Xiaomi’s supersized Mi Max 2 is launching in India on July 18

Xiaomi’s largest phone will be debuting in India next week.

Xiaomi will launch the Mi Max 2 in India on July 18. The first-generation Mi Max turned out to be one of the manufacturer’s best devices last year, and its successor has a larger 5300mAh battery while retaining the 6.44-inch screen size.

Other specs include a Snapdragon 653 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB storage options, 12MP camera at the back, 5MP front shooter, Wi-Fi ac, USB-C, and a 3.5mm jack. The phone runs a MIUI 8 build based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box.

The variant with 64GB storage retails for ¥1,699 ($250) in China, so the Indian version may end up costing somewhere in the vicinity of ₹17,000. We’ll know more next week, but in the meantime, who’s excited about the launch of the Mi Max 2 in India?

Blue Origin will take you on a (simulated) space ride at Oshkosh

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is displaying its historic New Shepard rocket and offering simulated space rides at the EAA AirVenture convention in Oshkosh. That’s the same New Shepard that served as key for the company to beat SpaceX in the reusable rocket race. In November 2015, it flew over the boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and outer space before heading back down to become the first rocket to achieve a vertical landing. Blue Origin then used it for four more missions in 2016 to prove that it truly is reusable.

While seeing the rocket in person already sounds like a treat, the private space corp has another offering you might appreciate even more. It’s also bringing a replica of its tourism-oriented crew capsule at the event and allowing visitors to climb in and use its reclining seats. Blue Origin’s capsule has windows that take up one-third of its surface area, so astronauts can enjoy the views going up. Since it can’t exactly fly people to space just yet, it’s treating guests to a simulated flight experience using actual footage taken by New Shepard’s on-board cameras.

Going to Oshkosh? Come sit inside @BlueOrigin’s crew capsule and enjoy a simulated ride to space @EAA #OSH17 https://t.co/E6uejQLDgG pic.twitter.com/EjUuY5bdw7

— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) July 10, 2017

The EAA AirVenture convention will take place on July 24th to 30th at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Blue Origin’s exhibit will be one of the main ones on Boeing Plaza during the event — we’re guessing guests will flock to it in hopes of getting a slot for the flight simulations, so you may want to brace yourself for the possible crowd.

Blue Origin president Rob Meyerson said in a statement:

“We are very excited to come to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017 and showcase our reusable New Shepard rocket and crew capsule so everyone can experience what it’s like to be an astronaut. We hope to inspire the explorers of tomorrow, the ones who will help us achieve Blue Origin’s goal of millions of people living and working in space.”

Source: Jeff Bezos (Twitter), EAA Airventure Oshkosh

The Morning After: Tuesday. July 11th 2017

Hey, good morning!

AI is learning parkour, Amazon’s huge sale is upon us and we see how technology is replacing painkillers.

These look familiar.
What happens when AI teaches itself parkour?

Come for the reinforcement learning, stay for the GIFs.

Happy holidays.

Amazon Prime Day is upon us, have you bought your Echo?

It’s hard to say what counts as a ‘real’ holiday these days, but discounts are discounts. Our friends from The Wirecutter have some advice on the best discounts, which just happen to include a couple of Amazon’s own products.

Wait, what?
Ubuntu Linux is available in the Windows Store

The year of the Linux desktop has arrived, but in an unexpected way. Microsoft has welcomed Ubuntu Linux into its app store, making it easier than ever to try out the OS. For now, support is limited to Windows Insider beta testers, but everyone will have access once the Fall Creator’s Update for Windows 10 arrives.

Stylish but flawed.
HP Spectre X2 (2017) review

The HP Spectre X2 is a better Surface Pro competitor than before, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement. It’s a cheaper alternative to Microsoft’s convertible, with a gorgeous design and comfortable keyboard, but the 2017 version still has touchpad issues and subpar battery life.

