Common Galaxy Note 8 problems, and how to fix them

Julian Chokkattu / Digital Trends

It’s expensive, but Samsung’s heavyweight in the smartphone division boasts a wide range of tempting features. We were particularly impressed with the dual cameras, slick performance, and S Pen functionality in our Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review. As great as it is, Samsung’s biggest and best is not flawless. We’ve been digging around forums and comments to find the Galaxy Note 8 problems you need to know about and unearth advice on how to work around them or fix them.

Glitch: Touchscreen unresponsive and phantom touches

We’ve seen a handful of reports at the Samsung forum and at the XDA developers forum about unresponsive screens and phantom touches. People are finding that they can’t swipe down the notification shade sometimes and at other times touches are registering without people touching the screen.

Workaround:

• Using the S Pen seems to work for most people, even when finger taps and swipes don’t.

Potential solutions:

• Make sure your fingers and the Note 8 screen are clean and dry.
• If you have a case or a Note 8 screen protector, it could be interfering with the touchscreen.
• Try restarting your Note 8 by holding down the power button and tapping Restart. If the touchscreen is unresponsive, then hold down the Volume down and Power keys together for a few seconds until the Note 8 reboots.
• It’s possible an app is causing your problem. You can test this by turning the Note 8 off. Hold down the Power key and tap Power off. Once it’s off, press and hold the Power key until you see the Samsung logo. Let go of Power and press and hold the Volume down key. You can let go when you see Safe Mode on screen. If the problem is gone in safe mode, then you know an app is the cause and you just have to track it down. Either uninstall one by one and test, or factory reset and install selectively. You just hold down Power and tap Restart to get out of safe mode.
• We think it’s worth trying a cache partition wipe for this problem. Hold down the Power key and tap Power off. Press and hold the Volume up and Bixby keys, then press and hold the Power key as well. Let go when you see the Android logo. Use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition and Power to select it. Highlight yes with Volume down and then select with Power. When it’s done tap Power to Reboot system now.
• Your penultimate option is to try a factory reset, but make sure you back up everything first. You’ll find the option in Settings > Backup and reset > Factory data reset. If your screen is unresponsive you can press and hold the Volume up and Bixby keys, then press and hold the Power key as well. Let go when you see the Android logo. Use Volume down to highlight wipe data/factory reset, then use Volume down to highlight yes and Power to select it. You’ll have to set your phone up as new.
• If nothing has worked, then you may have a hardware fault. It’s time to contact your carrier, retailer, or Samsung and ask about a replacement.

Issue: Poor battery life

This is a common complaint with smartphones and there are a lot of possible causes. We found the Note 8 battery life to be good in our review, lasting us a full day between charges even with medium to heavy use, but not everyone has had the same experience. There are threads on XDA Developers forums and Android Central forums bemoaning the battery life.

Workarounds:

• There are a lot of different ways to make your cell phone battery last longer, but they tend to involve turning things off. Your screen is the biggest drain on your battery, so decreasing your screen timeout and lowering your brightness can help.
• The Note 8 does also have a Power saving mode. Go to Settings > Device maintenance > Battery and you can configure it and toggle it on. We recommend tapping Mid for medium power saving mode because it doesn’t impair your Note 8 too much. You can also customize precisely what it does to ensure it isn’t annoying.
• If you scroll down further in Settings > Device maintenance > Battery you’ll see the App power monitor and the Save power button, which can be used to limit how much battery life apps are chewing through when they’re not open. If you see any really greedy apps in here consuming a large percentage of your battery, then consider uninstalling them.
• The always on display is inevitably going to be an extra battery drain, so you could turn it off via Settings > Display > Always On Display. We like it, but we’ve gotten into the habit of turning our Note 8 face down when we don’t need it, so the display doesn’t come on.
• Snag yourself one of the best portable battery chargers.

Potential solutions:

• Uninstall any apps you aren’t using and make sure the rest are up-to-date. Some apps that can’t be uninstalled can be disabled. Open the Play Store, tap the three horizontal lines at the top left, and tap My apps & games, then Update all. You should also look under Settings via the three horizontal lines at the top left in the Play Store and decide whether you want Auto-update apps to be on. Generally, we think it’s a good idea, but if you have a lot of apps, then the auto-updates can be a definite drain on your battery.
• When we’ve experienced major battery drain problems with Android phones in the past, it has often been down to something in the backup we restored. If you choose to automatically restore settings and apps from a previous phone, it can lead to mysterious battery drain issues that are hard to track down. A factory reset and then a fresh install of your apps can drastically improve battery life.
• Another thing that can cause mysterious issues is using a MicroSD card from an old phone in your new Note 8. We recommend sticking it in a computer or laptop, backing up the content, reformatting the card afresh, and then only loading on the files you really need, before putting it into your Note 8.

