‘Eve Online’ Massively Multiplayer Spinoff Coming to iPhones and iPads Next Year

Developer CCP Games has revealed that a mobile spinoff of its massively multiplayer game Eve Online it coming to iOS next year. Launched back in 2003, Eve became famous for its vast sandbox universe and spectacular space battles involving thousands of players, even going on to spawn its own history, politics, and galactic economy.

Codenamed Project Aurora and co-developed by Playraven, the smartphone version to debut in 2018 is set in a standalone Eve universe separate from the existing MMO theater, but involves many of the elements fans of the massively online multiplayer should instantly recognize.

Players will have to advance their space stations and build out their fleets while competing with each other to collect ancient relics, which are used to repair jump gates that ultimately lead to the center of the galaxy. Trading, ship research and technology development will all remain central facets of the mobile Eve universe, so there should be plenty to keep veterans of the MMO happy.

TouchArcade is currently attending the EVE Vegas event, so be sure to check in at the site in the coming days and weeks for more details on Project Aurora’s interstellar mechanics.
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Echo, Echo Dot, or Echo Plus: Which should you buy in India?

Amazon has three great options available if you’re looking to get started with Alexa in India.

India is a huge market for Amazon, and the retailer is investing upwards of $5 billion in the country toward building out its infrastructure and services. A key part of that vision is Alexa — Amazon’s AI platform — so it’s no surprise that the retailer has decided to debut its Echo family in the country. India is the first country in Asia to receive Echo products, and Amazon is kicking things off by rolling out three devices: the Echo, Echo Dot, and the Echo Plus.

Echo devices come in varying shapes and sizes, and the functionality also varies among models. Here’s what you need to know about the Echo, Echo Dot, and the Echo Plus in India.

What’s the same

There are a few things that are common among all three Echo devices. They all feature far-field microphones, which means you can ask Alexa a query from all the way across a room and get an answer. Alexa will also be able to hear you even when there’s loud music playing.

As for Alexa itself, Amazon’s virtual assistant can do everything from giving you a daily news briefing along with a list of your calendar appointments, traffic and weather information, and much more. You’ll also be able to stream music from your favorite services (Saavn and TuneIn are live, Prime Music is coming later this month), and control Hue and Syska LED lights. The Echo devices also have controls at the top for volume playback and to turn off the always-on microphone, and there’s also a light ring that indicates the device’s status with colors.

All three Echo devices have far-field microphones and volume controls at the top.

And finally, you’ll be able to order products on Amazon using your voice (how cool is that?). We’ll have to wait and see how the feature works, because unlike the U.S., transactions in India need a second factor of authentication either via an OTP or your internet banking password. With Amazon getting into the payments game with Amazon Pay, it is possible the retailer will use the balance from your wallet when placing orders through Alexa.

Another feature all three Echo devices have in common is the ability to hook into Alexa’s skills, through which you can personalise your experience by connecting the virtual assistant to third-party services. Skills allow Alexa to expand its functionality, and the virtual assistant can help you with everything from hailing a cab on Uber or Ola to checking the status of your flight, ordering food on Zomato, looking up cricket scores, getting the latest news headlines, and so much more.

Amazon has teamed up with several service providers in India, including the likes of NDTV, Times of India, Zomato, Saavn, Ola, Uber, Freshmenu, Byju, Sportskeeda, Cricinfo, Jet Airways, Hue, Syska LED, and more. For instance, you can say, “Hey Alexa, ask Uber to book a cab,” and the assistant will do just that.

Echo

The second-generation Echo is the speaker that has the most design flair among the Echo products. Amazon switched out the tall cylindrical design for a more homely form factor that’s shorter and stouter.

The Echo has Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth A2DP, 3.5mm out, and a 2.5-inch woofer paired with a 0.6-inch tweeter. You’ll get 360-degree sound thanks to the down-firing woofer, and the speaker is tuned by Dolby. Given the design and the price — the speaker costs ₹9,999 — the Echo is the most sensible purchase for the Indian market.

