Science has a solution for that constant ringing in your ear

Apparently, around 2 million Americans can’t work because of tinnitus, and it’s also the most common service-connected disability in veterans. The condition doesn’t have a cure yet, but those suffering from it might not have to endure all the phantom ringing, clicking and hissing for life, thanks to a device developed by researchers from the University of Michigan. Their creation treats tinnitus by using precisely timed sounds and weak electrical pulses designed to persuade damaged nerves in the region of the brainstem called dorsal cochlear nucleus into working correctly again.

Team leader and U-M Medical School professor Susan Shore explained:

“When the main neurons in [the dorsal cochlear nucleus], called fusiform cells, become hyperactive and synchronize with one another, the phantom signal is transmitted into other centers where perception occurs.

If we can stop these signals, we can stop tinnitus. That is what our approach attempts to do…”

The team tested the small, box-like device on guinea pigs first before testing it on 20 tinnitus patients who used it 30 minutes every day for four weeks. It played a sound into the ears and alternated it with precisely timed, mild electrical pulses to the cheek or neck for half the patients. The other half only received sounds. They found that the loudness of the phantom sounds decreased by 12 decibels — that’s as loud as the hum of a light bulb — in some of the patients who received both sounds and electrical pulses. A couple of subjects even said their tinnitus disappeared completely. However, those who only received sounds didn’t report a change in their condition.

Due to the way their device works, it can only treat somatic tinnitus. People who have this variant can modulate the phantom ringing/hissing they hear by pressing a part of their face and forehead or clenching their jaw. Thankfully, studies say two-thirds of tinnitus patients suffer from somatic forms of the condition, making their device a promising treatment for most people. The researchers are trying to find a way to make it work just as well for nonsomatic patients, though. They’re also conducting more studies and tests to figure out how to make its effects last longer, since the testers’ symptoms came back after a couple of weeks.

Shore said:

“We’re definitely encouraged by these results, but we need to optimize the length of treatments, identify which subgroups of patients may benefit most, and determine if this approach works in patients who have nonsomatic forms of the condition that can’t be modulated by head and neck maneuvers.”

Source: University of Michigan (1), (2)

Nintendo’s Switch is the fastest-selling US console ever

The Switch has broken the US record for the fastest selling console ever, with 4.8 million units sold in just 10 months, Nintendo says. That shatters the previous record of 4 million US sales in the same time, also held by Nintendo with the Wii. Switch sales first opened on March 3rd, 2017, and it looks like strong holiday sales pushed the Switch over the top.

“Now that many more people have received Nintendo Switch systems for the holidays, we look forward to bringing them fun new surprises in 2018 and beyond,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime.

As you’d expect, it was strong demand for Switch games like Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that pushed demand for the console. Nintendo notes that quite a few new titles are coming this year like Yoshi, along with titles from Ubisoft, EA, Capcom, SEGA and others.

Worldwide, Nintendo sold over ten million Switch consoles since December 12th. The company predicted that it would sell 14 million units in a year, and seems on track to easily beat that goal. If it does, it will sell more Switches in a year than it did Wii U devices over the entire life of the product.

Source: Nintendo

TSMC is Reportedly Exclusive Supplier of A12 Processors in 2018 iPhones

Apple has reportedly selected Taiwanese manufacturing company TSMC to remain its exclusive supplier of so-called “A12” processors for a trio of new iPhone models expected to launch in the second half of 2018, according to DigiTimes.

The report, citing unnamed sources within Apple’s supply chain, claims the A12 chip will be manufactured based on a 7nm process and incorporate extreme ultraviolet technology, allowing for more transistors to be packed into a smaller wafer, and paving the way for continued performance improvements in the next iPhones.

TSMC is already the exclusive supplier of A11 Bionic chips for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, and it was also said to be the sole manufacturer of A10 Fusion chips for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

If the report is accurate, it would be a loss for Samsung, which has been attempting to win back orders from Apple for around two years. Both Samsung and TSMC supplied Apple with A9 chips for the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE, but Apple has relied upon TSMC as its sole supplier for newer devices.

