Apple’s WatchOS 4.1 update adds phone-less music streaming, GymKit

Why it matters to you

WatchOS 4.1 makes it even easier to leave your phone at home when going for a run or to the gym.

Got an Apple Watch? Apple just released WatchOS 4.1 for all users today, and the spotlight feature is support for GymKit. It enables the Apple Watch to pair with supported gym equipment, so you can track more accurate fitness data.

GymKit allows two-way data sharing between gym equipment and the Apple Watch, enabling Apple to better estimate distance and energy burn metrics. Currently, LifeFitness, Cybex, Star Tac, StairMaster, Matrix, and TechnoGym have partnered with Apple to support GymKit, but more gyms and hardware manufacturers are expected to be announced in the near future.

WatchOS 4.1 also brings access to the iCloud Music Library. The Apple Watch was previously limited to synced playlists from the iPhone over Wi-FI, but the latest update allows Apple Music subscribers access to their entire library. Watch Series 3 with LTE users have the added benefit of being able to stream music over cellular.  To make it even easier to find your favorite music on the Apple Watch, the WatchOS 4.1 update now allows you to use Siri to search for songs, playlists and albums.

There’s also a new app included with the update: Radio. The app lets you stream Apple’s own Beats 1 radio station, in addition to NPR, ESPN and a few other stations. While access to Beats 1 is free, other stations require an Apple Music subscription.  Streaming via Wi-Fi or LTE is also available for the Radio app.

One welcome update for many Apple Watch Series 3 LTE users is the addition of a Wi-Fi toggle button in the Control Panel.  The Wi-FI toggle allows users to default to LTE service when they’re in an area with patchy Wi-FI service.  While Apple already released a WatchOS update to address issues with the Apple Watch becoming stuck on public Wi-Fi networks, the Wi-Fi toggle button gives Watch Series 3 LTE users the option to rely solely on cellular service even when their phone is on a Wi-Fi network.

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An algorithm could identify suicidal feelings based on brain scans

It’s difficult to identify whether or not someone is feeling suicidal by asking. According to studies, roughly 80 percent of those who go through with the act denied feeling suicidal the last time they spoke to a mental health care expert. However, AI-related technology — which is also being applied to things like spotting cancerous cells — might offer a way to identify these thoughts and prompt a timely intervention. Researchers have developed a machine learning algorithm that identifies suicidal tendencies based on activity in specific brain regions.

Based on fMRI scans, the team learned that certain keywords sparked activity in mostly different brain regions depending on whether or not someone was feeling suicidal. With that knowledge, the team produced an algorithm that can measure the overall brain activity and determine when activity in suicide-linked regions is particularly strong. The system is 91 percent accurate in tests and is as trustworthy in identifying unaffected people as those with suicidal thoughts.

Lead author Dr. Marcel Just was quick to warn The Methods Man that this isn’t a guaranteed method for revealing suicidal thoughts, at least not in its present form. The conclusions came from 30-minute sessions in giant MRI scanners, which are neither practical for therapists’ offices nor particularly inviting. Also, everyone in the study was a volunteer. It remains to be seen whether or not a suicidal person who hasn’t confessed their feelings will produce the same results. If they know doctors are looking for specific brain activity, they may suppress their reactions in a bid to avoid divulging their true thoughts. Even so, this raises the possibility that AI could reveal these cues in the future by using less conspicuous equipment and testing methods.

If you find yourself feeling suicidal thoughts, please reach out for help.

Via: The Methods Man

Source: Nature, Carnegie Mellon University

What is Green Monday and when will it have the best deals?

If you’re a wiz at shopping for bargains, you’re well versed in the ways of Black Friday and its online cousin, Cyber Monday. But have you heard of Green Monday? It’s another sales day that fits in well at the end of the year and has typically been held on the second Monday of December. So what is Green Monday? It’s a great chance to pick up last minute holiday gifts.

Don’t confuse Green Monday with the Cypriot holiday by the same name though. This isn’t the celebration at the start of Lent, known in other countries as “Clean Monday.” This one’s all about buying and selling online.

