Grab an unlocked Galaxy S8+ bundle and $100 Amazon gift card for $725

This is the bundle you want to buy!

If you’re in the market for a Samsung Galaxy S8+, you won’t want to overlook this bundle. Right now, Amazon has not only discounted the price of the phone itself, but it is also including a fast wireless charging pad and a $100 gift card with the purchase. All of this is down to just $724.99, which is just a little more than we’ve seen just the phone by itself drop to in the past.

Amazon currently has just the phone listed at $701.26, which shows you the value of buying the bundle. Since it’s an unlocked version, you’ll be able to take your SIM card from your current phone and use it in this phone without any issues.

See at Amazon

Quincy Jones has a streaming service for jazz documentaries

It’s easy enough to find concert movies or music documentaries online, but watching them across various services is kind of a pain. Jazz legend Quincy Jones wants to help with that. Along with a French TV producer, Jones is launching Qwest TV. For between €7.49 and €9.90 per month ($8.83 – $11.68; the higher price is for HD/4K streaming) you’ll get access to “hundreds of hours” of jazz programming, sourced from European TV and other places. Annual subscriptions are available as well.

Jones is hand-picking the first round of videos, and from there a different curator will play tastemaker each subsequent month, according to the New York Times. Each video is accompanied by an essay from either a journalist or a jazz expert. Jones seems optimistic that the service will at once help preserve and present jazz in a way that’s particularly suited for modern audiences. “I know I won’t convert the world to jazz,” he said. “If I serve high quality programs in HD, with good curation and have a good, close relationship with my audience, I’ll be fine.”

That confidence doesn’t seem misplaced. Earlier this year the service almost doubled its €75,000 ($88,447) Kickstarter goal. Qwest TV goes live December 15th.

Via: New York Times

Source: Qwest

Drone curbs overtime in Japan by blasting workers with music

Japan has a culture that encourages overtime out of a sense of loyalty, and that’s a serious problem. It not only cuts into family and social life, it leads to entirely avoidable deaths. Taisei (the company behind the main Tokyo 2020 Olympic stadium) aims to fix that in an unusual way: having a drone nag you into going home. Its newly unveiled T-Frend is ostensibly a security drone that surveils the office with its camera, but its specialty is blasting workers with “Auld Lang Syne” (commonly used in Japan to indicate closing time) to force them out of the office. In theory, the music and the drone’s own buzzing make it impossible to concentrate.

The drone is autonomous, and doesn’t need GPS to find its position. It’ll be available in Japan in April as a ¥50,000 ($443) per month service, which largely limits it to mid- and large-sized businesses that can easily justify the cost through improved worker health.

Whether or not T-Frend is effective remains to be seen — we could see stubborn workers donning noise-cancelling headphones. However, it could contribute to a national effort to create more balanced lifestyles. And it might even be more effective than existing strategies. Right now, overseers at companies frequently find themselves working overtime as they urge staff to avoid those extra hours — the drone might let everyone punch out on time.

Via: AP (Phys.org)

Source: Taisei (translated)

Qualcomm made a USB-C DAC to show off its hi-fi audio tech

If you’re familiar with the name Qualcomm at all, you may know them best as the maker of Snapdragon processors that power many, if not most, of the market’s leading smartphones. But Qualcomm doesn’t just make CPUs and modems, and it can now add dedicated Hi-Fi DACs (or digital-to-analog converters) to its list of products. At its Tech Summit today, the company announced its first dedicated Hi-Fi audio DAC, which has a very memorable name — AQT1000.

Of course, per Qualcomm’s usual way of doing business, the company isn’t selling these devices directly to consumers, but the DAC will be available to headphone makers “for 2018 products.” And to be clear, Qualcomm already makes DACs and audio codecs, but this is its first USB-C Hi-Fi DAC.

The AQT1000 looks to be a compact size for what it is. Typical headphone DACs tend to be bulky, and while the Apogee Groove (released in 2015) was relatively small for the category, it is expensive and not USB-C compatible (yet).

