Nokia got a lot right with its first Android flagship

“Nokia” and “return” are two words that have been forever glued together since I joined Engadget six years ago. Over the past decade or so, this publication has talked plenty about the company’s smartphone ups and, in particular, its downs. Today, it lives on as a brand owned by fellow Finnish company HMD. Eight months since it started making Android phones in the Nokia name, it’s revealing a big-screened “flagship” to go up against the Galaxy S8s and iPhones that dominate the smartphone world. As soon as you see the copper-finished Nokia 8, you’ll probably agree it’s a gorgeous device, as ever. It also offers plenty of camera tricks, again, and it’s aimed at young creative types, yet again. But if the plan was to succeed, what was Nokia to do differently this time?

It’s certainly a bigger Android phone for Nokia, but with a 5.3-inch screen, it’s still not huge in the grand scheme of things. (What we define as a big phone shifts annually, it seems.) Like the Nokia 5 and some of the latter-day Windows Phone Lumia handsets, this device has an aluminum unibody with a stylish contoured shape. It measures just 4.6mm thick near the top and bottom edges and 7.3mm “on average” through the whole device — that’s a clever way of saying it’ll be incrementally thicker in the center, but it feels as slender as any flagship phone you’ve tried over the past few years.

While there are four colors launching early next month (polished blue, polished copper, tempered blue and steel), it’s the all-body, glowing copper finish that most deserves your attention. It’s beautiful, different, classy. In an interview, Nokia spokespeople noted how they had taken design cues from furniture, particularly lamps. Lamps can inspire sharp-looking smartphones — who knew?

Under that glossy, fingerprint-magnet of a hood is Qualcomm’s heavyweight Snapdragon 835 processor. To ensure it can handle the strain, there’s a copper cooling pipe — seriously — that runs across the phone from one corner of the device to the other. That’s coupled with a layer of graphite to help dissipate heat and keep the device cool to the touch, even during heavy processing. But how might an Android phone — one from a relative novice, at that — realistically strain a high-end mobile processor anyway? To explain that, you need to look to the cameras.

Yep, Nokia is on trend with dual rear-facing cameras (one monochrome, one color). It also splurged on a front-facing camera with the same 13-megapixel resolution as the other two. In addition to being capable of 13-MP stills, each camera is equipped with an f/2.0 Zeiss lens.

I can’t offer a definitive judgement on how the Nokia 8 stacks up against other great smartphone cameras, but we do know that there’s optical image stabilization on the rear-facing sensor, and I’m always quite taken by the imaging results of monochrome smartphone camera sensors. Huawei did a great job with this before Nokia decided to take a similar route. In short, the cameras seem pretty good, even if the company isn’t centering its sales pitch on the image quality.

The combination of the three cameras and that cooling system enable one the Nokia 8’s flagship features: Dual Sight, wherein the phone displays and records from both the front- and rear-facing cameras at once. Yes, this has been done by Samsung and LG before, but there’s more: Nokia has added a livestream button into its native camera app that will let users instantly broadcast to the (compatible) social network of choice. At the moment, that includes Twitter and Facebook.

In a recent demo Nokia showcased the feature with a perfectly lit reaction clip of a hapless boyfriend trying a scorpion for the first time. This is where a feature like this might shine, but the camera concept, at least, has been done before. And as I learned trying the feature out myself, it’s pretty hard to frame yourself and what you’re looking at in a decent way on both cameras at once — let alone if you’re playing with your newborn baby or eating wacky street food. Also, stop trying to make #bothie happen, Nokia, please.

Regardless, the livestream shortcut is a smart (and forward-thinking) addition to the camera, and it’s bettered by another feature: OZO Audio. Combining three embedded microphones, the Nokia 8 records 360-degree spatial surround sound that will be encoded binaurally, ensuring that wherever your 4K “bothie” (ugh) videos go, listeners should get a more immersive experience when they listen back. Nokia is positioning its flagship smartphone as one aimed for creators — even if they can’t afford its pro-level 360-degree camera.