You’ll be able to customize the look of your Echo thanks to interchangeable fabric shells, with three color options available in India: Charcoal, Heather Grey, and Sandstone. Amazon has a few wood veneer options, but they’re not available in the country yet.

See at Amazon

Echo Dot

The Echo Dot is the entry-level variant in the Echo family, and it’s available in India for ₹4,499. The device itself resembles a hockey puck, and it does a decent job of blending into the background.

The Dot is essentially a miniature version of the first-gen Echo, with the speaker offering a single 0.6-inch tweeter. You’re not going to have a lot of fun streaming tunes directly on the device, but you can hook it up to external speaker via the 3.5mm output jack.

See at Amazon

Echo Plus

The Echo Plus is the most powerful speaker of the lot, and at ₹14,999, it is also the costliest. The speaker is tall, cylindrical, and has an integrated ZigBee connected home hub, allowing it to connect to hundreds of products like LED bulbs and sensors that use the ZigBee protocol. It has Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth A2DP, and a standard aux port.

The Echo Plus has a robust soundstage thanks to a 2.5-inch down-firing woofer and an 0.8-inch tweeter. The audio is tuned by Dolby, and Amazon says the Echo Plus will be able to deliver 360-degree omni-directional sound. The speaker weighs 954g, and comes in at 235 x 84 x 84mm.

See at Amazon

Amazon’s introductory offer

All three products will be available in the country from the last week of October, but they’re up for pre-order right now. To incentivize the launch, Amazon is offering a stellar deal on all three Echo devices, with a straight 30% discount along with a 12-month subscription to Prime. And if you’re a Citibank customer, you can get an additional 10% off via cashback.

When you factor in all the promotions, you’re looking at a whopping 60% discount on the Echo Dot, a 47% discount on the Echo, and 44% off on the larger Echo Plus. Here’s what the effective price of each Echo device comes out to, when you throw in ₹999 for an annual Prime membership and the 10% Citibank cashback:

• Echo Dot – ₹1,835
• Echo – ₹5,300
• Echo Plus – ₹8,450

The drawback with the introductory offer is that it’s invite-only. To get a hold of an Echo device, you’ll need to go to its product page and hit the Request invite button (you’ll need to be signed in to your Amazon account). Once you do that, you’ll get an email from Amazon confirming your eligibility. The email should take roughly around 15 hours to hit your inbox after you’ve requested an invite. Once you get the email, you can buy the Echo device of your choosing.

Deals like this don’t come around often, particularly for Echo devices. So if you’re looking to see what Alexa is all about, hit up the link below to request an invite.

See at Amazon

Which Echo device are you looking to purchase? Let us know in the comments.

Amazon Echo

• Tap, Echo or Dot: The ultimate Alexa question
• All about Alexa Skills
• Amazon Echo review
• Echo Dot review
• Top Echo Tips & Tricks
• Amazon Echo vs. Google Home
• Get the latest Alexa news

See at Amazon

Project Loon cleared to help restore wireless in Puerto Rico

Project Loon — the balloon delivered internet project that started life as part of Google and now calls Alphabet’s X “innovation lab” home — has moved one step closer to becoming a part of the relief efforts in Puerto Rico. The FCC has issued an “experimental license” for it to provide emergency cellular LTE service. In a statement, an X spokesperson explained that the next step is to integrate with a telco partner’s network, which it’s “making solid progress on.”

On September 29th the X team said it was looking into ways to help Puerto Rico with Project Loon, similar to the way it helped provide service in Peru after extreme rains and flooding struck the nation in March. However, Loon had already been testing with Telefonica in Peru, which sped up the process.

In a report issued yesterday (PDF), the FCC said 83 percent of cell sites in Puerto Rico are still out of service, along with 57 percent in the US Virgin Islands and 100 percent in St. John. It also took the step of creating its Hurricane Recovery Task Force that will work on restoring services to the islands.

X spokesperson:

We’re grateful for the support of the FCC and the Puerto Rican authorities as we work hard to see if it’s possible to use Loon balloons to bring emergency connectivity to the island during this time of need. To deliver signal to people’s devices, Loon needs be integrated with a telco partner’s network — the balloons can’t do it alone. We’ve been making solid progress on this next step and would like to thank everyone who’s been lending a hand.

