Google Assistant will expand to 38 countries and 17 languages in 2018

A lot more people will soon be able to use Google Assistant.

The Google Assistant is something I regularly use every single day, whether it be on my Pixel 2, Pixelbook, or Google Home. While the Assistant has expanded to a lot of different hardware since its launch, the same hasn’t exactly been true for worldwide availability. However, it looks like this will soon be changing.

During a recent Digital News Initiative Summit that was held in Amsterdam, Google announced that the Assistant was expanding to a lot more countries later in 2018. The photo in the Tweet below shows which countries the Google Assistant is currently available/coming soon (the areas in blue), and as such, we can see that the Assistant will be made available in the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and others.

Voor het eerst officieel uitgesproken door Google: Google Assistent komt dit jaar naar Nederland (we zijn blauw op de kaart!) #dnisummit #dni2018 pic.twitter.com/fYyU12FWpD

— Elger van der Wel (@elger) February 15, 2018

The Google Assistant will be expanding to a total of 38 countries (bringing the total number up to 52), but there are some notable exceptions from the list such as Denmark and Austria. In addition to the new countries, Google also plans to support new languages — including Russian, Dutch, Arabic, and Indian.

There’s currently no time frame as to when these expansions will roll out, but we’ll be sure to keep an eye on things as the year goes on.

Google Phone v17 introduces chat heads feature during calls

Researchers use CRISPR to detect HPV and Zika

Science published three studies today that all demonstrate new uses for CRISPR. The gene editing technology is typically thought of for its potential use in treating diseases like HIV, ALS and Huntington’s disease, but researchers are showing that applications of CRISPR don’t stop there.

The first study comes from the lab of CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna. Her team discovered that a CRISPR system different from the CRISPR-Cas9 one we’re used to hearing about can not only snip away specific bits of double-stranded DNA, but can then also cut single-stranded DNA that’s near it. After they uncovered this ability of CRISPR-Cas12a, they used it to detect two common types of HPV. Once their CRISPR-Cas12a system detected HPV DNA in infected cells, it cleaved a another piece of DNA that then released a fluorescent signal, providing a visual sign of the presence of HPV. The researchers dubbed the system DETECTR and The Verge reports that it takes around an hour to work and costs less than a dollar.

The lab of another CRISPR pioneer, Feng Zhang, has now improved on a previous system it developed last year. SHERLOCK, as it’s called, can detect specific bits of DNA and RNA to determine whether viruses like Zika or dengue are present in a blood sample, identify mutations in tumor DNA and spot the presence of harmful bacteria. In their latest study, the research team describes SHERLOCK version 2.0, which is not only over three times as sensitive as the first version, but can also detect both Zika and dengue in the same sample. Their system uses several CRISPR enzymes, including Cas13 and Csm6, and can be loaded onto a paper strip, making it incredibly easy to use. You can see examples of the strips in the GIF below. Jonathan Gootenberg, one of the authors of the study, told The Verge, “The fact that we can put all these different enzymes into a single tube and have them not only play nice with each other, but also tell us information we couldn’t get otherwise — that is really spectacular and it speaks to a lot of the power of biochemistry.”

Lastly, Harvard University’s David Liu published a study showing that CRISPR can be used to track certain ongoings in a cell. Seeing what a cell has been exposed to in the past has been a rather hard thing to do, but CRISPR systems provide a way for researchers to do just that. Liu’s team used CRISPR in two different ways to record when a cell was exposed to certain chemicals. In the first, CRISPR was used to snip bits of DNA called plasmids if it came in contact with a particular chemical, such as an antibiotic or a nutrient. By comparing the ratio of the plasmid types that were destroyed by CRISPR to other, similar plasmids that were left alone, the researchers were able to determine just how often the cells were exposed to those chemicals. Another version of the system changed individual letters, or bases, of DNA rather than snipping plasmids and the team was able to determine when cells were exposed to antibiotics, nutrients, viruses and light by examining those changes in the DNA bases.

While all three of these systems need further development before they can be used outside of the lab, they show that CRISPR has quite a lot of uses, beyond just treating disease. The technology is incredibly versatile and we’re sure to see even more applications going forward.

Image: Zhang Lab, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Via: The Verge

Source: Science (1), (2), (3)

The wood-protecting HomePod accessories are already here

Apple launched its not-so-smart speaker HomePod last week, and it’s already suffered a social kerfuffle when users discovered that the device leaves a ring-shaped mark on wooden furniture. Well, find a problem and the peripheral market will rush with a solution: Coasters and stands are popping up to save wooden desks and tables.

