Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones Debuting New Colors Exclusively at Target and John Lewis [Update]

According to a tip that we received early this morning, as well as information gathered from European product listing sites, a few new colors are being introduced to the Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphone line exclusively at Target in the United States and John Lewis in the United Kingdom: Break Blue, Asphalt Gray, Brick Red, and Turf Green.

At retailers like Apple, Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones are currently sold in eight colors online and in stores, including Black, Gloss Black, Gloss White, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Ultra Violet, and PRODUCT(RED).

Two of the new colors for Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones
The new colors come in the form of a “Neighborhood Collection,” and in the United States will be placed in the menswear department of Target retail stores among various new and upcoming clothing brands, not in the electronics department. Our tipster didn’t specifically reference colors other than a red option, but the accompanying picture (above) appears to confirm new colors related to blue and green versions of the headphones.

According to matching part numbers, Beats is launching the same line of new colors for Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones as a John Lewis-exclusive “Neighbourhood Collection” in Europe. More images of those colors can be found on the company’s website here, providing clearer glimpses at what customers can likely expect from the new colors in the United States as well.

New Beats Solo3 Wireless colors via John Lewis
Earlier in 2017, Target revealed a major overhaul coming this October to one of its stores located near Houston, which will then spread to 40 additional stores the same month and 500 stores by 2019. The next-generation retail elements include “cross-merchandise product presentations” and displays that “engage guests with compelling products in unexpected places.”

Because of this, a Target-exclusive line of Beats headphones located in the menswear section could fall in line with the company’s new store layout and cross-promotion initiatives. Otherwise, it’s unclear whether or not customers will be able to purchase the Neighborhood Collection of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones on Target.com, but they’re believed to still cost $299.

(Thanks, J!)

Update: A separate tipster has mentioned that the new colors for the Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones will also be available in Apple retail stores, with stock already arriving as of yesterday, August 24.

Tag: Beats
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Facebook Expands ‘On This Day’ to Include Monthly and Seasonal Memory Recaps

Facebook today announced a few updates and expansions coming to its popular “On This Day” feature, one of which will present users with monthly and seasonal memory recaps instead of memories that happened on one specific day. Similar to On This Day, monthly and seasonal recaps will appear on user News Feeds and can be shared with their friends.

The social network is also implementing new celebratory milestones for its users, with new messages that congratulate users for making a notable number of friends and when they receive a significant amount of post likes. In the future, Facebook said they plan to launch new milestones and accompanying messages for their users, as well as eventually make them shareable with friends, which they won’t be as of now.

People come to Facebook to experience, share and talk about some of the most important moments happening in their lives, communities and around the world. Many of these moments are reminiscing past memories and moments between friends.

We’ve launched a new experience that packages your recent memories in a delightful way for you to enjoy and share. For related recent memories, we will bundle them into a monthly or seasonal memory recap story. Like On This Day, these memory recap stories will show up in News Feed and are shareable.

Other, smaller tweaks are also coming to On This Day, including ways that will make controls and preferences easier to access as well as officially launching the feature to everyone on Facebook. The company has also developed new ways to discover content that it believes will be “the most relevant and enjoyable” to its users, filtering out negative memories in the process.

Recent Facebook updates include introducing the ability for users to take 360-degree photos in the company’s iOS app, making “Safety Check” a permanent feature, introducing non-profit fundraisers for user birthdays, and tweaking and updating its News Feed for better navigation.

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Microsoft Hololens patent hints at a new wand-style controller

Microsoft has been focused more on mixed reality lately than Hololens AR lately, unveiling VR motion controllers and helping Dell, Lenovo, Acer, HP and others with their MR headset launches in May. It’s still on the job with Hololens, though, as Twitter user @h0x0d (WalkingCat) discovered a Microsoft patent for a wand-like interface for the headset. It looks like it could serve as a gaming gun or business pointing device, as it comes with a trigger, buttons and a finger shield.