There are other smart Nokia touches. The company has managed to figure out how to make an always-on display on an LCD screen. Normally, this is done on OLED smartphones, as it’s possible to switch individual pixels on and off. Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer of HMD Global, explained that the engineering team designed their way around it — without giving away exactly how it worked. Like second-screen displays we’ve seen, this one also shows some notifications, without excessive battery drain. It will also crank up to 700 nits, which is good for outdoor use, but the screen still isn’t of the highest quality. At a time when smartphones routinely boast 4K displays, Nokia’s gone for a humbler 2K (2,048 x 1,080) LCD screen that, while perfectly sufficient, isn’t going to dazzle against the competition.

The Nokia 8 will launch in Europe early next month, priced at around €599 ($700) — which puts it in flagship territory. HMD has no immediate plans to take the phone to the US. Does the brand carry the clout of a modern smartphone maker? Beautiful hardware and smart camera ideas still might not be enough against the likes of Samsung and Apple, but at first glance, Nokia got a lot right. Let’s see how the total package looks next month.

Trump dissolves two advisory councils, one of which already disbanded

After a conference call today organized by Stephen Schwarzman — Blackstone CEO and head of the president’s Strategic and Policy Forum — the advisory council decided that the best thing to do in light of Trump’s recent comments about the Charlottesville violence was to disband. “The thinking was it was important to do as a group,” one member told CNBC. “As a panel, not as individuals because it would have more impact. It makes a central point that it’s not going to go forward. It’s done.”

But shortly thereafter, the president tweeted that he was dissolving both it and his manufacturing council, which was reportedly planning to have a similar discussion.

Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2017

Trump’s manufacturing council has had a wave of defects of late including Denise Morrison of Campbell Soup, Inge Thulin of 3M, Kenneth Frazier of Merck, Kevin Plank of Under Armour, Jeff Immelt of GE, Alex Gorsky of Johnson & Johnson, Gregory Hayes of United Technologies and Brian Krzanich of Intel. Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, left the manufacturing council and two other advisory boards after Trump announced he was pulling the US from the Paris climate accord in June. The president has also lost members of his economic advisory council, including ex-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, due to his actions in office.

Members of the Strategic and Policy Forum described the president’s statements on Charlottesville as a “tripwire” and said, “There really was nothing to debate.”

Source: CNBC, New York Times

Jawbone’s medical plans included a heart attack warning bracelet

Now that Jawbone is making the move from consumer wearables to medical devices, just what is it up to? Bloomberg’s sources might have an idea. They’ve obtained investment pitch documents from October 2016 indicating that Jawbone hoped to draw on technology from Spectros Corp. to build a heart health bracelet based on an existing oximeter. If it borrows similar functionality, the bracelet would use white light to warn you when your tissue isn’t getting enough blood, warning you of a potential heart attack or similar failure. And that’s not all — purportedly, Jawbone hoped to land a partnership with Microsoft.

Reportedly, the pact would have had Microsoft distribute Jawbone devices and matching software to business customers worldwide. The medical info collected by those devices would sync to Microsoft’s calendar and email apps (most likely Outlook), reminding you when to eat and move around.

Other products mentioned in the pitch included possible blood pressure monitors, a wearable for diabetes patients and a $7 subscription offering that would measure physical signs of stress to help people calm down.

The question is whether or not any of this will go forward. Microsoft didn’t respond to Bloomberg’s requests for comment, and Jawbone itself says that the documents are outdated and don’t reflect its (currently secret) plans. “The documents — if legitimate and not doctored — are nearly a year old,” it says, adding that they’re “for a different company with a different business plan and different product line than the company we are currently operating.”

It’s not certain just how different those plans are, though. And even if there has been a dramatic change of plans since 2016, the documents give some insight into how Jawbone might reinvent itself now that its consumer-oriented business has gone bust. While Jawbone wouldn’t necessarily disappear from public view, you’d be more likely to see its gear at the hospital and on outpatients who need constant monitoring.

