Adobe taps your car for targeted ad data

If it wasn’t already clear that targeted ads are invading connected cars, it is now. Adobe has unveiled an extension of its Experience Cloud service that helps automakers and app developers interpret in-car data for the sake of personalization. The platform (not shown above) uses machine learning and other techniques to scoop up behavioral data, such as voice commands and preferences, in a way that helps companies tailor info to specific drivers. There are some genuinely practical advantages that could stem from this, but Adobe isn’t shy about the main reason — this is to help deliver focused ads, often while you’re driving.

The functional aspects mostly revolve around feedback and personalized media. If a voice command didn’t work and you reach for the touchscreen, for example, that could tell an automaker that their voice system is flawed. You could also get customized music and news without having to lift a finger.

However, Adobe is more than happy to talk about the ad potential. Those preferences you supplied earlier? They could be used to deliver restaurant promos when you’re driving nearby, or pitch you on a new car lease when your existing lease is running out. And importantly, there’s a big focus on targeted audio ads. You might hear an ad for an upcoming album on a streaming radio service if it’s clear that you like the music genre, for instance.

The concept of targeted in-car advertising isn’t new. GM’s OnStar Go uses IBM’s Watson to personalize ads and other info. The difference, as you might guess, is that Adobe is launching a generalized platform — theoretically, any car brand or app developer could use this info. Adobe is careful to stress that privacy and safety are important factors, but those aren’t the biggest issues as it is. Rather, it’s that this could make personalized in-car ads relatively ubiquitous. Many people see their cars as the last refuges from the targeted ads that pervade their phones and PCs, and they might just lose that solace if Adobe’s technology proves popular.

Via: Bloomberg

Source: Adobe

Nike made me a pair of custom sneakers in 46 minutes

Last week, Nike announced the launch of its Makers’ Experience, an invite-only, limited-time event where people can design a pair of shoes and have them made in less than hour. And today we had the chance to check it out for ourselves at the company’s By You Studio in New York City, a space created to take you through the process of making your own custom from start to finish. That means being able to choose from a set of four different graphic packs, including the camouflage pattern pictured above, and the colors you want on the upper of your sneakers. The midsole will be white by default.

I went with pink complemented by black tones, but you could have it be mostly white with blue, green, yellow or red. And if you’re not into camo, you can also pick a design that displays different pieces of text, such as your name, a date or a greeting like “Happy Birthday!” For this particular experience, Nike is letting users tinker with the Presto, a running silhouette that has a reputation of being one of the most comfortable the company makes. There’s the original Presto, which features shoe laces and a cage to hold them, and the slip-on Presto X, created exclusively by Nike’s Advanced Innovation team for the Makers’ Experience.

The entire process is fairly simple: You walk into the By You Studio and put on a pair of Prestos that act as a white canvas. Then you step into a contraption that projects light onto the upper and lets you see how your designs looks in real time, right there on your feet as you’re trying them on. Nike says it worked on this technology with W+K Lodge, a firm that experiments with artificial intelligence, virtual reality and more emerging mediums “to design experiences that people will care about.”

Right now, a Nike associate will ask you what color you want the shoe to be or which pattern you prefer, and then that information is transmitted to the light projector. In the future, we’re told the idea is to make that part of the experience automated with voice technology, meaning you won’t necessarily need a human to guide you through the experience. Mark Smith, VP of Innovation Special Projects at Nike, says the key for the time being is to make this customization experience as simple and fun as possible. That’s one of the reasons you can only choose between a few graphics packs and dozens of colors currently, even though he says there are hundreds more options that could be offered.

Naturally, one of the most interesting parts about the Makers’ Experience is that Nike can make you a custom shoe in less than an hour. In our case, it actually only took 46 minutes, which is apparently the fastest time so far. That’s mind-blowing when you think about the fact that when you order a shoe through NikeiD, a customization service the company launched in 2009, it takes 6-8 weeks to receive it. Sure, it helps that here you’re locked in to only designing the upper rather than the entire shoe, but that’s impressive nonetheless.

When asked how Nike could manufacture a sneaker in such a timely manner, Smith says the only thing he could reveal about the “secret sauce” is that it isn’t a fully automated process. That means there are humans glueing and stitching the shoe together, and we can attest to this since we met the ones who created our design. Smith added that while the Makers’ Experience is an experiment, the goal is to bring a similar experience to Nike retail stores eventually. What’s more, it won’t just be the Presto you’ll have access to, but other low- and high-top Nike models as well. The pricing is still to be determined, although Nike tends to add about a $20 premium to its NikeiD sneakers.

