What is a ‘blockchain phone’ and how does it work?

Everyone is a node, your data is a block, and it all forms a chain. Yeah, it’s complicated.

HTC plans to release the Exodus this October, and it will be the world’s first blockchain phone. We know the project is spearheaded by Phil Chen, the genius behind the HTC Vive, and that blockchain means the phone will have something to do with cryptocurrencies like BitCoin. That’s not a lot of information and it fails to answer the two biggest questions: What exactly is a blockchain phone and how does all this work?

There’s a lot of “informed speculation” going on around the HTC Exodus. HTC isn’t saying much because they need to surprise us come October, and it’s hard to know exactly what the company means when they say blockchain phone and describe their vision around it. But we do know what blockchain technology is and how it could be used in a phone.

What is the blockchain?

Don and Alex Tapscott, the authors of Blockchain Revolution say:

“The blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions but virtually everything of value.”

The keywords here are incorruptible digital ledger because that’s what the blockchain is at its core.

A blockchain is essentially a shared database with no master copy.

A blockchain is an encrypted and shared database that’s spread across more than one computing device. This means that every person with access can modify that ledger without waiting for someone else to finish any edits. There are complicated algorithms in place to keep duplicate entries out based on the actual time they were created or changed, so the database updates and every client gets the changes and they are always in sync. A blockchain is considered to be secure not because the database is encrypted, but because there is no single “master” copy to edit or corrupt — the blockchain database on your computer is considered to be as valid as the database on any other computer.

With potentially millions of computers hosting the blockchain database, it’s also available to the public and verifiable by anyone who has the need and means to verify it. Remember, no matter where the blockchain is accessed, it has the same data because of the software behind it that reconciles any and all entries every 10 minutes. This makes a blockchain a great way to host decentralized data for cryptocurrency. Anyone can access the chain and use software like a currency wallet to spend and manage their alternative currency. Nobody can hack into the chain because there is no master copy to hack.

Blockchain technology is perfect for something like cryptocurrency.

As mentioned, the data is reconciled every 10 minutes. Every change to the data is accounted for, duplicate entries are sorted and separated by the actual time of the transaction, and every copy on every computer is updated. These changes or transactions are called blocks. The group of computers that host the data are called nodes and they form the chain.

The most important thing you need to know when you see anyone talking about the blockchain is:

• A blockchain is transparent and the data is available to anyone who has software that needs to access it.
• There is no master copy and as long as enough computers host the data, there would never be a computer powerful enough to find every copy and corrupt it.
• Any change to the data (such as a BitCoin transaction) happens through a validation system that apps like a coin wallet can interact with. Every node in the chain validates each transaction to ensure that it’s valid.
• A blockchain keeps a record of every transaction (change to a data point) and each transaction holds information about where it originated.

This is why blockchain technology is the right way to keep records for cryptocurrency. It’s decentralized — no person or group can manipulate it — and each node acts as an administrator so no single part of the chain can go “rogue” and foul things up. But there are other potential uses for a blockchain. Things like landholder records and title deeds could use a blockchain, or a complete stock market could be built using a blockchain and any middleman such as a broker would become unnecessary. Any type of database that has individual records that need to be assigned to an individual identity could use blockchain technology. Because a blockchain uses public/private encryption key pairing, each transaction is secure and easy to identify.

How will you use blockchain in a phone?

You can already make your phone act as a node in a chain through digital wallets for cryptocurrency, like the Coinbase app.

But let’s face it — getting “in to” something like BitCoin or Ethereum is not easy for the beginner. HTC could change that dynamic by including a robust wallet in the phone with a user interface that’s friendly and walks you through the process of investing in and using digital currency for everyday transactions. The company also mentions “Trusted Hardware” on the Exodus website so it’s possible that there will be an extra layer of security to keep your identity safe as well as your digital wallet.

HTC could have a new and unique way to store your data, but do we really want it?

But it sounds like HTC has a higher set of goals in mind. There’s talk of decentralized data for applications and secure on-device storage for your personal information instead of using the cloud. Seeing how HTC plans to secure data in a system that’s open to the public, such as a blockchain, is going to be interesting is this is the case.

Depending on just what HTC plans to use blockchain technology to do there is also a chance that the company will have found a new and unique marketing angle — HTC is also a set of nodes in any chain and has unique access to your shared data and can offer a system similar to what Google does, where you’re profiled and targeted when it comes to advertisements.

