What we’re buying: Lightroom on a new iPhone, Google’s Pixel 2 cases

This month, we’re making the most of our devices, whether that’s by testing mobile photo-editing apps, trying out an iPad keyboard that matches its surroundings, or simply just laying down a little too much cash for a pretty-looking Pixel 2 phone case.

Timothy J. Seppala
Associate Editor

I’ve been using Adobe’s Lightroom on my phone for a few years now. It’s never been the most user-friendly image-editing suite for iPhone (that’d be Google’s Snapseed), but it makes up for that shortcoming with sheer power. Adobe focused on adding incredibly useful features to the mobile app, like support for both editing and capturing uncompressed RAW files and high-dynamic-range (HDR) photos.

Since I upgraded to the iPhone 8 Plus, the app has gotten even more useful. This is mainly because of the extra processing power afforded by the A11 Bionic processor. While Apple crowed at launch about how much games and AR would benefit from the chip, what won me over was that now it takes only a few seconds to export an edited RAW file at max resolution. On my old iPhone 6s, that would take anywhere from 20 to 30 seconds. In that time, I can export and upload five or six photos to Instagram on Apple’s second-newest phone. What’s more, on my old phone, using the “professional” mode brought everything to a grinding halt. Setting exposure and ISO was a chore, and a handful of adjustments were grayed out because the hardware wasn’t capable enough. Dragging the white-balance selector around was a stuttery experience too.

That isn’t the case with the 8 Plus, but I’m usually getting better results shooting in auto or HDR mode; I shoot only full manual with my Nikon, but I’m fine letting the computer take over on my phone.

More than that, even with the 8 Plus, making adjustments to ISO and shutter speed sometimes brings the app to a crawl. It’s intermittent, though, and I rarely use the pro setting, so it’s not a huge deal. Given how buggy iOS 11 has been for me, I’m willing to blame the system software and not Lightroom.

This brings us to HDR. Apple has made huge strides with the iOS camera app’s HDR setting (it’s turned on by default out of the box) and, depending on the use case, it often produces better photos than Lightroom does — especially in low-light situations. That probably has a lot to do with the new hardware’s dedicated image signal processor. Snapping a photo at a concert using Lightroom results in an unusable image full of purple grain where the shadows are, and outdoor shots at dusk typically don’t fare a whole lot better.

For instance, a photo taken of the gaping hole in my parents’ garage roof blew out all the highlights and turned everything a sickly yellow, while the default camera app looked approximately like what I saw onscreen when I hit the shutter. Daylight HDR photos usually look overprocessed and unnatural, but every now and again the shadows and highlights aren’t blown out and I get better results than with the iOS camera.

As far as actual editing goes, Lightroom is as good as it ever was, if not a little better, thanks to the device I’m using it on. Aside from the speed improvements I mentioned earlier, editing on the 8 Plus’ bigger screen is a lot more enjoyable than on my 6s. It’s also easier to see fine details and how different adjustments like sharpening or clarity affect them. Holding my phone in landscape makes editing an even more comfortable experience. Editing tools tuck into the right rail and expand when I tap on them, and disappear just as quickly.

I keep mobile photos and shots taken with my Nikon camera siloed off from one another and typically don’t edit iPhone shots anywhere but on my phone. And for that, Lightroom CC is great. It doesn’t quite allow for the more stylized edits I favor for my DSLR stuff, but for throwing a set of pictures to Instagram after an impromptu photo walk through my neighborhood, it does the trick. And if I want to get really crazy once I get back to my laptop, I can always use the Lightroom camera to grab some RAW files. Will the app’s shortcomings, like wonky HDR, stop me from using it? No, because for me it’s still better than Snapseed’s mostly gimmicky editing tools and iOS’ bare-bones options for tweaking.