Source: Bloomberg

Lowe’s Iris smart home system can connect to your Nest thermostat

Home improvement retailer Lowe’s continues to update its Iris smart home system. Originally released in 2014, it added mobile set up, remote monitoring and subscription-based emergency services to it’s offered services. Now you can manage your home’s temperature with Iris, via a new integration with the Nest learning thermostat.

Like Apple’s Homekit system, Iris aims to connect all your smart devices with one interface. Lowe’s system uses a Smart Hub that now will work to control a third-generation Nest from anywhere. You can change the temperature or mode of your Nest via the Iris mobile app, add it to a Scene to control several smart devices at once, and even have the thermostat respond to specific temperature or humidity rules already in Iris. The company promises even more integration with Nest over time, as well.

Source: Lowe’s

US regulators recall refurbished Galaxy Note 4 batteries

The Galaxy Note line is having problems again. Don’t worry, this is not a Note 7-level emergency. And the issues aren’t Samsung’s fault or even associated with the original phone model. However, batteries installed in refurbished Note 4 phones by FedEx Supply Chain and distributed through AT&T’s insurance program could overheat and are now being recalled.

So far, only one report of overheating has been made and no one has been injured. A recall notice posted on the Consumer Product Safety Commission website says that some of the batteries installed in the refurbished phones are counterfeit and are at risk of overheating. FedEx Supply Chain is sending out new batteries to consumers who received the Note 4s between December 2016 and April 2017. Customers will also get a postage paid box to return the faulty battery.

Around 10,000 batteries are being recalled and the commission urges those with the phones to stop using them and turn them off.

Via: The Verge

Source: CPSC

Twitter suspends account used for ‘Daily Stormer’ updates

The white supremacist website Daily Stormer keeps popping up, and like a bad game of whack-a-mole, the internet keeps trying to rid itself of the stain. Web hosting company GoDaddy dumped the domain itself, and even though the neo-nazi site briefly resurfaced as a Russian .ru domain, it is no longer available on the regular web. Now, Twitter has taken suspended an account, @rudhum, that provided Daily Stormer updates.

“The Twitter Rules prohibit violent threats, harassment, hateful conduct and multiple account abuse, and we will take action on accounts violating those policies,” a Twitter spokesperson told The Washington Times. We’ve reached out to the company for comment and will update this post when we hear back.

Twitter isn’t the first company to take a stand against the hate group. Airbnb canceled bookings it found to be associated with this past weekend’s Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. The Southern Poverty Law Center says it warned GoDaddy months ago about the website, and Google has blocked the Daily Stormer‘s use of its .com domain, as well. Even CloudFlare, a tech firm that helps protect websites against distributed denial of service attacks, has terminated its contract with the Daily Stormer, according to The Washington Times.

Source: The Washington Times

Dating app Badoo adds video chat to help you filter out creeps

Dating apps have been slow to adopt video functionality. Big shot Tinder bought a video service in February but hasn’t announced plans to add its functionality, while Hinge just included user-made movie clips for profiles — a feature that Badoo launched last year. Today, the UK-based dating service is taking another step forward and adding video chat straight into the app, so users can move past text and talk in real-time.

You’ll have to exchange at least one message each before video chats become available, so at least users won’t get spammed with calls from randos they haven’t chatted with. Badoo is pitching it as an added layer of security, giving folks the opportunity to see if anybody sets off their creep alarms before meeting in person. But it’s also good for anyone who wants to vet someone a little further before committing to a night out.

Obviously, it’s optional, and users who take privacy seriously won’t be inclined to video chat with strangers. That’s a good reason why dating apps have been shy to adopt any sort of video: In January, Bumble said it would add Snapchat-style disappearing profile videos, but those are definitely non-interactive. Contrast that with Hotline, the app that forces matched pairs to have a five-minute voice call before they can text chat, and Badoo’s video chat option seems like a middleground that more dating services might follow up on.

Gear Up: Braven’s summer line is as sporty as it is practical

With some of the hottest days of the year happening lately, we often find ourselves spending time at the pool or beach. There are few things that feel as good as a dip in the water when temps reach 90’s or higher.