Problem: Screen burn-in

There’s a slight risk with OLED smartphone displays that you’ll end up with permanent image outlines or patches on your screen, most commonly a faint ghost of the navigation buttons. The risk is increased if you have the same static icons on the screen for a long time and you crank your brightness up high. A few forum posts have popped up complaining about this issue on the Note 8. Don’t waste your time with apps that claim to fix screen burn-in, you need to contact Samsung about this one.

Solution:

• A hardware service can fix this issue. You can take your Note 8 into a Samsung service center or call Samsung support to arrange it.

Glitch: Wireless charging stopped working

The Note 8 should charge wirelessly on any Qi wireless charging pad, and it will charge a bit faster on supported fast charging pads. For some people, however, it seems to be refusing to work. There are posts at the Samsung forum, the XDA Developers forum, and the Android Central forum.

Potential solutions:

• It’s always worth turning your Note 8 off and on again when you encounter a problem. Hold down the power button and tap Restart, then test again. That may at least temporarily get it working again.
• While Galaxy Note 8 cases are a smart idea to protect your phone, they can sometimes interfere with wireless charging. If you’re using a case, then remove it and test again.
• Some wireless charging pads are fussy about your placement. Try moving the Note 8 around. If you’re using a vertical stand, try turning the Note 8 from portrait to landscape.
• Make sure you’re using the cable and adapter that came with the wireless charging pad or with your Note 8.
• Test on another wireless charging pad if you’re able to, just to make sure the pad itself isn’t faulty.
• If your wireless charging is working, but you can’t get it to charge faster, then look in Settings > Advanced features > Accessories and make sure Fast wireless charging is toggled on.

Problem: Freezing up

Experiencing a frozen Samsung Galaxy Note 8? You’re not alone. Galaxy Note 8 users around the world are complaining of phones freezing up on Samsung’s community forums. These reports first appeared shortly after the release of the Note 8, but have been growing in numbers over the past few weeks. The problem does not appear to be tied to a specific model of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, though Android Police reports that SM-N950U units on U.S. carriers, unlocked European (SM-N950F), and dual-SIM (SM-N950D) models have been listed in the forums.

An exact cause is not known, users have noticed the phones tend to freeze when using the Contacts app or other apps that pull information from the Contacts app, such as the dialer, messaging apps, and more. Several people suggest the issue stems from downloading the Google Contacts app, which may be conflicting with Samsung’s Contacts app, though this has not been confirmed.

Samsung has issued a statement and potential fix for the issue:

“We are aware of a limited number of reports about Note 8 devices experiencing an issue with some of their applications. Any consumer who experiences this issue should update their apps in the Samsung Galaxy Store and the Google Play Store. Any consumers with questions should contact us directly at 1-800-SAMSUNG so that we can help them.”

Potential solutions:

There is currently no solution to the problem, but the following two inconvenient workarounds can restore functionality, at least temporarily, to your phone:

• A hard reset is the primary workaround for a frozen Galaxy Note 8. A hard reset will take several minutes and will completely erase all information on your phone. To perform a hard reset on your phone, press the Volume up, Bixby and Power buttons at the same time. In 30-45 seconds you should see the Android Recovery Menu. Use the Volume down button to select the Wipe data/Factory reset option and press the Power button to select it.
• An alternative option (albeit more time-consuming) is to allow your battery to die and then recharge. While this will take a lot longer, you will likely not lose any data if you regularly backup your phone.

For people who are experiencing frequent freeze-ups, Android Authority is reporting that you can contact Samsung support to arrange an “evaluation and repair.” Samsung’s U.S. support number is 800-726-7864. Users outside the United States can check out Samsung’s country-specific site to find relevant support options.

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Live updates: How to watch Apple’s WWDC 2018 keynote

Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) has kicked off, coming to you from the lovely San Jose Convention Center. WWDC is that magical time of year when Apple shows off all its latest software, and maybe there will be some new hardware if we’re lucky.

We’ve included details about how to watch the keynote below, but we will also be updating this page with new developments as Apple announces them. Hit the refresh button to see what’s new after the keynote kicks off. You can also follow us on Twitter (@DigitalTrends), and our editor-in-chief Jeremy Kaplan (@Smashdawg), who’s at WWDC. Check out our full WWDC coverage here.

What time does WWDC start?

WWDC takes place at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center on June 4, and it starts at 10 a.m. PT or 1 p.m. ET. For more details about the show’s complete schedule, check out the official WWDC app, which has the event schedule, latest news, access to the livestream sessions, and more.

