OnePlus 5/5T get Android 8.1 with OxygenOS Open Beta

The February 2018 security patch is also included.

Keeping up its legacy of offering speedy software updates, the OnePlus 5 and 5T recently started getting Android 8.1 Oreo through OnePlus’s Open Beta program for OxygenOS. This marks Open Beta 6 for the OnePlus 5 and Open Beta 4 for the 5T.

With these updates, both phones are getting the following:

• Android 8.1 Oreo
• February 2018 security patch
• New auto pick up gesture (answer an incoming call by raising the phone)
• Added more clock styles for ambient display
• Added new optimizations in gaming mode for immersive gaming experience including power saving and pausing adaptive brightness
• For OnePlus Switch, added support to migrate application data, allowing you to switch between devices seamlessly
• General bug fixes and improvements

In addition to the above goodies, the OnePlus 5T is also getting optimizations for its full-screen gesture system that was first introduced in late January.

If you’re already enrolled in the Open Beta on your OnePlus 5 or 5T, you should receive an OTA soon (if you haven’t already gotten it) to download the latest software.

OnePlus 5T and OnePlus 5

• OnePlus 5T review: Come for the value, not the excitement
• OnePlus 5T specs
• Should you upgrade from the OnePlus 3T?
• OnePlus 5T vs. Galaxy S8: Beast mode
• All of the latest OnePlus 5T news
• Join the discussion in the forums

OnePlus
Amazon

Google’s planning to re-brand Android Wear as ‘Wear OS’

Big things could be coming down the pipeline.

Android Wear is pretty much at a standstill right now. Fashion brands continue to release new hardware running the OS, but it’s been a hot minute since a major tech company has put any real time or effort into releasing new products with it. Thankfully, Google appears to be planning a complete rebrand for Android Wear to breath new life into it.

Thanks to a screenshot from one Redditor on the /r/androidwear subreddit, it looks like the Android Wear name will be replaced by “Wear OS.” The screenshot shows Google Play Services’ Nearby feature that pops up when it detects a new Android Wear watch can be paired, but as you can see from the image below, it references Wear OS and shows a new colorful logo that sort of mimics the Google Assistant’s branding.

This change was found in the latest 12.5 beta for Play Services, and while there’s not much else it reveals, it’s exciting nonetheless.

Android Wear used to be my personal favorite wearable OS, and I religiously wore the Samsung Gear Live, Moto 360, and Huawei Watch. However, thanks to lackluster hardware that was released to debut Android Wear 2.0, the platform’s kind of been in a rut for over a year now.

I’m guessing Google will formally introduce Wear OS this coming May at Google I/O, and while I don’t anticipate any hardware announcements at that time, I’m hoping and praying for a Pixel Watch this October alongside the Pixel 3.

Anything you’re hoping to see in Wear OS?

Android Wear

• Everything you need to know about Android Wear 2.0
• LG Watch Sport review
• LG Watch Style review
• These watches will get Android Wear 2.0
• Discuss Android Wear in the forums!

Sophisticated malware attacks through routers

Security researchers at Kaspersky Lab have discovered what’s likely to be another state-sponsored malware strain, and this one is more advanced than most. Nicknamed Slingshot, the code spies on PCs through a multi-layer attack that targets MikroTik routers. It first replaces a library file with a malicious version that downloads other malicious components, and then launches a clever two-pronged attack on the computers themselves. One, Canhadr, runs low-level kernel code that effectively gives the intruder free rein, including deep access to storage and memory; the other, GollumApp, focuses on the user level and includes code to coordinate efforts, manage the file system and keep the malware alive.

Kaspersky describes these two elements as “masterpieces,” and for good reason. For one, it’s no mean feat to run hostile kernel code without crashes. Slingshot also stores its malware files in an encrypted virtual file system, encrypts every text string in its modules, calls services directly (to avoid tripping security software checks) and even shuts components down when forensic tools are active. If there’s a common method of detecting malware or identifying its behavior, Slingshot likely has a defense against it. It’s no wonder that the code has been active since at least 2012 — no one knew it was there.

The malware can effectively steal whatever it wants, including keyboard strokes, network traffic, passwords and screenshots. It’s not certain how Slingshot gets into a system besides taking advantage of the router management software, but Kaspersky pointed to “several” instances

The combination of this sophistication with the spying focus led Kaspersky to believe that it’s likely the creation of a state agency — it rivals the Regin malware GCHQ used to spy on Belgian carrier Belgacom. And while text clues hint that English speakers might be responsible, the culprit isn’t clear. Just shy of 100 individuals, government outfits and institutions fell prey to Slingshot in countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Libya and Turkey. It could be one of the Five Eyes countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US) keeping watch on nations with significant terrorism issues, but that’s far from certain.