The #ProjectLoon team at X is exploring if it’s possible to bring emergency connectivity to Puerto Rico. Read more https://t.co/atroBWeTGv

— The Team at X (@Theteamatx) September 29, 2017

Source: Matthew Berry (Twitter), FCC, Mark Harris (Twitter)

MLB Coach Fined for Wearing Apple Watch During Game

Major League Baseball today fined Arizona Diamondbacks coach Ariel Prieto after he wore his Apple Watch in the dugout during a game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night, reports The New York Times.

Prieto violated rules against the use of electronic communications devices when he wore the Apple Watch during the game. Major League Baseball investigated and said there was no sign the watch was used for anything suspicious.

Image via The New York Times

“M.L.B. found no evidence that Mr. Prieto used the Apple Watch or cellphone for any purpose in the dugout, nor any baseball-related communication on either device during Wednesday’s game,” the statement on Friday said.

Though the watch was not misused, Prieto and the Diamondbacks received a fine in an “undisclosed amount” just for having the watch in the dugout. The money will be donated to hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

The Boston Red Sox were also fined last month for using electronic communications devices in the dugout to more quickly relay the opposing team’s signs to players on the field. The device in that event was originally said to be an Apple Watch, but later reports suggested it was instead a Fitbit.
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Disqus reveals it suffered a security breach in 2012

Another day, another security breach (and another, and another…). This time it’s Disqus, which is revealing that in 2012 — around the time when Engadget used Disqus for comments — hackers made off with some of its data, covering a snapshot of usernames and associated email addresses dating back to 2007, as well as “sign-up dates, and last login dates in plain text for 17.5mm users.” More distressing is news that it also coughed up passwords for a third of those accounts, which were in hashed (SHA1) form but it’s possible the attackers could have decrypted them.

According to Disqus, it learned of the leak Thursday evening after Troy Hunt of Have I Been Pwned notified obtained a copy of the site’s information and informed the company. Within about 24 hours, it has disclosed the breach, started to contact users and forced password resets for affected accounts.

Within the last day, Hunt has also added databases for breaches from Bit.ly and Kickstarter to his site, and he says he has three more to go. HIBP is a free service that collects the databases of account information stolen by hackers and will let you know if your information is among those affected — signing up is probably a good idea.

If you have an account with one of the services that have been pwned, then besides needing to reset your password there, you could have a problem if a password is shared across accounts on other websites. If you’ve reused a password elsewhere, then it’s time to change it everywhere, which is why a password manager (like LastPass or 1Password) to create and manage unique keys is a good idea, as well as enabling two-factor authentication wherever you can.

Source: Disqus, HIBP

Uber and Lyft may not have to fingerprint drivers in California

Ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft have had some issues with driver background checks over the years. More than 8,000 drivers from both companies failed checks in Massachusetts this year, while Uber was reported to have missed criminal records as far back as 2015. Uber was sued in California over misleading statements around rider safety last year, and both companies promised to leave Austin if fingerprint checks were required. This week, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the ride-hailing services would avoid fingerprint checks in California. Instead, the California Public Utilities Commission proposed that Uber and Lyft would instead have to ensure that background checks are done by an accredited vendor on an annual basis.

The Utilities Commission said that it was not requiring biometric screening “after much consideration and public comment … finding that doing so would not add a greater level of safety,” according to the San Fransisco Chronicle. By contrast, the site reports, taxi drivers in the state must be fingerprinted. Lyft already performs annual checks, while Uber will need to step up to start that process with its drivers.

“We appreciate the CPUC’s thoughtful deliberation on this issue and the supportive comments from a wide range of experts who helped to inform the decision,” Lyft spokeswoman Chelsea Harrison told the Chronicle. “Today’s proposal is a recognition of Lyft’s strong background check process, which prioritizes public safety without limiting innovation or economic opportunity.”

“We appreciate the Commission’s thoughtful review of this important issue. We are encouraged by their proposed decision which promotes both public safety and economic opportunity,” said Uber in a statement reported by the Chronicle. The proposal goes up for a final vote on November 9th.

