Workouts++ 2.0 Brings Apple Watch Podcast Playback, Siri Integration, Location Tracking, and More

Free third-party fitness app Workouts++ got its 2.0 release on Tuesday, bringing a wealth of new features and improvements to the software, almost a year after its debut on iOS and Apple Watch.

Users looking for an alternative to the native watchOS Workout app should find plenty to pique their interest in this update, which makes the most of new APIs available since the release of watchOS 4 and features a redesigned workout configuration system.

Highlights include the ability to download podcasts to Apple Watch for playback during workouts, support for LTE streaming, GPS tracking and mapping, as well as Siri integration and a plethora of watch display customization options.

The app also gains support for swimming and the display of VO2 Max values, additional stopwatch, elevation, average pace/speed and activity ring metrics for display during workouts, distance and duration alerts, plus a workout recovery feature in the event that the device’s battery runs out during exercise.

Workouts++ is a free download for iPhone from the App Store.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4Tag: health and fitnessBuyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
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Apple to Invest $390 Million in Finisar, US Maker of iPhone X TrueDepth Camera Lasers

Apple announced on Wednesday its plans to invest $390 million in Finisar Corp, which supplies components for the vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL) found in the iPhone X True Depth camera.

The investment will be used to build a plant in Texas to make more of the chips, and will be financed by Apple’s $1 billion Advanced Manufacturing Fund, which the company created earlier this year to foster innovation and create jobs in the U.S.

“VCSELs power some of the most sophisticated technology we’ve ever developed and we’re thrilled to partner with Finisar over the next several years to push the boundaries of VCSEL technology and the applications they enable,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “Technology is only as good as the people behind it, and Finisar is a company with a long history of putting its employees first and supporting the community it’s a part of. We’re extremely proud that our involvement will help transform another American community into a manufacturing powerhouse.”

According to Apple’s statement, the award will enable Finisar to exponentially increase its R&D spending and high-volume production of VCSELs, which power some of the iPhone’s X flagship features, such Face ID, Animoji and Portrait mode selfies, as well as the proximity-sensing capabilities of AirPods.

“We’re excited to continue our innovation with Apple of a technology that has tremendous potential,” said Jerry S. Rawls, CEO of Finisar. “When you combine our proven ability to consistently manufacture exceptional products with our new state-of-the-art Sherman facility, we’re confident we can achieve our shared goal of providing consumers with incredibly exciting features. Finisar has always been keenly aware it takes great people to power our work and that’s why we’re thrilled to be adding Sherman to our family.”

Several reports in the months running up to the launch of the iPhone X suggested Apple initially struggled to ensure the TrueDepth camera’s components could be produced in large enough quantities to meet demand. The delicacy involved in producing the VCSEL lasers was said to be one of the reasons behind the supply constraints, so today’s news should ensure future production can be ramped up more easily if and when required.

Apple is reportedly working on a new high-end 2018 iPad that will adopt many of the design elements from the revamped iPhone X, including built-in support for Face ID. The new tablet device, which is likely to be a “Pro” model, will reportedly do away with the Home button.

A rumor last month from Apple’s supply chain has also suggested future iterations of the HomePod could come with 3D-sensing cameras to support Face ID. Meanwhile, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said Apple’s Face ID technology is years ahead of similar facial recognition techniques from Android smartphone makers, and the company’s rivals are struggling to catch up.

The first and only other time Apple has dipped into its Advanced Manufacturing Fund was in May, when it announced a $200 million investment in Corning, which manufactures the glass used in iPhones and other Apple products.

Related Roundup: iPhone XTag: Advanced Manufacturing FundBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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Oops! Uber charged a rider more than $14,000 for a 20-minute journey

It’s fair to say that 2017 has been something of an annus horribilis for Uber.

From damaging employee allegations and rider protests to accusations of “calculated theft” and a battle to retain its license in one of its biggest markets — not to mention a massive data breach cover-up and the ousting of its founder Travis Kalanick as CEO — 2017 will be a year to forget for the ridesharing giant.

With just a couple of weeks left to run, Uber may have been hoping to keep a low profile for the rest of this year, but it’s not to be.

An embarrassing hiccup with its fare system may not be its biggest disaster of the last 12 months, but for one rider it was nevertheless an alarming experience.

