‘Untrained Eyes’ explores how computers perceive you

If you search for “man” on Google, most of the image results you’ll get are of white males looking confidently at the camera. “Woman,” meanwhile, brings up pictures of women that appear to have been taken from a male gaze — and yes, you guessed it, they’re also predominately white. That lack of inclusion in machine learning is what “Untrained Eyes,” an interactive art installation, aims to shed light on. The project, created by conceptual artist Glenn Kaino and actor/activist Jesse Williams, comes in the form of a sculpture that uses five mirrors and a Kinect to get its point across. Stand in front of it, wave and, within seconds, you’ll be presented with an image that will “match” your appearance.

There are instances where the results will look nothing like you, and that’s the whole point of “Untrained Eyes.” Ultimately, Kaino and Williams want to show you the flaws and biases shown by platforms that rely on artificial intelligence and machine learning, like Google Search. In this documentary, we show you how “Untrained Eyes” came to be before debuting at the Engadget Experience last week.

iPhone X Shipping Estimates Improve to 1 to 2 Weeks Across Europe and Asia

Shipping estimates for the iPhone X have improved across Europe and Asia today, with many regional online Apple stores now quoting delivery within the first eight days of December.

France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom now all show shipping dates between December 1 and December 8, suggesting Apple’s production ramp-up efforts are paying dividends well beyond U.S. shores.

Slight variations in shipping dates can be found in other European countries such as Italy and Spain, which show estimates between December 1 and 11. Meanwhile, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland currently give a 1 to 2 week estimate.

Elsewhere, regional online stores in Asia, including China, Japan, and Singapore, quote delivery dates of between 1 and 2 weeks. The same also goes for New Zealand, while Australia now offers a more specific date range of between December 1 and 8.

U.S. shipping estimates for iPhone X improved on Wednesday to 1 to 2 weeks, but prior to today, estimates across Europe and Asia remained at 2 to 3 weeks.

Back in early November, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company was working to ramp up iPhone X production week by week, with the aim of getting the new smartphone out to customers “as soon as possible.”

Previously, rumors had suggested the device would be available in severely limited numbers until well into next year, but the balance between supply and demand already looks to be easing worldwide.

Related Roundup: iPhone XBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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Apple’s Black Friday Event Begins in Australia and New Zealand With Free Gift Cards Worth Up to $210

Apple’s one-day Black Friday shopping event is now live in Australia and New Zealand, offering customers free Apple Store gift cards worth up to A$210 or NZ$210 with the purchase of selected new Apple products today.

The deals are available through Apple’s online store, and at Apple retail stores in Australia, through November 24. Apple’s terms and conditions state each customer is limited to two gift cards per product category.

For the Mac, eligible models include any new 12-inch MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac Pro, including custom configurations ordered online. Mac mini and refurbished Macs do not qualify.

Australia

• 9.7-inch iPad: $70 gift card
• iPad mini 4: $70 gift card
• iPad Pro: $140 gift card
• iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus: $70 gift card
• iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus: $70 gift card
• iPhone SE: $35 gift card
• Apple Watch Series 1: $35 gift card with select models
• Mac: $210 gift card with select models

New Zealand

• 9.7-inch iPad: $70 gift card
• iPad mini 4: $70 gift card
• iPad Pro: $140 gift card
• iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus: $70 gift card
• iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus: $70 gift card
• iPhone SE: $35 gift card
• Apple Watch Series 1: $35 gift card with select models
• Mac: $210 gift card with select models

Apple will likely extend its Black Friday event to the United States, Canada, Europe, and select other regions tomorrow. In the U.S., the gift cards could be worth up to around $150 to $160 based on currency exchange rates.

Black Friday marks one of the few times in a year that Apple offers deals on its products. Be sure to read our Black Friday roundup for several other deals on Apple products and accessories, and larger discounts in some cases.

Related Roundup: Apple Black Friday
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The most expensive, in-demand phone in China right now isn’t the iPhone X

Even if you don’t intend to buy one, there’s a good chance you know how much the iPhone X costs, due to its $1,000-plus price gaining plenty of attention. Despite being one of the most expensive phones you can buy, it’s apparently not the one that’s most expensive, in-demand phone in China right now. That dubious honor goes to Huawei, and its Porsche Design-branded spin-off of the Mate 10 Pro.

