Sphero’s R2-Q5 ‘Star Wars’ droid is basically a goth R2-D2

Sphero just announced a new app-controlled robot a few days ago, the Mini, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have anything else in the works. The company has now revealed the latest member of its Star Wars family, R2-Q5, the Empire’s version of the beloved R2-D2 character. As is the case with all of Sphero’s toys, you can take charge of R2-Q5 via its Droids app for iOS and Android, where you’ll be able to drive it, hear it make sounds and use it to play various mini games. You’ll need to act fast if you want one for yourself: Sphero says the number of R2-Q5 numbers made is in the “low thousands,” and Best Buy has an exclusive on it in the US, while John Lewis has that honor in the UK. Pre-orders are open now for $200/£200, with shipping expected to happen around October 27th.

FDA approves first Zika test for blood donations

While the Zika virus is primarily transmitted by mosquito bites, it could also be passed through blood transfusion. To ensure that nobody who needs transfusion in the US gets infected, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first test that can screen Zika in blood donations. The cobas Zika test can detect the virus’ RNA in plasma taken from donated whole blood and blood components. It can’t be used to diagnose infection, but it can keep the country’s blood supply Zika-free.

The FDA actually allowed some clinics to use the technique as an experimental method to screen blood donations back in 2016 when the virus started spreading in Puerto Rico. Thanks to that testing period, the FDA was able to prove that the test can indeed effectively and accurately spot the virus. According to additional tests in five external laboratories, its clinical specificity (or the frequency in negative results in uninfected subjects) is 99 percent. Now that it’s officially been approved, clinics and hospitals around the country can use it to make sure their blood supply won’t infect anyone with the virus.

FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research director Peter Marks said in a statement:

“Today’s action represents the first approval of a Zika virus detection test for use with screening the nation’s blood supply. Screening blood donations for the Zika virus is critical to preventing infected donations from entering the U.S. blood supply. Today’s approval is the result of a commitment by the manufacturer to work rapidly and collaboratively with the FDA and the blood collection industry to respond to a public health crisis and ensure the safety of blood in the U.S. and its territories.”

Source: FDA

Dance in a trippy VR rave inspired by Tokimonsta’s new album

Producer and DJ TOKiMONSTA has partnered with social VR music platform TheWaveVR to release a special edition of her next album, Lune Rouge. While the new record drops today, fans with an HTC Vive or Oculus Rift can watch the virtual reality portion on TheWaveVr’s free app when it goes live on at 6PM PT October 8th.

According to press materials, Lune Rouge Experience lets fans “explore a planet inspired by the album artwork, dance in an interstellar rave under an exploding sun, and remix a 3D world built out of TOKiMONSTA’s music.” Yes. It’ll be the fifth “VR show” TheWaveVR has released on its app, which can be downloaded from Steam. Lune Ruge is also TOKiMONSTA’s third album — and first since she had to re-learn how to make music from scratch after treatment for a rare brain disorder.

Musical artists are starting to dig into the possibilities of VR. Björk packaged four virtual reality music videos into a world-spanning exhibition tour, while Hot Sugar debuted a new VR project, Melody of Dust, at this year’s SXSW.

Discord makes video chat and screen sharing available to all

As promised, Discord is rolling out video chat and screen share to its entire user base. Some of you may recall that the Slack-style gaming chat app began testing the highly-requested features in August. During the trial run, they were available to around 5 percent of members. Now, anyone can take advantage of video chat in one-to-one calls, or with up to ten people in a direct messaging group. You also have the option to switch between your webcam video and screen share. And, the update includes picture-in-picture support, allowing you to video chat while checking out other stuff (like servers or DMs). With 45 million users and counting, the latest changes should see Discord swipe more gamers from Skype and TeamSpeak.

Back when the test phase was announced, Discord revealed users could experience a drop in quality when video chatting in groups of more than five. But we’re assuming it ironed out those issues ahead of the proper launch. Aside from the video chat rollout, it’s also fixed a bunch of bugs that were affecting things like text, emoji, and the mute option. You can browse the details for yourself here.

Source: Discord (Medium)

Win Semiconductors Helping Lumentum Make iPhone X’s Dot Projector

Taiwanese manufacturer Win Semiconductors has reported a nearly 24 percent increase in third quarter revenue on a year-over-year basis, driven by the supplier’s indirect foray into the iPhone X supply chain, according to DigiTimes.

The firm’s consolidated revenues hit a record monthly high of about $1.6 billion in local New Taiwan dollars in September, an increase of 13.4 percent from a month earlier and 44.74 percent from a year ago, the report said.

Win Semiconductors reportedly handles production of the VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) component for Lumentum, which is believed to be one of Apple’s primary suppliers for its new TrueDepth facial recognition system.