Rob LeFebvre
Contributing Editor

There are plenty of reasons to use an external keyboard with an iPad, including better accuracy and comfort when typing for extended periods. I have my favorites, of course, like the Logitech K811, which can hold up to three different devices in its memory. However, being able to physically attach one onto an iPad is my own personal holy grail for iOS-capable input devices. The Brydge 10.5 iPad Pro keyboard is what I’ve been looking for — an input device that makes my iPad look like a laptop with a good-looking, protective form factor. It has backlit keys, doubles as a clamshell case for your 10.5-inch iPad Pro and comes in space gray, silver, gold or rose gold to match the finish on your precious iOS device, turning it into a MacBook mini of sorts. The keyboard has the same thickness and rounded design as the iPad Pro 10.5-inch, making it the perfect companion for my tablet of choice. It also works with any other device as a standard Bluetooth keyboard, of course.

The Brydge keyboard has nicely spaced keys, and, while they’re not full-size, they are easy to hit and use, even when touch typing. The keys are responsive, and the F and J keys both have a little raised bump on the lower half so you know where to place your fingers for touch typing — just like a MacBook.

At first, I had a little trouble hitting them with enough force to register a key press, but I was able to train my fingers to do so within just a few minutes. There are three brightness settings (low, medium and high) for the backlit keyboard so you can match the brightness of the keyboard to the ambient light from your iPad and the room. There’s even a small handrest below the keys themselves — not enough room to rest my admittedly large hands in their entirety, but roomy enough to rest part of them during long typing sessions.

Why not just get an Apple-made Smart Keyboard, though, which is thinner and adds less weight to your iPad? Well, aside from the extra $20 it costs and the lack of backlit keys, Apple’s own input device is pretty flimsy in comparison. Sure, it’s more spill-resistant than the Brydge, but the Smart Keyboard isn’t really my favorite way to type on an iPad when it’s in my lap; it feels flimsy. The Brydge, however, is made of the same metal construction as the iPad itself. The Brydge’s hinge keeps the iPad at the exact angle I want without flopping around at all. I’m able to use it on my lap when I sit with my legs extended to my coffee table in front of me (my usual posture), as well as in a cross-legged position while sitting on my bed or in a large chair. I can also see it being pretty fantastic for tiny lap trays in the coach section of an airliner, where a larger MacBook might have trouble fitting in (especially if you’re behind one of those travelers who insist on leaning their seat back during the flight).

The Brydge feels so much like typing on my MacBook Pro that I have to keep reminding myself to touch the screen and not search for a touchpad. It’s a solid, useful, stylish peripheral that has boosted my writing productivity on my iPad.

Mat Smith, Engadget

Mat Smith
Bureau Chief, UK

I like to hop between Android and iOS phones, but one of the minor frustrations I’ve found with Google-powered smartphones is the relative lack of case options. If it’s not an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy slab, there’s often not much to choose from, or it’s a bunch of unremarkable plastic or rubbery sleeves. I wish I were brave enough to carry my phones around “nude,” without a case, but that’s not going to happen.

Imagine my surprise, then, when Google’s own Pixel 2 family launched with official case options that are actually attractive, eye-catching and well, desirable. When all phones are mostly all the same — slabs of metal and plastic in metallic hues — the case represents one last attempt to deliver some kind of self-expression. I have the completely black Pixel 2, which means that my case, the “midnight” color, is the only way I can get a splash of neon orange on my power button. (The “cement” number also tempted me with its minty blue button.)

The case is downright tactile: the outside is a knitted fabric slightly similar to the Google Home Mini speaker, a nylon-polyester material with a pixelated look (get it?) that stands out. It’s still a solid case, and that does mean it adds a bit of thickness to either the Pixel 2 or the Pixel 2 XL, but neither of these phones was particularly chunky to begin with — it’s not a major complaint, but if you wanted a slender case for your phone that only minutely affects its thickness, this isn’t the one for you. Cleverly, despite its rigidity, these cases are compatible with the squeeze-to-launch Google Assistant motion. I rarely use the function, but I was surprised that something so solid could still deliver my squeezing efforts. That “welded silicone” logo on the rear of the case doesn’t come cheap ($40 / £35), but the fabric case is now making my Pixel 2 a conversation point. And it’s a positive one.

“IRL” is a recurring column in which the Engadget staff run down what they’re buying, using, playing and streaming.