Even at standard retail price the Huawei Mate 10 Pro Porsche Design is more expensive than the iPhone X, but a high degree of demand has seen prices double, as people clamor to get their hands on the phone. In China, the Porsche Design version costs 9,000 yuan, or about $1,370 at today’s exchange rate. That’s if you can find one for sale at all.

The limited edition phone has found plenty of buyers, and its rarity is pushing prices on the resale market up. Online retailers are selling the phone for between 18,500 yuan and 27,000 yuan, or $2,800 and $4,100. By comparison, the iPhone X is readily available on Taobao and JD.com for around 9,000 yuan, only slightly more than its official, cheapest retail price.

A retailer selling the Mate 10 Pro Porsche Design on Chinese online site Taobao said he has received many enquires for the device, but few have been able to actually buy it. A 38 year-old who tried, but ultimately failed, to buy the phone through the official Huawei sales channel told the China Daily the phone sold out in seconds. Huawei and Porsche Design have never said how many of the phone will be produced.

In addition to China, the Porsche Design phone is sold in Europe, where it’s priced at 1,395 euros and is expected to ship at the beginning of December if you pre-order now. The European Porsche Design store also sells a Chinese version of the device, and orders will ship in January if placed now.

Is the Porsche Design Mate 10 Pro worth not only the trouble of finding one, but also paying considerably more than the regular price, or even the standard Huawei Mate 10 Pro? We’ve used the phone, and definitely concluded that you’re better off saving some cash and just buying the superb standard Mate 10 Pro.

Google’s Pixel 2 delivers great photo results for those with accessibility issues

Blurred photos from shaky hands are a thing of the past.

With the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, some of their features are making a huge difference in terms of accessibility. Namely the fact that they’re using both optical image stabilization (OIS) and electronic image stabilization (EIS) while taking photos or videos. For people like me who live with benign tremors in their hands, this makes a huge impact.

We’re going to break down why.

OIS and EIS mean no more shaky videos

Try imagining this: You go to take a selfie, but your hands are shaking so badly that every shot comes out hopelessly blurred. How about trying to take video of your niece’s dance recital, except that the shaking makes it nearly painful to try and watch. For plenty of people all over the world, including me, that’s just life.

OIS and EIS working together makes a huge difference.

Or it was anyway until Google delivered OIS and EIS for all the photos and videos you want to take with that glorious new camera. Without getting too technical, the way it works out is this: OIS allows a lens to compensate for small movements, while EIS compensates by using the Gyrometer inside your phone to note motion. Working together, they make a huge difference.

Tremors in your hands are aggravating, but depending on the degree, it doesn’t make taking photos impossible. What it does do is make it much harder than it needs to be, and in a world where so much of our lives play out online in photos, you want to be able to grab a snapshot without having to set up a tripod to pull that off.

Having OIS and EIS, rather than one or the other, means that snagging a photo or video is no longer an intensive project at all. More to the point, folks suffering from Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, or in my case benign tremors, no longer have to worry about taking 25 photos just to get one that turns out.

How well does it work?

I get the chance regularly to check out the best new phones when they hit the market, and prior to getting my Pixel 2, I was using a Samsung Galaxy Note 8. While the camera there was fantastic, I’ve got well over 100 shots that were blurred when I was standing still because of how bad my hands were shaking. Any attempt to take a photo required two hands, and it wasn’t because of the large Infinity display.

I don’t need to worry if I’m having a good or bad day because the camera on the Pixel 2 does its job fantastically.

In order to get a clear picture, I’d need to stand still, concentrate, and use both hands to try and stabilize the phone. Even then, I wound up with more photos ruined by blur than I got clear shots. Then I picked up my Pixel 2. While the smaller form factor does make it sit better in my hand, I’ve only got a handful of blurred photos, and most of them are of my dog who is incapable of sitting still.

I don’t need to worry if I’m having a good day where my tremors are nearly invisible or a bad one when I can barely write, because in either case, the camera on the Pixel 2 does its job fantastically. I can easily snap a photo and be done with it, as opposed to the days of taking a photo over and over when it was ruined due to blur.

Are you a fan?