Slingshot should be fixed as of recent MikroTik router firmware updates. The concern, as you might guess, is that other router makers might be affected. If they are, there’s a possibility that Slingshot has a far wider reach and is still taking sensitive data.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: Kaspersky Lab, SecureList

Witnessing the Church of Elon Musk

SXSW plays host to big-name speakers all the time. Mother! and Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky was on stage yesterday, Apple’s Eddy Cue is on a panel tomorrow and Moonlight director Barry Jenkins had a keynote this morning. But something felt different at the Moody Theater in downtown Austin. The crowd was unusually excited, expectant. A thousand or so SXSW attendees, a large number of them press, had congregated with only 12 hours’ notice to hear Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk speak.

The panel was scheduled for noon, but at 12:15PM people were still shuffling in. Either Musk was running late or officials were stalling to let the audience take their seats. A small group in the venue’s upper tier began clapping, as though calling for an encore after a concert, and the rhythmic applause swiftly pulsed around the theater, to no avail.

Minutes later, and the easy listening instrumental track being piped through the theater died down. A whoop from somewhere in the venue sparked some excited chatter. A journalist sitting in front of me asked her neighbor “Is that him at the side there?” (It wasn’t.) Someone started chanting “Elon, Elon, Elon,” and it briefly caught on before dissolving into an insecure giggle as the next jam faded in.

By the time SXSW director Hugh Forrest took the stage around half an hour behind schedule, excitement was at fever pitch. After selling the audience on some SXSW merch, Forrest sang Musk’s praises, describing his speaker as a visionary, throwing in a couple of conference-appropriate jokes (“he’s founded a couple of successful startups”, etc.) that the audience lapped up.

Musk emerged to rapturous applause; off the scale for a tech event. It felt like a film premiere — the fervor somewhere between James Cameron’s Avatar preamble (a solid 9/10) and Quentin Tarantino’s profanity-laden mic drop before the London debut of Inglourious Basterds (literally the most hyped I have ever seen a crowd).

The Q+A session used an AMA-inspired system — anyone in the venue could submit a question via an online form, and then vote on other people’s submissions. This populist approach, when combined with the extreme levels of Musk fandom in the venue, led to a lot of softball questions; a cut above “describe your dream date,” but not by much. Moderator Jonathan Nolan (in town promoting Westworld season two) set the tone early, bringing another round of applause by saying “we are going to the moon, we are going to Mars, and it’s down to you.” The panel then started in earnest with a question asking “how can we help” Musk get to Mars, to which the answer was, unsurprisingly, that you can’t really.

“Right now the biggest thing that would be helpful is support and encouragement, goodwill,” Musk said. SpaceX is making good progress with its “BFR” rocket, and should be ready to do some small “up-and-down” tests next year. Once it’s able to demonstrate that the feat is feasible, then interest will build, Musk said. “We’ll have a point of proof,” he continued, “something that other companies and countries can then go and do.” Then entrepreneurs will race to build out infrastructure, he added, looking to get rich from the new frontier.

A famously poor orator, Musk lost his way often, pausing for long moments, sometimes changing topic midway through a sentence. But that trademark mumbling style only heightened the anticipation among the audience. There’s a cult of personality built around Musk and his companies, and this was his temple. At every “um,” those captivated by Musk only leaned in closer, as though the sentence that began “getting the spaceship built” was going to end with a revelatory, life-changing message.

Musk is perhaps at his best when discussing big-picture topics. When the conversation inevitably moved toward the dangers of AI, his tone switched, and the pauses, while still frequent, were shorter. AI experts, Musk said, “think they know more than they do” and “don’t like the idea that a machine can be way smarter than them, so they discount the idea.” He pointed, as he has before, to the exponential growth of computer intelligence in recent years, noting that while the current, narrow AI uses don’t pose a threat to anything more than a few jobs, an all-purpose “superintelligence” would be a threat to civilization itself. “Yeah… yeah!” a voice from the audience chimed in agreement.