How to stream on a Mac, Apple TV, iPhone, or iPad

While some use browsers other than Safari on a Mac as their default, it’s the only one you can stream the keynote from. Make sure your Mac’s operating system is up to date, running macOS Sierra 10.12 or later. All you’ll need to do to watch the keynote is open up Safari and click on Apple’s livestream link.

For those using Apple TV — the second-generation model or later — you can stream the keynote via AirPlay with the latest version of tvOS. Open the Apple Events app, and you should be good to go. For certain Apple TV devices, the Events app will automatically show up on your screen. With newer models, you may need to download the app or make sure it’s updated to the latest version.

To stream on an iPad or iPhone, make sure your device is running iOS 10 or higher. Download the WWDC app via the App Store. You can also access the livestream through Safari the same way you would on a Mac.

How to stream on a Windows PC

For those who don’t own Apple products to watch the keynote on, there’s still an option for you. As long as you’re on a PC running Windows 10, you can stream the keynote using Microsoft Edge. Simply open the browser on your desktop and click on Apple’s WWDC 2018 livestream link.

Apple also says other platforms may be able to access the stream using recent versions of Chrome or Firefox (MSE, H.264, and AAC required).

Live updates:

The keynote has started, and we’re adding major announcements here. Refresh the page to see new information.

• The App Store will turn 10 years old next month. The money developers have made through the App Store is around $100 billion.
• iOS 12 has officially been announced, and it will be coming to all devices that iOS 11 supported. It will focus on performance.
• There’s a new file format for AR made in collaboration with Pixar called USDZ.
• A new app called Measure helps you measure distances, surfaces, and more. Just tap and drag a line on surfaces to get exact measurements.
• ARKit 2 adds improved face-tracking, realistic rendering, 3D object detection, persistent experiences, and shared experiences. Shared experiences lets two people see the same environment at the same time. A demo with Lego showed two people interacting with a single Lego creation.
• The Apple Photos app is getting a new feature called Search Suggestions. There’s also a For You tab that shows memories, On This Day photos from the past, and more.
• Siri is getting Shortcuts, you can set custom phrases to trigger third-party actions. Siri Suggestions can also suggest things for you to do after learning your habits. If you’re going to a movie, for example, it will suggest to turn on Do Not Disturb. A new Shortcuts app lets you create your own custom shortcuts to enact actions faster.
• Apple News gets a new sidebar on the iPad. The Stocks app gets a small redesign, but Apple News is now built into the Stocks app.  The Stocks app is also now available on the iPad.
• The Voice Memo app is now easier to use, and looks a little different. It’s now also available on the iPad. iCloud support also means your recordings are saved on the cloud.
• The iBooks app is now called Apple Books, and it’s getting a redesign. It makes it easier to pick up where you left off. There’s also a new Book Store in the app that makes it easier to purchase books.
• The CarPlay app now supports third-party navigation apps, so you can use Google Maps.
• Do Not Disturb during bedtime doesn’t show all your notifications in the middle of the night. You can expand it in the Control Center, and you can set an ending time.
• Instant tuning to notifications now gives you more control over notifications. There’s also now Grouped Notifications,  which means notifications from the same app are bundled together, similar to how Android handles notifications.
• Screen Time lets you manage how much time you spend in apps. App Limits let you set a time limit for apps, and you’ll get an alert telling you when you’ve run out of time. Parents can create Allowances for kids, to give them extra time with certain apps.
• Tongue Detection, that’s right, is coming in iOS 12. Animoji can detect tongues. There are also a handful of new Animojis, like T-rex, ghost, and koala.
• Memoji lets you create your own personalized Animoji in the iMessage app. It still only works with the iPhone X.
• There are new camera effects in iMessage, such as shapes, effects, stickers, and even your own Memojis.
• Facetime is finally getting Group Facetime, so you can video chat with more than one person at a single time. Up to 32 people simultaneously, actually. You can also directly jump to Facetimes from the iMessage app, and there are stickers, effects, Memoji, and Animojis as well.
• You can read everything Apple announced in iOS 12 here.
• Apple announces WatchOS 5, bringing a new workout type for Yoga, Hiking, and Outdoor Run. There’s now automatic workout detection along with End Alerts, and improved Competitions.
• WatchOS 5 includes a Walkie-Talkie app that lets you talk to other Apple Watch owners just like a walkie-talkie.
• The Siri watch face gets sports, maps, and heart rate details. It also will have the Siri Shortcuts that’s available in iOS 12. You can also now see third-party apps on the Siri watch face. You also don’t need to say Hey Siri — just raise your wrist to your face and just ask it a command.
• Interactive notifications in WatchOS 5 also lets you perform some actions in notifications directly.
• You can also see web content in WatchOS 5, like when you want to see the menu for a restaurant.
• Apple Podcasts are now available in WatchOS 5.
• You can add student ID cards into Wallet in WatchOS 5.
• There’s a new band and watch face supporting Pride Month, available today.
• You can read everything Apple announced in WatchOS 5 here.
• Apple TV 4K now gets support for Dolby Atmos. Apple is also working with cable companies to include support.
• Zero Sign-on lets you securely and quickly sign into all your TV services, no sign in required. Charter Spectrum will be the first to support this.
• Apple TV users will have the Apple TV icon directly accessible in the Control Center on their iPhone.
• The next version of macOS is called macOS Mojave, and it includes a dark mode.
• MacOS also has a new feature called Dynamic Desktop. It visually changes from morning, evening to night.
• Stacks in the Desktop let you hide cluttered files into one neat place.
• The Finder app looks a little different. There’s a new view option called Gallery view. It has a big preview for images and video.
• The Apple News app is coming to macOS.
• Voice Memo is also coming to macOS.
• The Stocks and Home app are also coming to macOS.
• Cookies are no longer tracked by default on websites, and it will be more difficult for data companies to track your browsing habits.
• UIKit from iOS will work with macOS. It helps make porting apps from iOS to macOS much easier for developers. It will be available next year.
• And that’s a wrap!

