‘Overwatch’ fights toxic players by muting them on Xbox Live

Yesterday, Overwatch’s team released the new map, Junkertown, and a few character tweaks in a moderately-sized update. But tucked away in the patch notes was a new tool in Blizzard’s fight against toxicity in the game: Xbox Live users that earn enough scorn for the “Avoid Me” reputation are banned from in-game voice chat.

It’s a small consequence — those bad apples won’t have their play affected — but it spares everyone else from a player’s crappy or abusive attitude. Expanding the team’s toxicity-fighting toolset to include softer methods is just as important as introducing harsher punishments, especially if players are just having an uncharacteristically bad day.

This is the first new tool the Overwatch team is deploying to fight player toxicity, which it vowed to get tougher on earlier in the summer. Developer and face of the game’s team Jeff Kaplan uploaded a video last week urging the player community to behave better, pointing out that dealing with reported users took up time and delayed upcoming features.

So far, the team has disciplined over 480,000 players, Kaplan said, and they’ll continue to refine its reporting and consequence system. But when push comes to shove, the team would prefer to simply ban the worst-acting players from the game entirely rather than filter them into games reserved for bullies and malcontents.

Time will tell how the reputation-based muting works to curb bad attitudes on Xbox Live; As of yet, the team hasn’t announced whether this disciplinary action will be ported over to PSN or PC.

Via: Gamasutra

Source: Overwatch patch notes

How to Enable Type to Siri in iOS 11

One of the common complaints about Siri is the vocal component — speaking to Siri must be done verbally, which can be embarrassing and inconvenient in social situations. Apple hasn’t provided a clear cut solution like an integrated Siri and Spotlight search feature, but iOS 11 does bring a Type to Siri feature.

Type to Siri is a function designed for those who are unable to speak, but it can be enabled by anyone who would like to try typing to Siri instead of speaking to Siri.

Enabling Type to Siri

Open the Settings app.
Choose “General.”
Select the “Accessibility” section.
Scroll down to “Siri.”
Toggle on “Type to Siri.”
With Type to Siri enabled, when the Home button is pressed to activate Siri, it brings up the keyboard and an option to type a command to Siri. Typed Siri commands work just like spoken Siri commands – Siri will respond to questions like “What’s the weather?” or “What movies are playing nearby?”

When you have Type to Siri turned on, it’s an all or nothing setting. All commands must be typed if you access Siri through the Home button. If you say “Hey Siri,” though, Siri will respond to spoken questions as normal, so you can use spoken commands alongside typed commands in this way. Siri will also respond to voice commands when the AirPods are connected and the personal assistant is activated via a tap on the AirPods.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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How to Use Siri’s New Translation Feature in iOS 11

iOS 11 brings new functionality to Siri, including a translation feature that allows Siri to translate words and phrases spoken in English to a handful of other languages. Translation is super simple to use, and while the translations aren’t always perfect, they get the gist of what you’re attempting to say across to someone who speaks another language.

Using Siri Translate

Activate Siri, either by holding down the Home button or using a “Hey Siri” command.
Tell Siri the phrase you want to translate and the language you want it in. For example: “Siri, how do I say where’s the bathroom in Spanish?”
Siri will respond with the appropriate translation, both in text form and vocally. The vocal component can be replayed by pressing the play button located at the bottom of the translation.
There are multiple ways to phrase your translation requests. Siri will respond to “Translate X to X language” or “How do I say X in X language?”

Available Languages

Siri can translate English to Mandarin, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. There’s no two-way translation available yet – it’s only English to the above listed languages. Apple has said it plans to add additional languages to the Siri translation feature following the release of iOS 11.

Apple appears to be using an in-house translation engine for Siri, as the translations do not match up with translations provided by popular services like Google Translate or Bing Translate. Also of note, while Siri can translate from English to several other languages, the translation features do not work with British, Canadian, or Australian English settings.

