HomePod Can Be Used as Speakerphone, Will Support Commands From Multiple Users

Apple this morning announced the official launch date for its much-anticipated HomePod, and that announcement included several new details that we hadn’t previously heard about the Siri-equipped smart speaker.

In the HomePod press release, Apple says HomePod can be used as a speakerphone with the iPhone “for crisp and clear audio quality.”

This means users will be able to take calls on the HomePod using a nearby iPhone, with the HomePod able to serve as a speaker and a microphone for the call. Further documentation shared with Apple Store staff (via Guilherme Rambo) says that this feature will allow “anyone” to make a call on their iPhone and then hand it off to the HomePod.

Everyone can continue a phone call on HomePod–Anyone can start a call on their iPhone and hand it off to HomePod for a hands-free conversation.

HomePod will not be limited to a single user, as suggested and confirmed in the HomePod documentation. Once the HomePod is set up, anyone in the home will be able to listen to music using the Apple Music account installed on the device, and anyone will be able to ask Siri questions.

Everyone can ask Siri questions–Anyone in the home can use HomePod to get everyday information like weather, traffic, new, translations, general knowledge, and more. For example, just as “Hey Siri, what’s the weather like this week?”

HomePod is primarily designed to work with an Apple Music account, and while it does support Bluetooth 5.0, it’s not yet clear if it will support playing music directly to the device from an iPhone or another smartphone.

Sans Apple Music subscription, though, HomePod will be able to play content that’s been purchased from iTunes along with Beats 1 radio content and podcasts.

As Apple shared earlier this morning, HomePod will eventually support multi-room playback and stereo sound by linking one or more HomePods together using the new AirPlay 2 protocol, but that functionality will not be available at launch.

At launch, HomePod will be available in the United States, UK, and Australia. In the U.S., it will be priced at $349, and it will cost GBP319 in the UK and $499 in Australia.

Apple will begin accepting orders for the HomePod on Friday, January 26, with the device set to launch two weeks later on Friday, February 9.

Related Roundup: HomePod
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Instagram Adds GIF Stickers Into Stories With GIPHY Support

Following a small test of GIF stickers within stories that began last November, Instagram has announced the feature will be available to all users beginning today.

When you tap to add a sticker to a picture or video in your story, there will now be a new GIF button with options powered by GIPHY. Similar to other apps that include GIPHY support, you can browse currently trending GIF stickers or manually search for a specific one, and add it into either a photo or video story.

Now you can add fun, expressive GIF stickers to any photo or video in your story. From bouncing letters and twirling hearts to dancing cats and pizza in space, these animated stickers help you make any photo or video funny, interesting or creative.

Further down the line, Instagram will introduce the ability to upload photos and videos “of any size” into a story. The company said that this will ensure you never have to lose part of an image or remove a friend out of a group video.

The update will be similar to custom size posts on the traditional Instagram feed, where you can pinch to zoom out and share the content in its original dimensions. Square, portrait, and landscape shots will be able to appear in their full sizes, and any extra room will get filled in with a color gradient that automatically matches the aesthetic of the image or video you’re sharing.

GIF stickers are launching within Instagram today in the app’s version 29 update on iOS and Android, and the company said custom sized stories should be available in the coming weeks.

Tag: Instagram
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Apple Releases macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 With Fix for Messages Bug

Apple today released macOS High Sierra 10.13.3, the third major update to the macOS High Sierra operating system available for Apple’s Macs. macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 comes over a month after the release of macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 and a little over a week after a macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 supplemental update which brought a fix for the Spectre vulnerability.

macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 can be downloaded directly from the Mac App Store or through the Software Update function in the Mac App Store on all compatible Macs that are already running macOS High Sierra.

No major outward-facing changes were discovered in macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 during the beta testing period, but according to Apple’s release notes, it brings security and feature improvements.

The update offers additional fixes for the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities that were discovered and publicized in early January and initially fixed in macOS High Sierra 10.13.2.

We also know that the update fixes a bug that allowed the App Store menu in System Preferences to be unlocked with any password. Aside from those changes, Apple’s release notes say that the update “addresses an issue that could cause Messages conversations to be temporarily listed out of order.”

For more information on the macOS High Sierra operating system, make sure to check out our dedicated macOS High Sierra roundup.

