Galaxy Note 8 hands-on: Enough to make you forget the Note 7

After the nightmare that was the Galaxy Note 7, few people would’ve been surprised if Samsung killed the Note line entirely. But it didn’t. As an insane number of leaks have suggested, the company still believes the world needs a high-end phablet with an S Pen, and it took over a historic armory in New York to show off its latest attempt. Say hello to the Galaxy Note 8: a huge, beautifully made phone that just might be good enough to make people forget about its poorly designed predecessor.

There’s a chance you’ve already decided you need a Note 8. If that’s the case, just know that you can pre-order one starting on August 24th, and that the phone will officially go on sale September 15th. We’re not sure about the price yet, but all five major carriers in the US will sell it, and an unlocked model will also be available at launch. Enjoy. We spent a little hands-on time with the Note 8 prior to today’s event, so for everyone else, let’s take a closer look.

Design-wise, the Galaxy Note 8 doesn’t stray far from the foundation built by this year’s S8 line. No surprise there. The phone’s curved body is built from the same blend of metal and glass, and there’s an octa-core Snapdragon 835 chip lurking inside, albeit with 6GB of RAM, up from 4GB on the S8. Based on our limited demo, the Note 8 seems to run the way a flagship should, even with all of Samsung’s own software loaded on top of Android 7.1.1.

We’re also working with the biggest display Samsung has ever squeezed into a Galaxy Note: a gorgeous 6.3-inch Super AMOLED panel running at Quad HD+ resolution. More important, the Note 8 manages to feel a little smaller than it actually is because there are basically no bezels on the sides of this enormous “Infinity” display. Not everyone will find a screen this big manageable, but hey — that’s basically true of every Galaxy Note.

Chris Velazco/Engadget

The fit and finish are impeccable, too; the Note 8 is a remarkably sturdy-feeling machine, though the new Essential PH-1 has it beat when it comes to reassuring density. You’ll find the fingerprint sensor on the Note’s back, next to Samsung’s first dual-camera setup, a USB-C port on the bottom and a headphone jack right next to that. In typical Samsung fashion, the Note 8 is rated IP68 for water- and dust-resistance, and there’s a microSD slot to supplement the built-in 64GB, 128GB or 256GB of storage. (Sadly, we’re getting only the 64GB model here in the US.)

Physically, the S Pen hasn’t changed much since last year. It’s water-resistant, just like the Note 8 itself, and recognizes the same 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity as the Note 7. It’s still not quite as satisfying as doodling pen on paper, but the level of precision is still impressive. The more notable changes come down to what you can do with the S Pen. The most notable (not to mention fun) addition is a feature called Live Messages. Basically, you can write out animated messages with the S Pen, lay them on top of pictures and export the whole shebang as a platform-agnostic GIF you can message to friends. We spent more time playing with this in our demo session than we probably should have, and the results are fabulous. These files can get large, though: The Live Message GIFs we made ranged from 10MB to 20MB.

Chris Velazco/Engadget

Samsung also improved on S Pen features that we first saw on last year’s model. With the Note 7 you could use the S Pen to highlight text you wanted to translate, but the Note 8 supports translating full sentences and snippets of text instead of just words. Dashing off notes on the screen while it’s off still works, but you can now keep writing for up to 100 pages before having to save them to Samsung’s S Note app.

Other features are geared toward using efficiently using all of the Note 8’s screen space. Split-screen multi-tasking has been a thing since the early days of Android Nougat, and Samsung is capitalizing on that feature with what it calls App Pairs. Essentially, you can program two apps to launch in split-screen mode at the same time, if you’re the type of person who likes, say, thumbing through lyrics in Genius while listening to Spotify. It’s far from crucial, but hey — we’re sure someone will find it handy.

