These are the most common Pixelbook problems, and how to fix them

The Google Pixelbook features a slick design, quick internals, and like any brand-new product, a few minor issues. As any early adopter will tell you, small usability kinks tend to get ironed out pretty quickly with new releases. But if you picked up a Pixelbook on day one and are having some issues, look no further.

Here are some of the most common Google Pixelbook problems, and how to fix them.

Chrome OS is damaged

This is one of the first issues you might encounter if your Pixelbook is misbehaving. Shortly after booting up you might get an error message that says “Chrome OS is missing or damaged.” This error comes in a variety of different forms, but it’s a fairly common one, and the fix is the same across the board.

First off, just give it a reboot and see if that fixes the problem. If not, make sure your important files are backed up to Google Drive, or any other cloud storage service, because this next step will require you to wipe your Pixelbook clean.

Once you’ve got everything backed up, sign out of your Pixelbook and press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R, and click Restart. Once the Pixelbook reboots, click the Reset button and sign into your Google Account. Now your Pixelbook will reset itself to factory settings, and hopefully your boot issues will disappear. For more information on giving your Pixelbook a powerwash, head over to our guide on how to reset a Chromebook to factory settings.

If this doesn’t fix your Chrome OS issue, you still have the nuclear option available: Reinstall Chrome OS entirely. It’s a very lengthy and involved process, but head here and Google will walk you through it step-by-step.

Google assistant not responding

This one isn’t a huge deal, but given how important Google Assistant is to the Pixelbook’s overall appeal, it’s pretty irritating when it doesn’t function properly. Thankfully, you have a few options here. First up, hit the Google Assistant button — it’s the one that looks like three circles, it’s between the Ctrl and Alt keys.

One of two things will happen when you hit that key. One, you’ll hear the assistant ask “Hi, how can I help?” or you’ll be presented with the option to turn the Google Assistant on. If you’re asked to turn the Assistant on, click yes.

Now say “OK Google” out loud — and see if it responds. If not, let’s head into the settings. Click your Account photo and then Settings, it’s marked with a gear icon. From here, scroll till you find the Search engine and Google Assistant section. Here, what we’re looking for is the Google Assistant sub-section. It should say enabled or disabled here, make sure enabled is checked.

Next up we’re going to make sure “OK Google” is enabled. To do that, hit your Google Assistant button again. At the top right of the menu that pops up, click the little icon that looks like a spacebar. Then click the three vertical dots, then Settings, then Chromebook, and finally, OK Google detection. Here, just make sure it’s switched on. If it isn’t, click it on and follow the steps to re-train your Pixelbook to recognize your voice.

This should solve the problem most of the time. If you’re still having problems getting the Pixelbook to answer you or hear you correctly, there are a couple different reasons for that. If you’re too far away from the Pixelbook, or if you’re in a noisy room, you can still access the Google Assistant via the Assistant button.

Tabs refresh constantly

This next issue is bizarre, but a huge headache for people who have had to endure it. Sometimes the Pixelbook decides to refresh tabs in your web browser over and over and over again. This one has a simple fix though, so don’t worry if your browser is currently going haywire.

If your Pixelbook is doing this, it’s because it’s low on memory. Close all your open tabs, reboot your Pixelbook, then let’s take a look at your task manager. To do that, press Shift + Esc, and from here we’ll be able to see which apps you’re currently running. Go ahead and close anything you’re not currently using, but leave the green “System” items alone.

Then fire up your browser, and let’s have a look at your extensions. Once Chrome is open, type chrome://extensions in your search bar and hit Enter. This will open a list of all your currently installed extensions.

Go ahead and disable or uninstall anything you don’t absolutely need. This will make sure Chrome doesn’t end up using more memory than it needs to.

Pen requires too much pressure to use

The Pixelbook Pen isn’t exactly an essential part of the Pixelbook experience but it does offer some pretty great functionality — even if there’s no way to stick it to the Pixelbook itself. The Pen allows you to circle items you want to search for, handwrite notes, and enter text, but sometimes it doesn’t work quite as well as it should.

Some users have reported trouble with using the pen for everyday tasks. Sometimes it require an inordinate amount of pressure to use — and pressing too hard on an expensive glass display to just write your name isn’t exactly a great user experience. The problem here has a couple different solutions. First up, try giving your Pixelbook a Powerwash. Not a literal one, this one just resets it to factory settings.

To do that, just head here and follow the directions or scroll up and check out the first item in this list. Once your Pixelbook is Powerwashed, try to use the pen and see if you’re still having trouble with pressure detection. If the pen still needs a lot of muscle to detect that it’s in use, it’s time to contact Google Support and see if you can get a replacement pen. To do that, head here and click Contact Us in the top right corner.

Making a high pitched noise

This one is pretty troubling. It’s never a good sign when your laptop is making an unfamiliar noise, especially not a high-pitched whine. In this case, chances are the sound is actually coming from your Pixelbook charger. Go ahead and unplug it from the wall to see if it stops. If it does, it’s definitely the charger.

Try plugging it into a different outlet, but if that doesn’t work, you might want to contact Google’s Pixelbook support team and see if they’ll let you exchange the charger, it may be defective. To do that, just head here, and click “Contact Us” on the top right-hand side of the window. Explain the problem — and if you can, maybe try using a different USB-C charger in the meantime.

