Forget Face ID, VoiceGesture reads your lips with sonar to unlock your phone

Voice-recognition technology is getting better and better, but if you’re using it for security applications such as spoken passwords, it is not infallible. A team of researchers at Florida State University in Tallahassee may have a solution for spoofing attacks on voice biometrics, however — and it involves sonar.

Called VoiceGesture, the system developed by the team reappropriates your smartphone as a Doppler radar, transmitting a high-frequency sound from the device’s speaker and then listening to the reflections on the microphone when a person says their passcode. Compared to some of the weaknesses involved in regular voice biometric systems, such as the risk of someone impersonating your voice or using a recorded sample, it’s far more effective.

“Our system evaluation involves 21 users with thousands of passphrases and three types of smartphones: Samsung Note 5, Note 3, and Galaxy S5,” Jie Yang, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, told Digital Trends. “Experimental results show that VoiceGesture achieves over 99 percent spoofing attack detection accuracy at around one percent equal error rate (EER).”

Florida State isn’t the only research institute currently investigating ways to make voice biometrics more secure. Recently, we covered a research project from the University of Michigan, which utilizes an accelerometer-based wearable accessory — currently a necklace, earbuds, or glasses attachment — to measure the unique skin vibrations in a person’s face, throat, or chest when they talk.

But what makes VoiceGesture stand out is the fact that it requires no additional hardware in order to work. Yang says that it can be integrated with existing smartphone operating systems and mobile apps for more secure device login, without having to change the physical devices themselves. He told us that the team has already approached Google, who are reviewing the proposed technique. “We also plan to reach out to other smartphone manufacturers like Samsung and Huawei,” Yang said. Should it prove as secure as the team claims, let us hope this turns up on a next-generation smartphone in the near future.

A paper describing the work, titled “Hearing Your Voice is Not Enough: An Articulatory Gesture Based Liveness Detection for Voice Authentication,” is available to read here.

Microsoft Office suite finally arrives on Chromebooks via Google Play Store

While there are more alternatives to the Microsoft Office suite than ever before, it’s still the gold standard for many when it comes to productivity software. Now, it’s finally been made officially available on Chrome OS.

When support for Android apps was added to Chromebook laptops, the likes of Excel, Word, and PowerPoint became compatible with the hardware via Office Mobile.

The software, however, wasn’t available for the full complement of Chromebooks on the market. Microsoft did release a statement confirming that it was collaborating with Google to ensure that the Office experience was as good as it possible could be on Chrome OS, but it’s take some time for this partnership to bear fruit.

As of today, the Office suite is available via the Play Store for a wide range of Chromebooks, even though Microsoft is yet to issue an official statement regarding its availability. The Samsung Chromebook Pro, Pixelbook, two models of the Acer Chromebook 15, and the Acer C771 can all download the software, according to a report from Chrome Unboxed.

Chromebooks have emerged as a compelling, cost-effective alternative to Windows laptops in recent years, and they’re especially capable now that they support Windows apps. The fact that these systems now possess official support for Office will make them even more attractive, especially for use in an educational setting, or in the workplace.

There was a time when Microsoft prioritized the Windows version of Office over all others, as anyone who used early Mac versions of the software will be able to attest to. Now, the company’s strategy is very different, making the suite available across a wide range of devices, and even in-browser.

The fact is that the likes of Excel, Word, and PowerPoint are no longer unmatched. Google’s range of competing apps perform much of the same functionality, and they’re completely free to use.

This means that Office has to do more in order to warrant a monthly subscription. Being available on every single device that a user might want to install it on is merely table stakes, especially given that Chrome OS is home turf for Google.

BioLite is bringing solar power and light to remote regions of Kenya

BioLite has always been on a mission to provide affordable and efficient sources of power for use anywhere. Case in point: The company’s very first product was a camping stove that could generate energy from the heat created from burning sticks and leaves while cooking a meal. That energy was stored in an onboard battery pack and could then be used to recharge a cell phone, headlamp, or other small electronic devices.

