Amazon Echo now streams Spotify and SiriusXM to multiple rooms

Amazon brought multiroom audio support to its Echo speakers a few months ago, but let’s face it: unless you’re a big fan of Amazon Music Unlimited, it hasn’t been very useful for on-demand streaming. That changes today. As promised, Amazon has added multiroom support for Spotify (oh, and SiriusXM) to let you play the tunes of your choice across more than one Echo at a time, including groups. You won’t have to stop listening to an album just because you’ve moved from the living room to the kitchen.

Multi-speaker Spotify streaming is only available in a handful of countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Ireland and Germany. SiriusXM, unsurprisingly, only gets this option in the US. This isn’t going to make you particularly happy if you’re in one of the countries that just got access to the Echo and doesn’t get multiroom audio, but it still takes Amazon’s speaker one step closer to becoming a true whole-home device.

Source: TechCrunch

Students solve a 60-year-old space radiation mystery

Earth’s Van Allen Belts are an area of energetic particles that surround our planet and are held in place thanks to Earth’s magnetic field. These radiation belts trap charged particles, protecting us from the effects of some of space’s most harmful radiation. There are still many mysteries we haven’t solved about the Van Allen Belts, but now, students at the University of Colorado Boulder have solved one that dates back 60 years.

The students uncovered the origin behind energetic particles that exist in the inner areas of Earth’s radiation belt. Scientists have long theorized that highly charged protons in these areas originated from cosmic ray albedo neutron decay (CRAND), which is what occurs when cosmic rays smash into neutrons in the Earth’s atmosphere. It results in charged particles, which become trapped in the Van Allen Belts. However, scientists did not extend this theory to cover the electrons on the inner edge of the belts.

Now, students have confirmed that CRAND is also responsible for the presence of highly charged electrons. It’s satisfying to have this mystery resolved, especially because these charged particles have a practical impact on space travel. They pose a hazard to both satellites and astronauts leaving the protective shell of the Earth’s magnetosphere to travel to the moon, Mars and beyond. Understanding where these particles come from can help us predict them.

But this discovery is also powerful because of the way it was made: by students through the use of CubeSats. CubeSats are small satellites, about the size of a loaf of bread or a shoebox. They are inexpensive to manufacture, and thanks to rocket startup companies like Vector and Rocket Lab, will soon be relatively cheap to launch as well. This particular satellite was funded through an NSF grant, and as space becomes increasingly accessible to high school and college students, you can bet that more discoveries like this are in our near future.

Electric eels might be the key to powering implantable devices

Science has been inspired by eels for aquatic exploration before, sure, and now researchers are eyeing electric eels for motivation. The idea is to create a flexible self-powering device that could keep the juice flowing through a pacemaker or an internal medicine-delivery tool, without the need for a traditional battery pack.

To do this, scientists from the Adolphe Merkele Institute, University of Fribourg and University of Michigan printed thousands of droplets of hydrogel on a sheet, alternating between drops of a saline solution and water. A second sheet with selective-charge hydrogel drops is layered on top of the first, creating electricity as the ions move in opposite directions.

To produce a jolt of energy on demand, the team applied pressure to sheets folded in a particular way that would make the droplets stack and generate current. The team knows it has a ways to go before fully mimicking what an eel can do, but the researchers have the basics down.

More than just power implantables for the aged, the team said that this tech could be used for things like AR contact lenses. There’s also the chance that in the future we could generate bioelectricity from other bodily functions.

Patreon nixes controversial fee increase amid backlash

Patreon CEO Jack Conte announced today that the modern-day patronage system will not be implementing the controversial fee changes that it announced last week. While the service will still work to fix the issues it was trying to correct with the addition of new service fees, it will do so with creator input in the future.

We took an in-depth look at why this change was bad for both creators and patrons. Patreon was previously proposing adding a 2.9 percent plus 35 cent fee per pledge. This was to cover a shift in the processing model, which would charge supporters each pledge individually, rather than once per month as a lump sum. It would disproportionately affect smaller pledges; many creators have already taken a hit as a result of the announcement.