Via: Marketwatch

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Goliath CNC cutter is an autonomous robotic machining tool for makers

Why it matters to you

This smart autonomous CNC milling machine is designed to help realize any idea of any scale in every space.

What happens when you cross a computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine with some cutting-edge (no pun intended) robotics technology? The answer is a product like Goliath CNC, a portable autonomous CNC machine tool, which just hit Kickstarter. Whether you’re a one-person creator or kitting out a bigger MakerLabs space for other tech-minded DIY-ers, this is a gadget you’re going to want to get your hands on!

Despite its gigantic name, Goliath is intended to provide a CNC milling machine that fits somewhere between the smaller A4 paper-sized desktop milling machines on the market, and the traditional heavy duty machines with a much larger footprint. While both of these bits of kit have their place, they also have limitations: The smaller ones unable to realize medium or large sized objects like a stool or a chair, and the larger machines being bulky, heavy and expensive.

Goliath, on the other hand, is a diminutive CNC robot that you can place directly on a work surface, where it moves autonomously to help create everything from furniture to signage. Imagine a Roomba that’s designed for cutting things, and then make that thought 150 percent less terrifying and 200 percent more useful.

“The concept of Goliath CNC was born at the beginning of 2014 as my thesis project for a master’s degree in design a engineering at the Politecnico of Milano,” Lorenzo Frangi, CEO and co-founder of Springa, the company behind Goliath, told Digital Trends.

“I wished to contribute somehow to the digital fabrication tools world. I wanted to develop something able to manufacture real and quality materials, so I focused on CNC milling machines of a desktop size. Soon after the graduation, I invited mechanical engineer Alessandro and industrial designer Davide to collaborate on the project — both of whom are much more skilled and passionate about programming than me.”

Making Goliath smart is a nifty sensor system which constantly triangulates the robot’s position to give it 0.1 millimeter accuracy on the workspace. Using this, it moves around the surface of whatever it’s working on, doing the necessary milling, cutting, and engraving to your stated specifications. Materials that it can work with include wood, plastic, cooper, and sheet metal.

Goliath CNC is currently available for pre-order, with a limited number available for $1,750. Shipping is set to take place in September 2018.

Fitbit Ionic review

Research Center:
Fitbit Ionic

A mainstay in the fitness tracking industry for years, Fitbit’s ascension to the cream of the wearable crop was originally met with subpar competition. Today, companies like Garmin, Suunto, TomTom, and Samsung properly push Fitbit forward, preventing the company from resting on its existing innovations. However, an unsurprising master class in wearables taught by none other than Apple — in the form of the Apple Watch — has Fitbit scrambling to maintain its position as king of the fitness hill.

Its answer? The Fitbit Ionic. Our Fitbit Ionic review reveals a wearable that blends the impressive fitness tracking ecosystem of its two-year-old Blaze with a host of modern smartwatch capabilities such as a dedicated app store and NFC tap-to-pay transactions, along with Bluetooth and WiFi compatibility. We put Fitbit’s Ionic through its paces to see if its updated software, customizable hardware, and overall performance give it the prowess it needs to stay relevant in an increasingly crowded market.

Unboxing the Ionic

Encased snugly in a package roughly the same size as a new iPhone 8 Plus‘, the Ionic arrives with everything needed right out of the box, including a small and large standard watch band, the Ionic smartwatch face, a charging cable, and a small pouch for carrying said charging cable. The box also contains a few manuals explaining how to activate the watch and how to use it. Thankfully, the Ionic arrived with a bit of a charge, so all we had to do to get underway was pair it with our smartphone via Bluetooth.

Let the bond begin

Having spent many months with Fitbit’s Blaze, strapping on the Ionic was a familiar experience — despite the fact Fitbit developed an entirely new operating system dubbed Fitbit OS. However, using the Ionic’s interface is much smoother and cleaner than any previous Fitbit model, which immediately stood out during our first few minutes wearing it.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Navigating the home screen — to see daily steps, heart rate, and calories burned — requires nothing more than a simple tap on the watch face to cycle through each set of data. As is the case with many wearables, the Ionic’s screen is set to wake up whenever its wearer lifts a wrist. If for some reason the watch doesn’t wake up automatically, a small button to the left of the screen unlocks (and locks) the watch face. From here, the OS grants quick-hit access to daily fitness statistics, a selection of workouts, or to the updated allotment of available apps and services.

