Project Fi Moto X4 won’t ship until late October

If you were looking forward to getting a Project Fi Moto X4, you may want to steel yourself before checking your inbox. Google has sent out emails notifying people who pre-ordered the device on Fi that a production delay has affected its estimated shipping date. The device will now ship between October 18th and October 25th — and a lot of people aren’t happy about it.

[Image credit: tehtimman/Reddit]

Moto X4 is the first non-Google and first Android One (the company’s line of low-cost phones) device to be part of the big G’s mobile virtual network operator. It runs on Snapdragon 630 processor with 3GB or 4GB of RAM, depending on the region, has an IP68 water-resistant body, a 5.2-inch full HD display and a 16-megapixel front camera. At sub-$400, it’s more affordable than the other Fi devices, including the Pixel and the Pixel 2, so it’s not surprising that the delay didn’t sit well with a lot of pre-order customers on Reddit and Lenovo’s forum.

Source: Android Police, Reddit, Lenovo

Apple Adds 2017 15-Inch MacBook Pro Models to Refurbished Store

Apple today updated its online store for refurbished products to add a selection of 15-inch MacBook Pro models equipped with a Touch Bar, which is the first time the new machines have been available through the refurbished store since their June 2017 release.

As of the writing of this article, Apple’s refurbished store has six different 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro models available for purchase at a discount of approximately 15 percent.

The base model 15-inch MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM, 256GB of storage, and a Radeon Pro 555 graphics card is available for $2,039, for example, a discount of $360 off the price when purchased new. Both Silver and Space Gray models are available in a handful of different configurations.

All of these machines are listing shipping estimates of 30 days, which may be in error as they have just recently been added to the refurbished store.

The addition of 15-inch MacBook Pro models to the refurbished store comes two months after Apple began offering refurbished versions of the 13-inch 2017 MacBook Pro models.

Apple’s refurbished products go through a rigorous refurbishment process before being offered for sale, which includes inspection, repairs, cleaning, and repackaging. Refurbished Macs come with a one-year warranty that can be extended with an AppleCare+ purchase.

For tips on purchasing a refurbished product, make sure to check out our guide.

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Casio Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20 review

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Casio Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20

While the 1.32-inch screen is large and easy to read, it’s not entirely being used. There’s still an out-of-place black bar at the bottom of the screen, which means it’s not entirely circular. It’s why the resolution is 320 × 300 pixels. This was a trend with a lot of early Android Wear smartwatches, such as the Moto 360, but almost all circular Android Wear smartwatches no longer have a “flat tire” and feature fully circular screens. We would have liked to see an improvement here with the WSD-F20.

The resolution isn’t as sharp as many newer Android Wear watches either, and we would have liked it to be a lot brighter, but we’re fans of the dual-layer LCD technology that debuted on last year’s watch. Essentially there’s a color LCD screen, where you can access Android Wear and special Casio outdoor features, but you can switch to the monochrome LCD, which only gives you the time and date but lets the watch last up to a month. Huawei implemented a similar feature in the Huawei Watch 2, where you can turn off Android Wear to keep the watch alive for 25 days with just a simple watch face. It’s far more useful than walking around with a dead, blank smartwatch.

To navigate through the watch’s many applications and tools, three metal buttons flank the right side of the large watch face. After spending an afternoon learning the Pro Trek’s ins and outs, correctly utilizing these buttons became second nature. The Tool button on the top cycles through the watch’s compass, altimeter, and barometer, while the App button on the bottom brings up a map showing your location via its built-in GPS. The large button between the two doubles as the back button but also lets you access Android Wear applications. Press and hold it, and you’ll also be able to talk to the Google Assistant.

Android Wear 2.0

Google improved its smartwatch operating system with the release of Android Wear 2.0 earlier this year. It features a better-looking interface that’s easier to use; the Play Store, where you can download apps to the watch itself; and the Google Assistant, an artificially intelligent assistant you can ask to perform functions, like send a message or set a reminder.

Like other Android Wear 2.0 watches, the interface is fluid, fast, and easy-to-use. Dismissing a notification makes it disappear from your phone, and you can interact with a good amount of them — such as responding to emails or replying to a Facebook message. These functions work best when the watch is paired to an Android phone, as iOS capabilities are limited.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Responding to notifications can be awkward, but there’s thankfully many options. You can use your voice and the watch will translate it into text; there’s a keyboard you can either tap to type or swipe; you can scribble emojis or letters to form sentences; or there’s Smart Reply, which uses on-device machine learning to offer up short responses based on the context of the conversation.

