Spring break: 5 apps to help you plan the perfect getaway

After months of short, dreary days, spring is finally near. If you have a case of the winter doldrums, spring is the perfect time to get out and about. From enjoying the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. to one of the many spring festivals across the country, there is no better time to explore! If you’re ready to hit the road, here are a few of our favorite apps to help you plan the perfect spring getaway.

Zipcar

Zipcar is one of the largest car-sharing apps in the U.S., with locations in most major cities. If you’re looking to get away for a day, or a weekend, Zipcar is a great option that allows you to travel without the worry of putting miles on your car. Each trip is insured and gas is covered. Be warned, however, if you’re going a long distance, you may want to choose another option as Zipcar has daily mileage limits.

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 iOS Android

 Walc

Once you have made it to your destination, or any road stops along the way, Walc can help you navigate your new terrain. Walc provides detailed instructions using local landmarks, so it is simple to know exactly what is along your way. It’s also a nice way to find some under-the-radar gems in your new locale. Since Walc is made for foot travel, you’ll see need another map app for any driving.

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 iOS Android

Hotel Tonight

Hotel Tonight is a great app for last-minute travel. The app allows you to search for discounted rooms in most major cities within seven days of your trip. It’s a great option for those last-minute getaways or if you’re willing to score a pretty big discount by waiting until the last minute to book your accommodations. If you’re traveling to a location for a big event, or are just uneasy about booking so close to your travel dates, you may want to check out one of these alternatives to make sure you have your room locked in.

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iOS Android

Resy

Looking to snag a reservation at one of the hottest restaurants in town, but failed to book months ago? Well, Resy may have you covered. With Resy you can quickly book tables for some of the most talked-about restaurants in more than 80 major cities. While there is no shortage of amazing restaurants on Resy, you may have to pay a reservation fee to book some of the most coveted restaurants in your new locale.

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iOS Android

Cool Cousin

For those of us who hate typical tourist experiences, Cool Cousin is the perfect sidekick. With Cool Cousin, you can scroll through different locals to find one whose interests match yours and then find their favorite spots. You can also send messages directly to members to ask for updates and advice. For best results, we recommend looking for patterns among several users in your chosen city.

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iOS

Samsung wants to be the world’s top camera sensor maker

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Samsung is working toward becoming the world’s No. 1 camera sensor maker, according to a new report, and is increasing production of its Isocell-branded sensors at its Hwasung, South Korea factory. What does this mean to you? If Samsung wants the top spot in the market, it will have to dethrone Sony, and that means more phones and devices other than its own will have to use Samsung’s camera sensors.

Evidence of Samsung’s intentions in this area has been growing for some time. It rebranded its image sensor range as Isocell in June 2017, and has since pushed the technology forward with the release of its Isocell Dual sensors designed for low-cost phones, explicitly tailored for other manufacturers to simply integrate into devices, and the Fast 2L3 sensor enabling the Galaxy S9’s super-slow-motion feature. Camera technology is also the focus of the Galaxy S9 range itself, giving the company plenty of exposure as a maker of high-quality camera components.

Several smartphone brands already buy Samsung’s camera sensors, including Xiaomi and Meizu, but Samsung isn’t only targeting phones with its Isocell sensors. In addition to industries including medical and security, it apparently wants to be part of the growing need for camera sensors in the automotive industry, where CMOS sensors are very attractive to carmakers due to the low cost, and no-compromise performance. It’s relatively new to the market though, with Bosch, Continental, and AEi Boston all noted as key players ahead of it.

For smartphones, Samsung is currently in second place behind Sony in market share, but it’s a distant second place. A report published in 2017 put Samsung’s market share at 19 percent, and Sony with 46 percent, based on research firm Gartner’s data. Sony is unlikely to take the challenge lightly. Its latest Xperia XZ2 camera systems have a superior slow-motion video resolution to Samsung’s, for example, and we’re keen to see its future innovations created to maintain its position and meet Samsung’s attack.

