IBM and Sony’s new palm-sized tape prototype can store 330 terabytes of data

Why it matters to you

This development demonstrates how older technology standards can achieve new relevance as research advances.

IBM has developed a brand-new storage prototype built on magnetic tape technology and the amount of information it can store is staggering. Offering nearly 10 times the storage space of the best tape available in 2010, the new development nearly doubles the aerial density of even 2015’s best offering, making it the densest tape storage development by a long shot.

Despite the fact that consumers have transitioned through several storage technologies over the past few decades to the high-speed, flash-based drives of today, tape still finds usage in long-term and high-capacity storage. While commercially available magnetic tape cartridges offer up to 15TB of storage, IBM and Sony have created a new standard that’s capable of storing as much as 330TB in a much smaller form factor.

To give that some context, IBM suggests that such a cartridge would be able to store as many as 330 million books in a form factor the same size as your palm. The last generation of the same sort of tape technology could ‘only’ handle 220 million.

The new magnetic tape standard required the development of two new technologies. It uses a new lubricant layer, which keeps the tape running smoothly, while a new magnetic layer was “sputtered,” or ‘painted’ onto the tape itself, making the storage layer incredibly thin and dense (thanks Ars).

IBM’s role in this development was in reading the new standard. Its new read head is built much like those found in a hard drive, which as Ars highlights, makes sense, since the sputtering manufacturing technique is much more common in hard drives. That read head, combined with the lubrication layer that keeps the tape moving quickly, is what allows the tracking of the new, microscopic magnetic grains of the tape.

The only downside to this is that it’s far from a readily available technology yet. Commercial drives still have yet to adopt many of the developments made in tape storage technology over the past few years, so we’re likely several more years away from seeing IBM and Sony’s new standard released into the wild. Any organization looking to leverage it, too, would likely require a brand-new tape reader, which would be a very expensive proposition considering the new standards employed.

Save with August Verizon Deals, including a VR headset and Beats headphones

Major phone carriers run a lot of sales and promos throughout the year, but if you’re not in the market for a new phone or data plan, then Verizon is currently offering some other discounts for the month of August. These limited-time Verizon deals include a handful of great mobile tech, from Google’s new VR headset to a few awesome Bluetooth gadgets, at discounts of up to $70 off.

Our favorite

Google’s Daydream View is giving the Samsung Gear VR a serious run for its money as the best low-cost Android virtual reality headset. Its main drawback right now is that — as it’s still relatively new to the market — it is only compatible with a handful of smartphones at the moment. Thankfully, Google is keeping the Daydream View an open platform for VR developers, so expect to see a slew of new phones, apps, games, and more coming out for this excellent headset throughout 2017 and 2018.

If you own a compatible smartphone and want to take the plunge into the world of virtual reality, the Daydream view is hard to beat for the price. Through Saturday, August 5, a $20 discount means you can snag Google’s awesome VR headset for just $60 from Verizon.

More great Verizon deals

Maybe the Daydream View isn’t what you’re looking for right now, or perhaps it whetted your appetite for more portable gadgets. Whatever the case, here are a few more limited-time Verizon deals for you to check out:

• BeatsX in-ear Bluetooth headphones: Bluetooth headphones like the top-notch in-ear BeatsX are invaluable when you’re in the move, and the Beats lineup should need no introduction. A $50 discount brings the BeatsX earphones down to $100 until August 6.
• Ultimate Ears Boom 2 Bluetooth speaker: With its 360-degree sound and waterproof rating, the Boom 2 Bluetooth speaker is a great outdoor-friendly alternative to the Amazon Tap. Through August 5, you can take a solid $70 off of the Boom 2, knocking the normal $200 price down to just $130.
• Fitbit Charge 2 heart rate and fitness tracker: Although the Fitbit Charge 2 itself is not on sale, Verizon is offering some cash back when you spend $200 or more. This excellent heart rate and fitness tracker comes in at $150, so if you buy it together with some other stuff on our list and enter the code GET50BACK at checkout, you’ll receive a $50 Visa gift card through Saturday.
• JBL Clip 2 portable Bluetooth speaker: For a smaller Bluetooth speaker than the Boom 2, check out the super-compact (and totally waterproof) JBL Clip 2. The first version of the Clip was one of our favorite wireless speakers last year, but the Clip 2 is even better and can now be yours for $50 for the entire month of August after a $10 discount.

