Japan’s new symbols for high-tech toilets get official recognition

Screenshot from Kyodo News

For first-time travelers to Japan, sitting on one of its high-tech toilets can be a daunting experience. Press the wrong button and you might receive a powerful jet of water where the sun don’t tend to shine, or possibly a rush of hot air about your nether regions that you really weren’t expecting.

Yes, pressing a button on a Japanese toilet without full knowledge of its function can be a little nerve-wracking at first, especially with all those mysterious noises coming from the bowl as the machinery springs to life. Indeed, if you’re fresh off the plane, the words “brace, brace, brace” could well pop into your head as you tentatively push a button and wait to learn how your undercarriage will be dealt with by Japanese technology for the very first time in your life.

It doesn’t help that different companies use different symbols on their toilets. So just when you think you’ve worked out what each one does, another visit to a different bathroom presents you with the same sweat-inducing challenge all over again.

But, thankfully, this is all set to change.

Toilet makers in Japan last year teamed up to flush away tourists’ confusion by helpfully unifying the symbols on their johns. And we’re delighted to report that those symbols have now been officially recognized by the International Organization for Standardization, the Japan Times confirmed this week.

Representatives from the nine member companies of the Japan Sanitary Equipment Industry Association — Toto, Toshiba, and Panasonic among them — had put forward eight new symbols representing various functions on a computerized toilet. With sales of the high-tech contraptions increasing in markets around the world, it’s hoped the symbols will now become a global standard.

They include opening and closing the lid, raising and lowering the seat, a big flush for more robust deposits, a small flush for liquid deliveries, washing and drying various parts of the body, and, in case you find you don’t know what the hell you’re doing and it all starts to get a bit out of control, a very helpful stop button.

The standardized signs have already started to appear on new toilets, as well as on separate units that fit onto existing toilets. The  unified set of symbols also means guidebooks on Japan will be more likely to publish them, giving visiting tourists the lowdown on how to go through the motions in a calm and relaxed manner. Which is exactly how it should be.

Updated on February 27: Added news of official recognition.

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It’s not about looks — inner beauty will drive mobile sales in 2018

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Despite smartphone sales falling in 2017, market analysis firm the International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that the mobile market will see growth in 2018.

With the debut of some of the most gorgeous looking phones we’ve ever seen, 2017 will go down in history as the year we saw the rise of bezel-less phones, and a new trend in the smartphones. Unfortunately, reports from the tail end of last year told a different story, with sales declining year-on-year for the first time since the inception of the smartphone, as millions chose to go without expensive upgrades to their existing phones.

But according to a report from the IDC, 2018 should see an end to that, with a predicted growth going back to single figures. According to the IDC’s analysis, changes and development in software and components will be the key to continued success in the mobile marketplace, with hardware aesthetics taking a back seat despite rapid and widespread design changes within the industry over the past year. What does that mean in real terms? It seems the IDC is pointing out that people aren’t just looking for a pretty phone, they’re looking for tangible technological advancements, and having marketable advancements in real technology is what’s going to sell phones in 2018.

“Improvements in speed, power, battery life, and general performance will be critical in driving growth at a worldwide level as the smartphone evolves into a true all-in-one tool. Although these types of improvements seem to arrive each year, delivering it more affordably will carry even greater significance to consumers”, said IDC research manager Anthony Scarsella.

Despite the drop in sales within certain markets, it seems that the areas for growth are much the same as they have been for the last few years, with first-time buyers in developing markets being the key areas pinpointed by the reports. The IDC does warn, however, that competition within all areas will continue to grow and adapt, and companies should be ready to consolidate if needed. Strong competition within the Chinese marketplace has already pushed longtime mobile manufacturer LG out of the country, and the IDC is predicting that trend will continue.

Another key area is 5G — the report estimates that support for 5G will grow over the next few years, and 5G smartphones will make up 19 percent of the market by 2019. The IDC has also pushed forward its timetable for phablet-dominance, and expects that 2018 will be the year that phablet sales overtake normal smartphone sales, compared to its previous report that this would occur in 2019.