Apple peripheral maker Pad & Quill has a new coaster made with ‘American Full-grain leather’ it’s selling for $20, though you could just buy one (or a set) with the same 4-inch dimensions on Amazon. If you wanted a more robust solution, MERES is selling both a regular aluminum stand for and one that’s wall-mountable for $43. All could, in theory, protect your wooden furniture, assuming you don’t have a plastic table or granite countertop to rest your HomePod instead, since users haven’t reported it marking up on any other material.

Source: Apple Insider

FedEx left sensitive customer data exposed on unsecured server

It seems like there’s no end to the data breach stories. Uber covered their problem up, then had to answer to Congress. Equifax’s initial response to its massive data exposure added its own security issue. Federal employees were even found stealing data from Homeland Security. Now FedEx customer records — including passports, drivers licenses and other security IDs — have been exposed, according to security researchers at Kromtech.

Apparently, FedEx bought Bongo International in 2014, then rebranded it as FedEx Crossborder (which was itself shut down last year). The exposed data were reportedly stored on an unsecured Amazon S3 virtual server that belonged to Bongo, and included records from a period of 2009 – 20012, according to Kromtech, who own MacKeeper Security. Once the company connected with ZDNet’s Zack Whittaker, who did some digging, the exposed server was removed from public access entirely. Still, that means all these records have been available for a long time.

“After a preliminary investigation,” FedEx told ZDNet, “we can confirm that some archived Bongo International account information located on a server hosted by a third-party, public cloud provider is secure. The data was part of a service that was discontinued after our acquisition of Bongo. We have found no indication that any information has been misappropriated and will continue our investigation.”

Via: Gizmodo

Source: Kromtech

Apple renews ‘Carpool Karaoke’ for second season

Born out of a recurring sketch appearing on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Apple’s Carpool Karaoke: The Series seems to be resonating with subscribers of Apple Music. Today during an investor call, CBS (the producer of the show) announced the show would return for a second season.

Carpool Karaoke: The Series is only available via an Apple Music subscription ($9.99 a month) and puts teams of celebrities in cars to sing along to their favorite hits. The first season paired up Alicia Keys and Chrissy Teigen’s husband John Legend, Shaquille O’Neal and John Cena, Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith and even James Corden (whose show the segment appeared on) appeared in two episodes: One with Will Smith, the other with Lebron James.

No word on who will be guest starring next season or when it will be available via the music subscription service. But, we’re really hoping for a Run the Jewels episode where they sing Queen songs.

Via: Variety

Shazam for iOS Gains Revamped Interface, Real-Time Lyric Syncing Feature

Shazam, which Apple is in the process of acquiring, was today updated to version 11.7.0, introducing several major new features.

When a song is Shazamed, the result is now displayed with the song’s name and an image of the performing artist, rather than the previous cluttered interface with large links to YouTube, Apple Music, and more.

You can access additional information on a Shazamed song by tapping on the artist’s image for details or by using the small bubble buttons displayed at the top and bottom of the app’s redesigned track-result menu to get to Apple Music, lyrics, videos, and more.

On this same screen, there’s a new one-tap “Add To” button that will automatically add a song to an Apple Music or Spotify playlist.

There’s also a new Lyric Syncing feature, which is designed to display a song’s lyrics in real time as the music plays in the Shazam app, highlighting each line right as it’s sung.

Your Shazams have a new look!

Once you’ve named that tune, you’ll see a brand-new song page with the following features:

– Lyric Syncing: Belt it like you wrote it! With our new lyric-syncing, you’ll see a song’s lyrics in real time, enabling you to not just sing along to any song you Shazamed but finally master those words.

– Streamlined Results: Now when you Shazam a song, you’ll get the results and one big photo of the artist behind it–perfect for focusing on the music you were looking to discover in the first place. For more info, simply tap on the artist photo.

– Everything In Its Right Place: We’re excited to introduce an all-new track-result menu that makes it easy to view song lyrics, artist videos, updates and more in a single tap. Or swipe.

– Faster Playlisting: Connected to Apple Music or Spotify? ‘Add to’ playlist now takes one less tap. Simple!

As MacStories points out, Shazam has continued to receive regular updates since Apple’s acquisition of the service was announced, suggesting Apple plans to continue to keep Shazam around as a standalone service for the foreseeable future.

Apple’s acquisition of Shazam has not yet been finalized, however, so we could still see changes when the deal is done.

