Ford’s commuter van service Chariot halts operations in San Francisco

Chariot, an on-demand commuter van service owned by Ford, had to suspend it’s operations in San Francisco due to compliance issues with the California Highway Patrol, according to the San Francisco Business Times.

TechCrunch reports that the CHP found Chariot drivers without the correct Class B drivers licenses during three separate inspections. A re-inspection was conducted on Thursday, which is likely why service has been suspended. The company tweeted that it hoped to resolve the issue quickly.

As most of you know, we had to pause our commuter service this afternoon. We again apologize and plan to resolve this disruption quickly.

— Chariot (@chariot) October 20, 2017

Chariot, which also operates in other cities like Seattle, Austin, and New York City, has been looking to disrupt mass transit in San Francisco, an ambition somewhat thwarted this week when the city proposed rules to ban shuttles from driving along public transportation routes, said TechCrunch. While it’s possible that Chariot will resolve the current licensing problem quickly, hopefully the company will have learned that it can’t just operate without regard to local laws and regulations.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: San Francisco Business Times

MacRumors Giveaway: Win an InvisibleShield Glass+ Screen Protector for iPhone 7/8 From Zagg

For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with Zagg to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an InvisibleShield Glass+ screen protector for the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus.

Zagg’s been in the screen protector business for a long time, so most people are likely familiar with the company’s line of InvisibleShield screen protectors. There are several options available for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

The Glass+ is designed to offer scratch and drop protection for the iPhone’s display while continuing to offer the same smooth feel of glass and no loss of touch sensitivity, for protection that’s nearly unnoticeable.

It uses Ion Matrix technology to offer impact and shatter resistance, and reinforced edges ensure edge-to-edge protection. According to Zagg, its Glass+ screen protector offers 3x more shatter protection compared to an unprotected iPhone display. It’s also designed to have a 100% clarity rating and will not impact the look of the iPhone’s Retina display.

A smudge resistant top layer prevents fingerprints from muddying the display, and there’s a bubble-free adhesive to make sure the screen protector can be applied cleanly.

Zagg InvisibleShield screen protectors come with a limited lifetime warranty, so Zagg will replace them if they get worn out or damaged.

Zagg normally charges $39.99 for its screen protectors, but we have 12 of them to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (October 20) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on October 27. The winners will be chosen randomly on October 27 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

NOTE: Starting today, our giveaways are expanding to cover Canada (excluding Quebec) as well as the United States. Canadian citizens and residents are eligible to enter today’s giveaway.

Tags: giveaway, Zagg
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Apple Hires Former Amazon Studios Exec to Lead International TV Development

Former Amazon Studios executive Morgan Wandell is Apple’s latest hire for its video team, reports Variety. Wandell will take on the role of head of international creative development for worldwide video at Apple, reporting directly to Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, former Sony execs who now lead Apple’s original programming efforts.

Wandell will start work at Apple’s new Culver City office at The Culver Studios at the end of the month.

Prior to joining Apple, a move that’s been in the works for weeks, Wandell served as Head of International Series at Amazon Studios, and before that, he was an executive producer at ABC Studios.

Wandell previously worked with Erlicht and Van Amburg on “Sneaky Pete,” and has also worked on shows that include “The Man in the High Castle,” “Goliath,” “Jack Ryan,” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

Apple has been building up its video content team in recent months, and Wandell joins hires like Matt Cherniss, former president and general manager of WGB America and Tribune Studios, and Kim Rozenfeld, who came from Sony Pictures and now handles documentary series development.

Apple’s video content team is led by Erlicht and Van Amburg, both of whom report to iTunes chief Eddy Cue. Apple’s first project initiated by Erlicht and Van Amburg will see the company teaming up with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and Comcast’s NBC Universal to create new episodes of sci-fi series “Amazing Stories.”

Related Roundup: Apple TVBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
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SmartHalo review: Just about the coolest, and smartest thing you can do for your bike

We’re celebrating ten years of AndroidGuys with a ton of giveaways!

When it comes to the concepts of connected homes or smart, activity-based accessories, we rarely think of bicycles. Outside of an app, a wearable, or a combination of the two, there’s very little to smarten up bike rides.