How long has Green Monday been running?

Online retailers have known for some time about the power of the second Monday in December, a point at which many people realize they don’t have long left before the holidays. It only became Green Monday in 2007, after either Shopping.com or parent company Ebay (depending on who you ask) noticed that it was their best sales day of the year. The “green” aspect is supposed to reference money — and the idea that online shopping is more environmentally friendly than doing so on the high street.

Although Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the rest of Cyber Week have proved to be more popular shopping days for consumers in the years since, Green Monday remains one of the biggest online shopping days of the year for many retailers. This has led to a number of outlets promoting it in the wake of Cyber Monday, in the hopes of drumming up more revenue as part of the holiday rush.

In 2015 it generated some $1.4 billion in revenue. Although that was down from a 2014 peak of $1.6 billion, it still represents one of the busiest online shopping days of the year.

When is Green Monday this year?

Green Monday typically starts on the second Monday of December, so in 2017 it is slated to take place on December 11.

How do I get the best deals on Green Monday?

As with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the best way to get the top deals on Green Monday is to be prepared. Stock of items with the best deals will likely sell out quickly, so being one of the first on a retailer’s website is a good start.

It’s a good idea to get a jump on sales at some sites, potentially even bookmarking the relevant pages; many retailers like to put out adverts before Green Monday rolls around. If your preferred site doesn’t have any reference to it yet, you’re probably just a little too ahead of the curve. Walmart has its Green Monday page up at the time of writing, but we’ll see more join that list as we get closer to the day.

Keeping an eye on websites that specifically track online deals during major sales is a good idea too. BlackFriday.com and CyberMonday.com are good places to start. We’d also recommend pre-making your shopping account on any sites you think you might use and have your addresses either pre-loaded onto the account, or kept to hand so you can input them quickly to beat the rush.

Just being the first to get the deal doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the ‘best’ deal though. Before you put your credit card details in to buy, consider doing a quick check to make sure that the deal you’re getting is as good as it looks. Discounts at some stores are better than others and not all price cuts are as hefty as they might initially seem. If you want a service to do the legwork for you, sites like PriceGrabber can do comparisons across a variety of sites in one go.

It’s also worth considering retailer-specific promotions to maximise your savings. Being an Amazon Prime member can give you an early start or exclusive access to some deals, while opting for its cashback scheme on its prepaid debit cards can save you a further few percent.

Before all of that Green Monday madness though, we have other sales to consider. Here’s how to get the best deals on Black Friday.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and choose what we cover carefully and independently. If you find a better price for a product listed here, or want to suggest one of your own, email us at dealsteam@digitaltrends.com. Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

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Google’s Fast Pair makes pairing Bluetooth devices much easier on Android

Hands-on with Nokia 2: It’s not about the specs!

After a slew of budget and mid-range devices – Nokia 3, Nokia 5, and Nokia 6 – HMD Global announced its most affordable device as yet, the Nokia 2, priced at €99 ($115).

The Nokia 2 comes with Android 7.1.2 Nougat out-of-the-box, and like with all Nokia devices it comes with the promise of pure and up-to-date Android experience. This means that Nokia 2 will get monthly security updates and will be upgraded to Android Oreo ‘soon’.

If you judge smartphones by their specifications sheet, Nokia 2 is not for you. It packs in modest specifications, not in foolhardiness but backed by obvious conviction and understanding of the market. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 processor, the Nokia 2 packs in just 1 GB of RAM. In the limited time I spent with the device, I found the performance to be generally smooth – although the demo unit did not have any third-party apps installed. It’s not a crawl as many ignorantly expect as soon as they look at the specifications. I’m assuming the hardware optimizes background apps to ensure enough memory is available at all times.

The 8 GB internal storage on the Nokia 2 is of course quite less, more so because less than 5 GB of free space is available out of the box. But thankfully, you can extend storage up to 128 GB with a microSD card, something most users would have to.

The Nokia 2 sports a 5-inch HD LTPS LCD and the 720p display offers nice contrast ratio and looks sharp. It is clearly one of the better screens in this price segment. There’s also Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection which is a sweet addition.