Access to the Play Store on the watch means you don’t have to crowd your phone with Android Wear apps — they can simply be installed on the watch. You’ll need Casio’s Moment Setter+ watch app to tweak Casio-specific features on the WSD-F20.

Android Wear 2.0 is a great upgrade over the original version.

You can access Google Assistant by holding down the middle button, or by saying “OK Google.” We found it fairly useful, especially to ask for things like the weather or to send messages, but it’s not as fast as we’d like it to be. Unlike the Assistant powering the Google Home speaker, it cannot control smart home devices, which is an unfortunate miss.

One of our complaints last year was how the Android Wear interface looks out of place alongside the Casio features. The same is true again on the WSD-F20. Android Wear looks sleek and minimal, while Casio’s software is crowded. Casio’s interface matches the design of the watch, but it does look and feel jarring when you switch between the two. Casio does win points, though, for making this Android Wear watch look distinct when compared to other Android Wear watches.

Android Wear 2.0 is a great upgrade over the original version, but keep in mind that its primary function is to let you see and respond to notifications. Additional useful functions are the ability to store music and play it via Bluetooth earbuds; and access to third-party apps such as Uber. We’d still like to see more third-party app support.

Casio hits the great outdoors

Aside from its Android Wear capabilities, the Pro Trek’s strongest appeal rests with its bevy of outdoor features. Featuring a compass, altimeter, barometer, and tide graph, the watch affords a wealth of useful information right on your wrist — and helps consolidate the amount of equipment one might usually tote while outside.

We found it easy to tailor the Pro Trek’s watch face to whichever activity we were currently doing. For instance, if we were ascending a particularly steep hike, the Altitude face would show information relating to our climb, helping us assess how quickly we might reach the summit. If it was just directions we desired, the Traveler face (with its built-in compass) provided us with north, south, west, and east pointers to help keep us on track.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

All of the WSD-F20’s features are quickly accessible via the Tool button, making it incredibly easy to navigate to the tide chart, compass, and barometer. We did have to calibrate the watch before accessing some of these tools, but that took no more than a few seconds.

What makes this iteration of Casio’s Pro Trek especially useful is the watch’s integration of a working GPS. Capable of being presented in the style of Google Maps or the vector maps on Mapbox, the built-in GPS adds a unique element to an already feature-rich watch. While in the Google Maps interface, the watch quickly identified where it was located, producing a familiar map upon the immediate touch of the “App” side button. We liked how easy it was to mark places on the map via voice memo or simply touching the screen, a useful way to tag hidden hiking trails or alternate routes and passages – or simply note your favorite sushi spot.

The Pro Trek’s strongest appeal rests with its bevy of outdoor features.

Perhaps one of its best features is the integrated barometer, which uses atmospheric pressure to predict changes in the weather. Though much of our testing occurred during warm, summer days in Portland, Oregon, this feature allowed us to see even slight changes in pressure. As the dial rose and fell, we had a precise view on whether to prepare for rain or switch into a T-shirt to enjoy some sun.

Additionally, the Pro Trek offers five different tracking applications for use while trekking, fishing, cycling, kayaking, or skiing and snowboarding. These features track speed (average and top) and distance traveled, allowing for accurate, continuous recreational tracking for each activity. The trekking function even records ascent and descent statistics, which we found to add a unique (and fun) way to track hikes.

Average battery life

Like most smartwatches, Casio’s Pro Trek had a tough time lasting much longer than a day when we consistently used its buffet of features. We would have liked a longer-lasting battery, especially for a watch built to be used outdoors, but it’s on par with its competition.

Casio Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20 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

Vector Luna

Martian Passport MP100WSB

Garmin fenix 2

Meta M1 Watch

LG G Watch R

Wellograph

Martian Notifier Watch

Phosphor Touch Time

That said, Casio does include that particularly useful way to turn off Android Wear in favor of the digital clock (via the monochrome LCD). In this mode, battery life extends to a whopping 30 days. This feature is especially critical for longer backpacking trips where we’d be able to switch off Android Wear when we didn’t need to know an area’s pressure density and simply turn it back on when we did.

