This inventive ad is how all phones should be advertised

Most TV commercials for smartphones, and many other pieces of modern technology, concentrate on pushing the “features-and-benefits” in an established, easy to understand way. Throw in a celebrity or two, an upbeat piece of music, and some monolithic shots of the device itself, and another day is complete at Cookie Cutter Media, the ad agency everyone seems to use. Not so for Chinese phone brand AGM. A mystery ad executive somewhere was tasked with bringing attention to its AGM X2 rugged phone, and decided not to do so with some people enjoying a day on the mountain, or out sailing; but in a wonderfully silly, slightly sci-fi way. It’s the way all phones should be advertised.

The advert was released at the beginning of the year and has recently gained attention internationally, thanks to several helpful translations posted on YouTube and elsewhere. It follows a woman whose husband tragically dies young, but doctors are able to seemingly place his consciousness inside a phone — the AGM X2 — that she can carry around and interact with her departed husband as if he was still alive. Because this is a phone ad, the X2’s rugged features are demonstrated in the, shall we say, unusual scenarios that follow.

Why is it so great? The actress taking the lead overacts in exactly the right fashion, the gang leader and his goons that make an appearance later on are perfect stereotypes, and the overwrought music is used at just the right moments. It is, without a doubt, a glorious celebratory mash-up of many cheap sci-fi films, slapstick comedies, and delirious drama movies which end up as cult classics. We think a lot of people had fun making the ad, and we had fun watching it. Way more so than seeing Zooey Decshanel ask Siri if it’s raining, and yet another feeble dig at the competition from Samsung.

Has it made you want to buy an AGM X2? You’ll have to import one and pay $515 if so, but you will get an IP68 water resistant phone with shock protection, a Snapdragon 835, dual rear cameras, a 6,000mAh battery, and a volatile organic compound sensor for detecting air quality, much like the new Cat S1.

Oh, and just in case you think all AGM’s commercials are as fun as this one; sadly it’s not the case. A more serious ad for the AGM X2 shows the phone at the North Pole. It’s undeniably cool, but we think Cookie Cutter Media had a hand in its creation.

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Squaw Valley is going completely green with renewable energy

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is an internationally acclaimed ski resort located in North Lake Tahoe, California. The resort encompasses 6,000 skiable acres across two mountains and was voted the ‘Best Ski Resort’ by USA Today for the second year in a row. But the resort isn’t just dedicated to providing great skiing to its visitors — it’s also completely focused on reducing its carbon footprint.

In a dynamic partnership with Liberty Utilities, Squaw Valley recently announced it would power the resort with 100 percent clean, renewable energy sources by as early as December 2018 — reducing its carbon footprint by nearly 50 percent. But how and why exactly it plans on making the shift goes further than a simple pledge. Rather, Squaw Valley president Andy Wirth told us that he sees turning to renewable energy as more of a moral or ethical decision — a characteristic of the resort’s purpose.

Sustainability at its core

Since its founding, the company’s remained proactive in reducing its carbon footprint however possible. It’s tightened up its buildings by replacing light bulbs, implemented rideshare and carpool incentive programs, and transitioned to using recycled diesel for its snowcats and vehicles. One of its most well-known initiatives is the elimination of single-use plastic water bottle sales. Squaw Valley is also heavily engaged in the development of mass transit solutions for the region.

“…we have this fundamental ethos that is this constant drive to reduce our carbon footprint”

“We have a few specific programs to which you can point but I think it’s really more valuable to understand we have this fundamental ethos that is this constant drive to reduce our carbon footprint — it’s representative of our values,” Wirth told to Digital Trends.

Beginning in 2010, Squaw Valley’s utility company Liberty Utilities owned a power purchase agreement (PPA) that was five years in duration. During this period, Squaw Valley saw power sourcing which looked very similar to Nevada’s. In other words, it was a less than desirable system due to the lack of renewable energy. The resort’s energy grid was powered primarily by low-quality coal that went into a plant without a scrubber. Once the company found out about this, it joined forces with Liberty to transition to cleaner forms of energy.

