Pedal with the power of the sun on Kvaern’s solar-powered ebike

Electric bikes have revolutionized the bicycle industry, bringing one of the oldest modes of transportation into the 21st Century. However, like most of the electronic tech we interact with each day, the mere act of recharging a bike isn’t exactly a convenient chore. But thanks to a new solar-powered ebike from the Copenhagen-based startup Kvaern, requiring a power outlet to recharge your ride may be a think of the past.

Powered by a stationary battery pack the company refers to as Kvaern+, it amasses power by storing the solar energy it generates throughout the day. Whenever the bike needs a bit of a jolt, the power packs allow the accumulated solar energy to transfer to the bike, allowing riders to go roughly 31 miles on a single charge. No plug-ins or wires necessary — Kvaern’s ebike is fully off-grid. The company’s founder, Jonas Gissel, even points to Tesla’s Powerwall as a source of inspiration.

“No doubt, Tesla has been a great inspiration for Kvaern, and like pretty much the rest of the world, we are very impressed with what they have managed to do to the car industry,” Gissel said. “With the electric bike, we’re facing a revolution in the bike industry as we know it. Whether fully electric or hybrid, this is the future.”

Similar to how Tesla charging stations have begun popping up across the country, Gissel intends to pursue public installations of Kvaern’s system down the line. For now, the company’s focused on perfecting its personal power packs before scaling the tech. Right now, the idea is to deliver “smart, affordable, and cool everyday-products that run on green energy.”

In addition to the bike’s 31-mile range, it’s also capable of accelerating from zero to roughly 15 mph in just four and a half seconds and sports a 250-watt motor. It’s unclear if the 15 mph is the bike’s top speed but if it is, it’s worth pointing out that it would be roughly 10 or so mph slower than most pedal-assisted ebikes on the market.

Kvaern’s bike isn’t yet available but the brand is currently taking pre-orders through its website or Facebook page.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The BioLite SunLight is a solar-powered lantern for your campsite
• Tesla and Australia will turn 50,000 homes into a virtual solar power plant
• Want to reduce your electric bill? Here’s how to go solar-powered in your home
• Genetically engineered algae could bring off-grid solar power to rural Africa
• Who needs a battery? Pricey Alpha is first ebike powered by a hydrogen fuel cell

College students can get the best deal on Samsung’s Galaxy S9 or S9+

Who said going to school didn’t have benefits?

It’s hard not to want a Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+ after the company showed off some of the new camera features. If you’re a college student with a verifiable email address, you can save up to $63 on the purchase by just registering with that email address. This drops the unlocked pricing of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ down to $665.99 and $776.99 respectively.

Samsung is also offering a barrage of trade-in offers which can save you up to $350 with an eligible device or a minimum of $50 for any working smartphone that has a non-cracked display. You can stack both promotions together and the student discount will be applied to the balance left after the trade-in credit. Samsung is also offering its own financing on the phones to allow you to pay it off over time.

If you prefer to finance the phone through your carrier, Best Buy may have the better of the two offers. The retailer is taking $100 off the price of the phone and giving up to $350 for an eligible trade-in.

Be sure to check out our hands-on preview to help you decide which model to go for. This offer goes live at 12:01 am on March 2 and runs through March 5.

See at Samsung

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

Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint

Playboy drops ridiculous copyright suit against Boing Boing

Earlier this month, a federal judge had dismissed a lawsuit that Playboy brought against Boing Boing, stating that the court is “skeptical that plaintiff has sufficiently alleged facts to support either its inducement or material contribution theories of copyright infringement.” Yesterday, Playboy released a statement that it won’t refile the case.

It all started last November, when Playboy sued Boing Boing after the online outlet published a link to an Imgur gallery entitled “Every Playboy Playmate Centerfold Ever” (The gallery has since been taken down). Boing Boing was not responsible for any of the content; all it did was link to it. But Playboy had sued it anyway, accusing it for profiting from those unauthorized images.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which represented Boing Boing in this case, said at the time that Boing Boing’s reporting of the Playboy photos is protected by copyright’s fair use doctrine. EFF Senior Staff Attorney Daniel Nazer stated that “journalists, scientists, researchers, and everyday people on the web have the right to link to material, even copyrighted material, without having to worry about getting sued.”

In a post on EFF’s website, Nazer wrote: “It’s hard to understand why Playboy brought this case in the first place, turning its legal firepower on a small news and commentary website that hadn’t uploaded or hosted any infringing content. We’re also a little perplexed as to why Playboy seems so unhappy that the Boing Boing post is still up when the links they complain about have been dead for almost two years.”