The highlight of the smartphone is it’s much-hyped ‘2-day battery life’. Instead of making a power-bank in the guise of a phone, HMD Global manages to squeeze in a 4,100 mAh battery in a compact chassis and banks on the frugal processor as well as the power-efficient display for that extra juice. We’ll find out if Nokia 2 lives up to that claim when we take it for a spin for a longer duration. There’s no fast charging, mind you.

For a budget smartphone, the Nokia 2 impressed me with its camera performance. I took a few test shots while checking out the device, and the 8-megapixel primary camera looked quite interesting. I’d like to explore it more when I review the device once it’s available. The auto-focus camera comes with automatic scene detection as well as LED flash. There’s also the 5-megapixel fixed-focus front camera which would serve you well for some decent selfies. The Nokia 2 offers unlimited photo and video uploads to Google Photos – a neat deal for a budget smartphone.

The best thing about the Nokia 2 is its design and build quality, which is why I kept it for the last. It looks quite chic with a metal frame milled out of series 6000 aluminum and a sculpted polycarbonate back. The matte finish at the back and the compact form factor owing to a 5-inch display makes gives it pleasant ergonomics and it feels great in the hand. The Nokia 2 looks solid and boasts of design considerations one usually expects on more expensive smartphones.

Overall, the Nokia 2 offers uncluttered Android experience in a smartphone that trades in extravagant innards for practicality and reliability. There’s a thoughtful design that works well in both form and function and a package that might be greater than the sum of its parts.

Google’s Fast Pair makes pairing Bluetooth devices much easier on Android

Why it matters to you

Do you use Bluetooth devices on your Android phone? Fast Pair is here to make it much easier to pair those devices.

When Apple first introduced the AirPods, they were hailed for how easily they paired with the user’s iPhone — but Google, not one to be left out of the fun, has been working on a way to pair Bluetooth devices on its own.

The new system is called “Fast Pair,” and it basically uses Bluetooth Low Energy and the phone’s location to automatically find Bluetooth devices that it’s close to and automatically pair with the simple tap of a button. In other words, all you’ll need to do is place the device close to your phone, and a little notification will pop up asking if you want to pair the device. Tap it and you’re good to go. You’ll even get a little picture of the device you’re pairing (yep, just like how Apple does things).

Of course, it’s important to note a few differences between Google and Apple’s attempts. While Apple partly uses its new W1 chip to connect to nearby devices like the AirPods, Google’s method still technically just uses Bluetooth — though the introduction of Bluetooth 5.0 should help things along.

The system will be especially helpful as we head into a wireless future. The Google Pixel 2 is only the latest in a string of devices to lose the headphone jack, meaning you’ll have to either use the included dongle or embrace wireless technology to use headphones, and many are using wireless headphones anyway.

One cool thing about the new feature is that it’ll be supported on devices running any operating system past Android Marshmallow, meaning the vast majority of phones will be able to take advantage of it. That’s good news — it means that even those with slightly older phones will get what could turn out to be a seriously convenient feature.

Unfortunately, not every device is supported by default — at launch, only Google Pixel Buds, Libratone Adapt On-Ear headphones, and Plantronics Voyager 8200-series headsets will support it. As time goes on, however, you’ll begin to see more devices popping up with compatibility. To take advantage of the feature, you’ll need to make sure you have Google Play Services 11.7 or later installed — and that’s rolling out over the next few days and weeks.

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Black Friday 2017, powered by Thrifter!

Black Friday is right around the corner and trying to get prepared for it can be chaotic, but that’s where Thrifter steps in. We will be bringing you all of the leaked ads, analysis on the best deals and so much more leading up to the big day. Be sure you are following us on Twitter, subscribe to our newsletter, and bookmark this page so you don’t miss out on any of the savings.

Microsoft’s redesigned Mixer mobile app helps you find new streams

Microsoft is continuing its quest to make Mixer as good a livestreaming experience on your phone as it is on your PC back home. It just launched a beta mobile app whose cornerstone is a redesigned Trending section that focuses on finding new game broadcasts. There’s a carousel that flips through featured streams, and sections that highlight the hottest games and trending streams. It’s now much easier to filter streams by type (such as co-op or interactive), and there’s a new Following section to jump directly to the channels you already know.