Related Roundup: macOS High SierraTag: Meltdown-Spectre
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Apple Releases iOS 11.2.5 With Support for HomePod and Siri Audio News

Apple today released iOS 11.2.5, the tenth official update to the iOS 11 operating system that first came out in September of 2017. iOS 11.2.5 comes two weeks after the release of iOS 11.2.2, an update that introduced Safari mitigations for the “Spectre” vulnerability impacting Apple’s iOS devices.

The iOS 11.2.5 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.

According to Apple’s release notes, the iOS 11.2.5 update introduces support for the HomePod, which will be released on Friday, February 9, and it brings fixes for several bugs in CarPlay, Messages, and Mail. The update also includes audio-based podcast news delivered via Siri, which was also officially unveiled in iOS 11.2.2 last week.

iOS 11.2.5 appears to address a bug that allowed a malicious link to freeze the Messages app on iOS devices. As of the sixth beta, the link in question no longer affects the Messages app.

Full release notes for the iOS 11.2.5 update are below:

HomePod support

– Setup and automatically transfer your Apple ID, Apple Music, Siri and Wi-Fi settings to HomePod.

Siri News

– Siri can now read the news, just ask, “Hey Siri, play the news”. You can also ask for specific news categories including Sports, Business or Music.

Other improvements and fixes

– Addresses an issue that could cause the Phone app to display incomplete information in the call list
– Fixes an issue that caused Mail notifications from some Exchange accounts to disappear from the Lock screen when unlocking iPhone X with Face ID
– Addresses an issue that could cause Messages conversations to temporarily be listed out of order
– Fixes an issue in CarPlay where Now Playing controls become unresponsive after multiple track changes
– Adds ability for VoiceOver to announce playback destinations and AirPod battery level

Apple is supposed to be releasing an iCloud Messages feature that was pulled ahead of the iOS 11 release, and which many people are eagerly awaiting, but there is no sign of the feature in iOS 11.2.5.

Apple has also promised that new, more extensive details about battery life will be coming in early 2018, but those new tools are also missing from iOS 11.2.5, so we may instead see them in the next iOS update.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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Apple Releases watchOS 4.2.2 With Bug Fixes

Apple today released watchOS 4.2.2, a minor update to the watchOS operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 4.2.2 comes over a month after the release of watchOS 4.2, an update that introduced Apple Pay Cash.

watchOS 4.2.2 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General –> Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.

During the beta testing period, no major outward-facing changes were discovered in watchOS 4.2.2. According to Apple’s release notes, the update “includes improvements and bug fixes.” No other details are available.

For more on the watchOS 4 operating system, make sure to check out our dedicated watchOS 4 roundup.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
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Apple Releases Minor tvOS 11.2.5 Update With Bug Fixes and Security Improvements

Apple today released a new update for tvOS 11, the operating system designed to run on fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 11.2.5 comes more than a month after the release of tvOS 11.2.1, an update that introduced a fix for a HomeKit bug.

tvOS 11.2.5 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 11.2.5 automatically.

As a minor 11.x.x update tvOS 11.2.5 focuses on performance improvements and bug fixes to address issues that were discovered following the release of tvOS 11.2 and tvOS 11.2.1.

During the beta testing process, no major outward-facing changes were discovered and Apple does not typically provide detailed release notes for tvOS 11.2.5, but security fixes will be listed in Apple’s Security Updates support document.

Related Roundup: Apple TVBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
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Essential BlackBerry Motion tips and tricks to help you master your new phone

The BlackBerry Motion is one of BlackBerry’s first Android-based offerings, but just because it has Android, that doesn’t mean it’s totally stock Android. As we mentioned in our BlackBerry Motion review, the company has tweaked the software quite a bit to bring it a little more in line with the overall BlackBerry aesthetic. There are a lot of things you can do with the phone, and they’re not all that intuitive. That’s why we’ve put together a list of BlackBerry Motion tips and tricks to help you master your shiny new phone.

If you’re worried about damage, check out the best BlackBerry Motion cases to get some protection.

How to customize the home screen

Like most Android phones, it’s pretty easy to select your own preferred wallpaper, animations, and more by heading to Settings > Display, which will show a menu with a range of different options. To change your wallpaper, simply hit the wallpaper option. There, you can also edit your screensaver, set how much screen on time it takes before your display turns off, and so on.

