YouTube TV finally gets a proper Android TV app

Available now for NVIDIA Shield TV, televisions with Android TV built-in, and Xbox One consoles.

YouTube TV has been steadily growing since its official launch this past April, with the main focus being on the expansion to more and more markets so that the service is accessible to as many people as possible. This has been great to see, but something that’s been sorely missing from the platform has been an Android TV application. Thankfully, after months of waiting, we finally have one.

The YouTube TV app on Android TV will work mostly the same as its mobile companion, but with an interface that’s been designed to look as good as possible on the big screen. The biggest change is with the background moving from a white to dark grey color, allowing for a more “cinematic look.”

Controls for pausing a show, seeing more information about it, and adding it to your library are easily accessible while streaming, and you can also bring up a full view of your library and Live guide while your content continues to play in the background.

In addition to being available on Android TV (including the NVIDIA Shield TV and televisions with Android TV built-in), the Xbox One, One S, and One X are also gaining access to the application. In the near future, YouTube says that it hopes to bring the app over to smart TV’s made by LG, Samsung, Sony, and also the Apple TV. However, there’s still no word on Roku or Amazon Fire TV avaialbility.

YouTube TV: the ultimate guide

Android 8.0 Oreo beta for Galaxy S8 possibly launching October 31

The beta is reported to be available first to users in North America, the United Kingdom, and South Korea.

When you think of Samsung smartphones, fast software updates aren’t generally associated with them. As great as old Sammy is when it comes to design, cameras, and display technology, getting new versions of Android to existing hardware has never been a strong point for the company. As such, the news that an Android 8.0 Oreo beta for the Galaxy S8 could be available as early as October 31 is really exciting.

According to this new report, the beta will be launching in two main phases – starting first with North America, the United Kingdom, and Samsung’s home country of South Korea.

After this initial launch, the beta will then be rolled out to China, France, Germany, India, Poland, and Spain.

The beta should be available to download as soon as you’ve registered for it.

Once Samsung rolls out the beta, gaining access to it should be rather simple. Assuming you own a Galaxy S8 or S8+ in one of the above areas, you’ll be able to register for the beta through the Samsung Members app that’s available to download from Galaxy Apps and the Google Play Store. After you’re properly registered, you should be able to download the update to Oreo almost instantly by going to Settings -> Software update -> Download updates manually.

It’s important to take this news with a grain of salt as Samsung has yet to officially comment on the existence of a beta program for the Galaxy S8, but seeing as how the official release should be available at some point in early 2018, it certainly makes sense to launch one soon so that any exisitng bugs can be squashed before rolling Oreo out to everyone.

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This $35 APC UPS can protect your electronics and charge them on the go

Keep your electronics safe and home and charged on the go!

Is this deal for me?

This APC Back-UPS Connect UPS with Mobile Power Pack is down to $34.95 at Amazon and B&H Photo. This has sold for as much as $80 in August, and the previous low we saw was $41 back in the beginning of September.

We’ve featured APC uninterrupted power supplies before. They’re strong devices for supporting any electronics that might be susceptible to a power surge or outage. This UPS has some of that functionality but isn’t really designed for full-on electronics management. Instead, it works best with low-power devices like phones, tablets, modems, and routers.

This one is also unique in that the “battery backup,” which would provide any connected electronics with some extra time to properly shut down during an outage, can actually be removed. When it’s removed it functions like a mobile power bank. APC says it can recharge a phone 5 times before needing to be charged itself. With the battery removed, you do lose the battery backup function for the base device, but it will still power up and provide surge protection for anything plugged into it.

The device has three USB ports, including the two on the battery pack, and two 3-prong outlets on the back. There are all the normal notifications a UPS might have, including an audible beep when the power goes out and a light on the back for if there’s something wrong with the wiring.

TL;DR

• What makes this deal worth considering? – This is a new all-time low for the product and drops it down to impulse buy territory. The pricing will only last one day, so don’t miss out.
• Things to know before you buy! – If you buy from B&H, they don’t charge sales tax at the time of purchase for those outside of NY and NJ, and shipping is free. We’ve featured a bunch of UPS deals in the past, and this is one of the better ones.

See at Amazon

Happy thrifting!

Essential Phone gains fingerprint sensor gestures and KRACK patch

The update is 74.8Mb and rolling out to users now.

Although the Essential Phone had a fairly rocky launch, frequent software updates and a substantial price cut have quickly turned the device into one of the most appealing Android handsets around for under $500. Essential recently pushed out another Nougat-based build while we wait for the Oreo beta to launch, and the two biggest changes include fingerprint sensor gestures and a fix for KRACK.