Unfortunately, the Makers’ Experience is only open to a select few, but stay tuned to Nike’s NYC website as slots to visit the space may become available there. As for what’s coming next, Smith says the company’s trying to find ways to bring customization to augmented, mixed and virtual reality platforms. Let’s hope that happens soon.

Brikk Launches Pre-Orders for Gold-Plated iPhone X Models Costing Up to $70K

Los Angeles-based accessory maker Brikk today announced it is now accepting pre-orders for customized iPhone X models plated with solid gold, rose gold, or platinum, with prices ranging between $7,495 and $69,995.

Brikk said orders placed now will ship between November and January depending on the model purchased. Personal delivery is available in the United States, United Kingdom, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore.

Brikk humorously promises each “Lux iPhone X” will include 512GB of storage, but that clearly won’t be confirmed until tomorrow’s Apple event.

Here’s how they describe their highest-end “Ingot Collection,” which is basically a solid gold iPhone X for the low, low price of $70K:

The Lux iPhone X Ingot 250 is the definition of opulence. It is made of solid gold. It features 250 grams of 22k yellow gold. Each Lux Ingot is hand made and assembled in Brikk’s state of the art laboratory in Los Angeles, USA, as well as other facilities.

Brikk isn’t new to this. Over the past two years, it has offered diamond-studded iPhone 7 and Apple Watch models, and its website appears to sell gold and platinum AirPods with charging cases for as much as $9,995.

Related Roundup: iPhone X
Tag: Brikk
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Here’s When You Can Watch Apple’s First Event at Steve Jobs Theater in Time Zones Around the World

Apple’s first-ever event at Steve Jobs Theater will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, September 12, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. As usual, Apple will be providing a live stream of the event on its website.

Here’s when the event will begin based on other time zones in the United States and around the world:

• Honolulu, Hawaii — 7:00 a.m. HAST
• Anchorage, Alaska — 9:00 a.m. AKDT
• Cupertino, California — 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Phoenix, Arizona — 10:00 a.m. MST
• Vancouver, Canada — 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Denver, Colorado — 11:00 a.m. MDT
• Dallas, Texas — 12:00 noon CDT
• New York, New York — 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Raleigh, North Carolina — 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Toronto, Canada — 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Halifax, Canada — 2:00 p.m. ADT
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — 2:00 p.m. BRT
• London, United Kingdom — 6:00 p.m. BST
• Berlin, Germany — 7:00 p.m. CEST
• Paris, France — 7:00 p.m. CEST
• Cape Town, South Africa — 7:00 p.m. SAST
• Moscow, Russia — 8:00 p.m. MSK
• Helsinki, Finland — 8:00 p.m. EEST
• Istanbul, Turkey — 8:00 p.m. TRT
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates — 9:00 p.m. GST
• Delhi, India — 10:30 p.m. IST
• Jakarta, Indonesia — 12:00 a.m. WIB next day
• Shanghai, China — 1:00 a.m. CST next day
• Singapore — 1:00 a.m. SGT next day
• Perth, Australia — 1:00 a.m. AWST next day
• Hong Kong — 1:00 a.m. HKT next day
• Seoul, South Korea — 2:00 a.m. KST next day
• Tokyo, Japan — 2:00 a.m. JST next day
• Adelaide, Australia — 2:30 a.m. ACST next day
• Sydney, Australia — 3:00 a.m. AEST next day
• Auckland, New Zealand — 5:00 a.m. NZST next day

Mac and PC users using Safari or Microsoft Edge respectively can simply visit Apple’s event page to watch the live stream once it goes live a few minutes before the keynote. The live stream cannot be viewed on alternative web browsers, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Internet Explorer.

Likewise, the event can also be streamed on any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 7 or later. Simply open the Safari app and navigate to Apple’s event page to watch the live stream once it goes live. Third-party browsers may not work.

On the fourth-generation Apple TV, the live stream can be watched by downloading the free Apple Events app from the tvOS App Store [Direct Link]. Third-generation Apple TV users will likely have to wait until the Apple Events app automatically appears on their home screen. No software update is required.

At the event, Apple is expected to announce a trio of new iPhone models, including the so-called “iPhone X” with an OLED display, wireless charging, and facial recognition. Apple Watch Series 3 models and a new Apple TV with 4K video streaming capabilities are also rumored to be unveiled during the keynote.

Tag: September 2017 event
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Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes Apple apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest iOS app deals available from the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Spite

The competition is heating up in the new turn-based online multiplayer space. Spite & Malice supports up to 30 games, with friends or random opponents, at a time. Play on the go, and receive a notification when it’s your turn to be devious.