Casio sadly hasn’t improved the charger. The proprietary charger magnetically connects to a port on the side of the watch, but the magnetic connection is weak. It easily disconnects when slightly moved, which is frustrating.

Warranty, pricing, and availability

The Casio Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20 has a standard limited warranty, which protects the watch from manufacturing defects up to one year from the date of purchase. It does not cover accidental damage.

The Pro Trek is expensive, coming in at $500 — far more than most Android Wear smartwatches — and it does not have any cellular functionality. It’s available now at Casio’s website, as well as retailers such as Amazon, Macy’s, REI, Best Buy, and more.

Our Take

The Casio Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20 is a good smartwatch with features too niche for most people. But if you’re an outdoors enthusiast that loves checking out data from barometers and altimeters, or even tracking the way you’ve traveled, you’ll like what the Pro Trek has to offer.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. If you’re a looking for a simple smartwatch that looks good and can offer up notifications, check out the Movado Connect, or the Michael Kors Access Sofie or Access Grayson. For more targeted fitness features, such as heart-rate monitoring and GPS, there’s the Huawei Watch 2.

Perhaps the closest in competition to Casio’s Pro Trek is Garmin’s Fenix 5X. A full-featured multi-sport watch that also boasts GPS, water-resistance, a compass, barometric altimeter, and a bevy of fitness-tracking options, the Fenix 5X does much of what the Pro Trek offers wearers and does so in style – that is, if you don’t mind the bulk. Clocking in at some $200 more, the premium price buys a premium experience as well as Garmin’s dedication to updating its software and companion application – which mean it might be the last watch any active outdoorsy type will ever need.

If you have an iPhone, your best bet is the Apple Watch Series 3, which now boasts cellular connectivity so you can leave your phone behind. The LG Watch Sport is a solid option if you want an Android Wear watch with cellular capabilities.

For specific outdoor features, you may want to look at the Garmin Forerunner 935 and the Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR, both of which focus less on notifications and more on fitness functions.

How long will it last?

The Pro Trek WSD-F20 is MIL-STD-810G-certified, meaning it can take a beating. It’s also water resistant up to 50 meters. You’ll have a tough time breaking this watch, so it should last you quite a few years. It will likely only get software updates for two years at the most, so you may see some issues after that point. The battery will degrade over time as well, so every year you’ll see poorer and poorer battery life. Still, we expect this device to remain functional for three to four years.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you like what Android Wear has to offer and are interested in Casio’s outdoors functions, this watch may be for you. If not, there are plenty more affordable smartwatches to check out.

Google Home Mini review units had a bug that recorded everything, all the time

Google Home Mini is only shipping on October 19, but a major bug has already been reported — and fixed.

Google is no stranger to problematic hardware launches — recall how difficult it was to get a Pixel last year, or how frustratingly bad the Nexus 5’s camera was in 2013 — but this one may top it all.

According to Android Police owner, Artem Russakovskii, review units of the new Google Home Mini had a bug that caused it to intermittently listen to everything in its surrounding area, even when not explicitly called using the “OK Google” hotword.

Russakovskii discovered the bug after realizing that his Home Mini was responding to dialogue from his television. He then checked his My Activity Portal, which is where Google stores all the data obtained by its various services, including Google Assistant. That’s how he discovered that thousands of commands had been entered in the database without his knowledge.

The bug, which has since been fixed, turned out to be a malfunctioning touch panel on the fabric top of the Home Mini itself. See, the device, like the larger Google Home, can be manually activated by holding down on the center of the fabric; some early units were too sensitive and saw this touch panel activate with no actual human input.

Google has since released an update to fix the issue, and hopefully no retail units will have the problem.

Google has since released an over-the-air update to all early reviewer units (including mine) to disable the manual activation command entirely and plans to create a long-term fix before the product ships on October 19.

Of course, such a bug just reinforces the cliché that Google knows too much about its users, and that connected speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home are constantly listening to its users. The reality is that these units are always listening to its users — that’s how they detect the activation word — but they don’t keep any of the data except for the terms expressly said after the hotword itself. In fact, there’s no connection to the internet at all until “OK Google” is activated. That’s an important distinction here, but some people are still going to be reticent to invest in a system that could be storing personal information it wasn’t authorized to store.

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OnePlus responds to OxygenOS data collection concerns

Well this isn’t a great look — but there’s an explanation.