It’s clear that Google put a lot of thought into the camera of their Pixel 2, and it translates magnificently into user experience. Whether you’ve never had issues with hands that shake, or you live with it every day, you can rest assured that the photos you take will be bold, brilliant, and most importantly, in focus. Have you been using the camera? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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Amazon takes up to 25% off nearly any book its sells

Amazon is currently offering $5 off any print book order totaling $20 or more. You can mix and match a few different titles to hit the $20 mark, or you can get a single book that’s valued at any amount over $20. To get the discount, you’ll need to enter coupon code GIFTBOOK2017 during checkout.

• Steve Jobs – $13.59
• Elon Musk Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future – $10.31
• In The Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives – $17.35
• Humans of New York – $17.28
• To Pixar and Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History – $12.17
• LEGO Star Wars: Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy – $20.17
• The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts – $29.17

5 great ways to edit video on your Chromebook

It’s better (and easier) then you thought it was.

One of the biggest criticisms of a Chromebook is the lack of good programs for content creation. Any time you read an article on the internet about using a Chromebook, inevitably someone in the comments will mention Photoshop or Adobe Premiere as the reason they can’t use one, and they might be right. If you absolutely need Photoshop or Premiere and all the features they come with, you can’t expect to do it on a Chromebook without a lot of fuss.

But most people don’t need Photoshop or Premiere, even if they are using those programs on a Windows or macOS computer. And when you look at the alternatives that have the features a basic user needs, Chromebooks are starting to look better every day. We’ve mentioned that Polarr is an awesome photo editor for your Chromebook that can do more than most people will ever need, and now we’ve got five easy ways to edit your videos.

None of them are as feature-rich as Premiere, but every one of them stacks up against iMovie or even Final Cut ProX quite nicely. Have a look!

PowerDirector

You need to have access to Google Play to install PowerDirector.

PowerDirector is a feature-packed video editor app for Android that happens to scale nicely and work great on your Chromebook.

It has a familiar timeline interface and can import, edit and export video in 720p, Full HD 1080p, and 4K, including footage direct from your GoPro camera. Because it was built for Android, it’s also very touch-friendly but you can use a keyboard and trackpad without any issues. But the biggest strength of PowerDirector are all the special effects, many of which are free.

Adding effects like slow-motion, transitions, or video styles is easy and intuitive, and you can even go a step further with photo or voice overlays using the simple and effective interface. Of course, cutting, trimming, and splitting your clips is also dead simple.

The one thing we don’t love is the length of time it takes to export a 1080p or 4K video. Because there is no hardware acceleration it takes a while. But you can always leave your Chromebook plugged in and go do something else while it’s exporting.

Download: PowerDirector (free with in-app purchases)

Kinemaster

Kinemaster offers much of the same power-user features as PowerDirector does, but adds one other really cool thing — theme support.

You can edit your videos by hand using effects, transitions, and overlays, or you can use a wizard and ley Kinemaster build a video for you using the visual style, artwork, font selection and music tracks you chose or let the wizard choose for you. the results can be pretty awesome!

Kinemaster is a subscription service but has a free trial mode. You can use the subscription plan through Google Play to get the full version.

In trial mode KineMaster is free for unlimited personal, non-commercial use, but has a “Made with KineMaster” watermark on all videos. Both monthly and annual subscriptions are available for purchase within the app. In addition to the removal of the watermark, subscribers benefit from access to premium downloadable assets from the KineMaster asset store, including visual effects, overlays, professional high-quality royalty-free music, and more, with new assets added regularly. A subscription automatically renews every month (or year, if you chose the discounted annual subscription option) unless you cancel in the Play Store app.

Download: Kinemaster (free trial; subscription service)

WeVideo

Not every Chromebook has access to Google Play, but there are several great online editors available. WeVideo is one of them.

WeVideo is a full-featured editor but is still simple enough for anyone to use right away because of its intuitive interface. Upload your video from your Chromebook or online hosting services like Instagram or Facebook, or even file storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive and you use another computers processing power to do all the work.

WeVideo is a subscription service and free users will have a watermark on their exported video. The company offers various plans for personal and business use.

Part of WeVideo’s charm is the template media library that lets you use royalty free sounds effects and music in a pre-packaged set of transitions and effects. Free users have a great selection to choose from and paid users get even more, as well as other extras like advanced text templates for titles and credits.