Improving AI accessibility.
Google’s ‘PAIR’ project wants AI and humans to get along

A Google initiative called PAIR, or People + AI Research initiative, aims to make sure AI technology is beneficial and empowering for everyone, and it will focus on tools for AI developers and how to make sure AI systems are inclusive. “PAIR is devoted to advancing the research and design of people-centric AI systems. We’re interested in the full spectrum of human interaction with machine intelligence, from supporting engineers to understanding everyday experiences with AI.”

It’s like a G6 mini.

LG’s Q6 lineup fits FullVision screens on midrange phones

If you like the look of LG’s G6 but decided it’s too expensive, relax. Soon you’ll be able to get it in a cheaper version. The Q6+, Q6 and Q6 Alpha have varying amounts of built-in storage and RAM, but share the big screen, metal frame and features like facial recognition cribbed from their bigger brother. We don’t have pricetags yet, but they will start rolling out next month in Asia.

Looking for a drug-free answer to pain management.
Can tech replace painkillers?

While Jennifer was on a series of medications for her pain relief — off-label antidepressants, muscle relaxers and lesser opioids like tramadol — she found what she calls an unexpected alternative to heavy opioids. It’s a small wearable called Quell, a band she wears around her calf that disperses pain relief using low-intensity electrical signals throughout her body’s nervous system. It’s one of several technological solutions that might offer a different way of dealing with pain. Brian Mastroianni reports on what’s happening.

But wait, there’s more…

• The endangered Great Barrier Reef is not in danger, says UNESCO
• Microsoft 365 is yet another stab at attracting IT love
• An excess of ‘failed’ stars is a bad sign for alien life
• What’s on TV this week: ‘Game of Thrones’
• People won’t stop stealing this company’s rentable umbrellas

The best Amazon UK Prime Day 2017 deals

It’s July 11th. For many, it’s just another Tuesday, but for Amazon, it’s another opportunity for the company to sell you loads of stuff you probably don’t need. That’s right, it’s Prime Day, a marketing trick where Amazon “discounts” thousands of products for Prime subscribers. This year, there are plenty of deals to be had, especially if you’re in the mood for a new piece of technology.We’ve put together a list of all-day deals that we think are worth keeping an eye on.

Amazon Echo: £79.99 (normally £149.99) — Where better to start than Amazon’s smart speaker. For today only, the Echo is 47 percent off and is the cheapest it’s ever been. If you’re looking for something that can connect to your smart home gadgets, play your favourite music and let you order from Just Eat, this can do that and more.

Amazon Echo Dot: £34.99 (normally £49.99) — Like the Echo but smaller, the Echo Dot is an easy way to buy into Amazon’s ecosystem. Instead of serving as the main speaker in a room, the Dot can be connected to your existing audio setup, making it super smart in the process.

Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa: £29.99 (normally £39.99) — The updated Fire TV Stick hasn’t been available for long in the UK, but already it’s seeing a significant discount. Amazon’s little dongle supports voice control via Alexa, but also delivers apps like Amazon Video, Netflix and BBC iPlayer. A great little gadget that will make even the dumbest TV smart.

Amazon Fire 7 Tablet: £29.99 (normally £49.99) — Amazon’s cheapest Android tablet has got even cheaper. For today only, you can save £20 on the 7-inch slate. Perfect for the kids or for browsing in bed.

Kindle Paperwhite: £79.99 (normally £109.99) — The popular e-reader is currently £30 cheaper, thanks to Prime Day. Perfect for your summer holiday.

Xbox One S with Forza Horizon 3, Minecraft, Chatpad & Headset and second Controller: £179.99 (normally £296) — Console deals are always popular on Amazon UK, and this is no exception. If you’ve been putting off getting an Xbox One, today’s deal bundles two popular games, a headset and a second controller for less than £180.

PlayStation 4 with Overwatch, Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy and second Dualshock 4 controller: £179.99 (normally £344) — Fancy jumping aboard the Sony bandwagon? You won’t find many better deals than this one.

PlayStation 4 Pro with Horizon Zero Dawn, Wipeout and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare: £349.99 (normally £447.73) — Want a PS4? Go big or go home. This package gives you the beefer PlayStation 4 as well as three top games for almost £100 less than usual.