The IDC also presented its timetable for the next five years, and expects that both Android and iOS will grow by at least 2 percent, while other operating systems will drop by a huge 21 percent, essentially dropping out of the market entirely.

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Watch the world’s largest plane, the Stratolaunch, as it barrels down a runway

Vulcan Aerospace

We may not all be able to become astronauts, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be able to orbit Earth. Here to help bring you closer than you ever thought possible to your childhood dreams is Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the mastermind behind the world’s biggest airplane. The Stratolaunch weighs in at 500,000 pounds, boasts twin fuselages, and a wingspan of 385 feet. And yesterday, Allen posted footage of the monster plane in its latest test as it reached a top taxi speed of 46 miles per hour. It’s still a far cry from what it will ultimately be able to do (which hopefully, will be launching rockets into low-Earth orbit), but it’s a significant step in the right direction.

Captured new video of @Stratolaunch plane as it reached a top taxi speed of 40 knots (46 mph) with all flight surfaces in place on Sunday. The team verified control responses, building on the first taxi tests conducted in December. pic.twitter.com/OcH1ZkxZRA

— Paul Allen (@PaulGAllen) February 26, 2018

Allen’s video captures the Stratolaunch at its new top speed “with all flight surfaces in place,” the entrepreneur captioned his tweet. “The team verified control responses, building on the first taxi tests conducted in December.” And if all continues to go as planned, the plane could take its first test flight in 2019. Once that happens, it may be used to bring rockets into the stratosphere before sending them into space. This method is generally considered a more cost-effective and efficient path to low-Earth orbit, which is what most satellites require.

While there are other projects in place looking to achieve the same end goal as the Stratolaunch, none are looking to do so with quite as much flair. The Stratolaunch, after all, dwarfs just about every other plane currently in existence. Not only is its wingspan about 20 percent greater than the current record holder — the Hughes H-4 Spruce Goose — the plane also has a maximum takeoff weight that far exceeds anything else on the market. At 590 metric tons, this is nearly twice the weight of even the most capable commercial airlines. For reference, the Boeing 747 has a maximum takeoff weight of a mere 300 tons.

Ultimately, Allen’s goal with the Stratolaunch isn’t just to shatter records, but rather to “provide convenient, reliable, and routine access to low-Earth orbit.” Of course, that’s not without its challenges. Aside from the obvious engineering and technological hurdles that come with such a behemoth project, there’s also the gargantuan cost. Back in 2011 when the project was first introduced, the Stratolaunch was slated to cost $300 million. It’s unclear if this is still the case, or if the team has already blown past this original budget.

But regardless of its price tag, it’s certainly a treat to see a machine of this size take to the runway.

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Take a hike, Alexa: Wendy’s a beautiful digital human ready to be your friend

While voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant continue to become more commonplace and find their way into a variety of different devices, there is a growing movement to add artificial intelligence to “digital humans,” or virtual characters that go beyond doing our bidding, and become companions or even friends. Korean technology giant SK Telecom is the latest to experiment with the concept, and demonstrated its HoloBox at Mobile World Congress.

We spoke to SK Telecom and Reality Reflections, the development team behind the digital character inside the HoloBox, to better understand this fascinating, sci-fi-infused future.

HoloBox

The HoloBox looks like a compact, cylindrical fish tank, but instead of water and a few fish, you’ll find Wendy living inside. Wendy is just one of the characters, or digital humans, created by Reality Reflections for the project. She is Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant given form, and will do everything you’d expect from a modern virtual assistant. She appears on a flat, 8.6-inch screen mounted at the rear of the glass cylinder, and is made “real” by a projector mounted just in front of it.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

You’ll find all the usual technology inside the HoloBox, including a front-facing camera, multi-directional microphones, and touch controls on the top. Primarily though, Wendy reacts to your voice — using SK Telecom’s Nugu AI platform — and performs simple tasks, like turning on lights or reminding you of an appointment. It’s really only the beginning of her capabilities.

