Pixel Visual Core won’t be available until Oreo 8.1 Developer Preview 2

Developer Preview 2 and the Pixel Visual Core will be available later this month.

Google’s Pixel 2 and 2 XL are two of the best phones for a lot of different reasons, but one of their strongest aspects is easily the camera performance. The Pixel 2/2XL can already capture some of the best photos possible in a smartphone, but thanks to the currently unused Pixel Visual Core inside of them, photo and video output has the chance to get even better.

The Pixel Visual Core is Google’s first ever SoC, and although it was initially believed that the new tech would be available to use in the recently released Developer Preview 1 for Android 8.1 Oreo, that no longer appears to be the case.

Spotted by Ron Amadeo from Ars Technica, the Release Notes for Oreo 8.1 Developer Preview 1 reveal that the Pixel Visual Core won’t actually turn on until Developer Preview 2:

Pixel Visual Core is Google’s first custom-designed co-processor for image processing and machine learning on consumer devices. If your app uses the camera APIs and you have a Pixel 2 device, you’ll be able to try an early version of Pixel Visual Core starting in Developer Preview 2, planned for November 2017. Testing on Developer Preview 1 is not yet supported.

This is disappointing for those that were hoping to put the Pixel Visual Core through its paces as soon as possible, but seeing as how we’re already in November and the public release for Oreo 8.1 is expected to go live at some point next month, we shouldn’t have to wait too much longer before Developer Preview 2 is released. Stay tuned.

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Samsung Pay in Canada gains new partners, option to use debit cards

In other words, Samsung Pay is now actually useful for Canadians.

Although Samsung Pay was originally launched in the summer of 2015, it wasn’t made available for Canadian users until late 2016. However, even when the service did launch up north, the only supported partner was CIBC. Samsung Pay is getting its first big expansion in Canada, and it introduces a host of new partners and the ability to finally use debit cards.

The new partners for Samsung Pay in Canada include Interac Debit, Scotiabank, American Express Canada, ATB Financial, Visa Canada, and Mastercard. Cards through these partners can be used on Samsung Pay now, and in addition to them, support for Tangerine and Peoples Card Services will also be rolling out soon.

As mentioned above, this expansion also introduces the ability to connect debit cards to Samsung Pay. Users have previously only been able to use the service with credit cards, and while we would have certainly like to seen this feature added sooner than now, we’re still happy that it’s finally here.

Per Samsung Electronics Canada’s COO and Executive Vice President, Paul Brannen, “We are excited to deliver an industry-leading offering with Samsung Pay that redefines how to simply, more securely and conveniently use smartphones for a variety of payment experiences so that Canadians are not without the card they need.”

How to set up Samsung Pay with your Samsung Galaxy S8

Get a one-year subscription to Linux Academy for just $149!

Linux Academy is one of the leading providers of education related to cloud-based computing systems. It provides in-depth training and certification of completion, meaning it can help you snag a lucrative new career.

Registration fees are generally expensive, but right now Android Central Digital Offers has a running deal that will significantly cut the cost. Instead of paying $348, you’ll pay just $149. That’s 57 percent off the regular price.

That $149 grants you access for a full year to 103 different courses and over 1,200 hours of video training in AWS, OpenStack, Linux, Azure, Containers, DevOps, and more. Plus, certification of completion is included. Need a hand? Full-time instructors are ready to help out.

If you’re interested in a new career in cloud computing, this one-year subscription to Linux Academy is a great place to start. At more than half off, the time to enroll might just be now.

See at Android Central Digital Offers

Google Pixelbook: Everything you need to know!

The Pixelbook is Google’s flagship Chromebook for late 2017, offering a stunning design and high-end hardware.

Google has been tinkering with Chrome as an operating system since 2010, and in 2013 released the first Chromebook Pixel. The Chromebook Pixel was everything that was loved about the simple operating, but with a fantastic, high-resolution display and premium aluminum body. The Chromebook Pixel was refreshed in 2015 with new USB-C ports and updated internals.

In early 2017, Google announced their line of laptops would not be refreshed, but that turned out to not be true. In October 2017, Google announced the Pixelbook: a new kind of Chromebook for a new age of Chrome.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Pixelbook.

