A 3D-printed single sidewall give Capita’s Spring Break snowboards an edge

For this winter’s Outdoor Retailer show in Denver, Digital Trends teamed up with The Manual to crown the greatest outdoor gear as our Best Of Show winners, along with four awards going to the most innovative products. Head on over to The Manual to see the complete Outdoor Retailer Awards.

Who said 3D printing was just for prototypes?

Snowboard manufacturer Capita is using a 3D printing approach called Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) to craft snowboard sidewalls that are stronger and less wasteful than the old approach. The process allows the snowboard manufacturer to essentially cut a single piece of sidewall with a custom machine and connect it to the board’s wooden core. Capita’s new core tech — which will first appear in its Spring Break line of snowboards — could represent a major shift in the company’s construction philosophy. And one that nabbed a Digital Trends Innovation Award.

More 2018 Outdoor Retailer Award Winners

LifeStraw Lead

686 Hydrastash Jacket

Spy Ace EC goggles

Check out more award winners on The Manual

The technology is a significant detour away from long-standing techniques which required milling a wood core and attaching four separate pieces of ABS plastic — a process that takes time and creates a large amount of waste. Although a few companies have attempted to address the issue via urethane resin sidewalls (which indeed streamline the process), the durability of the cores was typically sacrificed using this method.

Capita’s new patented technology — dubbed “FUS3D” — uses an exceptionally strong recyclable thermoplastic sidewall that increases the board’s durability when connected to the wooden core. Additionally, the tech makes the core more flexible and responsive, giving it performance benefits on top of extending the life of the board. For riders who log 80 or more days on the mountain in the winter, this aspect is critical.

Look for FUS3D sidewalls in Capita’s uber-popular Spring Break powder series this year, and all of them next season. And exxpect other snowboard companies to adopt a similar 3D-printed approach to sidewall construction in the wake of Capita’s success.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best snowboards you can buy
• Ditch the backpack and ride with 686’s Hydrastash jacket to stay hydrated on the slopes
• Outdoor Retailer Winter 2018 Innovation Award: Capita Spring Break Line
• Hikers can keep things light with BlackYak’s 70-gram Emergency jacket
• Microsoft continues its assault on Chromebooks with affordable PCs

Deal: HTC U11 available for $549 ($100 off) February 1 to 15

You can also get the UA HealthBox for just $99 when buying a U11 or U11 Life.

HTC often runs some sort of sale with each major holiday, and just in time for Valentine’s Day, the company has announced its latest promotion.

There are two deals to keep an eye on this time around, and the most notable of the two is a $100 discount on the HTC U11. This brings the U11’s price down to just $549, and while that’s still not technically cheap, it’s a more than fair price for one of 2017’s most underrated phones. The deal is available on all models of the U11 (including the striking Solar Red option), and if you purchase it through HTC Financing, you’ll pay just $23/month for 24 months with a 0% APR.

If you decide to pick up the U11, HTC will also let you buy the Under Armour HealthBox for $99.

The UA HealthBox may not be the newest fitness tracking system on the market, but it includes a fitness tracker, smart scale, and chest-mounted heart-rate monitor. All of the data that these devices collect is synced to the Under Armour Record app, and while the HealthBox was a large pill to swallow at its original price of $399, it’s a steal for $99. In addition to the U11, you can also buy it at this price if you also purchase the more affordable U11 Life.

HTC’s Valentine’s Day sale begins on February 1 at 12:01 AM EST and ends February 15 at 11:59 PM PST.

See at HTC

HTC U11

• HTC U11 review
• HTC U11 specs
• Manufacturing the U11: Behind the scenes
• Join our U11 forums
• HTC U11 vs Galaxy S8
• HTC U11 vs LG G6

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Audio controls for PlayStation 4: What you need to know

Trying to figure out how to adjust your audio settings on PS4? We have you covered.

We are living in a post manual world. Long gone are the days where you would pull a phone book sized document out of the packaging of your new piece of technology and read it in its entirety before you even thought about plugging in your device. If you’re anything like me, if there is a manual it gets immediately tossed aside in favor of playing around with your new toy until you have all of its functions sorted. If you’re anything like my father, then you call me and ask me questions about your Blu-ray player until I am completely exasperated and dumbfounded that you can’t recognize the international symbol for pause even though it’s been around since the 60’s!

