Amazon folds its little-known anime service into Prime Video

Amazon has killed off the anime streaming platform it launched merely a year ago, according to Kotaku, and we’re not exactly surprised. Anime Strike required an additional $5 a month on top of Prime Video membership fees, after all, which might have been a bit too much for subscribers already paying $99 a year. Amazon has already incorporated its shows into Prime Video — yes, including its exclusives — and we’ll bet a lot of people would say that that should’ve been the case from the start.

Strike had exclusives (such as Inuyashiki and Re:CREATORS) you couldn’t find on Crunchyroll and Funimation, but they clearly weren’t enough to convince people to sign up. Fans likely spent their five bucks a month on a Crunchyroll subscription, which had more titles to offer, instead. It also didn’t help that Strike was only available in the US, thereby limiting its potential audience.

Amazon told Kotaku that it has decided to “move the curated catalogs of Anime Strike” to Prime Video “so that more customers can enjoy this content as part of their Prime membership.” It’s unclear if Channels, as paid add-ons on top of Prime Video, aren’t doing well as a whole or if some of them simply can’t get enough subscriptions to continue. Either way, Anime Strike isn’t alone: Amazon has also dissolved its Bollywood platform Heera and has made its shows and movies available on its video streaming platform.

Source: Kotaku

Key CRISPR gene editing methods might not work for most humans

At first glance, CRISPR gene editing looks like the solution to all the world’s ills: it could treat or even cure diseases, improve birth rates and otherwise fix genetic conditions that previously seemed permanent. You might want to keep your expectations low, though. Scientists have published preliminary findings indicating that two variants of CRISPR Cas9 (the most common gene editing technique) might not work for most humans. In a study, between 65 percent and 79 percent of subjects had antibodies that would fight Cas9 proteins.

The potential reaction isn’t shocking. Both Cas9 variants are based on common bacteria, S. aureus and S. pyrogenes, that tend to infect humans. However, that could also produce reactions that would be… unpleasant. At the least, they could “hinder the safe and effective use” of CRISPR to treat disease. And in the worst cases, they could result in “significant toxicity” for patients.

It’s important to stress that the research hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet. Geneticists might not need to go back to the drawing board just yet. But if they do, it gets complicated. While alternatives to Cas9 already exist, scientists would have to find CRISPR approaches that either use bacteria human bodies don’t recognize or else extract cells from the patients themselves. This isn’t the end of the gene editing dream, to be clear — it’s just that there could be much more work to do before human testing goes forward.

Via: MIT Technology Review

Source: BioRxiv

Google is also running customer surveys inside Android Messages — and not just on Pixels

User feedback or user annoyance?

A few days ago we pointed out that Google is running customer surveys in the Pixel 2 XL’s settings page, which turned out to be a pretty polarizing subject. Though it doesn’t seem like many Pixel 2 owners are seeing the settings page survey, some are seeing a very similar one pop up in other Google apps — in this case, the Android Messages SMS client. And not just in Pixels — this particular example is on a ZTE Axon 7.

Somehow a survey inside an app you chose to download is a bit more natural than one in your phone settings.

Unsurprisingly, the dialogue box looks near-identical to the one from the settings page on the Pixel 2 XL, with a similar prompt of a few questions about your satisfaction with Google’s app. On one hand, it feels somehow more … expected to see a survey inside an app that you chose to download, whereas it feels a bit more forced when it pops up in the settings page on your phone.

In either case, I think there could be a more graceful way to ask for feedback than putting a banner in either place — perhaps a regular app notification, or since we’re talking about Google, an email to your registered Gmail account. Regardless, it could easily be seen as a positive that Google’s soliciting feedback on its products and is working to improve them.

Are you seeing customer satisfaction surveys in any other Google apps? Whether you have or not, let us know in the comments how you feel about Google running them!

Epic pins ‘Fortnite’ server woes on Meltdown patches

The Meltdown vulnerability is bound to have far-reaching effects on the computing industry, but it’s having a very tangible effect right now: it’s causing chaos for multiplayer gaming. Epic Games has blamed Meltdown patches for login problems and downtime in Fortnite, pointing to the increased processor use at the third-party cloud services the battle royale game needs to run. There may be other “unexpected issues” over the next week as other services are updated, Epic said.

The company has promised to do whatever it can to “mitigate and resolve” problems as they come up.

Like virtually every other internet-dependent firm, Epic doesn’t have much choice but to patch Meltdown and accept slowdowns. Even if it were in full control of Fortnite’s cloud services, it wouldn’t want to leave its systems vulnerable to serious attacks. However, this suggests that online game providers (and really, online service providers as a whole) may have to scramble if they want to avoid connection problems and other headaches that come with servers suddenly stretched beyond their limits.