Smart Lock is unavailable

One of the coolest features the Pixelbook brings to the table is the ability to pair it with your Android smartphone and use your phone to unlock your Pixelbook. The Smart Lock feature can be tough to set up properly though, and some users have had trouble getting it to work at all.

Now for starters, make sure your Android phone is updated to the latest version of Android. Smart Lock requires Android 5.0 or higher — so Lollipop or newer. Next, make sure it’s on the same Wi-Fi network as your Pixelbook, and that you’re signed into the phone and the Pixelbook on the same Google Account.

To set up Smart Lock, start by going to your Settings menu. To get there, click on your account photo on the bottom right corner of your screen, then click the gear icon. From here, scroll down to the People section, and then click Screen Lock. It’ll prompt you for your password, so just enter it and hit Confirm.

Under Screen Lock options here you should see an option to set up Smart Lock. Now just hit Setup and follow the on-screen instructions.

Can’t access the Play Store or Assistant

All right, you’re all set up on your Pixelbook, you’re signed in and you’re ready to download your apps — but you can’t access the Play Store. And your Google Assistant isn’t working. Worry not, there’s a solution, but it’s not an easy one.

The problem here, that some users have reported, occurs when you sign in with a G Suite account instead of a regular Google Account. You can still use your Pixelbook with your G Suite account, but you’re going to need to dig deep and set aside some time. G Suite accounts are typically used in education or corporate settings, so if you got your Pixelbook from work or school, chances are you’re logged in using a G Suite account.

One helpful user on the Google Pixelbook support forum has setup a tutorial that will walk you through the whole process of enabling access to the Play Store and Google Assistant on a G Suite account, but there’s an easier route. You could just set up a regular Google Account here, and you’re all good to go.

Sony Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact: Everything you need to know!

Sony’s late 2017 flagships come with a familiar design, the latest internals and completely up-to-date software.

For 2017, Sony has decided to stick with its classic design, while making meaningful improvements on the inside. This is everything you need to know about the Xperia XZ1 and its kid brother, the XZ1 Compact!

Check out the full review

We’ve had the Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact in-house for the past few months, and we have a review chocked full of the good things and not-so-good things for these phones. The only differences between the two models are the physical size of the phone, screen and battery, and the price, so almost everything we said about the larger phone will carry over to the smaller version.

Sony Xperia XZ1 review: Solid, opinionated, and lovably flawed

The design is classic Sony

If you’ve used a Sony phone since 2013, you’ll be intimately familiar with the design of Sony’s latest phones. While it’s true there are only so many ways to make a glass slab, Sony’s external design language is starting look dated, especially next to more minimalist competitors. That may be changing soon though, with Sony India’s managing director Kenichiro Kibi stating the company will introduce an “all-new design language” soon.

More: Sony’s next-gen phone will finally feature an ‘all new design language’

The specs

There aren’t too many surprises for these phones, given that they are flagships released in late 2017. Sony still isn’t enabling the fingerprint sensor for the U.S. version of these phones, which is just ridiculous at this point.

Operating System	Android 8.0 Oreo	Android 8.0 Oreo
Display	5.2-inch LCD, 1920x1080Gorilla Glass 5	4.6-inch LCD, 1280x720Gorilla Glass 5
Processor	Snapdragon 835 64-bitAdreno 540	Snapdragon 835 64-bitAdreno 540
Storage	64GB	32GB
Expandable	microSD	microSD
RAM	4GB	4GB
Rear Camera	19MP Exmor RS, hybrid AF960 fps slow-mo, 4K video	19MP Exmor RS, hybrid AF960 fps slow-mo, 4K video
Front Camera	13MP f/2.0 22mm wide-angle	8MP f/2.4 18mm super wide-angle
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, USB 3.1, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, USB 3.1, GPS
Battery	2700mAh	2700mAh
Charging	USB-CQuick Charge 3.0Qnovo Adaptive Charging	USB-CQuick Charge 3.0Qnovo Adaptive Charging
Water resistance	IP68	IP68
Security	Fingerprint sensor (except U.S.)	Fingerprint sensor (except U.S.)
Dimensions	148 x 73.4 x 7.4 mm	129 x 65 x 9.3 mm
Weight	155 g	143 g
Network	1Gbps (Cat16 LTE)	800Mbps (Cat15 LTE)
Colors	Black, Warm Silver, Moonlit Blue, Venus Pink	White, Silver, Black, Blue, Twilight Pink

More: Sony Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact hands-on: Tiny upgrades

The camera is surprisingly good

Sony has long supplied the camera hardware for other manufacturers, but when it came to photos from its own cameras…the less said the better. That’s finally changed with the XZ1 line: Sony has made notable improvements to its post-processing algorithms, resulting in photos that look much better than those from previous Sony smartphones. Pictures are still not quite as good as those from other smartphones in this price range, but they’re certainly a step in the right direction.

More: The Sony Xperia XZ1’s camera has pleasantly surprised me

It’s shipping with Oreo

It typically takes a while after a new Android release for new phones to begin using the latest version of the software, but not so with the XZ1 line: Sony is shipping the phones with Android 8.0 Oreo.

More: Android Oreo: Everything you need to know

In Canada, it comes with a fingerprint sensor

The Xperia XZ1 is a great phone let down by lack of access to the all-important fingerprint sensor. But in Canada, where it’s sold at Bell and Freedom Mobile, users get the whole package. As a result, there’s nothing standing in the way of the Xperia XZ1 being one of the best phones of the year so far.