Patreon is aware of this, and promises to work hard to earn back its users’ trust. Conte acknowledges that, in proposing this change, Patreon underestimated the value of small pledges, and that the team needs to build a better system that doesn’t punish people who pledge small amounts. Additionally, Patreon inserted itself into the creator/supporter business relationship, which was a mistake. While there are likely more changes in the future at Patreon, we can hope the service has learned from this experience and will take its users’ opinions into account before it rolls out modifications.

Source: Patreon

T-Mobile Announces Internet TV Service Coming in 2018

T-Mobile today announced that it will launch its own over-the-top TV service in 2018, which will be fueled in part through the acquisition of Layer3 TV. Details about the service are scarce, but T-Mobile CEO John Legere said that it will continue the company’s theme of being a “disruptive” solution to its rivals, this time in both the internet TV and paid cable markets.

Layer3 TV will help T-Mobile build the service, which is said to provide solutions to lengthy contracts, increasing monthly bill costs, confusing bundles, outdated user interfaces, and more. T-Mobile will fold in Layer3 TV’s current services and expand it to a wider audience. Right now this includes select TV channels, streaming online video content, and social media, but is only available in five U.S. cities.

Non-finalized demo of T-Mobile’s upcoming service via T-Mobile’s YouTube channel

“People love their TV, but they hate their TV providers. And worse, they have no real choice but to simply take it – the crappy customer service, clunky technology and outrageous bills loaded with fees! That’s where we come in. We’re gonna fix the pain points and bring real choice to consumers across the country,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “It only makes sense for the Un-carrier to do to TV what we’re doing to wireless: change it for good! Personally, I can’t wait to start fighting for consumers here!”

T-Mobile’s service will enter a busy streaming TV market, which currently includes DirecTV Now, Hulu with Live TV, PlayStation Vue, Sling TV, YouTube TV, and many more. Companies are even beginning to offer internet streaming bundles that focus on catering to specific audiences, like Philo, which is aimed at viewers not interested in sports channels and offers much cheaper monthly costs.

T-Mobile and Sprint almost merged recently, but the companies called off the merger in November because they were unable to find “mutually agreeable terms.” At the time, T-Mobile CEO John Legere said that while a deal with Sprint was a “compelling” idea, it would have needed to offer “significant benefits” for both consumers and shareholders.

Tag: T-Mobile
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Apple Releases iOS 11.2.1 Update With HomeKit Remote Sharing Fix

Apple today released iOS 11.2.1, the eighth official update to the iOS 11 operating system. iOS 11.2.1 comes a week and a half after the release of iOS 11.2, the second major update to the iOS 11 operating system, which brought Apple Pay Cash, faster 7.5W wireless charging, and a long list of bug fixes.

The iOS 11.2.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings –> General –> Software Update.

The iOS 11.2.1 update addresses bugs and issues that have been discovered since the release of iOS 11.2.

According to Apple’s release notes, the update re-enables remote access for shared users of the Home app. Apple broke remote access for shared users when implementing a fix for a major HomeKit vulnerability last week.

The HomeKit bug allowed unauthorized access to HomeKit accessories that included smart locks, and it was fixed server-side by Apple after it was made public. To address the issue immediately, Apple had to disable remote access for shared users, which the company said it would re-enable through an iOS update this week.

Following today’s update, the HomeKit vulnerability is fully patched and remote access for shared users has been reinstated.

For more on iOS 11 and its updates, make sure to check out our iOS 11 roundup.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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Apple Releases Minor tvOS 11.2.1 Update With HomeKit Fix

Apple today released a new update for tvOS 11, the operating system designed to run on the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TVs. tvOS 11.2.1 comes a little over one week after the release of the tvOS 11.2 update.

tvOS 11.2.1 can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System –> Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to the tvOS 11.2.1 automatically.

