Microsoft gives up on Groove Music, switches customers to Spotify

Microsoft still isn’t having much luck competing in the digital music realm. The software behemoth has announced that it’s axing its Groove Music services (streaming, purchases and re-downloads) after December 31st, 2017. And unlike in the past, there isn’t another Microsoft-branded service waiting in the wings. Instead, the company is transitioning everyone over to Spotify. The Groove Music app will offer to migrate your collection and playlists through an update, starting with a preview version this week and more broadly on October 9th.

Groove Music Pass subscribers will have the option of migrating to Spotify until “at least” January 31st. And if you paid for Music Pass beyond December, you’ll get a refund for the amount of time you didn’t get to play. The Groove app will continue to work with downloaded purchases and other locally stored music.

It’s no secret as to why Microsoft would pick Spotify. It’s the largest streaming music service on the planet in terms of users, and Microsoft just added Spotify support to the Xbox One. In that sense, you could see this move coming: why make a big deal out of supporting a competing offering on your game console? At the same time, it’s also a tacit acknowledgment that the online music field has largely become a two-horse race between Spotify and Apple. Even Microsoft, which dominates the PC landscape, struggled to give people a reason to choose its services over others that were already ubiquitous. It’s sad to see one more choice bite the dust, but it’s also easy to see why Microsoft would bow out.

Source: Windows Experience Blog

Apple to Announce Q4 2017 Earnings on November 2

Apple today updated its investor relations page to announce that the company will share its earnings for the fourth fiscal quarter (third calendar quarter) of 2017 on Thursday, November 2.

The earnings release will provide a look at iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus sales during their first week of availability. Apple has not provided launch weekend sales for the new devices, so this will be the first look at how well the updated devices sold compared to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus last year.

Apple’s guidance for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 includes expected revenue of $49 to $52 billion and gross margin between 37.5 and 38 percent. In 4Q 2016, Apple posted revenue of $46.9 billion and gross margin of 38 percent.

The quarterly earnings statement will be released at 1:30 PM Pacific/4:30 PM Eastern, with a conference call to discuss the report taking place at 2:00 PM Pacific/5:00 PM Eastern. MacRumors will provide coverage of both the earnings release and conference call on November 2.

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How to use Twitter like a social media boss

What started as a small project for the employees of the small podcasting company Odeo has taken the world by storm, gaining more than 300 million users since its inception in early 2006. The popular social networking website and micro-blogging service allows users to post their latest updates in a quick, burst-like fashion of 140 characters or less and it has become the arena for worldwide conversations. World leaders use Twitter. The PGA Tour has streamed live on Twitter. Fans give opinions on albums seconds after they are released on Twitter. Now that you know what you may have been missing, here are some quick steps, pointers, and tidbits explaining how to use Twitter like a social media boss. To tweet or not to tweet: There really is no question.

First, Sign Up

Go to http://www.twitter.com to sign up. Enter the appropriate information (full name, email or phone number, and password) on the right-hand side before clicking Sign up. The website will then ask you to verify the information. You can then choose a username and agree to the Twitter Terms of Service before proceeding.

Build Your Timeline

The entire point of Twitter is to follow and be followed. So what’s the point if you’re not reading and retweeting the latest gossip from all your friends, colleagues and favorite celebs? Plus, Twitter gives you options of who to follow immediately after signing up so you need not go far.

• Suggestions: Choose who to follow from the dropdown menu of notable celebs like Kanye West and Stephen Colbert or news networks such as CNN and the New York Times. Twitter will also give you the option to browse a slew of categories from sports to technology.
• Search: Use the search bar to find anyone the suggestions may have missed — whether they are celebrities, politicians or just your friends. You can even search for people to follow through your email accounts (Gmail, Yahoo, AOL and Hotmail).

Add Character

Once you’re an avid follower, Twitter will ask you to upload an image (maximum size of 700K) and provide a brief, 160-character bio. The placeholder bio will introduce you as a rocket ship-building, pizza tossing, Giants fan with a couple of kids. However, a bio is only suggested, not required.