One thing is certain, the HTC Exodus will be one of 2018’s most interesting phones.

All of this is speculation. It’s almost certain that the HTC Exodus will be a gateway into cryptocurrency use and include user-facing (and possibly unique developer options) apps and utilities to connect to large clearing houses like Coinbase. Past that, we;ll just have to wait until October and find out. I’m certainly interested in checking out the first blockchain phone, and I’m sure plenty of us feel the same.

Huawei Targets 200 Million Phone Sales Globally in 2018, Closing in on Apple

Chinese mobile maker Huawei expects to ship 200 million smartphones globally by the end of the year, bringing it within range of Apple as the second-largest vendor worldwide behind Samsung (via The South China Morning Post).

The target was announced by mobile chief Richard Yu Chengdong as the Chinese company launched the latest additions to its mid-range smartphone line-up, the Nova 3 and Nova 3i. Yu said Huawei had shipped 100 million phones as of July 18, the fastest pace of shipments Huawei has seen in years.

Huawei’s Nova 3i

“Previously Huawei reached the 100 million shipments mark on December 22, 2015, October 14, 2016 and September 12, 2017. As it’s only taken just over six months to reach the target this year, we are now aiming for shipments of 200 million units by the end of 2018,” Yu said during the product launch.

Huawei’s success comes despite headwinds in the global mobile market affecting top brands like Apple and Samsung. In the 2017 fiscal year, Apple sold 216.76 million iPhones, but reported declines in shipments of 2.8 percent in the first quarter of 2018. Market-leader Samsung finished the year with 317.3 million shipments, but also reported declines in Q1 2018, amounting to a 2.4 percent fall in sales.

Huawei meanwhile shipped a total of 39.3 million phones during the first three months of 2018, gaining ground on Apple’s 52.2 million units over the same period, according to an IDC research note released in May.

Huawei calculates its global mobile shipments by combining its Huawei phones and budget Honor-branded phones, which have taken off in the second quarter in Southeast Asian markets, especially India, according to Zaker Li, a senior industry analyst with IHS Markit who spoke to the Morning Post.

“Given that the second half is normally the peak season for smartphone sales as major brands will all release their flagship phones, it will not be difficult for Huawei to exceed 200 million units of phone shipments if it has already completed half of that now,” Li said.

Since 2013, Huawei’s long-term goal has been to become the largest smartphone vendor globally, ahead of Samsung and Apple. Hopes of making that target received a major boost late last year, when Huawei reportedly began discussions with carriers AT&T and Verizon about selling its flagship Android smartphones in the United States as early as 2018.

In January, however, AT&T reportedly dropped plans to carry Mate handsets from the Chinese company at the last minute, after U.S. lawmakers told the carrier it could put future government contracts under threat.

Currently, U.S. customers have to resort to retailers such as Best Buy or Walmart, or Huawei’s direct sales website, to purchase one of their devices, reducing the brand’s visibility in the country. Huawei is due to release its next-generation flagship Mate series in the third quarter this year.

Tag: Huawei
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Xiaomi Mi Max 3 goes live with 6.9-inch display and massive 5500mAh battery

The latest instalment in the Mi Max series picks up an 18:9 panel and dual rear cameras.

When Xiaomi launched the first Mi Max back in 2016, it was venturing into untested waters. With a screen size of 6.44 inches, the Mi Max became the manufacturer’s largest phone, and the 4850mAh battery meant it easily lasted two days on a full charge. The phone turned out to be a surprise hit in markets like India, where the large display and the enormous battery made it the ideal device for consuming multimedia on the go.

Last year, Xiaomi doubled down with the Mi Max 2, offering an even larger 5300mAh battery, a more polished design, and Quick Charge 3.0 over USB-C. Exactly a year later, Xiaomi has unveiled the Mi Max 3 in China, with the device featuring a tablet-sized 6.9-inch display and a gargantuan 5500mAh battery.

Like the rest of Xiaomi’s 2018 lineup, the Mi Max 3 offers an 18:9 IPS LCD panel with an FHD+ (2160 x 1080) resolution. Round the back, the phone has antenna lines at the top and bottom, but the key addition is the dual camera setup that shares the same sensor as the Redmi Note 5 Pro — a 12MP camera with 1.4um pixels joined by a secondary 5MP shooter with 1.25um pixels. You get an 8MP camera up front, and the phone has Xiaomi’s AI-assisted camera features that allow you to take better selfies.

