Google may be preparing a tabletop Echo Show competitor, code-named Manhattan

Why it matters to you

Google’s Manhattan speaker could give the Google Assistant a hands-free screen.

Google, not to be outdone by Amazon’s new Echo Spot and Echo Plus, is reportedly developing a screen-sporting version of its Google Home smart speaker. The tabletop tablet, which is reportedly code-named Manhattan, could launch by the end of 2017.

The Manhattan resembles Amazon’s Echo Show, according to TechCrunch, and is an Alexa-powered mounted tablet with a 7-inch screen, a front camera, and high-speed Wi-Fi. It will support Google apps like YouTube, Google Photos, and Google Play Movies and TV when it launches later this year, and will offer video calling and always-on access to the Google Assistant.

Like the current generation of Home speakers, it will act as a hub for smart home devices like Philips Hue bulbs, GE appliances, Nest thermostats, and more. And it’s said to run Android, the Google-made operating system on billions of phones, tablets, set-top boxes, and smartwatches around the world.

Part of the Manhattan’s motivation is to catch up with other market entrants, according to TechCrunch. The Google Home team is under “intense internal pressure” to expand the company’s smart speaker lineup, and it’s no mystery why. Analysts at CIRP estimate that Google Home, which launched about a year after the first-generation Amazon Echo, has a 24-percent share of the U.S. home automation market compared to the Echo lineup’s 76 percent.

Timing isn’t on Google’s side. At a press event in late September, Amazon announced five new Echo devices at every price range: The $150 Echo Plus, the $130 Echo Spot, the $50 Echo, the $35 Echo Connect, and Echo Buttons. Apple’s HomePod, a self-contained speaker powered by Siri, is expected to launch in December. And Facebook is said to be developing Aloha, a 15-inch touchscreen smart speaker with support for voice commands and audio calling.

But the search giant is reportedly tackling the problem from all angles. A report earlier this month revealed Google Home Mini, a smart home speaker with a smaller profile and lower price tag than Google Home. And a subsequent leak revealed Google Home Max, a high-end stereo system with built-in support for the Google Assistant.

Manhattan will presumably sit on higher end of the pricing spectrum, but TechCrunch wasn’t able to confirm pricing. And there’s a good chance that the screen-touting smart speaker, which was originally pegged for early 2018, might be delayed. Sources tell the publication that Google is in ongoing negotiations with component and supply chain partners, and that third-party content partnerships — including one with Netflix — have yet to be finalized.

The C64 mini will bring back all the fun of the Commodore 64 in 2018

Why it matters to you

The C64 mini brings together some of the best games ever released for the Commodore 64 and could even foster the development of new titles for the platform.

Friday, September 29 marks the launch of the SNES Classic Edition, and it seems like the demand for the retro console will be just as high as it was for the NES Classic Edition last year. Now, another throwback system has been announced, this one based on the Commodore 64.

The C64 mini is apparently a fully licensed reproduction of the 8-bit home computer, according to a report from Eurogamer. It’s just half the size of the original hardware, but boasts two USB ports for peripherals, with one joystick being included in the package, and is pre-loaded with more than 35 classic games.

Some of the big hitters from the Commodore 64 library are here, like California Games, Chip’s Challenge, and Impossible Mission. There are also some deeper cuts like Bounder, Iridis Alpha, and Monty on the Run, as well as some titles that could perhaps be described as filler.

Owners will be able to expand their collection by typing in the BASIC computer listings, just like back in the 1980s. The same functionality will also allow bedroom coders to create brand new games — although there’s a little bit of a catch.

This kind of input will require the user to attach a keyboard via one of the system’s USB ports. While the C64 mini apes the design of its predecessor, it doesn’t actually function as a working keyboard. Given that it’s much smaller than the original, it wouldn’t be too comfortable to type on, anyway.

Fortunately, anyone that is looking for a more faithful recreation of the Commodore 64 is in luck, they just might have to wait a little longer. The company behind the C64 mini has plans to release a “full-sized, full-working version” at some point in 2018, according to information posted on the system’s official website, but there are no further details available on that hardware at this time.