The prospect of more Samsung cameras in the world has become more attractive since the Galaxy Note 8’s introduction. Now, the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are attracting plenty of attention for not only the quality, but also the flexibility and creative capabilities offered by the cameras, making us keen to see similar technology arrive in other devices. For us, the people who buy smartphones, the more competition there is in the smartphone world, the better.

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Twitter test makes news the first thing users see in the timeline

Twitter users could soon see the biggest news events first when opening the timeline — the social media platform recently confirmed a test of a news highlight reel at the top of user feeds. The tested feature would push news as platforms like Facebook put a smaller priority on news items in an ongoing fight against fake news.

According to BuzzFeed, the staff at Twitter select news items to appear in boxes at the top of the timeline. Tapping on those news items will take users to a list of related tweets, also human curated. The test was first spotted on Wednesday, March 14 with a news spot featuring Stephen Hawking’s death along with other news items, including an election in Pennsylvania.

Twitter says the test is designed to highlight the platform’s bent towards current happenings while making news easier to find. The news highlight test is an expansion of the Happening Now option that already exists inside the Twitterverse. The tool is currently focused on sports-related tweets, but the test appears to be an example of Twitter making good on its promises, since the network said at the October launch of the feature that the tool would eventually expand to news and entertainment.

For now, the feature is only in testing, allowing only some iOS and Android users to spot the news highlights. Twitter said that, if the feature is successful, the feature may be run by algorithms, rather than human oversight, in the future. Another potential outcome of a successful test could organize the related tweets into multiple categories for users to navigate, including an option for chronological order.

The test comes one month after Twitter began featuring breaking news video in the sidebar of the Twitter feed. That feature is designed to highlight news that’s breaking and comes from trusted local news outlets. The feature first began rolling out with coverage from a Miami newsgroup in the aftermath of the Florida high school shooting last month.

Twitter’s instant microblogging nature is known for creating discussion around current events and news items. As Twitter overhauls the reviews against abuse and works to boot bots off the platform, the test could help highlight one of the platform’s strengths.

The move is part of an ongoing discussion on the impact of fake news — Facebook recently announced that news posts would show up around 20 percent less in users timelines as the company cleans up the feed to make scrolling through it “time well spent.”

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T-Mobile shows off the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus in record fashion

No one has ever accused T-Mobile of being subtle, especially when it comes to the company’s marketing tactics. And the latest stunt the Un-carrier pulled to show off the new Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus is certainly no exception to the provider’s over-the-top practices. T-Mobile has managed to set two Guinness World Records titles with the two new Samsung smartphones, and tomorrow, you’ll be able to buy the S9 and S9 Plus at the “industry’s best prices” from Un-carrier stores across the country.

It’s not entirely clear what purpose was served by the two new world records T-Mobile now holds, but we suppose it makes for some fun video content. To achieve their spot in history, the team took to Lake Elsinore in California in order to test out the new so-called super phones. The idea was to launch “the world’s most ‘extra’ speed test,” which involved several water-skiers, a very large magenta blimp, and the fastest Samsung phones on what T-Mobile claims to be the fastest network in the country.

So what exactly were the world records? One was the fastest text on a touch screen mobile phone while water skiing (honestly, it’s shocking that anyone holds that record), while the other was the longest distance water skied while being towed behind a blimp. Again, unclear why that record exists in the first place. But regardless, bragging rights are bragging rights, and as mobile service providers continue to bicker over who’s best, it always pays to have an extra talking point.

In more useful information, T-Mobile notes that you’ll pay about 10 percent more for the Galaxy S9 if you buy it at AT&T or Sprint, and even more still if you go to Verizon. The Un-carrier, on the other hand, will offer the Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, or Coral Blue Galaxy S9 for $30 a month, or the larger S9 Plus for the same monthly payment but with a $120 down payment. You can also get half off the S9 or $360 off the S9 Plus via bill credits if you trade in your phone. So if you’re looking for a new super device, the latest from Samsung may be calling your name.

Check out our Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus buying guide for more deals and pricing details. If you’re waiting for your device to arrive or are picking it up on March 16, check out our best accessories, as well as our best S9 and S9 Plus cases to complement your new phone.