.@ElonMusk says he’s “obviously” inspired by Kanye West #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/MGRCGuyx1Q

— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) March 11, 2018

“I’m not really an advocate of regulation and oversight, but this is a case where you have a very serious danger to the public. There needs to be a public body that has insight and oversight to confirm that everyone is developing AI safely,” Musk said, as a dozen or so heads around me nodded in unison. “The danger of AI is much greater than the danger of nuclear warheads. Mark my words: AI is far more dangerous than nukes. Why do we have no regulatory oversight? It’s insane.”

The further off the sci-fi deep end the talk went, the more the audience lapped it up. Martian colonies are a necessity before a World War III-induced dark age breaks out, Musk said, to apparently not a single raised eyebrow. After a quick “Emperor of Mars” joke, Musk then proposed a direct democracy, where new laws are created with a 60-percent consensus, and old laws can be killed with 40-percent agreement. He also believes a sunset provision would be a valuable part of a Martian constitution, meaning laws would automatically expire unless there was interest in keeping them around.

These weren’t the only political moments of the Q+A. Over the 80-minute running time, Musk also covered the need for a carbon tax (“CO2 has a great cost, but economically zero cost … In the absence of that price, we pretend that there’s no cost”) and his hatred of overregulation (“It’s like Gulliver, trapped by tiny strings, he can’t move …. hardening the arteries of civilization with rules and rules and rules.”)

It’s difficult to see libertarian views being so readily accepted from anyone else at SXSW, but Musk can do no wrong. He’s a businessman, which in America is enough to earn adulation by itself. For all the talk of Mark Zuckerberg’s political influence, Musk’s sway over society seems stronger. But he’s more preacher than a politician, and today, SXSW was his church.

Catch up on the latest news from SXSW 2018 right here.

Google hints at a rebranding for Android Wear

Android Wear might be on the cusp of a Google Pay-style rebranding. Users exploring the latest Android P Developer Preview have noticed that Google is not only referring to Android Wear as “Wear OS,” but has replaced the usual watch-like logo with a distinctive “W.” This doesn’t necessarily indicate that a formal name change is imminent (9to5Google noted that Play Services betas alluded to Google Pay for months), but it does suggest it could happen by the time Android P is released, if not by the Google I/O conference in May.

There’s no formal explanation for the new badging at this point, but it’s not hard to imagine why Google might use the Wear OS label. As with Google Pay, the company may want to avoid using the Android label on a product that isn’t strictly limited to Android devices. You can use Android Wear watches with iPhones, after all.

And that declaration may be particularly important given the current state of the smartwatch market. IDC estimated that Android Wear was virtually non-existent among the top five wearable manufacturers in the fourth quarter of 2017 — even Huawei got to fifth place primarily through its fitness trackers, not its Android wristwear. While new watches and updated software are ultimately the keys to growth, a name swap could reel in some of those buyers who previously thought they needed an Android phone.

Via: Android Police, 9to5Google

Source: Reddit

Tennis legend Andre Agassi is building tech to help with dyslexia

Andre Agassi, the legendary American tennis player, made an appearance at SXSW 2018 to announce a partnership with Square Panda, a startup that makes educational apps for kids. Through his Early Childhood Neuroscience Foundation, Agassi and Square Panda are creating Readvolution, an initiative that aims to develop the “first-ever” free dyslexia-assessment game. To make this happen, the plan is to get help from scientists in a number of universities in the US, such as the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and the Weill Institute of for Neurosciences.

The goal, according to Agassi and Square Panda, is to bring all these minds together to find a way to build a “scientifically validated technology” that can be used for universal screening of dyslexia. Andy Butler, CEO of Square Panda, said that his company’s role in this venture is to rely on its artificial-intelligence-learning platform to ensure that kids with dyslexia can acquire all language skills, not just specific literacy ones. He said Square Panda is able to do this by offering a robust set of tools that teach vocabulary and alphabetic awareness. The key is that Square Panda does this in a fun, interactive way. Its $100 multisensor phonics learning playset (pictured above), for instance, turns an iOS or Android device into an instrument that encourages kids to read.

Andre Agassi during the launch of Readvolution.

In an interview with Engadget, Agassi said he’s been testing Square Panda’s work in his charter school in Las Vegas, and he immediately saw the difference it can make for kids. With this partnership, he added, he wants to make sure that these tools can reach as many children as possible. “I’m very interested in this space,” Agassi said, “because I’ve seen first-hand what a challenge it can be to guide an entire classroom full of kids at the pace that each kid individually deserves.” He said that, if he and Square Panda can build an efficient dyslexia-assessment game, he believes they can make a major breakthrough in the educational sector and set a path to build more Readvolution projects in the future.