That’s where something like the SmartHalo comes in.

Backed by a highly successful Kickstarter campaign, it’s all about smartening up bicycles. Priced about $150, it’s an electronic accessory that adds a whole wealth of features to your two-wheeled companion.

As to what it does, it’s probably easier to list out what it doesn’t do. In all seriousness, though, the SmartHalo does quite a bit. Among the details are a visual speedometer, fitness tracking, compass, light, and notification system.

There’s no display to be found, but that doesn’t hinder its capabilities. In fact, once paired to your phone, you can put the handset away, relying on the innovative LED light system. Both Android and iPhone devices can connect via Bluetooth Smart and ANT+.

Setup

Installation is rather simple and uses a clamp system that works on pretty much all bicycles. You’ll need to use the bracket, and, in some cases the risers and rubber spacers to secure itself.

In some cases it takes all of 5-10 minutes to put together and it utilizes a special (HaloKey) magnetic key. Because of the key, the SmartHalo stays put and is not susceptible to theft. Well, that, and the internal alarm system keep it in place.

For those who need to use some of the rubber spacing or longer screws, it can be somewhat tricky assembling if only because of the number of pieces. The included hex screw is thin and it can be awkward to hold things together. The great thing is that once in place, you’re good for the long term.

Although the unit is essentially meant to stay put in a permanent manner, it does need to be recharged. You’ll get about three weeks of 1-hour rides out of the internal battery before you plug it via USB.

Once physically in place, you’ll turn to the mobile app to handle the controls and settings. We found the Android app to be intuitive and helpful, especially as first-time users. There’s plenty here to spell out the features and options; you’ll be riding in no time.

Let’s Ride

The SmartHalo is just that: a halo of light. With 25 LED lights that circle the device, it’s quite interesting how effective things can be, even without an actual display. It takes very little time to understand how the lights work across its various functions.

Using turn-by-turn navigation, for instance, the SmartHalo indicates which way you need to turn and with the right amount of notice. It’s worth pointing out here that it’s not Google Maps that powers the navigation but Open Street Maps. This isn’t necessarily an in issue, though, because we find benefits in using both systems on our phone.

Let’s say you don’t care so much about getting from Point A to Point B but would prefer to just find your own way to a destination. Maybe you want to mark where your car is parked and then always know which way to go to get back. Use the compass and watch how the light seems to float around, always giving you an indicator of the marker.

Similarly, the app is helpful for times when you need to find your bike. Pull up your phone and it will give you a pinpoint of where its last known location. Very cool stuff which comes in handy when you’ve gotten off the bike to explore new terrain on foot.

Other Features

The SmartHalo automatically recognizes when its time to turn on the light. Indeed, it not only has the LED lights on top of the plate, but it also has a few to lead the way, too.

In terms of fitness tracking, we really like what the SmartHalo delivers. Too often we find that apps can’t effectively calculate biking details. But, since this one is literally connected to your bicycle, it can help track speed, elevation, distances, calories burned, time, and more. Moreover, the app also archives things for you so you can look back on individual rides or cumulative totals.

As it pertains to an alarm system, you’ll sleep easier knowing that your bike will sound off when someone messes with it. The internal sensors can detect when a would-be thief starts rocking it back and forth.

The alarm can be manually controlled with a custom code that you tap on the SmartHalo. The better, automatic side of things kick in when you approach with your phone. Once they detect each other, they alarm is deactivated.

Do note there is no GPS unit inside of the SmartHalo. It’s not going to show you its current location on a map. Additionally, it relies on your phone for the navigation. So, keep those in mind when setting out on a ride somewhere, especially if in a sketchy area.

The notification system is a nice feature to have when you are expecting calls or messages. Heck, it’s even better when you aren’t expecting them and have your phone tucked away in a backpack or bag. A quick blink lets you know that someone’s trying to reach you.

There is an audible notification for turns and other functions, but you likely won’t hear it if riding with headphones or earphones. You can adjust the volume level; play with what feels right for how much you want to be notified. Sometimes we just really want to unplug from the world.

Conclusion

One of the biggest pain points we have when trying to unplug for a bit is the fear of missing that all-important phone call. What’s more, we hate having to hold onto a phone will navigating our way across busy or rough terrain. Both of those problems are alleviated here.

