Watch our Huawei Mate 10 + Mate 10 Pro video preview!

If you look at the heritage of the Huawei Mate series over the years, one thing stands out: These are big, beastly tank-like phones — and with enormous screens and huge batteries inside, they needed to be.

The latest Mate phones have pivoted slightly, though. Along with all the generational improvements that come in any new flagship, the Mate 10 packs all the technology we’d expect from the series into two of Huawei’s sleekest and most beautiful devices to date.

The Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro — the latter being the only model to be sold in the U.S. and UK, for now — features new AI-equipped hardware, backed up by a new, powerful and efficient CPU, up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and new software based upon Android Oreo. And that’s before we get to the impressive camera setup that Huawei and Leica have built out, featuring dual optically stabilized rear cameras behind f/1.6 lenses.

As you’ll see in our video preview, getting all the power of a Huawei Mate phone no longer means carrying around a giant brick of a phone in your pocket. And the Mate 10 Pro, in particular, might be enough to give Samsung and Google a run for their money.

• Android Central on YouTube
• Huawei Mate 10 + Mate 10 Pro hands-on preview
• Huawei Mate 10 specs

The Morning After: Tuesday, October 17th 2017

Welcome to Tuesday! Yesterday’s news centered on a WiFi vulnerability that could affect pretty much anything that connects to wireless networks. We checked on which companies are already issuing fixes. Huawei launched its newest phone in another bid to establish itself as a top-tier smartphone brand, and there’s a fancy (albeit unofficial) SNES mini for grown-ups.

Where’d we put that that Ethernet cable?What you need to know about the KRACK WiFi attack

Security researcher Mathy Vanhoef publicly announced he’d found a vulnerability in the WPA2 protection used by modern WiFi networks. Dubbed KRACK (Key Reinstallation AttaCK), it could potentially let someone within range of your WiFi network snoop on information that’s not encrypted (like many websites or info used by some apps) and in some cases, possibly even information that’s supposed to be encrypted.

Vanhoef previously notified many vendors, so Microsoft has already patched supported versions of Windows. Android and Linux devices are particularly vulnerable; however Google says that once devices are upgraded to the November 2017 security patch release level, they will be immune to the problem. Apple, meanwhile, has included fixes in beta versions of macOS, iOS, tvOS and watchOS, which should reach users soon. Other WiFi-connected devices will need their own updates to close the hole, but if you’d like more information then check out the FAQ here.

iOS 11 offers true multitasking, but is that enough?Can an iPad Pro replace your PC?

Apple has long pushed its iPad series as a post-PC device. Then came the iPad Pro, which Apple’s Phil Schiller even described as “the ultimate PC replacement.” But that wasn’t really true until the launch of iOS 11, when the company really let the iPad off the leash. Daniel Cooper tries working on one to see if that’s really true.

Researchers around the world are collecting troves of new data from this latest event.

Astronomers just measured a whole lot more than gravitational waves

A couple of weeks ago, the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) and Virgo teams announced the detection of another set of gravitational waves — the fourth since LIGO’s first detection in September 2015. The first three sets of gravitational waves were recorded by two LIGO observatories; the fourth was detected by a newly established third — Virgo — in Italy. Having three detectors now allows researchers to triangulate the source of those waves with extraordinary precision.

The importance of that precision is that it allows dozens of other observatories to hone in on it and collect additional data, including visual, X-ray, infrared, ultraviolet and radio wave recordings — meaning researchers all around the world just collected, and are continuing to collect, a massive trove of information that has given us the most detailed look at a gravitational wave-generating event ever.

Shocker: It’s actually good.Amazon Fire HD 10 review (2017)

Amazon’s newest Fire HD 10 features a great 10-inch screen, it’s fast enough to run plenty of apps, and, most important, it costs just $150. It’s the ideal machine for binge watching — if you can live without Google’s apps.

It’ll play your old carts.The Analogue Super Nt is Nintendo’s SNES Classic for grown-ups

Just as the NES Classic Edition broke ground before the SNES Classic, Analogue is also following up on Nintendo’s wallet-grab on our childhood memories with another premium, no-compromise mini console that plays the gaming carts of yesteryear and solves some of our issues with the official miniature SNES. This is all, however, for a premium price.