Last week, the European Commission announced that it has accepted requests from Austria, France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and Spain to assess Apple’s acquisition of Shazam.

Tag: Shazam
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Skagen Falster review: the prettiest Android Wear watch comes with some caveats

Smartphone manufacturers might be taking a break from making new Android Wear devices, but that doesn’t mean the platform is dying — not by a long shot. As one of Android Wear’s biggest supporters over the past few years, Fossil has been quite vocal in its commitment to the platform.

Iconic Fossil brand Skagen revealed its very first touchscreen smartwatch at CES this year. It’s one of the most minimalistic Android Wear watches to date, both aesthetically and in its feature set. That’s why it might not be for everyone.

Review notes: I’ve been using the Skagen Falster on a regular basis for over two weeks, running Android Wear version 2.8.0 on the November 6, 2017 security patch. The Google Pixel 2 XL has been my smartphone companion of choice for the duration of this review.Show More

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Skagen Jorn Hybrid review – do smartwatches still matter?

When I was in New York City celebrating my birthday a few weeks ago, I decided to treat myself to a hybrid smartwatch that I’ve had my eye on for quite a while. I have to …

Like Skagen’s non-smart watches, the Falster is understated, simple, and gorgeous. Its simplicity is reminiscent of the first-generation Moto 360, and it succeeds in not looking too much like a smartwatch.

That’s partially thanks to the full-round OLED display, which is surrounded by an IP67-rated, 42 mm stainless steel watch casing. There’s also an ambient light sensor around the display, which means there’s no flat tire to be seen. The display is bright, crisp, and easy to see both indoors and out.

The 42 mm case will fit well on most average sized wrists, and the 12 mm thickness of the casing means it’s not too bulky. It feels like you’re wearing a normal, analog watch.

On the right side of the case sits a single button, which is my favorite part about the Falster aside from the minimalistic design of the watch. It gives you a bit of resistance when pressed, almost like you’re pressing down on a spring. This level of quality is found in most aspects of the watch. It’s clear Skagen spent most of its time on making the Falster’s hardware top notch.

It’s clear Skagen spent most of its time on making the Falster’s hardware top notch.

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Best smartwatches (February 2018)

Smartwatches are still a very new thing to a lot of people, and for good reason. You don’t absolutely need one to get through the day, and some of the best smartwatches are much too expensive …

The button is great, until you realize it isn’t a rotating dial. If you’ve ever used the dial on the LG Watch Style or the digital crown on the Apple Watch, you know how nice it is to scroll through menus without having to gunk up the watch screen with your finger.

The Falster is available in four different styles — black leather, brown leather, steel mesh, and rose gold mesh. If you’d like to switch up the look of your watch at any point, you can swap out the strap with another 20 mm watch strap, too.

Skagen’s included watch faces all share a similar look — minimal, sleek, and modern. I’m partial to the simple default digital watch face, and all included faces can also be customized with different colors and shortcuts.

Performance is one of this watch’s strongest qualities — I’ve noticed little to no lag throughout the entire review period.

Under the hood, the Falster is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip, which also powers most modern Android Wear watches. Performance is one of this watch’s strongest qualities — I barely noticed any lag throughout the entire review period.

It won’t last multiple days on a single charge, so you’ll need to charge it every night. I haven’t once been able to kill the battery in a day, but I usually take it off at night with around 15-25 percent battery remaining.

But what Android Wear watch actually lasts that long? At least this one’s got a cute little animation that plays when you place the watch on the magnetic charger.

Skagen didn’t get everything right on the hardware front, though. The company didn’t find it necessary to include some of the best features found on other Android Wear devices. It doesn’t have an NFC chip, so you can’t use Google Pay. It doesn’t have a built-in GPS or heart rate monitor, so navigation and activity tracking are out of the question. There’s no LTE connectivity either, which means you need to stick around your phone or your saved Wi-Fi network to get a connection. These things aren’t completely necessary in a smartwatch, but any one of them might be a make-or-break feature for some people.

The smartwatch is powered by the latest version of Android Wear, 2.8.0. That means you get access to the system-wide dark theme, better notification glanceability, plus all the other great Android Wear features like Google Assistant, the ability to delete or reply to messages, and much more. As with every Android Wear device, you can also download any third-party watch app or watch face that you’d like.

The Falster is only for a certain user. It’s not for technology nerds who want to pay for things with their wrists or answer calls without taking out their phone. It’s for people who want a smartwatch but don’t want to sacrifice aesthetics.