Because Siri speaks translations aloud, the translation feature can come in handy when traveling and trying to get simple communications across. It’s a simple addition, but one that may go a long way towards making Siri more useful.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
Tag: Siri
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How to Use the Redesigned Messages App Drawer in iOS 11

In iOS 10, Apple introduced the Messages App Store, allowing users to jump into miniature versions of their favorite apps so they could do things like choose a movie time, send their location, pay a friend, give a recommendation from Apple Music, and attach stickers. With the launch of iOS 11, the app drawer and selection experience of Messages apps have been streamlined, and this guide will walk you through the fastest way to access your favorite apps, organize them, and add more from the Messages App Store.

Navigating the New App Drawer in Messages

Open Messages.
Choose a contact to text.
At the bottom of the screen sits the new app drawer, and you can tap one to bring it up or scroll to dive deeper into your collection.
From here, apps within Messages function essentially the same as they did in iOS 10: the bottom half of the screen represents the app, which you can interact with and send content into the upper half section of the screen in the form of an iMessage. A small chevron sitting just below the text entry field can be tapped to expand the Messages app to full screen, and tapped again to reduce it.

If you ever accidentally leave the app by tapping the text field, simply tap the App Store icon to the left of the text field. Conversely, if you’re inside of a Messages app and want to make it and the app drawer disappear, tap the same App Store icon to the left of the text field (it’ll be blue when the app drawer is open) to make the app disappear (returning the icon to gray).

Editing the New App Drawer in Messages

Navigate to the app drawer in Messages.
Scroll the drawer all the way to the right and tap the ellipses, or “More,” icon.
Tap “Edit.”
On the right side, choose any installed app you want or don’t want in your Messages app drawer by tapping the green toggles.
On the left side, tap the green “+” icon next to any app you want as a favorite.
Tap “Done.”
Now that your app drawer is fully customized, your favorites will appear on the far left side of the drawer, and any other apps you have toggled on will appear after your favorites. Any time you want to search for more, you can tap the blue App Store icon sitting to the left of your favorites to visit the Messages App Store. There are numerous standalone Messages apps, but many popular apps have also been updated over the past year to include Messages support.

For this reason, it’s easy for your app drawer to become crowded, making the deeper editing and favoriting options in iOS 11 a welcome addition. If you’d rather not see the app drawer, tap on the gray App Store icon at the left of the Messages text box to hide it from view.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
Tag: iMessage
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Safari in iOS 11: Enabling Cross-Site Tracking Prevention to Protect Your Privacy

Safari in iOS 11 introduces a new tracking prevention feature that’s meant to protect your privacy and make it harder for companies to track your browsing habits across multiple websites.

Disabling Cross-Site Tracking isn’t going to cut down on the number of ads that you see, but it will make it harder for advertisers to gather data about what you’ve been browsing to deliver targeted ads. Here’s how to enable it:

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down to Safari and tap it.
Scroll down to “Prevent Cross-Site Tracking.”
Toggle it on so it’s green.

This section of the Settings app also includes other Safari settings that are worth turning on if you haven’t done so already, including “Ask Websites Not to Track Me,” “Block Pop-ups,” and “Fraudulent Website Warning.” You can also restrict website access to cookies, the camera and microphone, and Apple Pay.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
Tag: Safari
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MGCool Explorer Pro review

The concept of an action camera is not new; it’s a market that’s dominated by GoPro and its Hero line of products. People have been using them for years to capture footage of motorcycle rides, skiing, skateboarding, swimming, and more.

Although the quality of video from action cameras might not be on par with what you’ll get from a DSLR or even a phone, most users will accept this. They’d rather trade the overall video quality with “in the moment” first person footage only achievable from durable and waterproof action cameras.

The problem with GoPro, for a lot of people, is that they often cost more than they can afford to part with. While an older model could run $150, a brand new one might fetch $300-$400.