Toronto-based Hisham Salama recently took a 5-mile ride that lasted around 20 minutes, a journey for which you’d normally expect to pay around $10. However, Uber charged an eye-watering C$18,518.50 (about $14,400).

In what appeared to be surge pricing gone nuts, Salama told Vice that upon learning of the exorbitant fare, his initial reaction was “to just laugh, because I thought it was probably just an error.”

But 20 minutes later, he decided to check his credit card “to make sure everything was OK.” It wasn’t.

More alarmingly, an Uber customer service representative told Salama that based on the ride data, the fare was correct.

@Uber @Uber_Support what turned out to be an honest mistake is now turning into the biggest blunder of 2017. I’m no longer laughing at wondering when #uber will get their act together. Can anyone help? Obviously, no 20 min fare is $18,500. pic.twitter.com/zBhtMSBy67

— Hisham Salama (@The_Hish) December 9, 2017

The absurd feedback from Uber prompted Salama to share the bizarre story on social media, which eventually led to him receiving a full refund. The resolution of course came as a big relief, but Salama was concerned about the initial response and how much effort it took to settle the issue.

In a statement to Slate, Uber finally admitted there had been a mistake. “There was an error here and it has been resolved,” a spokesperson said. “We have provided a full refund to this rider and apologized to him for this experience. We have safeguards in place to help prevent something like this from happening, and we are working to understand how this occurred.”

A slightly clearer explanation about what happened came from the Canadian Press: “Uber says the ride in question took place in a traditional taxi cab signed up to the ridehailing service — an option available to customers in Toronto — and that the driver made a mistake when entering the details of the fare into his cab’s meter.”

If nothing else, the story is a useful reminder to periodically check your bank and credit card records to ensure there are no weird shenanigans taking place without you realizing.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Uber vs. Lyft: This is the ultimate ridesharing app showdown
• Rideshare wars: Lyft takes on Uber in Toronto in first battle outside of U.S.
• How does Uber work? Here’s how the app lets you ride, drive, or both
• Uber could be out of London soon after losing its license there
• If you don’t mind walking a bit, here’s how to save money on Uber

Google’s year in search finds people ready to take action

It’s been a heck of a year. And as 2017 draws to a close, a bunch of web giants are on hand to remind us of what we got up to on their services. Twitter had us raging, Facebook saw us praying for victims of tragedies, and now Google (the biggest of the three) is sharing its year in search. The top spot in the US and worldwide was reserved for Hurricane Irma. The same went for Google news trends in the US, which were dominated by natural disasters, including Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Jose, and Hurricane Maria, with the looming threat of North Korea and the tragic mass shooting in Las Vegas making the top ten as well.

Although, it’s difficult to chalk 2017 up as anything other than a lousy year, we can find some solace in the well-meaning “how” queries sent Google’s way. Aside from an increase in political mobilization (as evidenced in the popularity of “how to make a protest sign?”), we were asking “how to help?” more than ever. Spurred by natural disasters (like the California wildfires), people also looked for ways to help out within local communities by asking how to become firefighters, paramedics, social workers, and activists. “In these moments and others, our collective humanity shined,” remarked Google.

The company itself marked the year by fully embracing hardware, but (judging by its trends) the Pixel 2 wasn’t the handset search users were anticipating the most. That honor went to Apple’s iPhone 8 and iPhone X, which came in at second and third place respectively on global search results. Staying on the tech side of things, Bitcoin was also in the mix, as people kept pace with its volatile price surges (while hopefully refraining from splashing their savings on the digital currency).

When it came to celebs, the news cycle had us furiously looking up Matt Lauer and other men on the end of sexual misconduct allegations. Harvey Weinstein, on the other hand, whose outing at the hands of a New York Times expose opened the sexual harassment floodgates, wound up at number three. Kevin Spacey and Bill O’ Reilly also made the cut. Meanwhile, soon-to-be princess Meghan Markle landed in second place and Gal Gadot just cracked the top ten.

Elsewhere, in a grab bag of top US and global searches, we commemorated rock legends Tom Petty and Chester Bennington, gawked at Mayweather vs McGregor, binged Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, sought out the solar eclipse, and googled fidget spinners (bet you’re not doing that anymore).

Source: Google

Frank Ocean has his own ‘GTA V’ radio station

Tired of the same tunes on GTA V? Frank Ocean is here to help. The insanely talented musician, who already has his own Beats 1 show, is now getting a Los Santos radio station to boot, courtesy of the Doomsday Heist update.