Available on:

iOS

Tabata

Work out with Tabata at any time and in any place. Choose the duration of the workout and fully enjoy the most effective exercises.

Available on:

iOS

7 Minutes Workout Program

7 Minutes Workout Program features more than 20 different exercises, and each exercise lasts 7 minutes maximum. You can also customize your own workout settings, and exercise without even looking at the phone.

Available on:

iOS

Beehive Weather

This is a clean, simple, and perfect weather app. It features six colorful themes for personalization as well as 7-day or 12-hour weather forecasts.

Available on:

iOS

Pow Wow Radio

Pow Wow Radio is the source for American Indian Pow Wow music. Listen to over 2,000 Pow Wow songs from groups such as Midnite Express, Cozad, Bear Creek, Southern Boys, Eyabay, and more.

Available on:

iOS

Paper Keyboard

Forget bluetooth, use paper. Just print a PDF file on paper and use it as a keyboard. How? Put your phone where marked on the paper and see the magic happen: the phone’s camera detects your fingers with state-of-the-art algorithms.

Available on:

iOS

AT&T workers to protest outsourced jobs at Apple’s iPhone 8 launch event

Why it matters to you

If you’re an AT&T customer, you may want your wireless fees to help fairly pay AT&T workers.

If you’re heading to the Apple event, watching it online, or live in Cupertino, California, you may see a few guests of the event that you didn’t expect — protesters. AT&T workers and other members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) are taking a stance against their employer’s notoriously low wages by protesting at Apple’s new campus, which will be the launch location of the new set of iPhones.

According to the CWA, despite the fact that AT&T makes more than $1 billion per year in profits, the company continues to pay low wages to employees while charging its customers top dollar. On top of that, the company reportedly refuses to negotiate with workers on raising those wages and continues to outsource a large percentage of its workforce.

That last point is a serious issue for AT&T workers and if you see photos of the protests you may see a sign reading, “iMay get outsourced by AT&T.” Despite that, AT&T is pushing for a tax reform that would allow the company to pay lower taxes, arguing that as a result more jobs will be created — all while slashing the number of jobs it offers by tens of thousands in the last few years, according to a report from the Institute for Policy Studies.

So why protest the Apple event? The launch of the new series of iPhones represents the beginning of a huge few months for wireless carriers like AT&T. All of the major carriers in the U.S. stand to gain millions before the end of the holiday period and considering its size, AT&T will be among the top earners from the iPhone.

This is not the first time AT&T workers have taken a stance against the company. Earlier in 2017, more than 35,000 workers walked off the job to commence a three-day strike, forcing the wireless giant to close hundreds of its stores around the country. At the time, workers argued that AT&T had cut thousands of call-center jobs around the country while creating many similar jobs overseas.

It’s likely the battle between union workers and AT&T will be a long one.

Best Accessories for the LG V30

What are the best accessories for the LG V30 so far?

The LG V30 is the latest great phone that’s got us excited. It’s got all the features we love such as waterproofing, wireless charging, and a rad dual-camera setup — plus it just looks beautiful!

Here are some of the best accessories you’ll find for the LG V30. We’ll start out with some cases, then move onto some essential charging accessories and the like. Be sure to update this list as more accessories are released.

Spigen Rugged Armor Case

There are a ton of great case options out there for the LG V30, but if we had to recommend just one it would have to be the Spigen Rugged Armor case.

Made from shock absorbent TPU material with a matte finish and carbon fiber detailing, this case looks slick and keeps your phone protected without adding much bulk. Wireless charging should still work with this case on, and precise cutouts around the fingerprint scanner and dual-camera setup around back ensure that all the phones functionality is unimpeded.

Spigen’s Rugged Armor case is always a reliable case option and is always a highly recommended case for any new device. If you want to keep your phone protected while keeping it looking sleek and thin — all for just $13 — nothing beats Rugged Armor.

See at Amazon

UAG Plasma Series Case

Part clear case and part rugged protection, UAG never compromises on the construction of its cases. Despite the premium materials and heavy-duty design, the case manages to remain feather-light while including thoughtful design elements like non-slip rubberized edges so your phone will never slip off a table when you put it down.

It’s passed military-grade drop-test standards, but you probably won’t be dropping it too often thanks to all the textures and edges for your fingertips to cling to. You can get the premium Plasma Series case for a premium price from UAG’s website — yours for $40.