Market sources said that after beating several competitors, Lumentum is now the only company that has won orders from Apple for VCSEL component as part of 3D sensing modules for iPhone X. As a contract manufacturer of the component, Win Semiconductor has enjoyed stable expansion in VCSEL shipments to Lumentum.

The report, citing sources from Apple’s supply chain, said that Win Semiconductors as an indirect supplier has not seen its VCSEL shipments affected by the low yield rates the TrueDepth system is rumored to be facing.

Related Roundup: iPhone XTags: digitimes.com, Lumentum, Win Semiconductors
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Apple Says App Store, iTunes, and Some Other Services Experiencing ‘Intermittent Issues’

Apple has updated its System Status page to indicate that some users may be experiencing “intermittent issues” with the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, and select other services in the United States and other countries.

The issues began shortly before 11 a.m. Pacific Time on Thursday, according to Apple. During this time, some iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV users may be unable to access the handful of Apple services listed below.

• App Store
• Apple Music
• iTunes in the Cloud
• iTunes Store
• iTunes U
• Mac App Store
• Volume Purchase Program

We’ll update this article when the issues are resolved.

Tag: system status
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Google Maps finally sorts error that’s been troubling tourists for years

Why it matters to you

Many of us can’t live without Google Maps, but just occasionally it might take us on a bit of a mystery tour.

Paper-based road maps are pretty much a thing of the past thanks to sat-navs and smartphones. Google Maps does the job for many people now, its Directions feature offering multiple routes and voiced instructions as you go.

But occasionally this wonder of modern technology does let us down.

Tourists in Australia, for example, were until recently being given erroneous directions for Australia’s stunning Blue Mountains National Park, directing them instead to a nondescript cul-de-sac more than 20 miles away, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Residents living on the quiet street in the small community of Dargan first realized all was not well about two years ago, when Google Earth searches for several famous landmarks inside the park produced location pins right beside their homes.

Then last year the error seemed to spread to Maps, with hordes of tourists showing up in their cars, driving up and down the street, presumably wondering why the Blue Mountains were nowhere near as beautiful as they’d been led to believe.

Located about 40 miles northwest of Sydney, the World-Heritage listed Blue Mountains is famous for its dramatic steep cliffs, gushing waterfalls, dense forests, and beautiful bush walks. Hundreds of animal species call it home, while it’s also known for its Aboriginal sites, some more than 20,000 years old. It is not, however, noted for its cul-de-sacs.

Last summer there was an uptick in the number of lost tourists arriving in the cul-de-sac, with cars and occasional minibuses turning up “every few minutes,” according to one local. Some weary tourists even knocked on doors, asking to use the bathroom.

‘Blue Mountains is not here’

Keen to help the bewildered travelers and return the street to its once-peaceful state, the residents put up a sign explaining that their intended destination was in fact a 30-minute drive away.

“Blue Mountains is not here,” the sign read. “Google Maps is wrong. You need to go to Katoomba or Blackheath.”

Residents said they’d tried to contact Google to have the error corrected, but automated responses led them up a … well, cul-de-sac.

Thankfully, the story has a happy ending. The Herald found another way to contact Google, and Maps now takes travelers who are searching for the Blue Mountains to the Blue Mountains.

A spokesperson told the Herald that Maps data comes from a wide range of sources, leading to the occasional inaccuracy.

Despite the residents’ failure to get through to Google, the company insists it will look at any error reports regarding Maps. If you spot one, you can let it know via this “report an error” page.

30 iPhone 7 tips, tricks, and features that will make you adore it even more

You’re happy with your new iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, right? Of course, you are! It’s one of the greatest iPhones that Apple has made — check out our Apple iPhone 7 review if you’re still not convinced. Beyond the usual tips pertaining to Touch ID and the new camera, there are tons of little pointers and tricks that the everyday iPhone owner may or may not be aware of. If you want to take complete control over your iPhone, here the top iPhone 7 tips you need to know.

Are you still undecided on which iPhone to get? Check out our iPhone 7 Plus review, and our comparisons of these two smartphones as far as their specifications and cameras.

Coming to grips with your new iPhone

New Home button doesn’t feel quite right?

The iPhone 7 doesn’t have an actual button for the Home button, it’s a capacitive, sensor-driven disc that works like the touchscreen. But thanks to a clever new implementation of Apple’s Taptic Engine — just like the one on your Apple Watch — it does feel like a button when you press it. Did you know you can subtly change that feeling? Here’s how:

Go to Settings >General >Home Button. Here, there are three options to change the feel of the artificial click. Pick the one that feels right, and then the Done option in the top right-hand corner.

Where is Auto-Brightness?

If you’re new to the iPhone, you may be wondering where the Auto-Brightness toggle is. Logic tells you that it should be under Settings > Display & Brightness, but you would be wrong. To toggle auto-brightness on you must go into Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations, and here you can toggle Auto-Brightness on and off.