More deals

• If you are thinking about buying a Fitbit, these deals make it the perfect time
• Just in time for summer, here are the six best Bluetooth speaker deals
• 8 must-have portable tech gadgets you can score for cheap right now

Looking for more Verizon deals and some discounts on other electronics? Check out our deals page to score some extra savings on our favorite tech.

Smartphone makers shipped 341.6 million smartphones in 2017’s second quarter

Why it matters to you

Samsung and Apple continue to dominate the smartphone market, according to industry analysts.

Smartphone sales declined slightly in the past few months, but things are looking up. That is the consensus of analysts at the International Data Corporation (IDC), which on Wednesday published estimated phone shipments for the second fiscal quarter of 2017.

According to IDC’s report, smartphone makers like Samsung, Apple, LG, and HTC sold 341.6 million smartphones in the second quarter of this year, down slightly (1.3 percent) from the same quarter a year ago. Despite the decline, “leading vendors” like Samsung and Apple saw growth.

Samsung had a particularly successful quarter. Thanks to the indomitable Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus, and cheaper smartphones like the Galaxy A series and J series, the South Korean company shipped 79.8 million for a market share of 23.3 percent, up 1.4 percent from the same quarter last year.

Apple’s growth was nothing to shake a stick at, though. The Cupertino, California, company, spurred by double-digit sales of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, saw a 1.5 year-over-year uptick in overall phone sales to 41 million.

Three of the world’s top five smartphone vendors, meanwhile — Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi — all grew their shares during the second quarter. Success in China and strong global sales of the P10, Mate 9, and affordable Honor series led it to a third-place finish and 19.6 percent year-over-year growth. Oppo sold 27.8 million units, securing a fourth-place finish on 1.5 percent year-over-year growth. And Xiaomi achieved something of a coup, kicking Vivo from its fifth-place vendor spot with 58.9 percent growth in developing markets like India.

All that growth came at the expense of smaller smartphone makers, though. The market share among vendors outside the top five contracted 16 percent year-over-year, corresponding with a 4.3 percent decline in average phone price in 2016.

“It’s no secret that the smartphone market is a very challenging segment for companies to maintain or grow share,” Ryan Reith, program vice president with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Trackers, said in a statement. “The smaller, more localized vendors will continue to struggle, especially as the leading volume drivers build out their portfolio into new markets and price segments.

IDC projects major growth this coming fiscal quarter when major new smartphones are expected to hit store shelves. Apple’s iPhone 8, which might launch as soon as September alongside a new iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus, is expected to feature an AMOLED display, wireless charging, and increased performance and durability. Samsung, not to be outdone by its chief rival, plans to unveil the Note 8 — the follow-up to last year’s ill-fated Note 7 — in August.

“Despite some key launches in the second quarter from some well-known players, all eyes will be on the ultra-high-end flagships set to arrive this fall,” Anthony Scarsella, research manager with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, said in a statement.  “With [so many] devices […] in the pipeline, the competition will be fierce come September.”

Send and receive money through Skype by linking your PayPal account

Why it matters to you

Skype’s latest feature makes it easier to send and receive money through its mobile app by linking it to your PayPal account.

PayPal and Skype have announced yet another way to transfer money to others. The online payments system has formed a partnership with Skype, allowing you to send and receive money through the Skype app on your mobile device.

If you have the latest version of the Skype mobile app — available for both iOS and Android — it now includes a new feature called Send Money. First time users are required to confirm their location to make sure it’s available where you are. Even though the user sending money has to have the latest version of the app, those receiving the funds can be on any version of Skype.

Currency exchange is also included within the feature. So, if you’re sending money from Europe to the U.S., you’ll have the option to send the funds in American dollars. At the moment, the update is available in 22 countries including the U.S., Canada, and parts of Europe. Both users must also have a PayPal account, and will be prompted to create one if they don’t.