Fighting fires.The Big Picture: A 747 Supertanker rains retardant on California’s wildfires

A converted Boeing 747-400, the largest passenger model in the company’s jumbo lineup, first entered service with Japan Airlines in 1991. After being converted with a water tanker, it can now dump up to 19,200 gallons of water or retardant in just six seconds as low as 200 feet above ground level (AGL), then climb away at 6,000 feet per minute. Those stellar capabilities have made it a big help in fighting California’s insanely aggressive wine-country fires, which have so far killed 40 people and destroyed over 200 homes.

Safety first.Elon Musk’s space-related AMA

Elon Musk took to r/space to answer questions about many of his space-travel ideas, and we’ve rounded up some of the most interesting responses. For example, Musk explained the BFR’s Raptor engines power drop from 300 tons-force to 170 with a simple one liner “We chickened out” before explaining in detail the safety considerations SpaceX is dealing with.

But wait, there’s more…

• Huawei Mate 10 hands-on: faster, more helpful AI
• Meanwhile in Canada, a drone hits a commercial plane for the first time
• Marvel’s full ‘Black Panther’ trailer shows a ruthless hero-king
• What’s on TV: ‘The Walking Dead,’ ‘Gran Turismo Sport’ and the NBA is back

Garmin Speak puts Amazon Alexa in your car

Gamin’s GPS devices already feature voice control, but if you’d prefer to have Alexa onboard, its latest product is more your jam. The GPS device maker has just released Garmin Speak, which it says is the first in-vehicle device with hands-free access to Alexa. It’s a tiny little thing, measuring just around an inch-a-half with a LED light ring and an OLED display that shows turn-by-turn directions. You can talk to the voice assistant through it the same way you’d talk to Alexa through an Echo: just say “Alexa” and follow it up with a voice command.

Need directions? Say “Alexa, ask Garmin to route me to” where you’re going. The voice assistant can add items to your grocery list through Speak, play music or read an audiobook through your car’s speakers, check your schedule, look up the weather and order you food. Simply speaking, anything Alexa can do for you at home, it can do for you on the move, though take note that it has to use your mobile data to work.

Amazon Alexa VP or Automotive Ned Curic said in a statement:

“Our vision is that the Alexa service will be everywhere our customers want it, including inside the car. Alexa on the Garmin Speak can help customers with many things, like controlling their smart home from the road, getting news or traffic, listening to Audiobooks, adding items to a shopping list, and ordering dinner with just their voice.”

The Garmin Speak is now available through Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers for $150, around the same price as some of Garmin’s other in-car models.

Source: Garmin Speak

iPhone X Parts Suppliers Reportedly on Schedule to Meet 2017 Production Demand

Yield rates for some iPhone X components have improved and become more stable, allowing for shipments of the upcoming smartphone to grow substantially after October, according to sources from Apple’s supply chain.

Yesterday it was reported that Apple manufacturer Foxconn has started shipping its first iPhone X units from its main plant in Zhengzhou, China. The same sources are now reporting improved production yield rates for key parts such as the 3D sensing modules, signaling the first positive indicator from suppliers previously struggling to meet Apple’s demand.

The first batch of iPhone X devices has already been shipped out from Foxconn Electronics’ site in Zhengzhou (Henan, China), said the sources. With production yield rates for certain key components such as 3D sensing modules improving, shipments of the device have increased gradually and will meet Apple’s demand ahead of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, the sources indicated.

DigiTimes quoted sources at analog IC vendors who said that chip deliveries for the iPhone X have been on schedule up to now, with orders fulfilled on time for the device in the third quarter. The same sources claimed they were not aware of any production delays or shipment cutbacks, contradicting media reports and analyst claims of supply issues, particularly with respect to tricky-to-manufacture 3D sensing modules used in Apple’s new TrueDepth camera.

Chip orders for the iPhone X are now expected to grow through the fourth quarter of 2017, before slowing down in the first quarter of the following year, said the sources.

At the same time however, other supply chain sources have sounded a note of caution over the late availability of the iPhone X and worries about pre-order demand for the device outstripping supply, with a supply/demand balance not achievable until the first quarter of 2018.

There are some suggestions that iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus sales have been lower than expected, as the public bides their time until the more feature-rich iPhone X hits stores, although with no actual sales figures at hand, this is still purely speculation.

Pre-orders for the iPhone X start on Friday, October 27, with the device’s official launch the following Friday, November 3.

Related Roundup: iPhone X
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Walking Route Calorie Estimator Removed From Google Maps After User Criticism

Google is removing an experimental calorie estimator from its Maps iOS app, following criticism from users that the feature amounted to unsolicited health advice and could do more harm than good (via TechCrunch).