Except all of the competition.

Sony’s Xperia XZ1 gets most everything right

Check out our forums!

Want to know more about the Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact, or want to chat with your fellow owners? Be sure to check out our forums!.

Best Action Games for Android

Get your blood pumping with these action-packed games for Android

There are so many awesome action games in the Google Play Store, it can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. But we’ve done the heavy lifting for you and after hundreds of hours of playing, we’ve rounded up the best action-packed games for Android that are worth checking out

Many of the games on this list are paid apps which might give you pause, so you’ll need to trust us when we say these games are well worth the initial investment. Plus, it’s always good to support those teams developing great games for Android!

Looking for an awesome shooter game? Check out our list of best shooting games!

• ICEY
• Death Road to Canada
• Stranger Things: The Game
• Death Point
• Island Delta
• Downwell
• Penarium
• Injustice 2
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

ICEY

From its name to its app icon, ICEY is a rather unassuming entry in the Google Play Store that would be easy to overlook — but that would be a mistake.

At its core, ICEY is a 2D side-scrolling action game where you play as the titular character, a mysterious cybernetic warrior that kicks serious ass. The game plays flawlessly, with tight controls and new skills to be unlocked and upgraded as you progress through the game.

If that’s all ICEY was — a kick-ass side-scrolling action game — it would still find a spot on this list. But that’s just the beginning, there’s also an entire meta-narrative at play here exploring the relationship between the player and the narrator. The narrator will guide you around the world and tell you where you should go… but what happens if you ignore the narrator?

There are layers to this game and a sizeable list of trophies to unlock. If you love indie games and meta-humor you definitely need to check out ICEY!

Download: ICEY ($2.49)

Death Road to Canada

When you’re going to be dropping money on a game, you’re going to want to be sure it has good replay value. In that regard, Death Road To Canada is an outstanding choice.

Facing a zombie apocalypse, you must lead a scrappy squad of somewhat interesting characters on a deadly mission to the relative safety of Canada. Along the way you’ll need to explore and loot places for supplies, while also managing your team’s health and morale.

Everything in Death Road to Canada is randomly generated, making every play-through a unique experience in this road trip action-RPG. You can randomly generate your character and buddy or custom design your starting characters with different attributes to help them stay alive.

The controls take some getting used to, and there’s a pretty steep learning curve as you learn which weapons are most effective and when it’s better to fight or run. And you will die, early and often, although that’s part of the fun of a zombie apocalypse, right?

There’s a ridiculous amount of depth in this game, including 10 different game modes to unlock. The price might seem a little steep, but if you’re a fan of rogue-like zombie games, it’s well worth the investment!

Download: Death Road to Canada ($9.99)

Stranger Things: The Game

If you’re a true fan of Stranger Things, you’ve already binge-watched the entirety of Season 2 (possibly in one sitting). But the truest of Stranger Things fans have also beaten Stranger Things: The Game, a surprisingly solid game released by Netflix that has no right being as good as it is.

Set in the town of Hawkins, Indiana you start out playing as Police Chief Jim Hopper as he heads out to search for a missing kid, but discovers much more than he bargained for. The gameplay has a classic Zelda vibe to it, and the mix of puzzles and action sections keep things feeling fresh. As you explore the town, you’ll find other characters from the show who join your party and have special abilities which allow you to reach new areas of the world.

There’s just so much to appreciate here. Not only is it a faithful adaptation of the show, it’s available for free with no in-app purchases or annoying ads…beyond the game itself.

Yes, this game is essentially a playable advertisement for Season 2 of Stranger Things — in fact, one of the rewards for completing the game is an extended trailer for said season. But unlike other mobile games tied into movie or TV show franchises, Stranger Things: The Game can stand on its own as a great game whether you’re a fan of the source material or not.

Download: Stranger Things The Game (Free)

Death Point

Death Point is as polished a game as you’ll find on Android. It’s a top-down stealth shooter in which you play a captured spy in a post-apocalyptic world where you must sneak through enemy compounds taking out guards and sabotaging their systems as you go.

Your goal is to meet up with the only other member of your team who has survived, an operator who is able to communicate with you through technology implanted in your brain. She’s there to give you tips and info on upcoming sections, and provide some lighthearted banter and story as you get down to business getting your revenge.

The graphics are next level, and you’ll probably need a recent flagship to get the most out of this game, with great lighting effects to show you when you’re visible to guards and when you’re hidden in the shadows. You’re free to play through however you please — be extra stealthy, or go in Rambo-style — but you’ll quickly learn that this game is very unforgiving if you make mistakes making a stealthier approach the clear winning strategy.

There are 10 challenging chapters to play through that will test even the most hardcore gamers. It’s a great title that’s worth the premium price.

Download: Death Point ($4.99)

Advertisement

Island Delta

Island Delta was published by the fine folks at Noodlecake Studios, which alone makes it worth checking out. Developed by Mantisbite out of Finland and released for iOS in late 2016, Island Delta brings unique top-down action-adventure-puzzler fun to Android. You’re tasked with exploring a mysterious retro-futuristic island with your heroes, Zoe and Baxter, as you try to take down the evil Doctor Gunderson and his army of henchmen.

Using your anti-gravity gun, you must work your way past mechanical minions, traps, and guards as you solve puzzles to make it through to the end of each level. At times Island Delta feels like a stripped down, third-person version Portal, which is something I wasn’t aware I needed in my life.