To use the feature, tap “Find” in the Skype chat or swipe to the right and select “Send Money” from the add-ins. Once you select the country your friend lives in, you’ll be able to enter the amount of money you’d like to send, and then prompted to sign into and link your PayPal account to your Microsoft account. After pressing “Send” and completing the transfer, it will be represented as a money card within your conversation.

When someone sends you money, you’ll see the money card in the chat and can select the “Collection” option to transfer it to your PayPal account. If you’re using another Skype client, you’ll receive a message in the chat window with a link to to Skype’s website to then transfer the money.

Rolling out the ability to send money to friends and family with PayPal on Skype, both companies are attempting to eliminate the need to switch from Skype to your browser or banking app. The new process should only take a few taps on the Skype app, without the need to visit other apps.

Recently, PayPal revealed its also available through Apple’s iTunes and App Stores in Canada and Mexico — with plans on rolling out in the U.S. at a later date. Users can now use it as a payment option on all iOS devices and those with iOS 10 can use Siri to send or request personal payments to your PayPal account as well.

The new Google Earth wants to take you on a voyage, and it starts at home

Why it matters to you

Google Earth was a revolutionary app when it first came out, and with the latest relaunch, it might be once again.

When Google Earth first launched, it put global imaging in the hands of everyday users, letting all of us take a look at our homes, our neighborhoods, and our cities via satellite imagery. Back in 2005, it was a remarkable experience, but over the years it’s been sidelined by Google Maps and the ubiquity of map applications with satellite imagery.

Now, Google aims to change all that, unveiling a radically revamped version of Earth. Since it was never really intended to be a navigational aid, and other tools have filled that role, the new Google Earth is all about exploration — about taking you on a voyage.

The reimagined Google Earth debuted on the web, Android, and Chrome in April, but has just finally made its way to iOS. Meanwhile, Google Earth VR, which launched on the HTC Vive late last year, is available on the Oculus Rift.

“Nearly everyone who’s opened Google Earth in the last decade does the same thing first: They search for their home,” said Gopal Shah, product manager for Google Earth. “Home is how we orient ourselves — it’s where we start from.”

That’s how the new version of Google Earth came to be. By looking at the first experiences people had with it, Google tailored the new version to be something more than just a showcase for high-res satellite imagery. The new version of Google Earth introduces “Voyager” — a framework for delivering in-depth stories from all over the world.

Think of it like your own personal version of Planet Earth. Voyager is a compilation of interactive guided tours put together by “the world’s leading storytellers, scientists, and nonprofits.”

Through Voyager, you can visit the Gombe Stream National Park, and listen to Jane Goodall talk about her team’s chimpanzee research while guiding you through the thick Tanzanian jungle. Or, you can visit Mexico with a furry pink monster named Lola, as part of Sesame Street’s “Girl Muppets Around the World” tour.

The new Google Earth doesn’t just take you to exotic locales — it can also take you home.

“Home is not just how we understand our place in the world — it’s a means to connect to something bigger than ourselves,” Shah said.

That’s an important theme for the new Google Earth — finding ways to connect people to different locales, different ways of life, and different homes. Through a special Voyager story titled “This is Home,” users can take a guided tour through a variety of traditional homes from different cultures and nations.

Update: Added iOS functionality. 

The new Google Earth wants to take you on a voyage, and it starts at home

Why it matters to you

Google Earth was a revolutionary app when it first came out, and with the latest relaunch, it might be once again.

When Google Earth first launched, it put global imaging in the hands of everyday users, letting all of us take a look at our homes, our neighborhoods, and our cities via satellite imagery. Back in 2005, it was a remarkable experience, but over the years it’s been sidelined by Google Maps and the ubiquity of map applications with satellite imagery.

Now, Google aims to change all that, unveiling a radically revamped version of Earth. Since it was never really intended to be a navigational aid, and other tools have filled that role, the new Google Earth is all about exploration — about taking you on a voyage.