This simple, no-frills Wear watch is pricey. The leather band versions currently go for $275, while the mesh band options are $295. That’s a high price tag for a smartwatch that doesn’t have many advanced features, but at least it has its looks.

Would you buy this watch, or would you pass? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Next: Your guide to fashion smartwatches

Wirecutter’s best deals: Save $40 on the Logitech Harmony Elite remote

This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.

Logitech MX Master 2S Wireless Mouse

Street Price: $95; Deal Price: $80

Back on sale at $80, this matches the lowest price we’ve seen on the Logitech MX Master 2S, our upgrade wireless mouse pick. The successor to the beloved MX Master mouse is great itself, though one thing usually not so great is the cost, typically around $95. This deal drops it significantly lower, and if you use a mouse all day every day, at this price it’s worth a look.

The Logitech MX Master 2S is our upgrade pick in our guide to the best wireless mouse. Justin Krajeski and Kimber Streams wrote, “If you use a mouse for hours every day, we recommend the Logitech MX Master 2S Wireless Mouse for about $100. It’s expensive, but its comfortable design, excellent thumb rest, and smooth tracking on every surface (even glass and mirror) make it a pleasure to use for long periods of time in most situations. The Master 2S can also pair with up to three Bluetooth devices simultaneously; and it has six buttons that can be customized using the Logitech Options software, a scroll wheel toggle, and a second programmable scroll wheel for your thumb. Plus, it has a rechargeable battery that Logitech says will last 70 days on a single charge, and our testing so far supports this claim.”

AmazonBasics AAA Rechargeables 8-Pack

Street Price: $10; Deal Price: $9

We recommend the AmazonBasics AAA batteries because of their solid performance for the value they offer. Right now, they’re an even better value at $9 for a pack of 8, the lowest price we’ve seen for them. While this isn’t much less than they usually go for, it’s still notable in that it’s the first drop of any significance we’ve seen in a while and a new low– we aren’t likely to see them any lower.

The AmazonBasics AAA Rechargeable Batteries are our AAA pick in our guide to the best rechargeable batteries. Mark Smirniotis wrote, “If you need rechargeable AAA batteries, you should buy the AmazonBasics, or really just whatever reputable brand is the cheapest when you need them. We performed our standard bench tests on the leading AAA batteries, and even subjected them to advanced headlamp-and-watermelon tests, and still found no statistical difference in their initial capacity, their capacity after 50 cycles, or how they handled a common use like powering a headlamp.”

Anker PowerPort Wireless 5 Stand

Street Price: $27; Deal Price: $22

At $22, this is $5 off the typical price of the Anker PowerPort Wireless 5 Stand. If you’re seeking a stand Qi charger that performed as well as our top picks at a lower cost, this is a solid option. It’s been $27 for as long as we’ve been tracking it, so it’s a nice bargain, so long as you’re fine using an existing AC wall adapter (as it doesn’t come with one).

The Anker PowerPort Wireless 5 Stand is our inexpensive Qi charging stand pick in our guide to the best Qi wireless charger for iPhone and Android phones. Nick Guy wrote, “If our picks are out of stock, if you want to spend a little less, or if you prefer something with a less obvious status light, Anker’s PowerPort Wireless 5 Pad and PowerPort Wireless 5 Stand are great options, though you’ll have to provide your own AC adapter. In our tests they charged iPhones at the same rate as our Samsung picks and charged the Galaxy S8 as fast or faster, but they’re generally a few dollars less expensive. Both come with Micro-USB cables, but neither comes with an AC wall adapter, so you’ll need to use the charger that comes with your phone or tablet or buy one separately. Light-sensitive sleepers will appreciate the small blue charging-indicator lights, which you can easily cover.”

Harmony Elite Universal Remote

Street Price: $290; Deal Price: $250

If you’re looking for a touchscreen device with AV and smarthome functionality, the Harmony Elite is a nice option. Our luxury upgrade pick in our guide the best universal remotes, it typically goes for between $280 and $300. It’s been hitting the $250 mark every now and then since late November and is back to that price. As we’ve never seen it lower than $240 new, it’s still a solid deal at this price.

The Harmony Elite Universal Remote is our pick for serious home theater enthusiasts and smart home tinkerers in our guide to the best universal remote control. Darryl Wilkinson and Grant Clauser wrote, “If you need the Companion’s level of control, ease of programming, vast control database and smart activity-based systems but still want a touchscreen or want to add even more devices to better integrate your smarthome into your system, the Harmony Elite is your remote. Another Hub-based Harmony, it adds a touchscreen and support for up to 15 devices to the Companion’s specifications, giving home theater enthusiasts and smart home experimenters maximum flexibility.”

