Google Glass is officially back with a clearer vision

If you thought that Google Glass was killed by a lack of practicality and privacy concerns, think again. Alphabet X, Google’s “moonshot” branch, has unveiled a reboot of the original eyeglass-like wearable called Glass Enterprise Edition. As the name suggests, it’s not aimed at the public at all. Despite its many foibles, Glass turned out to be very useful for workers, so the new version targets businesses to help workers do their jobs better.

In early 2015, Google shuttered the Google Glass site, thanking users for “exploring with us,” while promising that “the journey doesn’t end here.” However, while the original $1,500 Glass Explorer’s Edition was no longer available to the public, Alphabet continued to supply it to US companies like GE, Boeing DHL and AGCO.

With Glass, AGCO managed to reduced production times by 25 percent, while DHL increased supply chain efficiency 15 percent. It’s also been a boon for healthcare professionals, reducing paperwork loads by over 20 percent and allowing doctors to spend 50 percent more time with patients.

We’ve … made improvements to the design and hardware so that it’s lightweight and comfortable for long term wear. We’ve increased the power and battery life too.

With that success, Alphabet X has quietly been working on Glass Enterprise Edition with a design that’s more comfortable and can withstand the rigors of work environments. It’s also got a bigger display prism, foldable design and speedier Atom processor. “We’ve … made improvements to the design and hardware so that it’s lightweight and comfortable for long term wear. We’ve increased the power and battery life too,” Alphabet X’s Jay Kothari writes.

Glass has thus morphed from a trendy accessory worn by Diane von Furstenberg and Sergey Brin at a fashion show, to a more practical factory, medical and warehouse device sported by managers, doctors and blue collar workers.

Google also brought a raft of developers onboard to build apps that take advantage of Glass’s main advantages: the fact that it’s hands-free, lightweight and unobtrusive. DHL, for instance, uses a solution called Ubimax with Glass to “receive real-time instructions about where items have to be placed on the carts with the help of visual aids,” says Kothari.

Meanwhile, GE uses an app from developer Upskill “which shows [workers] instructions with videos, animations and images right in their line of sight so they don’t have to stop work to check their binders or computer to know what to do next,” Kothari adds. As shown above, that helps them work much quicker than the old-fashioned way.

Meanwhile, healthcare professionals can speak to patients without distraction while note-taking is done in the background via an Augmetix’s “remote scribe” app. Another Augmetix app has cut record keeping chores by two hours a day, bringing “the joys of medicine back to my doctors,” writes Sutter Health’s Dr. Albert Chan.

As for whether Glass will ever go on sale to the public again, don’t count on it anytime soon. Still, the consumer Glass team — which is separate from the Enterprise group — is still alive and kicking, so never say never. Meanwhile, Glass Enterprise Edition is “now available to more businesses through our network of expert partners,” Alphabet says. There’s no word on price.

Source: Alphabet (Medium)

Fender’s Bluetooth speakers look just as you’d imagine

Fender’s first set of Bluetooth speakers is unmistakably on brand. For better and for worse, the compact Newport and its bigger brother the Monterey resemble guitar amps. Both come complete with adjustable volume knobs (so you feel like you’re tuning the sound) and imposing metal grilles. But with the company also promising “high-quality digital audio,” their appeal may stretch beyond the classic rock crowd.

The pricier, and larger, Monterey model packs two 5.12-inch woofers and two 1-inch tweeters. The speaker’s 120 watts of audio come at the expense of portability, as it requires an AC connection. Like its smaller sibling, the Monterey includes an amp-style power switch and a blue LED jewel light. At $349.99, it faces stiff competition from the stylish Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus, which boasts 360-degree sound at a cheaper $300.

The Newport, on the other hand, runs on batteries, with enough juice to last 12 hours. It’s hard to picture the rigid speaker at pool parties and on the beach, but it’s compact enough to be carried around. In terms of sound, its two full-range drivers and tweeter churn out 30 watts of audio. Additionally, its built-in microphone means you can also use it to take calls. Again, at $199.99, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives out there. And you’ll probably want to scope out its closest match in terms of design; the costlier Marshall Stockholm. But that’s something Fender is probably aware of, seeing as it’s entering an already crowded marketplace. Both speakers are now available online at Fender’s website and in-store.