Subsequent products, including portable solar panels and USB battery packs, continued this trend, allowing outdoor enthusiasts and travelers to live off the grid for extended periods of time. Recently, the company even introduced its new SolarHome 620 kit, which brings an affordable solar power solution to remote cabins and those living the #vanlife too.

But when BioLite first designed the SolarHome, it didn’t necessarily have its usual customer base in mind. In fact, the product was originally built with the idea of bringing light and power to remote corners of Kenya, a place where those resources are often at a premium. As you’ll see in the video above, the installation takes just a few minutes and can transform the lives of the people living in Africa immeasurably. Not only does it provide energy for lights, but it also stores power to recharge a cell phone and power a radio.

The SolarHome 620 kit includes a 6-watt solar panel that is placed on the roof of a house, cabin, or van. That panel collects energy from the sun all day long, storing it in a 20-watt-hour control center that is located inside the structure itself. That box then uses the power to illuminate three hanging lamps that are included with the kit, bringing as much as 400 lumens of light to places where there was only darkness before. This allows students to continue their studies well after sunset and makes life much more productive and convenient for families in general.

The SolarHome control center is also equipped with an FM radio to pick up local broadcasts and has the ability to connect to a smartphone to play back MP3 files. The multifunctional box also includes a USB port for charging cell phones or other electronic devices.

Designed to be easy to install and require very little maintenance, the SolarHome is already having a dramatic impact on the lives that it was designed to help. BioLite says that over 5,000 SolarHome kits are already installed and operational throughout western Kenya, where the product has been received with gratitude.

BioLite is currently completely sold out of its initial batch of SolarHome kits, which are priced at $150. More are expected to become available in February.

BenQ PD3200U review

Research Center:
BenQ PD3200U 4K Designer Monitor

Professional monitors are an odd bunch, at least compared to standard desktop monitors or gaming monitors. They’re not defined by lightning-fast refresh rates, or razor-thin bezels. They’re powerful displays that offer unparalleled picture quality and color reproduction — often clad in simple black plastic.

The BenQ PD3200U is the quintessential pro-grade monitor. It’s sturdy, unassuming, and despite coming in at an enormous 32-inches with a crisp 4K display, almost humble.

How does a professional monitor stand out from the crowd? Simple. It performs, delivering a great picture with no fuss. Its job is to get out of your way, and fade into the background. But during our BenQ PD3200U review, we found it can do even more than that.

Easy does it

It’s striking how normal the BenQ PD3200U looks when you first get it out of the box. It’s big — at 32-inches it’s almost the size of a small TV — but plain and unassuming. It doesn’t have razor-thin bezels, or a dramatic silvery aluminum stand. It’s black and dark gray. Even display panel is matte.

The BenQ PD3200U is simple, straightforward, and utilitarian. There are no design elements which don’t serve a purpose, and that makes sense. This is a professional, designer monitor. It’s meant to spend its lifetime on a desk or drafting table, and it certainly looks the part.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The base is rock-solid and appropriately heavy, and the display doesn’t wobble, even when you really give your desk a jolt. On top of that stability it’s adjustable vertically, up and down, horizontally, and side-to-side. It even tilts forward and back quite a bit, so no matter your desk setup, you’re going to be able to adjust it to your liking. A VESA compatible mount is included, so if the stand BenQ has included isn’t to your liking, you’ll be able to find one that works for you — or mount this thing on your wall and just use it as a TV. It’s certainly big enough.

A design this understated might not be to everyone’s taste. Compared to the slick and stylish LG 27UD88-W 4K monitor, the BenQ PD3200U isn’t as striking or dramatic. It’s not going to turn any heads like the LG, with its ultra-thin frame, matte silver stand, and glossy white shell.

Lots of ports, in all the right places

We appreciate the BenQ PD3200U’s port layout. On the right-hand side, the single HDMI 2.0 port sits above the two DisplayPort 1.2 ports, these are easily accessible by just pivoting the monitor on its super-adjustable stand.

The design is functional and understated, but might not be to everyone’s taste.

Just beneath the HDMI and DisplayPorts, there are two USB-A ports, an SD card slot, and a headphone jack.