How to take a screenshot

To take a screenshot simply press and hold the home button and the sleep/wake button on the right side of the phone at the same time. You will see a preview of the screenshot go to the bottom left corner of the screen. After five seconds this preview will disappear. Your screenshots will save to Photos automatically. If you want to dismiss the screenshot preview, just swipe that little preview window to the left. You can also tap the preview to edit the screenshot. Tap Done when you’re finished.

Where has the lock screen camera shortcut gone?

Remember on other iPhones where you’d swipe on the little camera icon on the lock screen to quickly open the camera? It hasn’t been there since iOS 10, and it’s not immediately obvious what to do instead. Don’t worry though, just swipe to the left on the lock screen to open the camera instantly. Just as quick and easy as before.

How to force a restart

The iPhone 7 doesn’t have a physical Home button, so the method for forcing a restart, or a hard reset, has changed. Now, hold down the power button on the right side of the phone, and the volume down button on the left side at the same time. Keep them held down until the phone restarts and you see the Apple logo.

Don’t miss the 3.5mm headphone adapter

Apple includes an adapter with every iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus so you can still use headphones that have a 3.5mm headphone jack attached and not a Lightning connector. The thing is, it’s easy to miss in the box, especially in the excitement of getting out the phone itself. You’ll find it by taking out the EarPods, where it’s taped to the back of the case, therefore completely hidden from view if you never use the standard earphones.

Charge and listen to music at the same time?

You’ve got your headphones plugged into the Lightning connector, and 1 percent showing on the battery meter. What to do? If a pair of Bluetooth headphones isn’t an option, then you’re going to have to splash out on another adapter. Belkin has a double Lightning connector adapter in the works — one for charging, and the other for audio — while interestingly, Apple’s $50 iPhone 7 Lightning Dock has a 3.5mm headphone port built into the base. Expect a few wireless charging systems, such as the Woolet Case seen here, to emerge over the next few months too.

You can’t buy Android Wear watches through the Google Play Store anymore

Why it matters to you

You will need to look outside the Google Play Store if you want to buy an Android Wear smartwatch.

If you want to buy an Android Wear watch, you won’t find one in the Google Store when you pre-order a new Pixel 2 phone, because Google no longer sells them. This doesn’t mean Android Wear is about to disappear, or dropped by Google. According to Google’s Android Wear expert Hoi Lam, the decision was due to a policy alteration to only sell Google-made products through the store.

The news came from Lam on Twitter, where he continued to say Google is committed to bring Android Wear products to, “more people all over the world than ever before,” through third party Android Wear stores hosted by other retailers, including Amazon. Now, the devices section in the Google Play Store hosts only Google phones, laptops, tablets, VR, Google Home, and Google accessories. The app for Android Wear is alive and well in the Play Store, as is Google’s dedicated Android Wear explainer page, and its official Twitter account.

While it’s clear Android Wear isn’t about to be abandoned by Google, or the many companies now making smartwatches with the software, it does show a lack of concern regarding the platform on Google’s part. Google launched new smartphones, a laptop, and other products during its October launch event; but made no mention of a smartwatch at all, despite coming up with other hardware of more questionable usefulness. Android Wear wasn’t a major part of the Google I/O 2017 developer conference keynote either.

Google has never designed and made a smartwatch, and previously sold watches made by other manufacturers through the Google Play Store. The closest it has come, outside of the original Moto 360, are the LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style, released in April, which were the first to feature Android Wear 2.0. Google would have worked closely with LG to tailor the watches to work with the new software. However, neither watch is a Pixel smartwatch.

Removing Android Wear watches from the Play Store, and not introducing its own to fill the space, indicates Google is content to leave watch design and production down to the Fossil group, Movado, Montblanc, Tag Heuer, and many others at this time.

Netflix is getting more expensive in the UK

Some Netflix subscriptions have just gotten a tad pricier in the UK, reflecting a similar hike announced over in the US. The most basic, £6 per month plan remains unaffected, but the price of the “Standard” tier, which adds HD streaming and the option of watching on two screens at once, has risen from £7.50 to £8 per month. The “Premium” option, which includes 4K content and lets you watch on four screens simultaneously, has also increased from £9 to £10 per month. New subscribers are being asked to pay these prices from today (after their free trial period, that is), while existing members will be formally notified later this month before the hike kicks in this November.

“From time to time, Netflix plans and pricing are adjusted as we add more exclusive TV shows and movies, introduce new product features and improve the overall Netflix experience to help members find something great to watch even faster,” the streaming service said.

Original productions cost money, after all, and it’s not a particularly hard price increase to swallow. The timing does make it feel a little like a Stranger Things 2 tax, though, given the awesome 80s-inspired sci-fi show returns to screens on October 27th.

Via: What Hi-Fi?

Source: Netflix