The Korea Herald last July reported that Samsung had secured a deal to supply some of the A12 chips for new iPhones in 2018, but two days later, DigiTimes reported that TSMC was still likely to obtain all of the next-generation A-series chip orders for Apple’s upcoming 2018 series of iPhones.

TSMC’s in-house InFO wafer-level packaging is said to make its 7nm FinFET technology more competitive than Samsung’s. Our own Chris Jenkins provided an in-depth technical look at this package process last September.

Related Roundup: iPhone XTags: TSMC, digitimes.com, A12Buyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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AT&T Announces Plans to Launch Mobile 5G in a Dozen U.S. Markets by Late 2018

Following an expansion of its 5G tests to multiple cities around the United States — including Minneapolis in time for Super Bowl LII — AT&T this week announced that it expects to be the first U.S. company to launch mobile 5G services in a “dozen markets” by late 2018. The carrier said that it’s “moving fast” to fulfill this promise, but hasn’t yet specified which new cities could be reached by the 5G service or how fast the speeds will be.

AT&T pointed towards an announcement made last month by international wireless standards body the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, in which the Project confirmed that the global mobile industry is ready to begin “full-scale development of 5G NR (new radio) for large-scale trials and commercial deployments as early as in 2019.”

AT&T explained that hardware, chipset, and device manufacturers can now start development on 5G technologies, and AT&T can provide mobile 5G services sooner “without compromising its long-term vision.” This means that the new network will be a true 5G service, unlike AT&T’s previous “5G Evolution” technology that was essentially a rebranded version of LTE.

“5G will change the way we live, work and enjoy entertainment,” said Melissa Arnoldi, president, AT&T Technology and Operations. “We’re moving quickly to begin deploying mobile 5G this year and start unlocking the future of connectivity for consumers and businesses. With faster speeds and ultra-low latency, 5G will ultimately deliver and enhance experiences like virtual reality, future driverless cars, immersive 4K video and more.”

AT&T’s 5G deployment will be aimed at consumers, and the carrier expects to trial 5G technology with businesses as well. In this release, AT&T boasted faster speeds and “much lower latency” on users’ smartphones as the selling point of the 5G technology. In addition to boosting connectivity speeds on smartphones, the company mentioned that it expects future 5G technologies to allow driverless vehicles to make better real-time decisions, enabling the cars to see around corners, through other vehicles, and at longer distances.

To take advantage of 5G features, users will need compatible smartphones, which right now include devices like the LG V30, Moto Z2 Force Edition, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8+, and the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active. These smartphones can take advantage of ultra-fast LTE Advanced features including 256 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation, 4×4 Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output, 3-way carrier aggregation, and other 5G-related upgrades, to provide faster network speeds.

It’s believed that Apple is looking to prepare future iPhone and iPad models for 5G technologies, following an application submission to the FCC last year, but the exact purpose of Apple’s test remains unclear.

AT&T is also continuing to work on other wireless technology areas, including LTE, 5G Evolution, LTE-M for low-power wide-area coverage, Fixed Wireless Internet, Fixed 5G and AirGig, Fiber, and G.fast. AT&T rival carriers have also joined in on testing 5G technology, with Sprint saying its own wide-scale 5G network will launch by 2019, and T-Mobile aiming for nationwide 5G coverage by 2020.

Tags: AT&T, 5G
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Developer Use of Apple’s ARKit Framework Has Slowed Since September Launch

Apple’s ARKit augmented reality framework has seen only modest adoption from developers since it was announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference, while growth has seen a steady decline since its official launch, according to App Store data gathered by Apptopia.

ARKit enables iPhones and iPads running iOS 11 to superimpose computer-generated graphics over the real world, allowing developers to take their apps beyond the screen and into the user’s environment.

By using the built-in camera, processors, and motion sensors found in iOS devices, virtual content appears on top of real-world scenes, and users don’t need any special equipment to enjoy them because ARKit does the heavy lifting.

