Razer carves out a place for budget-minded gamers with new Blade Pro

Why it matters to you

By offering a midrange version of its high-end Blade Pro, Razer hopes to make its flagship gaming laptop more attainable for laptop gamers.

There was some good news for laptop gamers, and their wallets, out of IFA on Thursday, August 31, as Razer announced a new configuration for its top-end 17.3-inch Blade Pro laptop. The new model boasts more modest internals at a much more modest price, starting at just $2,300. The original, fully loaded, Blade Pro starts at $4,000.

It’s still a premium gaming laptop, so its price isn’t exactly as budget-friendly as, say, the Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming, but it’s much more attainable as a desktop replacement than the previous model. Not to mention, the $2,300 Blade Pro has a few unique features which set it apart from the competition.

The new Blade Pro features a matte 1080p IPS display panel, with a refresh rate of 120Hz and support for Nvidia’s G-Sync. The new display isn’t a touchscreen, but that refresh rate is promising.

Internally, it features an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 2TB mechanical hard drive.

But wait, there’s more! Razer promises the new Blade Pro will be user-expandable, meaning a few of those baseline specs can be upgraded over time. The new Blade Pro comes standard with 16GB of RAM, but enterprising owners will be able to pop the Blade open and add another 16GB of RAM, bringing the total up to 32GB.

The storage options can also be expanded. You’ll be able to replace the existing 256GB M.2 SSD with larger offerings all the way up to 2TB. The mechanical drive can also be replaced with any compatible mechanical HDD up to 4TB.

On top of all that, the new Blade Pro features the same high-quality construction featured on the original, with a robust “military-grade” aluminum chassis, a real mechanical keyboard, and of course Razer’s signature Chroma lighting setup.

We don’t have an exact release date just yet, but Razer has the new Blade Pro slated for a third quarter 2017 release on the Razer Store, and a fourth quarter 2017 release worldwide. So we should see it on store shelves before the end of the year, and if you’re particularly eager to get your hands on it, keep a close eye on the Razer Store in the coming months.

Sphero brings Star Wars droids R2D2 and BB-9E to life as remote-controlled bots

Why it matters to you

Sphero’s new R2D2 and BB-9E are remarkably good re-creations of their on-screen counterparts — and a blast to play with.

Few franchises have stood the test of time like Star Wars — and even fewer droids. That’s what inspired Sphero, the Boulder, Colorado-based startup behind the remote-controlled Ultimate Lightning McQueen, Sprk, and Sprk+, to build R2D2, a remote-controlled robot that mimics its cinematic inspiration.

Sphero’s R2D2, which launches Friday, is packed to the brim with circuitry. Four motors, two in its dome and shoulders and one in each of its bases, help it transition gracefully between a stationary, two-footed position and three-footed driving mode. Treads in the bottom of its three feet propel it forward on carpet, tabletops, and tiled surfaces, and a built-in speaker and LEDs — modeled after R2D2’s signature control panel and holographic projector — underline the droid’s emotions.

During an engineering period that lasted a year, Sphero’s team of animators modeled all of the R2D2 robot’s physical constraints to make sure it wouldn’t fall over when it wasn’t supposed to, or travel faster than the treads could handle. “We learned a lot of tricks from Ultimate Lightning McQueen,” Sphero chief scientist Adam Wilson said. “We wanted to bring the character to life, so we worked really closely with [Disney] to make sure it was nearly identical [to the movies].”

“We learned a lot of tricks from Ultimate Lightning McQueen”

R2D2’s gadgetry is more than just for show. The Droid dashboard, a new smartphone app that brings Sphero’s expanding Star Wars product lineup under one roof, puts Artoo at your command. You can direct the droid to perform one of nine canned animations, including a memorable reaction to Jawas in A New Hope. And, as with Sphero’s other remote-controlled droids, you can move the droid around to your heart’s content with a digital trackpad.

When the novelty of driving a little R2D2 around the room runs its course, there’s more in store. The Droid app’s Patrol mode lets the Artoo robot surviel its surroundings, and a Draw and Drive tool lets you chart a course for R2D2 to follow. A brand-new activity, Holographic Simulation, lets you chart a course through iconic locations like the Millennium Falcon, Mega Star Destroyer, Resistance Cruiser, and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s House.