Really though, the biggest change is the camera. The Note 8 features Samsung’s first dual camera (unless you count the leaked-but-unreleased Galaxy C10), and it combines a wide-angle 12-megapixel with an f/1.7 aperture with a 12-megapixel telephoto camera. We’ve seen these kinds of dual cameras before, most notably in LG’s G-series phones, and they’re generally more flexible than the color-and-monochrome sensor setups rival devices use. After some brief testing, it’s clear that Samsung still knows what it’s doing. Our test photos came through with remarkable color and clarity, and the 2x optical zoom also worked very well. We even got good-looking photos when we were shooting in the dim corners of Samsung’s demo station. That’s thanks in part to the optical-image stabilization found in both of the cameras, though the wide-angle camera’s lens allows it to capture more light.

Engadget

Having two cameras also means you can add some background blur to your photos using Samsung’s Live Focus mode. Again, this isn’t exactly new; Apple has its popular Portrait mode, and countless other phones have artificial bokeh features. What’s neat about Samsung’s approach is that you’re able to control how much blur you want in your shot before and after you’ve taken the photo. We’ve dug a little more into the Note 8’s camera performance here, but needless to say, Live Focus works very well. It’s also worth noting that when you’re shooting in Live Focus, you can also get the phone to take photos using both cameras at once, though only one of them appears in the gallery at a time. That this isn’t a default photo option seems a little silly, so here’s hoping Samsung fixes that in a software update. We’re going to need more time to test the camera before drawing any hard conclusions, consider us optimistic. Samsung just might have built the dual-camera to beat.

As always, the Note 8 isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s undeniably big, and most people aren’t really clamoring to use styluses with their phones. It does get a lot right, though, and anyone who was disappointed by the Note 7’s sudden disappearance is sure to appreciate all these updates. OK, hardly anything about it was a surprise. That doesn’t make the Note 8 any less impressive. We’ll start working on our full Note 8 review as soon as we get one in for testing, but even at this early stage, the Note 8 seems poised to become the gold standard for big smartphones.

Virgin Mobile USA Offering One Year of Unlimited Data to iPhone Switchers For Just $1

Virgin Mobile USA today announced that customers who bring their existing iPhone, and transfer their phone number from another carrier, will receive one year of unlimited talk, text, and data for just $1 with AutoPay enabled. The limited time promotion is available until August 31, 2017.

The deal is also available to customers who purchase a brand new iPhone at full cost from Virgin Mobile, which sells the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 6s Plus for the same prices as Apple. Virgin Mobile also sells the iPhone SE for $279.99, which is $120 off its regular $399 price.

Once an iPhone is verified as compatible with Virgin Mobile, which operates on Sprint’s network, a SIM card will be shipped with instructions to install it and activate the device. SIM cards can be ordered for free on Virgin’s website until Friday, September 29, at which point the starter kit will cost $25.

During the 12-month promotional period, so-called “Inner Circle” members will receive unlimited talk, text, and data with a few caveats: video quality is limited to up to 480p resolution, music streams at up to 500 kbps, and games stream at up to 2 Mbps. Virgin promises 4G LTE speeds for “practically everything else.”

Customers who use more than 23GB of data in a billing cycle will be de-prioritized during times and places where the network is constrained.

Mobile Hotspot is available for an additional $10 per month, providing up to eight tethered devices with a dedicated allotment of 10GB of high-speed data to share each month. Unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada, and unlimited worldwide text messaging, can also be added for $5 per month.

After the $1 offer, customers will be transitioned to Virgin Mobile’s standard pricing of $50 per month for unlimited talk, text, and data, with all of the aforementioned caveats. Taxes are extra.

Overall, there doesn’t seem to be any obvious catches hidden in the fine print. Virgin Mobile doesn’t have contracts, so customers should be able to take their iPhone to a different carrier at any point. Virgin Mobile is simply looking for customers to try out its network, similar to its parent Sprint’s free-year offer.

Virgin Mobile USA became an iPhone-only carrier in June, but since it shares Sprint’s network, only CDMA models are compatible.

Tag: Virgin Mobile
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Apple’s next self-driving phase is an employee shuttle

Apple famously planned to build an entire self-driving car, but abandoned that idea to focus on autonomous vehicle technology à la Uber and Waymo. Thanks to a New York Times report, we now know some of what happened and what Apple is doing now. It reportedly plans to test the tech by building a self-driving shuttle (called PAIL, for Palo Alto to Infinite Loop) that will take employees between its current campus and the new “Spaceship” HQ.