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Smart wearables see big spike as ‘basic’ devices drag down overall market growth

Wearables’ market growth is slowing down, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). Worldwide shipments of wearable devices grew 1.2 percent overall during the first quarter of 2018, with shipments reaching 25.1 million units. Even with slow growth,  the report shows consumers are leaning more toward smarter wearables while leaving the basic devices behind.

But what’s the difference between “basic” and “smart” wearables? IDC defines smart wearables as devices that are capable of running third-party apps. Devices that can’t run those apps are known as basic wearables. Basic wearables, specifically, saw a decline of 9.2 percent in shipments while higher-priced smart wearables — such as those from Apple and Fitbit — grew by 28.4 percent.

Aside from watches and wristbands — which accounted for 95 percent of shipments during the first quarter — clothing that includes sensors grew 58.6 percent year-over-year. While this mainly includes step-counting shoes, brands that offer “smart” shirts, shorts, and other clothing with fitness trackers also continues to grow.

Of the top five wearable companies in the first quarter, Apple took the top spot. The company’s shipments grew 13.5 percent over the previous year, following the release of its Apple Watch Series 3, which features a built-in eSIM for a cellular connection. In comparison to this time last year, Apple managed to increase its share from 14.3 percent to 16.1 percent.

In second place is smartphone brand Xiaomi with a 14.8 percent share of unit shipments. The brand has the lowest average selling price of the five companies and is far more popular in the Chinese market.

Even though Fitbit saw a decline of 28.1 percent, the company still managed to rank third for the quarter. Since the launch of the Fitbit Versa in April, the company has shipped more than 1 million devices. In addition to being a wearable that’s more stylish and affordable than competitors, the Versa also offers more female health tracking, which has already attracted more than 2 million users following its release in May.

Huawei took the fourth spot, posting an increase in market share since last year — the brand went from 2.1 percent during the first quarter of 2017 to 5.2 percent for the same period this year. Even though the company is primarily popular in Asia, its wide variety of products — ranging from smartwatches to fitness trackers, kids’ watches and more — have allowed the company to more than double its share.

To round out the list is Garmin, which didn’t see a huge increase since last year, coming in at 5 percent, compared to a 4.6 percent share a year ago. While the company hasn’t been quick to add new features to its wearables, its latest Garmin Forerunner 645  includes contactless payments (Garmin Pay) and its first-ever native music compatibility.

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Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps are free for a limited time

Everyone likes Apple’s apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest iOS app deals available from the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Wordscanner

Wordscanner scans everything into clear and sharp images or PDFs. With this scanner app, you can rapidly scan documents, and convert them into PDF format for easy printing, sharing, or saving to the cloud.

Available on:

iOS

Thankful

The thankful app is the most beautifully designed and personal way to privately, quickly, and easily record and share things (if you wish) that you are thankful for in your everyday life. Quickly save your thankful thoughts, inspirational words of wisdom, thankful inspirations, or #thankful thoughts from around the world via Twitter, Tumblr, and Flickr.

Available on:

iOS

Nutrition GPA

Answer 10 simple questions about what you ate today and get a grade on the nutrition quality of your diet. Then, track your Nutrition GPA over time for feedback, motivation, and accountability in just two minutes a day. It’s not what you eat on your best day or your worst day; it’s what you eat most days that has the biggest impact on your long-term health.

Available on:

iOS

Moment Mix

Moment Mix is a powerful and fast collage maker with a lot of customization and editing tools, that also gives you the option to import and share photos. This app saves your current progress, and you can continue your editing process at any time. It also boasts an undo and redo feature, as well as adjustable templates.