But despite initial excitement over the technology and a general consensus that Apple has improved upon existing AR solutions like Google Tango by making ARKit simpler to use, take-up by iOS developers saw a steady decline in the second half of 2017.

In ARKit’s launch month of September, developers released approximately 300 ARKit-related apps, while October saw an additional 200 or so enter the App Store, according to third-party data provider Apptopia. However, in November the number of ARKit-based apps fell to about 156, before recovering somewhat to around 160 in December. Overall, ARKit is said to have been used in about 825 of the over 3 million apps in the App Store since its debut.

As it stands, Apptopia reckons 30 percent of ARKit-using iOS apps fall into the games category, 13.2 percent are entertainment, and 7.5 percent are photo and video apps. Meanwhile, 11.9 percent are utilities, 7.8 percent are educational, and 5.2 percent are lifestyle apps, with the remaining 24.2 percent coming under the Other category.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed his belief on several occasions that a big future lies ahead for augmented reality. In fact, Cook has said that he’s so excited about the possibilities for the future of AR that he just wants to “yell out and scream”, while admitting that there are limitations to the technology in its current state.

At the same time, Cook believes that those limitations are the building blocks of an “incredible runway” with a bright future, and that “when people begin to see what’s possible, it’s going to get them very excited—like we are, like we’ve been”.

For a look at some of the first apps that implemented ARKit, check out this round-up.

Tag: ARKit
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Best Android weather apps for ‘Bomb Cyclone’ 2018

Keep an eye on the weather with these apps!

In today’s world, we’ve gotten used to seeing the weather change with little or no notice. From flash floods and hurricanes to knowing precisely how hot — or cold — it is outside, having an app on your side can make all the difference. There are plenty of weather apps available from Google Play, but we’ve got the best of the bunch for you here!

• 1Weather
• Yahoo Weather
• Dark Sky
• The Weather Channel
• Arcus Weather

1Weather

1Weather has always been a beautiful weather app, featuring one of the best dark themes we have encountered… but that dark theme is now broken up with Material Design’s bland white cards. These cards aren’t themeable like the rest of the app, as you can change the background theme, you can change the icon set from white to black, and you can theme the widgets a multitude of ways… but we can’t switch the cards from white back to that beautiful black.

Functionally, there are very few flaws we’ve found in our extended use of 1Weather, and most of them can be attributed to the horizontal, tabbed layout 1Weather uses, such as the disconnect between reaching the map and interacting with it, as you have to tap an expand button before you can zoom or move the map. There are ads in 1Weather that can be removed with a one-time in-app purchase. It even has Android Wear support, though rather than an app it comes in the form of three-card notifications for current conditions and immediate forecast and one-card notifications for alerts, each with customized background images.

Download: 1Weather (free with in-app purchases)

Yahoo Weather

Yahoo takes the honor in this humble writer’s eyes for being the prettiest weather app, but when it comes to weather apps, pretty can’t be all it has. Yahoo Weather is powered by Weather Underground, so its forecasts and data have the accuracy of its nationwide network of personal weather stations.

The background images for the app are pulled from Flickr, Yahoo’s picture service, so if you’re looking at picturesque locations like New York City or Walt Disney World, you’re likely to get a new and beautiful image every time to go into the app. If you’re in a more remote location, those pictures will be more generic. The layout for Yahoo Weather is nice if you like to check multiple locations quickly, as you scroll up and down for the data about one location, then scroll side to side to switch between locations.

Download: Yahoo Weather (free)

Dark Sky

Dark Sky is one of the most popular weather apps available, its claim to fame is that its “hyperlocal” accuracy can tell you within minutes of when it’s actually going to rain. In addition to that, it’s got your basic weather information — current temperature, highs, and lows, what it actually feels like, etc. You also get precipitation information, wind speed, humidity, and UV index.