Master & Dynamic’s concrete speaker is equal parts sound and spectacle

If you’re a fan of well-designed headphones that have a unique aesthetic, Master & Dynamic should be at the top of your list. The company has been pairing colored leather and metal accents for years now, creating some of the best looking audio accessories available. Earlier this year, the company ventured into another product category: wireless speakers. In true M&D fashion, it didn’t cut corners on design, materials or sound and even opted to make its first model out of concrete. Sure, it’s been done before, but concrete speakers are still a novelty. It looks great and, as I discovered after spending several weeks with one, the MA770 is more than capable when it comes to audio quality. But, it’s not for everyone.

For the MA770, Master & Dynamic teamed up with Sir David Adjaye, an architect you may know from his work on the National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. The collaboration resulted in a speaker that exhibits physical weight and dramatic angles, so the ties to Adjaye’s work are obvious. To construct the MA770, the company developed a unique type of concrete to increase the material’s sound dampening properties and overall acoustics. The shell is also one solid molded piece.

As you might expect, a speaker made out of concrete is pretty heavy — 35 pounds to be exact. It’s definitely a “lift with your legs, not with your back” type situation. The extra heft means you have to give some thought to where the MA770 will sit. Most bookcases and tables will have enough strength to support the audio gear, but you’ll need to look beyond a flimsy shelving unit or a small mantle. For me, a dresser was a good spot to accommodate the overall size of the speaker and give it the recommended clearance from the wall. The speaker is much larger than something from the likes of Sonos, Sony and others so placement took some planning. The MA770 is more comparable in size to Bang & Olufsen’s BeoPlay A6, another speaker that will put a dent in your wallet.

A concrete speaker is something you’re going to want to show off in your home, and Master & Dynamic is well aware of that fact. On the face of the MA770, there’s a magnetic metal grille that’s easily removed to expose the device’s dual speakers and single tweeter. You can see through the grille already, but just in case you want to display that bare concrete facade, you’re able to do so. Along the bottom of the speaker’s front is a metal strip that holds the MA770’s four onboard buttons and an LED indicator for which connection is active. The controls are for volume, play/pause and selecting a source and that light will tell you if you’ve picked Cast, Bluetooth, aux or optical to play your tunes. Since most music apps have audio controls, I only had to get up to change the source rather than to tweak the volume or pause a song.

Once you’ve found a place to put it, the MA770 is easy to set up. All you have to do is plug it in and download the Google Home app on a phone or tablet. Since Master & Dynamic’s speaker uses Chromecast for its WiFi connectivity, you’ll need the Google app to get it connected to your home network. In my testing, the speaker was recognized immediately and the setup was complete in less than five minutes. Sometimes connected speakers can take a while to get going or require multiple attempts to get them online. That wasn’t the case here, thankfully.

From there, broadcasting audio via WiFi to the MA770 is a matter of firing up your favorite compatible audio app and hitting the Cast button. For me, that’s a mix of Spotify (through Spotify Connect) and PocketCasts. Bluetooth is available for all of the options that don’t play nice with Chromecast, like Apple Music. It works fine, but I rarely used it. And let’s face it: If your go-to audio apps are Chromecast-enabled, there’s little reason to.

You can also opt to use two MA770 units as a stereo pair for both wired and wireless audio. I wasn’t able to test this out as I only had one unit on hand, but if you feel the need to splurge for two, just know this feature is available. In terms of wired connectivity, there’s a 3.5mm aux input around back as well as an optical input. Unfortunately, I’m not (yet) a turntable owner so I wasn’t able to put the MA770 through its paces with vinyl.

If the audio quality I experienced over Chromecast is any indication, you can expect Master & Dynamic’s trademark sound no matter the input method. It’s an audio profile that’s more “natural,” than Vizio and Sony speakers I’ve tested. I’ve always liked it on the company’s headphones, especially when a lot of other options tend to overly favor the low end. There’s also 100W of power at work, so the concrete speaker can blast those tunes at a high volume without sacrificing overall quality.

