BlackBerry Motion is coming to the U.S. Jan 12 for $450

The BlackBerry Motion is getting a U.S. release date, but its price may scare some away.

Starting January 12, BlackBerry Mobile fans will be able to purchase the Motion, which until now has been available in Canada and some European, Asian and Middle Eastern markets, on January 12 for $450.

The phone has the same basic bones as the popular KEYone, but lacks the keyboard and tones down some of the higher-end specifications. For instance, its 12MP camera uses a cheaper sensor, so photos aren’t quite as sharp, and the 5.5-inch 1080p display doesn’t have the same color reproduction and viewing angles.

Still, the phone runs BlackBerry’s ultra-secure and super-speedy version of Android 7.1, with an update to Oreo on the way. It also has a massive 4,000mAh battery and is IP67 water and dust resistant, the first for a BlackBerry device.

BlackBerry Motion specs

There’s plenty to like about the Motion, including its interesting design and rugged build. If you’re interested, the phone goes on sale on January 12 at Amazon and Best Buy.

If you’d rather wait for something newer or slightly more upmarket (and don’t want to import one of the beautiful new Bronze Edition KEYones), BlackBerry Mobile is promising at least two new devices in 2018.

See at BlackBerry Mobile

Razer is shutting down the cloud storage for the Nextbit Robin

The Nextbit Robin’s Smart Storage will be shutting down on March 1st.

When it was released in early 2016, the Nextbit Robin featured something we hadn’t seen before or since: rather than being able to be expanded via microSD, the Robin offered every user 100GB of cloud storage for backing up infrequently used files and apps.

The world has changed for Nextbit and the Robin since then, with the company itself being sold to Razer and sales for the Robin stopping immediately afterwards. Warranty support ended six months later, and today the company announced that all users would be signed out of the Smart Storage feature on March 1st. The Verge reports that customers will need to have all their cloud-saved data backed up by that date. The sync server will be shut down on January 15th, and app restore will not work after then. Customers who want to keep using their Robin after that date will need to manually pin the apps to the device.

The spirit of the Nextbit Robin lives on in the Razer Phone, but that doesn’t make things any easier for current users who loved the Robin. Are you still using your Nextbit Robin? Let us know down below!

These are all the Google Assistant speakers with displays

Smart Displays are coming first from JBL, Lenovo, LG, and Sony.

We’ve already seen a lot of cool tech from CES 2018, but if there’s one thing that’s been apparent throughout the show, it’s that Google is betting it all on Google Assistant. The company came at Amazon’s Echo Dot in late 2017 with the Google Home Mini, and now it’s ready to tackle the Echo Show/Echo Spot with its new Smart Displays.

Smart Displays are Google Assistant-powered speakers that also feature screens, and while we likely won’t see a Google Home-branded one until later in the fall, there are already four companies that have announced Smart Displays of their own. Let’s take a look at what we know so far.

Lenovo Smart Display

The first of these gadgets that was announced is the Lenovo Smart Display. You’ll be able to get Lenovo’s Smart Display with either an 8-inch or 10-inch display, and while the 8-inch model opts for a traditional plastic back, the 10-inch unit has a gorgeous bamboo one.

Both models have an odd wedge on the back, and this allows you to position the Lenovo Smart Display either vertically or horizontally. There are buttons for adjusting speaker volume, and there’s even a switch that places a physical lens cover over the front-facing camera that’s used for video calls.

Lenovo will sell the 8-inch Smart Display for $199, and upgrading to the larger 10-inch one will cost you $249.

JBL Link View

JBL’s Smart Display goes by the name of the Link View, and while it serves the same general purpose as the Lenovo Smart Display, its design is quite a bit different. JBL has only announced one version of the Link View so far, and it comes with an 8-inch screen. There’s a 5MP camera above it and a JBL logo at the bottom and both the left and right side are flanked by two 10W stereo speakers that are paired with a passive radiator on the back to enable “rich, deep bass.”

The body as a whole favors an oval shape versus the rectangular nature of the Lenovo Smart Display, and while you won’t find any bamboo back here, it’s arguably the sleeker of the two thanks to the all-black paint job. Along with this, there’s also support for Bluetooth, Google Cast, and IPX4 splash resistance.

Pricing details have yet to be announced, but JBL says the Link View will be available at some point this summer.

LG Smart Display

We know that LG will be releasing a Smart Display, but exact specifications for it are still up in the air. The above render is all that we’ve seen so far, and as you can see, it’s arguably one of the plainest-looking Smart Displays yet. There’s a screen in the middle that’s flanked by two speakers, and a front-facing camera can be found at the top.

