Google Duo is starting to work on select Chromebooks

There’s no Pixelbook support quite yet.

Google Duo is one of the best video-chatting apps around, but for all the things it gets right, one of its biggest downsides has been its limitation to your phone number. Google has since resolved this with support for use on multiple phones, and now that’s expanding with support for Chromebooks.

First spotted by the folks at ChromeUnboxed, the latest version of Duo on the Play Store is now compatible with select Chromebooks.

Google’s yet to confirm which models do and don’t work, but at the time of publication, Duo’s been successfully used on the new Samsung Chromebook Plus V2, HP’s detachable Chromebook X2, and the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 tablet.

The Pixelbook is the most notable omission, but there’s no reason to believe support for it and other machines won’t be rolled out soon.

If you’ve got a Chromebook, have you gotten Duo to work on it?

How to choose the right Chromebook

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Anker gear, bookshelf speakers, refurb tablets, and more are all discounted today

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on the Klipsch R-15M bookshelf speakers, Jabra Elite wireless earbuds, a refurbished Fire HD 8 tablet, and more! Time’s running out to take advantage of these prices, so hurry!

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If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

Type away for days on an unlocked BlackBerry KEYone for just $400

Amazon currently has the unlocked BlackBerry KEYone on sale for just $399.99, which is a $100 discount. It’s also available for the same price at Best Buy. When it was first released, the KEYone sold for $550, and before this discount, it had never dropped below $440.

The KEYone has an intuitive smart keyboard with flick typing, fingerprint sensor, and customizable shortcuts. It’s built with aluminum casing and Corning Gorilla glass for protection. It also has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, a 3505mAh battery, and runs on Android’s Nougat operating system.

CrackBerry has the rundown on everything you need to know to use your new KEYone, including a Beginner’s Guide and a list of helpful how-to articles. The BlackBerry KEY2 is also now available for pre-order, though it is priced at $650.

See at Amazon

Everything that’s new in the OxygenOS Open Beta

Wondering what’s new in the latest Open Beta? You’re in the right place.

There are a lot of reasons to like OnePlus phones, but one aspect that’s remained since the beginning is the excellent software experience they offer. All OnePlus phones now run OxygenOS, and if you want to test out new software features before anyone else, you can sign up for the OxygenOS Open Beta.

OnePlus updates the Open Beta quite frequently, with each new version including bug fixes, security patches, and feature galore.

To make sure you never miss a beat, here’s everything new in the beta right now.

July 9, 2018 — The final Open Beta for the 3/3T adds minor launcher and camera improvements

A new Open Beta for the OnePlus 3 and 3T is rolling out now, specifically Open Beta 39 and 30, respectively.

With this Open Beta, both phones are getting a few upgrades to the OnePlus Launcher. Search tags in the app drawer have been improved, there’s a “New installs” section in the app drawer, and OnePlus says its improved the app list for the hidden space and toolbox.

The camera app has been optimized for switching between the front/rear camera and there’s a new feature that lets you scrub through AAC audio files.

As OnePlus noted in late June, this is the final Open Beta that the 3/3T are getting. Later this month, OnePlus will issue an update to anyone on the Open Beta that reverts them to a stable build of OxygenOS.

July 3, 2018 — Project Treble and a new UI come to the OnePlus 5 and 5T!

Open Beta 13 and 11 for the OnePlus 5 and 5T is rolling out to users now, and it certainly sounds like one of the most exciting upgrades we’ve seen in a while.

Right off the bat, this Open Beta brings Project Treble support to both phones. This is the new update system from Google that allows for much faster turnaound times with new software, so it’s great to see that it’s making an appearance with the 5 series.

OnePlus highlights a “brand new user interface” that changes the appearance of the Phone app, settings, power menu, and more. The UI is still recognizable as OxygenOS, but the subtle visual improvements are a welcome touch. Even more exciting, there are now considerably more pre-made accent colors to choose from and you can finally customize your own colors to your exact liking.

Here are some of the other goodies you’ll find:

• Improved search tags in the app drawer.
• A “New installs” category tag in the app drawer.
• Improved app list for hidden space and toolbox.
• Optimized log for the contacts page (Phone app).
• Brand new design + improved user experience for the Weather app and all forecasts are now integrated under a single interface leading to a fully immersive experience.

As always, Open Beta 13 and 11 are rolling out to users incrementally right now and will expand to everyone enrolled in the beta over the next few days.

How do you install the Open Beta?

If you’ve got a OnePlus phone, enrolling in the Open Beta is fairly simple.

You’ll need to manually download the latest available version for your device from OnePlus’s website and sideload it, but once you do this, any future versions will be sent to you as over-the-air updates.