The feature began rolling out to some users last week and shows an estimate of the calories that would be burned if a selected walking route was taken.

The calorie estimator not only displayed the potential number of calories burned, but also how many “mini cupcakes” they were worth. “The average person burns 90 calories by walking 1 mile,” the app states. “To help put that into perspective, we’ve estimated how many desserts your walk would burn. One mini cupcake is around 110 calories.”

Some users reportedly welcomed the feature, but it sounds as if a good proportion of them didn’t, as Google has taken the decision to roll it back “based on strong user feedback”.

Why does @googlemaps have a “Calorie Tracker” built into directions I take now? Could be triggering for ppl with past ED.At least have ‘off’ pic.twitter.com/aNEHk346jg

— 👻Nuclear Summer🕸 (@sweetbabyruski) October 14, 2017

I guess Google maps now automatically shows you how many calories you’d burn if you walk somewhere instead of driving pic.twitter.com/eixqCh00rn

— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) October 17, 2017

Some user criticism related to an inability to disable the feature, while others questioned its usefulness, given that rates of calorie burn vary widely from person to person, and no context is given about how the estimate is calculated.

Critics also noted that an excessive preoccupation with calorie counting is a symptom of anorexia and other eating disorders, therefore getting calorie estimates every time a route is looked up could have a negative impact on sufferers.

Google Maps can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link] For those who found the calorie estimator feature useful, other calorie-counting apps are available, such as CityMapper and MyFitnessPal.

Tag: Google Maps
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Apple CarPlay Support Comes to BBC iPlayer Radio App

The BBC today updated its Radio iPlayer app to support Apple CarPlay, allowing vehicle drivers with the feature to listen to BBC radio more safely when behind the wheel.

A simplified touch interface has been adopted for the new in-car version, designed to be easy to fast-forward in a show or skip through entire episodes.

Apart from CarPlay and Android Auto support, the update also brings additional features to help make radio listening a more personalized in-car experience.

The new app interface is split into four sections titled Following, Listen Later, Downloads, and Stations. The Following section gathers favorited shows for easy access from within CarPlay, Listen Later lists shows tagged by users for future listening, while the Downloads section keeps shows ready for listening offline in areas with poor signal.

The BBC iPlayer Radio app is a free download for U.K. listeners available from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tags: CarPlay, BBC Radio, United Kingdom, BBC iPlayer
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Hobby drones are hampering wildfire air crew in California

Why it matters to you

It’s not worth risking the lives of others to get some dramatic wildfire footage with your drone.

The possibility of scoring some dramatic aerial footage of the wildfires in Northern California is tempting a growing number of drone owners into sending their machines on reckless flights that are risking mid-air collisions and hampering firefighting efforts.

Drone operator Nestor Rodriguez from the city of Petaluma, which is close to the fires that have so far killed 41 people, was cited on Sunday for causing disruption to helicopters tackling the blazes in Sonoma and Napa counties. After having his machine taken off him, Rodriguez was cited for impeding emergency personnel.

There have been at least two other reports of drones risking collision with manned aircraft in areas affected by the fires, though it’s not clear if any arrests have been made.

“This problem has become a trend”

Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant told CNBC that “over the years … this problem become a trend.”

Besides endangering the planes and helicopters, Berlant said the disruptions also increase “the potential for a fire to grow larger and do more damage during the time we can’t use firefighting aircraft … That’s why it’s critical that we educate and ensure that the public is not flying their drones over our aircraft or over fires.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned drone operators they could be hit with “significant” fines if they disrupt emergency response efforts with their machines.

“Flying a drone without authorization in or near the disaster area may violate federal, state, or local laws and ordinances, even if a Temporary Flight Restriction is not in place,” the FAA says on its website, adding, “Allow first responders to save lives and property without interference.”

The FAA issued a flight restriction notice for drone owners on October 16 for parts of Napa, “to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft operations.”

Despite several years of warnings from the FAA regarding no-fly zones, it seems the authorities will have to get used to dealing with a small number of folks intent on causing trouble with their flying machines, at least until reliable technology can be widely introduced to deal with rogue drone operations.

The deadly wildfires — the worst in California’s history — have so far burned across more than 220,000 acres of land and destroyed around 5,700 structures. Forty-one people are known to have died, while more than 80 people are reported missing.

