
155.8 x 76 x 6.1 mm (6.13 x 2.99 x 0.24 inches)
154.7 × 75.7 × 8.5 mm (6.09 × 2.98 × 0.33 in)
Weight
5.04 ounces (143 grams)
5.92 ounces (168 grams)
Screen
5.5-inch AMOLED
5.5-inch AMOLED
Resolution
2,560 x 1,440 pixels (534ppi)
2,560 × 1,440 pixels (534ppi)
OS
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Android 7.1.2 Nougat
Storage
64GB
32GB or 128GB
SD Card Slot
Yes, up to 256GB
No
NFC support
Yes
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
RAM
4GB
4GB
Connectivity
GSM / HSPA / LTE
GSM / HSPA / LTE / CDMA
Camera
Front 5MP, rear dual 12MP
Front 8MP, Rear 12.3MP
Video
4K
4K
Bluetooth
Yes, version 4.2
Yes, version 4.2
Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes
Other sensors
Gyroscope, accelerometer, ambient light, proximity sensor
Gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, barometer, proximity sensor
Water Resistant
No
No
Battery
2,730mAh
3,450mAh
Charger
USB Type-C
USB Type-C
Quick Charging
Yes
Yes
Wireless Charging
No
No
Marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Colors
Black, gold, grey
Black, silver
Availability

Unlocked, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon

Unlocked, Verizon

Price
Starts at $750
Starts at $770
DT Review
Hands-on
4.5 out of 5 stars

Generally speaking, newer flagships are almost always better — and that’s the case when it comes to the raw performance of these two phones. The phones both offer 4GB of RAM, which is certainly enough for most uses today, a boon for those who do a lot of multitasking. The real difference between the performance of these two phones, however, isn’t in how much RAM they have — it’s in the processor.

Now, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 is a great chip, and it was the go-to when the Google Pixel and Pixel XL were first launched late last year. Now, however, we simply have better chips, and the current flagship is the Snapdragon 835, which is the chip that features in the Moto Z2 Force. Basically, the Moto Z2 Force will be able to perform better for longer than the Pixel XL, and you’ll be able to use it for longer as apps and software get more and more complex.

When it comes to storage, things are a little more complicated. The U.S. variant of the Moto Z2 Force only comes with 64GB of storage — but the phone does have a MicroSD card slot to expand upon that storage if you so choose. The Google Pixel comes with either 32GB or 128GB of storage, but there’s no MicroSD card slot.

Because of the simple fact that the Moto Z2 Force has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, we’re awarding this one to the Lenovo Moto Z2 Force.

Winner: Lenovo Moto Z2 Force

Design, display, and durability

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The design of these two phones is relatively different. The Google Pixel XL, for starters, features a pretty basic smartphone shape with a half-glass back and a fingerprint sensor located a quarter of the way down. It’s not a bad look, but it’s certainly a bit basic.

The Lenovo Moto Z2 Force is a little more unique, featuring a slim design and a large, pronounced camera module on the back of the phone. That camera module plays into Moto Mods, or modules that magnetically attach to the back of the phone and can be used to expand on the phone’s capabilities. Mods include the likes of a Hasselblad camera mod, an extra battery mod, and so on. You can check out a list of the best Moto Mods here.

There’s another design choice that separates these two phones, and that’s the headphone jack. While the Google Pixel XL sticks with the headphone jack, Lenovo has chosen to follow the likes of Apple by getting rid of the jack.

The display of the two phones is also an important aspect to consider — though it’s not really a point of difference here. Both phones feature 5.5-inch AMOLED displays with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440.

Last but not least is durability, and the Lenovo Moto Z2 Force seems to be slightly more durable thanks to Lenovo’s “ShatterShield” screen. While it’s largely shatter-proof, however, it’s much more prone to scratches because there’s a plastic covering.

There’s no real winner here. Design is down to personal preference, and while some might like the thinner profile and ShatterShield screen of the Lenovo Moto Z2 Force, others might prefer the headphone jack in the Google Pixel XL.

This one’s very close, but thanks to its metal back and ShatterShield display, the Lenovo Moto Z2 Force is a little more durable than the Google Pixel XL, making it the winner here.

Winner: Lenovo Moto Z2 Force

Battery life and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Lenovo has made the choice to slim down the Moto Z2 Force, but the trade-off for that is a smaller battery. In fact, the device sits in with a battery capacity of 2,730mAh, which is quite a bit smaller than the battery in the Google Pixel XL, which is rated at 3,500mAh. That should represent a nice battery life boost, especially considering the fact that both of the two phones feature the same size and resolution display.