How to change what the Convenience Key does

Unlike most other phones, the BlackBerry Motion has an extra button that it calls the “Convenience Key.” It’s located on the side of the device, and you can assign a function to it the first time you use it. Don’t worry though, if you want to change it later, it’s pretty easy to do. Simply head to Settings, then scroll down to Convenience Key. You can then either replace your current shortcut, or set up new ones.

How to take private photos in Locker Mode

BlackBerry phones are known for their privacy features, and the Motion is no different. The device features a “Locker Mode,” which stores selected photos and files securely and hides them from other apps. To take a picture using Locker Mode, open the Camera app, then instead of hitting the shutter button to take the photo, tap the fingerprint sensor. The photo will then be stored in the BlackBerry Locker, which can only be accessed with your fingerprint or PIN code, and can’t be accessed by apps.

How to add files to the Locker

You may want to store more than just photos in the Locker, and it’s pretty easy to store other files too. To do so, open the Files app, then navigate to the file you want to store. Then, tap the three dots next to the file you want to store, and hit the Lock button. You’ll be asked if you’re sure you want to move the file to the locker. Tap Lock again, and authenticate the move with your fingerprint or PIN code.

How to take a screenshot

Christian de Looper/Digital Trends

Taking a screenshot on the BlackBerry Motion is just as easy as on other Android phones. When you’re on a screen that you want to capture, simply hold down the power and volume down buttons at the same time and your screenshot will be captured. To view the screenshot, open up the Photos app, hit the Albums button on the bottom, and open the Screenshots album.

How to use the Privacy Shade

The BlackBerry Motion has an app called the Privacy Shade, which basically allows you to control what’s visible on your phone’s display. The app itself is pretty easy to use. Simply open the Privacy Shade app, then you can move the shade around the screen. To change the size or shape of the Privacy Shade, hit the Settings cog in the top right-hand corner. The first button at the top changes between a circular shade and a rectangular one, the second option opens and closes the shade, the third changes the size of the shade, and the fourth allows you to control how light or dark the area around the shade is.

How to save battery life

Like other Android phones, you can control how your phone uses battery. To do so, open the Settings app, then tap the Battery option. There you’ll be able to identify culprit apps or services for battery use. You can also toggle on or off Battery saver mode, which restricts background activities, animations, and so on.

How to use Smart Lock

Most people stick with their fingerprint and PIN code to unlock their device, but on most Android phones, you can set up Smart Lock, so you don’t always have to authenticate when you unlock, if you’re in a trusted location or the phone knows that you’re using it. To set up Smart Lock, open the Settings app, then scroll down to the Security option. Hit the Smart Lock button, confirm your PIN code, then you can set different ways for the phone to know you’re using it. One option, On Body Detection, basically involves you unlocking the phone once, after which it will remain locked as long as it’s in motion. Another allows you to add Trusted Devices — so if it’s connected to the smartwatch you’re wearing, you won’t have to unlock your phone to use it.

How to use the Productivity Tab

The past few BlackBerry phones have featured a “Productivity Tab,” which allows you to see calendar events, messages, a checklist, and contacts, all at a glance. To use it, simply slide it out from the right of the screen, then tap the option you want along the edge of the display. To edit the Productivity Tab, simply hit the Settings cog on the top right of the display, which allows you to change the side of the display the tab is on, the position of it, and so on.

How to use the fingerprint sensor to go back

On the BlackBerry Motion, you can tap the fingerprint sensor to go back — but you have to enable the feature first. To do so, open the Settings app, then hit the Gestures option. From there, toggle the switch next to Touch to back under fingerprint sensor. Don’t worry — this won’t disable the ability to put photos in the locker. The Touch to back function doesn’t work in the camera app.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The Blackberry Motion isn’t the second coming — but it’s not a bad phone
• BlackBerry Motion review
• The new BlackBerry Motion does away with the KeyOne’s best feature
• BlackBerry capitalizes on 2017’s surprising success with new Bronze Edition KeyOne
• The five best BlackBerry Motion cases and covers you can find

Bid farewell to lengthy Photoshop cutouts with new AI-powered tool

Selecting an object with just one click is no longer a Photoshop pipe dream, thanks to Adobe’s work in artificial intelligence. On Jan. 23, Adobe launched Photoshop 19.1, an update that adds the one-click Select Subject tool. There are also enhancements to Select and Mask, and, for Microsoft Windows users, support for high-density monitors and improved Surface Dial options. In addition, Adobe XD has been updated with expanded compatibility with third-party software.