For Star Wars fans who like to tinker as much as young Luke, there’s an educational component. R2D2 can be programmed with Apple’s Swift language and Sphero’s own block-based language. Budding developers can translate the blocks to Javascript, if they wish, and tap into Sphero’s API for finer controls.

But R2D2 isn’t the only new droid in town. BB-9E, Sphero’s other new robot, is BB-8’s evil alter ego. The First Order droid features an inductively charged, magnetically attached dome with menacing blue-and-red LEDs, and a durable spherical body that navigates inclines with ease.

BB-9E’s primary controller is the Droid app. But just like last year’s BB-9, you can ditch the smartphone and opt instead for Sphero’s gesture-sensing Force Band, which lets you control the BB-9E by tilting your wrist. The in-app BB-9E experience is otherwise comparable to R2D2’s. The animations are a bit different, but the path-modeling and patrol mode work just like they do with Artoo.

Both droids are fun on their own. But there’s more you can do with both.

One of the Droid app’s highlights — Watch With Me — is sort of like Mystery Science Theater 3000, but with Sphero droids. Once you pair your robots and queue up a movie, R2D2, BB-9E, and whichever other droids you’ve paired with will start animating to plot points as they happen, cheering for their respective buddies at each twist and turn. And in a future update, R2D2, BB-9E, and BB-8 will react to each other as they come into contact.

R2D2 and BB-9E go on sale for $180 and $150, respectively. Sphero sold more than a million BB-8 units in 2015.

“It’s a lot of mixed emotions,” Wilson said. “But we’re bringing our dream out into the world.”

Back in black — the BlackBerry KeyOne Black Edition adds more RAM and storage

Why it matters to you

If you’ve been craving a matte black BlackBerry KeyOne with more RAM and storage, then the Black Edition is for you.

We were pleasantly surprised by the BlackBerry KeyOne when it launched earlier this year. The TCL-manufactured Android smartphone created something of a buzz at MWC. By offering a physical keyboard alongside the 4.5-inch touchscreen, it immediately stood out of the crowd. Now its back in black, as TCL just announced the BlackBerry KeyOne Black Edition at IFA in Berlin.

Our original BlackBerry KeyOne review praised the phone’s battery life, solid build quality, and security, but pointed out a few weaknesses, too. TCL told us they’re pleased with the success of the phone so far, but they’ve been listening to the feedback and the most common request has been a matte black version of the device. The BlackBerry KeyOne Black Edition also gave the firm the opportunity to increase the RAM from 3GB to 4GB and boost the internal storage from 32GB up to 64GB. It still has a MicroSD card slot for expansion.

They say black is slimming, and that seems to apply to phones as well, because the BlackBerry KeyOne Black Edition does look svelte next to its silvery sibling, though they’re actually the exact same size. The matte black finish is understated and feels more in keeping with the BlackBerry brand than the silver, but it’s not entirely black — there are some silver highlights on the buttons.

Here’s the rub — it’s only available in specific markets.

If you’re thinking that this sounds familiar, that’s because a very similar device has been launched in India already, though it’s manufactured by Optiemus Infracom, rather than TCL. There’s also a Space Black version of the BlackBerry KeyOne available exclusively through AT&T, but it lacks the extra RAM and storage space.

The BlackBerry KeyOne Black Edition is manufactured by TCL and it goes on sale very soon — by the end of the third quarter of 2017, so probably in late September. Here’s the rub — it’s only available in specific markets, initially the U.K., Germany, France, Canada, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Japan. If you fancy getting your hands on one, then you’ll have to pay 649 euros, 549 British pounds, or 799 Canadian dollars.

Everything that made the original good is retained here, including the 12-megapixel camera, the BlackBerry suite of apps, and that tactile keyboard. The extra RAM and storage in the BlackBerry KeyOne Black Edition is definitely welcome, but we can’t help feeling that the company might have done better updating the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor.

In any case, the fact that TCL is putting out the Black Edition tells you that the phone has been a success. François Mahieu, head of global sales for TCL, told Digital Trends that KeyOne sales have surpassed expectations and we can definitely expect a sequel. But before that, we might just see the release of an all-touchscreen BlackBerry. We’ll have more news for you on that front soon.