From a comfort perspective, the Ionic’s included watch band is constructed of the same type of elastomer found in several other fitness bands and smartwatches, allowing it to avoid feeling like an obtrusive accessory. Even when we worked up a proper sweat — be it from running, hiking, or otherwise working out — the Ionic never felt uncomfortable on our wrist or impeded our activity. Even with its larger watch face, it never got in the way of whatever exercise we were trying to accomplish.

A new world of apps

Headlining Fitbit’s foray into the world of apps is a strong three-headed monster in Pandora, Strava, and Starbucks. Pandora is self-explanatory, Strava is essentially a social network for runners and bikers and the Starbucks app lets you upload gift cards for use as payment in its cafes. Using Pandora on the Ionic features a particularly high hurdle for use: A Plus or Premium membership.

Sure, it’s not an entirely walled-off barrier to entry, but there’s no denying the tens of millions of people who already shell out $10 per month for either Spotify or Apple Music, especially considering Pandora offers a free version of its application. However, this nitpick becomes a touch less serious when you factor in its ability to not only control music via a paired smartphone but also its capacity to store roughly 300 songs — for use without a companion phone. Still, having the ability to use Pandora’s fee-free app would be a welcome feature.

Outside of the big three, Fitbit’s App Gallery provides users with a well of compatible apps like Amazon Alexa, MyFitnessPal (powered by Under Armour), and Weight Watchers, among many others. On paper, these certainly expand the realm of possibility for the Ionic, but as of now, the number of available apps leaves a bit to be desired. Though it’s not something capable of drowning the watch, with competition like the app-rich Apple Watch, it’s not unfair to want more here. Considering the Ionic is a first-generation smartwatch for Fitbit, it’s reasonable to expect its app offerings to become more comprehensive down the line.

Fitbit stays atop the fitness tracking pack

Fitbit’s attempt at entering the full-feature smartwatch industry is valiant — no doubt — but where the Ionic truly shines is with its fitness tracking, an aspect of the company’s wearables that’s always scored highly. As expected, the Ionic tracks a wearer’s daily steps, heart rate, burned calories, sleep patterns, and flights of stairs climbed. In addition to this tracking data, the Ionic also offers personalized exercise routines, the ability to track swim workouts, guided breathing sessions, sleep tracking, and sends friendly, hourly reminders to keep moving.

We especially liked the auto-detecting feature.

Like the Blaze before it, these features shine on the Ionic, allowing users to view a wide range of data related not just to levels of fitness but also sleep habits. Concerning the sleep-tracking aspect, it’s an interesting experience having the ability to view charted data pertaining to a night’s sleep. For instance, after a night where we felt as though we woke up sparingly, the companion Fitbit app revealed a different side to the story as it showed several colored blips indicating wake ups throughout the night.

During our time with the watch, we especially liked the auto-detecting feature that would automatically start tracking a run a few minutes after we started. Without requiring the need to manually select a workout, this allowed us to literally lace up our runners and immediately get going on a run without missing out on tracking our valuable running data.

Perhaps one of the Ionic’s best new features is the fact it’s water resistant up to 50 meters. This means it boasts the ability to track swim workouts, including keeping track of the number of laps, swim duration, and amount of calories burned. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the Ionic knows when you’re swimming, too, so no need to start that activity tracking manually.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Of course, simply wearing the Ionic won’t improve your sleep patterns, cardio levels, or desire to workout but there’s no denying that its constant tracking and accessible data create a game capable of continuously pushing you. This is especially true when you factor in the ability to connect (and compete) with other Fitbit-wearing friends via the companion Fitbit app. Few things accomplish the goal of making working out fun, which makes an intuitive and engaging wearable like the Ionic even more attractive.