While the Groove can stream music at 24bit quality, the AQT1000 can do so at 32bit, allowing for richer, fuller sound. Qualcomm’s external DAC also has a dynamic range of 123 decibels and comes with native DSD (direct stream digital).

Although this isn’t really a consumer product yet, it looks like a decent accessory out of Qualcomm’s Aqstic Hi-Fi arm, and could help audio manufacturers offer USB-C to analog audio jack dongles more easily.

Thai company mu Space can now operate satellites

Today, Thai startup company mu Space announced that it has acquired a satellite license from Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. It allows the company to operate satellites, and provide services based on those satellites, through the year 2032. mu Space is the first Thai startup company to acquire such a license.

We previously covered mu Space because it was the third company (and first Asia-Pacific company) to book a slot on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket. Blue Origin is Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, and the New Glenn is still under development. This license means that mu Space has crossed another regulatory hurdle in its quest to get the brand new company up and running.

Only 12 percent of Thailand’s population has access to broadband internet, and those people are typically centered in space. mu Space hopes to fill in the gaps by providing an alternative in rural areas, where traditional telecom companies haven’t bothered to build infrastructure. The company also hopes to provide space tourism to Asian customers within the next 10 years.

Hilton Debuting ‘Connected Rooms’ Controlled via Smartphone Next Year

Hilton today announced the upcoming debut of the “Connected Room,” a high-tech guest room that will enable hotel guests to control the temperature, lighting, TV, window coverings, and more from their smartphones using the Hilton Honors app.

Guests will also be able to personalize their rooms using technology that loads popular streaming media and other accounts to their in-room TVs. Eventually, guests will also be able to use voice commands to access content and upload artwork and photos to display in their rooms.

Hilton already allows guests to use the Hilton Honors app to check into their rooms and open their room doors using their smartphones, but with the Connected Room expansion, additional in-room controls will be available.

“At Hilton, almost all digital products are born out of necessity and shortcomings in the marketplace – and Connected Room is no exception,” said Joshua Sloser, senior vice president of Digital Product, Hilton. “The technology we put in hotel rooms has to be intuitive, simple and quick to pick up because guests typically spend a limited amount of time in their rooms and we want them to spend that time enjoying the experience instead of adapting to new technology.”

The Connected Room is live in one Hilton hotel and will deploy “in the coming weeks” to several more before rolling out on a wider scale in 2018.
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iOS HomeKit bug exposed smart locks to unauthorized access

Apple has another security issue to deal with. As 9to5Mac reports today, Apple’s HomeKit framework has a vulnerability that allows unauthorized access to connected smart devices like locks and garage door openers. Apple has already put in a server-side fix that rectifies the issue, but the fix also disables remote access to shared users. Apple says that the reduced functionality will be restored with an iOS 11.2 update next week.

While 9to5Mac didn’t share the details of the vulnerability, it also reportedly opened up smart lights, thermostats and plugs to unauthorized control. This issue follows a High Sierra bug discovered last month that allowed users to gain admin access without a password.

Because the server-side fix has already been implemented, users do not need to take any additional steps to secure their smart products. Just be sure to install the iOS update when it’s released in order to regain the reduced functionality.

Source: 9to5Mac

Hilton plans to offer a smart hotel room system next year

From a Watson-powered concierge to in-room VR porn, hotels are getting more and more tech-savvy and connected. There’s an Amazon Echo in every room when you stay at Wynn’s Las Vegas hotel, and more destinations are adding ways to watch your own Netflix and Chromecast when you stay. Now Hilton is ready to roll out a new mobile-centric connected room. The smart room system is currently in beta at one Hilton hotel and set to deploy to several more in the coming weeks. A full deployment to all Hilton hotels is planned for next year.

The Hilton Honors app will let you manage your stay from check-in to check-out. You can already check in, choose a room and open your door with an app-based digital key. Hilton will add smart home tech to each room, too, including smart lights, motorized blinds and smart thermostats – all controlled from your phone. It also sounds like you’ll be able to connect your own streaming media like Netflix to the systems, as well. Future plans include adding voice commands for room controls, plus a way to upload and display your own artwork. Hilton will also allow you to set preferences via your Hilton Honors profile to customize your room with smart home-like scenes. Moving to an app platform lets Hilton update new features on the fly, without having to the replace traditional remote controls in use now.