Via: The Verge

Source: Epic Games Forum

LG Display delivers a 65-inch rollable OLED

Four years ago LG Display showed us an 18-inch OLED screen capable of rolling up like a newspaper and promised larger versions in the future. Now it’s delivering, with a 65-inch OLED that’s flexible enough to roll up and store when not in use. Besides this TV and its 88-inch 8K OLED, it’s also back with an upgraded version of its Crystal Sound tech (seen in Sony’s OLED TVs) that embeds speakers directly into the screen. Not only is it ready to embed speakers in LCDs used for desktop monitors and laptops, it’s also going to show off an OLED TV that upgrades over the original’s 2.1 channel audio to 3.1 — no extra speakers necessary.

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

Why is Google taking over Vegas for CES 2018?

Google doesn’t usually have a big presence at CES, but that’s changed in a big way this year. You can’t help but notice that the monorail circling the Las Vegas Convention Center bears huge letters saying “Hey Google!” Just below, Google has set up a huge, multi-story monument to the Google Assistant booth in convention center parking lot. It’s still under construction so it’s hard to say exactly what’s going on in there. (Also, there’s a superfluous spiraling slide on the side of the booth and a weird Google Assistant ball pit game near the convention center’s main entrance.)

Even though Google hasn’t done much at CES in recent years, it makes sense for it to make a big splash this year. (We’ve reached out to the company to ask about its showy CES display this year and will update when we hear back.) Earlier this week, the company announced that it has sold “more than one” Google Home device per second since the Home Mini launched in October. That works out to about 6.4 million Home devices in the last few months — and that’s not including the original Home speakers that’ve been sold since it arrived in the fall of 2016. In fact, Google says it has sold “tens of millions” of Home devices so far.

Google doesn’t typically release hardware sales numbers, but it’s not a stretch to imagine that Google Home is the company’s best-selling hardware product ever. And they’re also in heated combat with Amazon and Alexa for voice assistant dominance. Amazon is still in the lead, but the low-priced Home Mini has undeniably made the Google Assistant a serious competitor to Alexa — not to mention the fact that it’s baked into most modern Android phones now.

With a successful 2017 behind it, Google is using CES to keep the pressure on Amazon going forward. The company probably won’t announce new hardware this week; instead, we’ll hear about new partnerships with third-party hardware makers. Amazon has been doing that with Alexa for a while now, but it’s relatively new territory for the Assistant. Given the huge range of companies here in Vegas, it’s a sure bet that many of them will be highlighting how they’re putting Google’s smarts into their new products.

More smart speakers is a certainty, but CES is above all else a TV show — it wouldn’t be surprising to see TV sets with the Google Assistant built in. Not from Samsung, who will likely continue to push its lesser Bixby voice assistant, but it might make sense for other companies like Hisense, TCL or Vizio to offer a voice assistant built right into their TVs. Some of Sony’s TVs already have the Google Assistant, and LG just announced that some of its 2018 sets would as well. (LG in particular appears to be making a big push on AI and virtual assistant features, judging by the ads up at the convention center, even if Google isn’t mentioned by name.) Google has tried many times to get its software onto the biggest screen in your house (remember the mess that was the original Google TV?), and it seems the Assistant might be the best way to achieve that.

Headphones are another likely area where we’ll see the Google Assistant expand this year. Thus far, there haven’t been too many headsets beyond Google’s own flawed Pixel Buds, but the company did make a big deal out of the Assistant showing up in Bose’s QuietComfort 35 II Bluetooth headphones this fall. We’ll have to wait a few more days to see if any others bake the Assistant into their products — but with Alexa making its way to more headsets, you can be sure Google wants its voice assistant there too.

We can’t forget that every year, CES becomes a bigger showcase for automakers, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Google Assistant show up there as well. Hyundai has already announced it would put the Assistant in its connected cars, and plenty other automakers are using Android Auto. An update to that core software could likely bring forth the full power of the Assistant for drivers.

Having the Google Assistant on more hardware is important, but it’s just as important that it can work with all the other “smart” devices that are making their way into people’s homes. Google says that the Assistant now works with more than 1,500 devices from 225 brands — enough that the average consumer won’t have a hard time finding what they need when upgrading their home. And if there’s one trend that’s been everywhere at CES the last few years, it’s connected home devices. There’s no doubt that many of the ones worth paying attention to will work with Google.