Are you still awake? Pulsing-light device Dodow promises to help you sleep

Why it matters to you

Dodow offers a medication-free way to fall asleep faster.

We live in stressful lives in a hectic world that isn’t always kind to our bodies and minds. With a third of American adults saying they get less than the recommended amount of sleep, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s clear that our hyperconnected days are impacting our ability to sleep at night.

But a simple device called Dodow might be able to help. With just a bit of light, French company Livlab claims it can help people fall asleep faster, and without sleeping pills, by tapping into one of the body’s natural mechanisms. The device works using a pulsing night light, which a user is meant to follow along with her breath, activating a reflex that causes her heart rate and blood pressure to decrease.

Livlab cofounder Alex Dujoncquoy explained the process to Digital Trends: “[The device] shines a light on the ceiling and you breathe at the rhythm of the light, and it takes you from around eleven breaths per minutes, which is the normal breathing rate, to six breaths per minute, which is a very slow rate that triggers a small mechanism called baroreflex, which gets you from an alert state to a ‘rest and digest’ state.”

Stress is often responsible for the inability to fall asleep, as we stay up at night worrying about work, school, children, parents, or whatever other issues might run through the mind. The goal of Dodow is to calm the “fight or flight” aspect of stress, and bring the autonomic nervous system back into balance by stimulating the baroreflex, which itself can be activated by slow, rhythmic breathing.

“Bascially after eight minutes of this exercise you’re mind and body are more relaxed,” Dujoncquoy said.

“This won’t knock you out,” he added. “It’s like a sleep warmup for people who have trouble falling asleep and may need a bit of training to get used to falling asleep faster.”

Dodow is in talks with a French hospital to arrange clinical studies with the device. And although it hasn’t been clinically validated, Dujoncquoy said Dodow users report falling asleep around 2.5 times faster than before using the device.

The company is now looking to introduce Dodow to the U.S. market.

Uber Movement is a newly released treasure trove of data for city officials

Why it matters to you

Uber, with its millions of daily rides, knows a thing or two about city traffic. Now, you can know those same things, too.

Uber previously released to certain municipalities a veritable treasure trove of data to help city governments and city planners improve traffic conditions and commutes. After that initial debut, which was exclusive to urban planners, Uber has now officially set Uber Movement live for the general public.

 At the beginning of the year, the San Francisco-based company made available a tome of data based upon countless rides taken by its millions of customers each and every day. Uber Movement includes data that provides “detailed historical insights [that] make it possible to measure the impact of road improvements, major events, new transit lines, and more.” Now, Uber has made this information available for residents of a number of cities, including Bogota, Columbia; Manila, The Philippines; Sydney, Australia; Boston, and Washington, D.C. If you check out the web app, you can look into average travel times between neighborhoods, and also take a closer look at ETAs depending on time of day and day of the week.

While the data has technically been available since Uber first launched in 2009, aggregating all this information has been no small feat. For the last year or so, a team of about 10 engineers has devoted itself to putting together information on three major cities — Manila, Philippines, Sydney, Australia, and Washington, DC. Dozens more cities are expected to be added to Movement before the site is made publicly available in February. When it’s complete, Movement will contain data for every city in which Uber is active, beginning in early 2016.

Uber notes that this data can help planners and policymakers conduct “complex analysis on transportation patterns,” which will allow for “better decision making around future infrastructure investments.”

“We don’t manage streets. We don’t plan infrastructure,” said Andrew Salzberg, Uber’s chief of transportation policy. “So why have this stuff bottled up when it can provide immense value to the cities we’re working in?” Noting that the company is collecting a “constant stream of data,” Salzberg added, “Some of this data is treated as digital exhaust, when in fact it’s immensely valuable.”

Uber isn’t the only company to be sharing what it knows with governments. Waze has a “Connected Citizens” program that provides city officials with data they need in exchange for early notice of construction and road closures to add to its maps. And Strava, the cycling app, lets cities know where residents like to bike.

But when it comes to certain valuable information, it’s unclear just how much Uber, or any of these companies, are willing to divulge at this point.

“I think cities need to be very clear about what they want,” Gabe Klein, a former head of the Detroit Department of Transportation, told the Washington Post.