For people who don’t want to spend a lot of time or just aren’t great at editing, you can let the program do the work for you, and if you want to do it all by hand you’ll appreciate all the goodies available right in the web app.

See at WeVideo (free with paid tier)

Magisto

Magisto is another web app to edit videos with a focus on simplicity.

They promise to create a great video from your uploaded footage in “3 Easy Steps” using your choice of templates, themes, and music. there are plenty of styles to choose from for free users, and if you choose to upgrade to the paid service there are many more.

Once you’ve gone through the creation wizard you can go back and change anything you selected, and once you’re sure you just click one button and check back in a few minutes to find your created video in your account.

If you’re looking for complete control, Magisto isn’t for you. But if what you’re after is a service that can make a great video from your media Magisto is one of the best out there!

See at Magisto

OpenShot Video Editor extension

The OpenShot Video Editor extension is both the best and worst pick on our list.

OpenShot is an incredible and feature-packed free open-source video editor that many Linux users know and love, but the OpenShot Online extension from OffieDocs is really cumbersome. Especially when it comes to importing a video clip or two.

One past that you’ll find that OpenShot is a powerful tool with a feature set that rivals Adobe Premiere. Unlimited tracks and clips (including text, images, watermarks, and audio) and support for just about any file format you can imagine are here along with professional-level tools like keyframe animation editing and a complete set of timescale effects. Anything you would want to do while working on a video project can be done in OpenShot.

On a Chromebook, though, you might hate the uploading tools for the Online version.

Download: OpenShot Video Editor (free)

How to do you edit video on your Chromebook?

Let us know in the comments below!

Chromebooks

• The best Chromebooks
• Should you buy a Chromebook?
• Google Play is coming to Chromebooks
• Acer Chromebook 14 review
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The Morning After: Thursday, November 23rd 2017

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

To go along with the Thanksgiving feast, we have the FCC’s plan to kill net neutrality. It’s not much of a treat but should provide some reading material if you have the day off. Otherwise, we have an alert about Intel CPUs, and a peek at Apple’s work on self-driving cars.

Speak up before the commission votes December 14th.FCC releases the final draft of its proposal to kill net neutrality

The FCC has released the final draft of its proposal to rollback 2015 net neutrality protections. If enacted, the order would reclassify broadband internet service as an information service and Title II regulations would no longer apply. While chairman Ajit Pai says his process is more transparent than previous efforts, it’s unpopular across wide swaths of the internet, and as written places a lot of trust in ISPs to do the right thing. How much faith do you have in Comcast, Verizon, AT&T and the rest?

No hybrid taxBMW 530e review

With a sticker price that’s the same as its all-gas 530i counterpart, the 530e offers hybrid power minus the premium. They also match in horsepower; however, the hybrid setup does add some extra torque — if that’s what you’re looking for. It can even drive up to 19 miles in all-electric mode. There are some other small differences, but check out Roberto Baldwin’s review to find out if a slightly greener experience can still be just as luxurious.

FYI.Intel’s latest Core processors have serious security flaws

Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-generation Core chips (Skylake, Kaby Lake and Kaby Lake R), along with Pentium, Celeron, Atom and multiple Xeon chips, have a security flaw in their Management Engine. Security researchers have identified several ways someone could take advantage of them to take over systems, but there is some good news: Only one of the vulnerabilities can be exploited remotely. Still, PC makers are working on firmware updates to patch the holes, so keep an eye out for updates coming soon.

More than just multiplayer.‘Gran Turismo Sport’ brings back a classic solo-racing mode

In December, an update for the newest Gran Turismo game will introduce GT League, a new single-player mode. Like cup tournaments in previous games, some of the races will require certain cars, and Polyphony Digital says it will expand with more races in 2018. Plus, there are some new cars on the way — look forward to driving 12 more next month (including the Ferarri F40 and Enzo) and 50 more next year.

But wait, there’s more…

• ‘Dance with flARmingos’ hides a deeper discussion behind goofy moves
• YouTube goes after child-exploiting channels and videos
• Samsung may offer a peek at the Galaxy S9 at CES in January
• Amazon’s party-ready Echo Buttons are available to pre-order
• Apple research gives a peek at its self-driving car plans

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you’ll miss if you don’t Subscribe.