Photoshop 19.1

Previewed in November, Photoshop’s Select Subject is now an available feature. Powered by Adobe Sensei, the company’s AI platform, the tool is designed to select — in one click — what Adobe calls the “most prominent subject.” It uses computer vision to identify objects in the photo, then the software works to select just that subject.

Selecting an object in Photoshop is a technique used for a number of different types of edits, but is generally a time-consuming process. Select Subject is designed to jump-start that process, while photo editors can refine what the AI selected by using existing tools, like Select and Mask. In the preview of the feature, Adobe shared some well-selected images and others that were less than perfect. Jerry Harris, a Photoshop principal scientist, says the tool is designed to help get started on those selections faster. Of course, as the name suggests, the tool is only for selecting the subject of the image, not background objects.

The tool is available after updating to version 19.1, and navigating to the Select option in the menu bar and choosing “subject.” With the quick selection or Magic Wand tool selected, the top toolbar also houses a Select Subject option while a one-click button will also appear inside the Select and Mask window, offering a total of three places to find the new tool.

The new one-click selection option comes with an improvement inside the Select and Mask tool that will allow users to adjust that selection. Along with the existing tools, the selection editor now includes a decontaminate color slider. The slider was previously part of the Refine Edge tool, but Adobe switched to a simple checkbox when that tool was replaced with Select and Mask. Now, users can control the level of the decontamination, which helps refine the selection based on the colors along fine edges.

For Microsoft Surface Dial users, the latest update brings the option to adjust a number of brush assets. The change allows photo editors and graphic designers to control opacity, size, roundness, angle, scatter, texture depth, colors, opacity, flow, wetness, and mix, by changing the Dial settings accordingly. Adobe says the change allows users to adjust an element of the brush without pausing the actual brushwork.

The Dial compatibility comes alongside Windows High Density Monitor support, which will automatically adjust the user interface based on the monitor’s density. Adobe said the support was one of their top requests from Windows users and that the company worked alongside Microsoft on the new feature.

Adobe XD

Adobe

Photoshop text copied and pasted into Adobe XD, Adobe’s software for designing user experiences, will also maintain its appearance with updated Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) compatibility. The change comes as XD gains a number of compatibility enhancements for the design program.

The update enables XD to work alongside other prototyping tools, designed for speeding up the design process, including Zeplin, Avocode, Sympli, ProtoPie, and Kite Composer. Adobe says the third-party integrations are MacOS-only for now, but the company is asking Windows users for feedback on potential integrations for the future. Third-party integrations also now allow for XD previews to display inside of Dropbox, allowing for a glance at the file before downloading.

Along with the new integrations, XD has a few new tools of its own, including a new radial gradient tool, batch exporting and support for all three HEX, RGB and HSB color profiles. A performance boost allows for faster zooms on bigger files, Adobe says. The update also adds a beta for updated Design Specs.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Photoshop streamlines the photo-editing process with one-click selections
• Artymate turns Photoshop into a cinemagraph-creating machine for photos
• Go bananas with Photoshop Easter eggs (and a hidden tool that’s actually useful)
• The best free photo-editing software
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This tiny, self-folding robot could one day be part of a large ant-like swarm

Call it a misspent youth playing with Optimus Prime and Megatron toys if you want, but there’s just something about transforming robots that always captures our imagination. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, recently appealed to this part of our nature by developing a miniature, centimeter-scale self-folding robot, which can assemble itself from out of a flat sheet and then shimmy along the ground by vibrating. Oh, yes, and it’s designed to work in a swarm, too.

“The goal of this project is to leverage self-folding techniques developed by my group and others to fabricate insect-inspired swarm robots,” Michael Tolley, assistant professor in the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering, told Digital Trends. “The rapid fabrication of self-folding robots is similar to the concept of ‘4D printing’ — where the 4th dimension is changes in shape over time, caused by a smart material after printing. We see this as a way to realize rapidly deployable robot swarms for mapping or sensor network deployment for applications including disaster response or extraplanetary exploration.”