Tilt the monitor backward, so its lower “chin” juts forward, and you’ll find another set of ports — two more USB-A ports, two USB-B ports, and a micro-USB slot. The micro USB is for the aptly named “hotkey puck” which comes with the monitor. More on that in a moment.

Overall, this is a standard array of ports for a professional monitor, but the layout is convenient and thoughtful.

Controls

The BenQ PD3200U’s on-screen controls spring to life once you touch any of the four little LED touchpads on the bottom right corner of the monitor. To be clear, these are touch activated, not hardware buttons. From the quick menu you can adjust brightness, picture mode, or open the full menu, which is filled to the brim with presets, adjustable color, contrast, and sharpness options, and more.

The menus are clear and easy to navigate, and the touch buttons are quick and responsive. Getting to the option you want to change, making your change, and backing out of the menu is a quick and easy exercise, with no need to fumble across buttons located on the back-side of the display.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Remember the “hotkey puck” we mentioned earlier? Once you plug it in, it makes changing settings even easier. There are four buttons around the outside of the puck, each corresponding to a picture preset. Those presets can be changed by pressing and holding one of the four preset buttons. That way you can switch between modes like Darkroom mode, sRGB mode, or CAD mode — which is optimized for use with Autodesk’s AutoCAD suite — at the touch of a button.

You can also use the puck to navigate the entire display menu, so if touch buttons aren’t really your thing, you can avoid them entirely. It’s not an entirely new idea, and there are a few competitors that offer similar solutions, but it’s always a nice inclusion for a professional monitor. Being able to swap between presets at the touch of a button can save you a lot of headaches when you’re working with multiple color profiles at once.

Pre-calibration Quality

Right out of the box, it’s easy to be impressed by this monitor — for a couple reasons. First, it’s just huge.

Text is inky and sharp, and images have remarkable depth.

It’s hard to overstate how large a 32-inch monitor looks up-close. It completely fills your field of view, and saturates it in vibrant, lifelike colors. At 4K text is inky and sharp, images have a remarkable sense of depth, and 4K games seem to pop right out of the display. It’s not a surprise that 4K content looks great on a 4K display, but that’s certainly the case here.

Loading up our testing rig to play Destiny 2 at 4K was nothing short of spectacular. Similarly, 4K video looks incredible on this display. Even at 60Hz, its maximum refresh rate, everything appears silky-smooth and richly detailed.

However, this isn’t just a monitor for media consumption. It’s a monitor for media creation. In that regard, it holds its own against more expensive competitors, but it’s not the most impressive professional monitor we’ve seen.

Looking at contrast and color gamut, you can see this monitor scores well, but doesn’t quite compete with the top contenders in this arena. The HP Dreamcolor z32x features a wider color gamut, hitting 98 percent of the sRGB space, and 92 percent of the AdobeRGB color space. Even the LG 27UD88-W beat out our BenQ PD3200U, hitting 77 percent of the AdobeRGB space, to the BenQ’s 75 percent.

As we mentioned, it’s not a bad score, but for a professional monitor it’s not as high as we’d expect. However, to the naked eye the BenQ’s display looks vibrant and detailed. Darks are appropriately dark, and highlights are sharp and bright, and our tests bear that out. Its contrast ratio of 670:1 at maximum brightness isn’t the highest we’ve seen, but it’s a bit higher than its competitors. The HP Dreamcolor, for instance, came in at 520:1, and the LG 27UD88-W came in at 620:1.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Moving on to color accuracy, the BenQ managed to steal victory from the jaws of defeat with a near-perfect score. With an average color error of 1.23, to the HP Dreamcolor’s 1.68, and the LG 27UD88-W’s 3.97, the BenQ wins by a significant margin.

That means the BenQ capable of reproducing color nearly perfectly. Any score below 1.0 is considered to be perfect, so with 1.23, the BenQ comes awfully close. Let’s see if we can shave it down with calibration.

Post-calibration Quality

Calibration doesn’t always radically change a monitor’s performance, but in some cases, it will give you a little extra mileage and help gloss over some of your monitor’s flaws. Think of calibration like honing your kitchen knives. It’s not going to make them better, but it will make them sharper. With the BenQ, that’s exactly what we see after calibration.