As a minor 11.x.x update tvOS 11.2.1 focuses on performance improvements and bug fixes to address issues that were discovered following the release of tvOS 11.2. The update, released alongside iOS 11.2.1, likely re-enables remote access for shared users of the Home app.

Apple disabled remote access for shared users when implementing a server-side fix for a major HomeKit vulnerability last week. Apple at the time said remote access would be re-enabled this week through software updates.

Following today’s tvOS 11.2.1 update, the HomeKit vulnerability is fully patched and remote access for shared users has been reinstated.

Related Roundup: Apple TVBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
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Free up storage and keep your media organized with Google’s Files Go app

Our smartphones hold a ton of our personal data, from photos and videos to contacts and documents — storage can fill up quickly. If you don’t have the time or know-how to sort through your internal storage to make more space, Google wants to help with its latest Files Go app.

Here’s how you can use the file management app to easily free up space on your device, find files, and share them with others even when you’re offline.

How to access your storage and files

Files Go is separated into two different sections: Storage and Files. Tapping on the icons at the bottom will easily allow you to switch back and forth between menus.

How to manage your storage

At the top of the storage section, you’ll see how many gigabytes are being used on your device out of the amount available. Scrolling down, you’ll see cards offering up tips and tools to help free up space. Files Go will detect duplicate files, recommend uninstalling unused apps, recommend deleting app cache, as well as large files. Underneath each card is the amount of megabytes (or gigabytes) you can free up if you delete the suggested content. The more you use the app, the smarter the Files Go recommendations will become over time.

By following the advice of these cards, you’ll receive a pop-up letting you know how much extra space you freed up. If you you have an SD card inserted into your phone, Files Go can also transfer files straight to the card from the app.

How to view and manage your files

The Files menu is where you can keep track of all of the media on your device. Since the files are separated into filters — downloads, received files, documents, and all other media — you won’t have to search your entire phone for something specific. Tapping on each category individually, pulls up all the content under that filter. You can delete, share, and uninstall specific content while in Files Go. In this section, you can also back files up to Google Drive or another cloud storage app.

How to transfer files offline

If someone else has the app as well, Files Go allows you to securely transfer and receive files without an internet connection. The process works the same as Android Beam, except you don’t need to bump devices together to send a file. It’s more similar to Apple’s AirDrop in that regard. Using near-field communication (NFC) and Bluetooth, you can send your videos, photos, apps, or documents when the devices are next to each other.

You can find the feature under the Files section, located towards the bottom. Once you tap Send, you’ll have to wait until the recipient opens the app on their device and hits Receive. A list will appear of people nearby, asking to choose with whom you’d like to connect. A window will appear prompting them to accept your connection.

When connected, you can send over your desired files which will automatically save to the other person’s device. All of your media will be available to you within the app once the devices are paired. At the top, you can tap through the different sections of content along with your received files as well. To end file transferring, simply tap the arrow on the top left-hand corner and select Disconnect.

How to customize settings

With Files Go, you can customize your settings to receive alerts and reminders about your storage and files. To access your settings, tap the triple-dot icon in the right-hand corner. You can toggle on and off whether you want to receive reminders when your storage is full, get alerts for unused apps, or when any files — downloaded, large media, duplicate — is taking up space. It’s also where you can edit up your display name, which shows up when you transfer files, if needed.

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Want to build a better world? Google’s 2017 Year in Search shows us ‘how’

“How” is the theme of Google’s 2017 Year in Search video, the search giant’s annual breakdown of the year’s search trends. It’s a video that celebrates humanity’s constant need to question, to discover, and to help.

But given so much of what’s happened this year, the video doesn’t begin on such an optimistic tone. The Californian wildfires, the troubles with North Korea, the devastation wrought by hurricanes … the video starts by highlighting searches that probed the year’s disruptions — how do hurricanes begin? How far can North Korean missiles reach? How many refugees are there in the world? Google’s search trends have always shown our fears and our need to better understand the world.