Google job listings app Hire now available in the US

Google might be able to help a lot of Americans find their next jobs. Mountain View has officially launched its job listings app and LinkedIn competitor Hire, a few months after its website was first spotted. The company designed Hire to integrate seamlessly with G Suite apps in order to make the hiring process easier for small to mid-sized businesses. It’s not exactly something you’ll use as an applicant, but it has features that can prevent recruiters from dropping off the face of the Earth because they lost your emails or info.

Emails sent and received through either Gmail or Hire will sync automatically in both, while any interview recruiters schedule will instantly be added to Calendar, along with the questions they need to focus on and the interviewee’s contact info. Hire can also help them track where a candidate is in the process.

Google conducted hundreds of tests and worked with early adopters for over a year to design a UI that’s both simple and intuitive. Jessica Adams, the vice president of Human Resources at Brad’s Deals, which uses the service, says:

“Hire’s intuitive and simple UI makes it easy for recruiters, hiring managers or even interviewers to take an active part in the recruiting process. The app’s integration with G Suite enables us to quickly access all candidate communications in one place, efficiently schedule interviews and collaborate to reach a hiring decision quickly.”

The bad news is that it’s only available to G Suite customers in the US for now, so small business owners elsewhere can’t take advantage of what it can do.

Source: Google, Google Hire

Just add an iPhone to experience AR with Mira’s $99 headset

While mobile VR is a vibrant market these days, thanks to the Gear VR and Google’s Daydream View, the same can’t be said for AR. If you want to dabble in augmented reality, you’d better be prepared to shell out at least $950 on hardware like the Meta 2, and even more for a beefy PC to run it. Microsoft’s HoloLens, which helped to popularize the dream of AR, still costs a whopping $3,000. But Mira, a young LA-based startup, is hoping to make things simpler Prism, its $99 mobile headset. Just drop in an iPhone 7, and you too can view AR atop the real world.

Prism looks like a slimmed down version of the Meta 2, with a similar set of transparent, oversized lenses for displaying AR imagery. Similar to the Gear VR and Daydream, there’s a slot for for your phone (it only works with the iPhone 7 for now). Instead of pointing the screen right at your eyes, though, you position it away from you. A set of mirrors reflects what’s on the screen and repositions it on the front lenses. It might sound like a bit of a hack, but the result is a surprisingly clear set of holographic images in a relatively inexpensive device (not including the cost of the iPhone, of course).

I had no trouble putting on the Prism; even though looks a bit bulky, it’s significantly lighter and easier to wear than either the Meta 2 (which needs to be tethered to a PC) or HoloLens. Mostly, that’s due to the healthy layer of cushioning that rests on your forehead. The front lenses snap on magnetically, allowing you to easily remove them when you need to travel with the Prism.

Mira has also developed a small motion-sensing controller, which is curved and fits into your hand like the Daydream View’s. Most importantly, it also includes a trigger for your index finger like the Gear VR’s remote. That’s particularly useful for interacting with virtual objects. The remote also sports a touchpad on top, as well as menu and home buttons.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Even though I only had a few minutes with the Prism, I was impressed with what I saw. I’m used to trying on headsets that are too expensive for most people to buy, so it was a bit of a shock that it worked at all. Beyond the initial setup experience, I played a holographic game that involved maneuvering a character through a maze, which relied on the controller’s motion controls. Another game had me spinning around in my chair to destroy asteroids hovering all around me. I was particularly surprised how well Prism tracked virtual objects in AR, even though it doesn’t have any spatial mapping technology like HoloLens and Meta.

Mira says developers will be able to build both single and multiplayer experiences with its SDK. Your friends will also be able to see your AR adventures on their iOS devices using Spectator Mode. They can also take photos and videos of you interacting with virtual objects, which makes the Prism experience a bit more communal than VR headsets.

Of course, Prism will only be as useful as the software available for it. Mira says the initial release of the headset is targeted at developers, and it’s partnering with a few studios to build more AR experiences. (You can expect to hear more about those in the coming weeks.) The company plans to ship Prism to developers this fall, and it should reach consumers by this holiday season. Clearly, Mira has a long and difficult road ahead, but Prism’s low price and relative convenience could help it play an important role in the nascent world of AR.