In a statement sent to Ars Technica, Playboy said: “Although we are not refiling an amended complaint at this time, we will continue to vigorously enforce our intellectual property rights against infringement.”

Source: EFF

Strava simplified how to opt out of its heat map data collection

In January, Strava came under fire for its activity heat map, which showed the locations of military bases in places like Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia. You could even see details like user routes named “Base Perimeter” and “Sniper Alley” near US bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. While Strava did offer the option for its users to opt out of its heat map data collection, many pointed out that doing so required some navigation through the app and was a process that wasn’t very straightforward. But Strava recently updated its app and has quietly changed the opt-out process.

Strava’s app now includes a simple option for opting out of heatmaps. 🤷‍♂️ All your base are no longer belong to Strava. https://t.co/IvlpKnoeCP pic.twitter.com/jzjU3ETlUo

— Matt Cagle (@Matt_Cagle) February 28, 2018

Spotted by ACLU attorney Matt Cagle, Strava now includes the option to hide data from its heat map feature on the first page of its privacy settings tab. The change wasn’t mentioned in any of the version history updates in Apple’s App Store but a spokesperson told The Verge that the change was rolled out to Strava users in February.

Strava received a lot of backlash over its data collection and heat map — the Pentagon even called for a review of its fitness app policies — and the company’s CEO released a statement to address the issue. In it, he said that the company was working on simplifying its privacy and safety features “to ensure you know how to control your own data.” You can see from an earlier blog post how complicated the process could be prior to the recent changes.

Simplifying its opt-out procedure is definitely a good call, but the whole situation serves as a reminder to fitness app users and developers alike that privacy in data-tracking apps is still an under-addressed issue.

Via: The Verge

Pioneer’s latest DJ controller adds push-button ‘scratching’

With the advent of more powerful software and controllers, modern DJs really don’t need to learn as much about spinning tracks as they used to. Now beginners are treated to automated cues, loops and beat matching software that take some of the art out of DJing. The latest bit of automation comes from Pioneer and its $249 DDJ-SB3 DJ controller. The unit adds a Pad Scratch feature that gives aspiring club monsters the ability to imitate eight different scratch techniques that were recorded by DJ Jazzy Jeff. Whatever track you’re playing, the scratch will automatically match up with the right tempo with a simple tap on a performance pad.

The DDJ-SB3 is an update to Pioneer’s previous DDJ-SB2, a popular portable professional controller. The new interface takes its cues from the higher-end DDJ-S series, like the dedicated play and cue buttons as well as an independent auto loop button. The controller is designed to work with Serato DJ Lite, the free consumer-level version of popular professional DJ software. You can upgrade to the Pro version directly for $99.

In addition to DJ Jazzy Jeff’s auto-scratching, the DDJ-SB3 has a feature called FX Fade, a set of eight transition effects to help smooth out your mixing. You can control three of the six allotted FX per each of the two decks on the fly when performing, too. Like other DJ controllers in this category, the DDJ-SB3 is powered via USB and has both a master RCA out jack as well as a mini-headphone monitor output. The controller will be available for purchase sometime later this month.

Source: Pioneer

Apple Testifies on iPhone Throttling Before Canadian Parliamentary Committee

Apple’s Canada division and Geekbench maker John Poole today testified before a House of Commons committee on industry, science, and technology in Canada to address the power management features Apple introduced in older iPhones in iOS 10.2.1, reports iMore.

Poole was on hand because back in late December, he used his Geekbench platform to confirm the link between degraded iPhone batteries in older iPhones and processor slowdowns, which Apple had not, at the time, clearly explained.

Apple Canada was there to answer questions and share facts about why Apple implemented the feature in the first place, a topic that’s been previously covered in support documents and a letter to customers.

As part of Apple’s testimony, Jacqueline Famulak, Apple Canada’s Manager of Legal and Government Affairs, provided a lengthy statement that largely repeats prior statements Apple has offered in the United States.

Famulak reiterated that Apple would “never intentionally” shorten the life of an Apple product to drive customer upgrades, and she explained that Apple added power management features in iOS 10.2.1 to allow customers to continue to use iPhones with aging batteries. A portion of the statement shared by iMore:

First, Apple would never intentionally do anything to shorten the life of any Apple product or degrade the user experience in order to drive customer upgrades. Apple’s entire philosophy and ethic is built around the goal of delivering cutting-edge devices that our customers love. Our motivation is always the user.