Given that many companies big and small will be talking about the Google Assistant at CES this year, the company probably didn’t need to build a huge playground in the middle of the CES parking lot, or cover the monorail with ads. But, after a 2017 that saw the Google Assistant emerge as a the first real contender to Alexa, the company could start out the year by grabbing all the CES attention for itself. Many of the biggest names in tech don’t go all-in at CES anymore — if Google Assistant (or its bizarre but intriguing edifice in the parking lot) can steal the show, it’ll be the talk of Vegas for the next week.

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

XRP’s value rises amidst rumors that Western Union may adopt the blockchain

The cryptocurrency XRP saw a surge in its price following rumors that Western Union is considering using the blockchain as the basis for its money transfers, Business Insider reports.

Following the news, XRP saw its value rise by 20 percent. Western Union’s stock closed out the day on a five percent rise. However, both companies have declined to confirm the rumors. That being said, Ripple, which owns XRP, and Western Union have worked together in the past. In 2015, the two companies worked to develop a program for distributed payment protocols.

While the collaboration between Western Union and Ripple could not be confirmed, Ripple’s official Twitter account did send out a tweet saying that three major financial firms intended to make use of XRP in 2018. The tweet appears to be in response to a New York Times journalist, who said they were having trouble verifying some of Ripple’s customers.

3 of the top 5 global money transfer companies plan to use XRP in payment flows in 2018. Even more in the pipeline. https://t.co/5JOlxe20Ur

— Ripple (@Ripple) January 5, 2018

If Western Union does go through with its rumored partnership with Ripple, it would be a massive boon to the emerging cryptocurrency. In addition to Western Union, a group of Japanese banks are currently testing Ripple’s blockchain technology for use in money transfers. Meanwhile, England’s Standard Chartered owns part of Ripple.

XRP has been in the spotlight since the end of December, when the coin saw a massive surge in value. While a single XRP only costs $3.10, it remains the second most valuable cryptocurrency, right behind bitcoin, in terms of market capitalization. It is currently worth more than $120 billion. In terms of value for a single token, it still trails behind several rivals including Bitcoin Cash, bitcoin and Ethereum.

Right now, the coin appears poised to continue its upward trajectory particularly given the volatility of bitcoin. However, it remains to be seen whether or not XRP can become a sustainable alternative to traditonal currencies and money transfers.

The currency’s increased fortunes have been particularly good for Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen. He reportedly owns 5.19 billion XRP tokens making his net worth roughly $14 billion.

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Hundreds of robot realtors are helping Bay Area renters find new homes

Some potential renters in California meet an unusual assistant when they show up for a tour of their new dream home — a robot realtor named “Zenny” that gives a tour of the house, wirelessly connected to high-tech property management startup Zenplace.

The Mercury News recently followed one prospective buyer as he checked out a place in Santa Clara. “I wasn’t expecting a robot,” chuckled Gilbert Serrano as he arrived at the two-bedroom rental house. The three-foot-tall robot had an iPad mounted at the top, connected to real estate agent Rabia Levy in her Sunnyvale office. “I’m a person too!” she responded.

Zenplace has hundreds of robots in the Bay Area, and using them for home tours can reduce much of the time agents coordinating and scheduling visits with prospective buyers.

As Forbes notes, rentals have surged in recent years, with 45 million households now tenants. But owning a rental property can be an enormous hassle, with time-consuming challenges such as finding reliable tenants, setting a suitable rent, background and credit checks, leasing paperwork, as well as ongoing property maintenance.

Rahul Mewawalla, the CEO of Zenplace, wants to change all that. He says renting or buying a home should be as easy as scheduling a ride with Uber.

The company is backed by Bay Area investment tycoons, and it uses the latest technology to streamline the process of property management. A.I. machine learning can predict potential problems with rental properties, letting owners be proactive with repairs. The machine learning A.I. can also quickly assess available vendors, both locally and across the nation, to find the most capable and competitive for a specific job.

So, for instance, not only can it tell you a tenant’s dishwasher is likely to fail within the next three months, it can also find a top-rated replacement and a local contractor who will install it.

On the tenant side, Zenplace offers a phone app and supports connected devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Home. Tenants can pay rent, manage utilities, and report issues they’ve encountered.

Not surprisingly, other area realtors are less excited about welcoming their robot overlords. Rick Smith, a real estate broker for more than 30 years, prefers face-to-face interactions. “When you’ve been in the business as long as I have, you often get a gut feeling about someone when you’re sitting across the table from them,” he said.

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See what happens when you leave the room with Haven, Snowden’s security app

Feeling antsy lately? Is there a delivery van idling in your neighborhood every day? Have you noticed men in black suits watching you everywhere you go? Paranoid you’re the target of government surveillance? Depending on your line of work — journalist, activist, government worker — that may actually be true.