What do you if you’re looking for a similar experience but don’t have a few hundred bucks worth of disposable income? As is the case with nearly all types of tech, it’s possible to go “generic” or pick up a knock-off product. Or, as we’ve seen with phones, you look for something that’s from a brand you’re not familiar with. Such is the case with the MGCool Explorer Pro.

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Priced less than $40 at most outlets, the Explorer Pro is a more than worthy starter action camera. It’s capable of recording 4K video, 1080p video at 60 frames per second, and slo-motion, too. With an internal 1,050mAh battery, it gives users 80-100 minutes of recording when shooting at the highest setting.

Specs

• 1/3.2 inch IMX 179 CMOS sensor
• 4K / 15FPS video resolution, ultra high definition video shooting for a clear image
• 170 degree wide angle
• 2 inch screen
• WiFi connection, up to 10m WiFi distance
• Support max 64G extended TF card ( not included )
• Waterproof housing case, up to 30m water resistance
• Removable 1050mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery, support about 80 minutes working time

We were pleasantly surprised by the number of accessories that come with the Explorer Pro. In addition to the camera, we found brackets and clips to attach to helmets, handlebars, selfie sticks, and tripods. The waterproof case snugs the camera up nicely, but, at the same time, still giving us buttons to press. Out of the box we felt like we had everything we needed to get going.

Package Contents

• MGCOOL Explorer Action Camera
• Waterproof Case
• Camera Bracket
• Clip
• USB Data Cable
• Bicycle Stand
• 2X Helmet Base
• Connector + Screw

If you’re the type of person who likes to execute tricky or intricate moves, you’ll appreciate being able to record in slo-motion. What’s more, this mode can be helpful for everyday sports such as analyzing your golf swing or baseball at bats.

Snapping on the waterproof case takes all of a few seconds and leads to some incredible footage. We handed the camera off to a few people and asked them to take it swimming, bike riding, and just out and about.

Diving in and out of a pool, we found the camera to work quite well, save for some occasionally poor audio. It’s worth noting that audio is one of those trade-offs you tend to get with an action camera.

Often, the cool footage captured with these cameras is dubbed over with a song and/or narration. That’s probably going to be the case here, but not necessarily any worse than older GoPros. The same, unremarkable audio came from holding the camera out a car window when driving around 20mph and faster, and when riding a bike at high speeds. The footage, though, was as good as anything we’d expect.

There’s an official companion application that you can install on your smartphone. Using the app, it’s possible to watch your footage as it’s being recorded live. Additionally, you can tweak the settings of the camera directly from your phone. We liked this better than playing with the limited number of buttons on the camera. The 2-inch display on the back is just okay but you’re not going to be focusing on it when playing hard. If you need to see what’s going on, definitely go for the app.

The app also includes the ability to download and browse photos and videos, sharing to social networks and other apps. It’s not vital that you have the app, but we enjoyed using it; if anything, it helps to have a larger or secondary screen when the camera is locked in place (think: snowboarding or surfing). You don’t want to continually mount and dismount the camera, right? Just pull up the phone and be done with it.

 

Generally speaking, the MGCOOL Explorer Pro operates and functions exactly as you might expect it to, if not a little better. If you’re looking for a “Fisher Price: My first action camera”, this one more than fits the bill. You won’t want to do any head-to-head comparisons with the pricier stuff on the market, though, because that’s when the light exposes the blemishes.

You certainly aren’t going to get the overall build quality and feature set that comes with a $300 camera, but you aren’t sacrificing 5/6 of the experience. Pictures are so-so and the audio isn’t great at all, however, the price is perfect for starting out. And, while 4K video is perhaps going to be around 15 frames per second, it’s just enough to merit the price tag.

We’ve had a fun time playing with the camera and look forward to using it in more interesting scenarios. As we’re at the end of summer we’re not hitting the beach or biking as much as we’d like. But, with snow only a few months away, we’re anxious to take the Explorer Pro with us when we hit the slopes. We’ll just look forward to dubbing over the audio and leaving things at 1080p.