Pardon me. This isn’t a letter to my father. This is an article about how to adjust the audio settings of your PlayStation 4. There are quite a few audio settings for the PS4 which are not entirely obvious when you first take it out of the box. Getting your audio settings just the way you like them can make your gaming experience just that much better.

Let’s get started!

Adjusting your headphone volume

Adjusting the volume on your TV is simple but setting the volume on your headphones takes a little navigation. Here’s how to do it.

From the main menu, go to Settings

Select Devices

Go to Audio Devices

Scroll down to Volume Control (Headphones). From here you can set your volume until it’s just right.

Adjusting your microphone volume on your headset

You will go to the same menu as you did to adjust your volume.
Settings > Devices > Audio Devices

From the Audio Devices menu, select Adjust Microphone Level.

Adjust the volume slider until your Input Volume is in the Good range.

Choose what you hear in your headphones

Perhaps you only want to hear the in-game chat in your headphones and you want all other audio to go through your speakers. Here’s how to do that.

You will go to the same menu as for the last two entries.
Settings > Devices > Audio Devices

Choose Output to Headphones

You can now choose to send All audio to your headphones or only the Chat Audio.

Disable automatic output switching.

Out of the box, when you plug in a pair of headphones, the audio will automatically switch to output to your headphones. If you want to disable this function, here’s how you do it.

Yet again, you will go to the previously mentioned menu
Settings > Devices > Audio Devices

From the Audio Devices menu, move down to Switch Output Device Automatically and uncheck the box.

Disabling system music

I have had mine turned off for so long that I forgot about the music that plays in the background in all the PS4 menus. If you find that music as annoying as I did, here’s how to turn it off.

From the settings menu, go to Sound and Screen

Scroll down to System Music and uncheck the box.

Hopefully, this should make your PS4 audio experience just a little bit better.

Is there another audio setting you’re looking for that you can’t find? Let us know!

Why are we talking PlayStation 4 on Android Central? Let us explain.

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

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Samsung Galaxy Note 9: The top 5 features we want to see

We’re in the middle of Galaxy S9 hype season right now — and that’s all well and good — both the S9 and S9 Plus look pretty great so far.

But we’ll have to wait a few more months for the most interesting Samsung phone of 2018 — the Galaxy Note 9.

That’s because the Note line could experience something of an existential crisis this year, as Samsung once again tries to figure out what makes a Note worth the money in a world that also contains a “plus” model Galaxy S.

We did this same dance back in 2017 and the answer was: Well, the Note gives you an S Pen, some subtle spec upgrades and a second camera…. and not a whole lot else. Samsung could do the same in 2018 and it’d probably be fine in the short term. Add a couple extra gigs of RAM, maybe three cameras instead of two…

But in the long term Samsung needs a more radical approach, which is what I want to see with the next in the Note series. Check out our video for the top five Note 9 features to look for later this year.

• Android Central on YouTube
• Should you buy the Note 8, or wait for the Note 9?
• Our Galaxy Note 8 review
• Galaxy S9: What we know so far

Every PlayStation 4 game coming out in February 2018

What PlayStation 4 games are coming out in February?

There are some pretty amazing titles for the PlayStation 4, and we’re here to keep you updated on all the new ones! Be sure to check in with us once a month to see what new titles you should be expecting or excited for!

Notable release this month

Here’s what we’ve found so far!

Shadow of the Colosuss

We all remember playing the original release of this game on our PlayStation 2’s back in the winter of 2005. Now you get to relive those memories of hot chocolate and breathtaking views as you immerse yourself back into the magical world Shadow of the Colosuss has to offer. The game will be dropping very soon on February 6th, so get your pre-orders in and prepare for battle. Bluepoint Games and JAPAN Studio have remade this experience by every pixel not only to bring you better visuals, but better performance on the PlayStation 4.