So what about charging? Well, both phones support a fast charging technology of some kind, so they’ll both charge pretty quickly. Still, because of the much larger battery in the Pixel XL, it’s the winner here.

Winner: Google Pixel XL

Camera

The camera on the Lenovo Moto Z2 Force has received a pretty significant upgrade over last year’s Lenovo Moto Z Force, but the Google Pixel XL has what has been described as one of the best cameras in a smartphone, ever. The camera on the Pixel XL has 12.3-megapixels with an aperture of f/2.0 and electronic image stabilization, phase detection autofocus, and laser autofocus. The front-facing camera on the device sports 8-megapixels.

The Lenovo Moto Z2 Force, on the other hand, doesn’t have a bad camera itself. In fact it has a feature that the Pixel doesn’t — a dual sensor camera. That can be pretty helpful for some people and in some situations. Dual sensor technology has been getting better and better, and it helps make for great portraits, excellent depth-of-field, and so on. Still, plenty of phones have really missed the mark with dual sensors, so we’ll have to wait and see how the Lenovo Moto Z2 Force ends up performing. Apart from the dual sensor, the Moto Z2 Force offers an f/2.0 aperture, laser and phase detection autofocus, and manual controls like ISO control.

Considering we only have specs on paper right now for the Lenovo Moto Z2 Force, this one’s a tie.

Winner: Tie

Software

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Moto-branded phones have long offered near-stock Android experiences, and the Lenovo Moto Z2 Force looks to be no different. That’s a good thing, and basically means that there might not be all that much difference between the experience on the Moto Z2 Force and the Google Pixel XL.

Still, there is an important factor that the Pixel XL has over the Moto Z — quick updates. As a Google-built phone, the Pixel XL gets software and security updates pretty much as soon as they’re available, making the Pixel one of the more secure phones on the market. Lenovo hasn’t been terrible with security updates, but it still can’t compete with the Pixel.

Winner: Google Pixel XL

Price and availability

The Google Pixel XL has been available for quite some time now, and can be bought from the Google Store, Best Buy, or from Verizon. The phone starts at $769, though if you opt for the 128GB version, you’ll have to pay an extra $100.

The Lenovo Z2 Force isn’t available just yet, and when it is it could be cheaper or more expensive than the Google Pixel XL, depending on where you buy it. If you get it directly from Lenovo, it’ll set you back a cool $800. Buy it from a carrier, however, and you could save a few dollars. For example, from Verizon the phone costs $756 to buy outright.

The Lenovo Moto Z2 Force may be a little more available than the Google Pixel XL, but to buy the phone unlocked, the Pixel XL is cheaper. This one’s a tie.

Winner: Tie

Overall winner: Tie

The two phones are very close competition here — and while they tie in many areas, each device wins a few of its own. So which device should you go for? Well, that depends.

Those looking for the latest and greatest smartphone technology with a top-tier processor should go for the Lenovo Z2 Force. If, however, you’re more interested in a simple software experience with quick updates, then the Google Pixel XL might be the better option for you. Even six months after its release and with an aging processor, the Google Pixel XL is still able to hold its own against new releases — which says a lot about the effort Google has put into making a great smartphone experience.

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Portable grills, reusable color books, and more

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the Web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there – alongside some real gems. We’ve cut through the Pebble clones and janky iPhone cases to round up the most unusual, ambitious, and exciting new crowdfunding projects out there this week. That said, keep in mind that any crowdfunding project — even the best intentioned — can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

ORII — bone conduction smart ring

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The concept of a “smart ring” isn’t exactly new at this point. Nor is the idea of bone conduction headphones. But what about a smart ring with bone conduction tech built in? That, as far as we can tell, is a fresh idea. It’s also a pretty good description for ORII, a wearable device that recently landed on Kickstarter. Rather than forcing you to plug a set of headphones into your smartwatch or mobile phone, ORII allows you to take calls and interact with applications by simply pressing your finger to your ear and speaking normally. It’s basically like having an invisible phone.

The technology behind the device is fairly straightforward. Instead of pumping sound to your eardrums via a set of small transducers, bone conduction headphones send signals directly to your cochlea by vibrating the bones around your ear. ORII works exactly like bone conduction headphones — it just transmits vibrations through your finger rather than through a vibration pad. With this configuration, you’ll allegedly be able to hear phone calls just by pressing your finger against your ear temporal bone. Pretty nifty, right?

Color Notebook — reusable, app-enabled coloring book

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At first glance, the Color Notebook might not look very out of the ordinary. It’s a standard coloring book that comes with eight blank pages for free-form art, two dot-grid pages for structured drawings, and two lined pages for handwriting. But it’s much more than that. The kicker is that it’s also infinitely reusable and comes with a mobile app that lets you save all your children’s artwork into the cloud, or send it via email or text.

