Three will sue to stop EE and Vodafone dominating connectivity

Three’s dissatisfaction with how Ofcom plans to operate the upcoming 4G and 5G spectrum auction has finally gone beyond an exhausting war of words. The carrier has long threatened to take legal action against the UK telecoms regulator, should it not address what Three believes to be an anticompetitive set of rules to guide the auction. The Telegraph reports that Three has hand-delivered a letter to Ofcom, notifying the regulator of its intent to seek a judicial review. The letter is just another threat in and of itself, but it signifies the carrier is indeed preparing to take the matter to court.

Three’s issues with Ofcom stem from the current status quo. As it stands, the combined might of BT and EE control around 42 percent of mobile spectrum. Vodafone owns 29 percent, while Three and O2 lag behind with 15 and 14 percent, respectively. Three wants Ofcom to impose strict spectrum caps in the upcoming auction to stop the likes of BT and Vodafone stockpiling the airwaves. The line is if Three doesn’t better its position, it won’t be able to improve its services, and will fall behind competitively — there are only so many acquisitions you can afford for the sake of securing more spectrum, after all.

Three’s argument has legs. EU regulators ended up blocking the merger of O2 and Three on the basis it would negatively impact competition in the UK as four big players became three. A merged O2 and Three would’ve at least put their combined spectrum holdings on par with Vodafone. O2 has also urged Ofcom to ensure a fair auction in a slightly less aggressive manner than Three, which literally can’t shut up about it.

Ofcom announced in November last year that it would block BT/EE from bidding on all spectrum in the 2.3GHz band, which is immediately usable 4G spectrum. Even after that initial gesture, Three launched a campaign calling on consumers to lobby Ofcom for stricter rules. Then last month, Ofcom announced it was introducing a cap on “all the mobile spectrum expected to be useable in 2020.” That’s set at 37 percent for all carriers, and means that BT/EE and Vodafone will be limited in how much spectrum they can acquire in the 3.4GHz band, which is earmarked for future 5G services.

Anyone following the continuous stream of statements Three has issued on the matter will know it was after a 30 percent cap (O2 said it could live with 35 percent), so it’s no surprise the carrier is unsatisfied with Ofcom’s latest concessions. The problem with launching a legal challenge is it’s likely to delay the auction even further, which was meant to go ahead in 2015 but was pushed back as Ofcom waited for the potential O2/Three merger to play out. At least Three is showing it’s actually willing to walk the walk now, though, because all the talk was starting to look very much like just talk.

Via: ISPreview

Source: The Telegraph

Acer’s latest Chromebook packs speed in a tiny rugged body

When you spring for a Chromebook, the choice between performance and ruggedness is usually an either/or proposition: you can get a durable machine or speedy hardware, but seldom both. Acer thinks it can strike a balance between the two. It’s launching the Chromebook 11 C771, which theoretically blends a tough body with better-than-usual processing power. The system is the first 11.6-inch Chromebook to pack Intel’s 6th-generation chips, which promise both a speed bump over rivals and very healthy battery life (up to 13 hours on a non-touch model). It starts off with a 1.6GHz Celeron chip, but you’ll get Core i3 and i5 models in September that should be up to more demanding web tasks.

As for the durability? Acer vows that the C771 can survive up to 132 pounds of force when closed, so it shouldn’t crack you squeeze it into a backpack. It also meets military standards for drops, dust resistance and water resistance, so don’t panic if you spill your drink.

Acer is aiming this system at the business and the school crowds — don’t expect to wander into a store and find one. However, the price will at least increase the chances of seeing one on your desk. Acer is selling regular and touchscreen versions of the C771 for $280 and $330 in August. The big question: what’s the price of the Core i3 and i5 variants? They shouldn’t be too pricey in a system like this, but they may be a tougher sell if they’re closer to the price of a Windows PC.

