2017 year in review: Good riddance!

2017 has been a long year. From incessant breaking news alerts to the collapse of net neutrality to a string of natural disasters, we are all very tired. Though it’s worth revisiting why this was a momentous twelve months in science and tech, we’d much rather look ahead to the new year. Over the next two weeks, we’ll be looking back on the year that was, and sharing our hopes and predictions for 2018. Join us as we place our bets on AI, algorithms, social media regulations, green tech, streaming services, robotics, self-driving cars and even space taxis. And, of course, since we’re Engadget, you can expect to hear about the upcoming products and games we’re most excited about.

We have more than 15 stories coming between now and December 31st. Let’s all shake off 2017 and usher in what we hope will be a better year.

Check out all of Engadget’s year-in-review coverage right here.

Twitter starts enforcing tougher anti-hate rules

Twitter is about to crack down on hate speech in a big way… probably. As it marked on its safety calendar, the social network is now enforcing its recently updated polices on abuse and hate. From today on, Twitter says it will take action against people that use hateful imagery and language in their profiles, condone (or glorify) violence or participate in groups that promote violence against civilians — including through their actions outside of Twitter. The site may only ask users to delete individual tweets if they run afoul of the rules, but repeated offensive tweets or a hateful profile will lead to a permanent ban.

The company hasn’t explicitly singled out neo-Nazis and other racists with the rules, but there’s no question that they’re they ones most likely to be affected by the enforcement. The tougher policies were ultimately prompted by rising concerns that Twitter was enabling violent hate groups, including those behind the deadly Charlottesville march. And many of the potential targets know it. As Recode noted, far-right users are bracing themselves for a “purge.”

Will this seriously disrupt hatemongers and abusers? Not necessarily. As we’ve seen before, these elements tend to retreat to “safe” alternatives like the Dark Web or an anything-goes social site like Gab. If Twitter enforces the rules consistently (which has been a problem), though, it could further isolate these groups and prevent them from harassing and threatening everyday users. It might also reduce complaints that Twitter is doing seemingly everything but removing the corrosive users that drive people away.

Via: Recode

Source: Twitter Blog

There’s a fake version of ‘Cuphead’ on the App Store

Xbox’s retro-inspired Cuphead is on the App Store. There’s just one problem: it’s a fake. While the iTunes preview page looks legit, the game isn’t actually an official project from designer Studio MDHR. A quick whois search reveals that the phoney website is hosted in Hungary and that registered owner, Sheridens LTD. has done this sort of thing before with an unofficial mobile port of melee brawler Gang Beasts. In fact, the fake Studio MDHR website was set up less than two months ago.

No one’s stopping you from downloading Cuphead to your iPad or iPhone, of course, just know that it’s probably not going to be a great experience. This version uses on-screen controls for things like moving and shooting, which isn’t exactly ideal. We’ve reached out for more information and will update this post should it arrive. For now, be warned that despite what the store page says, this isn’t an official port of one of Xbox’s best games.

There is a Cuphead imposter app on the iOS store — this is a scam. We are working on removing the fraudulent app ASAP!

— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) December 18, 2017

Source: iTunes, Whois

Best Buy Doorbuster Event Day 18: Apple Watch Series 2 Stainless Steel Models Starting at $349

Today marks the 18th day of Best Buy’s 20 Days of Doorbusters holiday shopping event, and brings with it a $200 discount on the original price of the higher-end, stainless steel models of last year’s Apple Watch Series 2. While stainless steel cases were occasionally marked down this season, aluminum models tend to get the heaviest discounts, so Best Buy’s sale prices are definitely a good opportunity for anyone who’s been looking for a non-Sport Apple Watch and who doesn’t mind owning a previous generation device.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The models appear to be selling fast, with some requiring you to find a nearby store for stock since they are sold out online. The full list of Series 2 models on sale is below:

