Snapchat’s app was a mess and this leak confirms it

Wondering why Snapchat felt compelled to redesign its app, besides the need to compete with Facebook? It should be clearer after today. The Daily Beast has obtained Snap data showing that the company has had a difficult time getting users to try features outside of the core chat service. Snap Maps location sharing had over 30 million users when it premiered in June, for example, but that dropped to 19 million users (11 percent of the user base) by September. And despite Snap’s eagerness to push Discover shows, only 21 percent of Snapchat users (a still-sizeable 38 million) visit the section daily.

The figures show that users are at least loyal. The average user sends 34 messages a day, and the number of people sending daily snaps increased from just under 80 million to nearly 88 million between April and September. People are using Snapchat — they just haven’t been compelled to try much beyond the core functions.

Snap has declined to comment on the leak. As The Verge explained, though, the leak puts the Snapchat redesign into focus. Merging Snap Maps with the Discover section might encourage people to check out both, while merging friends’ Stories and snaps could boost the company’s ad revenue no matter how well other features pan out. The new interface is about ensuring Snap’s long-term survival, not just a desire to shake things up.

Via: The Verge

Source: Daily Beast

Netflix hit ‘BoJack Horseman’ may be coming to TV

Netflix occasionally premieres shows that run alongside conventional TV broadcasts, but it’s rare that online-only shows reach TV later — Comcast’s House of Cards offering was an exception to the rule. It’s something of a surprise, then, that BoJack Horseman might be coming to TV. Distribution firm Debmar-Mercury is shopping the washed-up horse star’s animated series to cable companies for syndication. The key, it turns out, was Netflix’s early, looser approach to rights for its earlier originals.

When BoJack arrived in 2014, Netflix wasn’t as interested in securing completely exclusive deals as it is now. And show producer Tornante is clearly taking advantage of that — it kept the off-network rights for domestic syndication, so it’s free to offer the show to TV networks.

This definitely won’t become a habit for Netflix when many of its newer shows are genuinely exclusive. And of course, it’s doubtful that some of its riskier shows would reach American TV. Still, this could be a good test for Netflix: it’ll show whether or not conventional networks have an interest in its leftovers, and whether or not those shows can attract enough viewership to justify more syndication deals.

Source: Variety

Hands-on with NVIDIA’s giant gaming displays and GeForce Now on PC

Nobody expected NVIDIA to get into the big screen TV world, but that’s precisely what it’s doing with its new Big Format Gaming Displays (BFGD). They’re 65-inch 4K screens oriented more at games than movie viewing, with heaps of technology that players will appreciate, like low latency, G-Sync and NVIDIA’s Shield built-in. We got a look at Destiny 2 being played on HP’s set (more are coming from ASUS and Acer), and I can confirm that it delivers one of the smoothest gaming experiences I’ve seen yet from a big-screen TV.

I’ve played the PC version of Destiny 2 on 4K G-SYNC computer displays before, and based on my brief glimpse at HP’s BFGD, it looks almost indistinguishable from high-end gaming monitors. The image was bright, with strong HDR highlights (it supports up to 1,000 nits). Colors also appeared detailed and vibrant, thanks to its full DCI-P3 gamut support. Mostly, though, I was impressed with how smooth Destiny 2 felt. That’s partially due to G-SYNC, which helps avoid stuttering and other issues. The screen also features a high 120Hz refresh rate, so it’ll be able to natively handle up to 120 FPS without issue.

While it might be disappointing that NVIDIA is leaning on on LED technology in the era of big-screen OLED, it’s still among the best LEDs we’ve seen. It features panels from AUO with quantum dot enhancement, like Samsung’s QLED lineup. And it supports full-array backlighting, which means it’ll offer decent black levels and even lighting. The demo I saw didn’t have many dark areas, but from what I could tell, they appeared to be pitch black and not just a very dark shade of gray.

NVIDIA sees these screens as something that would be ideal for a gamer den — especially for the sort of players who are disappointed with latency issues from typical TVs. While their initial renders showed it sitting on a computer desk, like a typical monitor, the company admits that you’d ideally be sitting four-to-five feet away. In our demo, the TV was set up on a table against the wall, while the mouse and keyboard were on a smaller desk about four feet in front of it. And of course, it was accompanied by a gamer chair.