Get to Tweeting

You’re officially a full-fledged Twitter member with a list of friends and followers, but now it’s time to join the Tweeter ranks. Just type inside the What’s happening? box above your feed or click the blue Tweet button in the upper right-hand corner at any time to get started. Once there, punch in some text, upload an image or video, add a GIF, and/or set your location. This is how you update your Twitter and let people know what you’re up to. Tweets are traditionally limited to 140 characters, but Twitter has been experimenting with expanding the limit to 280-characters.

Twitter Pointers

You’ve signed up and tweeted your first thought into the beyond, but what do you do now? Well, it’s time to learn the finer points about how to connect with your audience and join the global conversation.

Hashtags: The hashtag symbol (#) is a great way to mark specific topics or keywords in a Tweet. It was created by Twitter users as a way to classify messages and has since become a cultural phenomenon. All you have to do is place a hashtag in front of a word or phrase in your tweet. Simple as that.

GIFs: If you plan on tweeting, you need to know how to use GIFs. GIFs are great for quick responses when you can’t think of anything good to type and you don’t want to get lost in the Twitter conversation. GIFs are also great at conveying the nuance of a tweet. Sarcasm often gets lost in text Tweets, and that is when a good eye-roll GIF can come in handy. To add a GIF, click on the Tweet button on the upper left-hand corner. In the Compose New Tweet box there is a GIF option below the space where your text for the tweet goes. Clicking on the GIF button will present you with a stream of categories you can scroll through. You can also type in almost anything you want and get GIF representations from GIPHY. You can only add one GIF per tweet, but GIFs do not count towards your tweet’s word count.

Trends: Keeping up on what is trending around Twitter is one of the best ways to get your name in the conversation and attract new followers. On the right side of your feed is the Trends For You section. Here, Twitter presents you with the nine most popular topics based on your interests, who you follow, and your location. You can adjust the location Twitter uses to find trends for you by clicking on the blue change button next to Trends For You. From there you can either type in any location within the United States or choose from a number of nearby locations.

Moments: Twitter Moments are a collection of trending topics around the world and the commentary surrounding those topics found on Twitter. Moments are presented in five separate categories: Fun, Entertainment, Today, News, and Sports. You can see what people are saying about certain topics by clicking on one to view a stream of tweet reactions. You can make your own Twitter Moments too, and you should. More than 500 million tweets are sent every day, so it’s impossible to keep up with it all. Twitter Moments are great ways to connect your followers to great tweets, and by clicking on the Create new Moment button on the right-hand side of the Twitter Moments homepage, you’ll be able to customize your Twitter Moment. From there, you can search through tweets you’ve liked, popular tweets about certain topics, tweets sent from a certain account and/or search for a specific tweet by its tweet link. Results are presented in a stream and adding one of the tweets displayed is as simple as clicking on the check button next to it. Once you have the right collection of tweets you should enter a title for your Twitter Moment, add a description under it that is informative and witty, and then consider adding a photo or video clip as the cover image for your Twitter Moment. Once you’re satisfied, you can click on the Publish button in the upper-left hand corner, and click Tweet once presented with a link of your Moment to share on your timeline.

Mentions & Replies: Mentions and replies are updates that contain “@username” anywhere in the body of the tweet. Place an “@” in front of the person, business, organization or whatever/whomever you wish to mention or reply to. Your replies to individuals will be seen only by mutual followers if you place their “@username” at the beginning of your tweet. If you want your followers to see your mentions/replies to someone, set the “@username” at the end of the tweet or put a period in front of the ampersand like this: “.@”.  There is also a “Reply” option under tweets to save you precious time.

Retweets: A retweet (RT) is a way to share another Twitter user’s tweet with all of your followers. It will essentially look the same as normal tweets with the author’s name and username next to it, but it will also contain the retweet icon and the name of the user who reposted it. Click the “Retweet” option under a tweet and you will be able to choose between retweeting the tweet as is or adding a 140-character message above it. The latter option is referred to as a Quote Retweet and will have your message on top of the tweet you wished to RT in a box. If you feel a tweet of yours didn’t get the proper attention it deserved, You can also RT your own tweet via the same option.