A concern from earlier this year over how much data OnePlus has been collecting has resurfaced this week, pointing to the fact OxygenOS on all recent OnePlus phones keeps track of all sorts of information on the phone and sends it back to the company. Despite this being something that’s been happening for some time on OnePlus phones and that’s several months since first being discovered, users have just now been reminded of it and are (rightfully) concerned over just how much is being collected and what’s being done with it.

OnePlus, just like any other phone manufacturer, collects information on how your phone is being used, what apps are installed, and what issues may arise — and it’s often tied to that phone and your user account in particular. The report from earlier this year clearly shows how a OnePlus phone (a OnePlus 2 in this case) was collecting how long apps were used for, what Wi-Fi networks were being connected to, the phone’s associated user account and much more. It was sending the data back to OnePlus as well — and mostly for good reason, as it helps OnePlus improve its software and help with customer support should the need arise.

When asked for a comment on the matter, OnePlus responded with exactly as we’d expect:

We securely transmit analytics in two different streams over HTTPS to an Amazon server. The first stream is usage analytics, which we collect in order for us to more precisely fine tune our software according to user behavior. The second stream is device information, which we collect to provide better after-sales support.

While it may seem like a massive treasure trove of information that shouldn’t be leaving the phone, this sort of diagnostic and usage data is collected routinely, with rare exception, on smartphones. In this case, some of the data collection can actually be turned off. The first “stream” of information, which includes things like which apps are installed and how the software is used, can be disabled by going to Settings, Advanced and turning off “Join user experience program.” The second “stream” cannot be turned off, as is typical on phones.

Now the fact that this wasn’t something that was clearly explained to the user during setup or even in the settings where you turn it off is something that’s worth being a bit upset about. As is the fact that personally identifiable information like user accounts and IMEI numbers are being tied to the data, as shown by the research. But OnePlus is hardly alone in what it’s collecting from its phones, and the core issue of the data itself being collected isn’t something we should be surprised or alarmed by — and taking OnePlus as its word, it seems to be handling the data appropriately as well.

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College students can pay for Amazon Prime by the month

Amazon is no stranger to discounting its services for college students. You’ve still had to pay for Prime by the year, however, which can seem wasteful if you’re only on campus for some of the year. Thankfully, you won’t have to pay more than you have to. Amazon has introduced a by-the-month option for students that asks you to pay $5.49 per month only for as long as you need it. If you don’t need fast shipping when you leave for summer break or have no inclination to watch The Tick during exams, you can put that money to better use.

You’ll need to prove your status by supplying a .edu email address, but you will get a 6-month free trial if you’re new to Prime. And yes, the $49 yearly rate remains intact if you’re confident you’ll use Prime for long enough in a given year.

It’s not at all surprising that Amazon would cut students another break. Amazon might make little to no money from Prime if you’re a per-month customer, but there’s a real chance you’ll order enough products to offset that difference. And yes, Amazon is likely hoping to snag some long-term customers. Even if you’re not a profitable subscriber while attending school, Amazon no doubt hopes that you’ll like Prime enough to pay full price once you graduate.

Source: Amazon

Google Home Mini bug could make it record audio 24/7

Some of the Home Mini speakers Google gave away during its recent Pixel event aren’t working correctly. That’s what the company found out when it examined the unit it gave to Artem Russakovskii from Android Police. Russakovskii told the tech titan that the device he got from the recent Pixel event was recording sounds in his house 24/7. He noticed that his Home Mini would flash its lights even if he doesn’t activate it by saying “OK, Google” or by giving the touch panel a long press. When he checked his activity portal, it was filled with recordings saved on Google’s server that could make a conspiracy theorist shout “I knew it!” Since the company is releasing the speaker in a few days, it took Google less than three hours to scoop up the rogue speaker from his home.

Here’s a video of his Home Mini recording every sound that comes out of his TV:

After a Google engineer examined his unit, the big G found out that the device’s touch panel has been behaving erratically and activating the device on its own. As a result, Google has rolled out a software patch that deactivates the touch panel entirely.

“We learned of an issue impacting a small number of Google Home Mini devices that could cause the touch mechanism to behave incorrectly. We rolled out an update on October 7 to mitigate the issue,” a rep said in a statement. “If you’re still having issues, please feel free to contact Google Support at 1-855-971-9121 to get a replacement Google Home Mini.”