The beta also gives the Mixer team a chance to revamp much of the app’s underlying framework. Many existing features have an updated experience, and the code itself has been ripped apart to boost both performance and reliability.

You can try the Android beta right now, or sign up for one of the handful of iOS test slots. Just be aware that it won’t work flawlessly out of the gate. Push notifications may not work consistently, co-op streams may have hiccups and chat won’t always be on par with the web experience. With that said, there’s enough here that you may find yourself tuning into Mixer more often than you did in the past.

Source: Mixer

Sony’s new Aibo pet robot goes on sale tonight in Japan

After more than a decade away, Sony’s Aibo pet robot is making a return. The original dog-like robot launched in 1999, while Sony says its followup is “capable of forming an emotional bond with members of the household while providing them with love, affection, and the joy of nurturing and raising a companion.” Its OLED eyes allow for “nuanced” expressions, while new actuators allow its body to move smoothly along 22 axes. Pre-orders for the new robot begin tonight via Sony’s online store in Japan for 179,000 yen (about $1,739 US), with shipments scheduled to begin on January 11th.

Of course, because this is 2017, not only is the new Aibo powered by AI (that learns and develops a unique personality over time) but it’s also connected to the cloud. An Aibo Basic Plan subscription not only backs up your robot’s unique identity but also turns on the connection for owners to access their remote via WiFi or a mobile connection. You’ll need the subscription for your pet’s AI tendencies to develop, and use its accompanying My Aibo app (on iOS, Android and the web) to manage settings, access photos it takes and even play with a virtual version of the dog when you’re away. Eventually, you’ll be able to buy new tricks from the Aibo Store.

Developing…

Source: Aibo

Target stores can order your items online if they’re out of stock

Many stores will encourage you to order online if they’ve run out of stock, but they usually want you to do it yourself. Do you really want to pull out your phone and wade through a website while you’re in the store, or hope you’ll remember to order when you get home? Target is hoping to do better. It’s rolling out an app that lets them order for you using their handheld devices — you just have to fork over your credit card like you would with any other retail purchase.

The retail chain has been testing the feature since the spring, and expects it to be in wide use in time for holiday shopping. Is this always going to be a huge time saver? Probably not. However, it may give you a bit of a break if you’re exasperated and just want to know that sweater you were looking for is on its way to your home.

There are some subtler upgrades that have rolled out recently. There’s a “more intuitive” self-checkout system and in-store WiFi with twice the bandwidth. Also, store IT systems now use “bots” that automatically fix some problems. Staff can focus more on helping you and less on fighting their equipment, at least in theory. None of these updates are big in an of themselves, but Target is clearly betting that multiple small tech improvements (plus its more substantial additions) will amount to a noticeable difference.

Source: Target

Woolworths Rewards Cards Can Now Be Added to the Wallet App in Australia

Woolworths customers in Australia who have a Woolworths rewards card can now add their cards to the Wallet app to make it easier to earn and use rewards points when checking out.

Apple added a mention of the new Woolworths Rewards option to its Apple Pay website today, and the feature is outlined on the Woolworths website.

Woolworths customers can open the Wallet app and scan their cards using the standard procedure necessary to add a card to Wallet. From there, the Rewards card is digital and customers can collect and use rewards points and discounts at checkout simply by tapping their iPhones at an NFC-capable register with a finger on the Touch ID Home button.

With the digital card, there’s no need to pull out a physical rewards card when checking out, making for a faster checkout process, especially as the Rewards card will come up automatically when checking out at a Woolworths location. Digital Rewards cards from Woolworths will also show current points balance and savings at a glance in the Wallet app.

Customers who add their Rewards cards to Apple Wallet and then use it at checkout when making a purchase of $0.05 or more can earn 500 bonus points. The promotion will be available through November 30, 2017.

Tags: Woolworths, Apple Wallet
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