Likes: Liking a tweet is a way to let the original poster know you liked their tweet for whatever reason. However, it also gives you a way to save a tweet so you can refer to it later. Simply click the heart icon in order to like a tweet.

Direct Messages: You can send a direct message to people who follow you by clicking the gear icon in the top right and selecting “Direct Messages.” Choose the “Message” icon, type the name or username of the follower you wish to send the message to, enter the message, and hit “Send message.” Unlike tweets, direct messages are private and can only be seen by the recipient of the messages. You can only send a direct message to someone you do not follow if they clicked on the privacy option that allows direct messages to come from any account.

Mobile Version: You can access Twitter directly from your smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device. It works in the same vein as the website, but with some slight modifications and restrictions. Plus, the smartphone apps are even equipped to create Instragramesque photos on the go and are available for both Android and Apple devices.

Random Tidbits

There are a few other things worth mentioning.

• Try using your real information (name, location, etc.) when customizing your Twitter homepage and profile. Doing so will help people find you more easily.
• Change your personal options by clicking the gear icon and choosing the “Settings” option. Here you can change around your picture, bio, password, or any other sort of customization you’ve done. You can also make all your tweets private by checking the “Protect my Tweets” option in the settings menu. If selected, only those you approve will receive your tweets. You can also have Twitter send you every tweet you ever issued by clicking on the Request your archive button near the bottom. A link to your Twitter time capsule will be sent to the email associated with your Twitter account, but it could take a while for it to arrive.
• You can change your Twitter username anytime without affecting your existing tweets, replies, direct messages or other data, but be sure to let your followers know so you’ll continue receiving all of your messages with your new username.
• Learn to use shorthand — it’s tough to get a thought out in 140 characters or less — but remember you’re not texting. Avoid going so far as to make yourself appear illiterate.
• Follow and tweet to amass your fan base. Go the whole nine yards and use hashtags, GIFS, replies, and like tweets. If you follow someone, they will be more inclined to follow you back.
• Integrate other social networks into the mix. Have a Facebook account? You can link it directly to Twitter so your tweets automatically post on your Facebook timeline. Just log in with your Facebook information from the profile tab in the Twitter settings menu.

That’s basically all you need to know about Twitter! Go ahead and share your deepest secrets with your followers, rejoice when a musician you follow replies to you, or engage in an infamous tweet argument. The best way to learn how use Twitter is to just jump in and use Twitter. For additional resources, visit the Twitter Help Center for more information.

This article has been updated since it was originally published to reflect changes to the service. 

Carnegie Mellon’s new robot can use its legs as arms, arms as legs

Why it matters to you

The ability to use their limbs for either walking or manipulation will make robots more multi-purpose in design.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have built a smart robot that is able to transition from a six- to a five-legged gait in order to carry objects.

“Our long-term goal is to make robots much more versatile than they are today,” Stelian Coros, an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute, told Digital Trends. “One way to make progress towards this goal is to give them the ability to change how they use their bodies based on the environment they find themselves in and the tasks they are trying to complete.”

This represents a departure from current approaches, where robot limbs are designed with very specific tasks in mind — such as legs which are intended only for walking, or arms which are designed solely to manipulate other objects. While using limbs for multiple purposes is rare in terms of robotics, however, it is widespread in the natural world. Mother gorillas, for example, will often walk on three limbs as they carry their babies around.

Adding this level of versatility to robots means improvements need to be made both in hardware and software. “We mainly focused on the software aspects for this work, namely on the challenge of developing new control solutions that allow robots to quickly figure out how to change gaits as they dynamically switch the roles of their limbs,” Coros continued.

In the real world, the idea of a robot that is able to vary its movement and functionality will allow researchers to build entirely new kinds of smart robots, including miniaturizing them by doing away with excess limbs — since the remaining ones can double up by performing multiple actions. “Ultimately, the idea is to develop a system that you can feed high-level tasks to — something like ‘go over there and pick up that thing’ — and the robot will choose how best to make that happen, no matter how many legs it starts (or finishes) with,” the researchers note in a paper describing their work.