LG’s opting for a rectangular design, but unlike what we’ve seen from Lenovo, there doesn’t appear to be any funky wedge on the back.

Whatever Sony’s working on

Google’s confirmed that Sony will be releasing a Smart Display, but we know literally nothing about it. Neither specs or renders for the speaker have been released, and as such, there’s not a whole lot we can say about it right now.

Might Google Assistant and the Lenovo Smart Display be the whole-home hub the Echo Show isn’t?

Kate Spade is the latest fashion brand to launch an Android Wear watch, on sale now from $295

Android Wear seems like it’s almost exclusively for ‘fashion’ brands at this point.

CES 2018 isn’t so much slated as a smartwatch show as previous years, but for Kate Spade it’s as good an opportunity as any to launch its first Android Wear watch.

Fossil, which owns the Kate Spade brand, has released other “hybrid” mechanical/electronic smartwatches under the name previously, but this is the first all-touch device for KSNY.

The watch style is defined by the scalloped waves around its bezel, and it comes in three different color and band combinations: yellow gold with a black leather band, rose gold with a tan leather band, and rose gold with a matching link bracelet. The case is stainless steel and waterproof up to 1ATM, and has a rotating crown for non-touch interaction, but doesn’t have a heart rate sensor.

Another attempt at getting fashionable brands in on the smartwatch game.

We’re looking at 1.19-inch circular AMOLED display here at 390×390 resolution, and all three have the same overall case size of 42 mm — but with a narrow 16 mm band. The smartwatch is using identical internals to Android Wear watches from the whole of 2017: a Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, 4GB of storage, Bluetooth 4.1 LE and “24 hours” of battery life — though no mAh capacity was offered at launch.

The one bit of software differentiation that Kate Spade has to offer is a “Choose Your Look” watch face customization app. Right on the watch screen, you can make a custom watch face using classic Kate Spade styling, a variety of color choices and with functions just the way you want them. You can save custom watch faces to return to later, too. It’s a nice little nod to the fashion-forward tendencies of someone who’s buying a Kate Spade watch. This is similar to the recently-launched Michael Kors Sofie watch, with which it shares a striking resemblance.

The smartwatch goes up for pre-order online starting today, and will hit stores starting in early February. Pricing is set at $295 for the leather strap models, and $325 with a metal bracelet. If there’s one thing this watch truly has going for it, it’s the potential to leverage current Kate Spade relationships be in a ton of retail locations.

See at Kate Spade

Press release:

kate spade new york Enters the Touchscreen Smartwatch Market with Playfully Sophisticated, Feminine Style in Exclusive Pre-Sale Beginning Today

“Choose Your Look” Watch App Provides Unparalleled Fashion Customization, Allowing Customers to Live Colorfully Every Day

NEW YORK, NY – January 9, 2018 – Today at CES, kate spade new york announces the debut of the brand’s first touchscreen smartwatch. Available for pre-sale starting today, and launching widely in February, the feminine smartwatches are versatile, multi-functional and playfully sophisticated. The all-new touchscreen smartwatches build upon the existing kate spade new york wearables collection, which also includes hybrid smartwatches designed for women.

The touchscreen smartwatches are available in three styles for her: a rose gold-tone case and bracelet; a rose gold-tone case with a soft vachetta leather strap; and a yellow gold-tone case with a smooth black leather strap. A delicate scallop-patterned case surrounds the full-round 1.19-inch AMOLED display that features 390×390 pixel resolution and an ambient light sensor to enhance battery life. Additional iconic spade detailing on the crown gives these touchscreen smartwatches a distinctly kate spade new york look.

Compatible with both iOS® and Android™ phones, the new kate spade new york scallop touchscreen smartwatches are powered by Android Wear™ 2.0, Google™’s smartwatch platform, and the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ Wear 2100 processor. The smartwatch connects to her phone via Bluetooth technology and offers user-friendly notifications and messaging, downloadable third-party apps, and extra help from Google Assistant. The kate spade new york scallop touchscreen smartwatch also offers the following features:

• Receive notifications directly to your wrist, such as calls, texts, and other alerts
• Download third-party apps through the on-watch Google Play™ Store
• Call up your Google Assistant by pressing the crown or saying “Ok Google;” ask about the weather, set a reminder for happy hour, or get directions
• Track steps, calories burned, distance and more with Google Fit
• Stream your favorite tunes right from the watch, when you are connected to phone or WiFi, with the Google Play Music app

Unique to kate spade new york, the watch includes the “choose your look” watch app. By answering a few simple prompts about the look she’s wearing – including time of day, color of her outfit, tone of her jewelry, and color of her handbag – the watch dial that perfectly complements her outfit will appear.