Fingerprint sensor gestures on the Essential Phone work just like they do on the Google Pixel and Pixel 2. Swiping down on the sensor will reveal your notification shade, and swiping up will dismiss it. It’s a subtle change, but anyone that’s ever owned a Pixel or other device with this feature knows just how useful it can be at times.

As mentioned above, the other big news here is a fix for the KRACK vulnerability that reared its ugly head in mid-October. In addition to this, the update also includes the latest October 2017 security patch from Google, improved performance, bug fixes, and better touch scrolling.

We’re rolling out a software update (build NMJ20D) that includes improved touch scrolling, patch for KRACK vulnerability, and more.

— Essential (@essential) October 30, 2017

The update is rolling out now with a build number of NMJ20D and file size of 74.8Mb. The update will download in the background, and once it’s ready to go, restarting your Essential Phone will install all of the new goodies onto your device. Users of the unlocked variant of the Essential Phone should already have access to it, but if you’re using the phone on Sprint, you’ll need to wait for the carrier to approve it before it gets pushed out to you.

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This might be our best look at the OnePlus 5T yet

The OnePlus 5 might have just released earlier this year, but we’re already waiting in anticipation for the OnePlus 5T, which is a slightly upgraded model. Now, we might have an idea of what it looks like. This morning, Evan Blass tweeted a picture of what is reportedly the top half of the smartphone.

Top-half of OnePlus 5T (2.5t? Ha). pic.twitter.com/pmfhdQSgWQ

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) October 30, 2017

There’s not a lot to go on here — it’s easy to see a front-facing camera, sensors, a speaker and a side button on the phone. The real news, though, is the lack of side bezels, which seems to be the direction every phone manufacturer is going. You can see a comparison between the top half of the OnePlus 5 (taken by Engadget) and the 5T side by side below. The device should be announced soon, so we’ll see what the full phone looks like in the coming days and weeks.

Source: Twitter

Watch Sony’s Paris Games Week event in under 10 minutes

Sony dropped a bunch of new info for upcoming PlayStation games at its Paris Games Week keynote earlier today. From Infamous developer Sucker Punch’s samurai simulator Ghost of Tsushima, to release timing for the first Destiny 2 expansion and Detroit: Become Human — and a new look at The Last of Us: Part II — there was a lot to take in from the hour-long event. But why spend an hour watching it when we’ve cut it down to less than 10 minutes? To get more info, hit the link below for all of our coverage from the broadcast.

Follow all the latest news from Sony’s PlayStation event here!

‘Guacamelee 2!’ brings grappling hooks and chicken power to PS4

Originally out for PlayStation 3 and Vita in mid-2013, Guacamelee! hit all the right notes to please both gamers and critics. Developer Drinkbox Studios has decided to keep the fun going with a sequel to the Mexican fairytale-inspired platforming beat ’em up. Guacamelee 2! is set to grace the PlayStation 4 next year with new levels, enemies, bosses and, yes, chickens.

Guacamelee! 2 takes place seven years after the first story, when luchador Juan Aquacate is approached by his friend/trainer Uay Chivo to help save Mexico (and all the rest of time and space) from a new evil menace. The new title will include a new hooking mechanic, called Eagle Boost, to help Juan fly through each new level, a Super Chicken! form to help beat down the baddies, and a four-player local co-op system that will enable you to bring friends along for the ride. Guacamelee 2! will also have new environmental challenges to contend with, along with better lighting and visuals, especially on PS4 Pro consoles.

“In addition to the new levels, enemies, bosses, characters, improved visuals and player mechanics we’re introducing in Guacamelee! 2, we’re also excited to have much more emphasis on the chicken form in this game,” said Graham Smith, Co-Founder of Drinkbox Studios, in a statement. “Everyone on the team really wanted the sequel to have more FOWL PLAY. Hahaha, do you get it? It’s funny because it sounds the same as ‘foul play’. I’m not sure you get it.”

Source: Drinkbox Studios

Toyota will test self-driving cars at tough California proving ground

Now that Toyota has unveiled its latest self-driving car prototype, it needs a good test course to put the vehicle through its paces… and thankfully, there’s already one lined up. Toyota has struck a deal to test its autonomous vehicle tech at GoMentum Station, the California test course known for its tough, realistic conditions. The automaker’s cars will be subjected to “extreme driving events” that wouldn’t be safe to test on public roads, and will experience a wide variety of conditions that include bridges and tunnels.