We loved the fitness tracking in the app and appreciate that it keeps a log of things for us. This is important and helpful for those training for a special event; it’s also great just to help motivate someone looking to loose weight.

The LED lights are a fun and intuitive and took very little time to understand. You may want to dial off notifications in the early rides and slowly introduce things. Otherwise, you could find yourself overwhelmed a bit in the first few days.

The SmartHalo is just about the coolest thing you can add to a bike — and pretty much the most feature-rich, too. You could probably cut the number of details in half here and we’d still be game to purchase one of these.

Purchase a SmartHalo from its website today for $150.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium, XZs, XA1 Ultra, XA1: Our first take

Why it matters to you

If you’re a Sony fan, you have a range of smartphone options to choose from in the Xperia line.

Sony is back with its Xperia lineup, and if you were expecting an all-new design, you may be disappointed. The differences from last year’s lineup are largely internal, though the four smartphones have some unique features that make them stand out.

There are two lines within the main Xperia line that Sony debuted at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. On the lower end of the spectrum are the Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra, and on the opposite end are the Xperia XZ Premium and the Xperia XZs.

Pricing and availability

Sony has announced availability for the Xperia XZs. You can purchase it on Amazon, Best Buy, and “other participating retailers” for a little over $500. It’s also now available in a new vibrant red color — in the U.S. only — called “Rosso.”

The Xperia XZ Premium is available for purchase in the Netherlands through Amazon U.K. and has a price tag of 589 British pounds (around $775), but that release date has since been taken down.

There’s nothing exciting about these devices, as there’s not much of a visible difference from last year. It also doesn’t seem as though the improvements are features consumers would really be interested in, though some of the camera tricks like Predictive Capture seem interesting. We’ll have to see if the Xperia line can take on the intense competition when the phones arrive later this year.

Xperia XZ Premium and XZs

With its 4K HDR display and Snapdragon 835 processor, the 5.5-inch XZ Premium is the cream of the crop.

As far as design goes, there’s not much of a difference from last year’s XZ — save for the camera flash placement on the rear. It comes in chrome and black, and despite its large bezels, the chrome variant makes the smartphone stand out and look gorgeous. It’s wrapped in Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back, and it’s quite the fingerprint magnet.

The Snapdragon 835 is a powerful chip, and it’s likely necessary to keep the 4K HDR display running smoothly. Sony’s Z5 Premium from 2015 only utilized the 4K display for 4K content and the device normally ran at a 1,080-pixel resolution.  It’s likely what’s happening here with the XZ Premium, but Sony did not confirm it. Sony took HDR technology from its TVs and brought them into the XZ Premium — meaning you’ll get brighter whites, darker blacks, and more vivid colors.

The XZ Premium comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, though a MicroSD card slot lets you upgrade that up to 265GB. It uses a USB Type-C charging port to power the 3,230mAh battery, and the device supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium (left) Sony Xperia XZs (right)

The front selfie camera has 13 megapixels and a 22mm wide-angle lens, but there are two features that make the XZ Premium unique — the first is the 4K HDR screen, which we mentioned, but the second is its rear camera.

The rear camera is packed with 19 megapixels and features 5-axis image stabilization. Sony’s Motion Eye technology allows the device to capture slow-motion video at 960 frames-per-second. It’s incredibly slow, and the effect is stunning.  It certainly doesn’t do this at 1,080p, but at a lower resolution.  For comparison, the iPhone’s highest slow-motion video recording capability is at 240 frames-per-second at 720p.

Predictive Capture is another neat feature that starts capturing any motion as soon as you open the camera app. When you actually press the shutter button, the camera will save the last four photos from two seconds prior. That way, there’s a higher chance you may have captured a special moment.

Overall, the camera seemed to produce solid photographs in our limited time with the phone, though there was some slight shutter lag. Regular performance seemed fast, as we didn’t experience any lag or stutter.

There is no fingerprint sensor on the side of the U.S. model of the device, which Sony says is a “business decision.”