A new era

“The great news is that on the morning of January 1, 2016, we turned on our lights and there was no longer a use for coal,” Wirth explained. “We filled the void of coal with natural gas — which is still kind of old school — but we kept the pressure on. We’re fortunate to have such an understanding and progressive utility company that will work with us on our mission of reducing our carbon footprint.”

In response to Squaw Valley’s request, Liberty built a 50-megawatt solar array in Luning, Nevada which will soon be complemented by the 10-megawatt Turquoise solar facility in Reno. Squaw Valley is currently powered by a minimum of 25 percent to an upwards of 30 percent renewable energy sources — and this is just the beginning. Its continued initiatives and collaboration with Liberty will bridge the remaining 75 percent gap until the resort reaches its full 100 percent goal.

The initiative isn’t just about measures of environmental sustainability, either — it also makes for good business. There’s available land that’s affordable and it’s not terribly far away, attributing greatly to its convenience.

“We think we’ll see our energy costs reduced over time by moving to 100 percent renewable energy,” Wirth added. “It appeals to my Chief Sustainability Officer as much as it appeals to my Chief Financial Officer. I think that is Environmentalism 5.0.”

It’s clear Squaw Valley plans to focus efforts on strategic solutions which benefit the resort and its surrounding community — of which is highlighted by its partnership with Liberty. The primary forms of renewable energy are solar, biomass, wind, and geothermal. Although any combination of renewables could be used to power the resort, Wirth told us that based on an evaluation of cost and availability, solar power makes the most sense.

Looking ahead

A transition to 100 percent renewable energy is a drastic one. To do it by the end of the year is also way ahead of what’s being suggested in recent legislation. For instance, Senate Bill 100 aims for 100 percent of total retail sales of electricity in California to come via eligible renewable energy and zero-carbon resources by December 31, 2045. However, this is expected to be reconsidered in California’s upcoming legislative session.

“We actually have to do these things right now to reverse the effects of climate change.”

This drastic transition won’t mean any changes in operations at Squaw Valley as the company still runs its own business and reserves the right to operate it successfully. Wirth pointed out that Squaw Valley is a value-driven company and part of its values include economic liability and sustainability as much as environmental sustainability.

“Solar allows us to move away from the debaucheries of commodity exchanges,” he said. “It’s a solid state and over time it’s going to be less expensive. It’s ultimately good for our business from a financial perspective.”

One of the efforts highlighting Squaw Valley’s energy initiatives is the Olympic Valley project. Liberty Utility’s Olympic Valley residential and commercial consumers are drastically impacted by Mother Nature, commonly resulting in area electric outages. The Olympic Valley Project would leverage state-of-the-art battery storage technology to create a new way to store surplus energy and deliver it to the utility’s grid.

As of now, Liberty and Squaw Valley are exploring potential sites on their property for the proposed storage tech — as is Tesla, the company responsible for manufacturing the actual storage system. The Olympic Valley Project is just one part of Squaw Valley’s renewable energy goals and the proposed microgrid won’t just assist resort operations — it will also have a positive impact on its surrounding community. The use of battery technology could provide for an additional source of power for homes and businesses on the grid when needed.

The bottom line

“The magic sauce is renewable energy attached to affordable energy storage,” Wirth acknowledged. “There’s a lot of climate change advocates but it’s not enough to advocate. We actually have to do these things right now to reverse the effects of climate change. This really isn’t about us or Tesla or Liberty Utilities — this is a roadmap that can make this happen. Affordable, renewable energy is available right now, so why wait?”

Squaw Valley’s transition to 100 percent renewable energy by the end of 2018 is both a statement and incentive for other businesses to follow suit. The proposed change reduces its carbon footprint from 13,078 metric tons to an estimated 6,682 metric tons. Though this is just the beginning, it’s already making an impact as several competing ski resorts have already reached out to Liberty Utilities for information on similar projects.