Available on:

iOS

Power Runner

Select music from your iTunes library, set a targeted pace to be your goal, and hit the start button to get running. Once you start moving, your pace will control your music, and you will know if you are moving at your targeted pace if your music is playing. If your music is paused, then you are running slower than your targeted pace and you’ll need to pick it up in order to get the music playing again.

Available on:

iOS

Easy Spending

The Easy Spending money tracker is the most powerful and convenient daily money management app for iPhone. It promises to neatly track all your cash flow between different accounts that you can budget. It is now all the more secure, with the addition of Automatic Backup Service along with the free email backup.

Available on:

iOS

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It’s not Terminator time yet, but robots with living muscle tissue are on the way

We’re more than two decades removed from August 29, 1997,  the date that Terminator 2: Judgment Day predicted the fictional Skynet artificial intelligence system would become self-aware. Now, thanks to researchers at the University of Tokyo, the dream (or nightmare?) of robots with living tissue covering a robotic skeleton is no longer exclusively the stuff of science fiction.

While their work is still at a relatively early stage, they have discovered a method for growing living muscles over a robotic frame. Specifically, they have found a way to turn individual muscle precursor cells, called myoblasts, into muscle cell-filled hydrogel sheets that can be used to give robots functioning muscles with an impressive amount of flexibility. In a demo, electric currents are used to contact the lab-grown muscles on one side of a robotic finger, thereby allowing it to pick up and move a ring. Stimulating the muscle on the other side of the finger then prompts the biohybrid robot to put the ring down again.

“Many researchers have proposed biohybrid robots composed of a skeletal muscle tissue cultured on a flexible substrate, and succeeded in deformation of the substrate by contractions of the skeletal muscle tissues,” Shoji Takeuchi, a researcher on the project, told Digital Trends. “However, the contractions of the skeletal muscle tissues do not last for [the] long term due to spontaneous shrinkage of the tissues caused by their tension. The spontaneous shrinkage increases with the course of culture, inducing bending of the flexible substrate without the contractions. The skeletal muscle tissues [also] becomes much shorter than their initial length and impossible to contract.”

In contrast, the antagonistic pair of skeletal muscles the team has created can balance the shrinkage and contraction required very effectively. As a result, they can achieve not only longevity but also a full 90-degree range of movement — similar to what you would find in a real muscle.

Despite the obvious pop culture reference point, we’re still a ways off from real-life Terminator robots. Instead, the likely immediate application of these robots will be more accurate “pick-and-place” robots. This refers to the ultra-precise robots arms used for tasks like assembly, inspection, bin-picking and packaging. In other words, if real Terminator-style cyborgs really do get off the ground, expect them to find a job in locations like Amazon’s fulfillment centers. But that may not be their only potential application.

“Although this is just a preliminary result, our approach might be a great step toward the construction of more complex systems,” Takeuchi said. “If we can combine more of these muscles into a single device, we should be able to reproduce the complex muscular interplay that allow hands, arms, and other parts of the body to function.”

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WatchOS 5 brings Walkie-Talkie, Podcast features, and much more

Apple officially announced its newest version of WatchOS at its annual World Wide Developer’s Conference. The newest version of WatchOS brings some huge changes and additions to the Apple Watch including more watch faces as well as improved health tracking features. Here are all the new features you’ll see when WatchOS 5 hits your Apple Watch later this year.

New watch band and faces for Pride month

Apple introduced a Pride edition watch band. Both the band and faces are currently available. You can purchase the band online and add the watch face is available in WatchOS 4.

Health and fitness tracking improvements

Apple is putting a huge emphasis on ensuring fitness tracking data is accurate in WatchOS 5. The company studied more than seven terabytes of fitness data from more than 12,000 participants to make sure its tracking measurements are on point.

You’ll also find a new competition mode on WatchOS 5. The mode allows you to enter a seven-day competition with a friend. You can track both you and your friends’ progress during the competition and the winner will win an Apple Watch award.

WatchOS 5 also features new fitness modes. The Yoga mode will track your activity via the heart rate monitor while the Hiking mode will use your pace and elevation to better determine the number of calories burned.

Runners will see improvements as well. The Running mode now offers a custom pace alert, tracks your cadence and will even provide time data on the previous mile run.

Finally, you’ll see new start and end workout alerts. WatchOS 5 will use your heart rate data to determine when you’ve begun a workout. When you reach a heart rate or time goal, it will offer an end alert on the home screen.

Communication

WatchOS 5 also brings several awesome communications improvements. First off is the new Walkie-Talkie mode. With Walkie-Talkie, you can add friends to your Apple Watch and communicate with them directly by tapping the Talk button within the Walkie-Talkie app.