You can purchase the MGCOOL Explorer Pro from a number of retailers with most places asking around $40-$50. Gearbest has it for as low as $37.99 at the time of publishing this review; Amazon has it for $50.

Sean Penn will star in Hulu’s upcoming Mars series, ‘The First’

In May, Hulu ordered a straight-to-series show called The First. Set in the not too distant future, the series depicts the first human mission to Mars and humankind’s first attempts at colonizing another planet. Today, Variety reports that Sean Penn has been signed onto the series.

The First comes from House of Cards creator Beau Willimon who told Variety, “It’s a story about the human spirit. About our indomitable need to reach for unknown horizons. About people working toward the greatest pioneering achievement in human history. And about the cost of that vision, the danger and sacrifice — emotional, psychological, and physical — that’s required to achieve it. How ordinary, imperfect people band together and overcome a myriad of obstacles to grasp the extraordinary.”

Penn’s role hasn’t been announced yet and this marks the first time the actor — who has two Oscars for Mystic River and Milk — has had regular role on a TV series. And speaking of awards, Hulu did quite well for itself at the Emmys, winning 10 awards overall — most of which went to The Handmaid’s Tale — and further solidifying itself as a major player in the TV world.

The First is set to go into production later this year and is scheduled to premiere in 2018.

Source: Variety (1), (2)

The SmartDesk 3 could be the smartest piece of office furniture you can buy

Why it matters to you

This smart desk could make your life in the office easier and healthier.

Gone are the days of the “stupid” desk that just sits there on the floor, holding your desktop or laptop while you peck away at the keyboard. That’s the Stone Age way of living compared to the new “smart” desk sold by Autonomous: The new SmartDesk 3. It can order your lunch, call an Uber, and will even rise to the occasion automatically if you need to stand up to work. No kidding.

At its core, the SmartDesk 3 is a motorized desk that can lift or lower the working surface if you’re in a standing or sitting position. It’s powered by two linear actuators and a dual-motor design that can raise the desktop from 24 inches to 50 inches in height. It can lift up to 300 pounds at 2.3 inches per second.

But the brains behind the SmartDesk 3 reside within an embedded touchscreen (tablet). It resides toward the left edge of the desktop. It’s tilted on the surface by 25 degrees so all you need to do is glance at the screen instead of angling your head.

The integrated tablet is powered by the company’s proprietary Autonomous OS platform, which was written in GO and Python. It supports Google Suite, and features a virtual assistant that will learn all your working habits within a week. By then, you will likely have built up a collection of shortcuts on the main screen such as making coffee, checking the weather, loading up a playlist, and so on.

That said, this assistant will begin making suggestions throughout the day. These include staying hydrated, and lifting the desk into the standing position to reduce hip fatigue. There does not appear to be a built-in microphone or speaker, so all interactions between machine and man will be through the 10-point touch input.

The artificial intelligence will also suggest times to eat. Autonomous OS supports Delivery.com, an online platform for ordering food, alcohol, groceries, and having your clothes dry-cleaned. This is a convenient way of getting lunch without having to leave the desk, but Delivery.com doesn’t support all areas.

Because the desk syncs with Google Calendar, it knows all appointments, birthdays, and more that are associated with that specific calendar. The AI even uses Google Calendar to schedule time for you to “recharge.”

The “smart” desk is compatible with Nest, Uber, Wemo, Spotify, Meet, and more. It can synchronize with your other devices through the associated apps on Android and iOS. Autonomous says your information is safe due to the use of 256-bit encryption, and the https protocol. An on-device marketplace will be provided soon to acquire additional apps.