Source: Acer

Sony will use blockchain to beef up school cybersecurity

The folks at Sony Education are worried that some schlubby kid that’s gonna fail gym could hack their school and change their grade to a pass. It’s why the company is teaming up with IBM to use blockchain to create a secure academic platform for storing records. The idea is that every scrap of data about your kids’ schooling goes into a record that can then be stored securely. No kid, you gotta learn to climb that rope or else you can kiss that scholarship to Harvard goodbye.

Sony wants to use its platform as a way for schools to create a huge central database of pupils in a given region. Should someone want, or need, to change schools, they can do so easily because the untarnished records can simply be pushed to the new institution. Plus, educators can look at things like registration documents, attendance, grades and even the lesson plans that previous teachers have used.

Blockchain is king of all buzzwords, and so there’s no surprise that Sony is also throwing in some talk about AI for good measure. Sony believes that the system could, in the future, enable folks to use AI to look for trends in the data and suggest improvements to both curriculums and school management. And that makes some sense, since there’s no guarantee that schools are making the best use of the data it has available to it.

Sony is hoping to have its school system working well enough to sell it to schools by 2018, giving schlubby kids just over a year to work out how to hack it. Because, hell, what’s more valuable, climbing that rope or undermining the technology that’s likely to underpin the world financial system in a decade or two’s time.

Source: Sony

All Three 2017 iPhone Models Have Entered Volume Production Ahead of Expected September Launch

A new supply chain report today described strong July sales for component suppliers in the iPhone supply chain, hinting at an increase in momentum for production on the 2017 iPhones. Furthermore, sources speaking with DigiTimes have said that all three of the new iPhones — the “iPhone 8,” “iPhone 7s,” and “iPhone 7s Plus” — have now entered volume production.

The supply chain sources mentioned that there “will not be shortages” for the LCD iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, but supply for the OLED iPhone 8 “could fall short of demand,” a sentiment we’ve been hearing for months. One of the major factors cited for this shortage is related to “high expectations” from users, which is expected to keep suppliers operating production lines in high gear and lead to record-breaking monthly and even quarterly sales volumes.

Various iPhone 8 part leaks combined, via Benjamin Geskin

All of the three new iPhone models, including two TFT LCD and one OLED model, have entered volume production, said the sources, adding that there will not be shortages for the two LCD models, but the supply of the OLED version could fall short of demand due to high expectations for the model.

Specifically, main Apple suppliers Foxconn, Pegatron, and Wistron are believed to hit a sales high in the September-November period, due to shipments of finished iPhones predicted to “start gaining momentum” as soon as this month. In other recent production-related news, we heard about Samsung and its plan to operate seven OLED panel lines at full capacity in August, all of them dedicated to Apple’s iPhone 8.

A recent investor note by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned that Apple will begin production verification tests on the iPhone 8 at the end of August, with mass production beginning in mid-September. Kuo further believed that Apple will announce all three iPhones simultaneously in September, as well as launching them for purchase all on the same day. As usual, the OLED iPhone 8 is predicted to be in short supply, and recent reports have suggested shipments between 2 to 4 million units will be available at launch.

Also shared today by Sonny Dickson (via 9to5Mac) are a few alleged images of each new 2017 iPhone. The images focus on the all-glass rear design of the devices, a rumor that’s been circulating since the October 2016 for both the iPhone 8 and the LCD iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus. The glass backs of the new iPhones will allow the devices to wirelessly charge when placed on a charging receptacle of some kind, similar to the Apple Watch’s inductive charging feature.

The images show the large 5.5-inch iPhone 7s Plus, 4.7-inch iPhone 7s, and in-between 5.8-inch iPhone 8, which has a form factor near the size of the 4.7-inch iPhone and a screen slightly larger than the Plus models. The iPhone 8 will also have a vertically aligned dual lens rear camera to help boost augmented reality features, while the iPhone 7s Plus will retain the horizontal dual lens system of the previous generation.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8
Discuss this article in our forums

Audiobooks for dogs is now a thing, but will you buy one?