See at Urban Armor Gear

Ringke Fusion Case

Looking for a clear case to show off your LG V30? The Ringke Fusion case offers a clear case design that doesn’t skimp on offering protection.

This case combines a tough polycarbonate back plate with a soft and shock-absorbing TPU bumper. There are dust caps over the charging and headphone ports, and you can get yours as a crystal clear case, or with rose gold or black accents. This case starts at just $8 on Amazon, so it’s also a great budget case option, too.

See at Amazon

See more cases for the LG V30

IQ Shield Tempered Glass Screen Protectors (3-Pack)

The LG V30 has a sweet dual-camera set up and a nearly bezel-less 6-inch OLED display. You’ll be able to take beautiful photos and then show them off — as long as that display glass stays intact.

IQ Shield has a great 3-pack of tempered glass screen protectors for the LG V30. It’s been precisely designed to cover the entire display, with a small cut-out around the top for the front-facing camera.

All IQ Shield screen protectors are backed by a 100% hassle-free lifetime warranty replacement program, so you can buy yours for just $8 and be confident that your V30’s screen will always be protected from harm.

See at Amazon

Samsung EVO+ 256GB microSD

LG has always been good about including storage expansion in its flagship phones, and that feature has been extended to the V30.

While the V30 can handle up to a 2TB microSD card, those don’t quite exist yet. We’re getting closer though, what with SanDisk releasing a 400GB microSD card soon.

Until then, your best bet for expanding your phone’s storage is Samsung’s 256GB EVO+ microSD card. Featuring read speeds of up to 95MB/sec and write speeds up to 90MB/sec, this card is plenty fast enough to handle storing all the photos and videos you take with your V30 while also letting you load up all your favorite media so you have your favorite music and movies with you on the go.

At $179, it might be too pricey for some, and that’s ok. Check out our other microSD card recommendations for your Android phone.

See at Amazon

ONSON USB Type-C to USB A Braided Charging Cables [4-pack]

It seems like all the Android phone manufacturers are finally getting on board with USB Type-C, which is great not only for faster charging speeds but also because you can never plug it in the wrong way.

If you’re in short supply of extra USB-C cables for around the house, in your car, or at the office, this set is sure to come in handy. You get four braided cables of varying lengths — one 3ft cable, two 6ft cables, and a 10ft cable. They’re built to last and are backed by a 12-month worry-free warranty.

At just $15 for the 4-pack, you’re paying just over $3 each for quality braided USB-C cables — you just can’t beat that value!

See at Amazon

Anker PowerPort Qi 10 Fast Wireless Charging Pad

Speaking of charging, the LG V30 also supports Qi wireless charging.

Looking to keep avoid cables altogether and have your phone charged up and ready to go at a moment’s notice? LG is supposed to be releasing a new wireless charging pad for the V30, but until then you should look into the Anker PowerPort Qi 10 Charging Pad. It’s got a premium design with LED indicators around the edge and a non-slip pad so your phone stays put. It supports all Qi-compatible devices and also supports fast wireless charging, so you’ll be able to get up and go further.

Anker is a trusted name in charging accessories and backs all their products with an 18-month warranty and great customer service. Get the only wireless charging pad you’ll ever need for just $30.

See at Amazon

What are your go-to accessories for a new phone?

These are our recommendations, but we want to know what you buy for a new phone? Are you getting a V30? Let us know in the comments!

LG V30

• LG V30 hands-on!
• Full LG V30 specs
• LG V30 vs. G6 vs. GS8
• The V30 is the first phone to support 600MHz spectrum
• Join our LG V30 forums

Amazon Prime members can save up to $25 on a new Fire Tablet

If you’re looking for a new tablet, you won’t want to miss this deal from our friends at Thrifter!

Amazon’s Prime service comes with a ton of benefits, and right now the company is back with yet another one. Right now, Prime members can save up to $25 on a new Fire tablet. This drops the price of the starting price of the Fire 7 tablet down to $34.99, and the Fire 8 down to $54.99.

All the color options are available with this discount, so you can pick between black, blue, red, and yellow for the back of the tablet.

At this price, these tablets are no-brainer purchases. You get access to Android apps, your favorite media, and much more. The tablets start out with only 8GB of internal storage, but luckily you can expand that at an affordable cost by adding this 32GB card for just $13.99.

If you aren’t already an Amazon Prime member, you can sign up today for a free 30-day trial to take advantage of these savings.