The basics

At its core, the Pixelbook is a convertible laptop: the keyboard flips all the way around so the device can be a tablet, and there’s an optional stylus available for an additional $99. Convertible laptops aren’t new, even in the Chrome world, but this is Google’s first laptop of this form factor.

The Chromebook Pixel line was always (partially) meant to give developers a great device to use for building applications, and Google’s attempting to do the same with the Pixelbook, particularly now that the Play Store is part of Chrome OS.

More: Google Pixelbook review

Android apps run really well

The list of Chromebooks with Android apps has steadily grown over the last year, but there was always a beta tag attached to the experience. Even when used in the stable channel of Chrome OS, Android apps still had issues crashing and not behaving correctly.

On more recent builds of Chrome OS, that has changed: launching an Android app on Chrome OS is just as natural as launching a Windows Store app on Windows 10: it looks and acts like a native application because it is a native application.

More: These are the Chromebooks that can Android apps from Google Play

The hardware is gorgeous

Samsung and Asus have both put out fantastic Chromebooks this year, but the Pixelbook is on a whole ‘nother level. Rather than using the tried and true generic slab of silver aluminum, Google took a lot of inspiration from their own Pixel phones: there’s a big glass window on the back of the lid to allow Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to pass through without obstruction, the trackpad is surrounded by grippy, white silicone that will hopefully hold up to the test of time, and the entire design doesn’t look like any other laptop.

More: The Samsung Chromebook Plus might be the best place to try new Android features

The internals are plenty powerful, with a price to match

The internal hardware is a bit overkill for Chrome OS as it is at the end of 2017, but with time developers may build great applications to take advantage of that extra horsepower. The base configuration includes a fanless seventh generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8 gigabytes of RAM and 128 GB of storage. If that somehow isn’t enough, the middle configuration uses the same processor and RAM but with 256GB of storage. Finally, there will be a monstrous configuration with a fanless seventh generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and a whopping 512GB of NVME storage.

Chrome OS really shines on low-cost devices, but the Pixelbook is not a low-cost device. The stunning design and powerful internals come with a commensurate price, starting at $999 for the i5/8GB RAM/128GB storage model. That increases to $1,199 for the 256GB model, and to an eye-watering $1649 for the i7/16GB RAM/512GB storage model. That’s a lot for a Chromebook, and the Pixelbook won’t be drastically faster than cheaper models.

More: Which Pixelbook should you buy?

The pen is not included

The Pixelbook pen includes a button for activating Google Assistant, as well 2,000 levels of pressure sensitivity and a 10 millisecond response time to make it feel like using an ink pen on paper. Note taking apps such as Google Keep and Evernote already work with the Pixelbook pen, with more surely to follow.

Unfortunately, the pen is sold separately and costs $99. Even more unfortunately, there aren’t any magnets to keep the pen attached to the Pixelbook when it is not in use.

Google Pixelbook hands-on: Who wants this?

The keyboard has a new layout

Chromebooks have been using the same keyboard design and layout since the very beginning, but the Pixelbook changes that up. First, the search button on the left (where Caps Lock resides on Windows laptops) now uses a dot in place of the previous magnifying glass icon, while there is now a Google Assistant button between the left Ctrl and Alt keys.

Along the top, there is now a dedicated screenshot button and finally, a settings button in the upper right of the keyboard. We expect this keyboard layout to become available on new Chromebooks soon.

This is the first Chromebook with Google Assistant

Speaking of Assistant, the Pixelbook is the first laptop to have Google’s AI feature built in. Assistant can understand voice or typed queries just like it does on any other device, and if you type your request Google will give you an answer without blasting it through the speakers.

With the Pixelbook pen, you’ll be able to highlight a picture or some text on screen and have Google provide a result from that. We expect Assistant to roll out to other Chromebooks in the future.

More: How to set up and customize Google Assistant

It probably isn’t for you, and that’s okay

As pretty and powerful as the Pixelbook is, there’s not a whole lot it can do at release that other, less expensive Chromebooks can’t do just as well. The biggest software feature of the Pixelbook is Google Assistant, but Google will want to get that on as many Chromebooks as possible to keep making their knowledge graph that powers Assistant better and better. The Pixelbook is definitely a halo device, but if it tickles your fancy there’s nothing wrong with buying one.