At this point, HP’s BFGD seems like a solid screen for gaming. But until we have pricing information, which won’t arrive until the summer, it’s hard to tell if they’re actually better options than a traditional 4K TV. For one, NVIDIA’s sets don’t have Dolby Vision, which means you won’t see some HDR movie releases at their best. And since NVIDIA is positioning them as premium displays, they’ll likely cost as much as high-end LCDs (think around $2,300 for 65-inch sets). In that case, most people would definitely be better off with something like TCL’s $650 55-inch P-series TV.

As for GeForce Now, it’s even better than when I used it to stream The Witcher 3 on a MacBook Air last year. In 2018, it’s finally making its way to PCs after, after missing a launch last year. Players in the US and Europe will still have a hard time getting getting into its beta group, but if you do, you won’t have to pay to use it. NVIDIA says it’s still working out how it’s going to charge people for the serivce. It’s also adding support for Ubisoft games via Uplay, in addition to Steam, and it’s adding more data centers to speed up performance.

To really show off the power of game streaming, NVIDIA demoed Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds running on two $400 Acer Swift 1 laptops side by side. Over GeForce Now, the game looked great and felt almost as responsive as my gaming desktop (the service supports 1080p up to 120FPS, and it’s powered by servers running GTX1080Ti GPUs). And, not surprisingly, its integrated graphics barely mustered 2FPS natively. Even more impressive, I played Rainbow Six Siege on a $200 HP Stream, and it performed incredibly well. There was no hint of delay, and the 1080p rendering appeared almost magical on such a budget laptop.

For now, GeForce Now seems more like an experiment by NVIDIA to prove the viability of game streaming. After all, who wouldn’t want to play high-end games on their older machines? The real test will be to see how well it performs after it opens up to even more people.

The Huawei VR2 is a stunningly comfortable virtual reality headset

Huawei started off CES by getting a bit of bad news from AT&T. But the company isn’t letting the fact that it’s phones won’t be featured in American stores rain on its parade. It’s still showing off its latest wares in a giant shiny booth located dead in the middle of the Las Vegas Convention Center. One surprise we found there was the Huawei VR2 headset. It was announced this past October in China, but CES 2018 appears to be its American debut.

Unlike the original Huawei VR, this is a standalone unit that hopes to take on the likes of Oculus and Vive, not the Gear VR. You don’t slide a phone inside, instead you connect a phone, tablet or even a PC to it via USB-C. Then you can enjoy your virtual worlds in glorious 3K — that’s a resolution of 1,600 x 1,440 per eye. And thanks to the 90Hz refresh rate, eye strain and motion sickness should be kept to a minimum. I tend to be particularly sensitive to VR sickness, but felt fine after about 20 minutes split between two demo stations.

The first experience was a simple virtual theater. I sank down into a plush pod seat, pulled the stark white plastic headset on and fired up some IMAX experiences. I watched as fighter jets blasted by and the sun blared down on the pyramids on an absurdly large virtual screen. If I looked around I could see that I wasn’t in just any virtual theater though, I was floating in space, surround by stars.

The controller was made of the same bright white polymer as the headset and should seem familiar to anyone that’s used a Gear VR or Daydream headset before. There’s small clickable touchpad at the top, a home button and a back button below that and a trigger on the underside.

Things were much more interesting when the headset was connected to a PC running Steam and a custom controller that combined a pair of triggers with a stationary bike. The game I fired up had me piloting a helicopter through a river valley collecting fuel barrels and firing missiles at baddies hiding among the rocks. It wasn’t exactly ground breaking, but the demo was certainly more fluid and impressive than your normal mobile VR experience.

The most impressive thing about the VR2 is how comfortable it is. Rather than straps or some hard plastic, Huawei has lined the entire inside is soft fabric stuffed with plenty of cushioning. It was easily the most comfortable VR headset I’ve ever worn. My glasses didn’t fog up or dig into my face and it felt incredibly light — there’s little chance of neck strain here.

Unfortunately there’s still a lot we don’t know about the Huawei VR2, most importantly a price or release date. So for now we’ll just have to wait to find out if Huawei can really run with the big boys of the VR world.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

B&O will add Google Assistant to its connected speakers this year

Earlier today at CES, Google detailed how its Assistant would be available in more cars, headphones, speakers and other devices in 2018. Bang & Olufsen connected speakers are on that list. The Danish audio company already allows voice control through a Google Home speaker, but later this year the feature will be available directly on some of the company’s gear.