For now, however, there’s still plenty more to be done. “This is a very early research prototype, so commercialization is not on our horizon at the moment,” Coros said. “We would first like to see these robots become increasingly autonomous, dexterous and agile, and this goal poses important challenges in terms of how robots are designed, sensing and actuation technologies, controls and [artificial intelligence].”

Burger chain Shake Shack won’t accept cash at its new location in New York

Why it matters to you

Cash is becoming an increasingly antiquated form of tender, and now, it’s rejected at one popular New York chain.

Put away your cash, New Yorkers. That particular form of money is no good at Shake Shack,  TechCrunch reports. Or at the very least, one location of Shake Shack. The wildly popular burger, fries, and shakes joint is now opening up a cash-free location. It follows in the footsteps of other fast food vendors like Sweetgreen, which has attempted to ditch non-digital tender in hopes of speeding up long lines. And if you’ve ever waited for a Shake Shack burger, you know exactly how infuriatingly long that line can be.

At the restaurant’s Astor Place location in New York City, customers will only be able to order their food via kiosks. The location is set to open in early October, and all the kiosks found in the store will be custom-made and outfitted to Shake Shack’s particular needs. Orders will be placed via the touchscreen, and the machines will send eager burger lovers text message alerts when their orders have been fully prepared.

But just because all ordering will be handled by a machine doesn’t mean that the new Shake Shack will be completely devoid of a human touch. Rather, there will be people manning the operations of the restaurant — just not necessarily in a cashier capacity. Rather, the so-called Hospitality Champs working at Shake Shack will help customers place their orders and answer any questions they might have, like what exactly is is the ‘Shroom Burger? Moreover, the chain has noted that Hospitality Champs will be paid a minimum of $15 per hour — not bad for effectively playing second fiddle to a kiosk.

Shake Shack already has a mobile ordering app, available for both iOS and Android, and the restaurant noted that its kiosks were based on this digital ordering experience. Of course, other restaurants have also toyed with mobile ordering and kiosks, but going fully cashless isn’t something that many have tried.

In any case, it will be interesting to see how Shake Shack’s experiment plays out. After all, as more and more tender goes digital, it only seems like a matter of time before no cash is the norm rather than the exception.

The best Moto X4 cases and covers to safeguard your smartphone

The Moto X4 is a fine addition to Motorola’s midrange product line, and a pretty handsome handset in its own right (as explored in our Moto X4 hands-on review). While the Gorilla Glass 5 and aluminum frame will be able to take a beating, what’s the point in letting that happen when you don’t have to? To avoid undue damage to your shiny new Moto X4, we’ve put together a list of the best Moto X4 cases currently available that you may wish to consider to keep your pride and joy looking scratch-free and fully covered at all times.

LK Ultra-Slim Clear TPU Case ($8)

You chose and bought the Moto X4, so why wouldn’t you want to see it when you use it? This clear case from LK is perfect for people who want to protect their phone against outside hazards, but still want to be able to see the style of the Motorola smartphone they bought. Made of flexible TPU, this case protects against minor scratches and dents that would otherwise mar the body of your X4. While the super-slim style of LK’s case isn’t going to keep your phone as protected as a more heavy-duty case, it still provides good protection, gives extra grip, provides access to all the ports and functions of your device, and doesn’t add much bulk to the lines of your phone. If you’re not actually that bothered about seeing your phone, but want a low-fuss case, it’s also available in black.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

MP-Mall Shockproof Clear TPU Case ($8)