Tune into Blonded Los Santos 97.8 FM and you’ll hear DJs Vegyn, Roof Access, and Federico Aliprandi spinning bangers from Migos, Future, Schoolboy Q, and Lil’ Uzi Vert. Meanwhile, the eclectic cuts include tunes from Burial, Aphex Twin, and Panda Bear. Alongside six of Ocean’s own jams, classics from Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield round out the playlist.

Ocean took to his Tumblr to tease the station, which sees him join the pantheon of GTA V DJs, such as Flying Lotus, yacht rock god Kenny Loggins, and Big Boy from Outkast.

Via: Pitchfork

Source: Frank Ocean (Tumblr)

The drone database is back, and most owners must register their details

Millions of Americans will be unwrapping a new drone this Christmas, but before they fly it, there’s something that needs to be done.

Registration.

That’s right, following a pause in mandatory registration for much of this year over a legal issue, new drone owners must now submit their details to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) if they haven’t already done so.

It’s the result of a tiny segment of text in the National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law by President Trump on Tuesday, which describes the “restoration of rules” for the registration of unmanned aerial vehicles.

The FAA says it “welcomes the reinstatement of registration rules for all small unmanned aircraft” as a way of helping to encourage safe and responsible drone flights.

Registration with the FAA involves providing your name, home address, and email address. You’ll then receive a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership and a unique ID number on a sticker to affix to your aircraft. That way, if you do something dodgy with your drone and the authorities seize it, they can seize you, too.

The drone registry launched at the tail end of 2015, forcing anyone with a machine weighing between 0.55 pounds and 55 pounds (in other words, pretty much all consumer drones) to register it with the Federal Aviation Administration for a fee of $5.

Around a million drone owners went through the process until in May, 2017, a U.S. appeals court affirmed an earlier lower court ruling that stated the policy was in violation of a preexisting law banning regulation of model aircraft. That meant drone owners no longer had to register their machine, though the FAA urged them to do so on a voluntary basis.

When May’s court ruling was given, some in the industry lamented the hit to the registration scheme. Speaking to Recode, DJI policy head Brendan Schulman described the FAA’s approach to drone registration as “innovative” and “very reasonable,” adding that the system “provides for accountability and education to drone pilots.”

So once again, drone owners are required to register their remotely controlled flying machines with the FAA. And yes, this also goes for owners of DJI’s diminutive Spark drone (pictured above) which weighs a mere 0.66 pounds, or 300 grams. You can do so online by visiting the FAA’s registration page. According to the FAA’s website, “You will be subject to civil and criminal penalties if you meet the criteria to register an unmanned aircraft and do not register.”

If you’re one of the many people receiving a new drone this holiday season, you might also want to check out the FAA’s apps for safe flying, called B4UFLY, for iOS and Android, as well as its useful informational video.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Drones can help when disaster strikes, but only when they’re allowed to
• Hobby drones are hampering wildfire air crews in California
• A Phantom 4 drone hit a helicopter over New York and the drone came out worse
• Drone-owning Brits face clampdown as government moves to make skies safer
• Planning to make a drone video of the Statue of Liberty? You’d better hurry

Tidal may only have enough cash left to last six months

Music streaming service Tidal is facing both money and user growth woes, according to Norway’s Dagens Næringsliv. After reportedly losing roughly NOK$368 million ($44 million dollars) before taxes in 2016, Tidal is now left with just enough cash to last six months. This despite Sprint buying a 33 percent stake in Jay-Z’s streaming service in January. The $200 million deal, which included a reported $75 million fund for exclusive content, should’ve given Tidal “sufficient working capital for the next 12-18 months,” said Jay Z’s business partner and Roc Nation Sports president Juan Perez (via DN).

“We have experienced negative stories about Tidal since its inception and we have done nothing but grow the business each year,” a spokesperson for Tidal told Engadget. The company reportedly claims it will break even soon, before achieving profitability in mid-2018.

The statement sounds like a stab at DN’s report disputing Jay-Z’s updates on Tidal’s subscriber numbers just days before Sprint’s investment. In September 2015, Jay-Z tweeted that Tidal had hit the 1 million member milestone, but the newspaper claimed internal payments to record labels revealed it to be closer to 350,000. Around six months later he claimed it had reached the 3 million member mark, whereas the number was 850,000. Meanwhile, Tidal had internally circulated a figure of 1.2 million subscribers. Since then, the company has kept quiet about user numbers.