• 42mm Stainless Steel Case and White Sport Band – $349.00, down from $549.00
• 42mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case and Space Black Sport Band – $349.00, down from $549.00
• 38mm Stainless Steel Case and Milanese Loop Band – $399.00, down from $599.00
• 42mm Stainless Steel Case and Milanese Loop Band – $449.00, down from $649.00
• 38mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case and Space Black Milanese Loop Band – $449.00, down from $649.00
• 42mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case and Space Black Milanese Loop Band – $499.00, down from $699.00
• 38mm White Ceramic Case and White Sport Band – $949.00, down from $1,149.00

Although not part of the Doorbuster event, Best Buy also has $50 off the aluminum Series 1 models this week, knocking down 38mm to $199.00 and 42mm to $229.00. Right now, Target is beating those prices with 38mm at $179.99 and 42mm at $209.99 while supplies last. Additionally, Best Buy has savings of up to $150 on select MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and 12-inch MacBook devices.

For those interested, the headlining Doorbuster item today are the Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones, priced at $149.99, down from $279.99.

Anyone looking for deals on Mac software might be interested in a 20 percent off sale on Affinity’s creative apps Affinity Photo (Mac, iPad, and Windows) and Affinity Designer (Mac and Windows). Developer Serif announced today that this discount will run through January 5 for all versions of its apps on Mac, iOS, and Windows PC.

The price brings the desktop apps to $39.99, down from $49.99, while Affinity Photo on iPad is getting an extra 25 percent discount and will run for $14.99 from the iOS App Store during the sale [Direct Link]. Here is a quick description of each app from Serif:

Affinity Photo, available on Mac, Windows and iPad, pushes the boundaries for photo editing software. Its huge toolset is specifically engineered with creative and photography professionals in mind. Whether you are editing and retouching images, or importing RAW files and creating expansive multi-layered compositions with hundreds of layers, it has all the power and performance you will ever need. The iOS version was this month named App of the Year by Apple.

Affinity Designer, on Mac and Windows, is a complete vector graphic design solution brought to life in the fastest, smoothest, most precise software around. Each feature, tool, panel and function has been developed with the needs of creative professionals at its heart. With continuous innovation and development, the result is a ground-breaking application that will revolutionise how you work.

For those keeping an eye on Best Buy’s sale as it winds down this week, tomorrow will see a discount on MacBook and on the last day the retailer will mark down a big-screen smart 4K TV. Make sure to head over to our full Deals Roundup to stay updated on these sales and more as the holiday shopping season continues.

Related Roundup: Apple DealsTag: Best Buy
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Huawei’s MediaPad M5 may arrive at CES 2018 to remind you tablets still exist

We don’t expect Huawei to bring the rumored Huawei P11 smartphone to CES 2018, so what will the company reveal at the show? One possible new device is the MediaPad M5, a high-spec Android tablet that may supersede the MediaPad M3 released in 2016. We were big fans of the MediaPad M3, and although tablets really aren’t as popular as they once were, we have high hopes this will be a good one. Here’s everything we think we know about the Huawei MediaPad M5.

Name, price, and release details

If the last major Huawei tablet release was the MediaPad M3, why isn’t the next going to be the MediaPad M4? It’s possible Huawei will skip the MediaPad M4 — the number 4 is often associated with bad luck in China — and go straight to the MediaPad M5. A Bluetooth filing certainly backs this up, linking the model numbers SHT-W09 and SHT-AL09 with the MediaPad M5, after the tablets passed through its qualification labs in December.

Huawei launched the MediaPad M3 at IFA 2016, and with CES 2018 the next major technology show on the horizon, it’s possible the M5 will be one of Huawei’s brand new products revealed there. The MediaPad M3 was 350 euros upon release, a price that may be matched or improved upon for the MediaPad M5.

Specification

To replace the MediaPad M3, the rumored MediaPad M5 will need to have a strong specification. When the tablet passed through the Bluetooth qualification process — where it was actually labeled as a smartphone — we were given a good idea of what to expect. The screen size is likely to be 8.4-inches, the same as the MediaPad M3, with a 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution.