PlayStation Plus (15 months): £29.99 (normally £54.99) — PlayStation Plus doesn’t only help you play online with your friends, it also throws in a couple of free games every month.

Philips Hue Starter Kit: £89.99 (normally £144.95): Philips’ Hue range has set the standard for smart home lighting. Connect these up to your Amazon Echo or Google Home and control your lights simply by using your voice.

Amazon Dash Buttons: £1.99 with £4.99 credit (normally £4.99) — Amazon’s Dash buttons make it super easy to re-order every day items. For today only, they’re less than half price and offer a fiver off your first purchase.

Garmin Forerunner 35 fitness watch: £109.99 (normally £159) — This simple running watch can monitor your heart rate, track the speed and distance of your run and tell you many steps you’ve taken each day. The Garmin is a great introduction to fitness watches.

Ultimate Ears BOOM 2 wireless speaker: £71 (normally £118) — After some portable beats? UE’s popular wireless speaker is £47 cheaper, thanks to Prime Day. It’s waterproof and supports up to eight devices at once.

Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen: £134.99 (normally £199) — Google’s smart heating controller is £60 today. Connect this up to your smartphone or smart home speaker and heat your house from wherever you are.

Wileyfox Swift 2 X: £149.99 (normally £219.99) — Wileyfox has made a name for itself with its cheap premium smartphones and often discounts handsets on Amazon. Today, you can save £70 on the Swift 2 X, which is undoubtedly the best phone in the Swift 2 family.

Revisit the ’90s with a collection of AOL CDs

The Internet Archive is a treasure trove for software geeks. In recent months, the site has hosted everything from GIFs from Geocities to Macintosh games from the 80s. Its latest blast from the past is an entire section dedicated to AOL CD-ROMs.

Back when Mark Wahlberg was Marky Mark, Engadget’s parent company AOL was busy carpet-bombing everyone with CDs offering free web trials. The CD-ROMs were AOL’s way of capitalizing on the hype surrounding the nascent medium. And, for many, they provided their first taster of the internet.

Fast forward 27 years and everyone you know is online and compact discs are considered junk. As the era of the CD as a distribution method dies a slow death — thanks, in part, to streaming services — the round discs are becoming even more important to archivists, like Jason Scott. In 2015, Scott urged people to send him their AOL CD-ROMs. Strangely, there are people out there who collect America Online’s glossy discs, but they’re probably less likely to hand over their prized possessions.

…the @internetarchive begins hosting AOL CD-ROMs en masse this year. Here’s the first few dozen. https://t.co/D4GuA8FE5C

— Jason Scott (@textfiles) July 10, 2017

Now, the Internet Archive is hosting the first few dozen CDs, complete with their very 90s graphics. You can browse through the expanding collection and download torrents of the full disc ISO. “For some time, half of all CDs manufactured in the world had an AOL logo on them,” wrote Scott in a blog post. “Like it or not, folks – those things are payloads of history.”

The tiny time capsules cost AOL a lot of money too. Back in 2011, co-founder Steve Case said he didn’t recall the exact amount spent on the CDs, but that AOL’s goal was to fork out ten percent of lifetime revenue to get a new subscriber. He claimed that average subscriber life was around 25 months and revenue was about $350. So, Case estimated the company spent $35 per user on marketing material such as the CDs.

Source: Internet Archive

Vodafone shows again that own-brand phones can be good value

Vodafone’s own-brand devices have been hit and miss over the past few years. There was the Smart Ultra 6, which was one of the best affordable phones of its time, and the Smart Platinum 7, which was an interesting step into more expensive, sub-flagship category. But alongside those, there have been a number of humdrum handsets that failed to impress. As per its yearly update cycle, Vodafone recently released new own-brand hardware, with the Smart V8 in particular slotting into the carrier’s roster as one of the best affordable options.

The most immediately striking feature of the Smart V8 when you free it from its box is the build quality. It’s almost entirely brushed metal aside from two pockets of textured plastic, with neatly chamfered edges and loudspeaker grilles. While it’s not pushing the boundaries of design by any means, it certainly looks and feels like it’s punching above the £159 pay-as-you-go price point.