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Evidence shows Google may change Android Wear name to Wear OS

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Google may change the name of its Android Wear platform to Wear OS, according to evidence discovered inside the latest Google Play Services app update, and the Android P Developer Preview software. Android Wear is Google’s operating system for wearable devices, including smartwatches. The potential name change was spotted by an Android Wear watch owner during the device setup process, and a screenshot was posted on Reddit mentioning the new name, plus a new logo.

In the Google Play Services app update taking it to version 12.4, a notification alerting owners of a nearby watch to pair replaces the Android Wear name with Wear OS. In version 12.5, a beta version to accompany Android P developer preview, the Wear OS name is accompanied by a new logo which looks like a stylized letter W. The logo uses lines and dots in color schemes reminiscent of other Google logos, in particular Google Assistant. The notification alert also mentions a Wear OS app, which indicates the Android Wear app will also be rebranded.

If Android Wear becomes Wear OS, it will be the latest in a string of high-profile rebranding exercises from Google, with the change from Android Pay to Google Pay being the most recent. This brought several Google payment systems together under one name, simplifying the experience for everyone, and providing a single, unified name and app. What would prompt Google to change the name of Android Wear?

There has been no official announcement of Wear OS, or any confirmation a change will come, so it’s speculation for now. Removing the Android name may help people better understand watches with Android Wear installed work with iOS devices too — which wasn’t the case when Android Wear first arrived — but could also be part of a larger revamp of the platform and device ecosystem. Google hasn’t paid much attention to Android Wear recently, ignoring it during Google I/O last year, and failing to produce a benchmark smartwatch along the lines of its Pixel phones. It even removed Android Wear watches from the Play Store.

Google’s annual developer conference will take place in May this year, and may bring some more news, or if new hardware is part of the plan, we may have to wait for the public release of Android P and any new Pixel phones later in 2018 to learn more.

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What are you hoping to see in the Google Pixel 3?

Google’s next big thing.

Google mostly knocked it out of the park with its Pixel 2 series, but large bezels on the small Pixel 2 and a lackluster screen on the Pixel 2 XL kept them back from true greatness for some buyers.

We’re anticipating Google to unveil its Pixel 3 lineup later this fall, and while the rumor mill is still fairly quiet regarding the phone, that hasn’t stopped some of our forum users from talking about what their hoping/expecting to see in the upcoming phone.

Without further ado, here’s what people are saying.

cbreze
03-10-2018 06:53 PM

“

The pixel line already rings all my bells and for ‘me’ it is the best android out there. Boomsound would just be more icing on the cake. I think phone speakers will continue to improve and device makers are always looking for some new innovations to best the competition. So anything is posible. Even me keeping the Pixel 2 for 2 years is possible. Not sure what they could addd to it to make it…

Reply

chriskwarren
03-10-2018 08:27 PM

“

Will be interesting to see what they come up with. My predictions (not to be confused with a wish list):

1. a notch at the top
2. dual cameras
3. IP68

Battery will be about the same. Wireless charging may make a showing as well because of Apple. The Apple notch is a guess because Google seems to be trying hard to make it work. Might see a dark theme too.

Reply

Jaycemiskel
03-10-2018 09:10 PM

“

I think they’ll put a notch in, unfortunately. I hope they don’t, but it seems likely that they will. Andrew and Alex from the site both think so as well from what I gathered on the podcast. I’m looking forward to the 2 cameras that they’ll likely do.

I think from now on I’ll get a Pixel and a Galaxy every year. Just alternate between using them as I feel like it.

Reply

enderhexfyre
03-11-2018 09:46 AM

“

At the end of the day regardless of design most of us buy the Nexus/ pixel phones for the pure up to date Android software. The design and any extra features are not going to make or break my purchase decision. Just my 2 cents.

Reply

With that said, we now want to hear from you — What would you like to see in the Pixel 3?

Join the conversation in the forums!

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You’ll soon be able to use Allo’s web client independent of your phone

Is this too little too late for Allo?