“The kate spade new york girl is connected at all times. And now, with our ‘choose your look’ watch app, she has access to the most feminine, fashion-forward and customizable smartwatch functionality to-date,” said Mary Beech, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, kate spade new york. “Whether she’s wearing pink, stripes or dots, our scallop touchscreen smartwatch will match her outfit, tying her look together with a unique kate spade new york twist.”

The kate spade new york scallop touchscreen smartwatch also features customizable, animated dials that will delight her as she moves through her day. Winking eyes, falling daisy petals and zooming New York City taxicabs keep up the fun with every step. Lastly, exciting weather effects on the dial let the wearer check to see if the weather is sunny, raining or cloudy in her location.

The touchscreen smartwatch will be available for pre-sale starting January 9 and available in-store and online beginning February 2018.

Razer’s Project Linda turns your phone into a laptop

Razer is trying its hand at the holy grail of mobile computing: your phone is also your laptop.

It’s been the dream of smartphones for well over a decade, and basically every attempt so far has been a failure. Razer is now giving it a shot and, to be honest, Project Linda is the best version of “your phone is also your laptop” that we’ve ever seen. It might even be good enough to actually work.

Let’s just say up front that this is a prototype. Razer likes to do this thing where it rolls out a concept product (like a laptop with three 17-inch 4K displays) to gauge interest and get feedback. Since this isn’t a final or complete product we’re not going to talk too much about specs or price or availability. What Razer Project Linda is, however, is the fullest and best realization of a dream of mobile computing.

Project Linda is a shell for the Razer Phone, turning the high-powered device into an Android laptop. But unlike past attempts at this concept, which have almost universally used a middling laptop design and poor cabled or wireless phone connection, Razer designed Project Linda to accept the Razer Phone into a cavity carved out where a traditional laptop’s trackpad would go. It connects via the USB-C port, with a plug that mechanically (and loudly) sticks into the phone for power and data — and to simply hold it in place. The high resolution display of the phone becomes the trackpad, flanked by a pair of smartphone speakers — that can easily rival most laptops — that are now pointing right at you. There’s even a slot carved out along the front to provide easy access to the phone’s side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

The laptop shell itself is based on the highly regarded Razer Blade Stealth, with a similar compact and spartan design. Project Linda sports a 2560×1440 120Hz 13-inch LCD and a full-sized Razer keyboard complete with customizable Chroma lighting. The laptop shell offers a USB-C port, USB-A (in signature Razer neon green) and a headphone jack, plus 200GB of storage and a large 53.6Wh battery capable of recharging the Razer Phone 3-4 times. It all lands in a package that’s 2.76 pounds.

The software is filled with eye candy, but also concerns over app support.

There’s still a lot for Razer to sort out. We were told that it wants to add touchscreen support as well as HDMI-out for hooking up to even bigger displays. But those things are pretty simple. The bigger hurdle here is the software. Android isn’t very well positioned to make use of a 13-inch display, and just doesn’t offer robust support for this kind of dual-display system, so Razer is having to build that itself with its relatively small Android team. The current concepts that Razer showed us have a more desktop-like interface that makes better use of that extra screen, plus a few ideas that it has for using the Razer Phone’s display as a secondary source of information when you have a wireless mouse connected.

Beyond all of Razer’s own work just to make Project Linda’s core operations a reality, apps (and more importantly for Razer, games) would also need to support the dual-display system. That’s going to require an API from Razer for developers to implement in their apps — a big ask for the small (if dedicated) Razer Phone user base.

That’s assuming that Project Linda ever sees production. Over the years several of Razer’s “Project” concepts have moved into reality, but not all of them make the jump. And if it does, we have no idea what price you’ll be looking at, though knowing Razer and the penchant for going all-out, it won’t be cheap.

When the Razer Phone was announced, its 8GB of RAM seemed like overkill. But when hooked up to a laptop like this with intentions for higher-performance applications, it doesn’t seem so ridiculous now. We want to see this evolve and become a reality.