The C64 mini is set to hit stores in 2018 and will be priced at $70. That’s $10 cheaper than the SNES Classic Edition but it remains to be seen whether there is as much nostalgia for the Commodore 64 as there is for Nintendo’s crop of consoles.

Timex’s Fairfield Contactless is an analog watch with tap-and-pay capability

Why it matters to you

If you don’t want a smartwatch but like the idea of paying for things with your wrist, the Timex Fairfield Contactless might be the watch for you.

There is a new way to pay for a cup of coffee with your watch and it doesn’t involve Apple Pay. On Friday, September 29, Timex announced a new hybrid wristwatch for U.K. markets, the Fairfield Contactless, that supports tap-and-go payments.

The Fairfield Contactless doesn’t support contactless transactions, unlike the Apple Watch. Instead, the requisite payments hardware, which based on British bank Barclaycard’s proprietary bPay chips, is stitched into the timepiece’s leather wrist straps and connects wirelessly to an Android or iOS smartphone via Bluetooth. A companion app lets wearers view recent transactions, top up their balance, and set spending limits.

“We are excited at the possibilities this technology offers consumers in payment solutions and will continue to work with our partners in bringing this to more of our collection,” Duncan Harris, Timex UK’s sales and marketing director, said in a statement.

It isn’t a perfect system, though. Because of U.K. Cards Association regulations, the bPay chip won’t process transactions greater than 30 euro ($40). And it doesn’t work at every retailer — Timex says about 490,000 locations in the U.K. currently support it.

But Tami Hargreaves, Barclaycard’s director of innovation and partnerships, made a case for its convenience. “[Our] partnership with Timex represents another exciting way ‘touch-and-go’ technology can be simply and stylishly integrated into fashion and accessories,” she said in a press release.

The Fairfield Contactless’s launch comes on the heels of Barclaycard’s other wallet-free payments ventures. In 2015, the firm partnered with Scottish knitwear brand Lyle and Scott to create a contactless jacket. And in 2017, it teamed with fashion brand TopShop on tap-and-pay winter clothing.

But Barclaycard’s ambitions are broader than apparel. The company recently unveiled the Loop, a 20 euro ($25.80), 22mm-wide contactless chip that lets any of its customers add NFC payment capabilities to watches they already own and partnered with Swiss watchmaker Mondaine and fitness device firm Garmin to bundle it with select products.

“bPay is the U.K.’s leading range of wearable payment products and was designed to meet customer demand for a new way of paying,” Hargreaves said. “Thanks to the huge growth we are seeing in contactless payments, we are increasingly becoming accustomed to being able to make low-value payments throughout the day in a quick, easy, convenient way.”

The Fairfield Contactless goes on sale in early November for 159 euro ($170), and owners of other compatible Timex watches can upgrade theirs by buying a bPay-compatible strap (in black or brown) a la carte.

Uber is assisting riders in communicating with hearing-impaired drivers

Why it matters to you

Communicating with a hearing-impaired driver in your Uber can be difficult, but it’s certainly important. Now, the app wants to help.

It’s hard to find good news for Uber these days, what with massive money losses and its expulsion from major cities, but a recent update to the app serves as a bright spot in a rather dark time for the company. On Thursday, September 28, the transportation giant debuted new tools needed to connect with drivers who use American Sign Language (ASL).

ASL, the sign language used by much of the deaf community in North America, is said to be the fourth most commonly used method of communication in the U.S. As such, it comes as little surprise that Uber is attempting to make it easier for passengers and drivers alike to communicate in this language.

While the company originally launched features aimed toward the deaf and hearing impaired back in 2015, in honor of National Deaf Awareness Month, Uber has taken things a step further. Now, you can learn how to sign basic phrases in ASL using the Uber app. “Every day, millions of Uber rides start the same way. The rider says his or her name and the driver confirms it,” Uber noted in a blog post. “It’s a typical exchange that many riders take for granted — especially since thousands of people who drive with Uber are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, and collectively they’ve completed millions of trips.”