Android 8.0 Oreo is expected to run on the MediaPad M5, according to a data spotted on a website log, where the SHT-AL09 version of the M5 was apparently being tested. If Android 8.0 is installed, there is a good chance Huawei’s own EMUI 8.0 or EMUI 5.1 user interface will be in place over the top. We’ve seen and enjoyed using the updated EMUI 8.0 on the Huawei Mate 10 Pro smartphone.

The Bluetooth certification also states the Kirin 960 processor will power the tablet, and therefore won’t come with the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that’s part of the Kirin 970 chip fitted to the Mate 10 Pro. Details on RAM, memory, cameras, and connectivity are unknown, along with the battery size.

We’ll keep you updated regarding the MediaPad M5 right here, as more news arrives.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Honor View 10 versus Huawei Mate 10 Pro: A battle of David and Goliath
• Huawei Mate 10 Pro vs. Google Pixel 2 XL: Can Huawei top the Android powerhouse?
• Huawei Mate 10 Pro vs. LG V30: Can Huawei’s A.I. beat LG’s edge-to-edge screen?
• Huawei Mate 10 vs. Mate 10 Pro: Battle to be your new best mate
• Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are here — with some strange differences

Nova Launcher Prime’s on sale in pretty much every region of Google Play

Christmas has come early for Nova Launcher users.

Nova Launcher is one of the best launchers on the market, and it just turned six years old. Nova Launcher has a better implementation of Android Oreo’s features than almost any other launcher, including Google’s Pixel Launcher, and its theming prowess is unmatched. Whether you’re looking for a launcher that you can set and forget or a launcher you want to tweak every day, Nova Launcher is for you, and it is on sale with its lowest price of the year.

Nova Launcher is on sale for 99 cents in the United States, and in every other region of Google Play where Nova Launcher is available, the app is on sale for “the cheapest possible price”. We’re not quite certain what that amounts to for every country and market, but you’ll probably want to give it a look.

Nova Launcher’s free features are stellar, but you gain a few more perks as a Prime member, chief among them being home screen gestures. Gestures are a wonderful bit of Android magic, allowing you to hide shortcuts to your favorite apps and actions in easy-to-use gestures, such a double-tapping your home screen to put your phone to sleep. Nova Launcher Prime gets discounts every now and then, but getting Prime for less than a dollar is rare, so if you haven’t taken the plunge yet, now is the time!

Nova Launcher Prime

Huawei P20: Rumors, specs, availability and more!

Whatever name it carries, the successor to the Huawei P10 should be a fascinating device.

Huawei, like many other big names in mobile, has a predictable cadence to its flagship smartphone launches. The new technology gets showcased first in the Mate series in the fall, usually paired with an updated version of EMUI, running the very latest Android build. That technological base is then further refined for the P series the following spring.

That gives us a rough idea of what to expect from the Huawei P20 (or P11, though our money’s on the former), which we’re expecting to see in early 2018. And, of course, the usual flurry of leaks that accompany any big phone launch have helped to fill in some of the gaps.

Here’s what we know so far:

The name: Huawei P20

Huawei trademarked the “P20” monicker earlier in 2017, and at least one source familiar with the company’s plans has suggested that this is indeed the name for the next Huawei flagship. P20 is a rounder number than 11, with fewer syllables (in English, anyway). And the jump from 10 to 20 would also underscore the significant tech upgrades coming in this new phone, such as the rumored triple-camera setup and bezelless display.

It’s also reasonable to expect Huawei, for the third year running, to offer the P-series flagship in two sizes, so expect a P20 and P20 Plus.

The hardware: Same core platform as the Mate 10

Expect Huawei’s Kirin 970 chip to return, complete with Neural Processing Unit, and possibly an upgrade to Android 8.1 on the software side. (Given Huawei’s newfound alignment with Android’s version numbers, this might mean we jump to EMUI 8.1.)