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UK watchdog tells ISPs to advertise ‘real’ broadband speeds

Broadband packages are notoriously difficult to untangle. Prices are obscured with introductory discounts and the speeds you get are nothing like what was advertised. It sucks, and the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) knows it. So today, the watchdog has announced new rules for broadband advertising. From now on, the figure you see must be based on the download speeds available to 50 percent of the company’s customers at peak hours. In addition, a qualifier like “average” must be visible. It’s a marked improvement over the previous guidelines, which said speeds must be available to at least 10 percent of customers.

The problem, of course, is that every home is different. You might have full-fibre access, or a nearby cabinet with old-fashioned copper running up to your doorstep. As a result, it’s hard for internet service providers to give one definitive number on their billboard ads. Still, marketing materials can be deceptive. The ASA consulted on a number of solutions, including an average download speed over a 24-hour period (rather than peak hours) and a range of speeds available to the middle 60 percent (20th to 80th percentile) of customers. The latter was ultimately abandoned because it didn’t explain where customers were likely to fall within the range.

The new guidelines will take effect on May 23rd, 2018. They’re just that, though — guidelines. It will, therefore, be interesting to see just how many providers fall in line.

The ASA made a similar rule-change last year to simplify broadband pricing. In May 2016, it announced that all providers would have to include line rental in its broadband prices. All of the major ISPs are now co-operating, which has made it easier for customers to manage their bills and compare packages.

Ofcom, the UK’s media and telecoms regulator, is conducting a similar review into broadband speeds. In October, it published a consultation with suggested changes to the Broadband Speeds Codes of Practice. These included forcing ISPs to use peak time windows for speed estimates, based on a national sample of their customers. Unlike the ASA’s rules, however, Ofcom wants speeds to be advertised as a range. They would be given to customers at the point-of-sale and in relevant after-sale information. The rules would also make it easier for customers to switch if their speeds fall below the minimum guaranteed by their ISP.

Source: ASA

The UK Autumn Budget gets tough on tech companies and tax

During yesterday’s Autumn statement, Chancellor Philip Hammond outlined positive measures to push the adoption of autonomous and electric cars, develop new 5G networks, treble the number of computer science teachers and further research into AI and robotics. But tucked away in the 88-page document were small changes that show the UK government plans to get a lot tougher on technology companies that aren’t willing to give back as much as they should.

The most important notice came during Hammond’s budget speech. As he pledged £400 million for a UK-wide EV charging network and a £100 million subsidy for electric car buyers, the finance minister also outlined steps to claw back money from tech giants like Google, Amazon and Apple, which use legal loopholes to avoid paying tax in the UK.

“Multinational digital businesses pay billions of pounds in royalties to jurisdictions where they are not taxed – and some of these royalties relate to UK sales,” said Hammond in his speech. “So, from April 2019, and in accordance with our international obligations, we will apply income tax to royalties relating to UK sales, when those royalties are paid to a low-tax jurisdiction.”

Although Hammond admits that the introduction of a so-called “Google Tax” won’t stop companies from avoiding duty, it could raise an additional £200 million each year. In March, it was revealed that Google paid just £36 million in tax on UK revenues of £1 billion. That came after it agreed a deal with the UK government to pay £130 million in back taxes. Critics believe the search giant uses complex accounting schemes to get out of paying what it should, but Google argues that it complies will all UK laws.

As well as making tech companies liable for more tax, Hammond also outlined steps to make them responsible for VAT paid on goods. Companies like eBay and Amazon have been accused by MPs of turning a blind eye on VAT fraud and costing taxpayers as much £1.2 billion per year. The government intends to reduce that by adding new legislation in the Finance Bill 2017-18 that will extend HMRC’s powers to make online stores liable for unpaid VAT for all traders on their platforms.

The statement reads: “This extension will help tackle the UK hidden economy and eliminate the risk of overseas traders establishing a UK shell company simply to escape the existing regime. This will come into force on Royal Assent in the spring.”

From next year, eBay and Amazon will be required to check that VAT numbers displayed by businesses trading on their websites are valid and make them easily visible to customers.

“The government expects digital platforms to play a wider role in ensuring their users are compliant with the tax rules,” it continues. “[It] will publish a call for evidence in spring 2018 to explore what more digital
platforms can do to prevent non-compliance among their users.”

Via: The Guardian

Source: 2017 Autumn Budget (PDF)