The HoloBox also fits neatly into SK Telecom’s 5G plans. Generating the holographic character takes a massive amount of visual data — one square centimeter of hologram is about 1GB of data, according to SK Telecom. That cannot be streamed over 4G LTE, but it is possible with 5G’s speed and capacity. The intention is for HoloBox to show how emerging forms of entertainment, from augmented and virtual reality to holograms, can benefit from 5G.

Who is Wendy?

SK Telecom may be using the HoloBox and Wendy to promote 5G and its technology, but like any good human — digital or otherwise — there are other levels to Wendy and her glass home. Reality Reflections built the Wendy character, and see her evolving to become a companion to those living alone. She’s capable of listening, understanding, reacting, and even emoting through her facial expressions. To do this, she has to look just right.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Wendy the digital human is based on Wendy, or Son Seung-wan, a singer in the K-pop group Red Velvet. Digital Wendy is more than just her namesake. Reality Reflections used its massive camera rig consisting of 160 DSLRs to scan Wendy’s face and body to come up with the final digital human we see inside the HoloBox. To render her into a single photorealistic model was a massive undertaking. A scan takes three to four hours to complete, and at least two weeks to create a basic render. To get the desired level of detail in the model can take two or three months.

Beyond the HoloBox

The model inside HoloBox is nowhere near as detailed as it could be. The technology to create such a highly realistic model, and project it in 3D, is beyond the scope of the project. Reality Reflections’ Vice President of Business Development, Don Lim, said he was disappointed that the final version of Wendy didn’t show off the true extent of the team’s hard work, while SK Telecom’s Immersive Labs Manager Gukchan Lim explained that a desire to keep the unit relatively small made the use of 3D projectors impossible.

Watch @R_R_studio’s digital human Wendy leap from the @SKtelecom HoloBox to an AR app. I can’t wait to own one of these devices. Life-changing stuff. #DTMWC pic.twitter.com/LycfixKzvM

— Andy Boxall (@AndyBoxall) February 27, 2018

The trade-off comes when Wendy, or Aria, the other SK Telecom character shown to us, leaps out of the HoloBox and onto your smartphone. Using augmented reality technology, Wendy and Aria can live on your phone to help your through the day. The demo we saw looked great, and the higher-resolution phone screen helped more of the character’s detail show through.

Reality Reflections created another digital human, again based on Wendy, called Zena. This character lives inside virtual reality and can be seen on the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Samsung Gear VR. Zena dances, emotes, and maintains eye contact in VR. The level of realism in her movements is impressive, and evidence of what the firm could do with next-generation holographic hardware.

Living with Digital Humans

It’s not the first time we’ve seen a project like this. Japan’s Gatebox was one of the first to attract mainstream attention, and messaging app Line has expressed considerable interest in pursuing the concept of using digital characters and artificial intelligence to combat loneliness, or to create virtual companions.

Artificial intelligence is making it possible for computers to think and act more like people, and by increasing the visual realism of the character itself, particularly in movements and facial expressions, it’s hoped we’ll be more willing to accept these characters into our lives. Wendy can make more than 100 different expressions and movements at the moment.

Holographic digital humans can be seen as a logical step beyond verbally interacting with a faceless smart speaker, but whether it’s a direction everyone will be comfortable with remains to be seen. The response to Gatebox was split, with many finding it disturbing, and it doesn’t seem like SK Telecom is convinced HoloBox and Wendy will quickly find more favor.

Although we were told the intention is to put HoloBox on sale in the future, it may not be for another year or so before it happens, and that’s a shame. Living with a device like the HoloBox doesn’t have to become a depressing episode of Black Mirror. For us, the concept of having a digital companion is a sci-fi fantasy we can almost truly experience, and HoloBox brings it one step closer to reality.

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Take a hike, Alexa: Wendy’s a beautiful digital human ready to be your friend

While voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant continue to become more commonplace and find their way into a variety of different devices, there is a growing movement to add artificial intelligence to “digital humans,” or virtual characters that go beyond doing our bidding, and become companions or even friends. Korean technology giant SK Telecom is the latest to experiment with the concept, and demonstrated its HoloBox at Mobile World Congress.