The writing surface of the Color Notebook works with markers, crayons, and colored pencils alike, but can be wiped totally clean in just seconds. But before you wipe it clean, you can archive all your kid’s masterpieces. To save your kid’s work, simply pull out your smartphone and open the Rocketbook app. Using its patent-pending image-capture technology, the app accurately and quickly photographs the artwork (or note or anything else) and sends it to your contacts or to Dropbox, Google Drive, or other cloud storage service.

At the bottom of each page of the notebook are magic “buttons” that control the Rocketbook app’s cloud access. Just assign each button to a specific destination, be it a phone number, an email address, or cloud drive. Then, when your child marks a button on a page and scans the page’s contents, that processed image is automatically sent to the right person or place.

Chameleon Pack — backpack/chair hybrid

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After a long day of backpacking, there’s nothing better than sitting down and getting off your feet. Unfortunately, when you’re in the backcountry,  your choices are often just rocks and logs near your campsite, which aren’t particularly comfortable. Sure, you could pack along one of those nifty camp chairs, but they’re expensive, bulky, and take up precious space in your pack. This means you typically have to choose between comfort and convenience — but that might soon change if Utah-based company Trailform has its way.

The company has recently taken to Kickstarter to fund the production of its new Chameleon Pack — a versatile, lightweight backpack that can transform into a camp chair when not in use.  After the pack’s Sit-System frame is removed and expanded, the pack fabric can then be attached to the frame’s corners, effectively transforming it into a lounge chair. And if you’re worried about weight, don’t be. The Chameleon Pack’s frame is made from ultralight aluminum, yet rated to hold 300 pounds. As if that wasn’t cool enough, the pack’s interior includes a water bladder holder, laptop storage, and two removable 16-liter stuff sacks.

Steer — drowsy driving prevention wearable

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Drowsy driving may not be as frowned upon as drunk driving, but it can be just as dangerous. Drowsy drivers may cause as many as 6,000 fatal crashes each year in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control. And although coffee, energy drinks, and loud music can help keep drivers awake, they’re temporary fixes rather than solutions. The creators of a new wearable think they’ve found a better fix with Steer, a wrist-worn shocking device that vibrates and shocks when it detects a driver dozing off.

Under the hood, Steer uses two different sensors to detect changes in heart rate and sweat secretion — biometrics that signal when someone is getting drowsy. When the device is first put on, it records the wearer’s heart rate and skin conductance level. If a wearer’s heart rate lowers by ten beats per minute and skin conductance by one unit from baseline, the device gives a slight vibration. When skin conductance decreases by another unit and heart rate falls by three more beats, Steer delivers a gentle shock. The team has taken this shocking device to Kickstarter to drum up support, and it has already doubled its pledge goal with nearly 100 backers and a week to go in the campaign.

WGEDC Grill — ultracompact grill grate

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Compact cookstoves are all well and good, but if you’re planning on building a fire at your campsite anyway, isn’t bringing a stove a little unnecessary? If you’re looking to cut pack weight and don’t mind starting a fire the old-fashioned way, then wouldn’t it just be smarter to bring a long a grill grate and some matches? That’s precisely the idea behind the WGEDC Grill — an ultralight, ultracompact grill grate from Canadian upstart Wolf and Grizzly.

Comprised of just two parts, the WG Grill features a frame and a cooking surface — and that’s it. A swiveling stability rod sits under the grill’s surface and locks it into position for added weight support, so even though the grill looks rather dainty, it can apparently handle quite a load. The grill is also adjustable so that it can accommodate a number of different heat sources. The highest position stands at 8.5 inches, which the WG team says is perfect for cooking over a small wood fire. A 6.5-inch configuration will allow for a charcoal BBQ on your driveway or in your backyard, whereas the grill’s “flat” mode allows you to expand the frame fully and either rest it directly on top of some flames or use whatever is around you for stability.

Each and every component of the WG Everyday Carry Grill is made of stainless steel, which means that it won’t melt under high temperatures. It also means that it will resist corrosion, so even if you take this grill out on all your adventures, it ought to stay as good as new. Best of all, the WGEDC weighs in at just over two pounds, which makes it supremely easy to transport.