But the video’s tone shifts as the music changes from its initial foreboding drumbeat. Instead of questions about natural disasters, or international politics, the searches become questions with more concrete answers. From questions on how to board up your house during a hurricane, or how to calm a dog during a storm, the queries move on to more positive messages of hope. “How to help flood victims” isn’t just a search query — it’s an unspoken pledge of assistance. It’s a rallying cry that no matter how hard things get, we will always band together as a group to help, to support, and to rebuild.

It was also a year of change — social, political, and personal, and the video includes scenes from protests around the world, of newly elected political leaders, and the #metoo phenomenon. Google’s video reminds us the world is constantly changing, and that change can be for the better if we’re willing to go out there and effect it ourselves.

Google has separated the searches of the year into specific categories, which you can view over on their Trends section. It’s no surprise that the big events of the year are present in the search trends. Hurricane Irma sits high on overall searches, while the sexual harassment scandals from the year dominate the searches for people and actors — though Meghan Markle’s engagement to the U.K.’s Prince Harry puts her high on both lists.

The “how to” section of the search results reveals the resurgence of “slime,” with millions searching how to make the goopy substance, while the solar eclipse takes up two slots, with questions on how to view it, and how to make eclipse glasses. In tech, the iPhone 8 and iPhone X were unsurprisingly top of the list, with the Nintendo Switch and the Galaxy S8 following.

The categories are numerous, with some more serious than others. You can check out the full list on Google’s trends website, and see how Google’s Simon Rogers breaks down the data in Google’s blog.

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Want to build a better world? Google’s 2017 Year in Search shows us ‘how’

“How” is the theme of Google’s 2017 Year in Search video, the search giant’s annual breakdown of the year’s search trends. It’s a video that celebrates humanity’s constant need to question, to discover, and to help.

But given so much of what’s happened this year, the video doesn’t begin on such an optimistic tone. The Californian wildfires, the troubles with North Korea, the devastation wrought by hurricanes … the video starts by highlighting searches that probed the year’s disruptions — how do hurricanes begin? How far can North Korean missiles reach? How many refugees are there in the world? Google’s search trends have always shown our fears and our need to better understand the world.

But the video’s tone shifts as the music changes from its initial foreboding drumbeat. Instead of questions about natural disasters, or international politics, the searches become questions with more concrete answers. From questions on how to board up your house during a hurricane, or how to calm a dog during a storm, the queries move on to more positive messages of hope. “How to help flood victims” isn’t just a search query — it’s an unspoken pledge of assistance. It’s a rallying cry that no matter how hard things get, we will always band together as a group to help, to support, and to rebuild.

It was also a year of change — social, political, and personal, and the video includes scenes from protests around the world, of newly elected political leaders, and the #metoo phenomenon. Google’s video reminds us the world is constantly changing, and that change can be for the better if we’re willing to go out there and effect it ourselves.

Google has separated the searches of the year into specific categories, which you can view over on their Trends section. It’s no surprise that the big events of the year are present in the search trends. Hurricane Irma sits high on overall searches, while the sexual harassment scandals from the year dominate the searches for people and actors — though Meghan Markle’s engagement to the U.K.’s Prince Harry puts her high on both lists.

The “how to” section of the search results reveals the resurgence of “slime,” with millions searching how to make the goopy substance, while the solar eclipse takes up two slots, with questions on how to view it, and how to make eclipse glasses. In tech, the iPhone 8 and iPhone X were unsurprisingly top of the list, with the Nintendo Switch and the Galaxy S8 following.

The categories are numerous, with some more serious than others. You can check out the full list on Google’s trends website, and see how Google’s Simon Rogers breaks down the data in Google’s blog.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Here’s how to easily navigate the redesigned App Store in iOS 11
• Not interested in the iPhone X? You’ve got plenty of other options
• International Women’s Day is Facebook’s most-discussed topic in 2017
• Weekly Rewind: Bill Gates’ smart city, a robo pillow, our Black Friday favorites
• How Ubisoft excavated ancient Egypt for ‘Assassin’s Creed Origins’ rich environment