A very similar looking device was featured in a Microsoft mixed reality video, though it was being used by someone sporting an HTC Vive headset. That might mean Microsoft would market such a wand to other manufacturers and VR systems, provided it ever became a reality. The device features buttons like Microsoft’s current Hololens clicker accessory, but the wand shape would make it more useful for painting, FPS games and business or training.

It could also become an accessory for Microsoft’s own mixed reality headsets, which are basically VR headsets with front cameras, coming later in 2017. Those devices can be tracked without the need for external “base stations” used by HTC’s Vive and will work on most PCs, not just high-end VR-ready models. The headsets will also be cheaper than a Vive or Oculus Rift, even with the new discounts on those devices.

Microsoft’s patent is designated D795256, meaning it covers the design and not the function of the device. As such, it features detailed profile drawings that likely represent a near-finished product. Indeed, the designs look exactly like the devices that Microsoft showed in its earlier video (below). That doesn’t mean it will definitely become a consumer product, but a design patent is a more promising sign of that than a regular one.

Via: VR Scout

Source: USPTO (PDF)

‘Secret of Mana’ returning as a 3D remaster on PlayStation and PC

Next month, a horde of nostalgic Nintendo heads will get the chance to relive the Secret of Mana on the SNES Classic Edition. But, if you’re a gamer with modern sensibilities, then its 16-bit world may not suffice. Fortunately for you, developer Square Enix is giving the iconic title the 3D treatment. An upgraded version of the JRPG is heading to the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Steam next year.

Like the original, the revamped Secret of Mana will put you in control of Randi as he battles to reclaim the power of Mana from a villainous empire. Joining him in his quest are his two buddies, Primm and Popoi. Additional updates to the game include a new musical score and voice overs, and upgraded gameplay.

First arriving on the SNES in 1993, the Secret of Mana was the second instalment in the Mana series, which kicked off with the spinoff Final Fantasy Adventure. The franchise has since spawned numerous sequels, remakes, and ports. In 2014, it made the jump to mobile in the form of free-to-play action RPG Circle of Mana. Most recently, a 3D remake of Final Fantasy Adventure (dubbed the Adventures of Mana) arrived on iOS, Android, and PlayStation Vita in 2016.

The new-look Secret of Mana hits PS4, PS Vita, and Steam on 15 February 2018.

FBI nabs Chinese national linked to massive OPM hack

The FBI has arrested a Chinese national from Shanghai linked to the massive data breach that hit the Office of Personnel Management back in 2014 to 2015. Feds took the chance to nab Yu Pingan when he flew into the Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday to attend a conference. He’s now facing charges under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and accusations of conspiracy to defraud the United States. His circumstances and connection to the OPM breach are a bit convoluted, though, and the court papers filed to indict him didn’t even mention the event.

The FBI says Yu, also known as the hacker “GoldSun” runs a site selling malware, including Sakula, a rarely used Trojan that security firms believe was used to infiltrate OPM’s computers. That data breach compromised the private information of 21.5 million government employees and applicants, as well as their spouses and close relatives. The attackers got away with almost 30 years’ worth of info, including people’s SSNs, fingerprint data, bank account numbers and other personal details.

In addition to selling malware, the FBI says Yu also colluded with two other unnamed hackers to launch cyberattacks on at least four US-based companies. Feds found records of him talking about using a remote access Trojan to infiltrate companies as far back as June 2011. In 2013, one of his accomplices allegedly used Sakula to hack a company in Massachusetts.

The government has long believed that OPM’s hackers are from China, but authorities from the Asian country have been denying their involvement in the data breach. As a result of what’s considered one of the worst hacks in US history, the government had to create the National Background Investigations Bureau within the OPM to take charge of background checks. Unlike its parent agency, the NBIB doesn’t keep data in OPM’s computers anymore. The Pentagon now stores any info the NBIB gets from current government employees and applicants in a cloud-based system designed specifically for that purpose.

Via: CNN

Source: Gizmodo

Carbon nanotube yarn generates electricity when stretched

Wearable makers have long sought to harvest electricity from your movement, but current tech is expensive and inefficient. However, researchers from Texas and South Korea have discovered a promising method using our good old friend, the carbon nanotube. The team twisted the lightweight tubes into tight, elastic-like coils, so that they rotate and generate electricity when stretched. The threads (called “twistron”) could lead to new types of generators or self-powered wearables that can track your heart rate and breathing.