Source: Hilton

How to trigger every ‘Destiny 2’ Heroic public event and max out your loot

Destiny 2‘s public events provide nice, little challenges to blast through while en route to your next mission, Strike, Adventure, or between attempts at conquering the Leviathan Raid. Completing Public Events, which reoccur in set locations across each planet’s map, drops a treasure chest with a bit of loot. As your power level gets higher, Public Events may no longer feel challenging and the rewards might not be worth your time. That’s where Heroic Public Events come in. Heroic events are activated while in the middle of an event. Triggering Destiny 2 Heroic Public Events makes the foes much stronger, but you reap the rewards with more powerful gear drops and increased Glimmer. Here’s how to trigger all Heroic Public Events in Destiny 2 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Cabal Excavation

This public event can be found on Io and EDZ. Simply stand in the white circle surrounding the drill and take out the invading enemies. The “Overriding Lander” timer tracks your progress to 100 percent. Right around the 30 percent mark, a smaller Cabal ship called a Thresher will come into view and circle the drill site. Concentrate your fire on the ship. Destroy it and the event will turn Heroic. A strong Cabal Centurion called an Excavator Valus spawns. Avoid the boss’ spray of missiles and take it down to complete the event.

Stop the Witches Ritual

Nestled inside a building on Titan, your team must stop the Hive Witches Ritual. Two Hive Wizards conjure up a spell to open a giant portal at the end of the room. To turn the event Heroic, you must stand in each of the two green circles (located on opposite sides of the room) and shoot the crystals at the top of the big portal. Once the first crystal is taken down, you are given a time bonus to eliminate the other. After both have been eliminated, the event turns heroic and a large, powerful knight will come through the portal instead of a witch.

Glimmer Extraction

Available at several locations in the EDZ and on Nessus, Glimmer Extraction tasks you with stopping Fallen from mining every Guardian’s favorite shiny rock. The event can be completed by running around and taking out each Fallen enemy you encounter, but to trigger the Heroic event, you must refrain from being trigger happy. During each wave, a small contraption spawns right next to the drill. Destroy the machine first, then take out the Fallen. Do this three times, and the Heroic event will begin.

In the Heroic phase, your team must defend a large pile of Glimmer from the Fallen: Take out your enemies while standing in the designated position.

Taken Blight

A straightforward event that involves slaughtering large quantities of Taken, Taken Blight turns Heroic by taking out a set of large, floating orbs while using a special, easy-to-miss buff. Throughout the three waves, tall pillars encased in force fields surrounding a large floating Taken blob. Step into the force fields to earn Blight Receding status. To destroy the blight blob, step back out of the field quickly shoot the orb until the buff disappears. The Blight can only take damage when you have that buff. Rinse and repeat until the blob is defeated to turn the event Heroic. From there, take out the Blightmaker and rake in the rewards.

Injection Rig

In this event, the Cabal will drop a large injection rig. To start, you must take out three Infiltrator Psions. When they are defeated, vents emanating heat will appear in three spots around the rig. Three vents will open at the top, then three in the center, and finally one at the bottom. Destroy these vents to trigger the Heroic event. With the vents eliminated, a strong Centurion will spawn, signaling that the event has successfully triggered the Heroic event. While doing this, do not kill the Infiltrator Valus. If you do, the event will be completed sans Heroic. After the vents are destroyed, take out the Valus and the surrounding enemies to win the Heroic battle.

Disrupt Vex Construction

During the Vex Construction event, Vex funnel toward a sacrificial circle called the conflux. You must shoot them before they are able to complete their sacrifice. To trigger the Heroic event, you must capture three areas that surround the confluxes. The areas in question can be found by following the radiating white lines from the center of the conflux. A timer will count to 100 when capturing the areas. Once the three areas are captured, the Heroic event begins. To finish the event, take out the Hydra, a large, flying Vex.