See at Amazon

Rad Rodgers

Interceptor Entertainment, 3D Realms, THQ Nordic are bringing us a new platform game. The trailers are taking me back to Rayman, which makes sense considering their inspirations were titles such as Commander Keen and Conker. Rad Rodgers will be released on February 21st to the PlayStation 4, so get ready for a vibrant adventure with your new sass-mouthed robot friend.

See at Amazon

More PlayStation 4 releases

We’ve collected a list of upcoming PlayStation 4 games below. No worries, if any surprise titles pop up we’ll be sure to add it to the list!

• EA Sports UFC 3 (February 2)
• Past Cure (February 2)
• Dragon’s Crown Pro (February 8)
• The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia (February 9)
• Under Night In-Birth Exe:Latest (February 9)
• Crossing Souls (February 13)
• South Park: The Stick of Truth (February 13)
• Dynasty Warriors 9 (February 13)
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance (February 13)
• Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame (February 13)
• Owlboy ( February 13)
• Secret of Mana (February 15)
• Fe (February 16)
• Metal Gear Survive (February 20 )
• The Station (February 20 )
• Symmetry (February 20 )
• Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet (February 23 )
• Immortal Redneck (February 27 )
• Gravel (February 27 )
• Shiny (February 27 )
• For Honor Season 5 – Age of Wolves (February 15 )

Upcoming Downloadable Content

• Discovery Tour by Assassin’s Creed: Ancient Egypt FREE for Assassin’s Creed Origins (February 20 )

What are you playing?

Which PlayStation 4 game are you looking forward to most? Let us know in the comments section!

Updated February, 2017: We will continue to refresh this list at the beginning of a new month to ensure you’re in the know when it comes to the PlayStation games being released soon!

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

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Comcast adds Super Bowl-specific voice cues to Xfinity X1 service

Comcast has been expanding entertainment options Xfinity X1 platform, from fantasy football to Jackbox games on its cable boxes. But in anticipation of Americans’ most entertaining weekend, the company has added new voice commands to help fans catch up on news before — and during — the Super Bowl.

Speaking the words “The Big Game” or “Super Bowl” into the X1 voice remote will bring up a page with postseason news and analysis, comparisons between the Eagles and Patriots teams and highlights from the AFC and NFC championship games. You can even request Super Bowl replays or ask for specific facts (in commands like “Tom Brady vs. Nick Foles”) to bring up comparative info sheets. And if they really want to, fans can use the app mid-game to replay any commercials immediately after they air.

Source: Comcast | Xfinity

Apple Music adds exclusive DJ mixes from Steve Aoki and more

Spotify and Apple Music partnered up with Dubset, a rights-management and distribution platform for DJs and remixers, a couple of years ago. Sony Music and independent record company Merlin also partnered with the company to make sure samples in remixed songs are monetized, as well. Dubset’s MixBANK system makes sure both artists being sampled and those creating mixes get the royalties they deserve. Now, the company is bringing hundreds of DJ mixes to Apple Music, with three exclusive DJ sets from Steve Aoki, Sigala and DJ Suss One.

“How amazing is it to be able to quickly and freely throw together a mix of tracks with no clearances or paperwork required?” said Steve Aoki in a statement. “It’s the dawn of a new era. I can’t wait to see what aspiring DJs and Aoki fans do with my music in their own sets.”

Aoki’s DJ set is an hour and 40-minute retrospective with 27 songs he collaborated on (with artists like Gucci Mane, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty & Migos and Fall Out Boy) between 2011 and 2017. DJ Suss One turns in a 45 minute, 27 song mix called Hip Hop Classics, Pt. 1 and British-based Sigala’s DJ set contains nine songs for 31 minutes of House music. All three mix sets are only on Apple’s streaming service.

AT&T’s big DirecTV Now update arrives this spring

You now have a better idea of when AT&T’s next-gen TV platform will roll out to streamers on a larger scale. Alongside the telecom’s latest earnings, CEO Randall Stephenson has confirmed that the “next-gen” DirecTV Now will launch in spring 2018. The revamp will bring a cloud-based DVR, “3rd-stream” and interface upgrades, Stephenson said. Beta testers have had access since late 2017, but this would mark the formal launch.