You can get detailed information on the week ahead, hour by hour. A handy map feature shows you where the rain (and snow) is worldwide, at any given time. And you’ve got a wealth of notification options, including a daily summary, next-hour precipitation, severe weather alerts, and custom alerts based on your own variables. Dark Sky also features a dedicated do not disturb mode so you won’t be bothered in the middle of the night (but as someone living in Tornado Alley, I highly advise against it).

Download: Dark Sky (free)

The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel app has undergone some changes in recent times, and most of them have improved the app greatly. The layout is much slicker and simpler than before, having ditched its previous UI for one big, long continuous scroll.

As you scroll you get to more detailed information, like daily forecasts, radar, even social options and what the weather is like at some ski resorts. The Weather Channel is one of the most well-known sources of forecast information on the planet, and their latest Android app takes out the complicated and makes it ultra simple to see what you need to see.

Download: The Weather Channel (free)

Arcus Weather

If you like to plan your day down to the minute, or you’re looking at being outdoors for an extended period of time, having access to the most accurate weather possible is handy. That’s where Arcus Weather comes in, delivering all the information you want, as well as specific up-to-the-minute changes.

Every location, whether it’s your house or what the weather will look like at your Mom’s place halfway across the country, displays tons of information. This includes the distance from incoming precipitation, sunrise and sunset times, and a graphs for incoming precipitation. You can see your hourly forecast with a graph, list, or both to properly plan your day, and weekly forecasts include a text summary in case you’re getting ready for a longer trip.

Download: Arcus Weather(Free with in-app purchases)

What’s your favorite?

Do you have a favorite app for making sure you’ve got an accurate read on the weather? Is there an excellent app we should have included on this list? Let us know about it in the comments below!

Updated December 2017: We’ve added Arcus Weather to our list!

The Morning After: Thursday, January 4th 2018

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

First things first: check your system for updates. Once you’ve got that sorted, we have plenty of pre-CES info to share including a new XPS 13 from Dell and a quick flyby video of SpaceX’s big rocket.

Update early and often.Meltdown and Spectre weakness affects most modern CPUs

Keep an eye out for updates on your PCs, phones and even servers. A particularly nasty vulnerability has been discovered that takes advantage of techniques modern processors use to complete tasks faster. If a piece of malware using this code ended up on your system (or, for example, on a server powering multiple websites), it could steal information from other programs currently running, like passwords or security keys.

The three vulnerabilities make up two exploits, Meltdown (affects Intel based CPUs), and Spectre (works on many chips, including ARM, AMD and Intel). Patches that address the issue are rolling out across the Windows, macOS and Android platforms. This code could even run on a webpage, so it’s important to grab the latest Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer updates, too. The patches could reportedly reduce performance in some cases, but the information we’ve seen so far indicates there’s little impact on regular desktop and mobile users.

Voice assistant included.Roku aims to take over home audio with its wireless speaker platform

No, Roku isn’t building a wireless speaker. Instead, it’s approaching home audio similar to how it tackled TVs: by offering its technology to other companies. Roku Connect is a new wireless audio platform that the company will license to third parties. Roku also put together a hardware reference design for a smart soundbar and speaker, which will guide partners as they develop their own hardware. The goal? To make it even easier for consumers to put together their own theater systems and spread speakers throughout their homes.

This will include the Roku Entertainment Assistant, which will let you control the company’s entire platform with voice commands. You could, for example, say “Hey Roku, play rock music in the living room,” and it’ll start spitting out tunes from your soundbar.

Smaller, lighter and… cleaner?Dell XPS 13 hands-on: a makeover inside and out

Dell’s XPS 13 has been one of our favorite laptops for years, and with good reason. Its compact design, brilliant display, comfortable keyboard and long battery life make it a well-rounded device. This time around, Dell wasn’t content to simply offer an incremental processor bump, oh no. It has given the XPS 13 a makeover, with narrower bezels, a new cooling system and a white option with a stain-resistant coating. Let’s open it up.