Agassi said he’s aware that many athletes, current and former, are investing in technology and he hopes they continue to do so to make a greater social impact. Investing in it for the sake of a portfolio is everybody’s prerogative, and I think that you can’t stop technology, so being aware of its growth and its trajectory is only a healthy thing,” he said. “But figuring out how to best invest in it to accomplish societal change, as well, is where I like to live.”

Catch up on the latest news from SXSW 2018 right here.

Twitter will livestream Major League Soccer games

Twitter hasn’t scored a major sports livestreaming deal in a long while, but that drought is over. Variety has learned that the social network has struck a 3-year deal with Major League Soccer that will give it a selection of weekly video, including “at least” 24 live matches. The arrangement will turn Univision’s normally Spanish-language broadcasts into English-language streams for Twitter users in the US. The first livestream has already taken place, in fact — Twitter broadcast a match between Los Angeles FC and Real Salt Lake on March 10th.

The agreement also provides highlight clips worldwide through MLS’ Twitter accounts, and should include other videos tied to the season’s “big events.”

This is a blow to Facebook (which had MLS live games in 2017) although it won’t feel too devastated when it just secured the rights to 25 MLB games. MLS will certainly be happy, as the Twitter deal comes shortly after YouTube TV reached streaming deals with Los Angeles FC and the Seattle Sounders. And for Twitter, this is really just one part of a long-term strategy to become a hub for as many sports as it can. The more live games it has, the more likely it is to keep you engrossed. That, in turn, lures in more advertisers and could help grow Twitter’s relatively stagnant user base.

Source: Variety

How to mine Bitcoin

A BitMain AntMiner S9 ASIC miner

When Bitcoin was first introduced in 2009, mining the world’s first and premier cryptocurrency needed little more than a home PC — and not even a fast one at that. Today the barrier for entry is far higher if you want to make any kind of profit doing it. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but it’s not the homebrew industry it once was.

Still, if you want to know how to mine Bitcoin, there are a few steps you can take. One involves much more risk and monetary investment than the other, but the potential rewards are greater. So just as when it comes to buying Bitcoin or altcoins, you need to be aware that nothing in the world of cryptocurrencies is guaranteed. Any investment could be lost, so make sure you do your reading before pulling out your credit card.

Mining vs. investment

Before we discuss how to mine Bitcoins yourself, it’s important to note that although there is uncertainty in everything cryptocurrency related, mining is arguably the most volatile. Hardware price fluctuations, changes in Bitcoin difficulty and even the lack of a guarantee of a payout at the end of all your hard work, make it a riskier investment than even buying Bitcoins directly.

Nobody can say whether Bitcoins will be worth more tomorrow than they are today, nor can they give you any concrete answer as to whether you’ll receive a return on your investment, but buying Bitcoin directly at least gives you something for your money immediately. It’s certainly worth considering before you go down the mining route.

Method 1: Cloud mining

Hashflare

Cloud mining is the practice of renting mining hardware (or a portion of their hashing power) and having someone else do the mining for you. You are typically ‘paid’ for your investment with Bitcoin. Sometimes even if the hardware isn’t used for mining Bitcoin.

Although there are many detractors of cloud mining, it requires a much smaller investment than personal mining. As with general investing, it’s important to do your research, because there are a lot of companies out there which purport to be the best and even the largest have their detractors.

Step 1: Pick your mining company

Genesis Mining is arguably the largest and most reputable of the bunch. HashFlare recently told Digital Trends in an interview that every one of its customers has turned a profit using its service. It did say though, that if many of them had invested in Bitcoin at the right time they may have made more money.

If neither of those companies strikes your fancy, CryptoCompare maintains a list of mining companies with user reviews and ratings, though be aware there are a lot of reviewers looking to shill their referral codes in the comment section.

Step 2: Choose a mining package

Once you have picked a cloud mining provider, you need to pick a mining package. That will typically involve choosing a certain amount of hashing power and cross-referencing that with how much you can afford to pay. Typically paying more will give you a better return, or you’ll turn a profit quicker, but that’s not always the case.

Most cloud mining companies will help you decide by giving you a calculation based on the current market value of Bitcoin, the difficulty of Bitcoin mining and cross-referencing that with the hashing power you’re renting. However, it’s important to note that those numbers can and do change, so it is important to look at market trends and estimate where Bitcoin may be going before choosing your contract. What may be profitable now, may not be if Bitcoin’s value crashes.