The Xperia XZs carries a lot of the same features of the XZ Premium, including the camera. What’s different is the screen — it’s Full HD with a smaller 5.2-inch display. It also features the Snapdragon 820 processor.  The XZs isn’t as pretty as the XZ Premium. The bezels are huge on the front display, and the back isn’t as interesting as the chrome-colored premium variant.

Highs

• Chrome-colored XZ Premium is gorgeous
• Display looks great
• Snappy performance
• 960 fps capability and Predictive Capture is useful and unique

Lows

• Uninspired design
• XZs is too expensive, meaning XZ Premium will be overkill
• Low battery capacity is worrying

Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra

The Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra are on the opposite end of the Xperia lineup from the XZ series — that’s clear from the choice of processor. Both are powered by MediaTek’s Helio P10, and the XA1 comes with 3GB of RAM and the Ultra has 4GB.

If you can’t tell by the names, the Ultra is superior in almost every way. The 6-inch Ultra has a 1,080-pixel resolution and comes with up to 32GB of internal storage. A MicroSD card lets you expand that storage up to 256GB.

It runs Android 7.0 Nougat, and you’ll find a 2,700mAh battery strapped inside. You can charge that through the USB Type-C port on the bottom.

The regular XA1 also runs Nougat and comes with 32GB of internal storage with a MicroSD card slot, but it only has a 5-inch 720-pixel resolution. The front camera is packed with 8 megapixels and a wide-angle lens.

The XA1 series tends to focus more on the front camera for the selfie generation — the Ultra has 16 megapixels, solid low-light capabilities, and can go up to ISO 6,400. The regular XA1 only has 8 megapixels, but both use a 23mm wide-angle lens for group photos. The Ultra has optical-image stabilization in case you’ve got shaky hands.

Both have rear 23-megapixel cameras with ISO 6400 capabilities, but no OIS.

The XA1 Ultra and XA1 both felt quite snappy, but we didn’t have much time to put them through their paces. The cameras also seemed to take decent photographs in our initial tests, but again we did notice some shutter lag.

Pricing and availability

The Xperia XA1 costs around $260, and is available for purchase from Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers — such as Fry’s and B&H. The XA1 Ultra is also now available from Best Buy for $350.

Highs

• Performance seems solid
• MicroSD card option is great
• Good selfie camera features

Lows

• Bezels are too big, boring design
• $300 for a 720p display is absurd
• Shutter lag is worrying

Update: Xperia XZ Premium is now available in a red color variant. 

Editor’s Recommendations

• The $600 Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact gets an October 4 launch date
• Sony Xperia XZ1 vs. Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact: Is bigger necessarily better?
• 2018 Ford F-150 lineup including prices, pictures, mileage, and new features
• The Insta360 One takes amazing 360-degree flying-camera shots, no drone needed
• Take the plunge and upgrade your big screen with these 4K TV deals

Fossil Q Explorist review

Research Center:
Fossil Q Explorist

Smartwatches haven’t set the world alight in the way some people were predicting. Although Android got a head start in the battle for our wrists, the Apple Watch accounts for around 50 percent of all smartwatch sales. But thanks to the much-improved Android Wear 2.0 and the injection of some much-needed style after the entry of traditional watchmakers like Fossil into the market, it’s worth looking beyond Apple’s technological timepiece.

We really liked the Fossil Q Founder, but the company has made some subtle improvements with its latest Android Wear release. The Fossil Q Explorist is a smartwatch that deserves a place on your shortlist, and possibly on your wrist. It’s stylish, it runs Android Wear 2.0, and it’s not ridiculously expensive, but there are caveats, and they extend beyond the fact that “explorist” is not a proper word. Let’s take a closer look.

Classic, chunky style

At first glance you could easily mistake the Fossil Q Explorist for a traditional mechanical watch. Crafted from stainless steel, it features a case that’s 46mm across. A notched bezel goes around the outside of the circular AMOLED display, which is mercifully free of the flat-tire effect that plagued older Android Wear watches.

The bezel doesn’t move, but there’s a rotating crown on the right, flanked by two buttons. The case is 12.5mm thick and you can attach standard 22mm straps. Our smoke steel review unit came with a standard steel link strap, which fit very nicely after some fiddly adjustment. You can take it to a watch specialist to remove links from the strap so it fits you, or you can read our guide to learn how to do it yourself.