The cartoony graphics and outstanding level design will immediately draw you in, but this game can get seriously challenging at times. Fortunately, the game is fairly forgiving with checkpoints.

Check out our full review of Island Delta for a more in-depth look at what this game has to offer.

Download: Island Delta ($2.99)

Downwell ($2.99)

Downwell is a retro-styles rogue-like game where the goal is fairly simple — you jump down the well and see how far you can fall. Easy, right? Well, not quite — the well is filled with enemies. But don’t worry, you’re able to shoot down as you go, which also helps you kind of float.

Story? Who needs a story when all you’re looking for is action, baby! From the cool graphics and simple controls, this is a game that’s easy to jump into but hard to master. Each time you play is unique, with new weapon upgrades popping up randomly. At the end of each stage, you also get to choose an additional power-up to help you along.

But be warned this game is challenging as hell. There’s a steep learning curve as you learn how to best use your weapons and which enemies can be stomped and which need to be blasted. Since this is a rogue-like game, you can pick up and play it a different game each time.

Download: Downwell ($2.99) .cta large

Penarium

Penarium is a tough-as-nails platformer created by Team 17, who you probably remember best from the Worms franchise. Whereas Worms was a slow-paced strategy game, Penarium is on the opposite end of the spectrum featuring fast-paced action and requiring quick reflexes to survive.

It tells the tale of a Willy, a portly farm boy who’s always longed for adventure. One day, a circus show rolls into town and Willy decides to run away for a bit of fun and excitement. But unfortunately, this is no ordinary circus — it’s Penarium, the sadistic circus extravaganza!

Willy’s the next contestant in their twisted game, where the goal is to smash the barrels while dodging all sorts of devious traps and weaponry. This game was originally released on Steam, but the gameplay is ideal for mobile devices. The platforming action here is really tight, with a rotating variety of traps and weapons keeping things fresh.

The graphics are beautiful without ever affecting the gameplay performance, and blends with the soundtrack to create a really polished experience. Touch screen controls are often hit or miss, but I think they work really well here as an homage to the simple penny arcades of the era. The platforming action here is really tight, and the graphics are beautiful without ever affecting the gameplay performance.

There are two game modes to play: Campaign mode which lets you unlock additional arenas and is the “story mode” so to speak; and Arcade mode, which challenges you to survive for as long as you can collecting coins which you can spend on upgrades. It’s a great game for quick casual sessions that offers a great challenge. It’s a paid app as well, so there’s no ads or in-app purchases to distract you.

Download: Penarium ($1.99)

Injustice 2

Injustice 2 is the sequel to the award-winning game Injustice: Gods Among Us, which is also one of the best fighting games for Android. If you’ve played and enjoyed the first game, you’re sure to enjoy the sequel which features more fantasy fight match-ups between your favorite heroes and villains from the DC Universe.

Unlock new heroes and build your ultimate team as you battle in 3 vs 3 fights with the ability to swap out fighters as needed. The usual suspects are here — Batman, Superman, Joker, Harley Quinn — as well as a whole slew of new heroes and villains which you’ll discover and unlock as you play.

Controls are optimized for Android and feel even better than they did in the first game. It’s easier than ever to jump, duck and shoot projectiles, with epic Super Moves available to finish off your opponents. Graphically this game really shines, powered by the Unreal engine. You start out with a Campaign mode only, with Arena, Story, Operations, and Challenge modes unlocked later on.

Like the first game, Injustice 2 is free-to-play with a stamina bar to manage and coins and crystals to collect and spend. There are in-app purchases if you’re impatient and want to unlock new characters quickly, but there’s plenty of fun to be had without spending a dime.

Download: Injustice 2 (Free w/IAPs)

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

.cta .large

Grand Theft Auto is one of those iconic video game franchises that continues to influence other games. Chances are you’ve played a GTA title before on PC or console, but they play just as nicely on Android, too!

Rockstar Games has released five great GTA titles for you to choose from and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Play through Liberty City Stories, San Andreas, Vice City, GTA III, and Chinatown Wars and get your shoot-’em-up, blow-’em-up, car-stealing fix on mobile!

They’re all great games to choose from, but I’ve decided to highlight San Andreas because it’s got that massive map and introduced a bunch of awesome features to the series that remain to this day. Reconnect with CJ and the Grove Street Families gang as you spill enemy blood on the streets of Los Santos. On that note, it’s worth stating that these games are NOT for kids. The Mature rating in the Google Play Store isn’t lying.

So, if you want full Grand Theft Auto games right on your phone, hit up the Google Play Store and go to town. Just remember that, since these are the full games you know and love, they will occupy a ton of space on your device.

Download: Grand Theft Auto San Andreas ($6.99)

What did we miss?

What’s your favorite action game for Android? Let us know in the comments!

Updated November 2017: We’ve completely revamped our list with some of the latest and greatest action-packed games for Android, along with some old classics that still hold up.

Android Gaming

• Best Android games
• Best free Android games
• Best games with no in-app purchases
• Best action games for Android
• Best RPGs for Android
• All the Android gaming news!

Anyway, Android?[#acpodcast]

This week on the show Daniel Bader, Jerry Hildenbrand, and Russell Holly are joined by Dan DeSilva from our sister site, thrifter.com, to talk about about some great deals on gadgets and other items before Black Friday hits.