The Mi Max 3 is also powered by the same Snapdragon 636 chipset featured in the Redmi Note 5 Pro, and the octa-core 1.8GHz platform is more than able to handle everyday tasks with ease. Other specs include Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm jack, USB-C, and dual VoLTE, and the phone comes in at 221g, and has dimensions of 176.15 x 87.4 x 7.99 mm. On the software front, it is running Android 8.1 Oreo based on MIUI 9.5, but should pick up the update to MIUI 10 shortly after launch.

The Mi Max 3 will be available in three color options — Black, Champagne Gold, and Blue — and two variants: a base model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage that retails for the equivalent of ¥1,699 ($250), and a version with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for ¥1,999 ($300). For now, the Mi Max 3 is limited to China, but given that the series has seen a decent amount of success in India, Xiaomi will be looking to bring the device to the country shortly.

What do you guys make of the Mi Max 3?

HTC is reportedly exiting the Indian market altogether

Unable to compete against the likes of Xiaomi and Vivo, HTC is leaving India.

The last few years have been dismal for HTC in India. The Taiwanese manufacturer was largely to blame for its missteps in the country — time and again, HTC launched products that were priced ridiculously high, were vastly inferior, or a combination of both. HTC also failed to adapt to the onslaught of Chinese companies like Xiaomi, Vivo, and OPPO, and as a consequence it now has a market share of less than 1% in the country.

The company launched the HTC U11+ earlier this year, but made no effort to market the device. It now looks like HTC is planning to exit the Indian market altogether, according to a report on Economic Times.

The publication notes that HTC South Asia president and India country head Faisal Siddiqui has quit, along with head of sales Vijay Balachandran and product head R Nayyar. HTC is also said to have asked most of its 80-member team in India to quit, with the exception of CFO Rajeev Tayal and a few others. HTC halted its local manufacturing efforts over a year ago, and the company is said to be culling its distribution agreements in the country.

According to an unnamed executive, HTC Taiwan will now oversee the Indian unit, with a focus on selling virtual reality devices like the Oculus Rift:

It plans to sell virtual reality devices online with Taiwan completely controlling Indian operation. This will be like an extremely small business.

The executive also pointed out that HTC would consider returning to the Indian market should its global business make a turnaround, but considering the company announced a sales decline of 62% in the most recent quarter, that’s unlikely to be the case.

In a statement to Economic Times, an HTC spokesperson said that the reduction in the workforce was a reflection of “local and regional market conditions,” and that the move will allow HTC to enter a “new stage of growth and innovation.”

Furthermore, the spokesperson said that HTC would continue to sell phones in India, but it could just be a case of the manufacturer running through its current inventory. HTC may face further woes on that front, with the manufacturer said to have delayed payments to its Indian distributors MPS Telecom and Link Telecom.

For all of its missed opportunities in India, HTC managed to see a decent amount of success in the mid-range segment its Desire series. But it wasn’t able to match up to the likes of Xiaomi in the online space, and OPPO and Vivo edged it out of the offline sector. The potential exit from India could just be the start of a global withdrawal as HTC seeks to realign its business units.

‘Doppler’ Music Player Now Lets Users Import Tracks From Safari and Edit Album Info

Doppler received a significant update today, bringing some notable track and album features to the increasingly popular third-party music playing app for iPhone.

For those unfamiliar, Doppler offers mobile users an alternative way to experience their music library, sporting an adaptive minimalist interface with an emphasis on reliable offline playback, and built-in support for importing MP3, FLAC, AAC, and WAV file formats without ever having to connect your iPhone to a computer.

On first opening the app, any existing iTunes music library tracks and playlists are imported into Doppler. Thereafter, users have several additional import options at their disposal, including via iTunes, AirDrop, the Files app, and now Safari (see below).

The interface supports full library search by song, artist or album, provides quick access to the editable playing queue, and includes options to create and edit new playlists, as well as stream music to AirPlay and Bluetooth devices.

Today’s update, version 1.2, adds support for editing the album information and artwork for any music imported into Doppler (excluding iTunes library tracks). The app is now able to search for and download artwork, or you can opt to set artwork using images from your Photo Library or clipboard.