Update: Uber Movement has now been made available to the public in some cities. 

iPhone Base brings Osmo’s augmented reality games to the iPhone

Why it matters to you

Osmo’s AR apps and games are a lot more accessible with the new iPhone Base.

Osmo, the augmented reality platform for the Apple iPad, has won accolades for its kid-focused innovations. Games by the Palo Alto, California-based startup Tangible Play made Fast Company’s 2017 “most innovative” list and Time Magazine’s Best Inventions. And on Thursday, it’s launching a new platform: The Osmo iPhone Base.

“[Our team] has been working overdrive for months to make Osmo capable of running on an iPhone,” Osmo co-founder and CEO Pramod Sharma told Digital Trends. “This is no small technical feat.”

The biggest challenge was shrinking Osmo’s clip-on mirror and stand, which were originally designed to fit an iPad, down to the iPhone’s smaller form factor. Tangible Play’s AR apps and games use the iPad’s front-facing camera to perform object recognition; in Osmo Masterpiece, sketches on a physical notepad are transformed into digital drawings, and in Osmo Coding Awbie, physical blocks guide on-screen monsters on adventures.

The team decided to start from scratch, engineering a stand sturdy enough to hold the iPhone in place during play but compact enough to travel.

“The power of hands-on play has no limits and we should give kids as many opportunities for it as we can.”

“[We] had to ensure the same Osmo magic was still there […] it had to be fun,” Sharma said.

After more than three years of development, Tangible Play’s engineers settled on a solution: A plastic base that clamps onto the sides of any iPhone, extends vertically to a height of several inches, and folds compactly to fit in a drawstring bag.

“[It’s] one of the hardest things we’ve done” Sharma said.

Osmo iPhone Base, which goes on sale today, won’t require Osmo iPad users to repurchase any of the kits they already own. Kits including Coding Awbie, Monster, Coding Jam, Masterpiece, Words, and Pizza Co. are fully compatible with the iPhone.

That was crucial to the mission of “[expanding] the reach of educational and fun experiences that teach lifelong skill sets,” Sharma said. “The power of hands-on play has no limits and we should give kids as many opportunities for it as we can.”

He’s expecting big things from the iPhone Base, which comes on the heels of Osmo’s global expansion. Osmo kits are sold in over 50 countries and used in 22,000 schools, and Tangible Play recently inked a deal with Mattel to integrate Reflective Artificial Intelligence, Osmo’s core framework, with some of its brands.

“It’s such an important thing to do,” Sharma said.

Instagram tells its high-profile users that they may have been hacked

Why it matters to you

If you’re an Instagram influencer, listen up. This hack may have affected your account.

At this point in time, be thankful that you’re not an Instagram influencer. On Wednesday, the Facebook-owned photo sharing app revealed that “at least one hacker” managed to steal personal information from a number of high-profile user accounts. Apparently, the breach was caused by a bug in the system, which Instagram says has now been addressed.

“We recently discovered that one or more individuals obtained unlawful access to a number of high-profile Instagram users’ contact information — specifically email address and phone number — by exploiting a bug in an Instagram API,” an Instagram representative noted in a statement. Luckily, it would appear that account passwords were kept safe, but all the same, it’s an alarming security loophole in an app that boasts more than 700 million users a month.

Instagram’s announcement comes on the heels of another extremely high-profile hack. Earlier this week, Selena Gomez, who boasts the greatest number of followers on the platform, saw her own Instagram profile hacked. As a result, nude photos of ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber were posted to her account. The social media platform briefly shut down the account to help Gomez restore control of the profile and re-secure exclusive access.

But now, it’s not just Gomez who may need to be concerned. Instagram has not yet disclosed whether the latest breach is at all related to the earlier hack and also has not revealed exactly whose accounts were affected.

“At this point we believe this effort was targeted at high-profile users so, out of an abundance of caution, we are notifying our verified account holders of this issue,” an Instagram spokesperson told Fortune in a statement. So if you have a little blue check next to your name in your Instagram account, you will be getting an email from Instagram regardless of whether or not you were affected by the breach, reminding you to make use of two-factor authentication and unique passwords.