We already know, thanks to many leaks and rumors, that Apple hired “hundreds” of engineers dedicated to building an entire autonomous car in a plan dubbed “Project Titan.” Work started in 2014, and at one point, had an ambitious release date for 2019.

However, Apple made it particularly difficult on itself by setting much-too-aggressive goals, according to new information from the NYT. Executive Steve Zadesky, originally in charge of Titan, preferred to build a semi-autonomous vehicle, much as Tesla has now. However, head designer Jony Ive wanted a re-imagined, fully autonomous car, despite the fact that no automaker or tech company has come close to that ideal.

Interesting tidbit: Apple worked on car doors w motors to open silently and spherical — yes, spherical — tires https://t.co/WatZTLWdgW

— Daisuke Wakabayashi (@daiwaka) August 22, 2017

Apple also wanted to integrate all the sensors seamlessly into the vehicle to avoid the bumps and cones on current self-driving cars. It even wanted to change the wheel designs, making them spherical instead of round, the NYT says — almost too perfect a metaphor for how Apple’s perfectionism took the project down.

As expected, Apple will use another company’s vehicle to test its PAIL shuttle, much as Waymo has with Chrysler. It has already been spotted testing a Lexus equipped with off-the-shelf technology RADAR and LiDAR units from Velodyne. If the testing goes to plan and it follows the same path as Intel, Waymo, Uber and others, it’ll eventually partner with an automaker to further develop the tech.

Source: NYT

Elon Musk shows off SpaceX’s custom spacesuit

Ladies and gentleman, meet the SpaceX spacesuit. Elon Musk just came through with the first pic of the astronaut gear via his Instagram. And, even though it’s not a full look at the suit, it offers plenty to pick apart. Like, why is the American flag on the arm the wrong way round? (Although, that could be due to the image being flipped.) Speculation aside, let’s start with what we know so far. Musk claims this is not a mockup, meaning it’s a real-life, working spacesuit. That’s cool, because (by the looks of things) it’s all about mobility.

First picture of SpaceX spacesuit. More in days to follow. Worth noting that this actually works (not a mockup). Already tested to double vacuum pressure. Was incredibly hard to balance esthetics and function. Easy to do either separately.

A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on Aug 23, 2017 at 12:59am PDT

The SpaceX spacesuit’s already been tested to double vacuum pressure, according to Musk. And, we’re assuming it passed those trials, along with the ocean landing mobility and safety runs. By far its most striking feature is its slim, fitted design. Most contemporary, and even next-gen spacesuits, look bulky and utilitarian. The SpaceX spacesuit, on the other hand, looks a lot lighter. Which makes sense, seeing as it was crafted by a Hollywood costume designer, renowned for making Batman and Wolverine’s figure-hugging outfits.

The helmet also seems to offer plenty of visibility, although less so than NASA’s future Z-2 suit. Musk claims it was “hard to balance” aesthetic with functionality. For the most part, the design seems to keep things simple. There are minimal grey lines and patches that sit nicely alongside its traditional white coloring. Its closest comparisons in the world of cinema are probably the suits worn in Interstellar, and (appropriately) The Martian.

Musk is keen to milk this unveiling for all it’s worth, so expect more shots over the coming days. The suit may eventually be worn by astronauts on NASA’s commercial crew program.

Source: Elon Musk (Instagram)

Amazon’s new education tool helps students become better writers

Amazon’s been ramping up its efforts in the education space since 2013, when it acquired TenMarks. The ed-tech startup helps teachers and parents create easy-to-digest curriculums for young students, which up until today were all about math. But now, Amazon is introducing TenMarks Writing, a cloud-based program designed to help 4th-6th grade kids become better writers. For students, there are features like Writing Coach, which guides them through the entire process of putting together a story, from the pre-write phase to editing in real-time with their teacher.