Contrast, brightness, and color gamut all remained unchanged, but there was an important improvement: Color accuracy got even better. We saw the BenQ PD3200U’s pre-calibration score of 1.23 go down to .93, pushing it just over the edge into pitch-perfect territory.

There was a key improvement: Color accuracy got even better

To be fair, that’s the kind of improvement we saw from the HP Dreamcolor z32x also, which improved on its initials core of 1.68 by hitting .84. It’s important to point out that even though the Dreamcolor’s overall color error is lower than the BenQ’s, once you get under 1.0, the variances are rather minor. The LG 27UD88-W also improved, going from 3.97 to 2.34, but that’s still a little outside what you’d want from a professional monitor.

If you picked up the BenQ PD3200U hoping to pare down that color error, and you don’t have access to a professional colorimeter like a Spyder5 or Spyder4, just check out our guide on how to calibrate your monitor.

Warranty information

The BenQ PD3200U comes with a standard three-year limited warranty covering manufacturer defects and shipping damages, and units which arrive dead — provided you report the DOA unit within 30 days. It’s a typical warranty period for the category. You also get three years out of the HP Dreamcolor z32x, though only one year from the LG 27UD88-W.

BenQ PD3200U 4K Designer Monitor Compared To

BenQ EX3200R Gaming Monitor

Samsung CF791

Dell S2716DG

HP Dreamcolor Z32x

Philips 276E6ADSS LCD monitor

Asus ROG Swift PG27AQ

Dell SE2716H

Asus ROG Swift PG279Q

Acer XB270HU

Acer S277HK

Acer XB280HK

Acer B286HK

AOC G2770PQU

HP 27xi

Samsung SyncMaster P2770HD

Our Take

4K is more commonplace now than it was just a few years ago, but that doesn’t make it any less awe-inspiring. With the right display, 4K content just sings. It’s rich and lavish, with detail that isn’t present on even the sharpest 1080p or 1440p display.

Prices have come down, but it’s still an expensive segment of the market — especially in the professional monitor market. That’s where the BenQ PD3200U really shines. Standing up against monitors that are three to four hundred dollars more isn’t an easy task, but the PD3200U sure makes it look that way.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes, but not at this price. At $800, the BenQ PD3200U isn’t exactly a budget monitor, but with killer 4K performance and pitch-perfect color accuracy it offers quite a bit for that price tag. As a professional monitor, it undercuts the competition by a fair margin. The HP Dreamcolor z32x starts at $1,326, and the BenQ’s higher-end sibling, the BenQ PV3200PT, starts at $1,300.

While the Dreamcolor features a wider color gamut, both displays feature near-perfect color accuracy, rich, high-contrast displays, and simple, professional designs. The BenQ PD3200U is missing that “looking out a window” quality the Dreamcolor possesses, but it’s much more affordable.

If you don’t need professional-level color accuracy, or you want something a little more stylish, the LG 27UD88-W is a compelling alternative. It starts at $700, so you’ll save a little cash, but keep in mind you won’t be getting that pitch-perfect color accuracy you find on the BenQ PD3200U.

How long will it last?

It’s hard to say exactly how long this monitor will last, but it’s built like a tank. The stand is rock-solid, and the plastic frame around the display will protect the edges of your screen from any knicks and scratches it might get during moving.

And have we mentioned it’s 4K?

Hardware, particularly gaming hardware, hasn’t quite caught up to the demands 4K places on modern desktop computers, but it’s gaining steam fast, which means 4K content is going to become more and more common and much more accessible.

That means the monitor will outlast your current desktop hardware, and will see you through at least a couple years of hard use.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you’re a professional looking for a display designed for creative use, you can’t do much better than the BenQ PD3200U — not without spending an extra couple hundred dollars. At this price, the BenQ is a steal. If you need a new workhorse monitor and you’re ready to step up to 4K, give this screen a serious look.

Here’s every Enhanced game for the PS4 Pro

Which PlayStation 4 games have been boosted for the PS4 Pro?

Console manufacturers have long used a “tock” model of updating hardware. Until now.