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Portable grills, reusable color books, and more

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the Web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there – alongside some real gems. We’ve cut through the Pebble clones and janky iPhone cases to round up the most unusual, ambitious, and exciting new crowdfunding projects out there this week. That said, keep in mind that any crowdfunding project — even the best intentioned — can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

ORII — bone conduction smart ring

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

The concept of a “smart ring” isn’t exactly new at this point. Nor is the idea of bone conduction headphones. But what about a smart ring with bone conduction tech built in? That, as far as we can tell, is a fresh idea. It’s also a pretty good description for ORII, a wearable device that recently landed on Kickstarter. Rather than forcing you to plug a set of headphones into your smartwatch or mobile phone, ORII allows you to take calls and interact with applications by simply pressing your finger to your ear and speaking normally. It’s basically like having an invisible phone.

The technology behind the device is fairly straightforward. Instead of pumping sound to your eardrums via a set of small transducers, bone conduction headphones send signals directly to your cochlea by vibrating the bones around your ear. ORII works exactly like bone conduction headphones — it just transmits vibrations through your finger rather than through a vibration pad. With this configuration, you’ll allegedly be able to hear phone calls just by pressing your finger against your ear temporal bone. Pretty nifty, right?

Color Notebook — reusable, app-enabled coloring book

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

At first glance, the Color Notebook might not look very out of the ordinary. It’s a standard coloring book that comes with eight blank pages for free-form art, two dot-grid pages for structured drawings, and two lined pages for handwriting. But it’s much more than that. The kicker is that it’s also infinitely reusable and comes with a mobile app that lets you save all your children’s artwork into the cloud, or send it via email or text.

The writing surface of the Color Notebook works with markers, crayons, and colored pencils alike, but can be wiped totally clean in just seconds. But before you wipe it clean, you can archive all your kid’s masterpieces. To save your kid’s work, simply pull out your smartphone and open the Rocketbook app. Using its patent-pending image-capture technology, the app accurately and quickly photographs the artwork (or note or anything else) and sends it to your contacts or to Dropbox, Google Drive, or other cloud storage service.

At the bottom of each page of the notebook are magic “buttons” that control the Rocketbook app’s cloud access. Just assign each button to a specific destination, be it a phone number, an email address, or cloud drive. Then, when your child marks a button on a page and scans the page’s contents, that processed image is automatically sent to the right person or place.

Chameleon Pack — backpack/chair hybrid

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

After a long day of backpacking, there’s nothing better than sitting down and getting off your feet. Unfortunately, when you’re in the backcountry,  your choices are often just rocks and logs near your campsite, which aren’t particularly comfortable. Sure, you could pack along one of those nifty camp chairs, but they’re expensive, bulky, and take up precious space in your pack. This means you typically have to choose between comfort and convenience — but that might soon change if Utah-based company Trailform has its way.

The company has recently taken to Kickstarter to fund the production of its new Chameleon Pack — a versatile, lightweight backpack that can transform into a camp chair when not in use.  After the pack’s Sit-System frame is removed and expanded, the pack fabric can then be attached to the frame’s corners, effectively transforming it into a lounge chair. And if you’re worried about weight, don’t be. The Chameleon Pack’s frame is made from ultralight aluminum, yet rated to hold 300 pounds. As if that wasn’t cool enough, the pack’s interior includes a water bladder holder, laptop storage, and two removable 16-liter stuff sacks.

Steer — drowsy driving prevention wearable

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Drowsy driving may not be as frowned upon as drunk driving, but it can be just as dangerous. Drowsy drivers may cause as many as 6,000 fatal crashes each year in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control. And although coffee, energy drinks, and loud music can help keep drivers awake, they’re temporary fixes rather than solutions. The creators of a new wearable think they’ve found a better fix with Steer, a wrist-worn shocking device that vibrates and shocks when it detects a driver dozing off.

Under the hood, Steer uses two different sensors to detect changes in heart rate and sweat secretion — biometrics that signal when someone is getting drowsy. When the device is first put on, it records the wearer’s heart rate and skin conductance level. If a wearer’s heart rate lowers by ten beats per minute and skin conductance by one unit from baseline, the device gives a slight vibration. When skin conductance decreases by another unit and heart rate falls by three more beats, Steer delivers a gentle shock. The team has taken this shocking device to Kickstarter to drum up support, and it has already doubled its pledge goal with nearly 100 backers and a week to go in the campaign.

WGEDC Grill — ultracompact grill grate

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Compact cookstoves are all well and good, but if you’re planning on building a fire at your campsite anyway, isn’t bringing a stove a little unnecessary? If you’re looking to cut pack weight and don’t mind starting a fire the old-fashioned way, then wouldn’t it just be smarter to bring a long a grill grate and some matches? That’s precisely the idea behind the WGEDC Grill — an ultralight, ultracompact grill grate from Canadian upstart Wolf and Grizzly.