The team also covers a large swath of topics both Android and non-Android related, including Samsung’s Gear Fit2 Pro, improved water resistance for phones, and the time Daniel got in trouble with his parents about the Diablo 2 real money auction house.

They also discuss QA issues with the Pixel 2 and other devices in the gadget world, the rise of Google as a hardware company, a Chrome update that will kill annoying redirects, and much more! It’s all about saving and making that cash money on this episode of the Android Central Podcast!

Show Notes and Links:

• Thrifter Black Friday deals

• Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro review

• Pixel 2 second opinion: Close to perfect

• Google Pixel 2 XL adds new display profiles, UI changes to address burn-in in latest update

• Pixel phones get a little something extra in the November security patch

• Chrome updates set to kill annoying redirects and trick-to-click popups

• Google is changing the way developers think about spatial audio

• OnePlus 5T rumors and expectations

Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral360.mp3

Netflix’s comic books are a preview of potential franchises

Netflix recently announced its first-ever acquisition: Millarworld. The company was built by successful comics creator Mark Millar, known for works that easily translate to cinema. The movies Wanted, Kick-Ass and Kingsman are all based on his graphic novels. Netflix said in its press release that it acquired Millar’s company to secure his current and future content to adapt into movies and shows for the streaming service. But it looks like Millar and his idea-generating company won’t just be pitching concepts from behind closed doors. Instead, he’ll be trying them out where he gained fame: In comics.

While video might be the goal, earlier this week, Netflix announced that it would publish its first-ever comic book, written by Millar himself. Given how difficult it is to make money in comics, it’s unlikely the streaming titan is looking to become a high-volume publisher to rival Marvel and DC. Rather, Netflix is likely doing this to harness Millar’s fanbase, who have bought his works throughout his career, following him from Marvel and DC to smaller publishing houses. The company is letting Millar do what he’s done best: create ideas, show them off to his loyal fans in new comic books and generate interest in screen adaptations. Except in this case, all the movies and TV series go straight to Netflix.

Millar’s ambitions under the deal are obvious. “I want to be Marvel rather than just work with Marvel,” he told The Guardian after his company was acquired. While he confirmed in a forum post that some franchises, like Kick-Ass and Kingsman, have existing Hollywood deals that prevent them from coming to Netflix, Millarworld has plenty of properties to spare, which Millar has shrewdly retained rights to.

Marvel and DC titles rule films and TV, and those giants have, in turn, charged streaming services to host their superhero content. But Netflix gets to keep whatever income Millarworld IPs make, in whichever medium. Perhaps the company could convince other creators to publish comics under Netflix’s brand, which would be even more attractive, given the wide-open pipeline to TV and film adaptations made by the streaming service. Millar himself could be a lightning rod to attract creators, given his savvy business reputation in the industry.

Netflix could be the way into the comic adaptation boom for independent creators, who are surely aware of how much more money films make than the comic books they are based on. Granted, tracking comics revenue to compare is notoriously difficult. The top three or four best-selling comics every month typically ship somewhere over 100,000 issues, and even if all of those are sold (the actual sales numbers aren’t shared), by napkin math they’d each be taking in about $300,000 to $500,000 a month. Compare that with Thor: Ragnarok, which made $430 million worldwide in less than a week. It’s unlikely Netflix wants to beat comic publishers at their own game. Instead, it’s an opportunity to showcase Millar’s talent and maybe attract other creators to the fold.

Netflix’s first comic, Millar’s The Magic Order, follows families of world-protecting magicians who are being hunted down one by one. Crucially, it’s referred to as Millar’s “first franchise” for the streaming network, and he called The Magic Order his “first book” for Netflix. In short, we can expect more comics published under the Netflix aegis. The question is whether Millar’s current and future work will generate enough successful material to adapt, but Netflix has gambled on a creator with an impressive volume of work that’s made it to the big screen.

Of all the IP houses Netflix could have acquired with its deep pockets, it chose the one run by a creator whose storylines show up in a lot of recent films. Before Millar made his own characters, he worked at Marvel, writing the modernized Avengers take The Ultimates (which inspired some of the first Avengers film), the multi-superhero crossover series Civil War (source material for the third Captain America film) and Old Man Logan (which inspired the film Logan).

Millar established Millarworld in 2004 to make his own comics with all-new characters. He intentionally designed them to be cinematic, and his company fast-tracked his creations into screen deals. War Heroes, for example, had just published its first issue in August 2008 when Sony optioned it (the six-issue miniseries is unfinished to this day). Millar’s original work continues to attract Hollywood attention, with three Millarworld properties picked up last year.

Netflix is trying to become less dependent on other companies’ content. Especially once companies start withdrawing their libraries, which Disney pledged to do by 2019. Some speculated the streaming company might attempt to establish its own content universe under Millar. For now, at least, it’s testing the stories in their original medium. Netflix is putting faith in Millar’s process, which has worked for him thus far. He successfully transitioned from creator to known brand, and Netflix is banking on his unique combination of business and creative expertise.

“[Millar] has learned how to play the game,” Dave Gibbons, celebrated creator who co-wrote the Kingsman comic with Millar, told The Guardian. “Us of older generations got kind of screwed over, to one degree or another, with the kind of deals we got doing comics, but Mark in particular has very much learned from what happened before and done his business deals in a very canny Scots way.”