“Our main concern is for the safety and security of our community,” Instagram said. “As always, we encourage people to be vigilant about the security of their account and exercise caution if they encounter any suspicious activity such as unrecognized incoming calls, texts, and emails.”

Instagram tells its high-profile users that they may have been hacked

Why it matters to you

If you’re an Instagram influencer, listen up. This hack may have affected your account.

At this point in time, be thankful that you’re not an Instagram influencer. On Wednesday, the Facebook-owned photo sharing app revealed that “at least one hacker” managed to steal personal information from a number of high-profile user accounts. Apparently, the breach was caused by a bug in the system, which Instagram says has now been addressed.

“We recently discovered that one or more individuals obtained unlawful access to a number of high-profile Instagram users’ contact information — specifically email address and phone number — by exploiting a bug in an Instagram API,” an Instagram representative noted in a statement. Luckily, it would appear that account passwords were kept safe, but all the same, it’s an alarming security loophole in an app that boasts more than 700 million users a month.

Instagram’s announcement comes on the heels of another extremely high-profile hack. Earlier this week, Selena Gomez, who boasts the greatest number of followers on the platform, saw her own Instagram profile hacked. As a result, nude photos of ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber were posted to her account. The social media platform briefly shut down the account to help Gomez restore control of the profile and re-secure exclusive access.

But now, it’s not just Gomez who may need to be concerned. Instagram has not yet disclosed whether the latest breach is at all related to the earlier hack and also has not revealed exactly whose accounts were affected.

“At this point we believe this effort was targeted at high-profile users so, out of an abundance of caution, we are notifying our verified account holders of this issue,” an Instagram spokesperson told Fortune in a statement. So if you have a little blue check next to your name in your Instagram account, you will be getting an email from Instagram regardless of whether or not you were affected by the breach, reminding you to make use of two-factor authentication and unique passwords.

“Our main concern is for the safety and security of our community,” Instagram said. “As always, we encourage people to be vigilant about the security of their account and exercise caution if they encounter any suspicious activity such as unrecognized incoming calls, texts, and emails.”

These Screen Protectors Are a Good Idea if you Own an Essential Phone

How can I keep my Essential Phone screen protected?

The Essential Phone features one of the most unique-looking screens we’ve ever seen on an Android phone. With tiny bezels around the display and the unique camera divot at the top, it’s a phone that’s sure to stand out from the crowd for some time.

But you’ll want people to be staring at your Essential Phone for the right reasons. That means keeping it protected from scratches, cracks and worse with a quality screen protector. We’ve rounded up some of your best screen protector options and the good news is there’s value to be had across the board.

• amFilm Essential Phone Tempered Glass Screen Protector (2-Pack)
• Mr Shield Tempered Glass Screen Protector (3-Pack)
• J&D Tech Matte Film Screen Protector (8-Pack)

amFilm Essential Phone Tempered Glass Screen Protector (2-Pack)

First up is this two-pack of tempered glass screen protectors from amFilm. These screen protectors are just .33mm thick but will provide the necessary protection for your Essential Phone against drops, bumps, scratches, and normal wear and tear.

This kit includes everything required for a clean installation: wet and dry wipes, dust removal stickers, and a squeeze card for removing any air bubbles. With this two-pack, you’ll have a backup in case your first one takes a hit on behalf of your phone. Get yours for just $8!

See at Amazon

Mr Shield Tempered Glass Screen Protector (3-Pack)

Two is good, but three is better! If you’re seeking out the best value on tempered glass screen protectors for your new Essential Phone, look no further than Mr Shield’s offerings. You get three slabs of rugged tempered glass that feature rounded edges for a smooth feel for your fingers, along with everything you need for a clean installation — all for only $8 on Amazon.

These protectors are also covered by Mr Shield’s lifetime replacement warranty, which means they will send you a replacement free of charge if you run into an issue during installation such as air bubbles.

See at Amazon

J&D Tech Matte Film Screen Protector (8-Pack)

Tempered glass is typically the way to go, but if you’re more concerned about scuffs and scratches on your screen, a film screen protector should offer adequate protection. That makes this 8-pack of Essential Phone screen protectors from J&D Tech virtually a lifetime supply for only $8.