As shown below, the nanotube threads must be spun very tightly to have the right amount of elasticity. When pulled, the change in volume and friction frees electrons from the threads, which can be released when dunked in an electrolyte like salt water. “When you insert the carbon nanotube yarn into an electrolyte bath, the yarns are charged by the electrolyte itself,” says research lead Dr. Na Li. “No external battery, or voltage, is needed.”

The energy generated from a single thread is enough to power an LED, and when lumped together, they can put out 250 watts per kilogram when stretched at 30 times per second. “No other reported harvester provides such high electrical power or energy output per cycle as ours for stretching rates between a few cycles per second and 600 cycles per second,” said Li.

In the lab, the team sewed twistron harvesters into a shirt, with the electrolyte integrated via o a gel also woven into the fabric. When subjects breathed normally, it generated an electrical signal that could power a wearable tracker, for instance.

The team also sought to find out if ocean waves could both stretch the nanotubes and act as an electrolyte. They waded into the South Korean surf and placed a 4-inch piece of the yarn weighing about the same as a mosquito between a float and a sinker. That stretched the yarn about 25 percent and generated a small amount of current.

As with all things nanotube, however, cost is an issue. “If our twistron harvesters could be made less expensively, they might ultimately be able to harvest the enormous amount of energy available from ocean waves,” said co-author Dr. Ray Baughman. He adds, though that they’re perfect for wearables. “Just 31 milligrams [.001 ounces] of carbon nanotube yarn harvester could provide the electrical energy needed to transmit a 2-kilobyte packet of data over a 100-meter radius every 10 seconds.”

Via: Ars Technica

Source: University of Texas at Dallas

Feral Releases ‘F1 2017’ for Mac to Coincide With PC Debut

F1 2017, the official game of the current 2017 Formula One World Championship, got its release on Mac today, coinciding with its debut on PC for the first time in the acclaimed series’ history.

According to publishers Feral Interactive, F1 2017 offers gamers all the on-track excitement of Formula 1, while also providing access to the off-track dealings and vehicle development that goes along with it.

The ten-year Career Mode includes practice programs to help players hone their skills, an expansive Research and Development tree to provide greater control over the development of their car, and the ability to tune engines and gearboxes over the course of the season.

Along with stunning locations and vividly-realised team members, these features combine to provide the most complete F1 experience ever to come to macOS, with all the drivers, teams, circuits and cars from the real-world F1 2017 season.

Players can select from several Championships on offer that follow different rules and structures, including the official 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship, the Classic All-Weather Championship, and the super-accessible, race-only Sprint Championship.

As well as the 20 official circuits, there are also four additional track variants: Britain Short, Japan Short, USA Short, Bahrain Short, and Monaco at Night.

In addition, the game supports Steam cross-platform multiplayer, so gamers can race online against macOS and Windows players with a full grid of 20 cars, both current and classic.

“F1 2017 is an electrifying recreation of the current season, offering a deep, engaging and yet very accessible F1 experience,” said David Stephen, managing director of Feral. “We are thrilled to be releasing it day-and-date for the macOS audience.”

The minimum system requirements for F1 2017 include macOS Sierra 10.12.5, a 2.0GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 2GB AMD R9 M290 or 1.5GB Intel Iris Pro 6200 graphics or better, and 36GB of disk space.

F1 2017 is officially supported on the following Mac models:

• All 13″ MacBook Pros since late 2016
• All 15″ MacBook Pros since late 2016
• All 21.5″ iMacs since late 2015 with a 2.0GHz Intel Core i5 processor
• All 27″ iMacs since late 2014
• All Mac Pros since late 2013

To determine your Mac model and when it was released, select “About This Mac” from the Apple menu in the top menu bar on macOS.

F1 2017 for macOS is available to buy today from the Feral Store and Steam for $59.99/£44.99. The Mac App Store version will be released in the coming days, priced at $49.99/£48.99.