But it probably still will.eHarmony can’t claim its matches are ‘scientific’ anymore

Dating service eHarmony has a weird definition of science when the law comes knocking. An ad in the London subway system triggered the UK’s Advertising Standards Agency to call the “scientifically proven” matching system “misleading.”

eHarmony claims that its algorithm is “based on scientific theories in the relationship literature of assortative mating,” and provided a couple of studies as evidence that its claims hold water. However, one of the studies was apparently a survey taken by couples that proactively told the dating site about their impending nuptials. That’s in addition to eHarmony allegedly incentivizing them to do so. That’s not exactly a random sample.

Now with webcam covers.Lenovo’s new ThinkPads pack 8th-gen Cores and slimmer designs

Lenovo just revamped most of its ThinkPad lineup, and it’s good news if you want a speedy portable that won’t weigh down your laptop bag. Its new ThinkPad X, T and L models have all made the switch to faster eighth-generation Intel Core processors while sporting slimmer, lighter bodies. The 12.5-inch X280, for example, is 15 percent thinner (0.69in) and 20 percent lighter (2.6lbs) than its predecessor. There’s also a new 13-inch L-series (the L380) for people who want a no-frills pro laptop in an even more portable design.

Spoilers!‘Blade Runner 2049’ VFX reel breaks down that unexpected reveal

Despite the insane stakes, last year’s Blade Runner 2049 lived up to (and in some ways surpassed) the paradigm-shifting original film. The sequel created its gritty futuristic look with the help of plenty of visual effects, but building settings isn’t all the film pulled off with digital wizardry. A shocking moment comes with the kinda-return of a pivotal character from the original — now we see how they managed it.

Critics be damned.Netflix confirms a ‘Bright’ sequel is on its way

Netflix’s Bright might not be a critical success, but it is a commercial one. The company has confirmed that Bright 2 is in development through a brief teaser clip — already. The movie had the best first-week viewing of any original movie on Netflix, racking up 11 million views in just its first three days. It was also the top movie on Netflix in every country where it was available.

But wait, there’s more…

• A Nanjing Massacre survivor’s story lives on digitally
• SpaceX shows a video flyby of its Falcon Heavy rocket
• Spotify quietly files to become a public company
• ASUS will use routers you already own for a mesh WiFi setup
• Watch this streamer accidentally break a ‘Tetris’ world record

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California bill would ban new fossil fuel vehicles from 2040

Under a new bill introduced this week, every single new car sold in California after 2040 would be an emission-free vehicle. The bill, introduced by San Francisco Assemblyman Phil Ting, is in line with Governor Jerry Brown’s goal for 1.5 million zero-emission cars on the state’s roads by 2025.

In a statement, Ting said that, “We’re at an inflection point: We’ve got to address the harmful emissions that cause climate change”, and noted that vehicles that run on fossil fuels are responsible for nearly 40 percent of California’s greenhouse gas emissions.

If the bill is passed, the sale of new passenger vehicles powered by fossil fuels would be banned from January 1 2040, helping the state to achieve its target of slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050.

California is already home to some 300,000 electric vehicles, but eliminating the sale of fossil fuel cars — even within 22 years — seems like an ambitious target. Around 2.1 million vehicles were sold in 2016 and just 1.9 percent of those were zero-emission. However, it’s not entirely unachievable — the UK and Germany have already put similar measures in place. Cost and infrastructure remain top concerns for buyers looking at green vehicles, so legislation like this is at least giving carmakers a renewed focus on these issues.

Via: San Francisco Chronicle

Glasgow subway trains will be the UK’s first with no staff

Glasgow’s subway system will be the first in the UK to operate trains with zero staff on board. As The Scotsman notes, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) had already announced that a new batch of Swiss-built trains will be driverless. Now, however, the subway operator has confirmed that they won’t have any guards or conductors either. “We will always have staff in the system, but it is not our plan to have a member of staff on every train,” Charles Hoskins, a senior director at SPT told the newspaper.