Step 3: Pick a mining pool

After choosing your contract, most cloud mining companies will ask you to pick a mining pool. That’s where you choose a global mining team to join. It’s a method of increasing the chance of earning Bitcoin through mining and it’s a standard practice in cloud and personal mining. There are pros and cons of different pools that go beyond the scope of this article, but joining an established and proven pool is likely to be your best bet.

Once you’ve completed that step your cloud mining can begin and within a few days or weeks you should start to see your cloud mining account begin to fill with Bitcoin. Withdrawing it and putting it into a secure wallet of your own is a good plan as soon as you have a small holding, though some cloud miners will allow you to reinvest your earnings for greater hashing power.

Beware of “pre-sale”

Some cloud mining companies will sell you a contract on a “pre-sale” basis. That is effectively asking you to pay upfront for a contract that won’t begin for weeks or months when new hardware becomes available. In most circumstances, it is not advisable because there is no way to guarantee those contracts will be profitable when they start and not even a concrete indication of when that will happen.

Method 2: Personal mining

Personal mining for Bitcoin is rare today because of the high cost involved. Although you can mine alternative cryptocurrencies with consumer hardware, mining Bitcoins in 2018 requires specialized hardware built using application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips designed specifically for mining. They are not cheap to buy or run.

Because of the high costs involved, mining Bitcoin yourself is only recommendable if you have ready access to plentiful and more importantly, cheap, electricity and a powerful network connection. Before investing in any hardware or mining set ups, it is imperative you use a Bitcoin mining calculator to see if you can actually turn a profit with all costs considered.

Step 1: Choose your hardware

If you are dead set on mining, you need to buy yourself a powerful ASIC miner. Most of the modern options are built using the same chips, but they all use different power supplies and some are more efficient than others. The most praised at the time of writing is Bitmain’s AntMiner S9, which is currently priced at $2,320, but new orders aren’t slated to ship out for a few weeks. Other, more immediate sellers charge a huge markup and are unlikely to be cost-efficient.

Second-hand hardware is also an option, but bear in mind that mining hardware can burn out very quickly, so there is no guarantee that your newly acquired bargain will last long enough to turn a profit for you. You can also opt for older hardware or the GPU you have on your gaming rig, but again, there’s no guarantee how long it will last and as Bitcoin mining difficulty increases, they may no longer be able to work fast enough to earn Bitcoin for you.

Step 2: Choose a mining pool

Once you have your hardware and it’s setup, ready to go, you need to decide whether you want to mine Bitcoin alone or as part of a pool of collective miners. Doing it by yourself could mean greater rewards (mining rewards are 12.5 Bitcoin at the current difficulty level) but if you get unlucky or don’t have much hashing power, you could mine for months or even years without earning a single Bitcoin. Being part of a pool means more regular, smaller rewards based on how much you contribute. You’ll also have to pay a fee of your earnings to be a part of the collective.

Choosing a mining pool goes beyond the scope of this article, but suffice to say there are guides to the best ones out there. In a nutshell, joining an established, low-fee pool is likely to be your best bet, but you may have specific needs which only some will cater to.

Step 3: Download the right software

The final steps to starting to mine Bitcoins involve downloading the right software and linking up your hardware with a secure wallet. There are bunch of different options, but they all essentially the same thing. The actual setup process of your chosen hardware and software will be dependent on your choices thus far, but if you’ve done everything correctly, you should be ready to mine. Connect your miner up to your PC, login to your pool, start the software and you’re mining.

Step 4: Check the numbers

From here, the most important thing you can do is stay abreast of the numbers involved. As Bitcoin difficulty goes up, you need to make sure your set up is staying profitable. Are you earning enough Bitcoins to cover your electricity costs? Are your Bitcoin miner’s temperatures staying low enough that they aren’t going to burn out? Is your system staying quiet enough to not annoy your neighbors?

If you answered yes to all of those, then sit back and watch your Bitcoins pile up. Or sell them. Or convert them into something else. It’s totally up to you.