The reimagined Google Earth debuted on the web, Android, and Chrome in April, but has just finally made its way to iOS. Meanwhile, Google Earth VR, which launched on the HTC Vive late last year, is available on the Oculus Rift.

“Nearly everyone who’s opened Google Earth in the last decade does the same thing first: They search for their home,” said Gopal Shah, product manager for Google Earth. “Home is how we orient ourselves — it’s where we start from.”

That’s how the new version of Google Earth came to be. By looking at the first experiences people had with it, Google tailored the new version to be something more than just a showcase for high-res satellite imagery. The new version of Google Earth introduces “Voyager” — a framework for delivering in-depth stories from all over the world.

Think of it like your own personal version of Planet Earth. Voyager is a compilation of interactive guided tours put together by “the world’s leading storytellers, scientists, and nonprofits.”

Through Voyager, you can visit the Gombe Stream National Park, and listen to Jane Goodall talk about her team’s chimpanzee research while guiding you through the thick Tanzanian jungle. Or, you can visit Mexico with a furry pink monster named Lola, as part of Sesame Street’s “Girl Muppets Around the World” tour.

The new Google Earth doesn’t just take you to exotic locales — it can also take you home.

“Home is not just how we understand our place in the world — it’s a means to connect to something bigger than ourselves,” Shah said.

That’s an important theme for the new Google Earth — finding ways to connect people to different locales, different ways of life, and different homes. Through a special Voyager story titled “This is Home,” users can take a guided tour through a variety of traditional homes from different cultures and nations.

Update: Added iOS functionality. 

The new Google Earth wants to take you on a voyage, and it starts at home

Why it matters to you

Google Earth was a revolutionary app when it first came out, and with the latest relaunch, it might be once again.

When Google Earth first launched, it put global imaging in the hands of everyday users, letting all of us take a look at our homes, our neighborhoods, and our cities via satellite imagery. Back in 2005, it was a remarkable experience, but over the years it’s been sidelined by Google Maps and the ubiquity of map applications with satellite imagery.

Now, Google aims to change all that, unveiling a radically revamped version of Earth. Since it was never really intended to be a navigational aid, and other tools have filled that role, the new Google Earth is all about exploration — about taking you on a voyage.

The reimagined Google Earth debuted on the web, Android, and Chrome in April, but has just finally made its way to iOS. Meanwhile, Google Earth VR, which launched on the HTC Vive late last year, is available on the Oculus Rift.

“Nearly everyone who’s opened Google Earth in the last decade does the same thing first: They search for their home,” said Gopal Shah, product manager for Google Earth. “Home is how we orient ourselves — it’s where we start from.”

That’s how the new version of Google Earth came to be. By looking at the first experiences people had with it, Google tailored the new version to be something more than just a showcase for high-res satellite imagery. The new version of Google Earth introduces “Voyager” — a framework for delivering in-depth stories from all over the world.

Think of it like your own personal version of Planet Earth. Voyager is a compilation of interactive guided tours put together by “the world’s leading storytellers, scientists, and nonprofits.”

Through Voyager, you can visit the Gombe Stream National Park, and listen to Jane Goodall talk about her team’s chimpanzee research while guiding you through the thick Tanzanian jungle. Or, you can visit Mexico with a furry pink monster named Lola, as part of Sesame Street’s “Girl Muppets Around the World” tour.

The new Google Earth doesn’t just take you to exotic locales — it can also take you home.

“Home is not just how we understand our place in the world — it’s a means to connect to something bigger than ourselves,” Shah said.

That’s an important theme for the new Google Earth — finding ways to connect people to different locales, different ways of life, and different homes. Through a special Voyager story titled “This is Home,” users can take a guided tour through a variety of traditional homes from different cultures and nations.

Update: Added iOS functionality. 

Photoshop is expensive, so here’s the best free photo-editing software

There’s no argument about it — Adobe Photoshop remains the best photo-editing software on the market. But unless you’ve undergone formal training, it’s a difficult program to master, and an expensive one to use. That’s why we’re taking a look at the best free photo-editing software on the market, which provide much of the same functionality as Photoshop but without the associated fees. Each of the programs below can perform basic and semi-advanced tasks, for instance, allowing you to resize, crop, and correct exposure with ease. Read on for further details, whether you’re in the market for a desktop or mobile solution.