Harish wrote up a step-by-step guide walking you through the whole process, and I highly recommend checking it out to ensure nothing goes haywire.

How to install the OxygenOS Open Beta on your OnePlus phone

What phones are supported?

Right now, the list of phones supported by the OxygenOS Open Beta include:

• OnePlus 3
• OnePlus 3T
• OnePlus 5
• OnePlus 5T

The Open Beta isn’t available for the OnePlus 6 quite yet, but that should be changing in the very near future.

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

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Amazon

Mod In A Box: MrMobile Tries (To Love) The Moto Z3 Play

Any phone that takes you from sunrise to sunset without dying is a pretty solid phone in my book. So when I came home from a day of Google Maps navigation, hotel hunting and shooting endless photos (while Instagramming my every meal, natch) I expected my Moto Z3 Play to be mere moments from auto-shutdown. But while its Moto Mod was indeed just ticking over to zero as I walked in the door, the Z3 Play’s onboard battery was still sitting happily at 80%. I was minutes from bed, but I could have gone another whole twelve hours if I’d wanted to.

That’s the magic of the Moto Z3 Play: with Motorola’s new (and IMO, overdue) strategy of sticking a battery mod right in the box, it’s the new phone to beat for endurance. And it packs almost all of the features that have for years made Motorola my go-to example for “how to do Android the right way.” So why aren’t I more enthused about the Z3 Play? Well, as usual with Motorola Z-series phones, the answer comes down to: a little bit of overpricing; a little bit of underperforming (specifically in the camera); and a little company called OnePlus.

Check out MrMobile’s Moto Z3 Play Review in the video above, and be sure you’re subscribed to the YouTube channel; I’ll be coming to you straight from Motorola’s headquarters in Chicago with whatever the company’s announcing August 2! I don’t yet know what it is — but I’ve got a feeling you won’t want to miss it.

Stay social, my friends

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The Echo Dot has dropped to $35 just in time for Prime Day

Lowest price since last year.

Right now at Amazon, you can save $15 off the normal price of an Echo Dot. This second-generation gadget normally goes for $50, but right now it is discounted to $34.99. You can pick between white or black at this price. You’d have to go all the way back to last year’s shopping season to find a better price than this. They’re usually just discounted to $40, so if you’ve been looking for something slightly better, this is it.

This hands-free, voice-controlled device uses Alexa to do all sorts of stuff. Play music, control smart home devices, make phone calls, read the news, check the weather, hear audiobooks, set timers and alarms, and oh yeah….shop on Amazon. These things are seriously handy. I find myself asking for weather updates when deciding what to wear, and playing music through my Echo Dot to keep my phone battery full. You’ll surely find tons of uses for yours, too. Another great feature is that these are updated through the cloud, so everything happens in the background.

Just in time for Prime Day, you’ll be able to use this Alexa device to order online and track your orders.

See on Amazon

Best Amazon Prime Day Deals 2018

The celebrations have already begun!

Amazon Prime Day doesn’t officially begin until July 16 at 3pm ET, but that hasn’t stopped the company from beginning the deals a little bit early. Alongside the announcement, Amazon stated that a few deals would be available instantly for Prime members, and there are a few that you definitely won’t want to miss. In the coming days, we expect to see more deals leak, and our continuously updated tracker will highlight all the best Amazon Prime Day deals.

Be sure to check back often, as this page will be constantly adding fresh new deals. If you’re looking for deals on Amazon’s Echo hardware, Kindle Unlimited, Prime Pantry and more, we’ve got you covered.

Echo Hardware

To kick things off, the company slashed $100 on the price of the Echo Show, dropping it down to just $129.99. This is the lowest we’ve ever seen it go and makes it the same price as the smaller screened Echo Spot. We’ve seen Amazon offer Voice Shopping exclusive deals in the past during Prime Day, so if you don’t have an Alexa device, or want another, this is a no-brainer purchase.

The Echo Dot is also down to $34.99, which is the lowest we’ve seen it hit this year.

Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Music Unlimited

If you’ve yet to try out Amazon’s Music Unlimited service, you can get a four-month membership for just $0.99. That’s right, all four months of unlimited access to all the music in the company’s library (which is rather extensive) for just one dollar. Prefer to read books instead of listening to music? No worries, Amazon has three months of Kindle Unlimited available for $0.99 as well. This gets you access to over a million book titles, and you can read as many of them as your heart desires during that time frame.