Your Siri watch face will also get a huge update as well. The new Siri watch face will provide more information on your favorite sports teams, offer commute and traffic information, as well as heart rate.

Siri Shortcuts have also been added in WatchOS 5. With Siri Shortcuts, you can do things like check into your flight, extend a restaurant reservation, or even order coffee.

WatchOS 5 is finally adding a Podcast app. This app will automatically download your favorite podcasts directly to your Apple Watch, meaning you no longer need your phone to listen to your favorite podcast.

Another addition that has been long awaited is WebKit. With WebKit, you willbe able to view webpages from Messages or emails.

Finally, there is no need to say “Hey Siri” anymore in WatchOS 5. Now you can simply raise your wrist to your mouth and Siri will automatically be listening.

While Apple has official unveiled WatchOS 5, it’s only available via developer beta. If you’re not a developer, hold tight. We expect to see the final version of WatchOS 5 released when Apple announces its newest hardware later in the year.

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Lego partners with Apple to add augmented component to physical playsets

Lego already gives creative builders the chance to physically make something only limited by their own imagination, but now your playsets are going to look a whole lot cooler with the addition of Apple’s ARKit 2.0 technology. Lego has created a new augmented reality experience that supplements your physical Lego kits with virtual buildings, people, foliage, and vehicles.

During Apple’s WWDC 2018 presentation, Martin Sanders, Lego’s director of innovation, took the stage to show off how ARKit 2.0 can be used with physical Lego sets to create something even more impressive in augmented reality. With the help of Apple ARKit 2.0, Lego has created a new augmented reality experience that supplements your physical Lego kits with virtual buildings, people, foliage, and vehicles.

With the “Assembly Square” playset placed on a table in front of him, Sanders aimed at it with an iPad and, with the press of a button, created an entire town around the physical building on his screen. Other shops, sidewalks, and grass appeared, nearly indistinguishable from the physical set.

It’s made possible through the 3D object detection in the ARKit 2.0, which allows users to add additional foliage, buildings, people, or cars. Small icons visible above certain people and objects in the world even allow you to take part in missions. These can include situations that require urgent action, such as a building catching fire (with a firetruck, you can put out the inferno). During the WWDC stage demonstration, Sanders also rescued multiple trapped citizens from the roof of a building using a helicopter.

If you approach one of the buildings with your camera and attempt to peer inside, you’ll find the buildings bustling with activity. With a quick tap, you can even peel back the outside walls of multiple buildings to observe them like you would a dollhouse.

ARKit 2.0 allows up to four players to experience a Lego world at the same time, with the changes made by one player instantly visible on the others’ screens. When you’re done playing for the day, you can save all progress and tie it to your physical set, allowing you to start from the same point when you’re ready to play again.

“When we combine physical and digital together like this, it really opens up those creative play possibilities,” Sanders said.

Lego promises more AR experiences will be available in the App Store later this year. We’re crossing our fingers for something Harry Potter- or Star Wars-themed.

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Here is everything you need to know about the Fitbit Versa

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends
Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

In March, Fitbit officially unveiled the Fitbit Versa — a product it calls a “smartwatch for all.” Featuring a style reminiscent of the Apple Watch, the Versa plants its flag as the successor to the company’s previous smartwatch releases, the Blaze and Ionic.

Here’s everything you need to know. You can check out our Fitbit Versa review for a more in-depth analysis of the smartwatch.

Price and availability

The Fitbit Versa is available for purchase worldwide via Fitbit’s own website, along with retailers in North America such as Best Buy, Amazon, Kohl’s, Target, Verizon, and Macy’s, among others. Those interested in using Fitbit Pay, however, will have to shell out a bit more for the Fitbit Versa Special Edition, which retails for $230 and is currently available for pre-order.

In the six weeks since the Versa has been available, it’s proven itself to be quite the hit among customers. On Monday, June 4, Fitbit announced that it had shipped more than a million of these new smartwatches. That makes it the fastest selling product that Fitbit has ever offered, and the Versa is also currently the top-selling smartwatch on Amazon. This likely comes as a relief to Fitbit, which has previously struggled to create a popular product in a crowded market. The $300 Ionic smartwatch, for example, didn’t do nearly as well as the Versa when it went on sale in 2017.

This is likely thanks to the more attractive price point of the Versa, as well as its wider range of functions. Fitbit, however, didn’t share much as to why it thinks its new smartwatch is doing well. It said simply that the Versa has “true mass appeal.”