Here are the general specs:

Color options:
Classic White
Titan Black
Grayscale
Surface size:
53 x 30 (D) x 1 (H) inches
Desk height:
24 to 50 inches
Lift durability:
10,000 cycles
Materials:
Industrial-grade steel
Powder-coated 5-layer paint finish
Tablet size:
7 (H) x 4.3 inches
Screen size:
6 (H) x 3.4 inches
Resolution:
800 x 480
Tablet CPU:
ARM Cortex A53-based
Quad-core @ 1.2GHz
Tablet memory:
1GB
Operating system:
Autonomous OS
Connectivity:
Bluetooth (for shortcuts)
Dual-band Wi-Fi (for apps)
Power cord length:
6.25 feet

The SmartDesk 3 can be purchased now for $549 and includes free shipping throughout North America.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Active review

Research Center:
Samsung Galaxy S8 Active

It wasn’t all that long ago we heaped praise on the Galaxy S8, Samsung’s phoenix in the Note 7’s ashes. Its gorgeous design, impressive screen, and powerful processor set a high bar that few phones have been able to match.

Samsung’s next worthy challenger has an entirely different aim. The S8 Active is a ruggedized and reinforced smartphone built to withstand the elements — and exclusive to the AT&T network.

So how does the S8 Active measure up to the plain old Galaxy S8? In our Samsung Galaxy Active review, we found that it delivers on its promises, but at the cost of durability — and design.

Design

The Galaxy S8 Active doesn’t look like your average S series smartphone. It’s more like a bulked-up second cousin who spent the summer deadlifting. Like any bodybuilder worth his salt, the Active’s ruggedized exterior can take a beating.

The S8 Active trades the S8’s fragile glass-and-metal body for reinforced plastic. A thick casing extends the length of its edges, and shock-absorbent bumpers jut out from all four corners. The S8 Active trades its predecessor’s physical home button for a virtual one, and squeezes an iris scanner, front camera, earpiece, and notification LED into a narrow top bezel above the screen.

Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

The phone’s sides and back are consistent with the ruggedized aesthetic. The power button is on the right side, opposite the volume rocker and Bixby button on the left, and exposed screws on the top and bottom hold the single bottom-firing speaker, SIM tray, headphone jack, and USB-C port in place. On the S8 Active’s back, cushiony foam makes ample room for the camera, flash, and fingerprint sensor.

The industrial look and feel won’t appeal to everybody, but we liked the heft and grippiness of the S8 Active’s soft-touch body. Weight-wise, the S8 Active (208 grams) didn’t feel that much heavier than the S8 (155 grams) and S8 Plus (173 grams), and despite the S8 Active’s thickness — a necessity on account of its large battery — it wasn’t noticeably less comfortable in the hand than the Galaxy S8.

We actually came to prefer the S8 Active’s flat screen to the Galaxy S8’s curves.

The S8 Active’s 5.8-inch touchscreen shares the same characteristic blacks, wide viewing angles, and vibrant colors as the Galaxy S8. It carries the same HDR Premium certification too, which means greater color volume for high-dynamic range (HDR) content. But the S8 Active’s screen is flat instead of curved, and it’s a little less crisp at a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels and pixel density of 506 compared to the S8’s 2,960 x 1,440 pixels and ppi of 570.

That said, we had a tough time seeing the difference, and we actually came to prefer the S8 Active’s flat screen to the Galaxy S8’s curves. It made the S8 Active a lot easier to grasp than the all-glass Galaxy S8, which has a tendency of coming to life unexpectedly if you grip too strongly.

Specs

The Galaxy S8 Active may not share much in common with the S8 Active on the outside, but the inside is a different story.

It features chipmaker Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, which delivers 27 percent better performance than phones with the Snapdragon 821, such as the Google Pixel. It’s paired with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, and a MicroSD card slot for additional memory.

Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

Sound familiar? That’s because it’s the same hardware as the Galaxy S8, down to the processor and MicroSD slot. Unsurprisingly, the S8 Active is just as speedy.