Even judging it by its own accounts, it’s still still trailing rivals Spotify (which announced more than 60 million subscribers as of July) and Apple Music (30 million as of September).

Source: Dagens Næringsliv

Blue Origin tests Crew Capsule 2.0 with ‘biggest windows in space’

Jeff Bezos’ rocket company isn’t quite ready for space tourism, but today’s test flight gets it a bit closer. Bezos tweeted that for the first time, Blue Origin has tested version 2.0 of its Crew Capsule, and while he didn’t mention how luxurious the test unit is, it does feature “the largest windows in space.” Measuring at 2.4 feet wide and 3.6 feet high, they gave the test dummy a great view from 322,405 feet above ground level.

#NewShepard had a successful first flight of Crew Capsule 2.0 today. Complete with windows and our instrumented test dummy. He had a great ride. @BlueOrigin pic.twitter.com/PZHXWXjuw9

— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) December 13, 2017

Source: Jeff Bezos (Twitter)

EA and the CW team up for a ‘Madden NFL’ eSports special

Sure, Madden NFL is a massively popular video game series that began in 1993 as John Madden Football, but it has never really broken through to the mainstream. The franchise has been making inroads to the eSports space over the last couple of years, though, with a live broadcast last year on ESPN 2. Now the CW is set to air a one-hour primetime special, co-produced by EA and NFL Films called the EA Madden NFL 18 Challenge. The mouthful of a title will air December 27th of this year.

According to Variety, the special will focus on eight eSPorts players participating in the Madden NFL competition in LA, with a reality TV show style, like Survivor. That way, you won’t have to sit through an entire hour of play-by-play game footage, thank heavens. The actual 2018 Madden Challenge will take place December 18th through 22nd on various livestream platforms, says Variety, which enables the producers edit the footage for the final show.

“Television is a very different audience and medium than our digital channels,” said EA’s Todd Sitrin in a statement. “In the past we’ve always presented eSports a traditional sporting event, but on TV we really need to move toward an entertainment focus – to highlight the players, who are the real stars.”

Source: Variety

Things 3.3 Update Brings New ‘Mail to Things’ Feature to the To-Do App

Popular to-do app Things reached version 3.3 today and gained a new feature that enables users to generate to-dos from anywhere by sending an email to their Things Cloud account.

Previously, Things offered four ways to add to-dos: Quick Entry, Siri, 3D Touch, and the Add to Things extension. However, the limitation of these methods is that they’re only available from within the Apple ecosystem. To make the process of adding tasks more accessible and convenient, Mail to Things allows users to send emails to a special private address, which automatically converts them into to-dos and adds them to their Things task list.

The Mail to Things feature basically lets users add a “Quick Entry” when they’re using other platforms, such as their Windows PC at work, or an Android phone. It also gives them the option of sharing their @things.email address with a partner or colleague for delegating to-dos.

To enable the new feature on the Things mobile app, open Settings, located at the bottom of the interface, and toggle on the Mail to Things option, after which a private @things.email address will be generated. The same option can be found on macOS within Things’ preference pane.

Emails sent to the address are converted into to-dos and placed into the user’s Inbox in Things. The main rule to remember when sending messages to the Things Cloud is that the email’s subject becomes the to-do’s title, and the rest goes into the notes. (At present, there’s no way to set tags or any other metadata via email.)

A few other things are worth noting. If an email is longer than 2,000 characters, it will be truncated by Things. Also, the app only supports plain text, so any formatting in emails will be lost. Lastly, file attachments are not supported and will be ignored.

In addition to the feature’s basic functionality, Mail to Things also creates new opportunities for workflows that involve sending emails. With apps and services such as Workflow, IFTTT, and Zapier, users can build workflows that create to-dos automatically. A few examples using Workflow include sending to-dos to Things, copying the clipboard to Things, and dictating to Things.

Things 3 can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $49.99 and from the iOS App Store. The iPad version is priced at $19.99 [Direct Link] while the iPhone version (which includes Apple watch support) is priced at $9.99. [Direct Link] A 15-day trial of Things for Mac is available on the Cultured Code website.
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