Meanwhile, educators can use the Teacher View to leave comments or suggestions on essays or another type of story a student may be writing. Amazon says the key is to make curriculums fun and engaging, which is why kids are able to pick exactly how they’d like to write an idea using Bursts. With Text Message, for example, they can have pretend like two fictional characters are having a conversation. Again, this is about making students feel comfortable before they even begin the writing process.

Schools can get TenMarks Writing starting today for $4 per student every year. As mentioned earlier, the program is intended for kids between 4th and 6th grade, though Amazon says the program will also have tools for 7th and 8th graders “soon.”

TenMarks Writing Coach

‘Fallout,’ ‘Doom’ and ‘Skyrim’ will launch in VR this year

The biggest beef for VR gamers is the lack of, well, VR games. That’s about to change soon thanks to Bethesda, which revealed that all three of the VR titles it announced previously will be coming to the Playstation VR and HTC Vive by the end of the year. And those titles should have you salivating: Doom VFR arrives on December 1st to the PSVR and HTC Vive, Fallout 4 VR hits the Vive on December 12th, and Skyrim VR will land on the PSVR on November 17th.

Bethesda also released some more info and a teaser (below) for Doom VFR, noting that it’s been fully revamped for virtual reality (yes, the “F” stands for what you think it does). “It’s every bit as fast. It’s just a different type of movement,” CTO Robert Duffy says. Game Director Marty Stratton adds that “it’s going to be different than a lot of the stuff they play in VR.”

The games will be standalone for VR, and not available as an upgrade from the existing versions. Fallout 4 VR will run $60, but there’s no word on whether it’ll have the same expansion packs as the non-VR one. Doom VFR, by comparison, will be relatively cheap at $30, but for that you’ll get less content than the regular game. Skyrim Playstation VR buyers will get everything available on the current Skyrim for $60.

We may learn a bit more about the games this Thursday, when Bethesda’s Quakecom 2017 gets underway in Texas. You can count on none of them coming to the Oculus Rift, though. That’s because of a legal battle between Bethesda owner Zenimax and Oculus parent Facebook, and unfortunately, it’s Oculus Rift owners who are getting the shaft here.

Source: Bethesda

Musical.ly’s iPhone App Gets Redesign, Profile Videos, and Similar Video Suggestions

Social video app Musical.ly has been updated to version 6.0.1 today, bringing a few notable additions like a refresh to the overall design of the app, a new section that suggests videos users might like to watch, and updates to profile pages (via Variety).

Musical.ly, which launched in 2014, rose in popularity thanks to its focus on user-created lip-sync videos. The app allows anyone who downloads it to pick from a library of songs — now sourced through Apple Music — then record, edit, and share a short video to the app, and to other social media sites.

That core concept remains, and users can now upload a profile video that lasts about six seconds to represent themselves when others visit their profile on Musical.ly. The app has also added Twitter as a site where users can share their clips, coming in addition to YouTube and Instagram.

Musical.ly is also host to a large collection of videos that its 215 million users can browse and watch, spanning genres like comedy, beauty, fashion, sports, vlogs, food, and animals. Original short-form videos have also been created through partnerships with NBCUniversal, Hearst, and Viacom.

This expansion of its video platform side has led to the new video curating feature, called “similar musical.lys” in the app’s new update. The changes are an effort to expand the app’s user base beyond its teenage-focused demographic, according to Musical.ly president Alex Hofmann, with the video recommendations aimed at new users who might download the app to watch videos, but not have had much use for Musical.ly’s other social and video creation features.

The No. 1 goal of the new app design is to make “a wide range of content more accessible,” Hofmann said. The new “similar musical.lys” section recommends videos that are similar to videos you’ve watched using an algorithm that incorporates several factors, including a computer-vision system that tries to determine what a video is about.

“We want to make this about personalization,” Hofmann said. “If someone comes in and they’re a 40-year-old guy who watched basketball videos, they will get value in the same way as someone who comes in at a younger age.”