The spec sheet isn’t to be taken lightly either. You’re looking at a 5.5-inch, 1080p LCD display, an octa-core 1.4GHz Snapdragon 435, 3 gigs of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, a 16-megapixel primary camera and 8MP front-facer, all powered by a decent-sized 3,000mAh battery. You also get a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and NFC chip — hello Android Pay. Perhaps even more important, the Smart V8 is running Android 7.1.1, so it’s basically as up-to-date as you can get on the software front.

It’s more or less the stock Android experience, albeit with a few borderline-bloatware apps from Vodafone added in. One quirk I’ve discovered worth noting is I can’t seem to resize widgets on the homescreen. Not a huge deal, but it does mean the digital clock widget is naturally off-centre, which is slightly irritating.

In sunny summer conditions, the 16MP camera can be pretty handy. Good colour saturation, clarity, and contrast thanks to the HDR mode. The app is pretty busy with filters and features and settings, from full manual control to long exposure and “active photo” modes (kinda like GIFs/Live Photos). You won’t find much help in them in low-light conditions, though, where the camera begins to fall off fairly quickly.

All in all, there’s nothing particularly special about the Smart V8. These days, metalwork, this kind of spec sheet and value-added features like fingerprint sensor and NFC are becoming standard at the mid-to-low end. The new handset does have something going for it, though — a pretty competitive price tag.

Vodafone’s pay-as-you-go range is relatively sparse around the £150 mark. You’ve got the £149 Sony Xperia L1, which is less attractive enough on paper to justify the jump to the £159 Smart V8. The closest handset beyond that point is the fairly comparable £199 Huawei P8 lite (2017). The Moto G5 gets a nod too, obviously, as well as the Wileyfox Swift 2, since they can be bought elsewhere for bang on £159. You wouldn’t say either of them are significantly better than the Smart V8, though.

Smart N8

If you’ve set yourself a slightly tighter budget, Vodafone also recently launched the Smart N8, an £85 handset sitting in the crowded low-end of the pay-as-you-go spectrum. It’s more than appropriately specced, with a 5-inch, 720p display, quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek chip, 1.5GB of RAM, 16 gigs of expandable storage, 13- and 5-megapixel cameras, fingerprint sensor, NFC and 2,400mAh battery.

Despite looking a little on the drab side, it’s a decent value device. You could always save yourself a London pint and opt for the £79 Moto G4 Play instead, which recently began receiving Android Nougat, but you would be sacrificing the fingerprint reader/NFC combo. But that’s true of most other devices dipping below the £100 marker at the moment.

Smart Tab N8

While the two smartphones have obvious places in Vodafone’s backroom, the new Smart Tab N8 is where things get confusing. The draw of pretty much all own-brand tablets is ultimate portability, thanks to 4G, at a reasonable cost. I wouldn’t call the Smart Tab N8 very portable though, because it’s massive. It’s not that heavy at 465g and it’s pretty thin, too, with 8.95mm between the glass front and textured, tactile plastic back — it’s that it’s all face.

Not only does the slate carry a 10.1-inch display, but a significant bloating of bezel around it. It’s not something you could slip into a handbag and it not be a nuisance, let’s say. Worse yet, that 10.1-inch screen runs at a very noticeable 1,280 x 800 resolution, making it easy to pick out individual pixels. Large tablets are typically geared more towards entertainment, but 149 ppi doesn’t really cut it nowadays.

The other specs are largely irrelevant: A quad-core 1.1GHz MediaTek processor, 2 gigs of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, 4,600mAh battery and 5MP/2MP cameras on the appropriate sides. Vodafone is selling the Smart Tab N8 on contracts starting at £16 per month for a 5GB data cap and no upfront payment. I’d sooner get exactly the same plan with Samsung’s 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab A (2016), since it’s been upgraded to Nougat already and waves a more alluring spec sheet, the 1,920 x 1,200 display being the most important upgrade. Hits and misses for Vodafone again, it would appear.