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

This is a good-looking smartwatch with an understated, masculine style that means it pairs just as well with a suit as it does with t-shirt and jeans. The build quality is excellent and you’ll find yourself wanting to show it off, though it may be too chunky for smaller wrists.

The Fossil Q Explorist is a smartwatch that deserves a place on your shortlist, and possibly on your wrist.

The Fossil Q Explorist is also heavy. After removing a couple of links to get the fit right, ours weighed in at 166 grams (5.85oz). Just to put that in perspective, our iPhone 8 only weighs 148g (5.22oz). There were times during the work day, amid frenzied typing, when it felt slightly uncomfortable. You certainly aren’t going to forget you’re wearing it.

We found the touchscreen display bright and easily legible in most environments. It’s sharp at 454 x 454 pixels, and perfectly round — there’s no cut-out section at the bottom. It’s responsive, too, though typing on a display this size is never a great experience.

The rotating crown is very handy for scrolling through notifications, but it feels a little mushy when you press it. The buttons angled above and below it have a satisfying click to them and it’s a shame this is missing from the crown, especially since it’s the one you press the most. However, we did like the fact that you can set the two flanking buttons up as handy shortcuts to trigger whatever you want.

Silky performance most of the time

Inside the Fossil Q Explorist, there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor backed by 512MB of RAM. Navigation was generally silky smooth and it’s reasonably fast to load apps and games.. Compared to older smartwatches it’s fast, compared to a flagship phone, or the latest Apple Watch, it feels a little sluggish. The Wear 2100 processor is a little dated now, and we really hope to see a new chipset next year.

Since it runs Android Wear 2.0, you’ll use the Android Wear app for Android or iOS to pair your smartphone. The watch can also download apps directly via the onboard Play Store and there’s 4GB of storage to fill. Connectivity is via Bluetooth 4.1 or Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and notifications are accompanied by a gentle buzz that’s just right. There’s no NFC here, so you can forget about making contactless payments with Android Pay.

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

As an Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch, the Fossil Q Explorist will automatically track your activity via Google Fit, so you can set daily goals, track steps taken and calories burned, and record workout sessions. It is IP67 rated, so there’s no need to fear rain and you can wear your Fossil Q Explorist in the shower or during a short swim if you really want to.

Fitness fans may bemoan the lack of a heart rate sensor and GPS. Truthfully, the Fossil Q Explorist is far from a full-fledged fitness tracker, but it’s not really trying to be and we think it offers enough for most people.

It’s easy to incorporate the fitness data into your watch face, and there are plenty of fun, futuristic, and traditional options to choose from. You can swipe left or right to switch between watch faces on the Q Explorist or dig into a larger selection via the Android Wear app on your phone. We mostly used the Fossil Classic watch face as it struck a nice balance — showing date and time, with a sweeping second hand, alongside steps, fitness goal progress, and battery life.

You get a couple of games preloaded on the Fossil Q Explorist, but they’re a waste of space. It’s hard to imagine why you would play them – maybe if your smartphone was unavailable. There’s also a flashlight option that lights up the watch face, as well as standard utilities like the alarm, contacts, and stopwatch.

The Play Store isn’t exactly bursting with great options for smartwatches, but we found Bring! quite handy for shopping lists and AccuWeather was better than the default weather app.

You can also use Google Assistant through the Fossil Q Explorist by holding down the crown. It’s handy for quick searches or dictating text messages if you’re paired with an Android smartphone.

Android vs iOS

We tried the Fossil Q Explorist out with an iPhone 8  for a few days, before switching and pairing it with the Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact. Unfortunately, there was a big difference between the two.

If you have an iPhone, then you’ll get most notifications on your Fossil Q Explorist, but you won’t be able to act on them. You can’t reply to text messages or handle calls, for example. You have to keep the Android Wear app open in the background, and if not the iPhone will frequently disconnected. But worst of all, the battery life was abysmal.

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

We had to factory reset the Fossil Q Explorist to unpair it from the iPhone 8 and pair with our Android phone, which meant setting it up completely from scratch (this is something you have to do with all Android Wear watches).

Once we paired the Fossil Q Explorist with the Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact, it was plain sailing. We could answer calls, respond to messages, and it stayed paired. Battery life was noticeably improved as well.