The releases of the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X represent a “tick” in the development of their consoles. These are not releases of new consoles build from the ground up, but improvements on the existing hardware. Without going into vast detail and promotional talking points, these improvements mean more power.

Note: This is a constantly-updated list. Check for often for the latest Enhanced PS4 Pro games!

What does this mean for a PS4 Pro gamer?

There are many shades of grey, but mostly it means higher resolution graphics and more frames per second. Due to the fact that that it is being left to game developers to decide how they utilize the new processing power in the PS4 Pro, there is no uniform level of improvement.

There are myriad other graphical tweaks developers are implementing, such as enhanced textures and deeper draw distances. For the purposes of this list, however, we are just going to take a highest numbers claimed for resolution and framerate.

The List

Note: Some of these resolutions come with various caveats in regard to lowering other settings in order to achieve highest graphics quality. This means that console only players will be getting a chance to dip their toes in the previously PC owned world of setting tweaks. There are also a few games that are listed as adaptive 4K. In short, this means that the system will scale resolution up or down on its own. When there is less action on screen you are likely to have higher resolutions, whereas moments with tons of elements being rendered at once may see the resolution lowered.

• Abzû – 2400X1350 with an “increased framerate”
• Arizona Sunshine VR – 1920X1080
• Assassin’s Creed: Ezio Collection– Native 4K at 30fps
• Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate – 2880X1620 at 30fps
• Batman Return To Arkham – 1920X1080 at 30fps
• Battleborn – 4K at 30fps
• Battlefield 1 – 2880X1620 at 60fps
• Battlezone VR – 3360X1890
• Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition – 4K
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 – 4K
• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare – 4K
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered – 4K
• Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy – 2560X1440
• Darksiders: Warmastered Edition – 4K at 60fps “in moment to moment gameplay”
• Dark souls 3 – 1920X1080 at up to 60fps
• Death Stranding – 4K (Release in 2018)
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided – 4K
• Destiny 2 – Adaptive 4K
• Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition – 4K
• Dishonored 2 – 2560×1440
• The Division – 4K
• The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition – 4K
• The Elder Scrolls Online – 4K
• F1 2017 – 4K
• Fallout 4 – 1440p
• Farming Simulator – 4K
• FIFA 17 – 4K up 60fps
• Final Fantasy 15 – 3200X1800
• Firewatch – 2560X1440
• For Honor– 2560X1400
• Full Throttle Remastered – 4K
• Ghost Recon: Wildlands – 2560X1440
• Grand Turismo Sport – 4K
• Gravity Rush – 3840X2160
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – 60fps
• Helldivers – 4K at 60fs
• Here They Lie – 4K
• Hitman – 4K at 60fps
• Homefront: The Revolution – 4K
• Horizon: Zero Dawn – 4K
• Hustle Kings – 4K 60fps
• Infamous: First Light – 3200X1800
• Infamous: Second Son – 3200X1800
• Injustice 2 – 2560X1440
• Killing Floor 2 – 4K
• Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX – 4K at 60fps
• Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue – 4K
• King of Fighters 14 – 4K
• Knack – 3072X1728
• Knack 2 – 1800p
• LA Noire – 4K
• The Last of Us Remastered – 2560X1440 max. 1800p at 60fps or 2160 at 30fps
• The Last Guardian – 3840X2160 at variable frame rate. 1080p locked at 30fps
• Lego Harry Potter Collection – 2560X1440 at 60fps
• Let It Die – 2560X1440
• Life is Strange: Before the Storm – 4K
• Little Nightmares – 2880X1620 at 60fps
• Madden NFL 18 – 4K or 1080ps at 60fps
• Mafia 3 – 2560X1440
• Mantis Burn Racing – 4K at 60fps
• Mass Effect: Andromeda – 3200X1800
• Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – 4K or 1080p at 30fps
• Middle-earth: Shadow of War – 4K cinematics and 1080p
• MLB The Show 17 – 4K, 2560X1440, or 1080p with “enhanced frame rate”
• Mother Russia Bleeds – 3840X2160
• MotoGP 17 – 2560X1440 at 60fps
• NBA 2K17 – 4K at 60fps
• NBA 2K18 – 4K at 60 fps
• Neon Chrome – 4K
• Nex Machina – 3360×1890 at 60fps or 1080 at 60fps locked
• Nier: Automata – 1080p at 60fps
• Nioh – 1080p display: 1920×1080 (Movie Mode)
• No Man’s Sky – 3200×1800
• Outlast 2 – 2560×1440 at 60fps
• Overwatch – 4K at 60fps
• Paladins – 4K
• Paragon – 1080p at 60fps.
• PaRappa the Rapper Remastered – 4K (dynamic).
• PES 2017 – 4K at 60fps.
• Pyre – 4K at 60 fps.
• Ratchet & Clank – 3200×1800
• Resident Evil 7 Biohazard – 3840×2160
• Resogun – 4K
• Rez Infinite – 3840 x 2160 at 60fps
• Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration – 4K at 30fps
• Rocket League – 4K
• Smite – 4K at 60fps
• Snake Pass – 2688×1512 at 30fps
• Sniper Elite 4 – 1920×1080 resolution at 60fps
• Super Stardust Ultra – 4K at 60fps
• The Surge – 4K at 30fps
• Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization – 60fps
• Tethered – 4K at 60fps
• Thumper – 4K at 60fps
• Titanfall 2 – 2560×1440
• Trackmania Turbo – 2880×1620 at 60fps
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – 2560×1440 at 30fps
• Uncharted 4: Lost Legacy – 4K at 60fps.
• Verdun – 3200×1800 at 60fps.
• Victor Vran: Overkill Edition – 2880×1620 at 60fps
• Viking Squad – 3840×2160 at 60fps
• Watch Dogs 2 – 3200×1800
• Wheels of Aurelia – 3840×2160 at 60fps.
• Wipeout Omega Collection – 4K (dependent on motion blur settings) at 60fps
• The Witcher 3 – 4K
• The Witness – 4K at 60fps
• World of Tanks – 3200 x 1800