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SwiftKey’s latest update includes a new toolbar and stickers

Since its acquisition by Microsoft in 2016, popular third-party keyboard app SwiftKey has yet to release any new noteworthy features to its app. With SwiftKey 7.0, the company launched its most feature-packed update in two years — users now have access to a new toolbar, stickers, and more.

The SwiftKey keyboard is a smart keyboard that adapts to the way you type and then provides personalized predictions. It also includes a variety of features from multilingual typing to support for more than 800 emojis. With SwiftKey Flow, you can type one-handed by swiping across the keys to complete messages even faster.

Within the update, the existing Hub on SwiftKey is now replaced with Toolbar — which is an expandable menu that allows users to quickly access new and frequently used features. By tapping on the new plus sign icon which lives on the left of the prediction bar, you see the different apps you have used represented by its respective icon that you can tap on to access.

In addition to already being able to add emojis and GIFs, you now have the option of using animated stickers. Select sticker packs can be edited before sending them within messages. In the future, Microsoft will also release exclusive sticker packs to use within SwiftKey.

You can then save and access your favorite and personalized stickers through Collections — which is specifically where you can store other media such as edited photos. You’re able to access the content within Collections by tapping on the pin icon located in the Toolbar.

The new Toolbar is where all of the existing features will live as well. Rather than separating settings, themes, and clipboard, you can now easily access them in the same place you would the GIFs and Stickers.

SwiftKey does have a few other features in the works that will be available exclusively for Android soon, such as location sharing. Users in the U.S. and India will have the ability to insert the address of their current location. There will also be calendar sharing, where you will be able to easily insert an upcoming event through the app.

The new SwiftKey update is currently available for both iOS and Android. You can download the app from the App Store and Google Play Store.

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PetaQ! You can finally learn to berate your enemies in Klingon

Have you ever wanted to learn a new language? What about a fictional language from your favorite book, television show, or movie? Last year, language-learning platform Duolingo introduced a course in High Valyrian, a fictional language used in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels and Game of Thrones TV adaptation. If you have already mastered that tongue, you can now take a course on the Star Trek franchise’s Klingon language, which went into beta this week.

The extraterrestrial warrior race first appeared in the 1967 episode Errand of Mercy in Star Trek: The Original Series. Klingons spoke English until they were given their own language in 1979, with the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. 

According to Klingon Language Institute, linguist Marc Okrand was called in to develop the language, which started as “guttural shouts.” His work led to the publication of The Klingon Dictionary in 1985, which sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Since then, fans all over the world, as well as Okrand, have worked to promote, support, and expand the language.

Since its founding in 2011, Duolingo’s user base has grown to more than 200 million. The platform is free to use, though you can pay to unlock ads and access other features, such as offline access. More than 20 languages are available, with more in the pipeline. You can learn everything from Arabic to Mandarin to Welsh, in addition to constructed languages like Esperanto. Klingon is the latest offering and it’s a real doozy.

“The language itself is centered around spacecraft, warfare, and weaponry — but it also reflects the directness and sense of humor of the Klingon culture,” Duolingo states on its site. “For example, the closest word you can use to express ‘hello’ is ‘nuqneH,’ which actually means ‘What do you want?’. There are also plenty of insults, as it is considered an art form.”

#ThursdayThoughts: A universal translator for Klingon? Not necessary anymore… #StarTrek #LearnKlingon https://t.co/Tj2PvHdxLO pic.twitter.com/j9wjEEF5lC

— Star Trek (@StarTrek) March 15, 2018

As with other Duolingo lessons, you complete various skills to level up and unlock more skills. We tried the beta course and while our Klingon writing skills have improved, pronunciation is another matter!

Though fans may know a few keywords, there aren’t too many fluent Klingon speakers out there … at least not on this planet.

“It’s commonly estimated that there are around 30 to 50 people who are conversationally fluent, but hundreds who can communicate clearly through text; perhaps a thousand if they’re allowed occasional use of a dictionary and prefix chart,” course creator Felix Malmenbeck told VentureBeat.