The Achilles’ heel

As much as we like the Fossil Q Explorist, silly moniker aside, it does harbor a major glaring weakness and that’s battery life. Fossil said the wearable has an “estimated 24-hour battery life.” But then there’s an asterisk before the admission that, “battery life varies based on usage.”

The only way you’re going to get 24-hour battery life from this smartwatch is if you barely use it.

Even with the “Always-on display” turned off, we found that the Fossil Q Explorist needed to be charged up every night at a minimum. Some days, particularly when paired with the iPhone, the Fossil Q Explorist didn’t even make it to bedtime before having to be connected to the circular charger.

Fossil Q Explorist 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

We were surprised to find an uptick in battery life when we switched to an Android phone. Ostensibly the Fossil Q Explorist was actually doing more, so the fact that battery life was better with the Xperia points to an issue with the iPhone connection.

Incidentally, the circular charger provided is very weakly magnetic, so it slips off far too easily. Charging time seems to average around three hours, so you’ll want to get into the habit of setting it to charge while you sleep.

Price, availability, and warranty

You can get yourself a Fossil Q Explorist, with stainless steel strap, for $275. If you go for a leather strap instead then $20 drops off the price. It’s available from Fossil’s website.

Fossil offers a limited two-year warranty that covers defects in material or workmanship. It doesn’t cover your strap, any accidental damage, or water damage.

Our Take

The Fossil Q Explorist is a reasonably priced, stylish, Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch, that’s easy to recommend if you plan on using it with an Android smartphone — iPhone users should move along.

Is there a better alternative?

If you use an iPhone, then it’s going to be hard to look past the Apple Watch, particularly since it starts at $330. If you use a Samsung Galaxy phone, then the Gear S3 might be your best bet at around $350. Anyone who wants to stick with Android Wear should check out the Huawei Watch 2 at $300.

Those are the top competitors in terms of tech, but fashion fans may be prepared to pay a bit more for something like the Movado Connect, which starts from $595, the Emporio Armani Connected, from $345, or the $350 Michael Kors Access Grayson  and Sofie.

Even with the weaknesses, however, we think the Fossil Q Explorist compares favorably with the rest of the field. It is one of the best, if not the best option, for men seeking value without compromising on style.

How long will it last?

The Fossil Q Explorist is going to continue to look good for years to come, but the battery will degrade over time and software updates are liable to tail off after two years. They may look like traditional watches sometimes, but smartwatches are very much part of the tech world and sadly that means limited longevity.

Should you buy it?

Yes, if you want an attractive smartwatch to use with an Android phone that will blend in at work or play at an affordable price, we don’t think you’ll find a better option than the Fossil Q Explorist. The lack of NFC, GPS, and heart rate sensor is reflected in the price. If you’re okay with a heavy watch and a daily charging routine, it’s worth buying.

Editor’s Recommendations

• Emporio Armani Connected smartwatch review
• The best smartwatches you can buy
• Fossil Q Venture, Q Explorist smartwatches now available for pre-order
• Fossil debuts new women’s hybrid smartwatches, launches redesigned Fossil Q app
• Michael Kors Access Sofie smartwatch review

Facebook is rolling out peer-to-peer PayPal payments for Facebook Messenger

Why it matters to you

PayPal’s new peer-to-peer payments feature makes it easier than ever to pay your friends through Messenger.

Facebook and PayPal are partnering to make it easier for you to pay your rent. On Friday, October 20, the two tech titans announced PayPal for Messenger, a new feature that lets Messenger chatters select PayPal as a peer-to-peer funding source.

Starting October 20 in the U.S., Messenger users on iOS and Android will gain the option of sending and requesting money in Messenger. It’s easy: From the composition screen in a group message or one-on-one conversation, tapping Messenger’s blue plus-shaped icon pulls up the Payments button. From there, you’ll see a prominent PayPal button that, when tapped, switches your default funding source to your PayPal balance.

It’s a boon for the more than 450 million people who use Facebook’s local buy-and-sell groups, PayPal COO Bill Ready told TechCrunch.

“[This] is part of a broader movement where we’re meeting the user in whatever context they’re in,” he said.