The Morning After: Weekend Edition

Hey, good morning! It’s the weekend!

The weekend has landed. If you’re already holiday shopping, you’re a smarter person than I. Engadget can help, as we kicked off our gift guide this week. We’ve also showcased some of the experiences that will be premiering at the Engadget Experience, which kicks off next Tuesday. The FBI was struggling to unlock criminals’ phones again, and we all learn that aluminum foil could actually help your WiFi signal. There’s science to back it up and everything.

The FBI apparently didn’t ask for its assistance.
Apple offered to help FBI unlock Texas shooter’s phone

Earlier in the week, FBI special agent Christopher Combs complained how the agency couldn’t get into the Texas shooter’s phone during a press conference. Turns out all they had to do was ask Apple for help. In a statement the company has released to the media, it said it “immediately reached out to the FBI after learning from their press conference on Tuesday that investigators were trying to access a mobile phone.” Cupertino offered its assistance and even promised to “expedite [its] response to any legal process.”

Bust out the tinfoil.
Aluminum foil can actually improve your wireless signal

No, you’re not crazy. Researchers say that kitchen staple can improve WiFi reception — if you place it right.

119 picks in just about every category you could imagine.
Introducing Engadget’s 2017 holiday gift guide!

We’ve got ideas for everyone.

An unexpected weapon against bots.
Augmented reality could be the perfect way for Nike to sell hyped sneakers

Buying limited-edition shoes is complicated and not as fun as it should be. The rise of violence in sneaker culture led companies like Nike to launch hyped products almost exclusively on digital channels. But selling sneakers on a website or doing raffles on Twitter came with challenges of its own. Resellers started using bots, automated computer scripts, to buy or reserve pairs faster than a human could. But Nike may have a secret weapon against auto-buying tools, and the only way sneakerheads could buy the company’s latest limited edition pair was through a new AR feature.

The free ride didn’t get off to a good start.
Las Vegas’ self-driving bus crashes in first hour of service

Las Vegas’ self-driving shuttle service marked its return by getting into a minor collision. Navya’s autonomous electric vehicle shuffles around at 15MPH on a 0.6 mile circuit in the downtown Fremont East district. But, just an hour into its year-long trial (which follows a successful stint in January), the shuttle was hit by a delivery truck that was backing up.

But wait, there’s more…

• Quark fusion makes ten times as much energy as nuclear fusion
• Matrix PowerWatch hands-on: The promise of a world without chargers
• Bloodhound: The long wait for a 1,000MPH car
• Engadget Experience: ‘Your Hands Are Feet’ puts you inside a psychedelic egg yolk
• ‘Dinner Party’ relives an interracial couple’s alien abduction in VR
• A mirror exposes AI’s inherent flaws in ‘Untrained Eyes’

To make technology that puts humans first, we have to practice what we preach

“You know,” your friend at the bar says, sipping at a pint. “I heard Trump manipulated voters because some company in England told him what to say based on people’s Facebook likes.”

“Yeah, Cambridge Analytica — I heard about that, too.”

The give and take of technology exists everywhere we look today.

“So they use Facebook to sell us things we don’t need with ads, and then they use our data to control our politics…”

“Yeah, but check out this live-feed from SpaceX one of my Facebook friends just sent me. They’re about to land another rocket.”

You both gaze into your phones like crystal balls, watching gods like the Iron Man himself — Elon Musk — ushers in a new space age.

The give and take of technology exists everywhere we look today. At times we feel like victims, helpless pawns at the mercy of the titans in Silicon Valley. At other times we feel like superhumans, able to get the answer to any question and see anywhere in the world in the time it takes for our coffee to finish brewing.

Peel

The same app that baits us into endless swiping at the bar, our eyes glued to the screen and oblivious to all the possible connections around us, might also connect us to well-matched partners we normally wouldn’t have crossed paths with during our day-to-day grind.

So which is it: victims to the black-hole-like attraction of our devices, or apes empowered with a god-like variety of options? You may not realize it, but it’s up to you.

Choose your own adventure

Pamela Pavliscak, founder of the design research company Change Sciences, has built a career studying the way humans interact with technology. Last year, she summarized some of her takeaways in a TEDx talk on “How to live happily in the digital age.”

“The actions we take everyday shape technology,” she told the audience, “so that what we do and choose not to do teaches the algorithms. What we say and how we feel is recognized by the people who are developing technology.”

In other words: We imbue technology with our behavior.

“The actions we take everyday shape technology”

Every choice we make helps to shape our culture, deeming which habits are considered acceptable and which are taboo. And every day we’re feeding “big data” algorithms with information on how we interact with the digital realm.

Combined, these two influences tell our engineers, designers, and business owners what we want and what we don’t want, what they should steer towards or avoid if they want their tech adopted, if they want our money. And because the goal of most businesses is to make money, they’ll usually do whatever the culture and data suggest.

The question then becomes, what do we want to suggest to them with our actions?

What is it about the tech that sometimes makes us feel like victims, and how can we avoid that so that we feel more empowered, so that we feel like we — the people using the technology — are the priority?

Not surprisingly, media theorist Douglas Rushkoff offers perhaps the most accessible and succinct answer to these questions in the description for his Team Human podcast:

Pamela Pavliscak

“The simplest way to understand and change our predicament is to recognize that being human is a team sport. We cannot be fully human, alone. Anything that brings us together fosters our humanity. Likewise, anything that separates us makes us less human, and less able to exercise our will.”