The customization game

Like many fitness trackers, Fitbit allows Ionic owners to customize the watch to fit their lifestyle. Be it simply picking one of three base colorways or outfitting it with a leather, sport, or classic band, the available options add to the watch’s versatility. We enjoyed the subtle style of the classic watch band and were especially fond of the sport option which features a comfortable, breathable band.

While we scored Fitbit’s Blaze highly, we found its stock band to cause irritation issues after only a few weeks of use — even with us washing the band after wearing it during a particularly sweaty workout. With the Ionic’s sport band, however, this problem was solved, as its breathable design allowed our wrist to avoid sitting in hours-old sweat. In other words, this add-on band is well worth the extra $30.

Better battery life

The bane of any smartwatch’s existence, the Ionic’s battery life is remarkable. On a single two-hour charge, we were able to go several days before needing to plug it back in. Fitbit claims the watch is capable of lasting four or more days on a single charge and roughly 10 hours of GPS time; estimates we found to be roughly correct.

Fitbit Ionic Compared To

Apple Watch Series 3

Motorola Moto 360 (2015)

LG Watch Sport

Huawei Watch 2 Sport

Huawei Fit

Samsung Gear S2

Apple Watch Series 2

Martian Passport MP100WSB

Garmin fenix 2

Sony SmartWatch 3 SWR50

Meta M1 Watch

LG G Watch R

Motorola Moto 360

Martian Notifier Watch

Phosphor Touch Time

While it’s not a complete dealbreaker to need to charge a smartwatch every night, having the ability to do it every few days was a welcome feature. For Fitbit, a longer battery life is especially important so its users have the ability to utilize its sleep tracking ability instead of needing to dock it at night or charge during active daytime hours.

Warranty information

Fitbit offers Ionic buyers an initial 45-day money-back guarantee, along with a one-year limited warranty which covers manufacturer defects.

Our Take

As it enters the smartwatch market for the first time, Fitbit’s Ionic is an impressive debut. Despite it lacking the ability to respond to text messages and emails or a comprehensive app store, the fact that it’s a first-generation smartwatch for Fitbit should mean there can only be positive improvement moving forward. For a watch that already gets a lot right — incredible fitness tracking, a days-long battery, and stylish and comfortable alternate bands — the future appears bright for the Ionic.

Is there a better alternative?

Anymore, the smartwatch industry is led and dominated by Apple. Having just announced its latest iteration — the Apple Watch 3 — there’s no doubt this is Fitbit’s largest competitor and, arguably, a more full-featured alternative. At a price of around $30 more than the Ionic, the Apple Watch 3 offers users a wide range of compatible applications and a higher level of interaction. To Fitbit’s credit, the Ionic may be the king of actual fitness tracking — which isn’t terribly surprising — which makes it a supremely attractive option to those who stay consistently active.

How long will it last?

Though we’ve only spent roughly two weeks with the Ionic, there doesn’t appear to be any sort of significant wear and tear capable of rendering it useless. Perhaps the biggest threat to its longevity concerns the market itself. Every year a new smartwatch debuts, be it an updated version of a past release or an entirely new variety, smartwatch companies stay busy planning their next releases. The hope with the Ionic is that instead of releasing its successor, Fitbit will instead work toward upgrading and enhancing it to improve the experience for current and new owners.

Should you buy it?

Fitness fanatics should absolutely buy Fitbit’s Ionic. Featuring an impressive suite of fitness tracking capabilities — such as auto-tracking of runs, swim tracking via its waterproof design, custom workouts, and multi-sport compatibility — there’s no better way to stay connected to your fitness profile. Pair this triumph of tracking with an easy-to-use companion app and it’s hard not to love Fitbit’s extensive ecosystem that accomplishes the rare goal of making working out fun.

For smartwatch enthusiasts looking for a full-featured option, the Ionic (in its current state) may leave you wanting more. Lacking the ability to respond to text messages and emails or a comprehensive app store has it coming up just short of the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch is around $30 more expensive than the Ionic, but offers more for that price — not exactly surprising considering its Apple’s third-generation smartwatch.

When will Google finally go all-in on smartphones?