Most genres shine on the MA770, but I found bluegrass, jazz and rock sounded best. The Punch Brothers and Miles Davis especially since they have a ton of detail that can get lost on lesser speakers and headphones. The music was crisp and clear, which allowed the finer points to come through. Indeed, the more conservative approach to bass does have an effect when listening to hip-hop and other genres that need serious low end. Don’t get me wrong, Kendrick Lamar, Run the Jewels and Big K.R.I.T. all sound great, but a little more bass could make the MA770 better suited for every genre instead of a few standouts. Sonos is still my top choice — the sound quality you get for the price is unmatched. With a smidge more bass, the MA770 could put up more of a fight, but as it stands, Sonos is still the first on my list.

Of course, the most pressing issue for many would-be buyers is the price. The MA770 costs $1,800, putting it on a Band & Olufsen level of luxury. Sure it sounds really good, has a unique look and the allure of using a rather unique material, but that’s a lot of money to drop on one piece of audio gear. Even if the price tag is a deal breaker for most people, the MA770 is a lofty first voyage into speakers for Master & Dynamic, and one that checks all the boxes in terms of design, audio and ease of use.

Indeed, Master & Dynamic will likely introduce more speakers down the road and the financial commitment should be a little easier to swallow. Consider B&O: The company built its reputation on stellar audio at astronomical prices before introducing the more consumer friendly BeoPlay line, with a variety of speaker options from $2,699 down to $169. The options may not be as diverse as B&O’s lineup, but hopefully we’ll see some more affordable speakers from Master & Dynamic soon enough. Until then, most will choose to admire the MA770 from afar. If the price isn’t a concern, the company is showing off the speaker at its first retail location in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood from November 30th through December 24th. You can at least see it in the flesh before you take a chunk out of your savings account.

Photos by Edgar Alvarez

Philip K. Dick’s ‘Electric Dreams’ hits Amazon on January 12th

Last month, we saw the trailer for Electric Dreams, an anthology series based on Philip K. Dick’s sci-fi short stories, that will be available exclusively in the US on Amazon Prime. Now, we finally have a release date for the series. All ten episodes will be available for streaming starting January 12th, according to Deadline.

While it’s nice to have this series stateside, it’s strange that it’s taken this long for this BBC-produced series to cross the pond. After all, it aired in the UK back in October. Between an all-star cast (Anna Paquin, Terrence Howard, Steve Buscemi, Janelle Monae, Greg Kinnear, Maura Tierney and Bryan Cranston) and with Ron D. Moore (think the Battlestar Galactica reboot) attached as an executive producer, you can bet there will be a lot of interest in this series regardless. Interested viewers in Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Latin America, Spain and Turkey can also see the series on Amazon, while it will air on the Space channel in Canada and Stan in Australia.

Source: Deadline

‘Dota 2’ and ‘League of Legends’ players might be smarter than you

People who play multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA) like Dota 2 and League of Legends perform better on problem solving and logic tests than those who play shooters Destiny and Battlefield 3, researchers found. “The specific MOBA genre is remarkable in the sense that it already engages a vast number of players across the globe, but more generally, complex, socially-interactive and intellectually demanding video games are now ubiquitous and generate a constant stream of performance data that can be normalized against millions of other players,” a team from the University of York in the UK concludes.

The scientists found that as participants got older, shooter skills dropped. The performance pattern suggested that younger players had an advantage over older ones and that “performance decreases monotonically with age.” Since MOBAs tend to favor more strategy and planning than twitch reflexes, this might not be too surprising. If you’re having a hard time competing in Destiny 2’s Crucible, age might be a better excuse than complaining about your connection to the server. Just don’t expect any sympathy from your spring-chicken adversaries.

This isn’t definitive research, though. The scientists were keen to warn that although they found a link between intelligence and video game playing, the relationship was correlational, and that causality wasn’t clear. One potential reason why? “Rather than games modifying cognition, learning to play video games depends on the same cognitive resources underlying performance on intelligence tests.”

Finally, the researchers say that more, and deeper, longitudinal studies are needed before definitive statements about the effect playing different types has on cognitive abilities. Also, one of the experiments’ sample sizes was very small, and for the other sample, there was worry about selection bias and the participants providing false information about their play.