Comprised of just two parts, the WG Grill features a frame and a cooking surface — and that’s it. A swiveling stability rod sits under the grill’s surface and locks it into position for added weight support, so even though the grill looks rather dainty, it can apparently handle quite a load. The grill is also adjustable so that it can accommodate a number of different heat sources. The highest position stands at 8.5 inches, which the WG team says is perfect for cooking over a small wood fire. A 6.5-inch configuration will allow for a charcoal BBQ on your driveway or in your backyard, whereas the grill’s “flat” mode allows you to expand the frame fully and either rest it directly on top of some flames or use whatever is around you for stability.

Each and every component of the WG Everyday Carry Grill is made of stainless steel, which means that it won’t melt under high temperatures. It also means that it will resist corrosion, so even if you take this grill out on all your adventures, it ought to stay as good as new. Best of all, the WGEDC weighs in at just over two pounds, which makes it supremely easy to transport.

The Chronos can make any watch smart, including that old fossil on your wrist

Yearning to own a smartwatch while simultaneously refusing to purchase one can be quite the conundrum. Thankfully, for those DIY enthusiasts (and perhaps the miserly) among us, there are a few easy ways for individuals to build their own smartwatch at home. Follow along to these step-by-step instructions while we guide you through how to make a smartwatch. If simply buying a smartwatch rather than making one yourself is more up your alley, feel free to check out our favorite smartwatches and our full array of smartwatch reviews.

First you’ll need a watch to jury-rig into a smartwatch, and you will also need to purchase a Chronos to get the process started. Once your Chronos arrives, take the included towelettes and wipe down the bottom off the watch. Then stick the Chronos to the backside of the watch using the “micro-suction side” and hold this in place for roughly 10 seconds. Moving forward, you can charge the Chronos by placing it inside of the included charging cradle.

Once charged, you can then pair it with the Chronos app from the App Store or Google Play. You can then use it to track your steps, calories burned, and even establish vibration LED notifications for calls, emails, and texts. You can also set up gestures that allow you take a photo or silence calls by simply taping the face of the watch. For those with metrics in mind, Chronos can share its fitness data with Google Fit and iOS HealthKit (when we tested the Chronos alongside our traditional dedicated smartwatch, these fitness metrics were pretty similar).

There are also ways to tie in your preferential playlists — more or less. Using the Chronos, you can double-tap the crown of the watch to pause and play tracks, or triple-tap the crown to skip to the next song. This is exceedingly more complicated and certainly less useful than a traditional smartwatch. Once fully implemented, the DIY version isn’t nearly as versatile as a full-blown smart watch, however, it is still exceptionally more functional than a traditional watch. Nonetheless, you are saving hundreds of dollars by choosing a homemade option. The choice is yours.

David Cogen, a regular contributor here at Digital Trends, runs TheUnlockr.com, a popular tech blog that focuses on tech news, tips and tricks, and the latest tech. You can also find him over at Twitter discussing the latest tech trends.

Luxembourg’s asteroid mining law takes effect August 1st

Luxembourg’s parliament has voted in favor of passing an asteroid mining law that give companies ownership of what they extract from the celestial bodies. The European country has been working on the bill since 2016 and originally intended to pass it earlier this year. It took a bit more time to iron things out, but in the end, it’s gotten an overwhelmingly unanimous vote and is scheduled to take effect on August 1st.

Luxembourg’s law is pretty similar to the one President Obama signed back in 2015 in that it gives mining companies the right to keep their loot. Both of them also take advantage of a loophole in the UN’s Outer Space Treaty, which states that nations can’t claim and occupy the moon and other celestial bodies. They don’t give companies ownership of asteroids, after all, only the minerals they extract and after they extract it.

Unlike the US version, though, a company’s major stakeholders don’t need to be based in Luxembourg to enjoy its protection — they only need to have an office in country. That said, any space corp interested in operating from the Grand Duchy must have obtained written permission from the country and must not have major shareholders who take money from terrorist groups.

The move didn’t come out of left field for the tiny but wealthy European nation. Luxembourg made its first big space bet in 1985 when it supported Europe’s first private satellite operator, which eventually became the largest in the world. It’s one of the reasons why the country has one of the highest GPD per capita in the world.

In addition, the Grand Duchy has been investing in asteroid mining for years, even teaming up with Deep Space Industries to design an experimental spacecraft meant to test its mining technologies. It might take decades before anybody actually starts digging up minerals from asteroids, but by having a law that makes it clear where miners stand — the first in Europe — Luxembourg is securing its future in the industry.

Source: Bloomberg