See at Amazon

More from Thrifter:

• Which warehouse shopping club is best for you?
• How to avoid baggage fees

For more great deals be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

Get a lifetime of unlimited mobile backup for $20

At this point, your whole life is on your phone and it would absolutely suck if it died and you lost all of that valuable information. Your best option is to create an online backup of your device since a backup on your computer is still a physical backup and hey, if your Android phone dies and your computer dies, you’re gonna have a bad time.

iDrive is an online backup service that you can use to store all the information on your phone, like you photos, videos, texts, emails, and tons more. With an iDrive lifetime subscription, you get:

• Online backup of up to 5 devices
• 256-bit AES encryption with an optional user defined key
• Back up an Android device and restore it to an iPhone and vice versa
• Access backed up files from any mobile device, or through the web
• Share your files with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and email
• iDrive features Facebook & Instagram backup

Online backup services can be very expensive (especially for something intangible), and if you go through iDrive directly, you could end up spending a mint.

That’s where Android Central comes in. Right now, through Android Central Digital Offers, you can get a lifetime subscription to iDrive Unlimited Mobile Backup for only $19.99. No, that’s not a joke. Unlimited backup. If you want just 250GB from iDrive directly, you’d pay upwards of $75.

So, you can back up your phone data over and over and over and keep backing it up to iDrive, FOR LIFE, for a one-time payment of $19.99. And you don’t need to worry about your information being kept safe; iDrive uses 256-bit AES encryption, which is virtually uncrackable.

You can also access your backed up files from any mobile device or on the web, share your files via social media and email, and you’ll even be able to back up your Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Your phone is a treasure trove of valuable information and memories. Don’t get caught with a bricked phone and nothing to show for it. Get a lifetime subscription to iDrive Unlimited Mobile Backup for only $19.99 at Android Central Digital Offers!

See at Android Digital Offers

Xiaomi Mi Note 3 is a larger Mi 6 that’s powered by the Snapdragon 660

The Mi Note 3 is a China-exclusive model with several new firsts.

In addition to the bezel-less Mi Mix 2, Xiaomi launched the latest phone in the Mi Note series. The first two models in the Mi Note series featured 5.7 inch display — with last year’s variant featuring dual curved screens — but with the Mi Note 3, the company is taking a different approach. The phone is a larger variant of the Mi 6, with the overall design unchanged.

The Mi Note 3 has curved edges on all four sides, and the blue color option in particular looks very enticing. The blue variant has gold trim on the sides, and if you’re not a fan of the hue, you can pick up the Mi Note 3 in black. While the design itself hasn’t changed from the Mi 6, Xiaomi is using an aluminum alloy for the frame on the Mi Note 3. The Mi 6 featured a stainless steel frame.

Whereas the Mi 6 offered a 5.15-inch display, the Mi Note 3 comes with a 5.5-inch screen. The resolution is unchaged at Full HD, and the phone also offers 6GB of RAM along with storage options of 64GB or 128GB. Xiaomi’s decision to switch to a Snapdragon 600 series chipset is interesting, however, as earlier models in the Mi Note series featured the latest 800-class chipsets.

As we’re seen before, the Snapdragon 660 is a very capable chipset, and there shouldn’t be any issues when it comes to using the phone on a day-to-day basis. Xiaomi alluded to supply constraints at the event, so that could be the reason as to why the Mi Note 3 is powered by the Snapdragon 660 and not the Snapdragon 835 like the Mi 6. Considering it’s difficult to get a hold of the Mi 6 in China four months after its launch, it’s likely Xiaomi didn’t want to end up in the same situation with the Mi Note 3.

Moving onto the camera, the Mi Note 3 has the same camera setup as the Mi 6, and that means two 12MP imaging sensors with 4-axis OIS on the primary camera. The first camera is a wide-angle lens, and the secondary shooter offers 2x optical zoom.

Xiaomi changed out the front camera, with the phone featuring a 16MP shooter up front. The company talked at considerable length about the new beautify features it is rolling out with the Mi Note 3, and as the name suggests, the feature cleans up blemishes and generally makes selfies more photogenic.

Other specs include NFC, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.2, and a 3500mAh battery. The Mi Note 3 will go up for sale in China starting tomorrow, September 12, for ¥2,499 ($370). That’s for the variant with 64GB of storage. The model with 128GB of storage will be available for ¥2,899 ($426). If you’re eyeing that blue color option, you’ll have to shell out ¥2,999 ($440).

Given the features on offer and Xiaomi’s history with the Mi Note series, it’s unlikely that the Mi Note 3 will be sold outside of China. We’ll let you know should that change. In the meantime, the Mi Mix 2 will be sold in global markets:

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 preview: Ready for primetime