The early results from this work are promising, though. “If MOBAs in particular, or even video games in general offer a robust insight into cognitive function, they might be used to study cognitive epidemiology at a massive scale,” the paper reads. And as such, that could wipe out the issues with the current study’s smaller sample sizes and give scientists a window to study cognitive performance changes “at a population level” almost as it happens. That type of thing isn’t quite possible by studying analog chess players. As Keanu Reeves would say, whoa.

Via: TechRadar

Source: PLOS One

The best toys and coding kits for kids

This is the first year that Engadget has included a toy section in its holiday gift guide, and it’s already one of the biggest (and in our opinion, best) sections. Here you’ll find both coding kits from Lego and others intended to teach little one basic programming skills, as well as toys that just happen to be electronic in nature. And yes, the re-released Tamagotchi pets made the list — you know, for the nostalgic millennial on your list.

Source: Engadget Holiday Gift Guide 2017

Roomba robotic vacuums now follow IFTTT instructions

If Roomba vacuums are going to feel like they’re truly part of your connected home, they need to do more than dutifully clean your floors on a set schedule. Thankfully, iRobot is helping them do just that. It just added IFTTT “recipes” that tell Roomba robots when to clean or to interact with other devices. You can tell your robovac to start cleaning when you leave or stop when you get home, for starters. However, the cleverest tricks come when the robot interacts with the outside world. You can tweet to your Roomba to start a command, or have it post to Facebook or Twitter when it’s done. You can even have it flash your Hue lights or play music (on Android devices) when it’s finished, in case there’s something you need to do immediately afterwards.

Other IFTTT recipes include cleaning before a calendar event (important for that big dinner party), pausing your Roomba during a call and notifying you when there are new iRobot actions and applets. The company is hinting at more in-depth actions, as well — imagine your robot cleaning more frequently when the weather forecast mentions high pollen levels.

Between this and voice assistant support (Roombas can respond to both Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant), it’s clear iRobot is feeling the heat from competitors that increasingly tout similar features. IFTTT isn’t as mainstream as controlling a robot vacuum with an Echo speaker, but it gives power users a better reason to choose a Roomba over the alternatives.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: IFTTT

IHOP will deliver your pancakes in select cities

IHOP ‘N GO is the International House of Pancakes’ online ordering service that was in a limited test phase earlier this year. Now, the breakfast food chain is rolling out the program nationwide. Starting today, most US restaurants will accept online to-go orders placed at IHOP.com. IHOP also plans on rolling out a mobile app by the end of the year, as well as adding delivery service through Amazon.com and DoorDash. That program is being tested in select cities in California, Texas, Oklahoma, Washington and Utah.

Online ordering is now available at over 1,700 US locations. It’s not clear when delivery will roll out on a nationwide basis, but if you’re ordering online for the first time, you can receive $5 off an order of $25 or more with the code IHOPNGO.

Earlier in 2017, the pancake giant introduced custom packaging that was designed to ensure that to-go patrons would receive the same quality food that they were used to enjoying in restaurants. The company’s patented packaging keeps food warm longer and allows for easy transport with minimal sliding.

IHOP certainly isn’t the first chain restaurant to add delivery to its roster of services. Fast food eateries such as Five Guys and Chipotle have experimented with delivery by partnering with various websites, including DoorDash, Amazon and Facebook. It’s not a surprise that IHOP wants to get in on the action and deliver fluffy, delicious pancakes to houses across the country.

What you missed at last week’s Engadget Experience

Engadget has been around for 13 years. If you asked me when I joined in 2011, or the site’s founders in 2004, how they expected this website to evolve, I’m sure none of us would have guessed that we’d one day be able to call ourselves art curators. But this is 2017, and in the years since it launched, Engadget has changed. No longer do we restrict ourselves to just hardware or even software. The Engadget of today is just as interested in robots, AI, gaming, space travel, design, electric cars, virtual reality, augmented reality, even mixed reality. We cover art, too, as it relates to things like games, storytelling in VR and technology in pop culture. Tech is everywhere now, and we’re a more well-rounded publication because of it.

But back to the art curation. Earlier this year, we received what may as well have been a blank check from our parent company. It’s not every day that we receive a windfall, so we decided to go big — and get a little weird in the process. Our vision: The Engadget Experience, an event where we would put on an art exhibition, comprised of immersive-tech pieces that we commissioned ourselves. We put out a call to artists, promising to award five grants worth $100,000 apiece.