Android 8.1 is important for Huawei because it’ll allow third-party apps to unlock the power of the NPU through Android’s own neural networking APIs — APIs which aren’t present in the older version 8.0.

Besides that, expect the same core feature set we saw in the Mate 10’s software, only in a more compact handset. With one major exception.

Three cameras?

Huawei’s Leica-engineered cameras have finally started to hit their stride, with the latest iteration in the Mate 10 going toe-to-toe with the Google Pixel 2. The Huawei P20 series could take things even further, if one usually reliable leaker is to be believed.

Evan Blass managed to dig up images from “a digital artist at one of [Huawei’s] creative agencies,” pointing to a whopping 40-megapixel resolution from a triple-lens rear camera setup, offering 5X hybrid zoom (compared to the Mate 10’s 20MP + 2X hybrid zoom.) That’d be combined, if the images are accurate, with a 24-megapixel selfie camera.

Is the next Huawei P-series going to be an imaging powerhouse? A digital artist at one of the company’s creative agencies added these “PCE Series” ads to their portfolio — claiming 40MP, 3 lens rear (5x hybrid zoom) + 24MP selfie, all Leica-co-developed. pic.twitter.com/t8w3VlL55L

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) December 6, 2017

If true, this would point to photography being a major focus for the P20, just as battery life and performance has become the main pillar of Huawei’s Mate phones. Considering the quality of the Mate 10’s cameras, it’ll be fascinating to see what Huawei might be able to conjure up with a more exotic set of cameras in its next flagship.

An iPhone-style notch?

It had to happen sooner or later. Eventually, one of the big names in Android would emulate the iPhone X’s infamous sensor cutout. This report comes from XDA, which did some digging in pre-release firmware and discovered references to a display with rounded corners and a central iPhone-style notch, likely used to house sensors and the front-facing camera.

An overlay image included in the software gives us a clue as to what the P20’s front face might look like. As you can see, it’s somewhere between the Essential Phone and the iPhone X.

Details pulled from the same ROM suggest one device, possibly the P20 Plus, will use a 6.01-inch Samsung LCD with a Full HD+ screen resolution. That model carries the codename “Emily,” it’s reported, with model numbers carrying the prefix “EML.”

As a final note on the display, we’d caution against saying the LCD (as opposed to AMOLED) part choice is set in stone. AC understands that the Mate 10 Pro at one point was being tested with 6-inch LCDs before Huawei was able to secure supplies of AMOLED panels.

Other bits

Expect a launch at MWC 2018.

Shortly ahead of the P10’s announcement, Huawei execs exclusively told Android Central that Mobile World Congress, the show in Barcelona, Spain each February, would be the target for future P-series models.

Bruce Lee, Huawei’s Vice President of Handsets Product Line, told us to expect future flagship launches in a similar cadence to that of the P10.

“In the future, we will probably launch the devices at Mobile World Congress,” Lee told us through an interpreter back in February 2017.

That’s it for now. We’ll continue to update this page as more becomes known about the Huawei P20.

There’s a clever Easter egg hidden in the OnePlus 5T Star Wars edition

Every OnePlus 5T Star Wars edition box contains a special message from your favorite astromech droid.

OnePlus unveiled the Star Wars-themed variant of the OnePlus 5T in India last week, with the phone featuring a white color scheme and a Sandstone finish styled after the planet Crait. There’s certainly a lot to like about the device itself — both in terms of exterior design and software touches in the form of exclusive backgrounds — and OnePlus has also hidden away an Easter egg in the packaging.

The OnePlus 5T Star Wars edition comes with a greeting card in the box that has a hidden clue. If you combine all the first letters of each line, it says, “Scribble with pencil”, and doing so reveals a message at the bottom of the card:

Find the secret compartment and check the weather forecast on Ahch-To.

The secret compartment is hidden in the bottom section of the box. Use a little force (we’re all about the puns) to pry the bottom lid of the box away, and you’ll find a section with a collapsible prism inside.