Project Linda just made the Razer Phone a lot more interesting

What if your phone could become a computer? It’s a question Motorola, Microsoft, HP, Samsung, and Huawei have all tried to answer – and now Razer’s getting in on the fun. While the Razer Phone doesn’t necessarily ring all my bells, it certainly has enough power to bring Project Linda’s laptop to life. With a 13″ display, Chroma keyboard and a battery big enough to charge the phone three times over between top-ups, the Project Linda notebook is plenty compelling – and its ingenious re-use of the Razer Phone’s screen, fingerprint sensor and speakers only reinforce its allure.

But can anyone make the notion of a laptop-smartphone hybrid work in 2018, or is Project Linda doomed to follow Project Valerie into the dustbin of history? You won’t find the answers in the above video, but you will see the coolest smartphone dock of 2018 (so far). Join me for the Project Linda Hands-On!

Stay social, my friends

• YouTube 
• The Web
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Snapchat
• Instagram

Hisense announces two Android TVs with Google Assistant and Alexa

Introducing the H10E and H9E Plus.

Android TV has had a surprisingly big presence at CES 2018, and one of the companies responsible for this is Hisense. Hisense announced a slew of new televisions for its 2018 lineup, and the two highest-end models (the H10E and H9E Plus) are both powered by Android TV as opposed to the much clunkier Hisense OS.

Hisense H10E

Starting first with the H10E, this is Hisense’s most premium TV for the year. It’s essentially a more powerful version of the H10D that came out in 2017, and one of the biggest upgrades comes in the form of its 2200 nits brightness rating compared to the H10D’s 1000 nits. The panel is obviously 4K, and there’s even support for HDR and Dolby Vision.

There’s no word on pricing or availability, but we do know that the H10E will only be available with a 75-inch screen size.

Hisense H9E Plus

As for the H9E Plus, you’ll find a lot of the same here. There’s a 4K panel and Dolby Vision, and you have the choice of either a 55-inch or 65-inch display. Unfortunately, just like the H10E, there’s no word on pricing or availability.

Both the H10E and H9E Plus are powered by Android TV, and as such, you’ve got access to the Google Assistant. However, if just one virtual assistant on your TV isn’t enough, you can also use Amazon Alexa.

Westinghouse has a 43-inch 4K Android TV that costs just $350

Skagen’s first Android Wear smartwatch costs $275

Available soon between $275 and $295 depending on the style you choose.

For a while now, it seems like companies that have the biggest interest in Android Wear are that of fashion brands. Kate Spade recently announced its first Android Wear-powered gadget, and now Skagen is joining the party with its Falster Smartwatch.

Skagen’s released hybrid smartwatches in the past, but this is the first one from the company with a touchscreen. Similar to most all of Skagen’s other products, the goal is to make the Falster Smartwatch as minimalistic as possible. The body is sleek, there’s no flat-tire on the screen, and there’s just one physical button on the right side.

Exact specifications have yet to be announced, but we do know that the Falster Smartwatch will ship with Android Wear 2.0, has support for the Google Play Store, and offers “activity tracking.” The watch will be compatible with Android devices running 4.4 or later, and if you have an iPhone on iOS 9.0 or newer, you’re also in the clear.

Skagen says the Falster Smartwatch will be available for purchase soon, and depending on what style strap and color you choose, the price will range from $275 up to $295.

Kate Spade is the latest fashion brand to launch an Android Wear watch, on sale now from $295

How to make your old Android phone secure against Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities

What you can do to try and keep your data safe from prying eyes.

Worried about the Meltdown and Spectre security flaws, but not ready to buy a new phone just yet? You’re not alone and there are a few things you can do to keep “safer” from exploits on the phone you love (and already paid for).

The first thing you need to know is that both Meltdown and Spectre aren’t anything that has been seen outside of a Google research lab. They’re fairly serious bugs, so you shouldn’t ignore them, but you do need to remember that they were found, patched and then announced by the Project Zero team at Google and not something anyone found through suspicious activity or others using them to hack any data.

Of course, that doesn’t mean nobody will try to use the flaws to hack others, so due diligence is still required.

A software update is the only real fix

Unfortunately, the only way to make your phone inherently secure against side-channel memory exploits is with an operating system update.

Not everyone is ready to install an unofficial OS on their phone, and that’s OK.

For some phones, that’s just not going to happen. Even for phones that were well supported when it came to updates and security patches — once they reach what’s called end-of-life no more are going to come. For Google’s phones that means anything older than the Nexus 6P or Nexus 5X aren’t going to get a patched version of Android. Other companies will have different policies here, and you should check with the company who made your phone if you think it’s new enough to still be supported.