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Samsung chairman guilty of corruption, sentenced to five years in jail

Why it matters to you

A South Korean political scandal has resulted in Samsung’s acting chairman sent to prison for corruption.

Over the past year, Samsung Group has been embroiled in a political scandal that dominated headlines in South Korea, which ultimately saw the impeachment of president Park Geun-hye. Samsung’s acting chairman Lee Jae-yong was accused of making donations to nonprofit foundations in exchange for political favors, in order to smooth the path for a controversial merger approved in July 2015. After going on trial, he was found guilty of corruption in August 2017.

Here’s everything you need to know about the case.

Lee Jae-yong found guilty

Lee-Jae-young, Samsung’s billionaire acting chairman, and the third-richest man in South Korea, has been found guilty of corruption and sentenced to five years in prison. The court ruled he approved bribes from Samsung to secure government backing. It’s the culmination of a special criminal investigation that first became widely known in November 2016, and has since seen the impeachment of former South Korean president Park Geun-hye. Lee was found guilty of paying billions in bribes to Choi Soon-sil, friend and confidant to the former president, in return for Park approving a Samsung merger that would give him more control over the company.

The five-year sentence is lower than the 12 years sought by the prosecutors, and Lee’s lawyers are expected to appeal the verdict, which may be referred to South Korea’s supreme court in 2018. His five-year jail term is the longest given to any top executive at a South Korean conglomerate, but there is still the possibility the sentence will be suspended. However, new president Moon Jae-in is taking a hard stance on crime of this nature, making a pardon less likely.

Lee’s conviction comes just days after Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 8 at a glitzy event in New York.

The background

The story behind Lee’s eventual guilty verdict is fascinating. Samsung is just one of several South Korean conglomerate businesses accused of paying bribes for political favors, a scandal which formed part of the investigation into South Korea’s president Park Geun-hye, and her involvement in extorting money from major corporations.

Park was accused of assisting in an extortion scheme with unofficial presidential aide Choi Soon-sil. More than 50 businesses were allegedly pressured to make donations potentially worth $69 million to sporting foundations backed by Choi, which were set up following the Samsung merger, then used for personal financial gain and in exchange guaranteeing approval of controversial deals.

Samsung Group’s Lee Jae-yong first answered questions about his involvement in December 2016, and again on January 12, 2017. The focus was on bribery, embezzlement, and perjury. Emails stored on a tablet computer owned by Choi Soon-sil allegedly showed how Choi received funding from Samsung, and how the money was eventually spent. Samsung’s funding came in return for Choi pushing Park to approve its 2015 merger, which in turn secured Lee’s control over Samsung Electronics.

During the December 2016 questioning, it was revealed that in 2015 Samsung gave more than $17 million to Choi’s foundations, paid for a horse as a gift to Choi Soon-sil’s daughter valued at $850,000, and paying $3 million for her equestrian training. At the time Lee said he wasn’t aware of the payments until recently, and stated they weren’t pay-offs or kickbacks. He apologized for paying for the horse, and said Samsung would take responsibility if any involvement in the scandal was revealed.

Lee Jae-yong’s questioning lasted for 22 hours, and on January 16, an arrest warrant was sought for perjury, bribery, and embezzlement, and based on him, “giving or promising to give some $36.3 million worth of bribes to Choi Soon-sil in return for the state-run pension fund’s backing of a merger of two Samsung affiliates.” The donations, which went to Choi’s equestrian foundation, were the largest made by any business group.

Trial and impeachment

Lee’s arrest came in mid-February after charges were expanded to include “hiding the proceeds of a criminal act.” Lee Jae-yong was taken into custody at the Seoul Detention Centre. “It is acknowledged that it is necessary to arrest [Lee Jae-yong] in light of a newly added criminal charge and new evidence,” the court said in a statement. Lee Jae-yong’s trial began on April 7, where he was photographed being led into court in handcuffs.

South Korea voted to impeach president Park Geun-hye at the end of 2016, and she was arrested at the end of March 2017, after losing her immunity. Choi Soon-sil denies any wrongdoing. Park, Choi, and Lee were at one time all being held in the same detention center, but have faced trial separately.