With all the various upgrades to existing games that will now be available on the PS4 Pro there is a decent argument for a PS4 Pro owner to revisit some of the games that may have sitting on the shelves gathering dust. The only difficulty will be tracking what sort of upgrades will be getting applied to each title.

What games will you be re-playing on your PS4 Pro?

Why are we reviewing PlayStation 4 games on Android Central? Let us explain.

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

Google Pixelbook now covered by uBreakiFix for out of warranty repairs

Now you don’t have to have a panic attack if you drop your new $1000 laptop.

Shortly after the launch of the Pixel and Pixel XL last year, Google announced that it would be partnering with uBreakiFix to offer same-day repairs for its two phones. A similar deal was made available with the launch of the Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL, and now uBreakiFix has announced that it officially offers repairs for the Pixelbook.

Commenting on this announcement, uBreakiFix’s Founder and CEO, Justin Wetherill, said –

We are thrilled to provide even more Google customers with the quality service and exceptional customer experience that have come to define our brand. We are huge fans of the Pixelbook and are excited to get these devices back in the hands of our customers.

Pricing for Pixelbook repairs have yet to be announced, but uBreakiFix says that it will be “at a fraction of the cost of buying a new laptop directly.” For what it’s worth, a screen repair on the Pixel 2 costs $149 while the Pixel 2 XL is a bit higher at $219.

All Pixelbook owners will be able to walk into any uBreakiFix store to have their laptop worked on, and those that purchased Google’s Preferred Care insurance program will also have access to get their phone serviced through any location when they file a claim.

Chromebooks

• The best Chromebooks
• Should you buy a Chromebook?
• Google Play is coming to Chromebooks
• Acer Chromebook 14 review
• Join our Chromebook forums

You can use the Pixel Buds without a Pixel phone — but should you?

Just about everyone’s looking for a great pair of Bluetooth headphones.

Some people think that Google’s new Pixel Buds headphones are designed to only work with Pixel phones. That’s reasonable on account of the naming convention, but it’s not actually the case! At their core the Pixel Buds are just Bluetooth headphones, and that means they can easily pair to any phone (or heck, computer) with Bluetooth for audio.