The new robots are made using composite laminates, including paperboard and spring steel which gives them their strength, kapton for providing flexibility, a polystyrene shape memory material that controls the self-folding, and an adhesive which binds the multiple layers together. Currently, the electronic components are soldered on top, although this may be automated in future versions. The folding process is controlled using a heating circuit, which is disconnected once the folding has been completed.

Going forward, Tolley said that the team is interested in exploring how multiple self-folding robots could be used to carry out limited tasks collectively, much like a swarm of robotic ants.

“As with most of the projects in my lab, this work is inspired by biological systems,” he said. “Social insects like ants serve as a great example for how to achieve complex goals, like searching for and collecting food, with a set of simple agents. We hope to develop a robotic system that can assist humans, but with individual robots that are simple and inexpensive enough that they can be deployed in hazardous environments.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• MantaDroid robot may one day join its inspiration in the depths of the ocean
• This 3D-printed textile could enable your clothing to cool you down
• Rise of the machines: Here are the best robots we saw at CES 2018
• Origami-inspired artificial muscles can lift 1,000 times their body weight
• How do 3D printers work? Here’s a super simple breakdown

Samsung 860 Pro review

Samsung’s latest high capacity SSD leaked a bit ahead of schedule with its pricing and specs briefly popping up on the Samsung online store, but there’s more to the 860 Pro than its hardware and a hefty price tag. Specs can’t really communicate how… boring this SSD really is in everyday use — or why that’s a very good thing.

That’s right. This 1TB SSD is nothing exciting. It’s boring, move-along-nothing-to-see-here-boring, and that’s why it’s great.

Boring is the new- no, it’s the same as always

Let’s clarify that a little. You want your processor to be exciting, you want it to be able to crunch numbers at unparalleled speeds. A quick processor is marketed with all bunch of redundant buzzwords that try to communicate how blisteringly fast it is — “limitless” and “uncompromising” get thrown around all over the place. For good reason though, you’ll feel every one of those new clock cycles when you invest in a new processor.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Same deal for your GPU. Nvidia and AMD market their latest and greatest with words like “perfected” and “groundbreaking” to communicate how powerful they are. A new GPU is meant to be exciting. It means you can crank up those setting and game at 1440p or 4K. A powerful graphics card changes the way you experience games. It’s tangible.

Looking for high capacity SSD is like shopping for a family car — you want reliability and safety over speed.

What about your hard drive though? These are marketed with words like “reliable” and “stable.” A good hard drive is quick, sure, but it’s more important that it be reliable, especially if it’s in the 1TB range. That’s a lot of data to store in one place.

Looking for a hard drive with more than a terabyte of storage space is like shopping for a family car. Speed is good, but really you want safety and reliability. Your minivan might not be able to cruise down the highway at high speed, but really it’s more important that it gets everyone where they need to go safely. And that’s what the Samsung 860 Pro really is, it’s a minivan. Available in configurations up to 4TB, it’s a really big minivan, but the principle is the same.

Quick enough, but not jaw-dropping

During our tests the Samsung 860 Pro proved that it’s fast enough to keep you from feeling bogged down, but still a bit short of the kind of speed you’d see in a smaller, sportier PCIe or M.2 drive. It averaged a read speed of 562 megabytes-per-second, and a write speed of 531MB/s. For a SATA drive, that’s right around what we’d expect to see — just quick enough. Naturally, it’s a lot slower than the kind of speed you’d see out of an M.2 drive like the Samsung 960 Pro — which we usually see with a read speed of 2.5GB/s, and a write speed of 1.9GB/s.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The Samsung 860 Pro is, based on our results here, a strong, reliable performer. We can’t really test its long-term reliability, but based on Samsung’s track record here, and the fact that the Samsung 860 Pro comes standard with a five-year warranty, chances are this thing is going to outlast your processor and your GP — and it’s just a boring old hard drive. The Samsung 860 Pro, and its predecessor the Samsung 840 Pro both prove, when it comes to your sensitive data, that boring is a very, very good thing.

DT Editors’ Rating: 4/5

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