Facebook and PayPal teamed up last year for in-app peer-to-peer payments, but the integration wasn’t as deep. Messenger users could link their PayPal accounts to pay for goods and to make purchases directly from Messenger bots, but they couldn’t pay each other.

Still, over 2.5 million users linked their PayPal account with Messenger, PayPal said.

In addition to Friday’s expanded payments integration, PayPal announced new Messenger bot capabilities. Starting October 20  in the U.S. on the web (with iOS and Android to follow), PayPal’s bot will support notifications and receipts, and use natural language processing to help parse PayPal customers’ questions.

It’ll handle simpler requests, like password resets and questions about recent transactions, on its own. But for more complicated queries, it’ll hand the conversation off to a live rep.

“The unique thing here is that Messenger has opened up a platform that allows us to not only have a one-to-one communication,” Ready told TechCrunch, “but there’s a platform where we can go resolve things right inside of Messenger.”

This isn’t the first time PayPal has partnered with Facebook in regards to ecommerce. In December, the company processed payments relating to Uber rides ordered through Messenger. Additionally, it has helped PayPal-enabled merchants to sell products from the Shop section within Facebook Pages.

More recently, PayPal added a notifications setting to Messenger, making it easier for PayPal customers to manage transaction receipts in one place. These alerts include info such as order confirmations, shipping addresses, and total payments made.

“These new capabilities deepen our partnership with Facebook,” Ready told Digital Trends. “PayPal’s mobile-optimized experience, when combined with relevant, in-context commerce experiences, will help offer a compelling and frictionless commerce experience.”

Update: Added news that PayPal has introduced peer-to-peer payments in Messenger.

Editor’s Recommendations

• Venmo users can now make purchases at 2 million online retailers
• Facebook Messenger Platform 2.1 might make it easier to talk to brands
• Send and receive money through Skype by linking your PayPal account
• The data-saving Facebook Messenger Lite is finally coming to the U.S.
• Facebook launches desktop version of Workplace Messenger with screen sharing

TELUS now sells the BlackBerry KEYone in Space Black

If you’re in Canada, check out the Space Black KEYone at TELUS.

Canadians have a bunch of options for buying the BlackBerry KEYone in either its original retro silver-and-black, or the newly-released Space Black color. Walmart already sells the higher-spec Black Edition, which features the new color palette, 4GB of RAM and double the internal storage, and now TELUS is exclusively carrying the Space Black version with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

This is the same version that has been sold in Canada since May, but the new finish is pretty snazzy, and definitely worth considering if you were on the fence about the phone.

TELUS is selling the phone for $200 on a 2-year plan or $700 outright.

See at TELUS

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Amazon Echo Dot vs. Google Home Mini: Which should you buy?

One is a known entity and is the gateway drug for connected homes. The other is a new entry from the world’s biggest search company. Both have their merits.

If you’re reading this, there’s a pretty good chance you already own an Amazon Echo Dot. It’s been around a while, it’s a good impulse buy at $49 — and that’s when it’s not on sale. And it can help you control pretty much anything that can be controlled in the tech space.

And if you’re reading this there’s probably a pretty good chance that you’re in the target market for a Google Home Mini. Because you want to be able to control all the things, and you want better access to your Google services.

There’s a lot of overlap in the Echo Dot and the newer Home Mini. But which one is right for you? Let’s rap.

See Echo Dot at Amazon  
See Home Mini at Google

What’s in a name? Echo Dot or Home Mini?

Google still names its products pretty horribly. “Home Mini” doesn’t have the same sort of authoritative name as “Echo Dot.” It’s also not as easy to say out loud, which may be more of a thing in my brain than it is yours.

But more than that is that Amazon Echo has better brand recognition in the product sense.

Yes, the body matters

This one’s pretty subjective, but then again I also think I’m 100% right here: the Echo Dot just isn’t all that attractive of an oversized hockey puck. Especially in black. The matte finish just looks tired. Glossy white is better, but it’s still pretty hapless.

On the other hand, Google Home Mini looks like … Well …

Google Whoopie Cushion? https://t.co/uUgiMWY7Pj

— Phil Nickinson (@mdrndad) October 5, 2017

But Google’s at least got three color options — coral, chalk and charcoal, otherwise known as pinkish-orange, gray and black. And it’s definitely got some curves to it, and the fabric finish gives it some more sophistication than pure plastic.