Assemble the prism using the provided instructions, open OnePlus’ weather app, and search for Ahch-To. Doing so will start playing the secret message. You’ll see markings to line up the prism on your device, after which you’ll be able to see the message from R2-D2.

There’s an Easter egg hidden away in the OnePlus 5T Star Wars edition. #oneplus5t #oneplus #starwars #thelastjedi #android #easteregg

A post shared by Android Central (@androidcentral) on Dec 18, 2017 at 4:08am PST

The Easter egg is certainly special, and while the standard version of the OnePlus 5T also has the weather app, keying in Ahch-To didn’t do anything. You’ll only be able to see the message on the OnePlus 5T Star Wars edition.

Eager to learn more about the Star Wars-themed variant of the OnePlus 5T? We have you covered:

OnePlus 5T Star Wars edition review

The Morning After: Monday, December 18th 2017

Monday morning arrives, and as we gear up for the pre-holiday weekend (ignoring the five days left to go), we’re talking sell-out AirPods (really?), Firefox auto-installs (seriously), and we break down last week’s big events in numerical style in the After Math.

The vague description definitely didn’t help.
Firefox faces backlash for auto-installing ‘Mr. Robot’ add-on

A curious add-on called Looking Glass started popping up on Firefox for a number of users this past week — even if they didn’t give the browser permission to install it. Due to its nebulous nature and creepy description that only said “MY REALITY IS JUST DIFFERENT FROM YOURS,” people took to social networks to ask other users and air their concerns. Turns out Looking Glass isn’t spamware, malware or any of the sort: It’s a promotional campaign for the Mr. Robot TV series, all about a cybersecurity-engineer-slash-hacker. Hilarity ensued.

Goofy looks are in this holiday season.
Don’t expect to buy AirPods as a Christmas gift

Apple’s weird-looking, Siri-enabled earbuds are out of stock at most of the company’s online and retail stores around the world, as well as at many major American store chains (like Best Buy and Walmart) and even carrier shops. You might not even get a pair as a post-holiday consolation prize — Apple, at least, doesn’t expect to ship new AirPod orders until 2018. There are other options, of course, but not many of them pack Apple’s own wireless chip to improve the connectivity with your iPhone.

Whether or not anyone accepts the advice is another matter.
California advises against keeping your phone in your pocket

California’s Department of Public Health just issued an advisory that suggests residents should take steps to limit their exposure to cellphones. The notice recommends avoiding unnecessary phone use, particularly when the cell signal is likely to kick into overdrive (such as when you’re in a weak coverage area or streaming video). It also advises keeping your handset away from your body — CDPH Director Dr. Karen Smith even suggests “not keeping your phone in your pocket.”

But wait, there’s more…

• YouTube took down FCC’s ‘Harlem Shake’ video for seven hours
• After Math: When you come undone
• Tesla discourages commercial cars from using Superchargers

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Uber lands on BlackBerry Messenger, confusing everyone

The next time you whip out BBM, you’ll be able to order an Uber from within the app — which would be handy if anyone still used BBM. Well, it’s evidently still a thing, at least in parts of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, anyway. Elsewhere, Blackberry’s baby has long been forgotten. Now, more than two years since Facebook Messenger got Uber integration, BBM is catching up. Better late than never.

The app, which is also available for iOS and Android, is run by Indonesian telco Emtek. Why is Uber keen on BBM? Because it has 60 million users in Indonesia alone, making it a leading chat app in a country of 260 million people. The country is also witnessing a surge in ride-hailing business, and will account for 40 percent of the industry in the entire South East Asia region, with $5.1 billion on the cards this year (according to a report from Google and Temasek). Uber, which lags behind local rivals Grab and Go-Jek, clearly sees BBM as an untapped customer base.

To cater to low-end devices and overcome spotty connections, the BBM team-up relies on Uber’s web-based m.Uber app (as noted by TechCrunch).

Via: TechCrunch