So perhaps technology that empowers us and “puts people first” simply means technology that helps us connect and share – which may sometimes mean not using our devices at all. When you’re sitting in a deserted lobby waiting for a dentist appointment, it makes sense that staring into your phone and texting a friend provides you the best option for connecting with others.

We can’t expect someone else to save us from ourselves.

But when you’re waiting in line at a concert with a bunch of people who obviously share your taste in music, addictively flicking through memes is likely sabotaging your greatest potential to build meaningful connections with fellow humans you’re already elbow to elbow with.

Unfortunately, the decision isn’t always as clear cut as an uninspiring waiting room or an exciting group of peers at a concert. But maybe there’s an app that can help us?

It’s on you to decide

OK, so I’ve got bad news. I checked, and there’s definitely not an app for that. While emotion-detection is certainly shaping up to be a big market in the coming years, right now it’s still in its infancy. Even our most talented A.I. — IBM’s Watson — is incapable of picking up on your thoughts and desires.

All this means is that we can’t expect someone else to save us from ourselves. It’s simply not possible for tech creators to design products capable of surveying our surroundings and reading our emotions to let us know when it’s a good time to self-reflect, when it’s a good time to chat with a nearby stranger, or when you’re in a prime spot to scroll, scroll, scroll through the infinite possibilities of the digital realm. Not yet at least.

So for the time being — and for better or worse — this is still a judgement call we have to learn how to make. It’s a skill we each have to practice and put into practice, especially if we want to see our continued relationship with technology tilt in the favor of Team Human.

The good news is, as Pavliscak taught us with her words of wisdom, it will indeed tilt based on our choices and actions. We just have to take ownership of those choices, acknowledging that technology isn’t there to steer our willpower, but that our willpower steers technology. The purpose of our gadgets is to be there when we need them;  our duty is to know when that is.

And as we get better at this – as we show a preference to use our devices as little as possible – the companies that make them will begin to tailor their technology to prioritize human interaction and non-invasive empowerment, in the same way they’ve currently tailored it to provide nonstop amusement. No need to petition Mark Zuckerberg so that he’ll stop hogging your time with all those push-notifications; instead, show him it’s annoying and a bad business model by turning them off.

Show the tech titans that you’d prefer to have time for the other things in your life by simply taking time for the other things in your life. They’ll inevitably adjust to accommodate, shifting their focus from getting you to stare at ads for as long as possible in favor of providing value by giving you more time.

No, it won’t be easy. Putting people first is undoubtedly an uphill battle in a world where big data is being used in manipulative ways against us all the time. But we do have a way to fight back. And luckily it’s as simple as teaching technology to put people first by doing it ourselves, every day.

Knowing the best time to post on Instagram could lead to more likes and follows

When is the best time to post on Instagram? As much as we would like to give you a quick answer, the real answer is, “it depends.”

Every Instagram account is different and that makes it difficult to gather accurate and reliable information. Still, regardless of your account’s unique following, there seem to be at least a few numbers to go by.

Later, an Instagram scheduling app, analyzed more than 60,000 Instagram posts in 2015 and the numbers revealed enough information to draw basic conclusions. By no means are these stats the final say, but they give you a general idea of when are the best times to post your photos and videos.

Time of day

Although it varied from day to day, the general consensus from the Later survey is that 2 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET were the best times to post for the most interaction, while 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. were deemed the worst times to post. There is no definitive reason as to why these times seem the most opportune. But Matt Smith, Later’s founder, believes it’s because these are two times when people are most active on Instagram.

In the case of 5 p.m., Smith hypothesizes that it’s because people are spending the last few minutes of their workday browsing through their feeds before the final moments wind down. He makes no specific comment on why 2 a.m. is a peak hour, but it is not much of a stretch to assume it’s because a fair number of people are browsing through Instagram in bed late at night. Generally speaking, it’s best to share during off-work hours, rather than throughout the work and school day.

Day of the week

Much like the best time of day to post to Instagram, finding the right day of the week is also a challenge. Some research suggests Wednesdays and Thursdays promote the most interaction, while more anecdotal evidence from social media managers sometimes suggests otherwise.

Weekends tend to be hit-or-miss depending on the type of Instagram account you’re running and the type of followers you have. For example, if your Instagram account is more directed toward your friends and family, you might get better interaction on weekends than if you’re looking to gain the attention of businesses and companies that tend to be closed throughout the weekend.

Finding your sweet spot

Ultimately, the only way you can ensure the most accurate data for your posting needs is to keep track of and manage your own analytics.

Using Instagram’s own analytics tool, you can figure out what time of day and what days of the week produce the most interaction.

In addition to timeframes, you can also learn other details about your followers. Instagram also breaks down their location, gender, and age — vital pieces of information for better understand what content will work best across the board.

If you want to take it a step further than Instagram’s own analytics, start charting them yourself in a spreadsheet. Using a tool like Google Sheets or even something as simple as a piece of gridded paper, mark down your posts, what time you shared them, and how many likes/comments they received after 24 hours or so. The more data you have, the better informed you will be.

If you’re looking for other Instagram tips and tricks, check out our guide. In case you are looking for a place to start on who you should follow, we also have a roundup of the best Instagram accounts to follow.