The response was tremendous — all told, we received more than 300 applications. And we can’t say we were surprised: This was the biggest prize pot in this space, and at a time when arts funding is generally seeing cuts. Sifting through those submissions was time-consuming — many of the applications were lengthy, and described concepts that hadn’t yet been attempted — but with the help of four guest judges we narrowed the list down to the five on display last week. Would that we had even more space, and even more money: There were many proposals we loved that didn’t make the cut.

If you were able to join us in LA last Tuesday, thanks! We loved seeing crowds of people listening to panels and waiting in line to check out each of the interactive installations. If you didn’t happen to be in the area, we can only hope that we’ll have a chance to do something like this again one day. In the meantime, we’ve put together a recap video above, and as this week unfolds, we’ll be debuting short documentaries that were meant to showcase our grant winners’ work, particularly for those who weren’t able to see it in person.

As you’ll see, these projects are diverse in nature, but if one theme unites them, it’s this: The technology and art worlds often operate apart from one another, in silos, but weird and beautiful things can happen when the two sides are in conversation. We want that conversation to continue, every day, on Engadget.

Chrome OS will let you reply to messages from notifications

You’ve had the option to reply to message notifications on Android for years, so why can’t you do that on your shiny new Chromebook? You can soon. Google has started implementing support for in-line replies to messages from notifications. Much as on Android, you can respond to a message from a supporting app (Hangouts is one example) in the pop-up box rather than switching tasks entirely and losing your focus.

The feature isn’t yet included in public builds, and it’s clearly unfinished. Google itself warns that there aren’t even animations and a “submit” icon to send a message with a click. It’ll likely take weeks before you can easily try this yourself. When it does arrive, though, it should make your life considerably easier if you want to keep a conversation going while you’re in the midst of a Netflix marathon.

Via: Chrome Story, 9to5Google

Source: Chromium Gerrit

TIME Ranks iPhone X and Apple Watch Series 3 Among Top 10 Best Gadgets of 2017

After previously earning the designation of one of the overall best inventions of 2017, the iPhone X has today been placed at the #2 spot on TIME’s “Top 10 Gadgets of 2017” list. According to the magazine, Apple’s new smartphone placed so highly because many of its features — including Face ID and edge-to-edge display — “will undoubtedly set a new standard for phones to come.”

Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, you’ll probably have a hard time getting your hands on one. And yes, Android did it first. But the iPhone X’s edge-to-edge screen and facial recognition system will undoubtedly set a new standard for phones to come. For one, Apple’s Face ID system, even despite the security concerns, is already being used in more creative ways than Samsung’s facial identification tech. Third-party apps like Snapchat and Warby Parker are taking advantage of the iPhone X’s face-mapping technology to project realistic masks over your eyes or select glasses that suit your face’s shape. That, combined with a sharp camera, long battery life, and large screen packed into a more palatable size, make Apple’s iPhone X a top pick.

Below the iPhone X, the following gadgets round out the top five spots: Microsoft Surface Laptop (#3), DJI Spark (#4), and Samsung Galaxy S8 (#5). TIME’s #1 gadget of 2017 is the Nintendo Switch, which it says is a “true knockout” thanks to its games library and ability to transform from portable gaming to playing on a TV at home. There is some overlap with the devices mentioned on TIME’s new list with the Top 25 Best Inventions of 2017 article from last week, including the iPhone X, DJI Spark, and Nintendo Switch.

Sitting further down the list is another Apple product, the Apple Watch Series 3, which earned the #9 spot. TIME said that the advantages introduced in the new version of the Apple Watch, like a faster processor and barometric altimeter, were great additions. But the magazine said the truly notable addition was LTE: “the freedom to leave your phone at home when you step out to walk the dog or go on a run may be just enough to persuade smartwatch skeptics that the Apple Watch is worth considering, especially for athletic types.”

To see more of the items listed by TIME, check out the Top 10 Gadgets of 2017 ranking right here.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4, iPhone XTag: TIMEBuyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now), iPhone X (Buy Now)
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