Design and features

Fitbit’s wearable designs are never conventional and the brand’s official unveil of the Versa confirmed a design many were already expecting. The lightest metal smartwatch in the United States, the Versa boasts an extremely thin anodized aluminum case with an angled and slightly tapered design perfect for small or large wrists. It’s rounded square face — a shape which Fitbit calls a “squircle” — features a colorful, touchscreen display with a brightness up to 1,000 nits.

Similar to Fitbit’s Ionic, the Versa comes packed with a variety of smartwatch features, as well as the company’s signature fitness tracking capabilities. Offering notifications which alert users to text messages, app updates, phone calls, and calendar alerts, among others, wearers will have quick access to the goings on in their smartphone without reaching for their pocket.

Fitbit is currently rolling out its quick replies feature for Versa and Ionic users. Android users now have the ability to respond back to text messages via Fitbit’s quick replies feature — Apple’s ecosystem doesn’t currently allow for similar replies. Those with an Android phone will be able to send up to five custom or pre-population replies that are 60 characters or less. Android users will also be able to send these quick replies on third-party apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Default quick replies include: ‘Yes,’ ‘No,’ ‘Sounds Good!,’ ‘Can’t talk now — will reply later,’ and ‘Whats up?’ You’re also able to respond with a variety of emojis including the smiley face, crying with laughter face, running emoji, and more.

Compatible only with the Versa Special Edition is Fitbit Pay. For use anywhere that accepts contactless payment, Fitbit Pay currently supports more than 60 banks in 15 different countries via American Express, Mastercard, or Visa networks. Fitbit plans on expanding into more countries and banks later in 2018.

The Versa also supports phone-free music — 2.5GB of the watch’s 4GB storage is even reserved solely for tunes — and even features Pandora and Deezer access. Fitbit also upped the customization ante by giving wearers the ability to fully customize the smartwatch, offering a variety of apps like Starbucks, Strava, and Flipboard, as well as a number of custom clock faces — the brand says there’s already over 550 apps and clock faces currently available.

And what would a Fitbit wearable be without fitness tracking? Like the Ionic before it, the Versa still tracks fitness stats with the best of the company’s lineup, offering users easy access to daily, weekly, and monthly fitness data, including logged steps, calories burned, and heart rate patterns. Over time, the accumulated data helps create a more personalized approach to staying active, getting more sleep, or keeping organized. The Versa even offers fitness guidance via Fitbit Coach and allows for swim tracking, boasting a water-resistance up to 50 meters.

Female health tracking

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  Fitbit app screen for IOS showing female health and calendar

The Fitbit Versa’s most impressive new addition is the inclusion of female health tracking, and Fitbit began rolling it out for iOS and Windows on May 7 (users can access it on the Ionic as well). The new feature allows you to log your period, record symptoms, and receive push notifications two days before and on the day of your predicted period start date. For easy access, you can add the tile to your personalized health dashboard on the Fitbit app. With smartwatch integration, you can also swipe up on your watch to the Fitbit Today dashboard to check when your period is going to start or end along with your next fertile window.

As you continue to log your cycle and symptoms each month, the female-health tracking app will get smarter as it tailors to your patterns. That way, it will be able to offer more insights based on how your cycle impacts activity, weight and nutrition, sleep, and more. The app also offers an educational aspect, providing access to the Fitbit blog where women can learn about fertility, ovulation, the menstrual cycle, and common misunderstandings.

After rolling out to iOS and Windows users in early May, Fitbit announced in June that more than 2.4 million users have already begun using the new feature. This builds upon the success the app saw in its first week of availability, when 1 million users began downloading and leveraging the app. This continued success is likely due to an update that went out to Android users the week of May 14, allowing all owners of the Ionic and Versa — despite their smartphone’s operating system — to utilize the new female health tracking feature.

A variety of cases and watch bands to choose from

Fitbit’s Versa comes standard in black with a black aluminum case, gray with a silver aluminum case, or peach with a rose gold aluminum case. The Versa Special Edition is available in lavender with a rose gold aluminum case or charcoal with a graphite aluminum case — this edition also comes packaged with a black Classic accessory band.

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends
Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

To pair with your Versa, Fitbit released a variety of different watch bands — Classic, Horween leather, stainless steel, metal mesh, and more — which range from $30 to $100. The brand also teamed up with The Council of Fashion Designers of America to create a Designer collection by New York-based brand PH5. The unique accessory line will be available in the second half of 2018.

To add to its collection of watch bands, Fitbit asked for help from its customers. Up until June 1, users were able to vote on the next classic band color via the Fitbit blog. Folks had the option to vote for either a mint, denim, or orchid color and the winner will be announced on Fitbit’s social media channels on June 4. The winning color will be available for purchase exclusively through Fitbit’s website this fall.