Google has been making smartphones for years now — sort of. It has been dipping its toe in the water since 2010, but seven years later it still hasn’t jumped in. Limited stock, reliance on manufacturer partnerships, and off-the-shelf components don’t add up to the mass market Google phone we’ve all been waiting for since the birth of Android.

The freshly unveiled Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL look to be accomplished handsets, but certain models are already “Out of stock” on the Google Store, and many others now have longer delivery estimates from 2 to 3 weeks up to 6 to 7 weeks.

“I wish we had a few more of them to go around.”

We’ve been here before. On stage at the launch event, after expressing his pride over the original Pixel phones, Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior vice president of hardware, wisecracked, “I wish we had a few more of them to go around.”

Just three hours after the launch event, the same stock shortages are rearing their ugly heads. You have to wonder just how serious Google is about making its own smartphones, and when it will finally throw its full weight behind them.

Rise and fall of Google’s Nexus

The first phone designed by Google and actually released was the HTC-manufactured Nexus One, back in 2010. What began as a line of developer devices for Android app and game makers, and reference devices for phone manufacturers, gradually developed into something more. Early Nexus handsets were never advertised to the public, but the Nexus brand grew more popular over time.

Google seemed reluctant to throw its full weight behind it. The Nexus phones appeared bearing the mark of their makers — HTC, Samsung, LG, and Motorola — alongside a Nexus logo, rather than a Google one. As the driving force and developer behind the Android platform, there was always a sense of the uncomfortable position Google was in when it came to hardware.

Chris DeGraw/Digital Trends

Pushing an all-singing, all-dancing Google Android phone could turn off its partners, and without the hardware muscle and marketing machines of companies like Samsung, the Android platform would never have reached its current heights. With the Nexus phones it felt like Google was making sure everybody got a turn. The Nexus One was manufactured by HTC, the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus by Samsung, the Nexus 4 and 5 by LG, the Nexus 6 by Motorola, the Nexus 5X by LG again, and finally the Nexus 6P by Huawei.

But then, after six years and 14 devices, the Nexus line retired. Google never released sales figures and it was widely supposed that the Nexus phones never sold many units — at least nothing that would register on the radar of Samsung or Apple. Google never made a mainstream hit, but the best Nexus phones were definitely cult classics, and they gave people a taste of Google’s stock Android vision.

Pixel rises from the ashes

Concern among fans that the slick, speedy, minimalist software experience and swift updates would be lost soon waned when the new Pixel was announced. Finally, Google was putting its own name on a phone, albeit manufactured by HTC. With Android safely ensconced in pole position, entering the hardware arena was the right move for Google. An end-to-end design, marrying software and hardware, would surely produce the ultimate Android phone.

The Pixel wasn’t perfect, but it was an encouraging first step that whet the appetite for future Google phones.

And it did. The original Google Pixel is an excellent phone. While Samsung’s assault on bezels and curvaceous beauty captured the public imagination, high demand for the Pixel proved that others were willing to prioritize the software experience. The desire seemed to come as a surprise, and even as a Verizon exclusive, the Pixel was soon in short supply.

The Pixel wasn’t perfect, but it was an encouraging first step that whet the appetite for future Google phones. It got us imagining what Google might produce if it designed the hardware and software to blend seamlessly.

Limitations or limited ambition?

There was talk of a Google-designed chip, especially after Google hired Manu Gulati as Lead SoC (system-on-a-chip) architect. He led Apple’s chip division for close to eight years. But the Pixel 2 packs the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 as the rest of the Android flagship field.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

To shrink the bezels of the Pixel XL 2, Google drafted in LG, while the smaller Pixel 2 was manufactured by HTC. Mario Queiroz, Google’s vice president of product management, made a dig at Apple during the launch when he said, “We don’t reserve our best features for the larger device.” But there’s a discernible difference between the two Pixels: The XL doesn’t just have a bigger display, it’s framed by smaller bezels.

Consider also, that while the price difference between the iPhone 8 and the superior iPhone 8 Plus is just $100, which gets you a bigger, better display, and the dual camera, the price difference between the Pixel 2 and the XL is $200. We’re sure that has something to do with the fact that they have different manufacturers, but it highlights Google’s lack of control.