Now, in your Uber feed, you’ll see a special card that sends you to a page where you can select basic tutorials in ASL. Through the Uber app, you’ll be able to learn to sign “hello,” “thank you,” or the letters of your name. The app will also provide a GIF with the selected words in ASL, making it easier still for you to communicate with a differently abled driver.

“We believe in technology’s power to bring people together and create opportunities where they didn’t exist before,” Uber noted. “Actions mean more than words, and we’re excited to create new and meaningful ways for people to earn money and connect, regardless of how they communicate. We hope this small update will contribute to a much larger conversation between riders and drivers around the world.”

Adding music to Nanoleaf’s Aurora lights is a dream come true

This is a great first step toward the future of smart lighting.

My biggest complaint about smart lighting is that it doesn’t play nice with the other things in my life. I want the lights to dim and change colors to match what I see on the television, or flash along with my PS4 controller when something exciting happens in a game.

While we know there are a couple of companies eager to see this kind of integrations with its products, the folks at Nanoleaf have made good on a promise made when the Aurora lights launched. It’s called the Nanoleaf Aurora Rhythm, and it should probably be included with every kit Nanoleaf sells.

Not familiar with Nanoleaf? Check out our experience with the Aurora!

Simple set up

The Nanoleaf Aurora lights have an unusual but surprisingly simple to set up. Each light panel has three connectors, one on each side of the triangle. You can connect these triangles to each other in whatever configuration you want, as long as one panel in the array is connected to the power supply. The brilliance of this set up all comes together with the app, which allows you to add panels without disconnecting anything. The app immediately recognizes a new panel, and changes its color to match the rest of the panels in the array.

This setup detail is important, because the Rhythm accessory attaches to the light panel in the same way each of the panels do. You can connect it to any open port in the Aurora array, and as soon as you do the app becomes aware of its existence and extends the Rhythm features to you for use.

As soon as you have a Rhythm attached, there are two ways you can activate it. The Nanoleaf app has a Rhythm tab you can tap on and set your light panel to audio mode instead of the pre-set color patterns. If you’d prefer to avoid opening the app to access the feature, you can press the single button in the center of the Rhythm module. As soon as you press the button, the triangle in the center of the module will light up and the audio mode will engage.

It doesn’t get much simpler than this setup, and like the other parts of the Aurora setup this is modular enough that you can control the design of your space. There’s not much you can do to make this easier, and Nanoleaf deserves a lot of credit for how well this works.

Listen to the light show

The Rhythm module is fairly simple. It’s a microphone that connects directly to your lights, so everything it hears gets converted into light. Spoken word, music, sound effects from a game, everything the microphone can pick up is translated on the Aurora lights. It’s sensitive enough that a song played from across the room on a phone can be fully converted into dancing lights, but the clear design here is for higher quality sound from big stereo speakers.

As the music enters the microphones on the Rhythm module, what you see is a visualization of the sound equalizer. Each color you choose takes up a section of the equalizer, which gives you a lot of control over what colors show up for different kinds of songs. For example, if you’re playing a bass-heavy song and want the colors to align with the bass, you put those colors toward the end of the equalizer. There’s a lot of flexibility, and building the different color patterns to set yourself up with a lot of different options.

If that sounds like a lot of work, don’t worry there are some options. Nanoleaf has an online community where other users can share their creations. If you find a light combination that really works well with your favorite kind of songs, you can share that easily and anyone with the Nanoleaf app can download it. This is great, because the alternative is using the pre-loaded options Nanoleaf includes with the app. Like the default color pattern options for moving patterns, Nanoleaf focuses on showing off as many color options as possible. Great for demonstrations, not always great for listening to a lot of different kinds of music.

The Nanoleaf app gives you a lot of flexibility with what colors you can use to create your light show, but there’s a ton of flexibility in the app for creating the exact kind of experience you want. My personal favorite is setting most of the equalizer to black so the lights only react during the highs and bass while I’m playing a game. It’s a great way to add some immersion, and the way Nanoleaf sets this up makes it very easy to create these experiences.