In Google’s neverending quest to create the perfect messaging service, Allo is one of its most, interesting, attempts. There’s a lot that Allo gets right, but at the same time, there are features that are totally absent that you can find in Hangouts and Google Voice.

Allo finally got a web client last August, and while this was a step forward, it has one big caveat — you need to have your phone turned on and connected to data/Wi-Fi in order for it to work. Thankfully, according to the head of Google Duo, Justin Uberti, this is something that should be changing in the near future.

When asked about this on Twitter, Uberti said:

Yes, we are in the process of migrating the backend system to support completely independent devices.

— Justin Uberti (@juberti) March 8, 2018

Once Google implements this change, you should be able to use Allo on your computer without having to touch your phone. This is something that should have been there in the first place, but as the saying goes, better late than never.

Download: Google Allo (free)

Android P first impressions: Everything’s going to be okay

This is still the Android we know and love.

“The settings are too colorful.”

“How dare they support screens with notches.”

“The time is on the LEFT??? WHAAATTTT!!!!”

If you’ve spent any amount of time reading up on Android P’s first developer preview, chances are you’ve come across comments along these lines. Some of the changes found in DP1 have left many Android users shaking with fear and anger, and while some of the design tweaks are questionable, there’s nothing here worth breaking a sweat over.

Google will release three other developer previews before Android P goes public, meaning much of what we’re seeing right now will likely change and become a lot more polished by launch day. With that in mind and based on what we’re seeing so far, these are my initial impressions of Android P.

Confession: I like the new UI

Android P looks very similar compared to Oreo, but there are a couple key differences that have been throwing people for a loop – the quick settings panel and settings page.

In Android P, quick settings have adopted a rounded, more colorful aesthetic with circular icons and blue accent colors in favor of the white and gray ones currently found in Oreo. It’s been referred to as “cartoony” and “childish”, but I honestly don’t hate it. The new look gives Android a bit more personality, and it blends nicely with Google’s Material Design.

The settings page has seen similar treatment, too. The search bar at the top has rounded corners, and the icons for each settings page have been turned into circles – each one with its own unique color. It’s quite the change from Oreo’s monochrome color palette, but again, it’s something I’m on board with.

A lot of what we’re seeing so far in Android P shows an evolution in Material Design. Things are becoming more rounded and circular, there are more splashes of color where things used to be gray, and the notification tray and home screen dock have more card-like designs. This is likely our first glimpse at Material Design 2.0, and I personally can’t wait to see more of it.

Android’s already great notifications are getting even better

One of Android’s most underrated yet critically important features is its handling of notifications. Android’s already years ahead of iOS in this department, and with Android P, they’re going to get even better.

Android P will allow apps to show full pictures/stickers in the notification panel, and even more exciting, smart/quick replies are being added as well. This looks very similar to Google’s recently launched Reply app, and having this functionality built into Android by default is awesome.

For someone like myself that uses their phone mostly for work purposes, notifications play an essential part in my day-to-day routine. Android already makes it easy to sift through a heap of piled-up notifications, and the new features P is touting off will only make managing these even easier.

There’s a lot going on behind the scenes

Those user-facing features are enticing enough on their own, but just like Oreo, there’s much more going on behind the scenes that’ll help elevate the user experience day after day. I won’t run through every single change, but some of the ones I’m looking forward to the most include:

• Autofill will work with web browsers by default
• Moving your cursor when editing text has a zoom-in effect so you can more easily see what you’re doing
• Do Not Disturb is much simpler. Instead of messing with three different profiles, you now just turn it on and choose what notifications you want to hear
• Pixel 2’s Always-on-Display now shows your battery percentage at the bottom of the screen
• New screenshot button when holding down power button w/ built-in editing tools
• A microphone on the Google Search bar in Pixel Launcher to prompt the Google Assistant

More could change with the Pixel 3

In addition to the changes and polish we’ll see with future developer previews, there’s a good chance Google will have even more software treats for us when it launches the Pixel 3.