Editors’ Recommendations

• What is Bitcoin mining?
• ‘Bitcoin Tycoon’ lets anyone experience the joyless grind of crypto mining
• Samsung confirms it’s working on chips for cryptocurrency mining
• The best bitcoin alternatives
• One way to cool your massive bitcoin mining rig? Submerge it in oil

Apple has patented technology to stop your keys from sticking

If you’re a MacBook owner, then it is more than likely that you’ve experienced the horror that is a stuck key on your keyboard. And truly, what is worse than being incapable of typing coherent sentences because you have lost access to your space bar, or to a key vowel or any of the uniquely important keys on your computer? Luckily, Apple may finally be looking to address this great scourge on MacBook ownership. The iEmpire has filed a patent that was made public this weekend for a keyboard that is resistant to crumbs, dust, and dirt. Really, it’s shocking that it’s taken so long for such a patent to emerge.

The patent details two different methodologies by which a keyboard would be able to keep out dirt, which is generally the culprit when dealing with sticky keys. The new keyboards would either seal gaps altogether, or feature a membrane underneath each key that would “blow out air every time a key is pressed,” as per a report from The Verge. This blowing action would help expel any dust, and hopefully, keep your keyboard working as it was meant to be.

Initially filed in September 8, 2016, the patent has certainly been around for quite some time, though it clearly has yet to be implemented. Folks with the latest MacBook Pro models have noted that their keys regularly get stuck, and while older models were easier to clean, these newer computers are a bit more difficult to address without the help of an expert. The problem, of course, is that in an attempt to make the new MacBooks thinner than ever, there are just a few millimeters of space between the pressed and unpressed state of the new keys. Indeed, Apple has taken to replacing quite a few of these computers that are under warranty, so pervasive is the issue.

In any case, the patent suggests that Apple is looking into several options when it comes to creating a keyboard that doesn’t stick quite as often. The company admits in the patent that the keys are susceptible to damage by both liquid and solid particles, and notes specifically that “residues from such liquids, such as sugar, may corrode or block electrical contacts [and] prevent key movement by bonding moving parts.”

But don’t get too excited by the existence of the patent — just because there’s an idea for technology doesn’t mean that it’ll ever come to fruition.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple files patent for a crumb-resistant MacBook keyboard
• What if Apple replaced the MacBook keyboard with a giant screen?
• Apple’s latest patents hint at sleep tracker and continued work on AR
• A future Microsoft laptop could have a foldable touch screen
• Apple vs. Qualcomm: Everything you need to know

More than selfies: Google’s apps bring the world of art to your phone

Google’s “art selfie” app, which helps you find a classic portrait that you most resemble, took social media by storm a few weeks back. Even celebrities got in on the fun. But Google’s commitment to bringing the world of art to a wider audience goes beyond just selfies, as shown by some new apps from its Arts & Culture Experiments division.

First up is Art Palette, which is all about color. It’s a search engine that finds and categorizes artworks based on the colors you choose. You can either upload a picture, or just play around with the different color combinations at the top of the screen. The algorithm uses machine learning to sift through thousands of images that match the color palette you uploaded.

It’s a great way to see how different colors look together and will likely give you some inspiration for adding some art to your own house or apartment.

Next is Life Tags, a collection of more than 40 million images from the iconic magazine. Life was like the Pinterest of the 20th century, a glossy full-sized magazine that ran from 1936 to 1972. The images captured in the pages of Life are a fascinating digital encyclopedia, and Google’s neural network uses a specialized photo search to categorize and tag the photos for browsing.

Each image has multiple labels associated with it, depending on what the Google annotation algorithm “sees” in the picture, and those associations can be viewed as dotted lines on the picture. This one’s a real rabbit hole — be prepared to spend several hours exploring a fascinating photographic history of the 20th century as you jump from astronauts to roller derbies to suspension bridges, and everything in between.

Both of these new apps can be found in the Arts & Culture Experiments section of Google’s site. Making art more accessible is the aim of the project, Amit Sood told the Telegraph. The Google Art project began with 17 museums and now includes 1,600.

“In the West we are so used to having these masterpieces and this cultural heritage on our doorstep,” he said. “But not every country will be able to build hundreds of physical structures and acquire hundreds of millions of artworks. It’s just not practical.”

“Museums have a role to make their spaces different,” he added. “I think this is not a problem, this is an opportunity, because you are changing the definition of the word ‘museum’ from it being a building.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Even celebrities are having a fun time with the Google Arts and Culture app
• Find your doppelgänger from art history with Google’s Arts and Culture app
• Google Arts app goes viral with new match-me-to-a-classic-painting feature
• Bring out your inner Michelangelo with the best drawing apps for the iPad Pro
• 3D-printed optical illusion tricks your eyeballs into perceiving a cube