Source: Mira

ISPs barred from telling users they’re under FBI investigation

Back in 2013, a federal judge ruled that the FBI couldn’t force ISPs to hand over a users’ private data without the suspect being informed first. Now, however, a change in the law means that’s no longer the case. Thanks to a federal appeals court ruling on Monday, ISPs, financial institutions and phone carriers are now completely prohibited from informing a user if the FBI is investigating them. Under the new ‘gag’ ruling, the FBI can still issue a National Security Letter (or NSL) without immediately notifying their target, but must instead review the need for an NSL three years after the letter was sent. On top of that, the FBI must also completely terminate their prying into the user’s online activities once the national security investigation in question has concluded.

This means that the bureau’s intended targets can no longer challenge the investigation, as they won’t be aware that they’re under scrutiny for at least three years. Thanks to the recent court case, we now also know what an NSL actually allows the FBI to do. National Security investigations give the Bureau access to a complete record of a suspect’s online purchases as well as the IP addresses of everyone that they have corresponded with.

With an NSL not requiring a judge’s signature, this largely leaves the FBI free to investigate who they please. Unsurprisingly, many see this new ruling as a breach of the first amendment. Digital rights group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) was behind the successful challenge of the act in 2013, previously winning ISPs and other companies the right to inform the FBI’s targets.

Now, the EFF is exploring its options about appealing the courts latest ruling. “Our position, in general, is when an ISP gets an NSL, they should tell the user so that they can contest that request,” reaffirms Andrew Crocker to Ars Technica, a staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Thankfully, the EFF has setup a website that shows when a company has been forced to comply with the FBI. Canary Watch tracks the status of statements on sites which say that the company hasn’t received national security requests. Once those statements disappear, Canary Watch will update its database, reflecting that the site in question has received a request without breaking any laws. While this won’t help inform the individuals who are under investigation, it’s currently the best shot that the public has of knowing which sites the FBI is interfering with.

Given the government’s previous comments on Americans’ right to internet use, however, none of this should really come as much of a surprise.

Source: Ars Technica

Samsung Rumored to Return to iPhone Chip Production in 2018

Samsung Electronics will return to producing chips for Apple in next year’s iPhone lineup, according to a new report today by The Korea Herald. Before, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company held the sole supplier responsibility of providing Apple’s A10 chip in the iPhone 7, as well as the A11 chip in the upcoming iPhone 8, but now today’s report references a “crucial deal” made between Samsung Electronics co-CEO Kwon Oh-hyun and Apple during a visit to Cupertino last month.

According to the report, Samsung managed to close the deal because of the company’s decision to purchase equipment solely intended for 7-nanometer chip fabrication for iPhone devices. This move, as well as using Samsung’s “close ties on OLED,” convinced Apple to reintroduce the supplier into the iPhone chip supply chain. Although details remain vague, The Korea Herald’s sources said that Samsung would “share some parts” of the 2018 iPhone orders that have been previously monopolized by TSMC.

According to news reports on July 18, Samsung recently purchased extreme ultra violet lithography machines, the most advanced chip manufacturing equipment, to produce seven-nanometer mobile processors solely for iPhone.

“The CEO could persuade Apple’s top brass taking advantage of their close ties on OLED,” said an industry source. Samsung, the world’s largest mobile OLED maker with a whopping 95 percent market share, is the sole OLED supplier for the upcoming iPhone.

In 2015, Apple dual-sourced the A9 chip from both TSMC and Samsung for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, leading to some blowback from consumers when battery tests were performed and saw the TSMC chips outperform those made by Samsung. To avoid that issue again, and thanks to TSMC’s aggressive moves to adopt smaller and more energy efficient manufacturing processes, Apple chose the company as the sole supplier of the A10 and A11 chips.

Now, Samsung is said to be preparing tests for its own chip processing machines, and next plans to “seek final approval from Apple for the chip production” for what will presumably be called the A12 chip. As the sole OLED supplier for the 2017 iPhone, Samsung Display’s deal with Apple has placed the manufacturer with providing between 70 and 92 million OLED displays for the upcoming iPhone 8. Apple is predicted to shift to OLED-only iPhone production as soon as 2018 or 2019.

Tags: Samsung, TSMC, iPhone 9
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Huawei’s Band 2 Pro shows the right stats to prove your workouts are making you fitter

Why it matters to you

Wearing a fitness tracker is the first step towards motivating yourself to get fit. The second step is getting the right data, and the Huawei Band 2 Pro provides it.

Huawei, while best known for its smartphones, is also adept at making great wearables. Its latest is the Huawei Band 2 Pro, and its more basic sister device, the Huawei Band 2. While fitness trackers are dominated at the moment by Fitbit’s range of wristbands, Huawei has put together a compelling package that will turn heads, due to something we rarely see on anything other than top-flight trackers: VO2Max measurement.