Second, Apple’s actions related to performance of iPhones with older batteries were designed specifically to prevent some older models from unexpectedly shutting down under certain circumstances. And we communicated this publicly. Let me explain.

In order for a phone to function properly, the electronics must be able to draw power from the battery instantaneously. But, as lithium-ion batteries age, their ability to hold a charge diminishes, and their ability to provide power to the device decreases. Very cold temperatures can also negatively affect a battery’s performance. A battery with a low state of charge may also cause the device to behave differently. These things are characteristics of battery chemistry that are common to lithium-ion batteries used in all smartphones, not just Apple’s.

If power demands cannot be met, the iPhone is designed to shut down automatically in order to protect the device’s electronics from low voltage.

We do not want our customers to experience interruptions in the use of their iPhones, whether that is making an emergency phone call, taking a picture, sharing a post, or watching the final minutes of a movie. To address the issue of unexpected shutdowns, we developed software that dynamically manages power usage when, and only when, an iPhone is facing the risk of an unexpected shutdown. This power management software helps keep iPhones on when they otherwise might turn off – it does this by balancing the demand for power with the available supply of power.

The sole purpose of the software update in this case was to help customers to continue to use older iPhones with aging batteries without shutdowns – not to drive them to buy newer devices.

Third, Apple regularly provides software updates for iPhone and our other devices. These software updates can include everything from new features, to bug fixes, to security updates. Whenever we issue a software update, we include a ReadMe note which has a description of the contents of the update for the customer to review prior to the software installation. In the case of iOS 10.2.1, we stated that it “improves power management during peak workloads to avoid unexpected shutdowns on iPhone.”

Famulak went on to explain that Apple is offering $35 battery replacements in Canada, down from $99 ($29 in the U.S., down from $79) and that iOS 11.3, coming this spring, will offer customers more information about the health of their iPhone’s battery and allow the power management features to be turned off.

The House of Commons is aiming to make sure Canadian consumers are being treated fairly by Apple, and it’s possible that the Competition Bureau in Canada, also at today’s committee meeting, will launch an investigation. Apple will also be facing government inquiries in other countries, including the United States.

The full text of the statement Apple provided to the House of Commons committee can be read over at iMore.

Tag: iPhone Slowdown
Discuss this article in our forums

iPhone X Beats Samsung Galaxy S9 in Benchmarking Tests

Early evaluations of Samsung’s new Galaxy S9 and S9+ have ranked the S9 display and the S9+ camera above the iPhone X, but when it comes to performance, the iPhone X is still the clear winner.

In benchmark testing of the Samsung Galaxy S9 equipped with an Exynos 9810 chip, the iPhone X, and the iPhone 7 conducted by AnandTech, the iPhone X’s A11 chip won in every comparison test, and in most cases, the Galaxy S9 also lost out to the A10 included in the iPhone 7.

Samsung is using two separate chips in its new Galaxy devices: the Exynos 9810 and the Snapdragon 845 from Qualcomm. The Exynos 9810 chip outperforms the Snapdragon 845, but doesn’t quite match Apple’s A11 Bionic chip.

On a single-core GeekBench 4 test, for example, the Exynos 9810 saw integer and floating point scores of 3,724 and 3,440, respectively, well below the 4,630 and 3,958 scores earned by the A11 and under the 4,007 integer score earned by the A10.

On a WebXPRT test that measures HTML5 and JavaScript-based tasks, the iPhone X’s A11 chip scored 352, beating the 178 score earned by the Exynos 9810 and the 291 score earned by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845.

Simliar results were seen in a Speedometer 2.0 test, with the iPhone X (A11), iPhone 8 (A11), and iPhone 7 (A10) winning out over both of the processors used in Samsung’s new devices.

AnandTech was testing a demo version of the Exynos-based Galaxy S9 and came to the conclusion that there was something wrong with the device given its poor scores on the latter two tests compared to the Snapdragon 845, but even had the Exynos 9810 shown performance on par with the Qualcomm chip, Apple’s iPhones still offer better performance.

When it came to graphics performance, the iPhone X also came out on top, beating out both Samsung chip variants.

Full benchmarks on the new Samsung devices and AnandTech’s conclusions about the Exynos 8910 chip can be read over on the AnandTech site, but it’s clear that Samsung is still unable to match the performance Apple can eke out of its chips by controlling both the software and the chip design.