More: Why I pre-ordered the Pixelbook

Any questions?

If you have any other questions you need answered, let us know down below our check out our Pixelbook forums!

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Microsoft HoloLens is now certified protective eyewear

Microsoft first launched HoloLens in 2015 as a gaming-centric consumer product, but so far, very few folks have so much as picked up a Minecraft block with the $3,000 device. Microsoft isn’t complaining, though. HoloLens has been a big success with businesses, allowing designers to visualize digital changes on real-life objects and helping employees do complex tasks or high-tech sales demos. In fact, it’s been so popular with companies that Microsoft is now expanding sales to 29 new European markets, taking the total up to 39 nations.

Microsoft says that companies like Ford and Thyssenkrupp have been asking for HoloLens availability in Spain, Sweden and Turkey, where it’s currently unavailable. The device has been particularly popular for so-called firstline workers that repair elevators or build cars, for instance. HoloLens provides such folks with valuable information like repair instructions overlaid directly onto real objects. At the same time, it’s hands-free and doesn’t disrupt normal vision.

On top of the new availability, the HoloLens is now certified for use as basic protective eyewear, with an IP50 rating for dust protection in construction zones, for instance. On top of that, “we’re happy to announce a HoloLens hard hat accessory is in production and will be available for purchase next year,” Microsoft HoloLens GM Lorraine Bardeen added in the blog post. Intel, for one, demoed a mixed reality headset with a built-in hard hat at CES 2016.

For the consumer market, Microsoft and its partners have launched several Windows Mixed Reality Headsets that are strictly for VR right now, with plans for mixed reality models to come later. However, it’s not planning to introduce a new HoloLens model until 2019. When it does arrive, it’ll reportedly be equipped with an artificial intelligence (AI) chip that should greatly expand its capabilities.

Source: Microsoft

Sainsbury’s bets on the vinyl revival with its own record label

Helped by big-name retailers like HMV, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, vinyl has seen a big revival in the UK. Based on Official Charts Company data, over 3.2 million vinyls were purchased last year alone, reaching heights not seen since 1991. It’s a trend that doesn’t seem to be dying off, especially given the news that Sainsbury’s has today launched it’s very own music label. From Friday November 3rd, the supermarket will stock two vinyl compilation albums from its new Own Label imprint, with help from Universal and Warner Music.

The two 20 track double albums — named Hi Fidelity – A Taste Of Stereo Sound and Coming into Los Angeles – A Taste of West Coast — collate classic hits from the 60s/70s and feature acts like Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers, Roxy Music, Elton John and Cat Stevens, as well as some lesser known musicians. They’ve been put together by Bob Stanley, a journalist and author who is best known for co-founding dance group Saint Etienne.

Sainsbury’s will stock the records in 160 superstores around the country, but is limiting the run to 1,500 units. It’s already sold almost 300,000 albums since it began stocking vinyl records early last year, so it shouldn’t have any trouble shifting a small first-run of releases.

Via: BBC News

IKEA’s smart lighting officially supports HomeKit

After what seems like an eternity (for IKEA and HomeKit fans, at least), the Swedish furniture maker has added support for Apple’s smart home platform. As 9to5Mac notes, so long as you have the company’s Tradfri hub installed at your house, you’ll be able to start controlling the lighting via your iOS device. It’s worth noting that, this will only work with smart lightbulbs at this time; dimmer switches aren’t online just yet. More than that, the hub integrates with Amazon’s Alexa so if you aren’t all-in on HomeKit, you can still use voice commands to turn your lights on and off. Google Assistant support isn’t included in this update, however.

This announcement has been a long time coming. IKEA first said that its smart lighting would work with the likes of Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri way back in May. Then, in August, the company prematurely announced the functionality was available before pulling it down. IKEA promised that the update would be out in October, but it’s just a little past deadline. No matter, the update is free and available to anyone right now.

The timing couldn’t be better for Apple. The electronics giant has been steadily ramping up its smart home initiatives in the lead-up to its own smart speaker, the HomePod, which is supposed to come out sometime in December for $349. Earlier this year, Apple committed to outfitting a number of its brick-and-mortar stores with HomeKit demo areas where you could try things like voice-controlled ceiling fans and connected window shades.