What’s VO2Max? It’s a metric used to measure how fit you are, by assessing the amount of oxygen your body can take in and use as energy. Unlike stats like calorie burn or step count, your V02Max number will improve the fitter you get, so it’s a great motivator, and an excellent indicator of whether your hard work is paying off. It’s worked out using analytical data taken from your heart rate and energy output, whether that’s on a treadmill, stationary bike, or through GPS when running outside. VO2Max is measured on the Band 2 Pro using sports analytics company Firstbeat’s technology, which promises 95-percent accuracy in its readings.

To get a VO2Max reading you’ll have to wear the Huawei Band 2 Pro, which has the all-important PPG heart rate sensor. It’s mounted underneath the body and is active all day. The Band 2 Pro also has GPS onboard, which is naturally rather heavy on the battery. With it active, the Band 2 Pro will be out of power in 3.5 hours, but without it, working time — even with the heart rate monitoring — extends to 21 days, according to Huawei.

Firstbeat has also worked with Huawei on a running coach, where a personal training plan is created based on your fitness level, plus a recovery time indicator so you don’t over-exercise, and stats showing how your workouts are improving your overall fitness. The Band 2 Pro has Huawei’s TruSleep measurement, which monitors all stages of sleep including REM, and presents the data on a dashboard in the Huawei Health app. It also has a breathing coach for some mindfulness exercises.

On the technical side, the PMOLED screen shows all the related fitness data, and the band will pair with your Android phone to provide notifications, incoming call alerts, and a reminder if you accidentally leave your phone behind somewhere. Both the Band 2 and Band 2 Pro are water resistant to 5ATM, so are safe for swimming.

If many of these features sound familiar, it’s because the Firstbeat technology — that’s the VO2Max and all the training programs — is also used on the Huawei Watch 2. Here, it’s squeezed down into a sportier fitness band, rather than full-on smartwatch. Huawei has yet to announce the price or release date for the Band 2 or Band 2 Pro.

Never drop your phone taking pictures again with BlackRapid’s WandeR tether

Why it matters to you

If you have ever dropped your phone while trying to take a picture or video then you know the pain of replacing it. The WandeR aims to prevent phone destroying drops from ever happening.

If you are a photographer or have been around the industry for any period of time you will know the name BlackRapid. The company built a name for itself by producing some of the best-loved camera straps on the market, and now it is turning its attention to the ever-growing ranks of serious mobile photographers. The WandeR is BlackRapid’s new tether designed specifically to help prevent phone drops that plague the mobile photography community.

The WandeR is a simple concept — it involves attaching a tether from your belt or bag to your phone, so in the event you lose your grip on the phone, it will fall harmlessly to your side, rather than on the hard cement or dirty ground.

To its credit, BlackRapid didn’t try to make this more complicated than it needs to be, either. According to the announcement, BlackRapid claims that the WandeR will be compatible and work with almost all phone -and-case combinations, a huge advantage over its competition, which requires a specific model for certain phone and camera combinations, or other products that try to lock you into their system by requiring a proprietary case or connector.

The tether itself is comprised of a TPU-coated nylon tether tab which is designed to lie flat between your phone and your case toward the bottom-rear of your device. It exits the case through the hole at the bottom for the charging port. The tether strap is then connected to the tab and can be attached to a bag or belt with the included 10-20mm carabiner. It can also be wrapped around the user’s wrist, in any manner that you choose to use it, the idea is to prevent any unexpected drops from damaging the device.

And the BlackRapid WandeR isn’t just for those with money to blow. At only $20 the entire kit is quite affordable and accessible to virtually all smartphone photographers and videographers who need a solution to help them avoid damage to their phone. The WandeR is available now at BlackRapid retailers and partners across the country as well as from BlackRapid directly on its website.

Laptop sleeve, or backpack? The $30 Lowepro SleevePack is both

Why it matters to you

When versatility matters, the Lowepro SleevePack does double duty as both a laptop sleeve and a backpack.

Laptop sleeves keep dings and scratches away, but short of tossing them into another bag, they don’t leave too many other carrying options. One tech bag company is working to change that with the Lowepro SleevePack 13, a padded laptop sleeve that unfolds into a lightweight travel backpack.  Announced on Tuesday, July 18, the new sleeve is designed to add versatility to the traditional laptop protection.