This phone absolutely flies through most tasks, juggling multiple apps and browser tabs like a pro. It crunched through our punishing mix of productivity (Slack, Trello, Gmail, and Dropbox) and social media (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) with no discernible effort, never once stuttering, hiccupping, or crashing unexpectedly. Even compared to Google’s Pixel, the de facto benchmark for smoothness among Android phones, the S8 Active held up remarkably well under stress.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Active Compared To

HTC U11

Nokia 8

LG V30

Asus Zenfone AR

Essential Phone (PH-1)

ZTE Blade Z Max

Moto Z2 Force

Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom

Moto Z2 Play

LG G6

Motorola Moto E4

Huawei Nova 2 Plus

Huawei Honor 8 Pro

Lenovo Moto G5 Plus

LG Optimus G Pro

Still, some apps managed to punch holes in the otherwise seamless experience. Samsung’s Bixby Home, a dashboard of news and social updates, lagged when launched from the Bixby button. Bixby Voice, Samsung’s Siri-like intelligent voice assistant, also occasionally took longer to recognize commands than might be expected.

But overall, the S8 Active handled day-to-day tasks without complaint, and performed just as strongly in the three benchmarking apps we tested:

• 3DMark SlingShot Extreme: 2374
• AnTuTu 3D Garden: 26.39fps
• Geekbench 4: 1808 single core, 6174 multi-core

For reference, with Geekbench 4 the Galaxy S8 earned 1,762 in single core and 5,723 in multi-core, and the iPhone 7 Plus achieved 3,367 in single core and 5,491 in multi-core.

This phone absolutely flies through most tasks, juggling multiple apps and browser tabs like a pro.

All the more impressive was the fact that the S8 Active got those scores after we dunked it in a bowl of water for eight minutes.

The S8 Active features the same iris-scanning, fingerprint-scanning, and facial recognition tech as the S8, and they work no less consistently. We’re especially big fans of facial recognition, which unlocks the S8 Active almost instantly. The iris scanner takes a bit longer, as does the fingerprint sensor, which is in the same awkward position as it is on the S8. It’s still impossible to reach the fingerprint sensor without smudging the adjacent rear camera’s lens, and that’s frustrating.

Near Field Communication (NFC) and Samsung’s proprietary Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) are on-board, which lets you pay for in-store items with Android Pay, Samsung Pay, and other contactless platforms. Support for Bluetooth 5, the newest standard, means double the speed and up to four times the range for compatible speakers, wireless headphones, and smart home devices. You can even connect two Bluetooth devices at the same time.

Durability

The S8 Active’s ruggedized exterior isn’t just for show. The S8 Active is IP68 certified to withstand water up to three feet for thirty minutes, just like the Galaxy S8. But it’s also MIL-STD-810G certified, which means it’s been tested to withstand salt, dust, high humidity, rain, and other elements.

It certainly withstood our pockets. We stowed the S8 Active rather carelessly for a week, often jamming it into the same pockets as keychains and pens. Other than a surface scratch near the screen’s left-hand side, it escaped unscathed.

Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

After that, we put the Samsung’s more extreme claims to the test.

First up was water resistance. We filled a transparent bowl with four inches of water, set it in front of a sunny office window, and dropped the switched-on S8 Active in from above. We left it at the bottom of the bowl for about eight minutes, removed it, washed it off with a fistful of paper towels, and tried launching a benchmarking app. Remarkably, it was as if nothing had happened; the (sparkling) S8 Active warned us to wait until the USB-C port had dried before plugging it into to charge, but completed the benchmark without complaint. In subsequent tests, every component we tested — including the speaker, earpiece, and cameras — worked just as well as they had before we thoroughly soaked them.

If you pick up an S8 Active, expect it to survive an accidental dip in a pool or drop onto carpet just fine.

Dropping the S8 Active didn’t seem to do any permanent damage, either. We conducted a series of drop tests in the office, on carpet, with the S8 Active held face up at shoulder level. After three successive drops, we examined the phone closely for damage. But try as we might, we didn’t find scratches, scuffs, or any other obvious signs of major harm. The S8 Active’s vibration motor seemed to rattle a bit more than usual when new notifications arrived, but the drops didn’t seem to affect the phone’s speaker, camera, or performance.