Fitbit

Developer friendly

Fitbit also debuted the online simulator, a program which allows developers to build apps and clock faces specifically for the Versa and Ionic — without actually owning either device. Fitbit intends for this to help budding developers improve the visibility of their apps, essentially making available its entire Versa and Ionic user community located across the world.

With this program, Fitbit has partnered with health care companies to deliver a variety of new apps to help users manage medical conditions — such as cancer or diabetes — and to improve wellness. Users will have access to apps like Walgreens which allows you to access the closest Walgreens pharmacy when you need to pick up a prescription, or Sickweather which is an app that scans social networks for illness around your area. Other apps include Diplomat Pharmacy, One Drop, Fitabase, and more.

With the release of the Versa, Fitbit has also rolled out its new OS — Fitbit 2.0 — allowing all Ionic users to update to the new software.

Updated on June 4: Fitbit announces that it has already shipped 1 million units of the Versa. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• Fitbit Versa vs. Fitbit Ionic: A battle of the wearable maker’s flagships
• Fitbit Versa vs. Apple Watch Series 3: Which should you wear?
• Fitbit has already shipped a million Versa smartwatches
• Fitbit Ionic: Adidas edition will be available on March 19
• Fitbit Versa review

Addicted to sugar? Neuroscientists could soon reprogram your brain to hate it

In the quest to get ready for summer, many of us want to get in better shape by exercising a bit more and maybe losing a few pounds. But when you’re confronted with stacks of candy bars at the supermarket checkout, sometimes it can be a bit too tempting to cheat on our diet. Sure, added willpower would be nice, but wouldn’t it be great if we could just reprogram our brain to no longer crave — or even actively reject — sugar? That’s a possibility hinted at in a new piece of research coming out of Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute.

Researchers there have identified two regions of the brain that respond to sweet and bitter tastes, and modified these areas in mice to provoke different reactions. In their study, they were able to make mice respond to ordinary water as though it was sugar, make bitterness an attractive taste, and turn sweetness into a negative experience.

“Our current study aimed to decipher how the identity and valence of sweet and bitter taste were processed at the insula cortex and amygdala,” Dr. Li Wang, a postdoctoral research scientist in the Zuker Lab and the paper’s first author, told Digital Trends. “With viral tracing tools, we labeled these sweet and bitter cortical neurons in green and red, and mapped their projections brain-wide using one of the latest whole-brain clearing and imaging techniques. It is interesting to find that sweet and bitter neurons separately projected to two different subregions of amygdala, an important brain structure for judging and assigning the value of a sensory stimulus. By switching on or off this cortico-amygdalar circuit, it is [possible] to change the valence of taste or manually assign a new valence.”

Valence in this psychological sense refers to the inherent attractiveness or averseness of a particular taste quality. That means that it could one day be possible to use this research to alter the emotional component of eating certain foods. That might conceivably be used to help people with a range of eating disorders.

“Looking from the long-term view, it [may] help to address the obesity issue, if we could have a way to change humans’ preference of sugar,” Wang said. “In the [future], we will expand our research to other brain structures and aim to unravel how these regions drive different aspects of the taste behavioral responses.”

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Nature.

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Google Photos can take up less space on your phone with new mobile support

Google Photos can back up images, edit your photos, share albums — and now you may not have to download the full app to get those features. Google Photos online platform is now available as a Progressive Web App, which means the webpage has similar app features without talking up space on your smartphone for the app itself. The Progressive Web App is available on browsers that support PWAs, including Chrome on Android and Chrome OS, at photos.google.com.

Google was quiet about the change, but users spotted the update over the weekend. Inside Chrome with the PWAs enabled, Google Photo maintains more of the app’s features from the web browser. PWA webpages can also be saved as a shortcut on the home screen, which allows users to access the webpage in a process just like opening the app.

The Google Photos PWA allows users to access their images similar to the access inside the app, including creating albums, sharing photos and the assistant. Android users using Chrome may also get a popup shortcut to add the webpage to the home screen. The PWA version is missing a few things, however, including notifications and offline photos.

PWAs use less device storage than the complete apps while offering some of the same feel. Google says PWAs are also designed for a reliable and fast experience. Google Photos move to a PWA helps users access photos stored online while taking up less space on the device itself.

Google introduced PWA at the Chrome Dev Summit in late 2016. The format treats the webpages like an app rather than opening them in Chrome. And while Google Photos doesn’t appear to support notifications in PWA form yet, the format makes it possible to enable features like notifications even without the full app download. Since the launch, PAWs have been activated for Chrome Dev and Canary apps, while Safari is also adding support.

Google launched several tweaks to the Photos Platform over the last few weeks. Social reactions are arriving inside the app, while a developer program allows for third-party integrations with the cloud photo service. Last month, Google also rolled out new artificial intelligence-powered features for the app.

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