Like the idea of keeping your phone fully visible, but not keen on the lower level of protection that LK’s ultra-slim case offers? Then this Moto X4 case might be more up your alley. While the bulkier appearance isn’t for everyone, anyone looking for a bit more protection for their X4 should be happy with this case from MP-Mall. Again, made of a flexible TPU, this case provides all the same benefits, with anti-scratch and protective properties — but is reinforced by the addition of large, raised corners that help to absorb impact. A raised edge along the outside of the screen also helps to keep your display from resting against surfaces, preventing scratches. Despite the raised corners, it offers a fairly sleek and slim profile. It also comes in black if you’re after a more executive look.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Dretal Carbon Fiber-Style Black Case ($8)

Looking for something a little more hard-wearing? Dretal is TPU case comes with a futuristic carbon fiber-style look, and a soft grip that enhances the feel of your phone and ensures that you can keep a good hold on it at all times. Once again made of a soft TPU, Dretal has gone above and beyond to ensure that this case offers good drop protection and shock absorbent qualities, as well as keeping dirt, grit, and other harmful substances away from the body of your phone. Protection on the corners of the case ensure that shocks are transferred away from your phone, and the slightly raised edge keeps your display away from surfaces. Thanks to the soft button covers and port openings, you can access all of your phone’s functions without having to remove the case.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

LK Leather-Style Wallet Cover ($10)

We’re back with LK for our next offering, and our first case that’s not completely made of TPU. If you’re looking for all-round protection, utility, and a smooth look that’s welcome anywhere, then you really can’t go wrong with a wallet case. This wallet case from LK is made of a leather-style PU material that’s durable, easy to maintain and clean, and more than capable of keeping your device protected. It also comes with a series of card slots on the inside of the case that fold around the screen when not in use (protecting the screen), and fold back when in use, keeping out of the way. Not only that, but you can also fold the case into a handy stand for media viewing. Inner drop protection is offered by the snug TPU shell that holds your phone (hey, we said not completely made of TPU), and it all comes together in a great little case that’s a fantastic buy if you’re looking for something a bit more sophisticated.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

E-Outfit Hybrid Dual Layer Armor Case ($9)

E-Outfit offers what might be the most protective case on this list. A combination of a soft TPU inner shell and a hard outer polycarbonate shell, E-Outfit’s Hybrid Dual Layer case offers resistance to shocks and bumps thanks to the soft TPU inner core, while also protecting against threats that might pierce the TPU, provided via the hard polycarbonate outer shell. Together, E-Outfit has made a case for your Moto X4 that will be able to take most of what’s thrown at it. In addition, the TPU layer comes with an anti-slip coating to help you keep a grip on your phone, and raised edges that keep your screen away from surfaces when set face-down. It’s not bad-looking either, with smooth black TPU and a metal-look to the polycarbonate shell.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

So those are our best choices for keeping your Moto X4 fully protected at all times. But what about the inside of your phone? Keep it safe with our selection of the best anti-virus apps for Android. While you’re at it, check out our list of the best Android games as well. And see how the Moto X4 fares against the Moto Z2 Force and Xperia XZ1 Compact in our handset head-to-heads.

OnePlus 6: News and rumors

OnePlus, the bootstrapping startup known best for its no-compromise OnePlus smartphone series, is ramping up development of its 2018 flagship: The OnePlus 6.

Judging by the rumors, it won’t disappoint. OnePlus 6, which is expected to come on the heels of the high-end OnePlus 5, reportedly features a 6-inch high-resolution display, an edge-to-edge design, and a next-generation processor paired with a massive amount of memory.

It’s still early, and a lot could change before the OnePlus 6’s release date in 2018. But here’s what we know so far.

OnePlus 5T canceled

Historically, when it comes to product development, OnePlus has favored an iterative approach. It introduced the OnePlus X, a budget smartphone made with many of the same hardware components as the OnePlus One, shortly after the OnePlus 2. And a few months after the OnePlus 3, it took the wraps off the OnePlus 3T, a refreshed model with a faster processor, a higher-capacity battery, and an improved front camera.

But that won’t be the case this time around. OnePlus has cancelled the OnePlus 5T, according to reports, which had been pegged for this fall. The reason? It’s afraid of cannibalizing sales of the upcoming OnePlus 6.