We spoke to SK Telecom and Reality Reflections, the development team behind the digital character inside the HoloBox, to better understand this fascinating, sci-fi-infused future.

HoloBox

The HoloBox looks like a compact, cylindrical fish tank, but instead of water and a few fish, you’ll find Wendy living inside. Wendy is just one of the characters, or digital humans, created by Reality Reflections for the project. She is Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant given form, and will do everything you’d expect from a modern virtual assistant. She appears on a flat, 8.6-inch screen mounted at the rear of the glass cylinder, and is made “real” by a projector mounted just in front of it.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

You’ll find all the usual technology inside the HoloBox, including a front-facing camera, multi-directional microphones, and touch controls on the top. Primarily though, Wendy reacts to your voice — using SK Telecom’s Nugu AI platform — and performs simple tasks, like turning on lights or reminding you of an appointment. It’s really only the beginning of her capabilities.

The HoloBox also fits neatly into SK Telecom’s 5G plans. Generating the holographic character takes a massive amount of visual data — one square centimeter of hologram is about 1GB of data, according to SK Telecom. That cannot be streamed over 4G LTE, but it is possible with 5G’s speed and capacity. The intention is for HoloBox to show how emerging forms of entertainment, from augmented and virtual reality to holograms, can benefit from 5G.

Who is Wendy?

SK Telecom may be using the HoloBox and Wendy to promote 5G and its technology, but like any good human — digital or otherwise — there are other levels to Wendy and her glass home. Reality Reflections built the Wendy character, and see her evolving to become a companion to those living alone. She’s capable of listening, understanding, reacting, and even emoting through her facial expressions. To do this, she has to look just right.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Wendy the digital human is based on Wendy, or Son Seung-wan, a singer in the K-pop group Red Velvet. Digital Wendy is more than just her namesake. Reality Reflections used its massive camera rig consisting of 160 DSLRs to scan Wendy’s face and body to come up with the final digital human we see inside the HoloBox. To render her into a single photorealistic model was a massive undertaking. A scan takes three to four hours to complete, and at least two weeks to create a basic render. To get the desired level of detail in the model can take two or three months.

Beyond the HoloBox

The model inside HoloBox is nowhere near as detailed as it could be. The technology to create such a highly realistic model, and project it in 3D, is beyond the scope of the project. Reality Reflections’ Vice President of Business Development, Don Lim, said he was disappointed that the final version of Wendy didn’t show off the true extent of the team’s hard work, while SK Telecom’s Immersive Labs Manager Gukchan Lim explained that a desire to keep the unit relatively small made the use of 3D projectors impossible.

Watch @R_R_studio’s digital human Wendy leap from the @SKtelecom HoloBox to an AR app. I can’t wait to own one of these devices. Life-changing stuff. #DTMWC pic.twitter.com/LycfixKzvM

— Andy Boxall (@AndyBoxall) February 27, 2018

The trade-off comes when Wendy, or Aria, the other SK Telecom character shown to us, leaps out of the HoloBox and onto your smartphone. Using augmented reality technology, Wendy and Aria can live on your phone to help your through the day. The demo we saw looked great, and the higher-resolution phone screen helped more of the character’s detail show through.

Reality Reflections created another digital human, again based on Wendy, called Zena. This character lives inside virtual reality and can be seen on the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Samsung Gear VR. Zena dances, emotes, and maintains eye contact in VR. The level of realism in her movements is impressive, and evidence of what the firm could do with next-generation holographic hardware.

Living with Digital Humans

It’s not the first time we’ve seen a project like this. Japan’s Gatebox was one of the first to attract mainstream attention, and messaging app Line has expressed considerable interest in pursuing the concept of using digital characters and artificial intelligence to combat loneliness, or to create virtual companions.

Artificial intelligence is making it possible for computers to think and act more like people, and by increasing the visual realism of the character itself, particularly in movements and facial expressions, it’s hoped we’ll be more willing to accept these characters into our lives. Wendy can make more than 100 different expressions and movements at the moment.