There have been 170,000 pre-registrations, and Duolingo expects even more would-be Klingon speakers to join.

The language has entered the mainstream in many forms, as even Alexa has picked up a few phrases.

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Report shows Machine learning is helping make Google Play a whole lot safer

Ymgerman/123RF

In an effort to keep customers safer, Google Play is getting smarter. Google has released its Android Security report for 2017, which highlights machine learning as an increasingly better way to keep malicious software off your phone.

According to the report, as many as a whopping 60.3 percent of potentially harmful apps, or PHAs, were detected through machine learning in Google Play Protect, which is a service that’s enabled on any phone running Android 4.3 or later. Not only that, but Google expects the number of PHAs detected with machine learning to go up in the future.

Earlier this year, Google revealed that 700,000 apps had been removed from Google Play in 2017 for violating Google’s policies — but at the time it didn’t reveal too much about how those apps were detected in the first place. Now we know that it was Google’s implementation of machine learning that largely contributed to making Google Play safer. In 2016, 0.77 percent of devices had installed a PHA, compared to 0.56 percent in 2017. We can only assume that figure will be even better in 2018.

Play Protect certainly has its work cut out for it. The service automatically scans as many as 50 billion apps every single day — a practice that Google says led to the removal of a hefty 39 million potential harmful apps last year. While Play Protect scans your phone every day for potentially harmful apps, users can also have Play Protect scan their phones manually if they so choose.

It’s services like Play Protect that make Google Play a far safer app store than any third-party service out there. Unlike iOS, users can download apps from the web on Android, however Google recommends against downloading apps from other sources. In fact, according to Google, users who only download apps from Google Play are nine times less likely to get a PHA than those who get apps from third-party stores.

In general, Google has long fought the idea that Android is more susceptible to hackers than iOS — though it has faced an uphill battle considering the fragmented nature of Android. Still, reports like this show that the operating system is getting safer and safer — and that should only continue into the future.

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Apple highlights existing parental control features on new Families page

Just months after a group of shareholders sent a letter to Apple requesting the company address the  “growing public health crisis” of childhood cell phone addiction, the tech giant is taking action. On Thursday, March 15, Apple announced a new Families page on its website, showcasing its existing parental controls in iOS and Mac OS.

While the Families page does not provide any new features, it allows parents to quickly identify and access current features that may fall under the radar. The site also provides tutorials on how to set up the features available to caregivers.

The site categorizes features by different use scenarios. For example, there is a section that highlights all of the different features to ensure your child is downloading and viewing appropriate content. It includes features like Apple’s Ask to Buy option that allows guardians the choice of approving each app purchase individual versus setting up certain static parameters where children can automatically download apps. You can also learn about in-app purchase controls that can cause unexpected charges to appear on your credit card.

In addition to providing information on lots of app-based controls, the Families page also provides guidance on how to use built-in features in iOS to restrict inappropriate content as well. Guided tutorials are provided to show parents how to restrict inappropriate media downloads through iTunes. There is also a tutorial that shows caregivers how to use built-in web filters to restrict inappropriate content on the web.

Although parental controls play a key role on the Families page, Apple is also highlighting the health features available on its products. These range from basic fitness-tracking features on the Apple Watch, to the Medical ID page on the iPhone that provides urgent health and contact information in the event of an emergency.

To be clear, the Families page does not present any new features, it provides information on all the features that are currently available. While the page makes it easier to identify and set up solutions best for your family, it’s has yet to provide any of the new features Apple promised to address cellphone misuse and addiction in children. We anticipate some of these new features will be announced later in 2018 at the World Wide Developers Conference where the company is expected to announce iOS 12 and other annual software updates.

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Apple patent aims to use haptic feedback to make notifications distinguishable

Another week, a few more Apple patents. A number of patents have been published from Apple, showcasing a few things that the company has been working on since last week. In particular, the patents relate to future iPhone housings, as well as improved notifications for devices like the Apple Watch.