A solid addition to any Nanoleaf kit

The Aurora lights blur the lines between arty and practical lighting in a way that makes adding interactive music make a lot of sense. These light arrays are designed to be something that stands out in a room, so adding interactivity makes a lot of sense. Seeing Nanoleaf plan to release pre-made Aurora kits with a Rhythm included makes a lot of sense, but if you already have an Aurora set up these accessory is only going to set you back $65. If you’re eager to add some interactivity to your Aurora, you should absolutely pick one of these up.

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Learn up to 22 new languages with this uTalk lifetime subscription

Learning a new language is a monumental feat, but in this modern, interconnected world, being able to converse in multiple languages is nothing but a boon. Learning aids are, however, generally quite expensive.

What you need is a learning aid that you can carry with you wherever you go, and one that won’t cost an arm and a leg. Right now, Android Central Digital Offers has four deals on four different uTalk packages. Instead of the regular price, you’ll get these packages at a significant discount.

Learn one new language

• Normal price: $64.99
• Sale price: $20
• Discount: 69% off

Learn 6 languages

• Normal price: $325
• Sale price: $30
• Discount: 90% off

Learn 12 languages (Europe)

• Normal price: $650
• Sale price: $50
• Discount: 92% off

Learn 22 languages (Europe and Asia)

• Normal price: $1,300
• Sale price: $100
• Discount: 92% off

What is uTalk? It’s a multi-platform program that helps you learn new languages with real, practical vocabulary and a method that lets you understand how native speakers really talk. With feedback and games, you can test how well you’re progressing and get an idea of how you’d fare in the real world.

Planning on taking a trip soon? Need to learn a new language for business purposes? uTalk is an awesome program that makes learning new languages fun and easy and you’ll have access to it forever. Don’t wait too long, as this deal doesn’t last forever.

Huawei teases the Mate 10 with an AI-focused clip

The Huawei Mate 10 might not be a smartphone, but it will be packed with some pretty interesting AI tech.

Huawei is scheduled to host a press event in just a couple weeks on October 16 to unveil its Mate 10 flagship phone, and leading up to said event, Huawei has released a promo video to tout the Mate 10’s biggest feature – artificial intelligence.

Delivering the ultimate experience, going beyond smart, using the transformative power of #AI. Welcome to intelligent. #HuaweiMate10 pic.twitter.com/u9yD1mhdYy

— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) September 29, 2017

In the promo video, Huawei says that the Mate 10 “sees”, “thinks”, and “learns” just like humans do, and that the phone is “alive with potential” to “unlock your potential.” Huawei’s main focus for the video revolves around the tagline “This is not a smartphone”, suggesting that the Mate 10’s AI capabilities will be able to go above and beyond what our current handsets are capable of.

We already know that the Kirin 970 processor powering the Mate 10 will feature its own neural processing unit, and although we aren’t entirely sure what the full potential of this chip will mean for the phone, Huawei has said that the Kirin 970 and its AI tech will be able to process image recognition of 200 images in 6 seconds and produce photos that are sharper in less time.’

As for the Mate 10 being able to see, think, and learn, those are features that we’re going to have to see shown off at Huawei’s event before we really understand what’s being touted here. Services like the Google Assistant and Alexa are already extremely helpful for performing a wide array of voice commands, but the system that Huawei’s describing sounds like it’ll go deeper than what we’ve seen from AI systems in smartphones to-date.

It’s still up in the air as to whether or not Huawei will be able to deliver on the promises it’s making for its latest smartphone that’s not a smartphone, but thankfully we only have a few more days to wait to see what the Mate 10 smartphone brings to the table.

Huawei Mate 9

• Huawei Mate 9 review
• Huawei Mate 9 specs
• Where to buy the Mate 9 in the U.S.
• Porsche Design Mate 9 unboxing
• All Huawei Mate 9 news
• Join the discussion in the forums

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Google Drive documents are now accessible in iOS 11’s Files app

What good is the Apple Files app that came with iOS 11 anyway? Well, now that Google Drive plays nicely with it, the possibilities are… okay, they aren’t endless, but you get the idea. Now that iOS has a central file library, it’s nice that your items stored in the cloud are accessible there as well. Dropbox did something similar recently, too. It’s nothing major, but folks who use Drive on their mobile devices a lot, or use an iPad as a PC replacement, will probably appreciate this quality of life improvement.