Alphabet brings burritos-by-drone delivery to Australia

Apparently, Project Wing brought airborne burritos to Virginia Tech last year as preparation for something bigger. Alphabet X’s experimental project is now dropping burritos (and medicine) from the skies of Australia as part of a series of tests to figure out how to run a drone delivery service efficiently. Project Wing Co-Lead James Ryan Burgess said they’ve teamed up with Australia Mexican food chain Guzman y Gomez and pharmacy chain Chemist Warehouse to drop off orders to testers living in a rural area. These testers usually have to take a 40-minute round trip by car to get to the nearest grocery or restaurant, making them the perfect subjects for Wing’s experiments.

Project Wing has to conduct these tests, because while it has a system that can pre-configure routes, its drones rely on on-board sensors to avoid obstacles. The more tests the sensors go through, the better they become at protecting the UAVs from collision. Of course, the drones don’t have tall buildings to look out for in a rural setting, but baby steps are a must.

Burgess said dropping off burritos will help them fine tune the logistics of getting food to customers while it’s still hot. It’ll also help them figure out how much time to give restos to cook, pack and load food. Delivering over-the-counter meds, vitamins and other items you can buy from drugstores, on the other hand, will help them conjure up the perfect way to pack different items and to optimize how many items can be delivered per flight.

He explained:

“The information we gather from both of these test partners will help us build a system so that merchants of all kinds can focus on what they’re good at  — like making food or helping people feel healthier  —  rather than being distracted by complex delivery logistics.”

Going by what he said, Project Wing most likely intends to conduct more tests… hopefully, in other parts of the globe, so more people can experience the thrill of waiting for airborne burritos.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: X

Google Maps ditches misleading walking calorie counter

Google is ditching a planned feature for Maps following criticism on social media. The update was tied to directions and displayed how many calories you’d burn if you were to walk to your destination. By clicking on the walking option, you’d even be shown the calories in equivalence to mini cupcakes (of all things). Chances are, the search juggernaut was trying to encourage people to take the active route as opposed to driving. But, its attempt at promoting a healthy lifestyle didn’t go down well online. A number of people lambasted the feature on Twitter, claiming it would “shame” and even “trigger” those with eating disorders.

Taking note of the negative reaction, Google is now dumping the experiment. It confirmed to Engadget that the update was briefly tested on iOS, and has been abandoned based on user feedback.

I guess Google maps now automatically shows you how many calories you’d burn if you walk somewhere instead of driving pic.twitter.com/eixqCh00rn

— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) October 17, 2017

As Politico’s Taylor Lorenz noted in her tweets, there was no way to turn off the feature. Lorenz also claimed that using pink cupcakes as the unit of measurement was “lowkey aimed at women.” Others pointed out that Maps wasn’t the appropriate place for the update. After all, there are plenty of fitness and calorie counting apps that keep track of your activity and consumption — again emphasizing how misplaced the feature was. Maybe now Google will stick to its strengths, providing updates (like parking guides, videos, and Q&A comments) that are genuinely useful. It can save the sweet treats for Android.

any woman could have told you this is a supremely bad thing a) to do b) to not be able to turn off https://t.co/QKLv74R2Lw

— Casey Johnston (@caseyjohnston) October 17, 2017

Source: Taylor Lorenz (Twitter)

BBC iPlayer Radio now plays nice with Carplay and Android Auto

For many, BBC radio is synonymous with driving. When you’re stuck in a traffic jam, holiday road trip or boring post-work commute, sometimes the best company is a never-ending playlist punctuated with cheerful DJ chatter. For the longest time, that’s meant FM airwaves, but now of course you can use the iPlayer Radio app too. Today, the BBC is going one step further with support for Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto platforms. If you have a compatible in-car entertainment system, or don’t mind sticking your Android phone to the dashboard, you can now use these large, touch-friendly interfaces while you’re out on the road.

Both the CarPlay and Android Auto versions of iPlayer Radio come with four main sections. “Stations” lists all of the national and local stations broadcasting live across the UK. Downloads, meanwhile, is an offline playlist filled with shows and performances that you’ve previously bookmarked online or through the app. Listen Later contains all the episodes you’ve added to, well, Listen Later (it’s supposed to be like your very own station) and Following is a shortcut to shows you’ve subscribed to. Both platforms have simplified, touch-friendly layouts, and with Android Auto you can use your voice to move around the menus.

Via: Gizmodo UK