Why it matters to you

If you think your dog feels sad and lonely whenever you leave the house, a recommended audiobook may be the answer, or you can just leave the TV on.

Books for dogs. It’s not clear if there was a glaring gap in the market for such an offering, but Audible has nevertheless teamed up with dog behaviorist Cesar Millan to launch a carefully selected collection of audiobooks to keep your canine calm whenever you leave the house.

“Audible for Dogs” should also give pet owners peace of mind, the company said in a release, “knowing the dog will have the comfort of a human voice.”

To be clear, Audible isn’t claiming that dogs will understand any of the storylines or become engaged enough to start requesting novels from particular authors. It’s merely suggesting that your animal will feel calmer whenever they’re deprived of human companionship at home.

“Dogs are social animals, so they need to engage with someone and the purpose of Audible for Dogs is to make dogs feel there is someone with them,” Millan said.

“The person performing the audiobook is actually keeping your dog calm and taking the dog to a resting state, acting as an extension of you.”

To ensure that it wasn’t barking up the wrong tree with its fascinating idea, Millan’s Dog Psychology Center conducted research with 100 dog owners, with 76 percent who played audiobooks for their pooch “reporting an increase in calm, relaxed behavior [in their dog] over a four-week period.”

The current selection of curated audiobook titles, each one with a personalized introduction from Millan about their canine appeal, includes Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain, described as “a heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope.” Starring a dog.

Other picks include the bear-focused Winnie the Pooh and, for mutts interested in early science fiction novels, Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth.

One of several videos promoting Audible for Dogs shows Millan chatting with a woman called Leslie who has a dog named Buddy.

“When I leave him I can’t help feeling he has feelings of desertion … I think he doesn’t understand what’s going on,” Leslie tells Millan. And it’s true, Buddy does look confused when Leslie walks out of the door, though it might be because there’s a camera crew in his house. It’s really hard to say.

While some may see Audible for Dogs as a cynical attempt to exploit dog owners’ feelings of guilt about leaving their animals alone, others will totally get Audible’s idea and may even give it a whirl.

Of course, if you don’t fancy forking out for an audiobook, you can always leave the radio or TV on when you head out, something lots of dog owners already do.

Onscreen smartphone fingerprint sensors look even less likely this year

Why it matters to you

If display fingerprint sensor technology is still proving difficult to perfect, it may mean phone manufacturers will have to make design concessions on bezel-less phones until 2018.

The hope we’ll buy a smartphone with an onscreen fingerprint sensor in 2017 continues to recede. Biometric technology experts CrucialTec now indicates that its own system, which has been in development for five years, won’t be fitted to a device until 2018. CrucialTec supplies most of the world’s top smartphone manufacturers with fingerprint sensors, including Sony, Huawei, LG, Meizu, Oppo, and more. It owns the most patents related to the technology, and is developing what it calls is the most reliable and accurate onscreen sensor possible at the moment.

Charles Ahn, CEO of the South Korean company, said it is, “in talks with the world’s leading display manufacturers to see the first smartphone with a display fingerprint sensor by the first half of next year,” in an interview with the Korea Herald. Ahn points out CrucialTec is, “the only company in the world,” with the knowledge to create high-quality display fingerprint sensors, which are made up of an integrated circuit, chip packaging, a module, firmware, and a special algorithm.

CrucialTec’s sensors are mounted on the display panel, under the glass, and are 90 percent transparent, a figure that’s identical to the screen without the sensor. Three years ago, the company only managed 50 percent transparency. The sensor allows both fingerprint authentication and normal touchscreen use, and Ahn says it’s working on increasing the accuracy of the sensor under glass at the moment, which is the, “only remaining challenge.”