Holographic digital humans can be seen as a logical step beyond verbally interacting with a faceless smart speaker, but whether it’s a direction everyone will be comfortable with remains to be seen. The response to Gatebox was split, with many finding it disturbing, and it doesn’t seem like SK Telecom is convinced HoloBox and Wendy will quickly find more favor.

Although we were told the intention is to put HoloBox on sale in the future, it may not be for another year or so before it happens, and that’s a shame. Living with a device like the HoloBox doesn’t have to become a depressing episode of Black Mirror. For us, the concept of having a digital companion is a sci-fi fantasy we can almost truly experience, and HoloBox brings it one step closer to reality.

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Try before you buy with the new AR View on Amazon’s Android app

Amazon has released an update for its Android app that allows users to employ augmented reality to place items in their house before they buy them.

AR View for the Amazon Shopping app was introduced late last year, but only in the form of the iOS Amazon app. However, thanks to Google’s decision to finally launch the first version of the Android AR framework ARCore less than a week ago, Amazon has been able to push out the update to Android devices to enable the mode. At the moment, use of the mode is restricted to devices that are compatible with Google’s ARCore app, but expect that pool to widen as Google pushes out more support for AR.

If your device is fully compatible, then using the mode is as simple as opening your Amazon app, tapping the camera icon in the top-right corner, and then selecting “AR View” from the options shown. The app will then present you with a list of categories to select from, and from there simply select your chosen item, and line it up with your chosen spot. AR View will then superimpose your item onto your surroundings, allowing you to move around it, resize, and figure out if your prospective purchase fits your style or space.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen AR used to bring a new element to furniture hunting. Ikea’s Ikea Place app also allows for users to place chairs, wardrobes, and other furniture in their homes, giving users the chance to plan ahead and really see how Ikea’s products fit into their lives. Other shops have also experimented with the idea of using AR to make choosing furnishings easier, with Sephora’s Virtual Artist and Mac’s Virtual Try-On Mirror being two more interesting examples of how AR is being used to revitalize online shopping.

At the moment it seems that the AR View is restricted to U.S. users only, with the app not having updated in the U.K.’s Play Store. If you’re interested in checking out some of the more interesting examples of AR apps out right now, then check out our article for the best AR apps.

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The best Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus cases to keep your titan safe

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Thanks to MWC 2018, we now know what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. Samsung’s newest phablet is big, it’s beautiful, and it’s one of the most powerful mobile devices on the planet. But it absolutely won’t cope well with an encounter with a sidewalk, should you drop your $840 beauty. Some might see it as a sin to obscure the elegant style of a phone like the Galaxy S9 Plus, but we see it as a necessity, vital to make sure that your phone stays unharmed when it comes up against the bumps, drops, and scrapes that are all too common in everyday life.

Because we value your phone’s beauty, we’ve put together a list of the best Galaxy S9 Plus cases that you can currently grab, from clear gel cases that showcase your phone’s style, to protective cases that represent the best protection you can get. If you haven’t picked up your Galaxy S9 Plus yet, then check out our S9 Plus buying guide, and find out everything you need to know with out S9 Plus news.

Olixar Super-Thin Gel Case ($10)

If you are worried about putting a bulky case between a world of admiring eyeballs and your smartphone’s gorgeous design, then you can’t really go wrong with a slim gel case. Absorbent TPU material is a fantastic material to resist shocks and bumps, while also being thin and adding some much needed grip to your slippery glass smartphone. Cutouts make it easier for your finger to find the fingerprint sensor when needed, and the thin material is resistant to dirt and grit that would otherwise mar your phone. A great choice if you want protection without compromising on the phone’s style.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Mobile Fun Olixar

Moment Photo Case ($24)

The Galaxy S9 Plus is equipped with the first dual-lens camera system on a Galaxy S-range phone, and it would be a shame not to take advantage of that. If you’re a smartphone photographer, Moment’s Photo case case is designed to make your life easier, with a durable and tough exterior that should help resist damage and increase grip on your phone. There’s also a spot for a lanyard attachment, further decreasing the chance you’ll drop your phone. Best of all, you can also attach any one of Moment’s premium lenses to the case, giving your phone extra wide-angle, macro, or fish-eye shots.