One of the first things we like to grab when we head out for some pool time is a speaker. What better way is there to get in a long playlist, podcast, or audiobook than to relax and soak in the summer sun with water?

We’ve been playing with some of Braven’s new audio products and find them to be solid offerings. One, the Stryde 360, is a portable speaker while the other two, the Flye Sport and Flye Sport Reflect, are wireless earphones. The trio are equal parts stylish and practical. We have long been a fan of the devices that come out of Braven and think these are as good as anything else we’ve tested.

Longtime readers have likely seen a Braven review or two here over the years. Its speakers are some of our favorites as they often deliver excellent sound with long battery life and other features. Some offer internal batteries and power for charging your phone, others are waterproof and/or rugged, and a few models include all of the above.

In what is a first for Braven, the Flye Sport and Flye Sport Reflect are wearable audio products. We’ve seen headphone companies get into speakers; this is a speaker company dabbling with earphones. First introduced in January at CES 2017, the two sets are aimed at users with more active lifestyles. While they may seem similar on the outset, the earphones are more different than you might believe.

Stryde 360

With a retail price of around $100, the Stryde 360 is a diminutive cylinder of a speaker. Don’t let its size fool you; it brings more to the party than you’d expect. As part of the Active Series from Braven, it features the brands signature fluorescent green/yellow and grey color scheme. Moreover, it also means it has the IP67 waterproof protection you’ll want when lounging poolside.

Because of its shape, the Stryde 360 delivers audio in a 360-degree manner. In other words, there’s no need to worry that one side hears music better than another. Just set it wherever you want and enjoy the tunes. With 12 hours of playtime, the speaker boasts a 2500mAh internal battery and features voice control.

We really like the size and portability of this one; it’s plenty of power and rich sound for most needs. It’s a great desktop or picnic table speaker that fits in your backpack or summer bag without taking up much space at all. We’re in love with the color scheme that Braven’s adopted as of late, too.

Flye Sport

If you’re looking for a pair of lightweight, practical earbuds, the Flye Sport should be on your list of contenders. Featuring 12 hours of playback time and a tangle-free flat ribbon style cord, the Braven fit any ear with multiple bullet tips.

The Flye Sport are IPX5 water resistant so feel free to toss these in when you’re out hitting the powder later this year. The integrated microphone makes it easy to make and take calls; it can also be used for voice activated commands. Moreover, you’ll have full control over playback and volume. Offered for about $50, you can get them in four color combos: Grey/Red, Silver/Green, White, and Black.

Flye Sport Reflect

Take your fitness game up another level with the Flye Sport Reflect, a set of earbuds with a flat, reflective cable. You’ll stand out to passersby and drivers, even if you’re out running at dawn or dusk.

Not only are these earbuds water resistant, but they’re also designed to withstand sweat, too. This is key if you plan to do some long term running or expect to get sweaty. Like the aforementioned set, this one also comes with an integrated mic and playback controls. In addition to variable bullet tips, the Sport Reflect also come with two types of earhooks to help keep them snug in your ears.

The Flye Sport Reflect are charged by a portable power bank by simply connecting them to the metal contacts. With a 1A USB output, you can also use the charging unit to juice up your phone. The LED status lights keep an eye on things, alerting you to approximately how much is left inside.

Pick these up in four colors (Grey/Red, Silver/Green, White, and Black) for approximately $100 through Braven.

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You can now buy and sell things on Facebook using its Marketplace feature

Why it matters to you

Facebook Marketplace allowed the social media giant to get into the ecommerce game, and now it’s expanding to other countries.

Sketched out by Craigslist? Overwhelmed by Amazon? Try Facebook instead.

Last fall, the social media site expanded its functionality, dipping its toe into the waters of digital commerce. It did this via Marketplace, a feature within the Android and iOS Facebook app that is described as “a convenient destination to discover, buy, and sell items with people in your community.” Think of it as a yard sale in the palm of your hand.