Samsung has already failed to integrate a fingerprint sensor into its 2017 smartphone range, and it’s almost certain the technology won’t make it to the Galaxy Note 8 either. Leaks of Apple’s rumored iPhone 8, or iPhone X, show designs with both a screen-integrated sensor and one on the back of the device, indicating the continuing struggle to perfect the system. Most other companies developing display fingerprint sensors are working on opaque optical or ultrasonic sensors, which are less cost-effective due to a lower yield, and not as accurate, according to CrucialTec.

Have our hopes of a display fingerprint sensor on the next iPhone been crushed? CrucialTec will obviously be keen to talk up its own technology, and dismiss rival firm’s attempts; but there’s no denying its expertise in the industry. However, it has made optimistic predictions before, once saying screen-based fingerprint sensors would be out in 2014. It’s also worth considering Apple has its own team of experts at AuthenTec, the biometric sensor company it acquired in 2012. Apple should never be written off in these situations; but given CrucialTec’s prediction, if Apple does deliver an effective onscreen fingerprint sensor this year, it’s likely to be a highly impressive technical feat.

Amazon’s Great Indian Sale is back — here are the best deals

Amazon is back with a four-day sale that discounts thousands of products.

We’re now onto the third instalment (fourth overall if you include Prime Day) of Amazon’s Great Indian Sale this year alone. Like previous sales, the retailer is offering lucrative discounts on thousands of products, including phones, wearables, electronics, and much more.

Phones

• Google Pixel XL (32GB) – ₹48,999 – ₹18,001 off
• Google Pixel XL (128GB) – ₹53,999 – ₹22,001 off
• OnePlus 3T – ₹27,999 – ₹2,000 off
• Lenovo Z2 Plus – 10,999 – ₹9,000 off
• BlackBerry KEYone (Limited Edition Black) – ₹39,990 – ₹3,000 off
• Moto G5 Plus (4GB RAM/32GB storage) – ₹14,999 – ₹2,000 off
• Moto G5 – ₹10,999 – ₹1,000 off
• Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro – ₹24,990 – ₹5,000 off
• Samsung On7 Pro – ₹8,190 – ₹1,300 off
• Samsung On5 Pro – ₹6,990 – ₹1,000 off
• Honor 6X (4GB RAM/64GB storage) – ₹12,999 – ₹1,000 off

Everything else

• Fitbit Charge 2 – ₹11,999 – 20% off
• Fitbit Blaze – ₹15,999 – 20% off
• Fitbit Alta HR – ₹11,999 – 20% off
• Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale – ₹9,199 – 20% off
• Philips Hue 2m Light Strip with Base (White Ambience) – ₹5,499 – 24% off
• Philips Hue Starter Kit with Bulb (White Ambiance, Color Ambiance) – ₹14,499 – 19% off
• Philips Hue Gen2 Lightstrip Plus Extension 1 Meter, (White Ambiance, Color Ambiance) – ₹2,999 – 25% off
• Logitech Z337 Bold Sound Bluetooth Wireless 2.1 Speaker System – ₹2,999 – 57% off
• AmazonBasics Portable Bluetooth Speakers – ₹1,499 – ₹496 off
• Audio-Technica ATH-M40X Professional Studio Monitor Over-ear Headphones – ₹7,490 – 17% off
• Up to 45% off Sony audio products
• Up to 50% off Sennheiser
• Minimum 25% off Skullcandy
• Minimum 50% off boAt
• Minimum 25% off Philips
• Minimum 40% off SoundMagic

Amazon is also offering a cashback to SBI credit and debit card holders, up to ₹1,500. If you’re not jaded by the monthly sales and still have some money left over, head to Amazon India from the link below to take a look at all the deals on offer.

See at Amazon

How to customize Bixby Home

Bixby is more than just a voice.

Bixby Home is the central hub where Bixby can deliver summaries of what is going on in your apps in the form of cards, provided of course that you’re rocking a Galaxy S8. We’ve got the details on how to customize the look of Bixby Home, as well as the information it displays for you!