Buy one now from:

Moment

Official Samsung Hyperknit Case ($35)

Your new phone is from Samsung, so why not get your protection from there too? Since this case is from Samsung itself you can be sure it’s of top-notch quality, and is made from a knitted nylon material that gives you style like no other. It won’t be the most protective case out there, but it has good corner protection and it should stop any scratches or bumps from damaging the exterior of your phone. The case’s textured surface also gives your phone extra grip, it’s thin and lightweight, and it matches your phone’s style like no other.

Buy one now from:

Mobile Fun Samsung

Tech21 EvoMax Light Protective Case ($50)

Now we’re on to the big boys of protective tech — Tech21 has brought a good few of its celebrated protective options to the Galaxy S9 Plus, and we’ve chosen to spotlight the Evo Max as a great option for you. Like all Tech21 cases, the Evo Max is super-protective, with a unique three-layer construction that uses a material called “FlexShock” to transmit shocks away from your phone and into the case, giving the Evo Max drop protection of up to 14 feet. Despite all that protection, it’s also super-thin and light, adding barely any bulk onto your phone and ensuring you can still easily slip it into your pocket or into your bag.

Buy one now from:

Tech21

Incipio Funny Bunny Design Series ($25)

We wouldn’t usually highlight one of the sillier fashion cases, but this case from Incipio is just too cute to pass up. The “Funny Bunny” is well named, and the style should suit anyone who’s looking for a cute to complement their new phone. It won’t be all style with no substance either — since this case carries Incipio’s name it also carries Incipio’s fantastic record in smartphone protection, and while this ultra-thin TPU case won’t offer the sort of protection you’d get from a larger and bulkier case, it will still shield your precious device from minor bumps and scrapes.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Incipio

Noreve Tradition Leather Flip Case (from $54)

From one of the more whimsical cases we turn to one of the more luxurious. Noreve has a solid reputation for quality leatherwork, and this is still true in its range for the S9 Plus. While you can buy one of Noreve’s beautifully hand-crafted real leather cases from a retailer, it’s much more fun and personal to buy from Noreve’s highly customizable store. With hundreds of different choices available, Noreve has options for varying levels (and price ranges) of luxury leather, and different color options to make your case truly unique to your phone. Noreve’s cases can be expensive, but if you can afford luxury and don’t mind paying for it, then take a look at Noreve’s leather cases.

Buy one now from:

Noreve Mobile Fun

Spigen Slim Armor CS Case ($19)

We’re not going to lie — Spigen‘s range has some of our favorite cases. This Slim Armor CS combines protection with utility, and delivers it all in a slim and stylish package. The dual-layer design uses absorbent TPU and hard polycarbonate (PC) to deliver the best combination of materials to resist drops and damage, and the back slides open to reveal a small compartment that’s perfectly sized to fit two credit cards. With this case you can choose to leave your wallet at home, and just keep what you need with your phone. Because when was the last time you actually used that loyalty card? Spigen’s case is protective, stylish, and really handy.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Spigen

VRS Damda Folder V-Pro ($25)

You don’t want to be worrying about your phone when you’re out and about — and that goes doubly so for a phone as beautiful as the S9 Plus. VRS Design‘s Damda Folder V-Pro might be on the bulky side for a case, but it has fantastic protection against all sorts of hazards, including drops, bumps, and scratches. On the back, there’s a spring-loaded compartment that has room for five credit card-sized cards, perfect for cash, SD cards, or other small items. It’s all finished with a sandstone-style design, giving the case a cool mineral look that’s complemented by the soft-touch TPU areas that provide additional grip. A great case for travellers and busy people alike.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Mobile Fun VRS Designs

Griffin Survivor Clear ($20)

We started this list with an option for a thin gel case that doesn’t get between you and your phone — and well, what if that case was even more protective? That’s what Griffin has delivered with the Survivor Clear. While it’s certainly not as thin as some gel cases, it’s also extremely protective, offering Griffin’s legendary Military Standard 810G protection from drops of 4 feet. The case is made from hard PC, with edging made from anti-yellow rubber that should help the case stay looking new for longer. It’s thin for a protective case, looks good — and most importantly — still lets you show off your S9 Plus’ style.