Disney CEO says their streaming service will be cheaper than Netflix

Back in August during an earnings call, Disney stated that it would start pulling its content off Netflix in order to start a streaming service of its own. The company currently plans to launch it sometime in 2019 and include its expansive film library along with media from its various channels. To compete with Netflix, Disney’s streaming service will be cheaper, the company’s chairman revealed in yesterday’s quarterly earnings call. Partially because it’ll have less content, at least to start.

“I can say that our plan on the Disney side is to price this substantially below where Netflix is. That is in part reflective of the fact that it will have substantially less volume,” Robert A. Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company said. “It’ll have a lot of high quality because of the brands and the franchises that will be on it that we’ve talked about. But it’ll simply launch with less volume, and the price will reflect that.”

The company’s goal after launching the service will be to attract subscribers. Iger mentioned the potential in offers to folks with a Disney credit card, members of its various clubs and frequent visitors to its theme parks. As the service’s content library grows — say, with an upcoming live-action Star Wars show — the company could “have the pricing over time reflect the added volume,” Iger said.

Per their prior agreement, Netflix users will still have access to Disney films through the end of 2019, including movies opening in theaters throughout 2018. Disney’s ESPN streaming service will launch early next year and aims to feature 10,000 games annually.

Via: CNET

Source: Walt Disney Co quarterly and year-end earnings call (transcript)

Oppo R11s hands-on

There are three big changes coming with OPPO’s new R11s compared to this summer’s R11
.

The first is the 6-inch, 18:9 aspect ratio display. There’s very little bezel, though the edges aren’t quite as curved as they are on the Samsung Galaxy S8. Overall, this new display looks great.

If you look closely, you can see what OPPO is calling the starry night effect, where there is a slight red gradient at the top and bottom of the glass. It’s a subtle touch, but it makes the phone feel more like a single piece of hardware. This effect is only on the red model, which is the one we were able to spend some time with. You can also get the R11s in black or champagne, if you’re looking for a less flamboyant look.

Either way, you should know that the fingerprint reader has moved to the back of the phone, to accommodate the display. Fortunately, the reader seems just as quick as the one on the R11.

The second big change concerns the cameras. The dual 16 MP and 20 MP rear cameras are both “main cameras” offering 2x lossless zoom.They’re now both f/1.7 apertures, which should make the R11s a tad better than the R11 in low light. The 16 MP sensor handles everyday photos, while the 20 MP sensor is tuned for low-light conditions. As OPPO puts it:

“It will intelligently synthesize 2.0µm pixels to quadruple (4X) the size of the photosensitive area of the sensor, increasing the overall sensitivity to light for all images.”

While our time was very limited with the R11s, we were able to go out and get some camera samples. OPPO assured us that our unit was running final software, and image quality is just as good we expected. Images are very sharp and detailed, with accurate color reproduction.

One minor critique is a slight lack of saturation, or punchiness, which some will be used to getting on cameras like the Galaxy S8. Otherwise, this setup works pretty well in good lighting. You can check out some camera samples below.

It’s difficult to judge low-light performance just yet, but it’s not looking much better than the R11. There’s a good amount of lens flare around bright objects, which you can see in some of our shots. We’ll take a closer look into this and report our findings in our full review in the coming weeks.

Perhaps what’s most notable is the new AI beauty mode. OPPO tells us that they analyzed thousands of photos of people from around the world and consulted with beauty professionals to develop what is likely be the best beauty mode to date. We’ll take a closer look at that in our review, too.

The third change that OPPO presented was a new iteration of its ColorOS software, version 3.2. The R11s will run Android 7.1.1 out of the box. OPPO wouldn’t comment on any potential Android 8.0 update and said it would instead focus on what its core audience in China wants, like the AI Beautification Mode. That’s also OPPO’s reasoning behind the choice of microUSB instead of USB-C.

One really nice design feature with the R11s is that the ports are indented, so the bottom is more comfortable to hold with your pinky finger.

Display	6.01-inch AMOLED 2160 x 1080 pixels Full HD+ resolution (18:9) 401 ppi Gorilla Glass 5
Processor	Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (4 x 2.2 GHz, 4 x 1.9 GHz)
GPU	Adreno 512
RAM	4 GB
Storage	64 GB + microSD up to 256 GB
Cameras	Rear cameras Regular: 16 MP, ƒ/1.7 aperture Low-light: 20 MP, ƒ/1.7 aperture Front: 20 MP, ƒ/2.0 aperture
Battery	3,200 mAh Non-removable VOOC Flash Charge 5V/4A
Ports	microUSB (USB 2.0) 3.5 mm headphone jack
Water resistance	No
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac dual band Bluetooth 4.2 A2DP, LE, EDR
Software	Android 7.1.1 Nougat ColorOS 3.2
Dimensions and weight	155.1 x 75.5 x 7.1 mm 153 g

As far as specs are concerned, the R11s has a Snapdragon 660, 64 GB of internal storage (plus microSD expansion), 4 GB of RAM, and a 3,200 mAh battery. The R11s Plus is similar, but features a larger display at 6.43 inches, bigger 4,000 mAh battery, as well as 6 GB of RAM.

While global availability and pricing is still to be determined, you can expect the OPPO R11s to cost around $475 and the R11s Plus to cost around $100 more. It might go without saying, but that’s a very competitive price for what you’re getting, especially considering the number of improvements that OPPO has made from the R11.

What do you think of the OPPO R11s at this price? Would you be interested in picking one up when it makes it to the US?