Doppler 1.2 also comes with an iOS Share Sheet extension for Safari, enabling you to easily import non-commercial music tracks discovered online (mixtapes available from music blogs, for example).

Next time you open a song hosted on the web, bring up the Share Sheet and tap “Add to Doppler”, and the track is automatically imported into the app, allowing you to listen to it offline alongside the rest of your music library.

Lastly, this update brings Last.fm integration, so it’s now possible to sign into your Last.fm account, and Doppler will automatically post (scrobble) what you’re listening to. The integration also works offline, with playback history saved and sent to Last.fm when your data connection is restored.

Doppler costs $3.99 and is available to download for iPhone from the App Store. [Direct Link]
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Samsung Galaxy A6+ review: One step forward, two steps back

The Galaxy A6+ is a phone without an identity.

Samsung launched the Galaxy A series back in 2014 as a way of bridging the gap between the flagship Galaxy S line and the budget-focused Galaxy J series. From the onset, the Galaxy A series was targeted at a younger audience, with Samsung focusing on design and camera as the two main differentiators.

Over the last two years, Samsung introduced water resistance as well as Samsung Pay to the Galaxy A series in a bid to bring its marquee features to a more affordable price point. And while there have been a few underwhelming devices, overall the Galaxy A series managed to deliver decent value for those looking to pick up a phone with a similar design aesthetic and features as the Galaxy S flagships for half the cost.

That’s the backdrop for the Galaxy A6+, the latest entrant in this series. The Galaxy A6+ follows on the heels of the Galaxy A8+, Samsung’s most robust device yet in this price point. However, as we shall see, the A6+ doesn’t do much to build on the improvements introduced with the A8+.

Samsung Galaxy A6+

Price: ₹23,990 ($350)

Bottom line: The Galaxy A6+ misses out on core features that define a mid-range Samsung phone in 2018. There really isn’t any reason to consider the device when there are much better alternatives available at the same price point.

Pros:

• Full HD Super AMOLED screen
• Metal chassis
• Decent front camera

Cons:

• Underwhelming chipset
• No NFC/Samsung Pay
• Micro-USB port
• No fast charging
• Sluggish fingerprint sensor
• Facial recognition doesn’t work

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Samsung Galaxy A6+ What I like

The highlight of the Galaxy A6+ is the 18.5:9 Infinity Display. Samsung has done a great job introducing the newer display form factor across its portfolio, and the Galaxy A6+ features a 6.0-inch FHD+ (2220 x 1080) Super AMOLED display with excellent colors and unmatched contrast. The panel is one area where the A6+ holds its own in this category, and that’s all down to Samsung’s investments over the years perfecting its AMOLED tech.

The A6+ doesn’t have a dual curved screen unlike the Galaxy S9, and it makes it easier to hold the phone in day-to-day usage. The phone also has a metal unibody design that gives it rigidity. We’ve seen a lot of evocative designs in recent months on the likes of the Honor 10 and the Nokia 7 Plus, and in comparison the Galaxy A6+ looks plain.

Elsewhere, the dual 16MP + 5MP camera at the back does a decent job taking photos in daylight conditions. The resultant images offer a good amount of detail, but aren’t overly saturated. What could be better though is the dynamic range, and the quality of images taken in low-light conditions. If you take a lot of selfies, the 24MP shooter up front is one of the better options available in this category. On the video front, the Galaxy A6+ misses out on 4K recording.

The 3500mAh battery is good for a full day’s worth of usage consistently, so it’s very rare that you’ll have to reach for the charger before the end of the day.

Samsung Galaxy A6+ What needs a lot of work

There are so many fundamental areas where the Galaxy A6+ is found to be lacking that it would’ve had a tough time going up against the likes of the Redmi Note 5 Pro in the budget segment. But the phone instead costs nearly double that of the Redmi Note 5 Pro, and is in the same price bracket as the Nokia 7 Plus and the Moto X4.

For a device in this category, the Galaxy A6+ offers astonishingly little in the way of features. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 450, often seen on devices that retail for under ₹10,000 ($130). Combine that, a Full HD panel, and Samsung’s user interface and you get a phone that teaches you the value of patience. Everything takes time on the Galaxy A6+ — push it even a little bit and you’ll notice a considerable amount of lag, and this is in everyday tasks.

The Galaxy A6+ loses out to $200 phones in a lot of areas.