There are probably few people on Earth who understand those concerns better than Edward Snowden, the former government contractor who leaked information about the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs. Whatever your opinion is of Snowden, he has become an icon for activists who oppose government surveillance. Most recently, Snowden has worked with an organization called The Guardian Project to create Haven, an app that turns your phone into a personal security device.

Smartphones are chock-full of sensors — including cameras, microphones, gyroscopes, and accelerometers — and Haven uses those sensors to detect disturbances near the phone, alerting you via text. The idea is that you install Haven on a “burner” phone you have lying around, one running Android 4.1 or higher. Once installed, you can set Haven up to detect sound or motion, configuring the levels of detection, and you can use either of the phone’s cameras to record video.

To receive alerts, enter your phone number in the app. If you’re concerned about providing your number, you can always use Signal, which is a security-focused messaging app.

Once that’s finished, leave the phone somewhere you want to watch (maybe looking at a door), then set a countdown so you can leave the room. Once the countdown finishes, the app goes into surveillance mode. If it detects appropriate levels of motion or sound, it will start recording, and send an alert to you. That’s all there is to it!

Keep in mind that the Haven app is currently in beta, so it may not work perfectly, and it’s currently only available on Android devices. If you prefer a more traditional security camera, check out some of our favorites. If you’re concerned about your online privacy, we recommend using a VPN when browsing the internet.

David Cogen — a regular contributor here at Digital Trends — runs TheUnlockr.com, a popular tech blog that focuses on tech news, tips and tricks, and the latest tech. You can also find him over at Twitter discussing the latest tech trends.

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Smartwatches are awesome. So why aren’t they more popular?

The future looked way cooler than it really is.

Officially, Google isn’t finished with Android Wear, and neither are the companies that build watches powered by it. But I’m pretty sure that Android Wear’s time has come and gone.

Barring some major breakthrough that will fundamentally change the way we use the platform, there’s not much more to be done with it. On the technical side, there is a lot of cool stuff that can happen; things like integration with other IoT gear, point-to-point networking, and things that people smarter than me will think up. But to a consumer who has a fistful of money and an itch to buy something really cool, there is not a lot more that can be put on a wrist that’s not already there.

This makes me wonder — why isn’t Android Wear — heck, wearables in general from all companies — more popular than it is?

Don’t get me wrong, I know a lot of people love their smartwatch. Android fans, Samsung fans, Apple fans, that last Pebble fan. There are millions of people who are very happy that they bought a smartwatch, and may even buy another one. Maybe. Millions of anything is not a failure, and I’m not calling Android Wear a failure. But billions of people have a phone. Billions have a traditional computer or laptop. Billions have a TV. When we first heard companies talking about putting a tiny computer on our wrists, the group mind said that billions would buy one. Billions > millions.

New smartwatches do all the things we wanted them to do and don’t suck.

It’s not because they don’t work, either. If you haven’t checked out the latest Android Wear watch, or Samsung Gear or Apple Watch, you should. They do exactly what we all wanted them to do and do it fairly well. At least with no more bugs and technical limitation nonsense than any other tiny computing product.

I have an LG Watch Sport and it can almost replace my phone and makes a great companion product to my phone. Other brands from other companies do the same and while we always want more it’s tough to say that a smartwatch doesn’t do the stuff we expect a smartwatch to do. They even tell time.

The only reason I can come up with is (drum roll) … money. Few people want to spend more than they need to, and I get the feeling that smartwatches are just too darned expensive for a whole lot of people to justify the purchase. Cheaper smartwatches exist, but they will never get much of a following because they just don’t do a lot outside of notifications, and for a thing that only tells you when you have a message they are probably too expensive for a lot of people, too.

Are smartwatches too expensive, or do they just not do enough to make us want them?

This is a big nasty Catch-22 situation because if you make a product that can be a tiny phone, a fitness tracker, an authentication device, a music player, and everything else a good smartwatch can do you spend a lot of money doing it and need to charge a lot of money for it. Then when people see it on a shelf or online store they balk at the price. I don’t how you go about fixing that or even if you can. Hey, I’m good at tearing gadgets apart, programming stuff and playing Skyrim. I leave economics to the professionals.

Maybe I’m wrong and it’s not the price, or maybe I’m completely wrong and a gazillion people got a smartwatch as a gift last month. So I’m going to ask you — why do you think wearables didn’t take off and become the new thing nobody can live without? Take a minute and let me know what you think because this is one of those things I think about when I can’t sleep and would love to have a reasonable explanation for.

Until next time.