Even after Oreo’s public release, the Pixel 2 was the first phone to introduce the Google Search bar below the app dock, the At A Glance widget, the dark theme that appears based on the wallpaper you use, etc.

All of Android P’s main features/changes will be out in the wild by the time of its public release in Q3 of this year, but don’t be surprised if Google has a couple more goodies up its sleeve to show off alongside its new hardware.

Take it easy

Like I’ve mentioned a couple times already, the Android P we’re seeing right now with Developer Preview 1 is by no means a resemblance of what the finished product will be like. A good deal of the features will remain intact, but any rough edges we’re seeing will be polished up and gone within the coming months.

Even with that being the case, I’m already liking a lot of what I’m seeing. The new design tweaks might take some time to get used to, but like I mentioned in my Android P wish list, it’s about time Google gives Android a visual refresh.

Add this updated look together with all of the small features going on behind the scenes, and we could very well be looking at one of the best Android releases in some time.

I don’t know about you, but I’m damn excited to see where we go from here.

Android P: Top 6 things you need to know!

Google Contacts gets shortcut for sending money with Google Pay Send

Rolling out as a server-side update to v2.5.

This past February, Google finally started implementing its big “Google Pay” re-brand. Android Pay became Google Pay, and Google Wallet was turned into (the terribly named) Google Pay Send. Now, thanks to an update to Google Contacts, it’s getting a convenient integration with the latter of the two services.

First reported by Android Police, Google’s slowly updating its Contacts app with a new shortcut for quickly sending money to friends and family. It’s found in the row of icons for calling, texting, and emailing your contacts, and tapping it reveals the same UI found when sending money to someone within Android Messages.

After tapping the “Send” button, you choose how much you’d like to send off, choose “Send Money”, and you’re done. There’s currently no option for requesting funds from a contact, but it’s a nice integration nonetheless.

This was first seen in Google Contacts v2.5, and it appears to be rolling out as a server-side change.

Do you use Google Pay Send?

Google Pay Send now starting to replace Google Wallet

Upgrade your storage with one of these PNY memory devices on sale today only

Expand your memory.

One of today’s Amazon Gold Box deals of the day features a selection of PNY storage devices, including SD cards, flash drives, and solid state drives. The PNY Turbo 64GB USB 3.0 flash drive, for example, is down to $13.99 with this sale. That’s a drop from its $20 street price and the lowest price ever for that drive.

Some of the other devices on sale include:

• CS900 120GB solid state drive – $37.99 (from $45)
• Elite Performance 128GB SDXC card – $41.99 (from $56)
• Elite 64GB micro SD card – $19.74 (from $25)

Each of these comes in a variety of sizes on sale, if you need to step up or down. Check out the full sale here.

See on Amazon

Broadcom says it will move its international headquarters back to the U.S.

Broadcom will move its international headquarters back to the U.S. to allay national security worries over its Qualcomm deal.

Back in 2015, chipmaker Avago Technologies acquired Broadcom for $37 billion, with the ensuing entity — Broadcom Limited — incorporated in Singapore. The company is co-headquartered in Singapore and San Diego, but the chipmaker has now announced that it will move its corporate headquarters back to the U.S. before April 3 to avoid a potential review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

The CFIUS stated in a letter last week that it would review Broadcom’s $117 billion Qualcomm takeover bid for national security risks, and by redomiciling to the U.S., Broadcom is looking to avoid that.

The move comes as U.S. lawmakers are wary of an Asian company taking over Qualcomm’s and its vast trove of patents. For its part, Broadcom’s plans to move its headquarters back to the U.S. aren’t new — it announced last November that it would do so following its acquisition of Brocade Networks, which was cleared by the CFIUS.

By moving back to the U.S., Broadcom is looking to allay fears of a foreign entity seizing control of Qualcomm. Even if the deal with Qualcomm were to fall through, Broadcom has to redomicile to the U.S. as part of its Brocade acquisition.