It’s also worth noting that there’s one other area where Samsung can’t compete with Apple as of yet – facial recognition. As CNET points out, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ continue to use a 2D facial and iris recognition system that can’t compare to the security of Apple’s 3D face scanning technology.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ use a 2D facial recognition system
The Galaxy S8, which used the same 2D feature, was able to be fooled by photos, and while the Galaxy S9 features iris technology that’s “been enhanced” to recognize “unique iris patterns from greater distances” and to better withstand spoofing attempts, it’s the same general system that was used in the previous-generation devices.

Because Samsung’s facial recognition feature isn’t as secure as Face ID, the South Korean company continues to pair it with fingerprint recognition, a biometric authentication method Apple is abandoning in favor of Face ID.

Apple’s Face ID is a 3D system that uses a series of dots to map out a person’s face. It can’t be fooled by photographs.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that Android smartphone makers are two and a half years behind Apple when it comes to facial recognition techniques, so it could be awhile before Samsung has a similar system that can replace fingerprint scanning.

Related Roundup: iPhone XTag: SamsungBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums

Want a challenge? Here are seven of the most competitive games on Android

There’s nothing more satisfying than playing another player online and kicking their butt. With a whole host of apps on the Play Store, some of the best apps can get lost in the noise. That’s why we’ve compiled some of the most competitive games on Android available today that will help you satisfy your inner competitive self.

Like feeling that sense of satisfaction winning online, or perhaps you just like a casual multiplayer title? We’ve got some titles you must check out.

Clash Royale

What it is

Clash Royale is a freemium mobile tower rush video game developed and published by Supercell, the same company behind the popular Clash of Games. The game combines elements from collectible card games, tower defense, and multiplayer online battle arena.

Why we love it

• You can duel against real players around the world in real-time to battle to take trophies. There are a whole host of rewards and collectables to give you a competitive advantage.
• It’s one of those games that you can just pick up and kill a few minutes.
• The design of Clash Royale is intuitive and easy to follow, which means you can focus on perfecting your strategy to defeat your opponent.

Install Clash Royale

Transformers: Forged to Fight

What it is

Transformers: Forged to Fight is a free-to-play mobile fighting game developed and published by Kabam. The fighting game is a strategy builder set in the Transformer world focused on building and upgrading your units to complete challenges.

Why we love it

• Who doesn’t love Transformers? Being able to create your own army and battle other players is brilliant.
• All your favorite bots are included in the game and you can even team up with your friends and forge alliances.
• You can win based on your strategy, not simply how strong your robots are.

Install Transformers: Forged to Fight

Golf Clash

What it is

Golf Clash is free to play multiplayer title that pits you against live players from around the world. It is a turn based live game with cartoon-based characters that allows you to progress up the global leaderboards and unlock new equipment.

Why we love it

• Pick up and play 1v1 online golf sees you competing on a variety of courses in real-time.
• There are unlockable rewards that will give you an advantage for more accurate and powerful clubs that give you something to work towards.
• With deep Facebook integration, it’s super-easy to challenge your friends.

Install Golf Clash

Battle Bay

What it is

Battle Bay is an online battle title developed by the same company that brought you Angry Birds. Go up against real opponents in real-time team battles to conquor the waves. You’ll battle in a multiplayer arena with a ship and weapons of your choice – upgrade to stay ahead of the competition.

Why we love it

• With an increased focus on strategy, this app is sure to keep you on your toes and keep you thinking.
• The design is excellent and will have you battling enemies and teaming up with your friends quickly.
• There are plenty of level ups, rewards, and progress to be made to give you an advantage.

Install Battle Bay

Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Game

What it is

Arena of Valor is an adaptation of Kings of Glory outside of mainland China. It is a multiplayer online battle arena published by Tencent Games with over 80 million daily active players. Come together as a team to put your strategy to the test to see if you’ve got what it takes in this PvP title.

Why we love it

• Not your typical multiplayer game as 10 players are matched together for a 10-minute match. It’s real-time, intense, and awesome.
• You can team up with your friends to create a unique strategy to give a competitive advantage.
• There’s 40 heroes including a variety of Assassins, Tanks, Warriors, and Marksmen to chose from so there’s plenty of variation.

Install Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena Game

Boom Beach

What it is

Boom Beach is a title from the same team that brought you Clash of Clans and the above featured Clash Royale so you know it is going to be good if you enjoy those titles. Attack enemy bases in this strategy game that will see your opponent get harder and smarter, with the weaponary and firepower making sure you have your wits about you.

Why we love it

• It takes the popular concept of the traditional Supercell titles and offers more variety to keep you engaged.
• The game starts off easier to introduce you to the concept of the objective before becoming increasing more difficult.
• Multiplayer is included in the title but it not essential and it’s possible to progress the story battling the AI.