Here’s our conclusion: If you pick up an S8 Active, expect it to survive an accidental dip in a pool or drop onto carpet just fine. The jury’s out on how well it’ll stand up to higher falls and deeper dives, and we’ll update this review if we observe something out of the ordinary. But for now, we can personally attest to the S8 Active’s better-than-average durability.

Camera

The S8 Active’s camera is identical to the one in the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S8. It’s a single 12-megapixel sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, unlike the dual-camera model on the Note 8. But it doesn’t suffer for it.

In the early daylight hours of the weekday commute, it captured bright, sharp photos with lots of detail. Colors tended to be a little more muted than the Google Pixel. And every once in a while, Samsung’s autofocus didn’t lock onto to the right subject, resulting in blurry shots.

But we were impressed by the S8 Active’s shooting modes. Selective Focus captures DSRL-like bokeh shots by blurring the background and locking focus on the foreground, like Apple’s Portrait Mode. The Pro mode lets you change settings like the shutter speed, focus, and ISO.

The S8 Active’s front camera is no less versatile. A “Wide Selfie” mode has you snap a photo, twist your wrist to the right and left, and tap the shutter button to create a sort of selfie panorama. Samsung’s augmented reality (AR) sticker feature makes the experience even better with Snapchat-like stickers, masks, and filters.

Battery life and charging

The S8 Active isn’t just bulkier for the sake of it. One reason for its thicker, chunkier body is a larger battery, and it’s a massive improvement.

The Active packs a 4,000mAh battery compared to the Galaxy S8’s 3,000mAh battery, and it doesn’t take long to notice the difference. In our testing, a full day of checking emails, responding to Slack messages, updating RSS feeds, and snapping photos drained the battery to about 50 percent by evening. On the nights, we didn’t plug the phone into a charger, we woke up to anywhere between 20 to 30 percent battery remaining.

The results were dramatically better than the S8 Plus, which in our testing tended to be around 25 percent by 8 p.m.

Software

The S8 Active runs Samsung’s familiar TouchWiz interface, a skin on top of Android 7.1 Nougat. It’s pretty much unchanged from the version on the Galaxy S8.

TouchWiz is a little more customizable than most Android devices, which is nice to see.

The S8 Active ships with a few AT&T apps pre-loaded, which isn’t terribly surprising given its carrier exclusivity. Most can be uninstalled or disabled, and most will bother you if you don’t. We kept seeing messages from the DirecTV Quick Remote app, which we hadn’t launched, and reminders to switch on Lookout’s security software. Bloatware isn’t uncommon in this day and age, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying.

We’ve covered Bixby, — and TouchWiz’s other major features in great detail, so we won’t dive too deep into them here. But rest assured that signatures like Smart Stay, which keeps the screen on as long as your eyes are staring at it, and Activity Zone, which automatically logs your workouts, are present and accounted for.

TouchWiz is a little more customizable than most Android devices, which is nice to see. You can reverse the order of the on-screen navigation icon and change the screen resolution, for example, or assign different fingerprint sensor swipe gestures to different apps and settings. Or you can just leave everything as is. TouchWiz leaves it up to you.

Price and availability

The Galaxy S8 Active is exclusive to AT&T, which means AT&T’s website and brick-and-mortar stores are some of the few places you can buy them. You’ll also need AT&T service in order to use it.

The S8 Active starts at $850 full price or $28.34 per month on a 30-month installment plan, and AT&T’s offering up to $300 in credits with an eligible trade-in. It comes in two colors, meteor gray and titanium gold.

Warranty information

Samsung offers a standard limited warranty that protects the S8 Active from manufacturing defects up to one year from the date of purchase. It does not cover damage from water, or accidental drops.