The company has mentioned that it will complete redomiciliation by April 3. That date is interesting as it falls two days before Qualcomm’s annual shareholder meeting, which could see six Broadcom-nominated directors added to Qualcomm’s 11-member board. For now, it remains to be seen if Broadcom can avoid the CFIUS review by moving back to the U.S.

Broadcom Redomiciliation Now Expected to be Completed by April 3, 2018

Broadcom is in the final stages of redomiciling to the U.S. and now expects to complete redomiciliation by April 3, 2018. Broadcom’s proposal to acquire Qualcomm has always been premised on the completion of Broadcom’s previously announced plan to redomicile. In both the definitive merger agreement that Broadcom provided to Qualcomm and in the revised version that Qualcomm sent back to Broadcom on February 26, 2018, one of the closing conditions was that Broadcom redomicile to the U.S., and notably, in neither party’s draft was the closing of the proposed acquisition conditioned on CFIUS clearance. In short, U.S. national security concerns are not a risk to closing, as Broadcom never plans to acquire Qualcomm before it completes redomiciliation.

Broadcom recognizes the essential role the member agencies of CFIUS play in ensuring U.S. national security. Broadcom, which is in all important respects a U.S. company, has been repeatedly approved by CFIUS in its previous acquisitions of U.S. companies and has always engaged productively with CFIUS to ensure U.S. national security is protected. Broadcom believes the CFIUS process is an essential aspect of protecting U.S. national security and it is supportive of current efforts, including those of Senator Cornyn, Representative Pittenger, and many of their colleagues, to enhance the CFIUS process. In addition, as a company incorporated in the U.S., Broadcom looks forward to working directly with the U.S. government as a trusted supplier, and continuing Qualcomm’s existing engagements.

Broadcom’s plan to redomicile is and has been a matter of public record since last November and has been addressed multiple times in recent months. This plan was first announced in the White House when Hock Tan, Broadcom’s President and Chief Executive Officer, had the honor to announce the plan alongside President Trump in the Oval Office on November 2, 2017. Furthermore, CFIUS reviewed and cleared Broadcom’s acquisition of Brocade, which closed on November 17, 2017. As part of the clearance agreement, Broadcom agreed with CFIUS to redomicile to the U.S. The details are included as part of Broadcom’s 10-K “Risk Factors” and are also outlined in the Proxy Statement for Broadcom’s Special Stockholder Meeting. Given Broadcom’s public disclosures about the redomiciliation process since last November, as well as its direct communications to CFIUS, Broadcom has been fully transparent with CFIUS about the redomiciliation process, and believes it is in full compliance with the March 4 Interim Order.

Philips Hue is getting new outdoor options to light up your garden

Philips is rolling out a range of Hue outdoor lighting options.

Philips is introducing a range of new Hue lights for outdoor spaces. The new options include wall-mounted lights, spotlights, and a pedestal lamp, and the smart lights are offered in both color and white shades. The outdoor lighting options are weatherproof and can be hooked up to an existing Hue bridge.

Philips says the Lily spotlight can be used to “highlight the key design features in your garden, illuminating beautiful flower beds, or potted plants,” whereas the Calla bollard is ideal for “path lighting and can also be used to enhance your outdoor space.” Both models let you choose from 16 million colors.

You can also control them the same way as your indoor lights via Google Assistant and Alexa, and set automated schedules from the Hue app. With the Home & Away feature, you can set the lights to come on automatically when you’re approaching your house.

The new outdoor lighting options include three wall-mounted luminaires in the Hue white range: the 800 lumen Inara and Lucca at $49 and $59, and the 2600 lumen Ludere, which will retail for $129. The Hue line is also getting a PAR38 bulb that will slot into existing fixtures, with each bulb costing $29 and a double-pack available for $49.

Meanwhile, the Lily spotlight will retail for $279/€299, and the Calla bollard will go on sale for $139/€139. The outdoor range will go on sale in the U.S. and Europe starting this July.