I’d give the points here to Google Home Mini.

More parity than ever in services

There’s less distinction these days between Amazon and Google when it comes to what their assistants can work with. The fact of the matter is there’s near parity when it comes to the two ecosystems. Make phone calls from the speaker? Both can do that. Control all kinds of connected things at home? Yep.

Answer thousands and thousands of random questions? Yep. I’d argue Google still does that better, but they both do it.

Play music from all sorts of sources? Erm, yeah. But this is where we start to get into the weeds. The Echo Dot doesn’t do Google Play Music directly. Google Home Mini doesn’t do Amazon Music. Little things like that could well (and should) sway your decision.

On the other hand, both can do Bluetooth. So there’s that.

Which should you get? Google Home Mini or Amazon Echo Dot?

For my money — and again, we’re talking $50 here — I’d probably go with Google Home Mini. I’ve got more faith in Google’s cloud services than I do Amazon’s. (Whether that’s anecdotal or misplaced, I’ll leave to you.) And I’ve got more faith in Google’s ability to innovate in that space.

I also just think Google Home Mini looks cooler. And when you’re talking about the differences between two inexpensive products, that’s a feature you shouldn’t discount.

See Echo Dot at Amazon  
See Home Mini at Google

Here’s a full breakdown of Google Pixel 2’s Now Playing feature

Now Playing’s arguably the Pixel 2’s coolest feature, and we now know more about how it works.

Display controversies aside, Google’s Pixel 2 is one heck of a phone. The camera’s phenomenal, performance is top-notch, and the software experience is the best you’ll find on any Android phone right now. Software has always been the Pixel (and Nexus) line’s strongest aspect, and with the Pixel 2, the highlight is undoubtedly Now Playing.

Now Playing is the feature on the Pixel 2 that automatically identifies songs that are playing around you in the background, and along with being a neat party trick, there’s also some impressive tech behind it. VentureBeat recently talked with a spokesperson from Google to learn just how NowPlaying actually works, and this is what we learned.

It’s a local feature based on Google Play Music

With song-identifying services like Shazam, audio tracks are matched up with a library of tunes found in the cloud. This allows Shazam to ID over 11 million different songs, but and while this is how the majority of these services work, Google does something a bit different with Now Playing.

Now Playing won’t use more than 500Mb of space.

Now Playing connects to Play Music’s list of top/most popular songs, and each week, more current songs are added to replace older/less popular ones. It was previously reported that Now Playing can already identify tens of thousands of different tracks, and this point still holds true. Now Playing songs are updated each week, and the collection of songs that Now Playing pulls from is different based on which country your Pixel 2 was sold in.

Since Now Playing is locally based, it does take up storage space. Google says that it’ll never use more than 500Mb, and if you don’t turn the feature on, it won’t use any space at all.

Songs aren’t being identified 24/7

When you’re using Shazam, you have to open the app and tap a button to start identifying a song. Now Playing obviously doesn’t require you to do this since it runs automatically in the background, but the service isn’t constantly listening for songs.

Now Playing listens for any tunes playing every 60 seconds. As such, if Now Playing doesn’t hear a song after 60 seconds have passed, nothing will pop up. This also explains why you can still see a song on your lock screen even after the song has stopped playing.

Although this means that Now Playing won’t always pick up songs instantaneously, it was designed this way to help conserve battery life. If you ask us, it’s a really strong compromise.

Now Playing will remain as an exclusive to the Pixel 2

At this time, Google has no plans for bringing Now Playing over to any other devices. Yep, that means no Now Playing for last year’s Pixels.

Now Playing supposedly requires both hardware and software tweaks in order to work, and while the Google spokesperson didn’t dive into exact details as to what’s required on these fronts, don’t hold your breath for it coming to other Android phones in the near future.

The exclusive nature of Now Playing is undoubtedly a bummer, but it’s also not all that surprising. This is the first time we’ve seen any feature along these lines on an Android handset, and Google’s want/need to keep it exclusive to the Pixel 2 just makes sense.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

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