In Samsung’s convoluted portfolio, the Galaxy J series is the entry-level tier, with the Galaxy A forming the mid-range series, and the Galaxy S and Note lines forming the flagship tier. Currently, the most affordable phone to offer Samsung Pay is the Galaxy J7 Pro, which retails for the equivalent of $250 (₹16,900).

So it stands to reason that any Samsung device that costs more than the J7 Pro would get the mobile payments service, but that isn’t the case on the Galaxy A6+. The phone instead gets Samsung Pay Mini, a lightweight utility that lets users undertake UPI transactions. Samsung Pay is a differentiator for Samsung — particularly in this category — and its omission is perplexing when you consider the fact that the manufacturer deemed it worthy of inclusion on the J7 Pro last year.

That isn’t the only decision that doesn’t make sense — the Galaxy A6+ comes with a MicroUSB port, and it doesn’t have fast charging. I’ve excused budget devices that offered the MicroUSB port in the past, but for a phone in this category to not have USB-C as standard is inexcusable. To add to the list of things wrong with the Galaxy A6+, the fingerprint reader is slow and unreliable, and the facial recognition just doesn’t work in low-light scenarios.

It’s clear that the Galaxy A6+ was initially conceived as a budget device, but somewhere along the way Samsung decided to launch it in the mid-range segment. The design aesthetic — with the antenna lines at the back and the metal finish — is very similar to that of the J7 Pro, and isn’t in line with other launches in the Galaxy A series of late, which offered glass backs.

Another area of worry is software updates: while Samsung is doing a much better job with updates overall, that isn’t the case for its budget and mid-range phones,

Samsung Galaxy A6+ Review

Samsung could have pulled off launching a $350 device powered by the Snapdragon 450 in other markets, but in India there’s no lack of choice in this segment, and as such there’s no reason to buy the Galaxy A6+. For every single metric, you can pick up a device that does a better job than the A6+ — the Nokia 7 Plus has a significantly faster chipset, much better camera, and gets updates on time; the Moto X4 has an evocative design, and the ZenFone 5Z with the Snapdragon 845 costs just $90 more.

Heck, even the Redmi Note 5 Pro is a much better alternative than the Galaxy A6+, and it costs significantly less. It’s baffling to see Samsung launch a Galaxy A device with such a poor set of features considering the Galaxy A8+ turned out to be one of the better mid-range phones the company has released in recent times.

3
out of 5

The Galaxy A6+ misses out on key features that made the Galaxy A series interesting in the first place. If you’ve set your mind on a Samsung device, then the Galaxy A8+ is a much better alternative in this segment. It has water resistance, Samsung Pay, more robust hardware, USB-C, fast charging, and a better camera to boot, and at ₹29,990 ($440) you’re not paying too hefty a premium to get the added features.

If you want the absolute best in this segment, look no further than the Nokia 7 Plus. The Snapdragon 660 is a cut above anything you’ll find in this category, and HMD’s commitment to fast updates combined with the sturdy build quality make the Nokia 7 Plus the phone to beat.

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Last Siri Co-Founder, Tom Gruber, Retires From Apple

Tom Gruber, who served as head of Siri’s Advanced Development group and was one of Siri’s original cofounders, has left Apple, reports The Information. His departure from the company was confirmed by an Apple spokesperson, who told The Information that he was retiring to pursue “personal interests in photography and ocean conservation.”

Gruber created Siri alongside Dag Kittlaus and Adam Cheyer, releasing the original Siri as an app on the iOS App Store in 2010. Apple acquired Siri two months later, and Cheyer, Kittlaus, and Gruber all joined the company at that time.

Kittlaus left Apple in 2011 and Cheyer left in 2012, and the duo teamed up again to create Viv, a new artificial intelligence project that was acquired by Samsung in 2016. Samsung used Viv to create Bixby, its current AI assistant platform.

Gruber stayed on at Apple for several years after the other two Siri co-founders departed, but with his retirement, none of the original Siri creators are left at Apple.

Apple’s Siri team is going through a leadership change at the moment with the May hiring of John Giannandrea, former head of Google’s search and artificial intelligence unit.

Apple just last week updated its leadership page to add Giannandrea, who is now serving as Apple’s chief of machine learning and AI strategy. Giannandrea is leading Apple’s AI and machine learning teams, and Apple has combined its Core ML and Siri teams under him.