• How to add cards to Bixby Home
• How to find compatible apps
• How to pin a card in Bixby Home
• How to unpin a card in Bixby Home
• How to change the color in Bixby Voice

How to add cards to Bixby Home

Cards are how you add what kind of information is displayed within Bixby Home. By adding cards you can customize exactly what you’re looking at when the app is open.

Open Bixby Home.
Tap the menu button in the upper right corner of your screen (it looks like three vertical dots).

Tap Settings.

Tap Cards.
Tap the toggle to add or remove a card from Bixby Home.

How to find compatible apps

Bixby Home is only compatible with specific apps, but you can find a list of all of these from within your settings menu.

Open Bixby Home.
Tap the menu button in the upper right corner of your screen (it looks like three vertical dots).
Tap Settings.
Tap Apps with Cards.

How to pin a card in Bixby Home

If you always want to have specific info displayed at the top of your Bixby Home, then you can pin a card there. This is particularly handy for the weather, or email updates.

Open Bixby Home.
Tap the menu button on the card you want to pin.
Tap Pin to Top.

How to unpin a card in Bixby Home

If you want to replace the pinned card at the top of your Bixby Home, first you’ll need to unpin the current card.

Open Bixby Home.
Tap the menu button on the card you want to unpin.
Tap Unpin.

How to change the background color in Bixby Voice

When you have Bixby Voice open to full screen, there is a background color which can be changed. As you use Bixby, and go up in level you’ll unlock new background colors.

Open Bixby Home.
Tap the menu button in the upper right corner of your screen (it looks like three vertical dots)
Tap Settings.

Tap Background color.

Tap the available color you want to use.
Tap Apply.

Questions?

Have you tweaked the look of your Bixby Home? Do you prefer plenty of cards, or as few as possible?Let us know about it in the comments below!

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

Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint
Unlocked

Lenovo K8 Note debuts in India with a 10-core CPU, stock Android

Ten CPU cores, Android 7.1.1 Nougat, and a massive 4000mAh battery for what amounts to $215.

Lenovo announced last week that it would ditch its Vibe Pure UI in favor of stock Android, and we’re now seeing the first implementation of that vision. There’s certainly a lot to like in the K8 Note, starting with the fact that it runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box.

The phone has a metal chassis with a 5.5-inch Full HD display and 2.5D curved glass up front. The K8 Note is the first phone to be powered by the MediaTek Helio X23 chipset, which has ten CPU cores in total — two Cortex A72 cores clocked at 2.3GHz, four Cortex A53 cores at 1.8GHz, and four 1.4GHz Cortex A53 cores.

Other specs include a 13MP camera at the back, 5MP front shooter, Dolby Atmos audio tuning, Lenovo’s TheaterMax tech for VR, fingerprint sensor at the back, splash-resistant coating, 3.5mm jack, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, 4G with VoLTE, and a 4000mAh battery with Turbo Charging (15W).

The K8 Note comes in two variants: a model with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage that costs ₹12,999 ($200), and a model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage for ₹13,999 ($215). Considering the minor difference between the two models, it makes more sense to pick up the 4GB version. The phone will go up for sale exclusively on Amazon India starting August 18.

The phone has the potential to be a bestseller, and we’ll have more to share about how it fares at real-world usage in the coming weeks. Who’s excited about the K8 Note?

See at Amazon

This is how Android O is going to be more user-friendly

Brighter colors and simplified iconography help make Android O one of the more appealing versions of the mobile operating system yet.

I confess: I’ve only been living with Android O for a couple of days. I know that plenty of Pixel and Nexus users have already had the opportunity to roll with the new notification dots and bright white notification shade for a while now. They’ve also had time to get used to Android O’s new, horrifically expressive emoji. I’m barely through the first cycle of recovery myself, but am using them despite my apparent state of denial.