Source: iTunes

What to expect at Google’s Pixel 2 event

Almost exactly a year ago, Google unveiled a host of new products, a veritable “Made by Google” ecosystem, as the company called it. The most notable devices were the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones and Google Home smart speaker, but Google also launched the Daydream View VR headset, a mesh-WiFi system and a 4K-capable Chromecast.

It was easily the company’s biggest push yet into Google-branded hardware. But one year later, the Pixel and Pixel XL have been lapped by new devices from Samsung, Apple and LG, among others. We’re due for a refresh, and we’ll almost certainly get that in San Francisco on Wednesday, October 4th, when the company hosts its next big product launch. New phones are basically a shoo-in, but there’s a bunch of other hardware that Google will likely show off. Here’s what to expect.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL

From left to right: Leaked images of the Google Home Mini, Pixel XL 2 and DayDream View. Image credit: Droid Life

Sure, the smartphone may be a commodity at this point, but it’s still exciting to see what Google has cooked up to take on increasingly strong competition in the Android space. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have been leaked pretty extensively at this point (as happens with almost every major smartphone these days), so we largely know what to expect here.

VentureBeat believes that the smaller Pixel 2 will be made by HTC (don’t forget that Google just bought HTC’s phone division), just like both of last year’s models. In a lot of ways, this phone is expected to be a minor physical upgrade over the original — it’ll keep the large top and bottom bezels, something that many flagship phones are moving away from. The screen will stay in the same 5-inch range. Like most other phones in its size class, the Pixel 2 won’t feature a dual-camera setup either.

That’s not to say that the Pixel 2 won’t offer some new features. It looks like HTC’s “squeezable” frame (found in the U Ultra and U11) will show up in the Pixel 2. Additionally, it should include front-facing stereo speakers, but it may not have a headphone jack this time around.

Image credit: Android Police

Considerably more interesting is the Pixel 2 XL, which is said to be made by LG. While last year’s two Pixel phones were basically identical aside from screen size, Android Police reported that the Pixel 2 XL will have a number of new features and design flourishes that set it apart. Most notably, the XL 2 should have a nearly bezel-less, edge-to-edge screen, similar to Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8, the LG V30 and the new iPhone X. Thanks to the lack of bezels, the XL 2 should be able to fit a 6-inch AMOLED panel into a frame that’s about the same size as the original Pixel XL. That screen is expected to have a Quad HD, 1440p resolution, the same as last year’s screen.

Just like the smaller Pixel 2, the Pixel 2 XL is expected to ditch the headphone jack in favor of a stereo speaker array. And even though it’s made by LG and not HTC, the XL 2 should also have a squeezable frame. As for the internals, both phones reportedly have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of storage.

Pricing comes in about where you’d expect for flagship phones: the Pixel 2 is rumored to cost $649 for 64GB of storage or $749 for 128GB, while the XL 2 would go for $849 or $949. Thanks to its entirely new design and lack of bezels, the larger phone is pushing into the same expensive territory as the Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone X.

Home Mini

Last year’s voice-activated Google Home speaker represented the company’s big push to bring the Google Assistant off phones and into people’s houses. While it looks like the original isn’t going anywhere, Google is also readying a smaller, cheaper sequel meant to compete with the Echo Dot. Droid Life says that the Home Mini will cost $49 and give you unfettered access to the Google Assistant; it just won’t have the larger speaker found on the regular Home. As such, you’re not going to want to play music through this device, but if you already own decent speakers the Home Mini might be worth looking at.

Home Max

While we’ve been hearing about the Home Mini for a while now, a new report from 9to5Google suggests that Google will reveal yet another smart speaker next week. This larger device, reportedly dubbed the Home Max, is designed to better compete with Apple’s forthcoming HomePod, along with Amazon’s newly announced Echo and whatever voice-activated speakers Sonos is getting ready to unveil. Details on this new speaker are minimal right now, so it’s a bit of a toss-up as to whether we’ll actually see this next week or further down the line. But given how many speakers Amazon is now offering, diversifying the Google Home lineup isn’t the worst idea.