Take my money!

Another disappointment with the Pixel 2 launch is it’s a Verizon “exclusive” again. You can get a Pixel 2 for under $30 per month if you sign up to a two-year Verizon instalment plan, or the Pixel 2 XL for around $35 per month, but if you want to use either with another network, you’ll need to pay $650 or $850 up front or take financing from Google on the Google Store.

Not having the Pixel 2 in carrier stores limits its exposure and makes it more difficult for people to buy. If Google is serious about making mass market phones, it must strike deals with all the major carriers.

If you want to build a smartphone brand, the least you can do is let people buy your phones.

It also needs to look at the international market. Right now, the new Pixels are only available in Canada, Germany, Puerto Rico, the U.K, and the U.S. The original Pixels only added Australia to that list. If you’re based anywhere else, then you can forget about it, or rely on an expensive import.

Maybe Google is distracted by other unnecessary products, perhaps it still isn’t ready to commit fully to hardware, or maybe it just needs more time. Google’s acquisition of a select group from HTC’s smartphone division may bode well for the future, but the aftermath of its Motorola Mobility deal is a reminder not to get too hopeful.

Osterloh recently told The Verge, “We don’t want it to be a niche thing,” and said he expects the Pixel to “become big, meaningful business for the company over time.”

The question is — how much time?

Although the software outshines the hardware, the Pixel phones Google has produced so far are great. Perhaps expecting Google to develop a hardware division capable of handling end-to-end smartphone design and an infrastructure to deliver that design worldwide in just two years is unrealistic. But a year on from Pixel shortages, it’s very disheartening to see the same thing happening again. If you want to build a smartphone brand, the least you can do is let people buy your phones.

Steve Jobs has long garnered all the praise for the success of the iPhone, but it was the logistics expertise of Tim Cook that made Apple the most successful tech company in the world. Google should take note.

Self-disinfecting door pad could help break the spread of germs in hospitals

Why it matters to you

Smart solution to the problem of germs spreading in public spaces is low cost, but ingenious.

From ultraviolet light-emitting door handles to superbug-zapping robots, there are plenty of smart solutions that are being employed to try and cut down on the spread of germs in places such as hospitals. A new approach created by researchers from the U.K. offers another, low-cost way around the problem: A door-mounted textile that disinfects itself after being touched. Called Surfaceskins, the specially engineered textile is designed to replace the aluminum door plate that, in a busy thoroughfare, can be touched hundreds of times a day.

“The problem we’re solving is one that I think everyone can identify with — and that’s not wanting to touch a dirty door or surface,” creator Adam Walker told Digital Trends. “Most people at some point in their lives have probably shoulder-barged or push-kicked open a door to avoid touching it. That’s where the idea originated from. I was in a surgery about seven or eight years ago, and the experience of dealing with this problem made me think that there must be a better way of solving this issue to reduce the spread of germs.”

The idea behind Surfaceskins is relatively simple, although the effect could be profound. Combining three separate nonwoven textiles, the antibacterial door pads dispense a tiny quantity of alcohol gel whenever they are touched. This alcohol gel — the same kind that you find in dispensers in places like hospitals — is forced out of the pad through tiny pores on its surface. This disinfects the pad in just seconds, leaving it clean for the next person who needs to use the door.

The gel-dispensing pads last for 1,000 uses or a maximum of seven days, and can be easily replaced.

“Competitive products on the market — such as copper, nanosilvers, and antimicrobials — are great, but they can take 6-10 hours to work,” Walker continued. “That’s of little use on a frequently touched door. The solution to the problem, therefore, had to be something that would kill bacteria instantly, which moved us toward alcohol gel.” In tests, the pads were shown to reduce bacteria levels by 90 percent. While Walker stresses that these are not a replacement for existing hygiene precautions, they could certainly help in the continuing battle against infection.

Surfaceskins are developed by a spinoff company from the U.K.’s University of Leeds. Walker said that he is already working with distributors and hopes that these smart pads will soon show up everywhere from hospitals and dental chains to cruise ships and restaurants.