Sorry — we’re not here to talk about the emoji (I’ve already talked about that). We’re here to speak of the Android O Developer Preview, which recently hit its fourth and penultimate beta stage. I finally downloaded it in an attempt to prepare myself for Android O’s imminent arrival, despite its knock on my Pixel XL’s battery life. Soon, we’ll finally learn what dessert it’s named after, and those who upgrade to it will have the pick of a few more user-friendly features compared to its predecessor. Here’s a look at some of the new and improved interface elements to look forward to in Android O.

Big and little notifications

I still don’t know how to feel about the dynamic notification panel for Spotify. Apparently, this is something that we’ll see more of as support sprouts up in the Play Store. The gradients are gentle, and I appreciate the larger playback controls, but sometimes the algorithm that determines the color scheme is completely off.

Android O’s notification shade is more dynamic with better music controls and smaller notifications for the minor things.

I like the smaller, subdued notification panels, however, particularly for things like traffic reports and minor updates. I don’t have as much of an inclination to immediately swipe them out of the way, even when the data becomes outdated. They also look nicer paired with the giant music controls.

Type in your wake-up time

Frankly, I hated the dial method of setting the alarm in the default Android clock app. If I’m tired — or perhaps still a bit full from dinner — the last thing I want to do is attempt to set the alarm at a precise time by dragging my finger across the screen. The old method of setting up an alarm resulted in my waking up at the oddest times — 6:57, 7:14, and 8:23, to recall a few.

Forget the dial — Android O lets you set the alarm by typing it in.

In Android O, there’s a little keyboard icon that pops up when you’re setting your alarm so that you can be accurate with your time without a finicky dial to set it up. All you have to do is type in the time and select whether it’s for AM or PM.

There’s also a new alarm indicator in the notifications panel, which you’ll see after you swipe down twice. You can tap it to immediately jump to the alarm section of the clock app.

Know your volume

I’m so sorry for all the times I brought my smartphone into the yoga studio, and my ringer was still on. Even with Nougat’s robust notifications letting me know whether my ringer would go off, I’d often forget to check the nuance of the sound profile.

This is just a very obvious reminder — you won’t be able to hear your phone!

In Android O, when you hit the volume button all the way down, you’ll see a bright blue notification alert that notifies you of your volume profile. It’s much more apparent than the way Nougat does it!

It’s easier to see in the sun

While storming through San Francisco’s uncharacteristically sunny streets, I noticed Android O’s lighter notification background is easier to see in direct sunlight. The background is a mix of stark white and soft gray with black on top, so there’s contrast working in your favor even when there’s daylight glare working against you.

The settings panel is easily accessibility from the notifications shade in Android O.

I also appreciate the attention to detail in the notification shade, at least concerning how the buttons have been laid out. The settings button isn’t as big as it used to be, but it’s right there in the first swipe down, as opposed to the two swipes it took in Nougat. Another swipe down lets you edit your Quick Settings and offers immediate access to switch between your account and the guest profile so that you can hand your phone off to your little tyke to use it for playing games and nothing else.

Quietly more informative

My favorite part of Android O is the fact that there are little indicators laid throughout the interface to let you know how things are doing in the background. I mentioned my battery life isn’t doing so well — I’m not sure what’s causing that the time of writing this, but at least I can see the battery percentage drop in real time in the status bar.

Need to know how you’re doing on battery life? You can have it permanently displayed in the status bar.

If you swipe or tap into the Settings panel, you’ll see other helpful indicators listed throughout, like which settings exist within certain categories, and how much storage and battery life you have left for the day. There’s a new Connected devices category, too, which displays what’s casting on your network and offers quick access to things like Android Beam and Printing options.

What’s your favorite part of Android O?

How’s the latest developer preview treating you? Do you have favorite parts of Android O that you’re enjoying? Or is there anything from past versions of Android that you miss? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Android O

• Everything new in Android O
• Should you put Android O on your phone?
• How to get the Android O Beta on your Pixel or Nexus
• Join the Discussion