Prior to Giannandrea’s hiring, Siri development was overseen by software engineering chief Craig Federighi, who took over from Eddy Cue in 2017. Apple has been facing increasing criticism over Siri’s capabilities compared to other AI-based personal assistants in recent years, with many suggesting Siri has serious shortcomings compared to options from Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.

Apple in iOS 12 introduced major improvements to Siri through a new Siri Shortcuts feature that’s coming in iOS 12, which is designed to let users create multi-step tasks using both first and third-party apps that can be activated through Siri.

Along with Gruber, Apple’s head of search, Vipul Ved Prakash, has also left the company, according to The Information. Prakash joined Apple when his company, Topsy, was acquired in 2013. His search team was also within the Siri group.

Tag: Siri
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Moving around in zero gravity is hard. MIT’s solution? Spider-Man’s web shooter

In the mid-1980s, Spider-Man was removed from his usual New York environment and sent into space as part of Marvel Comics’ “Secret Wars” storyline. Jump forward to 2018 and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have been researching optimal ways for astronauts to more easily move around in zero or microgravity conditions such as on board the International Space Station. One of their suggestions? That astronauts use spider-inspired web shooters to pull themselves from location to location. See kids, this is why you need to listen in comics class!

“The mechanism is, in fact, quite similar to Spider-Man,” Xin Liu, the arts curator at the MIT Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative, told Digital Trends. “The device shoots a string out with a magnetic tip. Once the tip is in contact with a steel panel, it secures the attachment due to magnetic forces. Then the device will rewind, like a fishing spoil but reversed, and drag the wearer. Because you are technically weightless, it doesn’t need much torque to pull a person around with such a small device.”

With the promise of more and more astronauts spending extended periods of time in space, solutions like this will become increasingly important. While astronauts like Tim Peake were able to adjust to life in microgravity by finding the best way to push off walls, or crawl using handrails, a device that makes this easier would certainly be welcome.

Xin Liu

At present, MIT’s so-called Orbit Weaver device hasn’t been put through its paces in actual orbit. However, Liu had the opportunity to test it out on a parabolic flight, which uses freefall to create the feeling of weightlessness for a fraction of a minute.

“It was effective; I was able to shoot the string and navigate with it,” Liu explained. “But I have to say it was tremendously hard to do just about anything there. It was my first time in zero-G. The weightlessness only lasted around 10 seconds. It gets dizzy fast. I also couldn’t move too fast due to safety protocols in the airplane. Everything we did had to follow federal regulations.”

Liu said that there are no plans to commercialize the technology (which, to be fair, is kind of useless without your own space station). However, she plans to work with others who want to push the technology forward.

Editors’ Recommendations

• These astronauts will whiz around Earth 34 times before reaching space station
• These 3D-printed houses could be one-tenth the price of regular homes
• Electrified ‘fog harp’ could make power plants more sustainable
• It’s not Terminator time yet, but robots with living muscle tissue are on the way
• Glowing contact lenses could be the key to stopping diabetic blindness

Only Google should be mad about having to change Android

Dan Baker/Digital Trends

If you or I got slapped with a $5.1 billion dollar fine, it would likely be a bit of a problem. That’s the number handed down to Google from the European Commission (EC) for what it calls illegal practices used to strengthen its internet search dominance through the Android mobile operating system. For Google, it’ll smart a bit having to hand it over, but with its cash reserves, it could pay up and forget all about it.

However, while the fine — the largest the European Commission has ever given — captures headlines, it’s the changes to Google’s practices the Commission is forcing that will have a far longer lasting impact, and may seriously change Android and the way it’s used around the globe. While Google will be anxious, rivals are pleased with the decision because it presents them with an opportunity that hasn’t been forthcoming. Which is actually the Commission’s point.

What does it all mean for you? Your next Android phone may not be the quite the same as it was before, and that’s a good thing.

The end of an era

What happened? The EC found three areas where Google broke antitrust rules in Europe. The first is forcing companies that want to use Android and pre-install the Google Play Store to include its Chrome browser and Google Search apps, and not install alternatives. The second is illegally paying device makers to exclusively pre-install Google Search. Finally, preventing companies from using other, competing forked versions of Android if they are also selling Google’s Android on other devices. It’s Google’s way, and that’s it.

All this “cemented the dominance of its search engine,” said EC Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, and “denied rivals the chance to innovate and compete on the merits.” Google makes its money through ads, and a lot of crucial data comes from search. Google has 90 days to stop these practices deemed illegal by the EC, or face a daily fine of five percent of Alphabet’s annual turnover. Alphabet is Google’s parent company.