We’ll bet Google is rushing to fix the issue before the device starts shipping on October 19th. But if you want to be sure, the firmware that disables the touch panel is numbered 1.28.100122.

Via: 9to5google

Source: Android Police, Google Home support

Disney, Fox, Warner and Universal may team up on downloadable movies

After nearly a decade of battling between movie lockers, Disney may finally have support from other studios. According to a report from Bloomberg, “several major Hollywood film studios” are signed up to participate in a new film service with Disney, including Fox, Warner and Universal. Since 2010, most of the industry has relied on Ultraviolet to enable cross-store digital movie ownership, with the exception of Disney, which launched its own Movies Anywhere service in 2014.

Most of us got out first taste of the systems that link purchases across stores like iTunes, or Amazon via digital copy codes included with DVDs and Blu-rays. The studios hope that by finally banding together, they can convince customers to buy more movies instead of relying on subscription services or other avenues to get their flicks.

There’s no word about what might happen to studio support Ultraviolet, or stores that support it like Walmart’s Vudu, but Disney Movies Anywhere currently links to iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, FiOS and not Microsoft. The other major studios, Lionsgate and Paramount, are reportedly “supportive” but aren’t joining yet.

Source: Bloomberg

Mark Zuckerberg apologizes for insensitive VR tour of Puerto Rico

Did Mark Zuckerberg’s VR tour of hurricane-struck Puerto Rico come across as callous to you? You’re far from alone, and Zuckerberg realizes it… in a manner of speaking. The Facebook chief has apologized for his approach to the tour, arguing that what he intended and what happened didn’t quite match. He wanted to show how VR could “raise awareness” of events and simultaneously promote a recovery partnership with the Red Cross, but “this wasn’t clear” in the presentation, according to the CEO.

The apology is coming fairly quickly after the event, and there’s little doubt that Zuckerberg meant well. With that said, it’s not apparent that he fully understood what incensed people in the first place.

For some, the issue is that the VR tour exists at all. Hurricane Maria was an unprecedented disaster that crippled Puerto Rico’s infrastructure (most of the territory still doesn’t have power or clean water) and produced real casualties. To use a tragedy for what looks like a tech demo for social VR, even if it’s well-intentioned, seems insensitive. That’s not to say that VR or other tech novelties can never be used to highlight serious issues, but it’s evident from Facebook’s experience that companies have to be respectful as possible of people’s suffering — even if that means refraining from using technology to begin with.

Via: CNET

Source: Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook)

Apple CEO Tim Cook: Technology Doesn’t Exist to do AR Smart Glasses ‘In a Quality Way’

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently sat down for a wide ranging interview with The Independent alongside several app developers where he discussed augmented reality in its current incarnation on the iPhone and provided a bit of insight into Apple’s plans for future devices that could potentially take advantage of augmented reality, like smart glasses.

As is typical, Cook refused to comment on products Apple has in development, but when questioned about the topic, he said the technology to create a pair of augmented reality smart glasses “in a quality way” does not exist today.

“But today I can tell you the technology itself doesn’t exist to do that in a quality way. The display technology required, as well as putting enough stuff around your face – there’s huge challenges with that.

“The field of view, the quality of the display itself, it’s not there yet.”

Cook went on to say that Apple will only ship a product that’s the best, reiterating that the company doesn’t care about being first to new technology. “We want to be the best and give people a great experience,” he said. “But now anything you would see on the market any time soon would not be something any of us would be satisfied with. Nor do I think the vast majority of people would be satisfied.”

Google Glass augmented reality glasses
Rumors have suggested Apple is working on a pair of augmented reality smart glasses and has experimented with multiple prototypes, but based on both Cook’s statement today and past rumors, a wearable Apple-branded augmented reality product is still a ways off.

Recent information has suggested augmented reality smart glasses are at least a year away or longer, with Apple aiming to figure out the “most compelling application” for an AR headset.

Though the technology does not exist today in Cook’s opinion, he did provide some hope for a future AR wearable from Apple. “Most technology challenges can be solved, but it’s a matter of how long,” he said.

The rest of Cook’s interview, which can be read over at The Independent and is well worth checking out, focuses heavily on ARKit and augmented reality. As he has done many times in the past, Cook said AR is huge, will be used by everyone, and will take off much like the App Store or multi-touch functionality.

Related Roundup: Apple VR Project
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