Daydream View

Google’s VR headset is also apparently in line for an update, according again to Droid Life, but it’s unclear what’ll be different here, aside from some new color choices. It’s rumored to cost $99 this time around, $20 more than the original. At the very least, it looks like Google is moving away from the cloth-like finish of the original for something more closely resembling nylon (though it’s hard to say for sure without trying it out for ourselves). Whatever the case, we can count on this headset working with Google’s new phones.

Pixelbook

Image credit: Droid Life

It’s been awhile since Google has had much to say about Chromebooks and Chrome OS. Last year’s event skipped over the platform entirely, and Google has seen it fit to let partners like Samsung and ASUS show off their vision for Chromebooks. Google also hasn’t dipped its foot into the ill-fated world of Android tablets in some time, either — not since introducing the Pixel C two years ago. But it looks like Google may jump back into both categories with one product: the Pixelbook.

Droid Life believes that the Pixelbook will be a 2-in-1 laptop powered by Chrome OS that can fold back into tablet mode. It’s essentially a successor to the two previous Chromebook Pixel laptops, but it’ll have an entirely new hardware design compared to its successors. It’ll also be the first to officially include stylus support — in fact, Google will be selling its own “Pixelbook Pen” alongside it.

Since Chrome OS can now run Android apps, the Pixelbookl have access to the wealth of software in the Google Play Store (though, to be fair, most of those apps aren’t optimized for larger screens). It’ll still be a step up over your average Android tablet, though, as running the full desktop version of Chrome is significantly better than using its mobile counterpart.

As with Google’s previous Pixel laptops, it appears the giant caveat will be price. Reports indicate this device will start at a steep $1,200 — that’s $200 more than the 2015 Pixel. That’ll net you 128GB of storage, and Google is supposedly also selling versions with 256GB and 512GB at $1,400 and $1,750, respectively. While it wouldn’t be surprising to see Google deliver new Chrome OS hardware, it would be pretty unusual to offer these storage options. Chrome OS has never been a platform dependent on large amounts of local storage — as things are now, there’d be essentially no benefit to getting those higher-priced options.

Google Assistant headphones

The Google Assistant has been popping up in all manner of hardware lately, including headphones, so it’s logical for Google to make its own pair. Some sleuthing by 9to5Google a few months back revealed some references to Google Assistant headphones inside the Google Android app. And with the new Pixel phones expected to drop the headphone jack, having a wireless solution would be an important part of Google’s hardware ecosystem. Perhaps the strangest part of this rumor is that these headphones appear to be an over-the-head model rather than earbuds.

ARCore details

Late in August, Google announced ARCore, the company’s answer to Apple’s ARKit. It’s a set of developer tools that’ll make it easier to bring augmented reality apps to a huge variety of Android phones. Rather than use the more advanced but far less commonplace Tango hardware, ARCore will strive to bring AR to the masses. As this will be Google’s first public event since announcing ARCore, it wouldn’t surprise us if the company shows how it works with the new Pixel phones. We have our fingers crossed we’ll be able to try it out for ourselves following Google’s presentation — but regardless of what Google announces next week, we’ll be there bringing you the news live as it happens.

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Passenger Drone lives up to its name with manned flight

There are quite a few companies working on developing drones for human transportation, but a new one has just jumped into the fray. With an almost fully developed prototype and plans to start producing them commercially next year, the aptly named Passenger Drone introduced itself by showing off a manned flight on its first prototype.

The company has been quietly working on its tech for the last three years and it has produced a lightweight, car-sized drone that can fly autonomously, be maneuvered remotely or be controlled manually. It’s lifted by 16 rotors and produces zero emissions. Passenger Drone says it plans to build five more prototypes and log over 1000 hours of flight time before proceeding with commercial production.

While Passenger Drone’s rig may be inching close to real life flights, it’s entering a crowded field. Companies like EHang, Airbus and Volocopter are just a few of the groups working on their own models and Volocopter’s drone took its maiden test flight earlier this month.

You can check out Passenger Drone’s first manned flight in the video below.

Source: Passenger Drone (1), (2)