Google News Redesign Extends to Google News & Weather App

Google has updated its News & Weather app to bring it in line with the company’s recent changes to its News website, splicing up categories to make them more focused and integrating additional navigation controls into the user interface.

First up, Google has injected more blank space into the News & Weather UI to enhance readability, and has made the headline news categories along the top of the layout more easily accessible with swipe gestures.

Like the Google News website, the app also now includes an always-visible navigation bar for separate “Headlines”, “Local”, and “For You” sections.

In Local, users can track stories from parts of the world that interest them, either by turning on location services to see news about their current location, or by manually adding a location from the relevant menu in the sidebar.

Meanwhile, in the For You section, users can input niche interests or create their own mini news feed, such as following a favorite team or tech topic, for example. Displayed topics can also be rated with the thumbs up/down icons for more personalized curation.

Google has also removed the Weekly Digest section of the app, because of low usage in earlier versions. Elsewhere, the dark reading mode and all other Google account options remain in the top left Settings menu.

The Google News & Weather app is a free download for iPhone and iPad on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: Google
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Twitter Adds Extra Filtering Options to Mute Abusive Accounts

Twitter has introduced additional new tools in its account notification settings to help users further reduce the likelihood of receiving offensive replies or seeing abusive account names.

The new social network tools include options to mute notifications from accounts that have just been registered, as well as accounts you don’t follow, and accounts that don’t follow you.

All of the settings can be toggled in the Advanced Filters menu, accessed by tapping the cog at the top left of the Notifications screen, or by tapping your user profile picture and selecting Settings and privacy -> Notifications -> Advanced filters.

Now you have even more control over your notifications. Mute accounts that don’t follow you, new accounts, and more. https://t.co/UapP6DtTtY pic.twitter.com/RcBQGx219k

— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) July 10, 2017

The expanded filtering tools follow on from filters the social media company introduced in March that let users more easily weed out abuse, such as hiding messages from accounts without a profile photo, linked email address, or phone number. The company also recently modified its Messages section to separate out DMs from people you don’t follow, making it easier to accept or delete them.

Twitter has denied a report that claimed it was testing a feature that would let users flag tweets that contain misleading, false, or harmful information. The feature was said to be in the prototype phase and part of the company’s strategy to prevent abuse of its platform.

Tag: Twitter
Discuss this article in our forums

Prime members can grab third-gen Philips Hue bulbs for just £22 each

Add some color to the home with Philips Hue. Prime Day brings massive discounts to both starter kits and individual bulbs.

Whether you’re thinking about adding some smart lighting to the home or need to pick up a new bulb or two to add to an already existing Philips Hue setup, Amazon UK has some enticing deals for you to gander at. Starter kits start from £89.99, which bags you a bridge and some bulbs, and individual bulbs can be picked up from just £22.49.

Here’s a list of Philips Hue bulbs and packs available as part of Prime Day in the UK:

• Philips Hue E27 Starter Kit – £89.99 (38% off)
• Philips Hue B22 Cap Starter Kit – £89.99 (35% off)
• Philips Hue E27 LED bulb – £22.49 (55% off)
• Philips Hue GU10 twin pack – £26.99 (40% off)
• Philips Hue B22 bulb – £22.49 (54% off)

For more deals, be sure to check out the Prime Day landing page!

If you need storage, Amazon has a bunch of Seagate hard drives on sale for Prime Day

Amazon has a whole bunch of Seagate hard drives on sale for Prime Day, including internal and external drives. A particularly good deal is the Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB on sale for $60. This is the all-time lowest price on this hard drive. Since early June it has sold around $77 and before that was selling around $70. Either way, the $60 price tag is worth a look.

The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is a well-reviewed hard drive. It has 4 stars from CNET and PC Mag and is considered The Wirecutter’s best portable hard drive.

It’s powered solely through the USB and uses USB 3.0 for the fastest speeds. Several models and colors are on sale, including the much larger and less portable Seagate Backup Plus 8TB desktop hard drive. I’m partial to the Xbox Green one myself.

See at Amazon