The conviction of Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong may provide more evidence for the prosecutors to use against former president Park.

Implications for Samsung

Lee Jae-yong is the billionaire grandson of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul, and the only son of Lee Kun-hee, the current chairman of the Samsung group. Since his father’s heart attack in 2014, Lee has been been seen as responsible for the company, despite not being able to take the official title of chairman, instead going by vice chairman.

Lee has continually denied the accusations, saying any payouts were made without his knowledge, and at no time did he expect special treatment from the government. Samsung has issued statements throughout the proceedings to the same effect, saying, “Samsung did not make contributions in order to receive favors.”

The business implications of Lee’s arrest have yet to be felt. When he was first arrested a company official quoted by Yonhap News, said it may compromise Samsung’s ability to make key decisions and investments, but the day-to-day operation of the company is unlikely to be affected. Another employee called it, “business as usual.” However, on a personal level his conviction is likely to have ended any plan to take complete control of the company.

During one of the early committee meetings, decisions were made which impacted Samsung’s business operations. The strategy office which approved and sent out the payments to the foundation was closed down, and the company will no longer take part in activities with the Federation of Korean Industries, a lobby group which acts as an intermediary between the government and businesses.

The Samsung Group will be managed by, “top executives,” Yonhap News reported after Lee’s arrest. No current statement has been made by Samsung regarding the conviction at the time of writing. However, the scandal hasn’t affected sales of the company’s mobile devices, or slowed down its output. The verdict comes in the same week the firm revealed the Galaxy Note 8, a $900 smartphone to replace the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7.

Samsung Group is the largest family-owned business conglomerate in South Korea, and is the parent company to Samsung Electronics, Samsung Heavy Industries, Samsung Financial Services, and various other Samsung companies.

Update: Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong is found guilty of corruption and sentenced to prison.

Android Oreo features you’ll love: Colored notifications

It truly is the little things that can make or break the Android experience.

Android Oreo is full of little tweaks and fixes to the Android experience both behind the scenes and in plain sight, and while there’s plenty to be excited about, my hands-down favorite feature isn’t Android finally fixing their emoji problem or the colorful new notification dots on my home screen. It’s a divisive and inescapable feature on Android Oreo, and one my esteemed superior Jerry Hildenbrand called an abomination back during the Developer Preview.

My hands-down favorite part of Android Oreo is the colored media notifications. I can’t stop staring at them, and if you’re lucky enough to be on Android Oreo, I bet you won’t stop staring at them, either.

Background color me enchanted

It’s mesmerizing to watch the lock screen completely shift in theme and color from song to song, album to album.

In Oreo, Google introduced a massive overhaul of notifications, and among the many, many cool new bells and whistles for notification channels and notification previews, there’s a new notification feature that requires no user effort very little developer action: Background colors.

Background colors allow developers to make their color more vibrant and easy-to-spot among a sea of notifications by making the notification a customized color. Google has repeatedly stressed that this is only to be used for ongoing tasks that require immediate glanceability and recognition from users, such as navigation, phone calls, and media controls.

For media controls, rather than selecting a singular color for the notification based on the app’s color, media playback notifications can instead draw colors out of the album artwork. Android then uses those colors to make a notification that blends the artwork into the notification while making the notification itself pop in your notification shade.

The results are breathtaking, especially on the lock screen.

Notification transformation

By combining background colors for notification with full screen album art on the lock screen, you can change the entire feel of your lock screen just by switching to the next song in your playlist. It’s mesmerizing to watch the lock screen completely shift in theme and color from song to song, album to album. Don’t take my word for it.

I’ve been screenshotting these notifications ever since I came to the Android O beta last month, and a month later I can say I don’t want to go back to anything else. They’re playful, they’re radiant, and they’re intoxicatingly addictive. I’ve thumbed through dozens of songs just looking at what they do to the notification, and to the lock screen. They’re beautiful, and it makes a girl wish that they’d do this with the Google Play Music home screen widget.