Via: 9to5 Mac

Source: iTunes

Russian Instagram posts reached 20 million users in the US

Earlier this week, we learned that over half of Facebook’s US audience, 126 million Americans, were exposed to Russia’s attempts to influence last November’s election on the platform. Now, tech companies are back in front of Congress answering questions on Russian use of their social media platforms to affect the election. Today, Facebook’s general counsel Colin Stretch disclosed that an additional 20 million people may have been exposed to 120,000 Russian-backed posts on Instagram.

The figure that the executives shared earlier this week apparently did not take Instagram users into account (Facebook owns the popular image-based social media platform). Sixteen million Instagram users may have been exposed to Russian-backed posts on the service. An additional 4 million may have seen content prior to October 2016, but the data isn’t as sound. Adding those 20 million possible users into the numbers shared earlier this week, we’re at total of almost 150 million people. In the last census, the entire US population was recorded as 323.1 million people.

Of course, it’s likely that there was some overlap between people who saw this content on Facebook and Instagram, but this news is unsettling, to say the least. Facebook’s initial claim that the platform didn’t influence the 2016 US presidential election at all is looking more and more irresponsible as these new facts come to light.

Source: Senate Hearing

Virgin Orbit’s new company will focus on government space launches

Three space-related companies apparently aren’t enough for Richard Branson. Today, TechCrunch reported that Virgin Orbit, which was spun out from Virgin Galactic, has created a subsidiary called Vox Space. It’s intended to focus exclusively on government contracts. Branson’s other space companies are Virgin Galactic, which centers on space tourism, Virgin Orbit for cargo flights and The Spaceship Company, which aims to do precisely what its name suggests.

This is an indication that Virgin takes government contracts, both from the US and its allies, very seriously. Someone with knowledge of the situation told TechCrunch that Virgin Orbit doesn’t expect this sector to be its main source of revenue, but the company wants to be able to compete with the likes of SpaceX and Orbital ATK (which was acquired by defense contractor Northrop Grumman earlier this year). It appears that Vox Space will use LauncherOne, the rocket-launching plane system that will have its first test flight next year.

Virgin’s vision appears to be bigger than just space freight, though. With the establishment of multiple subsidiaries and companies aimed at space travel, it’s clear that the company wants to take on the larger aerospace companies such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

While the aim of this company is clearly cargo, rather than space travel, this does impact Virgin’s overall profile when it comes to putting humans in space. The bottom line is that any experience in space is something the company can learn from and apply to future endeavors. By diversifying, Virgin is able to take advantage of more types of spaceflight opportunities, and that can only help them figure out how to safely take people to orbit and beyond.

Source: TechCrunch, Vox Space

Apple’s Upcoming AirPower Wireless Charging Mat Could Cost Around $199 in the United States

Apple’s upcoming AirPower wireless charging mat has recently appeared on Polish online retailer X-Kom’s website for 999 Złotych, and while it can’t be purchased yet, the listing may be a clue about how much the accessory will cost stateside.

As noted by Polish blog ThinkApple, many products that cost 999 Złotych on Apple’s online store in Poland are priced at $199 in the United States. Bose’s SoundLink speaker, for example, is 999 Złotych in Poland and $199.95 in the United States.

Similarly, the iPod touch with 32GB of storage costs 990 Złotych in Poland and $199 in the United States on Apple’s website.

What we don’t know is if the price X-Kom lists for the AirPower is simply a placeholder, and if Apple will charge the same amount. Apple’s pricing is often consistent with third-party retailers, but not always, and currency exchange rates fluctuate.

AirPower is an oval-shaped charging mat that can inductively charge multiple Apple devices at once, including the iPhone 8, iPhone X, and Apple Watch Series 3 models. It will also work with Apple’s upcoming wireless AirPods charging case.

The mat’s ability to charge multiple devices will be achieved with a propriety technology being developed by Apple. Apple said it will work to have its technology become part of the universal Qi standard supported by the latest iPhones.

Apple said AirPower will be released in 2018, but it hasn’t provided a more specific release date yet.

Tags: Poland, AirPower
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