Google’s dilemma

If you’re Google, then it’s a serious blow. CEO Sundar Pichai has written a lengthy defense of Android and its business model, saying it actually promotes choice, and that the decision will upset the “balance of the Android ecosystem.” Pichai warns that it’s this business model that has stopped Google charging fees to use Android, or tightening controls over the distribution model.

Google CEO Sundar-Pichai Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

While Android is technically open source and anyone can use it, it’s only the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) that’s truly free. To install Android with Google Play and other Google apps, there are rules to be followed, and acceptance by Google.

The EC’s plan is to put an end to this, but it’s leaving it in Google’s hands to work out how. “It’s Google’s sole responsibility to ensure compliance,” it writes, and adds the decision is not made to, “prevent Google from putting in place a reasonable, fair, and objective system,” that stops Android from functioning, or Google services from operating. Like Braveheart, the EC has painted itself blue and is shouting, “freedom!” At Google, the doors to Android have got to open a little wider.

Rivals rejoice

Poor Google, right? Told what to do by the evil commissioner. Turn to the reaction from competitors, and you’ll begin to understand why it’s Google and Google alone that will be most upset by the decision.

“We welcome the EU cracking down on Google’s anti-competitive search behavior. “

Public policy head for Yelp, Kostas Rossoglou, tweeted, “Competitors, phone manufacturers, consumer groups, SMEs all applaud EU Android decision.” Oracle Vice President Ken Glueck’s quoted as saying it will, “undoubtedly unleash more choice for mobile customers … more opportunities … and more robust competition.”

However, both Oracle and Yelp are known Google detractors, so such a response is to be expected.

Similarly, the privacy-focused search engine company, DuckDuckGo, tweeted:

“We welcome the EU cracking down on Google’s anti-competitive search behavior. We have felt its effects first hand for many years and has led directly to us having less market share on Android vs iOS and in general mobile vs desktop.”

Firefox Quantum

And Mozilla’s Chief Operating Officer, Denelle Dixon, emailed Digital Trends a statement.

“We are hopeful the result will help level the playing field for mobile browsers like Firefox, and to foster openness that creates and sustains competition and innovation.”

We won’t suddenly lose the ability to use Google apps, access the Play Store, or enjoy Android.

It’s these firms and many more that sense a considerable opportunity here. European consumer organisation BEUC tweeted that it agrees with the assessment that Google abuses its power, and this, “restriction of competition hurts European consumers.”

Not everyone is on the side of choice, with many of the hundreds responding to Vestager on Twitter questioning the decision. This professor and former European Union think tank member argues, like Pichai, that Android promotes competition, lowers prices, and avoids the Apple walled-garden scenario. Are they wrong? Yes. When has competition been a bad thing?

What’s the worst that could happen?

We don’t know what Google is planning yet. However, we won’t suddenly lose the ability to use Google apps, access the Play Store, or enjoy Android. When Microsoft was put in a similar situation with Internet Explorer on Windows, it offered a “browser ballot,” at startup, allowing you to choose which browser you wanted to install and use. Google could potentially do the same with Chrome and its Search app. Perhaps the familiar Search bar will be a widget only, rather than being automatically placed on the home screen, and be flanked by other search widgets.

Perhaps Samsung, HTC, Sony, LG, or any other companies may decide to release a phone with Amazon’s Fire OS, or even produce and release a device with their own Android alternative. Like Tizen once was for Samsung. All of the above will still also carry on using Android — because why wouldn’t they — but we could see the scourge of bloatware increase with such freedom. But that’s what the uninstall option is for, and they’re going to get hammered for doing it in reviews too.

Change is coming

Ultimately, at this time, we will probably just get more choice of software and potentially hardware too. The great thing is, if the alternatives are rubbish, we don’t have to use or buy them. Google will still be there, just in a slightly more open way. In all this is the chance we’ll try something new, and perhaps discover a decent alternative, for example. How can that be bad? It’s not, unless you’re Google being forced to change something that has made it a lot of money, and given it a massive amount of power and influence.

Some alterations are coming to Android devices in the EU over the next 90 days.