Install Boom Beach

Star Wars: Commander

What it is

Star Wars Commander is a title developed by Disney that sees you placed directly in the middle of the Galatic War. Pick your favorite character and battle your way to victory. Upgrade your base to unlock new weapons to give you the competive edge. Which side will you choose?

Why we love it

• Who doesn’t like Star Wars? Being able to choose your own character and do your bit for the Galatic War is every fans dream.
• Train your troops, build buildings, and compete in genuine storylines that will help you fee immersed in the content.
• You can team up with friends and form alliances to combine forces and battle across the Galaxy.

Install Star Wars: Commander

Summary

While there are a ton of apps on the Play Store that offers multiplayer functionality, these are the ones that are well executed and sure to offer a great experience. Do you have any competitive games that you would like to see included in the list? Drop us a comment below with your favorite game.

Trump will meet video game execs to discuss school violence

A variety of potential actions have been discussed to limit school violence in the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL last month, from the uninspired option of raising the minimum age of potential gun-buyers to President Trump’s controversial suggestion of arming teachers. But a familiar target for blame appears to be on the mind of the president, as well. In today’s White House press briefing, press secretary Sarah Saunders said that Trump would soon meet with “members of the video game industry” to see what could be discussed around “protect[ing] schools around the country.”

NEW: President Trump to meet with video game industry executives next week as part of ongoing debate over school safety.

— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) March 1, 2018

This sounds strangely like the discussion that came up following the Columbine high school shootings in 1999; violent video games and heavy metal music were both seen as culprits that contributed to the two shooters’ violent state of mind. The theory that violent video games lead to real-life violence has come up time and again, but there haven’t been any conclusive studies showing that to be the case. Just last month, the University of York published a study finding “no evidence” to support a link between violent video games and violent behavior. Back in 2015, the American Psychological found a link between violent video games and increased aggression, but failed to find sufficient evidence to link violent games and criminal violence.

It’s not clear who Trump will meet with or what the substance of these discussions will be; Saunders’ comments didn’t reveal much beyond the plans to meet next week.

Source: White House press briefing (YouTube)

Leaked images show Fitbit’s next smartwatch may take a bite out of Apple’s design

Wareable

If imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery, a newly teased smartwatch from Fitbit should have Apple patting itself on the back. During a recent investor call, Fitbit shared news that it’s preparing to announce the next generation of its smartwatch-slash-fitness tracker line this spring — there’s even speculation it’s the Fitbit Blaze 2. To top it off, Wareable also managed to obtain a few leaked photos of the upcoming release, which look strangely similar to the Apple Watch 3.

Several reports over the last year hinted at what was next in Fitbit’s innovation cycle, with names like the Charge 3 and Blaze 2 among the most popular rumors. Though the company only just released the Fitbit Ionic in 2017 — its first genuine smartwatch — it failed to garner much widespread popularity, achieving rather minimal sales (along with the original Blaze). So, what makes this new release any different? According to that same investor call, the new device possesses “mass appeal.” Perhaps those Apple Watch 3 design similarities are intentional.

Wareable

Outside of the investor call, someone in the know regarding Fitbit’s plans told Wareable that the company wants the new release “to be something that will appeal to a larger, more general smartwatch audience.” When pressed further, the source said Fitbit feels the Ionic features a “large, unattractive design,” pointing to the fact that it comes in only one size as another possible hindrance. It also appears as though Fitbit has designed a smaller smartwatch and intends for it to cater more to a female audience.

The same report also confirmed the new watch would feature water-resistance up to 50-meters, boast the same SpO2 sensor as the Ionic (meaning it will track sleep patterns), and will be available in four different colors — silver, black, charcoal, and rose gold. Based on the leaked images, there also appear to be a number of different strap options to choose from. Perhaps its most glaring omission is that it apparently won’t feature any sort of GPS.

In an effort to move more devices — outside of the “mass appeal” it originally spoke of — Fitbit also plans on selling the new release at a cheaper price than the Ionic. Aside from an attractive price tag allowing for wider adoption, the company wants to see it achieve higher popularity among developers. Despite the leaked images and investor call insight, Wareable’s attempt at a comment from Fitbit yielded a short response that simply stated the company had “no news to share at this point.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best Fitbit for any activity or sport
• Take your running to the next level with the Fitbit Ionic: Adidas edition
• You can finally do more with the Fitbit Ionic thanks to an OS update
• Stay fit and save cash with our top 10 affordable Fitbit alternatives
• Start your fitness journey with the best Fitbit deals for February