While some lines on the London Underground are driverless, most have a supervisor who can take over in case of an emergency. Almost every train has a member of staff on board too who can open doors, help passengers who might be feeling unwell, and deal with other emergencies. On the DLR, which is also driverless, staff regularly check tickets and Oyster cards.

The changes in Glasgow are part of a larger, £288 million revamp of the city’s subway system. The driverless trains will be trialed later this year at a track near Ibrox Stadium, home of Rangers Football Club. If everything goes to plan, SPT will introduce them full-time at the end of 2020.

Unite, the union representing Glasgow subway staff, says it’s concerned about the potential impact on public safety. Regional officer Pat McIlvogue said: “SPT’s future vision involves a Subway system which is ticketless, with no counter staff, no staff on platforms and no staff on trains. If that is to be the case, Unite has to raise the issue of what happens when something goes wrong?” In response, SPT has said it will keep staff on the busiest trains and introduce CCTV cameras to discourage bad behaviour.

Unite’s complaints, while legitimate, mask its real concerns. Should the trial be successful, there’s a good chance it will be rolled out to additional parts of Glasgow’s subway system. That would put more jobs at risk in the same way that driverless cars could one day make taxi and bus drivers redundant. The counterargument, of course, is that automated trains would allow SPT to redeploy staff to other, more impactful places on the underground. Or, the operator could use the cost savings to lower ticket prices and make further upgrades to the network. We’ll see — most of the UK (myself included) is pretty cynical after the recent rail fare hike…

Source: The Scotsman

Samsung Announces Exynos Chip for Galaxy S9 Series With iPhone X-Like Features

Samsung today announced the launch of its latest flagship mobile processor that’s expected to power the firm’s upcoming Galaxy S9 series devices. Called the Exynos 9810, the 9 series CPU is built on a second-generation 10-nanometer (nm) FinFET process and, apart from being faster and more energy efficient, includes advanced AI and deep learning capabilities that will power a new breed of facial recognition features in the smartphones.

The Exynos 9810 has a neural engine that can recognize people and objects in photos at very high speed, and will enable apps to use realistic face-tracking filters, according to Samsung – perhaps in a manner akin to Animojis which use the TrueDepth camera found in Apple’s iPhone X.

Armed with the Exynos 9810, which has a separate secure processing unit for handling sensitive personal and biometric data, the new Samsung phones will also be capable of scanning and creating a 3D image of a user’s face. The obvious suggestion here is that the Galaxy S9 range will have a facial authentication system similar to Face ID in the iPhone X.

Last year’s S8 also had facial recognition capabilities, but it was limited to 2D tracking, making it less secure than Face ID and easy to fool. Despite the jump to 3D scanning though, it doesn’t look like Samsung will be relying on facial recognition as the sole authentication method in its 2018 smartphones.

Image via @OnLeaks
CAD leaks and rumors suggest the S9 will retain the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, now located underneath a new-dual camera setup instead of being positioned alongside a single lens, as it was on the S8. The change of location is presumably to make accidentally smudging the lens with fingerprints less likely, but as expected, Samsung will not be building fingerprint recognition into the OLED display. Otherwise, the general design of the Galaxy S9 looks largely similar to the S8.

For over a year leading up to the iPhone X, rumors ran rampant about Touch ID being placed under the display, or on the back or side of the device, but Apple has said those reports are untrue. In perhaps the biggest signal of its confidence in the security of its authentication method, rumors suggest Apple will remove Touch ID on all iPhones launched in 2018 in favor of Face ID.

When it comes to facial recognition, Apple’s TrueDepth camera is said to have given Cupertino a solid technological lead throughout 2018, and perhaps beyond. Indeed, Samsung and other Android competitors could require up to two and a half years to replicate the functionality and user experience of the TrueDepth Camera in Apple’s iPhone X, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

As with previous years, Samsung’s new Galaxy Sx series of phones are expected to debut at the annual Mobile World Congress in February.

Tags: Samsung, Face ID, Galaxy S9
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