You can also go all-in on a Kindle Unlimited subscription and save 40% when you checkout with the coupon code PDKU18. This drops the one-year subscription down to $80.32 and the two-year subscription to $143.86. If you want to just buy a few books, you can get $10 towards any Kindle, print, or Audible book purchase when you buy any Kindle book for $5 or more before July 15.

Amazon’s In-house brands

Amazon has a bunch of its own brands, and right now it’s offering 20% off home, kitchen, and other AmazonBasics gear, 30% off Amazon Elements multivitamins, and up to 25% off Stone & Beam furniture. There are a bunch of other Amazon brands from AmazonFresh to Mama Bear and Goodthreads that will also have discounted items available.

Twitch Prime Games and Gear

Finally, Amazon is offering a free PC game each day through July 18 via Twitch Prime. There are popular titles like Pillars of Eternity, Q.U.B.E, Hue, and more. You’ll also get exclusive in-game look for Warframe and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and if you’re looking to load up on Twitch apparel, the merch is 50% off right now.

Of course, to take advantage of any of these offers you need to be an Amazon Prime member. If you aren’t already, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial so you can access all these deals and save during the big event.

The Thrifter team is going to be covering ALL things Prime Day, and you won’t want to miss out. Sign up now to have tips, tricks, deals, and more delivered right to your inbox.

Lawmakers Question Apple and Google on Personal Data Collection Policies

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee this morning sent letters to Apple and Google parent company Alphabet to ask 16 multi-part questions about how the companies handle customer data, according to a press release.

The letter to Apple [PDF] cites recent media reports as the reason for the inquiry, referencing November news suggesting Android collects extensive user location data even when location services are disabled along with reports that smartphones collect and store “non-triggered” audio data from user conversations near a smartphone to hear a trigger phrase such as “Ok Google” or “Hey Siri.”

While both of these reports were focused on Android, the House wants to know if Apple has similar practices, collecting location data when location services, WiFi, and Bluetooth are disabled or gathering “non-triggered” voice data from customers and sharing it with third-party sources.

A summary of some of the questions are below, with the complete list available in a PDF of the letter shared by the committee.

• When an iPhone lacks a SIM card (or if WiFi, Bluetooth, or location services are disabled), is that phone programmed to collect and locally store information through a different data-collection capability, if available, regarding: nearby cellular towers, nearby WiFi hotspots, or nearby Bluetooth beacons? If yes, are iPhones without SIM cards (or with WiFi/Bluetooth/location services disabled) programmed to send this locally stored information to Apple?
• If a consumer using an iPhone has disabled location services for multiple apps, but then reenables location services for one app, are iPhones programmed to reenable location services for all apps on that phone?
• Do Apple’s iPhone devices have the capability to listen to consumers without a clear, unambiguous audio trigger? If yes, how is this data used by Apple? What access to this data does Apple give to third parties?
• Do Apple’s iPhone devices collect audio recordings of users without consent?
• Could Apple control or limit the data collected by third-party apps available on the App Store? Please provide a list of all data elements that can be collected by a third-party app downloaded on an iPhone device about a user.
• Apple recently announced a partnership with RapidSOS for enhanced location services for 911 calls. What role will RapidSOS serve in the sharing and retention of this information?
• What limits does Apple place on third-party developers’ ability to collect information from users’ or from users’ devices? Please describe in detail changes made in June 2017 from prior policies.

That last question references App Store Guidelines that Apple updated in June to restrict apps from from collecting user data to build advertising profiles or contact databases. The new rules also prohibit apps from harvesting data from an iPhone user’s contacts to create contact databases.

The letter goes on to request Apple’s policies for data collection via the microphone, Bluetooth, WiFi, and cellular networking capabilities, along with Apple’s policies pertaining to third-party access and use of data collected by the microphone. It also asks whether Apple has suspended or banned companies for violating its App Store rules, requesting specific examples and whether users had been notified their data was misused when the developer was banned.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee asks Apple to make arrangements to provide a briefing on the topics listed in the letter, but it does not provide a timeline for when Apple needs to respond. Apple generally responds to these requests in a prompt manner, however.

Apple maintains stricter and more transparent privacy policies than companies like Google and Facebook, with a dedicated privacy website that explains its approach to privacy, outlines tools available to customers to protect their privacy, and details government data requests.

Privacy is at the forefront of many features Apple implements, and the company is careful to always outline the privacy protections that have been added when introducing new functionality. When introducing new Photos features in iOS 12 that allow for improved search and sharing suggestions, for example, Apple was quick to point out that these features are all on-device.

Apple executives have said several times that Apple customers are not the company’s product, and Apple CEO Tim Cook has maintained that privacy is a fundamental human right. From a recent interview:

To me, and we feel this very deeply, we think privacy is a fundamental human right. So that is the angle that we look at it. Privacy from an American point of view is one of these key civil liberties that define what it is to be American.