Desktop options

GIMP

Often heralded as the best free alternative to Photoshop, GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is an open-source application that relies on a community of volunteer developers who maintain and improve the product. Available for Mac and PC, you get a lot of professional-level editing and retouching tools — perfect for designers who can’t or won’t shell out hundreds of dollars to Adobe.

Once you launch the program, you’ll find a dedicated window that displays the image, and separate windows to organize the toolbox and layers. When using a large display, or two displays, you have a nice, big workspace to play with your images. Icons in the toolbox represent actions such as the crop, lasso, paint and brush tools, and you can apply various effects to your photos. It may seem like Photoshop, but GIMP has its own look and feel.

Download it now for:

Windows MacOS Linux

PhotoScape

Apart from basic image editing, PhotoScape also lets you create slideshows and animated GIFs, capture screenshots, and combine and split images. You can customize your toolbar, so you can organize the features you use most, and then revert to the default toolbar when you want to dig deeper into the software’s offerings.

PhotoScape software is free to download. But it’s part of the Open Candy network, and runs ads for other “recommended” software. This is isolated to PhotoScape, and won’t infiltrate the rest of your computer with adware, but it’s worth noting.

Download it now for:

Windows MacOS

The Nik Collection

The Nik Collection is an image-editing suite that comes courtesy of Google — one that’s now entirely free. This is one of the most powerful online tools available, and Google providing it for free was pretty big news when it broke last year. The Collection includes seven plugins, each with a different focus. Analog Efex Pro focuses on effects that produce a vintage aesthetic or make digital photos appear more natural, while Color Efex Pro provides a ton of filters. Silver Efex Pro, on the other hand, is tailored toward black-and-white images, while Viveza allows you to alter specific colors in a photo without using filters. The last two plugins, Sharpener Pro and Dfine, allow you to improve clarity and reduce noise reduction, among other things.

Best of all, you can either download individual tools or the entire suite at once. The tools may take a little time to learn, but by separating out the different functions, the software makes it easier for people to pick and choose what they need in any given moment. The only downside here is that Google won’t be offering patches or updates to these tools, so they won’t have much longevity. Get them while they still work!

Download it now for:

Windows MacOS

Paint.NET

This is a case where the apprentice becomes the master. Paint.NET was created as a college undergraduate senior design project mentored by Microsoft, and it continues to be maintained by alumni of the program. It was originally developed as a free replacement for Microsoft Paint, which comes as part of Windows. Paint.NET has surpassed Microsoft Paint in functionality and has some advanced features.

Paint.NET features an intuitive user interface that supports layers, an “unlimited undo” to back out of any mistake no matter how disastrous, various special effects, and other tools. Where Microsoft Paint was able to do little more than resize images, Paint.NET is able to handle more advanced photo editing that you’d expect from Photoshop and other paid programs. 

Download it now for:

Windows

HitFilm Express

HitFilm Express is a free video editing service that specializes in digital effects — which makes it ideal for creating more imaginative photo effects as well. With both 2D and 3D compositing, more than 180 visual effects from which to choose, and a community with plenty of ideas, you can make nearly any image that you can dream of. From putting a headshot into an Ironman-like HUD, to turning your best friend into a Jedi, this is the app to try if you’re aiming for the stars.

Download it now for:

Windows MacOS

Man’s best mend — Gene therapy reverses muscular dystrophy symptoms in dogs

Why it matters to you

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a horrible disease which slowly attacks every muscle in the body. Gene therapy could help treat it — whether you’re a dog or a human.

As difficult as it is when our beloved pet dogs get old, it’s a whole lot worse if their decline is the result of a horrible disease like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. Fortunately, a team of gene-editing researchers from France and the U.K. have been working to develop gene therapy as an answer — and it’s one that could help humans, too.

Their solution involves using gene therapy to restore muscle strength and stabilize clinical symptoms. This is achieved by way of a shortened version of the dystrophin gene, containing just 4,000 base pairs, which is combined with a viral vector and injected into patients.

“Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a debilitating muscle-wasting disease affecting young boys and male animals, which is caused by inheritance of a damaged gene,” George Dickson, professor of molecular cell biology at University of London, told Digital Trends. “There is currently no very effective cure. Our work has involved producing a healthy functioning copy of the damaged gene in the lab, and then using a harmless virus to carry the gene into the affected muscles, a so-called gene therapy.”

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The gene treatment has so far been tested on twelve golden retrievers affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. After a single dose, the dogs’ dystrophin production — the protein responsible for maintaining the integrity and strength of muscles — returned to its normal levels. Best of all, the trial was carried out a few years back, and all signs point to this being a lasting treatment. A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Nature Communications.

“We now have treated a number of dogs affected by this condition with a single round of gene therapy,” Dickson continued. “At the correct dose, the results have been very encouraging with dogs looking very active and healthy over 3 years after the treatment. The treatment involves a simple intravenous infusion, a one-off treatment, and we have been very pleased and quite surprised at how effective the gene therapy has been given that muscle is a major tissue spread all over the body.”

Next up, the researchers hope to extrapolate the findings to human children, since they they are roughly the same weight and display similar clinical symptoms to canines.

“The goal is to expand this gene therapy treatment into human patients, boys suffering from the Duchenne muscular dystrophy disease,” Dickson said. “We have to scale up production of the gene therapy medicine for human use, complete more safety tests, and then embark on recruiting patients into full-scale clinical trials.”

Should all go according to plan, it’ll be another reminder of why gene therapy is the future of medicine as we know it.

Limited Edition Black improves on BlackBerry’s KeyOne, but it’s tough to get one

Why it matters to you

If you want the best KeyOne BlackBerry offers and you don’t live in India, you’ll have to find a way to import it.

While we were overall impressed with the BlackBerry KeyOne when it launched earlier this year, there was some room for improvement, particularly where performance and design were concerned.

The phone just wasn’t quite as snappy as we would have liked, especially compared to the best Android currently offers, like the Google Pixel and HTC U11. The two-tone combination of light silver and glossy black plastic also feels a little dated.

Well, it seems BlackBerry heard the complaints. The company has announced it is launching a special edition of the KeyOne that adds more memory and storage to the package, as well as a refined color scheme. It’s called the KeyOne Limited Edition Black, appropriately enough, and it’s coming out August 8. Only problem? It’s exclusive to India, at least for the time being.

Congratulations to Optiemus Infracom on the launch of #BlackBerry KEYone LIMITED EDITION BLACK in India! pic.twitter.com/pVvJgvemmU

— BlackBerry (@BlackBerry) August 1, 2017

The Limited Edition Black adds another gigabyte of RAM to the KeyOne, increasing the total to 4GB. While it would have been more beneficial if BlackBerry upgraded the processor instead of the RAM, the extra gigabyte will help users running multiple apps at the same time.

This version of BlackBerry’s flagship also doubles the internal storage from 32GB to 64GB. Although the KeyOne features a MicroSD slot for optional expansion, phone makers are steadily increasing the amount of media and apps their devices can store out of the box, which is a welcome change.

Then, of course, there’s that all-new, all-black design. The Limited Edition trades the silver accents at the top of the KeyOne for matte black, and the result is much sleeker. Even the camera lens has been stripped of its chrome trim. There isn’t a hint of bright metal to be found anywhere on the exterior, making for an attractive aesthetic.

Unfortunately, Blackberry isn’t offering this more compelling variant of the KeyOne outside India. We’ve reached out to the company to find out if that stance could change down the line.

That’s a bummer, considering users all around the world could really benefit from these improvements. While the KeyOne is primarily manufactured by TCL, the Limited Edition Black is built by Optiemus Infracom. TCL ran into some quality-control issues with the initial run of KeyOne devices, so let’s hope Optiemus’ more expensive version doesn’t fall victim to the same troubles. While the KeyOne typically goes for $550 unlocked in the States, this model will retail for the equivalent of $620, or 39,990 rupees, exclusively through Amazon.