Nightmare scenario? That Google starts charging device makers for Android, they refuse to pay, and we end up with operating systems designed by manufacturers, which have always been universally awful. This is incredibly unlikely, because everyone will simply buy an iPhone instead. Remember, Google will almost certainly be looking over its shoulder at Apple whilst deciding a course of action here.

Pichai said Google will appeal the EC decision, which may change everything again, depending on the outcome. However, what we can be certain of is some alterations are coming to Android, at least those devices sold in the European Union, over the next 90 days. What we shouldn’t be is mad about it. Google’s getting the bad end of the deal, not us.

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Brother’s new INKvestment Tank printer is made for people who hate buying ink cartridges

What if you didn’t have to change your printer’s ink cartridges for a year? That’s the proposition from Brother’s new MFC-J995DW multifunction inkjet printer, which is the first model to use the company’s new INKvestment Tank system that provides a year’s worth of ink before needing replacement. Priced at $200, the J995DW is available now.

The INKvestment Tank is the successor to the INKvestment series, which was developed based on how people were using printers, Phil Lubell, senior director of B2C product marketing at Brother, told Digital Trends. The problem isn’t that people don’t like to print (the industry is declining, but it’s still massive, Lubell said), it’s the inconvenience and expense that they dislike.

“It came down to a couple things we honed in on: providing more ink in cartridge and affordability,” Lubell said. “Those are two foundational things that were pain points for consumers — replacing ink, and frequency and cost of doing it.” While the previous INKvestment printers addressed those pain points, Lubell said INKvestment Tank takes it to another level.

With a white colored exterior instead of the traditional black, the J995DW looks like a typical all-in-one inkjet printer, until you notice the protrusion on the right side of the machine. The design is to accommodate four, newly developed high-yield ink cartridges (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow) that don’t have traditional mechanisms, like levers and springs.

“We re-engineered the ink cartridge, removing a lot of the components from the cartridge and [moving them] to the printer, which allowed it to get significant amount of ink,” Lubell said. And unlike printers that offer high yields through refillable ink tanks, the J995DW uses familiar cartridges that are easy to replace.

How significant? The four cartridges offer up to a year of ink. For high-volume users, Brother is offering the J995DW in an XL model (J995DWXL, $299) that supports even larger-capacity INKvestment Tank cartridges that provide two years of ink. In comparison, the J985DWXL also had a two-year claim, but that was achieved through Brother throwing in three sets of four ink cartridges into the box — you would have to replace the cartridges twice, and then buy three new sets to reach another two years. With the new INKvestment Tank system, customers have the option of one-year and two-year models, with just one set of ink.

Sure, the printer takes up slightly more desktop space, but in return you won’t need to replace ink for some time — depending on your usage, of course. The one-year claim is based on average monthly print volumes of 150 pages, at 60-percent black and 40-percent color. If you print occasionally or you print mostly in draft mode, you’re likely to hit the one-year mark or possibly longer, But if you print a lot of colorful documents, chances are you’ll have to replace the ink before the year is up. (For convenience, you can easily reorder ink through a subscription service that automatically sends you new ink when the printer notifies Brother it’s running low

As for operating costs, Brother says the cartridges translate to $0.01 per page in black and $0.05 per page in color. When it comes time to replace those cartridges, it costs approximately $25 for each of the three colors and $35 for black (approximate yield of 1,500 pages in color, 3,000 pages in black), and $67 for each color and $60 for black in the XL version (5,000 pages in color, 6,000 pages in black). A useful feature is the Brother Intelligent Page Gauge, which tells you how many you can print with the remaining ink; other printers usually display an indicator that shows you just the remaining ink levels.

The J995DW adds new features to the INKvestment series, including fax; support for additional connectivity services; has a higher max monthly duty cycle; and a larger-capacity paper tray — all these benefits, while keeping the price at $200. Despite the larger dimensions, it’s still fairly compact and has a robust construction, particularly with the automatic document feeder. The white is a nice change from the predictable black, but we wonder if discoloration would be an issue down the road. But like its predecessors, there’s a 2.7-inch color touchscreen, support for popular cloud services (Google Drive, Dropbox, and Evernote) and mobile printing (AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Mopria, NFC), duplex printing, and other features designed for small or home office use. The J995DW isn’t positioned as a photo printer, but we found with previous Brother all-in-one printers that they do a very good job with printing color on photo paper.

“There’s nothing on the market like this, with the feature package, for less than $200,” Lubell said.

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