Here’s a quick rundown of Apple’s new patents.

Haptic notifications

Apple may be looking to improve how haptic notifications are handled on devices like, for example, the Apple Watch. The patent, which is a continuation of a patent the company filed in 2015, describes the use of haptic feedback to distinguish what notification is incoming. In other words, you may get a long buzz for an email, versus a series of shorter buzzes for phone calls — allowing you to know what the notification is without looking at your watch or phone.

“Most electronic devices use the same haptic alert to notify users about multiple items of interests,” says the patent. “As a result, it may be difficult to immediately distinguish between a telephone call, a text message, or other such notification.”

We’ll have to wait and see how this shows up, but in particular we think it could be useful on the Apple Watch.

Coloring titanium for device housings

Apple may be looking into using a new material for upcoming devices — titanium. According to a fresh patent, Apple could look to using an oxide coating to color titanium, and that coloring method could be used on devices like the iPhone, Apple Watch, and even the MacBook series of computers.

The reason to use titanium, according to the patent, is that it’s pretty strong and resistant to corrosion, plus it’s pretty lightweight — making it perfect for consumer electronic devices. Only issue? It’s hard to color it with a consistent coating that’s also resistant to abrasion. Apple appears to solve that in the latest patent, with the use of different alloys — like an aluminum alloy over the titanium.

Using enzymes to make a phone more waterproof

It looks like Apple also wants to make its devices a little more watch-resistant. How? By using enzymes. According to another new patent, the company wants to use enzymes to keep polymer structures that make devices waterproof from degrading, thanks to exposure to things like fatty acids. Those fatty acids are really just a fact of life — they exist in human sweat and skin oils, and can degrade the gaskets and structures that keep a device like the iPhone protected against water.

Of course, as is always the case, there’s no guarantee that Apple will end up using any of these patents — but the fact remains that the company clearly is looking into ways to make its devices even better than they already are.

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Using broken glass, this camera can capture any wavelength, from visible to IR

Nanyang Technological University

The camera inside your smartphone uses a lens and a red-green-blue filter to capture color images, but researchers have just developed a tiny camera that doesn’t have a lens or a colored filter, yet can take not only colored images, but infrared and ultraviolet images too. A group from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University recently announced the development of a lensless camera capable of recording visible, infrared and ultraviolet light all inside one camera.

The typical camera uses a colored filter and a lens — and switching over to another wavelength requires an entirely different camera (or an infrared filter that requires extreme long exposures). That’s not the case with NTU’s new development. The camera’s trifecta of unique capabilities comes from a design that replaces a lens with ground glass.

The crushed glass inside the mini-camera will scatter each wavelength of light differently. Using algorithms programmed for each type of light, the researchers were then able to reconstruct the image. Because the different wavelengths each have its own unique scatter pattern, the researchers were able to apply one algorithm to get the traditional visible light image, but another to get an infrared image and still more to capture ultraviolet.

The design also allows the camera to use a monochrome sensor and still take colored images. A traditional camera sensor uses a random pattern of red, green, and blue filters in order to capture color, called a Bayer array. The ground glass essentially serves the same purpose as the colored filter, only requires the library of data on how each wavelength is scattered to reassemble the image.

Along with essentially creating a visible, infrared and ultraviolet camera in one, the camera is also compact. The lens-free design means eliminating the bulkiest part of the camera. The research isn’t the first lensless camera — including research from MIT and Caltech — but the NTU camera offers the unique ability to capture any wavelength.

Lensless cameras like the one developed by NTU could help create smaller cameras, such as making slimmer smartphones, for example. Steve Cuong Dang, the assistant professor leading the research group, says the camera’s design could also be used in medical and scientific applications, among others. Infrared and ultraviolet photography is used for medicine, surveillance and astrophysics, he said. The different wavelengths could potentially also be used to detect bacteria on food or even in criminal forensics.

Lensless camera research has been ongoing for years without yet seeing a consumer product, but the ground-glass design adds another layer in the ongoing research to create smaller cameras by ditching the traditional lens.

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