Buy one now from:

Griffin

Ghostek Nautical Series Waterproof Case ($40)

Ghostek is something of an up-and-comer in the accessory world, offering great protective cases at good prices, as well as quality that lasts. The Nautical series in particular is pretty special even within Ghostek’s brand, because these cases are waterproof. Tested for up to 20 meters underwater for a full hour, the Nautical series’ waterproofing surpasses even the S9 Plus’s IP68-rating, offering fantastic protection in case the worst does happen. It’s not just about underwater either, with rubberized drop-resistant corners, an included screen protector, and a dual-layer build that screams “secure.” If you need peace of mind and don’t mind extra bulk, then check out Ghostek’s cases.

Buy one now from:

Ghostek

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• Samsung Galaxy S9 hands-on review

How to set Cortana in Microsoft Launcher as your default Android voice assistant

Want to use the new Cortana in Launcher for Android all the time? Here is how to do it.

When it comes to Microsoft’s services on Android between Cortana – the Android app – and Cortana in Launcher for Android there is some overlap. I recently wrote about the different UI designs with the Launcher version looking much better, but the question for many is, do you need both?

Moreover, did you know you can set the Microsoft Launcher version of Cortana as your default voice assistant? Here’s how.

How to set Microsoft Launcher Cortana as default

Before we get started, make sure to read our other quick guide on how to enable Cortana in Microsoft Launcher if you are currently outside the list of supported countries.

Setting Cortana in Launcher in Android 7.1.1.

The process for assigning Cortana – the Microsoft Launcher version, not the app – as the default is straightforward. Assuming you have Android 7.1.1 (the most common these days), here is how you do it:

Open Settings > Apps and hit the cog wheel in the upper right corner.
Select Assist & voice input.
Select Assist app.
Choose Microsoft Launcher.

Perhaps a more natural, direct way is just to use the Settings search and type in “voice” and choose Assist & voice input. You can then jump to steps 3 and 4.

Just searching for “voice” is easier to set the default app.

If you are on Android 8.x the process is similar, but there are some changes in the menu structure and choice option:

Open Settings > Apps & notifications.
Tap Advanced.
Choose Default apps.
Tap Assist & voice input > Assist app.
Choose Cortana (with the microphone).

The confusion on Android 8.x is if you have both Cortana the app and Microsoft Launcher installed there are two Cortana listings, which is an early issue. The one highlighted in the image below is the one you want to pick.

In Android 8.x, there may be two Cortana apps to choose from.

Once enabled, every time you long press the Home key on your Android phone you’ll get the new Cortana experience found in Microsoft Launcher, which I find more satisfying. You can always, of course, change it back following the same steps.

Do you need both Cortanas?

The next obvious question is, do you need both Cortana experiences on your Android phone?

For now, the answer is it depends. The Cortana app still has some advantages like being a full app that reveals your Cortana interests (weather, reminders, package tracking, news, etc.) and upcoming events in one location. Plus, you can access and modify the Cortana Notebook, devices like the Harmon Kardon Invoke, and general Cortana settings.

The new Cortana experience in the Launcher version looks great.

The Cortana app can also do things like send a text or make a phone call, which the Cortana in Launcher cannot yet do (it’s still in beta, so hopefully it will soon). When set as default the Cortana app suddenly becomes much more useful.

The Cortana app can make calls or send a text, something that Launcher cannot yet do.

Some of the above functionality is also duplicated in Microsoft Launcher. For instance, the Launcher has a mini-weather app (widget) and can pull in your calendar and To-Do lists from the cloud. That info then shows up in the Feed (swipe left). What the Microsoft Launcher does not offer is a centralized place to view and modify Cortana settings.

Whether any of those differences matter to you depends, of course, on how you use Cortana on Android. The Microsoft Launcher version – for now – is a lighter, more ambient version versus the dedicated app. But when you set the Microsoft Launcher Cortana as default for voice-assistant, the differences begin to fade.