Our Take

The Galaxy S8 Active is the Galaxy S8 in different clothing — perhaps a waterproof, shock-resistant vest. For the most part, it’s uncompromising. On the inside there’s the same processor, storage, sensors, and radios as the S8, and Samsung has taken advantage of the S8 Active’s larger frame to cram in a bigger battery. It doesn’t have the S8’s curved screen, and it’s a little on the hefty side. But it holds up to abuse just fine.

Is there a better alternative?

Not really. The S8 Active is unusual in that its hardware is as good, and in some cases better, than its parent phone. Most rugged phones like the Cat S60, the Kyocera DuraForce Pro, and the Blackview BV6000 tend to have large batteries and durable bodies, but otherwise mid-range specs. One possible exception is the Essential Phone, a new device from the Andy Rubin-backed Essential. It features a titanium frame that’s ostensibly “durable” and “water-resistant,” but there’s a catch — it hasn’t earned IP certification or passed MIL-STD testing yet.

For now, the S8 Active stands basically uncontested in the high-end ruggedized phone category.

How long will it last?

The Galaxy S8 Active runs TouchWiz, which means it probably won’t receive an update as quickly as phones with fewer customizations, like the Google Pixel and Essential Phone.

Samsung always delivers new versions of Android (most recently Android O) later than when Google rolls them out, so don’t expect speedy upgrades.

In terms of durability, we’re expecting the S8 Active to hold up exceptionally well over time. If the results of our preliminary tests are any indication, it should have no problem weathering day-to-day stresses, accidental drops, and the occasional rain shower.

Should you buy it?

Maybe. The S8 Active is unquestionably a niche product. Not everyone’s willing to compromise on style in exchange for durability. Then there’s the fact that it’s exclusive to AT&T, which makes it a much more difficult proposition if you’re on another carrier.

For folks more concerned about durability than looks, the Galaxy S8 Active is the perfect solution. Not only is it as tough as advertised, it packs all the same hardware and software features as its better-looking S series relatives.

Afraid of heights? Scientists might be able to fix that — with magnets and VR

Why it matters to you

Phobias and anxiety can be debilitating to sufferers. This high-tech solution could help treat it.

Could a combination of virtual reality and transcranial magnetic stimulation — in which specific regions of the brain are stimulated using a targeted magnetic field — help people overcome anxieties and phobias, such as a fear of heights? Researchers from the University Hospital of Würzburg  in Germany certainly think so.

In a new study, 39 participants were recruited, all with a fear of heights. Using VR, they were placed into scenarios in which these fears would usually be provoked. Twenty minutes prior to the experiment, half of the participants had the frontal lobe of their brain stimulated using transcranial magnetic stimulation. This involves a magnetic coil being placed near to the head of the person receiving the treatment. The coil produces a fast-changing magnetic field which sends magnetic pulses through the cranium and into the brain. The other half of the participants were given a pseudo stimulation to act as a placebo.

After two sessions, the group that had been treated using transcranial magnetic stimulation before the VR exposure therapy found that they experienced reduced levels of anxiety. Best of all, the positive effects were still visible three months after the treatment took place.

It’s an exciting demonstration of how this groundbreaking technology can be used to benefit patients. Other researchers have already looked at the impact of virtual reality as a therapeutic tool for allowing patients to face anxieties in a controlled (and highly customizable) environment. This work adds transcranial magnetic stimulation to the mix for what could turn out to be the most powerful tool for addressing phobias yet. Given that some anxiety disorders can be so serious that they can have a debilitating effect on sufferers, research such as this could be life-changing.

Next, the researchers want to expand the study to explore other fears to see whether they can be treated with the same level of success. Their chosen phobia for the next phase is arachnophobia, a fear of spiders.

A research paper describing the work, titled “Medial prefrontal cortex stimulation accelerates therapy response of exposure therapy in acrophobia,” was recently published in the scientific journal Brain Stimulation.