There’s no word on exactly when the update will arrive or what models will be included, but it’s always good to see the latest features being added to existing gear rather than having to buy something new. And that’s all the better when it comes to the likes of B&O where audio gear requires a significant investment more often than not. Of course, Google Assistant is also making its way to speakers from Sonos, JBL, Klipsch and more, so you’ll have a lot of options in the months to come.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

CES 2018: NETGEAR’s Arlo Baby Monitoring Camera Now Supports HomeKit

NETGEAR at CES 2018 this week announced its Arlo Baby monitoring camera will soon be compatible with Apple’s HomeKit platform.

A new HomeKit-enabled version of the Arlo Baby camera will be released soon, and a firmware update will automatically add HomeKit support to existing models at no additional cost to customers.

HomeKit support will enable iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch users to access the majority of Arlo Baby’s features for smart monitoring of your baby in Apple’s Home app on iOS 10 and watchOS 3 or newer software versions.

NETGEAR shared a list of some of the Arlo Baby’s functions that can be controlled with the Home app or Siri voice commands:

• Live video stream viewing of your baby via the Arlo Baby camera feed
• Two-way audio for talking, cooing and listening to your baby and other people near the camera
• Quick view of the most recent screenshot recorded by Arlo Baby when the camera was last activated
• Voice control by asking Siri to show you your camera’s live stream
• Remotely access the camera’s live video/audio feed and two-way communication when you have an iPad or fourth generation or newer Apple TV in your home.

Many of these functions previously required downloading NETGEAR’s Arlo companion app, which will remain available on the App Store.

Arlo Baby features 1080p video recording with a rolling seven days of free cloud recordings, infrared night vision capabilities, two-way audio, ambient air quality sensors, a music-and-sound player, and a dimmable night light.

The camera sends real-time, customizable alerts to your Apple devices when motion or sound is detected, including your baby crying. It is primarily intended to be plugged into an AC wall adapter, but it also has a built-in rechargeable backup battery that lasts up to six hours in the daytime and up to three hours at night.

Arlo Baby can be personalized into animals like a bunny, kitten, or puppy with add-on character sets. The camera is available to purchase on Amazon and at major retailers for a suggested price of $249.99 in the United States, but it may take some time for the HomeKit firmware update to roll out.

Tags: HomeKit, CES 2018, NETGEAR
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CES 2018: Brinks Announces New HomeKit-Compatible ARRAY Smart Lights and Lock

Home security brand Brinks is expanding its ARRAY line of smart home products with new outdoor lighting options equipped with cameras and smart deadbolts that let you make sure your door is secure from afar.

The ARRAY Smart Light fixtures, which are meant to replace a home’s existing outdoor lighting, include built-in cameras with custom lenses and improved camera firmware to offer up reduced shadows and distortion.

AI built into the accompanying app is able to tell the difference between people, animals, and inanimate objects like tree branches to deliver smart notifications, and Brinks says there’s “virtually no lag time” between when the camera senses motion and an image appears in the ARRAY app.

Brinks will offer two versions of the ARRAY Smart Light, including a coach light designed for front porches and a dual-head security light meant for yards and side areas. Both are equipped with a 2-in-1 lighting feature that includes a standard illumination setting and an ultra bright setting that’s activated when motion is detected. The Smart Lights will launch later in 2018.

Brinks’ upcoming ARRAY Chek lock, also coming at an unspecified date in 2018, is a smartphone-connected lock that uses electronic sensing to make sure your deadbolt is secured. An integrated “Smart Latch” will communicate with the ARRAY app, letting users know whether the door is locked and closed for peace of mind.

Both the ARRAY Smart Lights and Chek are compatible with HomeKit, which will allow them to interface with existing HomeKit products. Brinks tells us that HomeKit support will be available for both either at launch or very close to launch.

In addition to the Smart Lights and the Chek lock, Brinks is this week opening up pre-orders for its previously announced Smart Deadbolt.

Priced at $249, the Smart Deadbolt has a built-in solar panel for charging and Alexa support. HomeKit support will be available for the Smart Deadbolt in the first half of 2018.

Tags: HomeKit, CES 2018
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Alcatel’s 2018 phone lineup features a budget phone with an 18:9 display

It looks like TCL’s Alcatel is gearing up for a pretty big year. The company took an opportunity at CES 2018 to unveil three of its upcoming new phones — the Alcatel 5 Series, Alcatel 3 Series, and Alcatel 1 Series. We’ll have more details about the phones at Mobile World Congress at the end of February, but here’s everything we know about the phones so far.