Unfortunately, Google has kept some parts of the Pixel Buds experience exclusive to its own Pixel phones. Here’s a breakdown of what you get when you pair the Pixel Buds to a non-Pixel phone.

Most things work just fine!

The Pixel Buds have a new style of form factor without any buttons and use a case for both pairing and charging, but there’s nothing particularly fancy at play here. The first time you open the Pixel Buds case, it enters a pairing mode — any phone with Bluetooth turned on can pair to the headphones right away, just as you would with any other pair of “normal” Bluetooth headphones. You can select which profiles you want to use (music, calls, etc.) from the phone’s settings.

All of the basics work on any modern Android phone.

The way the Pixel Buds connect and disconnect with your phone remains unchanged as well. Pop open the case and remove the headphones, and they’ll connect to your phone provided it’s in range and has Bluetooth turned on. Put the headphones back in their case, and the Bluetooth will disconnect in short order. And if you want to switch the headphones to a different device, just forget the Pixel Buds on the current device, place them in their case and hold the multifunction button in the case for about 15 seconds — they’ll be ready to pair again.

Google Assistant also works just fine on non-Pixel phones. You can press and hold the right earbud to invoke the Assistant, and it will pass audio both to and from the phone without hassle. The (limited) Pixel Buds settings are also found in the Assistant interface when you launch it with the earbuds connected to the phone.

A couple missing features

So most of the Pixel Buds experience transfers perfectly from a Pixel to a non-Pixel phone. But you do miss out on a couple of features. The big one is the “real time” translation feature, which is only available when paired to a Pixel phone on account of the advanced audio routing that needs to happen. But don’t get too discouraged here — the same Google Translate quality is still available on any phone using the app, it just won’t be piped through your Pixel Buds in the same way.

You miss out on Google Translate, but maybe that isn’t such a big deal.

The other missing features are more of edge cases, and they’ll both improve with time. The first is the new “Fast Pair” system that Google introduced at the same time as the Pixel 2 and 2 XL. It makes the initial pairing process with any headphones that support the protocol (including the Pixel Buds) extremely simple — and though it’s supposed to be available for any device on Android 6.0 and later with Google Play Services version 11.7 or later … but it just isn’t rolling out everywhere just yet.

Then we have to wonder about new Assistant features in the future taking time to hit other devices. Right now the Pixel Buds hook into Google Assistant on any modern phone and work just fine, but there’s a chance that Google could roll out new features in Assistant only on Pixel phones much like it has done with Translate — we just don’t know.

Should you buy the Pixel Buds at all?

Knowing that the Pixel Buds work pretty darn well with a non-Pixel phone, you then have to ask yourself whether the Pixel Buds make sense for you at all.

The real question is whether you should buy the Pixel Buds at all.

The Pixel Buds definitely sound great for their size, have good battery life and though the design takes time to get used to they’re comfortable for long periods of listening. As basic Bluetooth headphones, they get the job done whether you have a Pixel or not. But doing the basics alone doesn’t justify the $159 price — and this is where the questions really come in.

Missing out on translation functionality isn’t really a big loss, so we can skip over that as a selling point. Google Assistant works just fine on any modern Android phone, but it has a whole lot of room to improve on the Pixel Buds to the point where you feel like you have to have it in your daily life. The case works, but we have concerns about the fabric’s long term durability and it’s a bit too big to easily fit in a pocket. And some simple core issues like not being able to easily switch between paired devices just limits the usefulness of the Pixel Buds as daily use headphones.

Yes the Pixel Buds will work just fine with a non-Pixel phone. But that doesn’t necessarily make them worth spending $159 on.

Razer Phone ditched the headphone jack for better battery and performance

Razer definitely didn’t get rid of the headphone jack to sell $80 USB-C earbuds.

As enticing as the Razer Phone may be for power users, there are a few key issues that hold it back from being amazing – the display is pretty dim, camera performance leaves much to be desired, and the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack is a strange omission for something described as being the “smartphone for gamers.”