As Facebook’s Director of Product Management Mary Ku previously noted, buying and selling has been taking place on the social network for years, with more than 450 million people taking to the site to barter and trade each month. So now, Facebook is attempting to streamline those processes. “Marketplace makes it easy to find new things you’ll love, and find a new home for the things you’re ready to part with,” Ku wrote. “We’ll continue to build new options and features to make this the best experience for people.”

When you open the Facebook app on your phone, you should now see a shop icon at the bottom. When you tap on the icon, you’ll find photos of items for sale, and you can filter your results by location, category, and price. Much like other online marketplaces, you can further simplify your results by selecting categories like Household, Electronics, and Apparel. And if you don’t want to search in just your neighborhood, you can use the location tool to switch to a different region.

Once something has caught your eye, simply tap on the image for details, such as a product description, name and profile photo of the seller, and its location. If you’re ready to take the plunge, you can send the seller a direct message from Marketplace to make an offer. From there, you’re on your own — “Facebook does not facilitate the payment or delivery of items in Marketplace,” Ku noted.

Now, Marketplace has begun showcasing a new Daily Deals tab in its mobile app. Only select users are seeing these deals, which are sourced from eBay. The idea is to make Facebook a bit bigger than just peer-to-peer sales, instead allowing the social network to compete a bit more with real ecommerce platforms. That said, if you find an eBay deal you like within the Facebook app, you’ll still have to go to eBay’s site to check out.

“We’re conducting a test to determine if people are interested in shopping for discounted products when they visit Marketplace,” a Facebook representative told The Verge. Should the test prove unpopular, it’s always possible that Facebook will ax the idea altogether.

The new Daily Deals tab comes as the second notable update to Marketplace this week — earlier, the social media giant expanded its online store to 17 European countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, Hungary, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.

Update: Facebook Marketplace introduces Daily Deals to some users, and expands to Europe. 

Upcoming Facebook redesign to feature circular profile shots, fewer blue bars

Why it matters to you

Facebook look different? You’re not seeing things and you can even find a few new features inside Facebook Camera, too.

Say goodbye to Facebook’s characteristic blue toolbar and hello to circular profile shots — Facebook will be redesigning the news feed over the next few weeks, the company announced on Tuesday. The Facebook redesign comes as the company expands the Facebook Camera capabilities to include GIFs, live-streaming, and the option for crafting those colorful status updates.

The new design brings a feature Facebook began testing in the spring — comments that look like chat bubbles. With the update, comments on posts will look more like Messenger chats than Facebook’s usual news feed, with gray speech bubbles around the comments. Options for liking or responding via emoji, of course, remain intact.

In a number of places, that characteristic blue bar disappears to eek out every last millimeter of screen space. When viewing a post to reply or clicking a link, the blue bar is gone, with just an arrow next to the user’s profile picture directing users back to the news feed. Do not get too nostalgic though — that blue bar remains intact while scrolling through the news feed, housing the search bar and chat shortcuts.

Profile pictures will also adapt a circular shape inside the news feed, similar to how they look inside Messenger. Facebook says the refresh also brings more contrast for better legibility, larger link previews, and larger icons, making it easier to tap those like, comment, and share options.

The changes give Facebook’s news feed more in common with the platform’s Messenger app. Facebook says the changes are designed to make the news feed more conversational as well as easier to navigate.

The announcement for the upcoming design changes hit the same time the platform launched several new features to Facebook Camera. After testing the ability to go live and record GIFs directly from Facebook Camera earlier this summer, the feature is now rolling out to all users. Recording live video and GIFs inside Facebook Camera allows users to take advantage of the platform’s augmented reality facial filters and special effects while live. The option to add to Stories directly from Facebook Camera is also part of the update.

The update also brings those colorful status updates into Facebook Camera — because why post a plain text update when you can post one with multi-colored backgrounds and giant text? The feature turns text-based posts into images, and using that option inside Facebook Camera allows users to also post the update to their Stories.

While the Facebook Camera update began rolling out Tuesday, the design refresh will happen over the next few weeks, Facebook said.