Hopefully, Microsoft ports more Cortana functionality into the Launcher version in the future making it less of a choice for current users.

Related reading:

Microsoft Launcher for Android review

Augmented Reality is the cool new place for Android fragmentation

The next big problem facing Android is the same as the last big problem facing Android.

One of the cool things about having an Android phone is, for the most part, the app experience is the same. There are a handful of apps which exist as exclusives to specific phones, because they rely on specific hardware or are tied to specific features only available on those phones. Everything else is available in the Play Store, the one big thing democratizing the entire Android experience.

Well, except for Augmented Reality. Google’s rollout of ARCore has quickly turned into an ugly mess of things you can only get if you buy specific phones, with very little technical reasoning behind the limitation.

I’m no stranger to Samsung making something and limiting it to just Samsung phones. This company sees the way Apple is successful with ecosystem lock-in, and has been trying to replicate that success from day one. Samsung has a mostly terrible clone of most of Google’s services, which I’m happy to ignore most of the time. With the launch of the Galaxy S9 and S9+, Samsung has implemented a couple of features in its camera I actually want to use. Chief among them is AR Emoji, the feature that scans your face and lets you create GIFs and stickers and videos with an animated version of yourself. It’s a fairly trivial feature, but the kind of thing I am likely to use with friends and family and co-workers all the time.

If I want this feature, I have to use the Samsung Camera app on the Galaxy S9 or S9+. That’s a little frustrating since the app is largely built on Google’s ARCore, which is now available to many different Android phones. There’s no technical reason this feature is limited to the Galaxy S9, aside from Samsung seeing the way Apple and Google are using Augmented Reality for unique software features and deciding it needed something unique as well. While Samsung’s version of this is undeniably more open and functional than Apple’s Animoji, this limitation kind of sucks. We don’t even know if other Samsung phones are going to get this feature yet, because Samsung thinks this feature is going to sell phones.

Some of this may sound a little familiar to those who have been following ARCore for a while, and that’s because Google is doing the same thing with AR Stickers. Google argues that control over the camera allows AR Stickers to appear a great deal more lifelike on the Pixel, because the superior light management in that sensor allows the phone to create realistic lighting effects on the stickers. That is true to a degree, but there’s no way the same partners working with Google for ARCore support on other phones wouldn’t work with Google to provide the camera data needed to get close to the same experience on something that wasn’t the Pixel 2.

Samsung and Google will not be the only companies to do this in 2018. You can bet LG, Motorola, Huawei, and OnePlus are all watching and working on something similar. Look at how quickly some of these companies jumped to support some form of Portrait Mode after Google did it with machine learning alone as an example. By the end of the year, there will be half a dozen of unique and clever Augmented Reality experiences that only exist for people who own a specific Android phone as a selling point. It’s a little difficult to get behind “Be Together, Not the Same” in this context, and I hope Google and Samsung open up these apps to the rest of the ecosystem soon.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+
• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. iPhone X: Metal and glass sandwiches
• Galaxy S9 vs. Google Pixel 2: Which should you buy?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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SanDisk’s 400GB microSD card drops down to $190 for the first time ever

Large card, small price.

SanDisk is a trusted brand when it comes to SD cards, and the company is pushing the limits. Its largest capacity card, the 400GB Ultra MicroSD, is now down to $189.99. This is $40 lower than it normally sells for.

It’s a Class 10 card with transfer speeds of up to 100MB/s, which would allow you to move up to 1,200 images in just 60 seconds. You can use this in your smartphone, tablet, action camera, and more. Not all devices will recognize the large capacity of this card, so you may want to consider grabbing the 128GB option for $37.99, or the 200GB one or $62.99.

You can’t go wrong with any capacity SanDisk card, so why not add 400GB to your new Samsung Galaxy S9 so you can carry your whole music collection, photo library, favorite movies and more around with you all the time!

B&H has matched this pricing, and is also running a deal on a bunch of other SanDisk products, so be sure to check those out before the sale ends.

See at Amazon