Earlier this year, Apple partnered with Musical.ly to provide Apple Music content as song snippet options within Musical.ly, and in exchange the company agreed to promote Apple Music within its app. The deal allowed Apple Music subscribers to listen to full songs directly within Musical.ly, and also expanded the number of countries where Musical.ly is available from 30 to 120.

Musical.ly is available to download from the iOS App Store for free [Direct Link], as well as on the Google Play Store.

Tag: Musical.ly
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Huawei’s betting big on AI, will show off its achievements on September 2

Why it matters to you

Artificial intelligence is about more than just a voice assistant on your phone, and Huawei’s promising its own AI will do a lot more.

Huawei has big plans for artificial intelligence, something it has made very clear several times over the past year, and on September 2 it’s going to reveal the first product built around its AI technology. In a series of teasers posted to its social media channels, it notes the date and tells us to, “expect the unexpected.”

Does this mean Huawei’s own voice assistant is here, ready to challenge Siri, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung’s Bixby? Possibly, but Huawei has also hinted any assistant duties will be just a small part of what its AI is capable of. In a tweet from the end of July, Huawei asked what AI meant to us, and in an image said it should be, “more than just a voice assistant.”

Is the future intelligent?
Join us #LIVE from @IFA_Berlin 2nd September at 2pm (CEST) and find out… #HuaweiMobileAI pic.twitter.com/pbEzEH4EZw

— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) August 21, 2017

The September 2 date coincides with Huawei’s keynote presentation at the IFA technology trade show in Berlin, which has the title, “On device intelligence: Mobile AI is on the way.” While discussion of how AI will change the way we use smartphones will be a major part of the talk, Huawei CEO Richard Yu will also focus on, “Why Huawei’s latest innovation will make its smart devices truly intelligent companions.”

Huawei isn’t expected to launch any hardware at IFA, as it has scheduled a separate launch event for October, where the Mate 10 is likely to make its debut. The IFA show and keynote may be the launchpad for a virtual assistant destined for use on the Mate 10, enabled by the still unofficial Kirin 970 processor, which is rumored to be specially engineered for making AI faster than ever.

Richard Yu has already spoken about an, “Intelligent revolution,” among smart products, which he predicts will happen over the coming five to 10 years. Huawei COO Wan Biao envisages a future where man and machine become, “integrated together for proactive thinking.” It’s clear Huawei has grand plans for artificial intelligence.

Huawei’s plans may be big, but it lags behind the competition in AI assistants on its smartphones. It has incorporated Amazon’s Alexa on the Mate 9, but the experience is less cohesive than on the HTC U11, while Apple’s Siri has been available for several years already. Samsung has proven how difficult it is to get AI right with the slow launch of its Bixby assistant. We’ll know what Huawei plans next month, and presumably see it in action the month after that.

How to use notification channels on Android Oreo

Fine tune what notifications interrupt your day with notification channels on Android Oreo.

Android Oreo delivers plenty of awesome new features for you to play with, and one of the best for those who like to finely tune every aspect of the experience is the addition of notification channels. This nifty setup makes it much easier to properly adjust what notifications interrupt your day so that you only get pinged when it’s actually necessary.

Here’s how it works!

• How to change notification Importance
• How to change notification info on your lock screen
• How to let notifications override Do Not Disturb
• How to turn off notifications for a specific app

How to change notification importance

A notification’s importance is what denotes the type of notification it will send. If you want to make sure you get every notification from an app as soon as it is available, you’d want to mark it urgent. With other apps it might not matter as much and could be set to never notify you ever. Lookin’ at you, Facebook’s “On This Day” notification.

Open the Settings on your phone.
Tap Apps & notifications.

Tap App info

Tap to open the app whose Notifications settings you want to adjust.
Tap App notifications.

Tap General notifications.

Tap Importance.

Tap to choose your new Notification Settings.

How to change notification info on your lock screen

You can change how much information from a notification pops up on your lock screen. This means you can choose between very little info displayed for privacy or most of the information displayed for convenience.

Open the Settings on your phone.
Tap Apps & notifications.

Tap App info

Tap to open the app whose Notifications settings you want to adjust.
Tap App notifications.

Tap General notifications.