Made from high-quality PET film, these screen protectors feature a matte finish that helps to cut down on glare and they’re also resistant to fingerprint smudges. It protects the full display, but does not provide edge-to-edge coverage because of the curved edges of the phone — but it does allow these screen protectors to be compatible with cases. You just get the eight screen protectors in the box, so you’ll have to do the work to ensure the screen is clean during installation, but then again you’ll have seven other tries to get it right if you mess up the first time.

See at Amazon

Picking up a screen protector for your Essential Phone?

What accessories are you eyeing to keep your Essential Phone in mint condition? Or do you like to gamble and keep it entirely bare? Let us know in the comments below!

Essential Phone

• Essential Phone review: First impressions
• Essential Phone specs
• The latest Essential Phone news
• Join our Essential Phone forums!

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These new Star Wars drones are the most fun you can have with a controller

“This is not a toy. I can’t stress that enough.”

Propel CEO Darren Matloff stood six feet from me earlier this week, resting a tiny replica of the classic Tie Advanced fighter in his hand, with the most serious face he could muster as he uttered that phrase. It sure looked like a toy; in fact, it looked like a palm-sized drone I’d be able to fly around my office in a few days. But he was seriously standing there telling me the three Star Wars-themed drones being introduced to the world were not toys.

If not toys, what are they? For Propel, these drones are a huge step forward in being publicly recognized as a leader in the drone world. For the rest of us, these drones are the most fun way you could possibly have to learn to fly any kind of drone like a pro. They are also toys, ridiculously fun toys, but I get where Darren is coming from.

Advanced Laser Battle Drones

The partnership between Propel and Disney is, like all of the truly special Star Wars products released every year, an effort to go above and beyond what consumers would expect. These aren’t just drones you fly around one at a time, they’re designed with a laser tag-like combat system and a communication platform for gameplay in a public space with up to 11 other pilots. So yeah, not your average drone.

Currently, Propel is selling the Tie Advanced X1 alongside the T-65 X-Wing and the 74-Z Speeder Bike. While one of those things is clearly not like others when it comes to the actual Star Wars universe, these little drones are plenty detailed and can really move when you know how to fly them.

With the safeties unlocked, these drones are capable of 30MPH and can fly for up to 8 minutes on a charge. The drones all light up in ways that line up with the classic designs of the vehicles, and the use of clear propellers on the bottom of the drones makes the designs a little more realistic.

Not only are the drones themselves impressive to look at, the limited edition boxes available with these drones are staggeringly beautiful. Break the wax seal and lift the case up to see a lit display to show off your tiny drone, with its controller safely tucked underneath. It makes a compelling display case, assuming you don’t crash your drone a few minutes after using it the first time.

The perfect training system

To complement these drones, Propel has an app that does more than you can imagine. It starts as a simple training app, syncing your phone to the controller and letting you fly around a virtual version of your drone. This game includes 34 different training modules, including advanced flying techniques like in-air corkscrews and firing the lasers at the right time. Using the actual controller you use to pilot the drone makes it possible for you to really learn how to fly the drone without damaging it, and it helps that the game itself is a lot of fun.

The difference between what you can buy now and what Propel is offering here is staggering.

When you aren’t training, the app is used as the network for multiplayer gameplay. You can see a leaderboard for all of the action, and get tips for what will make you better next time if you lose. This information all comes from the drone itself, including information on who you are playing against, thanks to new tech called Li-Fi that allows data to be transmitted from drone to drone, and then to your phone.

Of course, you don’t actually need to use the app at all for training if you don’t want. The controller uses barometric sensors to create a training zone you can enable. This means the drone has a safety floor and ceiling that the user can’t pass, so no accidental slams into floors or ceilings. If the drone takes a hit, it shuts off and safely lands. Assuming you don’t crash immediately thanks to this safety mode, you can use this to become comfortable with everything you learned in the app before moving on to actual combat.

I’m going to own all of these

Star Wars-themed drones are not a new concept, but the difference between what you can buy now and what Propel is offering here is staggering. These drones look nicer, fly faster, and do way more for a much better price. These drones are available for $179 in a ton of places starting September 1, with several upgrade options planned for drone pilots that would like to really get serious about drone combat.

The bottom line is these drones should be on every holiday shopping list, but hardcore Star Wars collectors need to get on this immediately in order to get that limited edition display.