There are other options, though. If your phone has an unlocked bootloader and you’re feeling a bit adventurous you might find a community-built open-source version of Android made for your phone. Nexus phones and Samsung phones are popular models with “good hackers” and oftentimes community software is just as stable and feature-rich as the factory version. Once in a while, even more so.

We’re not going to suggest that everyone try to load an alternative OS onto a phone. but if you have the basic computer know-how to give it a shot head to XDA developers and search to see what might be available.

Search for your phone at XDA Developers’ forums

You’ll find plenty of phones from Google, LG, Samsung, OnePlus, and more listed, and there’s a good chance you’ll find a new OS to install that is patched against Meltdown and Spectre.

The common sense approach

For most people, this is the way to go. Both Meltdown and Spectre are native exploits against computer hardware (remember, your phone is a tiny computer!), but both still require some sort of malware to be installed to do anything.

Thankfully, keeping yourself malware-free isn’t nearly as difficult as some would want you to believe. Make sure you have a lock screen and encryption enabled on your phone so apps can’t do anything while the screen is off, then follow three simple rules:

• Only install software from Google Play
• Read and understand any permissions an app asks for
• Only use a web browser you can trust when it comes to security

The first is easy — stick to Google Play for all your apps. There are plenty of other trusted places to get Android apps, but when it comes to keeping safe from a security issue that’s in the spotlight sticking with Google is the easy way to do it. And while every now and then you’ll hear stories of apps slipping through official app stores from Apple and Google, these are rare instances and don’t discredit the advice that sticking with those official stores is still the best practice. Sticking to Google means you have their tools in your corner, and things like Play Protect are nothing to sneeze at.

App permissions often don’t make sense without some background information. Ask someone to be sure.

Permissions can be a bit more tricky. Apps written for phones running Android Marshmallow or newer will ask you for permissions before they do anything and your phone has a spot in the settings where you can grant or block any app permissions. Software written for older versions will ask you before you install the app, but once you say yes and install it assumes you really meant it and the app can do everything it asked to do (because you said it could!). If you see anything that looks strange when it comes to an app asking to do something on your phone, ask someone why before you say yes. An ounce of prevention and all that …

There’s no easy way to say a web browser is secure when it comes to internet malware. As people learn newer tricks to try and mine your data, web browsers might need to be updated to prevent it. That means the web browser that came with your phone might not cut the mustard here. This is important always, but the side-channel memory exploits used for Meltdown and Spectre could be embedded in a script you run through your browser.

Google and Mozilla are both in front of the Meltdown and Spectre exploits and doing all they can to keep you safe.

We can recommend both Chrome and Firefox for anyone looking for a secure browser that is still feature-rich. Chrome goes the extra step of using Google’s safe-browsing service to filter out any websites that contain malware so you won’t even visit them. Both Chrome and Firefox have announced that they are doing all they can to protect users against Meltdown and Spectre, and the companies behind them — Google and Mozilla — are great at minding the store here.

There are plenty of other web browsers available in Google Play and both user feedback and company announcements can help you see which are ready to protect you against web malware.

Download Chrome from Google Play

Download Firefox from Google Play

You are the weak link

Like all things when it comes to security on our phones and connected gadgets, the user is the most important and most vulnerable part of the picture.

In an ideal world, companies would spend the money and update all of their products whenever something like this happens, but that’s just not going to happen. At least not without some stricter consumer protection laws when it comes to technology. And not everyone can afford to, or even wants to, run out and buy the new thing every year. That means it’s on us once the company who got our money is done supporting a product.

Be mindful of what you install and follow a few sane practices while you use your phone and you’ll be doing all you can to stay safe!

Razer Phone is first to support HDR and Dolby Digital 5.1 on Netflix

Available soon with a future software update.

The Razer Phone’s a pretty mixed bag, but without a doubt, two of its most rewarding features are its display and speaker combo. The 5.7-inch Quad HD LCD display is plenty sharp, and the industry-first 120Hz display is a joy to look at. On the audio side of things, the two front-facing stereo speakers are some of the best you can find on a phone right now.

Thanks to a new partnership with Netflix, these two components are now being used to their full potential to offer the best mobile Netflix experience yet.

As part of a future software update, the Razer Phone will get support for both HDR and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. This marks the Razer Phone as the first mobile device to support both of these standards with Netflix, and the 5.1 rating will work with both the external speakers and the included 3.5mm dongle that’s THX-certified.

Razer hasn’t said exactly when this update will be pushed out, but it should be here sooner rather than later.

Razer Project Linda turns your phone into a laptop