Tap On the lock screen.

Tap to choose the information displayed on your lock screen.

How to let Notifications override Do Not Disturb

If you want to be sure that specific apps always notify you, you can tell the app to override Do Not Disturb mode.

Open the Settings on your phone.
Tap Apps & notifications.

Tap App info

Tap to open the app whose Notifications settings you want to adjust.

Tap App notifications.

Tap General notifications.

Tap the toggle next to Override Do Not Disturb.

How to turn off notifications

In some cases you may want to turn notifications for a specific app off completely, and with Android Oreo that’s easier than ever.

Open the Settings on your phone.
Tap Apps & notifications.

Tap App info

Tap to open the app whose Notifications settings you want to turn off.
Tap App notifications.

Tap the first toggle to turn Notifications on or off.

Questions?

Do you still have questions about notification channels on Android O? Will you be tweaking any notification channels? Let us know what you think about it in the comments below!

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?
• Join the Discussion

The Morning After: Wednesday, August 23rd 2017

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Wednesday has arrived. It brings the last gasp of eclipse talk (for a few years, anyway), as well as our first close look at the SNES Classic Edition. Oh, and don’t forget, check Engadget for all of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 news starting at 11 AM ET.

Take that, Amazon Prime.Walmart has a new partner to help take on Amazon: Google

The latest attempt by Walmart to get a leg up in online sales is a partnership with Google on two fronts. A new tie-in links Walmart accounts to the Google Assistant AI, allowing easy ordering by voice using either your phone or a Google Home. Also, in late September, Walmart will join the Google Express lineup, allowing for online shopping and fast delivery in supported areas. Meanwhile, Google Express has free delivery for orders above each store’s minimum.

Flash briefing.Life with AI: one week with Alexa

This entry in our ongoing AI series focuses on Amazon’s Echo-powered setup. Chris Velazco says he’s “come to regard Alexa as a sort of cloud-powered child,” who has “become so enmeshed in the fabric of my household that I don’t consciously remember all the times I talk to her.” Is that a good thing? Maybe.

No, we can’t help you buy one.SNES Classic Edition preview

Pre-orders have already opened and closed for Nintendo’s next miniaturized throwback system, but we’re just getting our first real impressions. Sean Buckley spent about a half hour with the SNES Classic Edition, testing out everything from its game-saving rewind feature to the all-new Starfox 2 game it contains. Bringing new features while leaving the controller largely unchanged seems to have required some compromises, but we’re sure most of you will get over them to enjoy some classic 16-bit gaming.

New plan needed.Crashplan drops its backup service for home users

Code42 is phasing out its Crashplan for Home service as it switches its focus to business users. Whether users have local or cloud-based backups, it’s pushing them towards a small-business subscription, or a cloud backup service for home users offered by Carbonite. Unfortunately, it won’t refund any subscription fees already paid but says it will continue to honor them — although users can’t extend or renew them now. If you’re still looking for a backup service beyond the one built into your OS, a few suggestions have included Backblaze and SyncBack Free.

Enjoy the challenge.‘Cuphead’ is as wondrous as it is difficult

According to Devindra Hardawar, Cuphead is “reminiscent of 2D, 8-bit-era platformers that were so tough they wanted to make you throw your controllers against the wall.” And yet, he still can’t wait to keep playing the full game.

As long as you didn’t go blind.I didn’t see the eclipse in totality, but it was still pretty great

Whether or not the eclipse hype paid off, it seemed like a good experience for most. Even if your view ended up obscured by ill-timed cloud cover, data shows it pulled people away from their screens, even if it was only for a few minutes.

But wait, there’s more…

• Verizon’s always-on throttling is an affront to customers and net neutrality
• What’s on TV: ‘Game of Thrones’ season finale, ‘Uncharted’ and ‘Madden 18’
• SNES-inspired 3DS XL hits Europe in October
• (Maybe) home and factory robots can be hacked to harm humans
• How RFID tags became a fashion trend
• Seinfeld’s first Netflix stand-up special premieres September 19th

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you’ll miss if you don’t subscribe.