Cook has also said that people are not fully aware of how their data is being used and who has access to it, a problem that “needs to be addressed.”

“The ability of anyone to know what you’ve been browsing about for years, who your contacts are, who their contacts are, things you like and dislike and every intimate detail of your life – from my own point of view it shouldn’t exist.”

Apple is continually introducing new privacy tools and protections for customers. Both macOS Mojave and iOS 12 include security and privacy improvements designed to better protect users, with additional tracking protection in Safari on both operating systems and extended privacy protections in Mojave.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: privacy
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Apple Releases macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 With AirPlay 2 Multi-Room Audio Support for iTunes

Apple today released macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, the sixth update to the macOS High Sierra operating system available on Apple’s Mac lineup. macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 comes more than a month after the release of macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, which introduced support for Messages in iCloud.

macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 can be downloaded directly from the Mac App Store or through the Software Update function in the Mac App Store on all compatible Macs that are already running macOS High Sierra.

The macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 update is minor in scale, focusing on bug fixes and security improvements. No major feature changes were discovered during the beta testing process, but Apple’s release notes say it adds AirPlay 2 multi-room support for iTunes. Full release notes are below:

The macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 update adds AirPlay 2 multi-room audio support for iTunes and improves the stability and security of your Mac. This update is recommended for all users.

AirPlay 2 for iTunes
– Control your home audio system and AirPlay 2-enabled speakers throughout your house
– Play music at the same time on multiple AirPlay 2-enabled speakers in your house, all in sync

Other improvements and fixes
– Fixes an issue that may prevent Photos from recognizing AVCHD media from some cameras
– Fixes an issue that may prevent Mail users from moving a message from Gmail to another account

macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 may be one of the final updates to the macOS High Sierra operating system, as Apple in June introduced macOS Mojave, an update that will be launching to the public this fall. macOS Mojave is currently available to developers and public beta testers and will be tested for several months before it sees a launch.

macOS Mojave introduces a system-wide Dark Mode, Desktop Stacks for organizing all of the files on your desktop, several changes to Finder to make it quicker and easier to access and edit your files, Continuity Camera for importing photos to Mac right from an iPhone, and new apps that include Apple News, Socks, Home, and Voice Memos.

For full details on all of the new features that are coming in the macOS Mojave update, make sure to check out our roundup.

Related Roundup: macOS High Sierra
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Northern white rhinos could be saved from extinction by a lab-grown embryo

The northern white rhino may have found its savior, and it comes from a lab. A few months ago, the last male northern white rhino died, and with him went hopes of preserving the critically endangered species. But now, it seems as though the fate of the rhino may not be so grim after all. Scientists have recently revealed that they have managed to grow embryos containing his DNA, which could save the entire species if implanted in a surrogate rhino.

Today, only two northern white rhinos remain in the world, and alas, both are infertile females. But with the breakthrough of these lab-produced embryos, there could still be hope for the re-emergence of a breeding population.

“Our goal is to have in three years the first NWR calf born,” Thomas Hildebrandt, head of reproduction management at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin, told journalists with regard to the work. “Taking into account 16 months (of) pregnancy, we have a little more than a year to have a successful implantation.”

The development of the embryo involved the use of a recently patented, 6.6-foot-long egg extraction device, and resulted in the world’s very first test-tube rhino baby to be. The embryos are currently frozen, and Hildebrandt says that they “have a very high chance to establish a pregnancy once implanted into a surrogate mother.” The embryos are not 100-percent northern white rhino, however — scientists used frozen sperm from deceased northern white rhino males, and the eggs of southern white rhino females. However, the hope is that scientists will now be able to use the same method to collect eggs from the two remaining female northern white rhinos. These fully northern white rhino embryos would then be implanted in surrogate southern white rhino mothers, hopefully creating a new northern white population.

“Our results indicate that ART (assisted reproduction techniques) could be a viable strategy to rescue genes from the iconic, almost extinct, northern white rhinoceros,” the team behind the research wrote in the journal Nature Communications.

Of course, the procedure is not entirely foolproof, nor is it necessarily 100-percent safe for the rhinos. “We have to do a full anesthesia, the animal is down for two hours, and it is quite a risky situation,” Hildebrandt noted. “We are highly afraid something unexpected would happen, [and] that would be a nightmare.”

To prepare, some of the existing hybrid embryos are being implanted into southern white rhino surrogates, and we will have to see whether the method ultimately results in a new northern white rhino population.

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