Design and specs

The OnePlus 6 will be a smartphone worth waiting for, if the rumors are true. It will reportedly have a 6-inch screen (up from the OnePlus 5’s 5.5-inch screen) with a Quad HD (2,880 x 1,440 pixels) resolution, an edge-to-edge design (like the LG G6), a fingerprint sensor, and an extra-tall 18:9 aspect ratio. Water and dust resistance — a carryover from the canceled OnePlus 5T — is also a possibility, according to Android Marvel.

The OnePlus 6’s internals won’t be any less impressive. It will reportedly have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip paired with 6GB or 8GB of RAM, depending on the model. In terms of storage size, the rumors suggest the OnePlus 6 will come in 64GB and 128GB flavors, both with a MicroSD card slot to accommodate extra memory.

Software

Whatever the OnePlus 6’s hardware ends up looking like, it will likely ship running the latest version of Android — Android 8.0 Oreo — onboard. There’s strong evidence to suggest this: In late summer, OnePlus announced on Twitter that the OnePlus 5 was “imminent,” and that handsets would begin receiving it before the end of 2017.

It won’t be stock Android, though. OnePlus phones run OxygenOS, a custom Android overlay with features like off-screen gesture support, themed icons, a dark mode, and a manual camera mode.

The newest release of Oxygen OS — version 4.0 — is based on Android Nougat. Presumably, the next major version (Oxygen OS 5.0?) will coincide with the update to Android 8.0 Oreo.

Release date and price

The OnePlus 6’s release date remains a mystery — it hasn’t been rumored, and OnePlus has yet to formally announce it. But we can speculate.

Traditionally, major new OnePlus phones have launched in mid-year. With the exception of the OnePlus One and OnePlus X, which began shipping in April and October, respectively, every OnePlus flagship has debuted during the summer months. The OnePlus 2 launched in July, and the the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 5 launched in June.

So if history is anything to go by, it’s a safe bet the OnePlus 6 will launch sometime in summer 2018.

As far as pricing is concerned, the OnePlus 6 probably won’t be as expensive as the $900-and-up iPhone X or Galaxy Note 8. The OnePlus 5 started at $580, and it would be surprising if the OnePlus 6 cost any more.

Footage of an unfinished Witcher game surfaces after 20 years

Why it matters to you

This footage offers up an intriguing glimpse at what The Witcher franchise could have turned out like in the hands of another development team.

Over the last decade, CD Projekt Red’s adaptation of a series of novels popular in Eastern Europe became one of the biggest franchises in all of gaming. Now, footage of an earlier attempt to bring The Witcher series to life as a video game has been released to the internet.

It’s been known for some time that a studio called Metropolis Software worked on a game based on The Witcher books in the 1990s, as detailed in a 2014 interview with Eurogamer. The team was led by Adrian Chmielarz, the Polish designer now known for titles like Bulletstorm and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.

Chmielarz, like many of his compatriots, loved the novels written by Andrzej Sapkowski. As a frequent attendee of sci-fi conventions throughout his youth, he had the opportunity to meet the author and strike up a friendship. Some time later, he would write him a letter asking for permission to produce a game based on his stories.

Apparently, it was Chmielarz who came up with the translation of the title held by Geralt of Rivia, years before CD Projekt Red. He claims that he suggests ‘Witcher’ as a stand-in for ‘Wiedźmin’ during his early communications with Sapkowski.

In the end, the game didn’t come to fruition but a playable first chapter was completed before the project was shelved. Now, footage of that section has been shared online as part of an interview conducted in Polish by Arhn.eu.

Obviously, based on the time that it was created, the game looks quite different to the version of The Witcher that was released in 2007. However, it would apparently have possessed some similarities, like a heavy emphasis on “adult” storylines and a basis in role-playing mechanics.

“Things like moral choices or hard choices or slightly darker storytelling — it wasn’t common,” Chmielarz told Eurogamer. “But that was the goal and it was all because of the quality of the source material — it inspired us to do something very special.”