Alcatel 5 Series

The Alcatel 5 Series seems to be the company’s big “affordable flagship” phone for the year, and the company says it “represents Alcatel’s affordable premium tier of phones.” Alcatel says it will deliver the same features users want from a flagship phone, but at a much lower price. We managed to check out the phone for ourselves at CES 2018, and while the design wasn’t groundbreaking in any way, it did seem like Alcatel was taking a step in the right direction by adopting more modern design trends.

The device features a somewhat blocky design but seems pretty thin, with a large fingerprint sensor and camera sensor on the back. The corners on the device are a little sharper than many other modern phones, and it seems to make the phone look slightly dated. The real standout feature is the lack of bezels on the bottom and sides, which is a very nice touch. The phone was previously leaked online by Evan Blass.

What Alcatel means when it says it’s offering an “affordable flagship phone” remains to be seen. Most of the time, when phone makers unveil an “affordable flagship phone,” there’s some kind of trade-off. The company mentioned in a press release that the 5 Series will offer an 18:9 aspect ratio, and face unlock — though those alone certainly don’t make a flagship phone. Processing power, camera quality, and so on will all be important factors to consider.

Alcatel 3 Series

The 3 Series looks to be the company’s new midrange phone, but Alcatel says it will still offer some premium features, like dual cameras, a beautiful design, and a display with an 18:9 aspect ratio.

When it comes to the design, the device features a display with beautifully rounded corners, which we quite like. It looks pretty similar to the Google Pixel 2 XL. On the back, you’ll find a vertically aligned dual-sensor camera, as well as a fingerprint sensor. It’s interesting that this phone features a dual-lens camera while the Series 5 doesn’t — though as Google proved with the Pixel 2, features like portrait mode don’t necessarily always require two camera lenses.

Alcatel 1 Series

Last but not least is the Alcatel 1 Series, which is the most affordable device of the bunch. Alcatel says it will also offer an 18:9 display and face unlock — so it looks like Alcatel is trying to build a uniform lineup of phones that offer a similar design and overall experience no matter which device you get.

As far as design goes, the 1 Series does away with the rounded corners on the display, a fingerprint sensor on the back, and the dual-lens camera. Depending on the price, however, that may not matter.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about the phones, but again, Alcatel says we’ll hear more come MWC. These initial features seem promising, and they could help make Alcatel’s lineup much more modern. Past Alcatel phones, like the Idol 5, have a lot to offer — but in our reviews, we noted that they simply did not compete with better devices in their price range.

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BlackBerry capitalizes on 2017’s surprising success with new Bronze Edition KeyOne

BlackBerry will launch two new smartphones this year that are not based on the existing KeyOne or Motion, and both will have physical keyboards. It has also added a third revision of the existing KeyOne to its lineup, in response to massive demand for the phone. Digital Trends sat down with Gareth Hurn, BlackBerry’s global head of device portfolio, to talk about the coming year for the company, and the influence the past year has had on its plans. It’s still too early for Hurn to talk specifics about the forthcoming new phones, but he did give us a few hints.

“There’s mileage to innovate further on the keyboard,” he told us. BlackBerry wants it to be seen as a modern alternative to a touchscreen, and not just a retro piece of tech for the nostalgic. Evidence of this can already be seen in the KeyOne, ranging from the customizable shortcuts that can be assigned to each key, to the entire keyboard working like a capacitive touch panel, adding convenience and functionality.

BlackBerry underestimated KeyOne demand by 50 percent.

“We’re paying attention to the feedback we’ve got from the KeyOne,” Hurn continued, adding that it has been very positive. “There are some things that could still be done even better, and we’re excited to evolve the keyboard further.”

“It’s not for everyone,” Hurn admitted, “but people are seeing the benefits and there’s interest in owning something different.”

The keyboard helped bring people back to BlackBerry, Hurn said, but it was the longer battery life that impressed many of them, particularly younger people who may have never owned a BlackBerry before. BlackBerry’s taking a different approach to the competition by emphasising the KeyOne’s long battery life (two days, approximately), rather than fast charging, as a way to stay connected for longer. The KeyOne still has quick-charge technology, but the company believes the real-world benefits of a phone that’s not plugged into a charger are greater.