Beautiful chaos: dueling background colors

When Jerry spoke of these colorized notifications being an abomination, he admitted that alone they could be quite beautiful. However, when mixed in with a sea of white notifications or with another colored notification, that beauty can fade to garishness as the two album arts and background colors clash. If you think that this is a rare instance, I’d remind you many of us keep up a paused music notification even as we stream video to Chromecasts or listen to videos with YouTube Red’s background play so that we can restart our tunes easily once we’re done.

Alone they could be quite beautiful; together, they’re… interesting.

I personally like seeing my media notifications differentiate themselves from the rest of the drawer, and while they may not always match as perfectly as boring white notifications, each presents their own tone and their own beauty. They add to each other. I don’t want colored notifications coming to every app, and given the guidelines, there’s little chance of that happening, but I wouldn’t mind just a little more color invading the notification shade.

Are you enchanted or cursed by these vibrant notifications? Are you apprehensive of how they could be abused by developers or hampered by Android manufacturer themes? Do you just care that your music keeps playing, color be damned? Sing out in the comments.

Android Oreo

• Android Oreo review!
• Everything new in Android Oreo
• How to get Android Oreo on your Pixel or Nexus
• Oreo will make you love notifications again
• Will my phone get Android Oreo?
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The Morning After: Friday, August 25th 2017

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

While we’re still cranking through Gamescom news, the most surprising gaming news of the day popped up on Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw’s blog. It’s been that kind of week.

Andy Rubin is back.Essential PH-1 review

The first phone from the father of Android’s new company is here, so how does it measure up? According to Chris Velazco, although it’s a “stunning first try,” there are still a few drawbacks. A so-so camera combines with its lack of a headphone jack and water resistance to draw our focus away from its stunning design, clean software setup and satisfying battery life.

Where does this fit?Microsoft’s Xbox One X is still a tough sell

After E3 it was unclear how Microsoft would sell Project Scorpio to gamers, and after its Gamescom press conference, Devindra Hardawar is still unconvinced. The Xbox One X is the most powerful console ever, with “basically everything we’ve ever wanted, spec-wise.” So what’s missing? Details on enhanced games, VR information and a clear marketing message, apparently.

Ten years later.‘Half-Life 3’ confirmed… in someone’s imagination

Valve’s episodic expansion of Half-Life 2 is still waiting for an ending, and this may be the only one we get. While all the game’s writers have left the company, former lead Marc Laidlaw posted an interesting “Epistle 3” extension on his blog, describing a lightly-masked story that could’ve served as a last episode of the trilogy. It seems increasingly unlikely that Valve will ever deliver a satisfying conclusion for Gordon Freeman & Co., so check out this fanfic to see what might have been.

Seriously.‘Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition’ is actually fun

Can a corporate mobile cash-in grab a jaded Engadget editor’s attention? Mat Smith gave the mobile version of Final Fantasy XV a spin at Gamescom and decided the answer might be yes. It’s surprisingly faithful to the main game, with action RPG mechanics that are very playable on a touchscreen.

Keep it. (c) @IraLife with AI: One week with Siri

Spoiler: Siri still isn’t smart enough to become the main way we interact with our iPhones.

Second time’s the charm.‘Destiny 2’ preview

Sean Buckley didn’t like Destiny. He didn’t play the raids and found its expansions boring, but now Destiny 2 is turning that impression around. That’s because the sequel is “one step closer to a traditional MMO game without losing what makes Destiny feel unique.”

Or the whole thing.HTC reportedly considers selling its Vive VR business

After years of struggling, Bloomberg reports that HTC could sell a part of its business or the entire company. While its VR arm is profitable, the smartphone arm is still putting out well-regarded devices, even if they don’t dominate the marketplace like they used to. We can only speculate for now, but the first Android smartphone manufacturer could have a new owner soon.

But wait, there’s more…

• UK Samsung TVs bricked after firmware update
• Internet wisdom clashes with political activism in downtown Phoenix
• Why BMW bets on drivetrain versatility instead of pure EVs like Tesla
• WD’s My Book Duo puts 20TB on your desktop
• The new story mode in ‘FIFA 18’ is all about choice

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