If this version of The Witcher had been finished, we may never have seen CD Projekt Red’s take, which would have denied gamers of some of the best RPG experiences of the last few years. Still, it’s fascinating to see what could have been if things had played out differently.

Freefall Camera is a skydiving robot that autonomously films while you fall

Why it matters to you

This smart robot camera promises to record your skydive up close and personal.

Anyone who has ever dropped their phone onto a hard floor knows that high-tech gadgets and gravity don’t mix too well. That is fortunately not the case for the so-called Freefall Camera, a new smart robot camera that’s designed to autonomously film skydivers as they leap out of airplanes thousands of feet in the air. Developed by researchers from the U.K.’s University of Nottingham, the nifty extreme sports gadget was recently shown off at the 2017 International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2017) in Vancouver, Canada.

“Sport skydiving relies on video footage for training and competing,” David Alatorre Troncoso, one of the researchers who developed the robot camera, told Digital Trends. “Currently, the only way to get a video of your jump is to ask a skydiving videographer to follow you wearing a camera helmet. Other extreme sports are experimenting with drones to capture the action remotely and, as a skydiving mechanical engineering student, I decided to make this my undergraduate project. While the aim was never to replicate the skill and artistic experience of a professional videographer, I hoped to explore an alternative and open up more options within the sport.”

Troncoso was joined on the creation of the Freefall Camera by fellow engineer-skydivers Pete Storey, Tom Shorten, and Tom Dryden. What they built was a robotic platform which can move through the air, controlling its terminal velocity like a skydiver. The robot moves using four ailerons and adjusts its velocity by changing its surface area to create more drag. To use it, a skydiver jumps out of a plane holding the robot and then releases it. Sensors aboard the robot then allow it to visually track the skydiver and point the camera in the right direction. After the skydive, the robot can deploy a parachute and steer to reach a predefined landing area.

So how do you get your hands on this awesome creation then? Unfortunately, that’s the bad news. “We get this question a lot,” Troncoso said. “The short answer is [that it’s not for sale] right now. Aviation regulators for most of the world’s airspace are very clear about dropping things from planes, and the consensus is that it’s a terrible idea and nobody should do it. Skydivers are one of a few exceptions to this rule! However, with the recent explosion in popularity of drones, aviation regulations are beginning to change and adapt. Only time will tell whether these changes end up favoring or holding back autonomous craft like the freefall camera.”

In other words, keep watching the skies!

Best leak yet of Pixel 2 XL’s front shows front-facing speakers, new launcher layout

Well this is a nice development.

Up until this point, we’ve been speculating about what the upcoming Google Pixel 2 XL’s front looked like based on bits of information. Now, we have what looks like a solid leak showing off the entire front of the phone, courtesy of @evleaks.

…and without a case pic.twitter.com/4QrvyM9Hro

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) October 2, 2017

There are two intriguing aspects of this leak. First is the serious similarity in design to the LG V30, as we all have expected. It’s a tall screen with relatively small bezels (compared to the original Pixel XL) and rounded corners covered by what looks like subtly curved glass. Next, it’s that there are two distinct speaker grilles above and below the screen.

Google could be going with dual speakers on both of its new phones.

Originally, we had expected the smaller Pixel 2 to be the one with larger bezels and dual speakers, but it looks like Google’s been able to work out a little compromise on the larger phone as well. The bezels here look a tad larger than, say, a Galaxy S8 — but if these two grilles are indeed both operational speakers that’d be a big bonus. Now it must be said that both speakers may not be of equal power or functionality, and could just be a visual symmetry play — but we’re optimistic.

This leak also gives us a look at an updated home screen layout, with the Google Search bar landing at the very bottom of the screen between the navigation keys and dock of icons. We’ve seen a few early looks at possible Pixel launchers with the search bar and various widgets in different places, so it’s tough to say if this will be exactly what we see on October 4.

What are your thoughts on the Pixel 2 XL now that we’ve seen leaks of both the front and back? Let us know in the comments!

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Google Pixel 2 + Pixel 2 XL: Everything we know so far
• Our 2016 Pixel reviews
• Join our Pixel 2 forums