This one is particularly challenging with fewer than three guardians, as splitting up to capture points helps you meet the conditions for triggering the Heroic event.

Ether Resupply

The Ether Resupply event involves taking out a giant Servitor, which happens to be a rather annoying bullet sponge. You may be tempted to concentrate all of your fire on the large foe, but to trigger the Heroic event, pay attention to the smaller Servitors that spawn throughout the event. Once you see one of the lesser foes, quickly direct your fire to them. They won’t be there long, but if you kill two of the smaller Servitors in two consecutive waves, the heroic event will trigger.

In the Heroic event, the large Servitor will become much stronger: Keep firing until it’s blasted to smithereens to complete the event.

Arsenal Walker — Weapons Exchange

The Arsenal Walker event simply asks you to take down one of these large mechanical beasts. But if you want the heroic version, you have to play a variant of capture-the-flag. Once the Walker falls down, it will drop arc charge orbs. Grab these orbs and carry them over to the shields surrounding the Walker to deposit them. You and your fellow Guardians will need to secure and drop-off six orbs in total — two for each shield — before the walker is defeated. When you do, a second walker drops onto the battlefield, and the Heroic event begins.

Vex Crossroads

Curse of Osiris‘ new public event, Vex Crossroads, pretty much asks you to complete it as you normally would before triggering the Heroic event. Mow down the Vex until the meter reaches 100 percent. When the gatekeepers arrive, pick your side, grab the charges, and place them at the gate. You will then be blasted through the air onto an island where you must destroy the Keeper of Ages. Afterward, instead of heading back, turn around to see a large floating crystal at the end of the island. Shoot the crystal to create a platform. Look for the next crystal and continue shooting and creating platforms until you wind up at the very top of the island. Stand on the center marker for a few moments to bring on the Heroic event.

With the new version triggered, you have to hunt down and kill Gatekeepers to lower the Gate Lord’s shield. Each time you kill a Gatekeeper, it will drop several keys (orbs). Take the orbs to the glowing launch pad to vault onto a circular platform to place the orbs. Fire away when the Gate Lord’s shields go down. You will have to repeat the process a few times, but keep going and the Gate Lord will fall.

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As promised, Google is killing off Chrome Apps everywhere but Chrome OS

If you’ve been using Chrome Apps to get your work done, then you’re going to need to rethink how you do things. Effective immediately, Google has made it a bit more difficult to find Chrome Apps in the Chrome Web Store in what is likely a huge hint from the search giant that you’ll want to start finding alternatives.

The news comes via Ars Technica, which noticed that the Chrome Apps option has been removed from the Chrome Web Store. Now, only Extensions and Themes remain, although Chrome Apps are still available via direct links — you’ll just no longer be able to search and browse for them as in the past.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

This move by Google isn’t a surprise. It announced the change more than a year ago, in a blog post that prompted developers to move away from Chrome Apps unless they’re happy developing for Chrome OS only. That platform will continue to support Chrome Apps into the future, along with Android apps. As Google indicated, the impact won’t be felt by too many Chrome users, as only 1 percent of them actively use Chrome-packaged apps, or those that are downloaded to a machine and are fully available offline.

According to Google, the future on PCs other than Chromebooks is Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). As Ars Technica describes them, PWAs combine WC3 standards to create app-like experiences that can work in any browser and on more platforms. Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, Firefox, and Opera, among others, currently support PWAs to one extent or another, and therefore provide more assurance of a consistent experience no matter which device you happen to use.

You’ll want to start migrating your workflow away from Chrome Apps as soon as you can, but never fear — the apps won’t stop working simply because Google has de-emphasized them in its Web Store. However, they’ll no longer be actively supported on any platform other than Chrome OS. Google plans to implement PWA desktop apps sometime in 2018, and there’s no word yet if it means to remove Chrome Apps from Chrome OS and bring its own platform in alignment with the rest of the industry.

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