Designed to fit 13-inch laptops, the SleevePack has both a main compartment and a second padded dual pocket. The backpack portion itself is tucked away in a pocket, with the converting instructions stamped on the outside. The backpack cover pulls out of the pocket and around the sides of the laptop, zipping closed at the top.

“Versatility is a priority for today’s consumer, whether it’s someone traveling on business, commuting to and from work each day, or spending some time at the coffee shop and making a few stops along the way home,” said Michelle Erbs, marketing director for Lowepro. “The SleevePack is designed to solve the common challenge of efficient laptop storage and transportation by quickly converting from sleeve to backpack with additional storage space for items other than a laptop. It’s a simple and novel concept at the same time.”

In backpack form, the SleevePack uses adjustable straps and includes a front compartment for storing extras alongside that jacket. The two padded pockets remain intact with the bag unfolded as a backpack, with the straps offering adjustable length for more comfort.

The bag is made from polyester, while lightweight, high density foam creates the extra protection in the padded sleeves. As a backpack, the bag measures 15.75 inches tall, with a width of almost 11.5 inches and a depth of about seven inches. As a laptop sleeve, the SleevePack measures 13.78 inches for those 13-inch laptops, with a .79 inch depth and 9.84 inch width. Despite the bag’s dual design, the pack weighs in at less than half a pound.

2017 marks Lowepro’s 50th year in business. The California-based company specializes in backpacks, cases and camera bags.

The Lowepro SleevePack 13 will be available in black, red, blue, or orange, retailing for about $30.

How to reset the Galaxy S8 to factory settings

How do I reset the Galaxy S8 to its factory settings?

The Galaxy S8 is a great phone, but sometimes you’re put in a position where you need to bring it back to the state you found it, be it for performance reasons, bugs, or to sell.

Whatever the cause of the reset, it’s fairly easy to do it. Here’s how:

How to factory reset the Galaxy S8 from inside Android

The easiest way to factory reset the phone is to do it from within Android. But before you do anything so drastic, ask yourself a couple of things:

• Have I backed everything up?
• Have I tried every other course of remedial action, such as deleting an app suspected of causing slowdown?
• Have I called technical support to work through the problem with Samsung directly?

If you’ve answered yes to all those questions, you may proceed.

From the home screen, swipe down on the notification shade.
Tap on the Settings button (looks like a cog icon).
Scroll down and tap on General management.

Tap on Reset.

Tap on Factory data reset.
Scroll down to the bottom and tap on Reset.
Enter your PIN, password or pattern to proceed.
Wait until reset completes.

Note: Factory resetting your phone can cause data loss if you haven’t backed everything up.

How to factory reset your Galaxy S8 from outside Android

If for some reason your Galaxy S8 isn’t able to boot into Android and you still want to factory reset it, the instructions are little harder, but they accomplish the same thing.

Turn off your Galaxy S8 (if it’s not already).
Hold down the Volume up, Bixby, Power buttons simultaneously until the Samsung logo shows up on the screen. Lift fingers.
You’ll see an Android figure with the words No command on screen. Wait a few seconds.

Once the black background with colored text appears, use the volume down button to scroll to Wipe data/factory reset.

Use the power button to select Wipe data/factory reset.
Use the volume down button to scroll to Yes.
Use the power button to select Yes.

Reminder before selling the Galaxy S8

If you’re factory resetting the Galaxy S8 prior to selling it (which you should always do), you’ll need to remove your Google account from the phone prior to resetting it.

That’s because, by default, your Galaxy S8 uses a Google feature called Factory Reset Protection, which requires a new user to log into the last Google account that was used on the phone. This prevents would-be thieves from stealing a phone, resetting it and using it as new. But it also prevents would-be buyers from enjoying a new phone if they don’t have you nearby to bypass that protection.

Here’s how to remove a Google account:

From the home screen, swipe down on the notification shade.
Tap on the Settings button (looks like a cog icon).
Scroll down and tap on Cloud and accounts.

Tap on Accounts.

Select the account you want to delete. If there is more than one, you’ll have to delete both.
Tap on the three-dot menu button near the top right of the screen.
Tap Remove account.

That’s it! Now, when you reset your phone, the new user won’t receive any prompts to enter your old Google credentials. Phew!

Questions?

Some some questions about these procedures? Got a better way? Let us know in the comments!

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ review!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

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