There’s still a long way to go before Toyota’s technology is ready for the street. With that said, an expansion like this is an important step. As we’ve seen through previous incidents, self-driving cars still have trouble accounting for every possible situation. Tests at GoMentum Station won’t guarantee that Toyota’s autonomous hardware can avert every potential collision, but it’ll be better-prepared than if the company stuck to limited public driving and more conventional test tracks.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Toyota

‘Football Manager 2018’ will have gay players

Game developer Sports Interactive has done well at grabbing headlines and getting ahead of the curve to reflect current events. Four months after Brexit, the company announced that Football Manager 2017 would include potential scenarios reflecting player visa issues resulting from the UK leaving the EU. The next edition included something different to better reflect reality: Football Manager 2018 will include gay players, a first for the franchise.

I wasn’t expecting this to be found so quickly but yes, it’s real. And you get a nice little merchandise boost if it happens in your save 😃🌈 https://t.co/sceRnqCOzo

— Miles Jacobson (@milesSI) October 29, 2017

Managers will see news reports when players from their clubs publicly come out. After, your club’s revenue will get a slight revenue boost due to attention from the LGBT community, the game’s director Miles Jacobson told the BBC. Presumably, that translates to new fans attending games and buying merchandise.

“We know from the amount of professionals that there has to be players who are gay but feel they don’t want to come out,” Jacobson told the BBC. “I find it weird that it’s still a problem in football so we decided to try and show people that coming out isn’t a big deal and can be a positive thing.”

It is, certainly, a problem for men’s football. Former Leeds midfielder Robbie Rogers felt he had to leave English leagues to come out, and is now playing in the US’ Major League Soccer. Yet Women’s football doesn’t have the same oppressive culture of silence; Articles around the 2015 Womens’ World Cup pointed out that there were two openly gay women playing, while over a dozen lesbian or bisexual women competed in that year’s international tournament.

There are a few caveats. First, only procedurally-generated characters (the random players simulating future generations) will come out as gay. Jacobson admitted to the BBC that they only allowed fictional players to publicly announce their sexuality, because unlike real players, ‘they can’t sue us.’ And some players won’t ever do it. Sports Interactive bent to legal advice and won’t let players come out in-game if they’re from particular countries where homosexuality is illegal. Sure, it’s simply a digital toggle changing the sexual identity of a fictional player, which doesn’t affect their ability on the field. But it’s a sad reflection of reality wherein many footballers don’t come out for fear of ruining their careers — or falling afoul of their countries’ intolerant laws.

“I just think it’s crazy that in 2017 we are in a world where people can’t be themselves,” Jacobson told the BBC.

Source: BBC

Netflix cancels ‘House of Cards’ after six-season run

Netflix has long used House of Cards as its tentpole show, but that could soon come to an end… and the timing couldn’t be more uncanny. Variety, Deadline and Hollywood Reporter have learned that Netflix will end the political drama with its sixth season. The show was already expected to wrap up relatively soon (the end was in the works for a long time), but it comes just as Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp alleged that Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted him in 1986. While Spacey has since issued a pseudo-apology (he says he doesn’t remember the incident), this really doesn’t help matters — Deadline sources even assert that Spacey’s Gore Vidal biopic might be cancelled in the wake of the scandal.

When we asked Netflix for a statement (below), it said it was “deeply troubled” by Rapp’s allegations and met with the cast and crew to reassure them that they’re safe. Spacey isn’t on set “at this time,” it said. The company has previously tried to distance itself from scandal, claiming that it didn’t have much connection with The Weinstein Company amid sexual assault allegations involving Harvey Weinstein, but it’s clearly tackling the issue of sexual assault more directly this time.

No matter what, Netflix is in an awkward position. Although House of Cards isn’t as important to the company’s bottom line as it was a few years ago, it’s still one of Netflix’s best-known shows — cancelling the series isn’t a trivial decision, whatever the reason, and ending it with a looming scandal makes things much worse. Rapp’s claims are far more important than any kind of hit to Netflix’s bank account, of course, but it’s hard not to wince seeing a once-crucial show fall from grace.

“Media Rights Capital and Netflix are deeply troubled by last night’s news concerning Kevin Spacey. In response to last night’s revelations, executives from both of our companies arrived in Baltimore this afternoon to meet with our cast and crew to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported. As previously scheduled, Kevin Spacey is not working on set at this time.”

Source: Variety, Deadline, Hollywood Reporter