Because great deals don’t just happen on Thursday, sign up for our daily deals email and we’ll send you the best deals we find every weekday. Also, deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go here.

Amazon confirms Jeffrey Tambor won’t return to ‘Transparent’

Jeffrey Tambor’s role in Transparent has been in limbo for months following sexual harassment allegations, but there’s no ambiguity now: he’s out. Amazon has confirmed that Tambor won’t return to the series following an internal investigation into his conduct. Tambor had denied claims of intentional harassment and argued that the “politicized atmosphere” made it impractical for him to come back, but he had never gone so far as to formally depart.

Tambor had come under fire in November 2017 after actresses Van Barnes and Trace Lysette accused him of harassment that included lewd remarks and “physical” actions. Other members of the cast and crew later supported the allegations. While Tambor acknowledged that he could be “volatile and ill-tempered,” he maintained that he didn’t set out to harass anyone.

Transparent will continue — work had started on writing out Tambor’s once-central character shortly after the allegations reached the mainstream. Show creator Jill Soloway didn’t discuss how the show would continue in a statement following Tambor’s official exit, but did say the crew was taking “definitive action” to create a more respectful work environment.

Much like Netflix and House of Cards, Amazon is attempting a delicate balancing act where it addresses serious claims against a lead actor while preserving an important show. Both companies took action soon after learning of the allegations and are determined to carry on. However, it’s unclear whether or not they’ve done enough to discourage harassment in the future.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

How to turn on Bluetooth in Windows

One of the easiest ways to connect a peripheral to a Windows PC is via Bluetooth. Whether it’s a mouse, a keyboard, a speaker, or something else entirely, it’s easy to pair and connect via Bluetooth and performance has significantly improved over the years. Not all Windows PCs come with Bluetooth out of the box, but Bluetooth dongles are inexpensive to purchase and easy enough to install.

At the same time, Bluetooth isn’t free in terms of battery life, which can be a concern when you’re working on a notebook away from a power supply, and there are some security risks involved with leaving Bluetooth turned on. Fortunately, managing Bluetooth is a relatively trivial matter, and here are some quick instructions how to turn on Bluetooth in Windows.

Method 1: Windows Settings

Before you can start using a Bluetooth device, you’ll need to get things configured first. That means taking a trip to Windows settings, which means the Control Panel on Windows 7 and the Settings app on Windows 10.

Windows 10

Step 1: On Windows 10, you’ll want to open the Action Center and click on the “All settings” button. Then, go to Devices and click on Bluetooth on the left hand side.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Step 2: There, just toggle Bluetooth to the “On” position. Once you’ve turned Bluetooth on, you can click “Add Bluetooth or other devices.” Click on “Bluetooth” and Windows 10 will start searching for Bluetooth devices.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Step 3: Assuming you kicked off your Bluetooth device’s its pairing mode, you’ll see it show up in the list of available devices. Select it and then continue as instructed. Once you’ve connected the device, it will show up in the list of connected peripherals.

Windows 7

Usually, once a Bluetooth adapter is installed and configured on a Windows 7 system, then it’s automatically turned on and ready to use. In some PCs, for example a notebook with built-in Bluetooth, there might be a keyboard shortcut that will turn Bluetooth on or off, or an icon might be present in the system tray that will perform the same function.

Also, different PCs and Bluetooth adapters may come with utilities for connecting to a Bluetooth device. Generally, however, you can usually click the Start button and then right-click on  select “Devices and Printers.” Select “Add a device,” select it, and click “Next.” Alternatively, you can open the Control Panel and access “Hardware and Sound” and then “Devices and Printer” to get started. Again, follow the instructions to pair your device.

Method 2: Click the Bluetooth button in the Action Center

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

One Windows 10, Bluetooth can be easily toggled on and off simply by opening the Action Center and clicking the Bluetooth button. The button is the one with the Bluetooth icon, along with the label “Not connected” if you’re not currently using a Bluetooth device or an indication of a primary device that is currently attached and in use. If the button is greyed out, then Bluetooth is turned off.

Once you’ve paired a Bluetooth device with your Windows PC, it should automatically connect whenever both are turned on and within range. As mentioned earlier, when you’re not actively using Bluetooth you can toggle it off to save some battery life and remove on potential avenue for attack by nefarious parties.

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