Razer recently addressed the complaints about its phone’s camera and promised that numerous software updates are on the way make it considerably better. Now, the company’s CEO and Co-Founder, Ming-Liang Tan, has explained the reasoning behind the removal of the headphone jack.

Per a Facebook post that Tan recently published –

By removing the headphone jack – we were able to increase the battery size significantly (I estimate we added 500maH more), improve thermals for performance and a whole lot more.

Tan also addressed that every Razer Phone comes with a 24-bit THX Certified DAC adapter that offers “even better quality headphone audio”, and he also made sure to point out –

On top of that, we’ve released the HammerHead USB C (retails at $79.99) and the HammerHead BT with all day battery life (US$99.99 – or free with Paid to Play!) which makes it a complete solution.

It certainly is impressive if Razer actually managed to increase the Razer Phone’s battery capacity by 500 mAh by removing the headphone jack, but we also don’t doubt that the company saw an opportunity to sell a couple accessories alongside its new gadget to make shareholders as happy as possible.

In any case, there’s the explanation for why we have yet another phone without a 3.5mm headphone jack. R.I.P.

Razer Phone review: Don’t go outside

Android users in the Bay Area, here’s how you can help save lives!

Build a community and help feed those in need — all by downloading an Android app!

Most Android apps are designed to keep you busy, to distract and take you out of the real world. But just because you’re browsing through Reddit or double-tapping on Instagram photos doesn’t make the rest of the world disappear.

Our friends at Nodle have developed a really interesting new app for those in the San Francisco Bay Area to connect to one another using just the Bluetooth radios in their Android phones. The app itself, called Noodle! Coins, connects Android phones together in what Nodle calls “The Citizen Network.” From the company’s launch blog post:

Noodle! Coins is a combination of virtual currency and Pokemon. By moving around the city of San Francisco, players collect “Noodles”.

The Citizen Network will help your community find lost items, locate the nearest bike to rent, or gather data from local air pollution sensors. Citizens working together will drive down the cost of connectivity and provide a new way for Makers to bring their devices online.

To spur downloads, Nodle is donating $1 to the SF-Marin Food Bank for each Noodle! Coins install. The Citizen Network can only work when there’s a critical mass of people building up a community of shared data, and using the app helps keep people fed and build this awesome project.

Using Bluetooth LE, hardware data is shared anonymously to Nodle’s cloud, which then forms a link to help the network keep track of specific items. It’s not dissimilar to what you’d see from companies like Tile, only instead of dedicated hardware, Nodle is using the thing you always have with you — your phone. In fact, Nodle powers the network of Tile’s competitor, Trackr.

Each time someone in the city of San Francisco signs up, we will make a $1 donation. If you invite your friends by sending them a link and they sign up for Noodle! (and join the competition) you earn 50,000 Noodle! Coins and we will make another $1 donation.

It’s easy to sign up, so if you’re in the San Francisco area, give it a go and help Nodle donate money to the SF-Marin Food Bank before the year is up.

Download Noodle! Coins (free)

YouTube pulls autocomplete results that showed child abuse terms

YouTube has been working hard lately to fix issues around child exploitation and abuse. The Google-owned video service revamped its policies and their enforcement around videos featuring minors or family-friendly characters in disturbing situations. Over the weekend, the company promised a crackdown on inappropriate comments on kid-friendly videos in response to big-name brands pulling their advertisements from the respective content. Now, YouTube is working to fix a problem with its autocomplete system that was finishing the search term “how to have” with “s*x with kids.”

When reached for comment, a Google spokesperson told Engadget: “Earlier today our teams were alerted to this profoundly disturbing autocomplete result and we worked to quickly remove it as soon as we were made aware. We are investigating this matter to determine what was behind the appearance of this autocompletion.”

As noted by The Guardian, YouTube’s autocomplete uses algorithms based on frequently-used search terms. The appearance of the disturbing autocomplete result could have been created by a group of people working together to make the term trend on YouTube, much like hashtags on Twitter. The Guardian reports that none of the results linked to the autocompleted search showed abusive videos. Our own testing this morning only shows “how to have s*x in school” as the top result.

Via: The Guardian