The introduction could arrive at a critical time. AT&T added a net 161,000 American video subscribers in the fourth quarter of the year, but that’s only because DirecTV Now racked up 368,000 new subscribers to reach nearly 1.2 million. Do some back-of-the-napkin math and that means AT&T would have lost 207,000 US customers if Now’s numbers had been perfectly flat. The network doesn’t just benefit from internet-only viewers, it needs them.

We’d add that this still puts it ahead of at least some of its rivals. Sling TV is believed to be ahead with more than 2 million subscribers, but Hulu and YouTube TV have ‘just’ a few hundred thousand viewers each. The telecom still has an edge in the streaming TV wars — it’s just a question of whether or not it can keep that lead.

Source: AT&T, (PDF)

Hawaii officials fire officer who triggered false missile alarm

On January 13th, an officer of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) triggered a missile alert that plunged residents statewide into temporary chaos before the alarm was called off as a mistake. While news emerged yesterday that the employee actually believed the attack was real after misinterpreting a message, and therefore didn’t trip the alarm in error, that wasn’t a good enough reason to panic the nation. The officer has been fired and the emergency management leader responsible for the agency, Vern Miyagi, has resigned.

Another unnamed HI-EMA official has quit before facing disciplinary action and a fourth employee was suspended without pay, but it isn’t clear yet what either of their roles were in the fiasco. As state and FCC investigations into the vents of January 13th have revealed, the fired officer wasn’t required to check with a colleague or get managerial approval before sending the emergency blast to mobile phones, TV and radio stations across the state.

There weren’t safeguards in place to prevent one employee from erroneously warning the whole state on their own, an FCC staffer told Time. The test and real alerts used the exact same prompts and language, which ended up confusing the fired officer. Further, the state didn’t have procedures to correct mistaken alerts at all. The messaging disaster served as a grim dry run that revealed a widespread unpreparedness to handle if, and when, this emergency warning system went awry.

This was the sobering lesson the exiting HI-EMA administrator Miyagi left in a statement sent out by the agency on his behalf, which read in part:

“To the people of Hawaii, recent events have cast a bright light on our emergency preparedness, and caused many of you to consider whether you are ready for the emergencies we will surely face. Don’t let that feeling pass without taking action. Here it is from me one last time: Know where to go, what to do, and when to do it. Have a plan. Be safe, and know that whatever happens, good and courageous people will be there to help.”

Via: Gizmodo

Source: Time

Logitech’s HomeKit-Enabled Circle 2 Cameras Gain Notification Snapshots and Subscription Discounts

Logitech today announced the launch of new features for its HomeKit-compatible Circle 2 security cameras via an update to the Logi Circle app.

Notification Snapshots, a new in-app feature, are designed to provide a visual “snapshot” notification of an event whenever motion is detected by the Circle 2 camera.

With this option, you’ll get a visual representation of exactly what triggered the motion detection feature rather than a simple text-based notification that lets you know motion was detected. Snapshots will be sent via push notification and should let you react more quickly to incoming motion detection alerts.

For customers who also subscribe to Logitech’s Circle Safe premium service, Notification Snapshots offer up a zoomed-in view of the object or person that triggered the motion detection based on the Circle’s Person Detection feature.

Enabling Notification Snapshots on existing Circle 2 cameras will require you to download the updated Logi Circle app from the App Store and install a new firmware update from within the app.

Along with new notification features, Logitech is also introducing new Circle Safe Home subscription plans designed for customers with multiple cameras.

Circle Safe pricing starts at $3.99 per month for the basic subscription for a single camera and goes up to $9.99 per month (or $99.99 per year) for the premium subscription, but customers with multiple cameras can now get discounted prices.

For up to five cameras, Circle Safe Basic starts at $6.99 per month or $69 per year, while Circle Safe Premium starts at $17.99 per month or $179 per year.

Circle Safe Basic and Circle Safe Premium allow you to store video in the cloud for a longer period of time and access premium features. Logitech’s cameras, available from Logitech and Amazon for $180, can be used sans subscription, but only 24 hours of video footage is stored in the cloud.

Tags: HomeKit, Logitech, Circle 2
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