Dual-SIM KeyOne Bronze Edition

BlackBerry launched the KeyOne in February 2017, and the initial plan was to sell it in around 10 to 15 markets. Less than a year later, it’s sold in more than 50 markets, and through 120 carriers globally. Hurn said BlackBerry underestimated demand by 50 percent, and called the period after its launch, “a roller coaster,” as the team came together and it learned to better manage the supply chain.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

It’s now adding a third model to the range, following the original silver version and the black special edition that came in September. The new KeyOne Bronze Edition has a bronze finish and a dual-SIM configuration. It will be sold in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, where demand for dual-SIM phones is higher. The price hasn’t been finalized yet, but will be around same $550 cost of the Black Edition, due to it matching the higher 6GB/64GB specification. The phone will launch before the end of March.

In addition to the KeyOne Bronze Edition, the touchscreen BlackBerry Motion is coming to the United States through Amazon and Best Buy, where the unlocked phone will be sold for $450 starting January 12. The Android-based phones will also receive a software update to Android 8.0 Oreo before the end of the summer, which will include new features and security enhancements.

BlackBerry déjà vu

BlackBerry is brimming with confidence going into 2018. What’s fascinating is how parallels can be drawn between its sudden resurgence and Research in Motion’s original meteoric rise nearly two decades ago. When it was called Research in Motion, it created mobile devices with three key principles in mind — a physical keyboard, great battery life, and security. Co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis both ridiculed the first few generations of iPhone for terrible battery life. At the same time, the Apple phone slowly obliterated the company’s market share. This hubris was part of Research in Motion and BlackBerry’s downfall.

“There’s mileage to innovate further on the keyboard.”

Interestingly, those same ideals are being brought back into play with a contemporary twist —privacy instead of security, messaging speed over productivity, for example — by a reinvigorated, confident BlackBerry, and they’re resonating with not only BlackBerry fans but newcomers, too. When BlackBerry phones became a must-have in the late 1990s, Research in Motion couldn’t make enough to keep up with demand. In 2017, the KeyOne similarly took the company by surprise, and is now sold in three times the amount of places than was originally intended.

The smartphone world is a very different place than it was when Research in Motion was changing the game. It failed to react to later changes, and paid a heavy price. Under TCL Communications and CEO John Chen’s guidance, BlackBerry has shrewdly recognized how the game hasn’t really changed at all, and is this time ensuring it doesn’t make the same mistake twice.

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The Array smart deadbolt hopes to make fiddling with keys a thing of the past

Keys are proving to be a thing of the past at CES 2018, as keyless locks and smart deadbolts prove that they are here to stay. The latest company to jump on the smart lock bandwagon is Hampton Products, the company behind Brinks and Brinks Home Security locks and door hardware. This week, the company announced it would be taking pre-orders for its Array smart deadbolt, a cloud-connected, app-enabled door lock that promises easy installation free of separate hubs and accessories. All you need is your existing Wi-Fi router to connect the deadbolt to the cloud.

Requiring nothing but a single screwdriver to replace your existing deadbolt with the Array, this smart lock features data encryption and two-step authentication so that your lock (as well as your home) is as secure as can be. The deadbolt also boasts a unique power management system that brings a rechargeable lithium polymer battery together with an integrated solar panel to provide supplemental power, meaning you have to charge your battery less frequently.

To actually open an Array-guarded door, users have three options — the Android or iOS app from their smartphone, a tablet or smartwatch, or the LED backlit keypad. Of course, if you’re super old school, you can still use that traditional key, but why do so with so many other options? The companion Array app allows you to lock and unlock the deadbolt remotely, as well as activate geofencing, check your lock status, schedule access via keycodes, and monitor battery status.

Already, the Array is compatible with Amazon Alexa, and more platforms will soon be added. Priced at $249, the deadbolt comes in two styles and three finishes to match your door.

Also making their debut at CES are the new Array Smart Light fixtures, which feature built-in cameras for extra security. Thanks to a custom lens and improved camera firmware, these light fixtures promise “best-in-class images and reduced shadows and distortion.” The camera also leverages artificial intelligence to identify people and differentiate them from animals and tree branches, cutting down on erroneous notifications.

There will be two versions of the lights available — a coach light for front porches, and a dual-head security light for yards and side areas. Pricing information is not yet available, though these products are slated to come out in 2018.

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