U.S. DoJ Says Ruling Approving AT&T-Time Warner Merger Ignored ‘Fundamental Principles of Economics and Common Sense’

The U.S. Department of Justice today filed an appeal with the District of Columbia Appeals Court protesting the June ruling that allowed the merger between AT&T and Time Warner to move forward, reports The Washington Post.

In the filing, the DoJ says the district court approved the merger after “erroneously ignoring fundamental principles of economics and common sense” and that it used a “deeply flawed assessment of the government’s evidence” to reach its decision.

According to the DoJ, AT&T’s access to Time Warner’s content, including the highly important Turner Broadcasting System, which includes CNN, Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT, and other networks, gives it bargaining leverage over rivals, which could drive up access fees, ultimately resulting in higher prices for consumers.

The original ruling approving the merger, says the DoJ, ignored key documents from AT&T on the competitive harm of vertical mergers, limited expert economic testimony, and refused to close the courtroom to allow for testimony related to confidential business information. Further, the DoJ insists the original ruling ignored the economics of bargaining and did not consider corporate profit maximization.

The government established a reasonable probability that the AT&T-Time Warner merger would increase Time Warner’s bargaining leverage and, thus, substantially lessen competition, in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act.

The district court’s contrary conclusion rests on two fundamental analytical errors: it discarded the economics of bargaining, and it failed to apply the foundational principle of corporate-wide profit maximization. These errors colored the court’s view of the facts, leading to a decision that is clearly erroneous in light of the evidence presented at trial.

The Department of Justice is asking the appeals court to vacate the district court’s ruling and remand the matter for further proceedings.

AT&T and Time Warner completed their merger in June following the judge’s ruling that the merger was legal. The Justice Department said at the time that it was disappointed in the court’s ruling and would consider its next steps, but allowed the merger to move forward and did not file an emergency stay.

While the merger is finished, the Department of Justice remains able to appeal the judge’s ruling and first announced plans to do so back in mid-July.

Shortly after acquiring Time Warner, AT&T announced a new WatchTV service allowing AT&T wireless subscribers with new “AT&T Unlimited &More” and “AT&T Unlimited &More Premium” plans access to more than 30 live channels and 15,000 TV shows and movies on demand.

AT&T’s plans are more expensive than previous unlimited wireless plans, but they include WatchTV, which AT&T charges $15 per month for on a standalone basis.

Though AT&T said that its prices would not increase following the merger, it raised prices on its DirecTV Now plans by $5. AT&T also recently raised its administrative fees for postpaid wireless subscribers to $1.99, which some analysts have speculated is to make up for the expense of the Time Warner purchase.

Tags: AT&T, Time Warner
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How to Access and Set Up Parental Controls in iOS 12

With Screen Time, Apple has introduced a robust set of parental control options in iOS 12, giving parents a way to monitor and limit the amount of time children are spending on their iOS devices, within specific apps, and more.

Screen Time works via Family Sharing, so as long as your children are part of your Family in the Family Sharing settings, you’ll be able to view and control their Screen Time options.

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Turning Screen Time On

You’ll need to turn on and set up Screen Time on all devices owned and used by your children, which is done in the Screen Time section of the Settings app.

Here’s how to do it:

Open up the Settings app.
Navigate to the Screen Time section.”
Choose “Turn on Screen Time.”
When you see the introductory screen asking whether this is your iPhone or your child’s iPhone, select “This is My Child’s iPhone.”From here, you can choose to set Downtime, which is a set period of time in which your child will be allowed or disallowed from using the iPhone, or App Limits, which will restrict certain app categories. At setup, you can also choose Content and Privacy settings, which are further explained below.

If you want to change Downtime and App Limits selections for your child, you will be able to do so at any time by going to the Settings app and selecting Screen Time on the child’s device.

A child’s Screen Time settings are also accessible on the parent’s device for making changes remotely, available by tapping on a child’s name in the Screen Time section of the Settings app, listed under the parent’s own Screen Time usage.

All of your App Limits, Downtime, and Content Restrictions are protected via a passcode that must be entered to grant more usage time to children when limits have been reached. This also prevents children from changing their own Screen Time settings.

Using Downtime

Downtime sets a schedule that allows you to choose when your child can and cannot use their iPhone or iPad. You can, for example, choose to restrict access to iOS devices from 10:00 p.m. at bedtime until 7:00 a.m. in the morning, or choose something that limits hours even further, such as during school.

With Downtime, you can opt to block the device at Downtime, which prevents apps from being used entirely sans parental permission or choose for a less restrictive feature that allows children to turn off Downtime themselves or get 15 more minutes of usage before another reminder about Downtime restrictions.

Downtime and App Limits with blocking turned on at left and blocking turned off at right
Most parents will likely want to turn on blocking for Downtime to prevent apps from being used entirely, but the non-blocking option is useful for more responsible children where all parents want to do is offer up a reminder that apps shouldn’t be used at certain times.

During Downtime, all apps on the iPhone are grayed out with little hourglass locks on them, letting children know that time limits have been reached. The exception is certain apps that are always allowed in case of emergency, such as the phone.

Using App Limits

App Limits allow you to finely control how much time your kids spend using certain categories of apps.

With App Limits, you can set restrictions on All Apps & Categories, Social Networking, Games, Entertainment, Creativity, Productivity, Education, Reading & Reference, Health & Fitness, and Other.

So, for example, if you want to limit the amount of time a child is spending on Snapchat and mobile games, you can set an App Limit for those categories for an hour or two.

After the App Limit has been reached, children won’t be able to further access those app categories without asking for express parental permission. Apps will be locked with an hourglass symbol and a passcode will be required to enable more time.

As with Downtime, you can set less restrictive rules that serve as more of a reminder by turning off blocking with App Limits.

Always Allowed Apps

With Downtime and App Limits, you can set certain apps to “Always Allowed” to let children access them at all times even when Downtime and App Limits are enabled.

By default, Apple marks Phone, Messages, FaceTime, and Maps as always available apps, but you can select any apps that you want through the Always Allowed app interface, accessible under “Always Allowed” in the Screen Time section of Settings on a child’s device.

You can also remove access to all apps, including Messages, with the exception of the phone, which remains available to children in case of emergency.

Always Allowed is ideal if you want your kids to be able to use certain educational or communication apps at anytime while leaving other apps inaccessible.

Selecting Content Restrictions

Apple has always offered Content Restrictions for parents to limit access to music, movies, TV shows, and apps that are inappropriate for younger children, but these parental controls now live under the Screen Time section of the Settings app alongside the other Screen Time options.

In the Content & Privacy Restrictions section of Screen Time on a child’s device, you can do things like limit App Store purchases, prevent kids from deleting apps, disallow access to certain apps, and set age restrictions on entertainment content.

You can also set privacy settings for everything from location to advertising preferences, so, for example, if you wanted to make sure you can always access your child’s location, you can turn on Location Services and select Share My Location.

There are even options that prevent children from changing the passcode on their device, restrict account changes, limit volume, and automatically turn on Do Not Disturb While Driving.

Accessing Content & Privacy restrictions requires an adult to input a Content & Privacy passcode, which prevents children from changing these settings.
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Fracter review: Are you afraid of the dark?

Fracter has been described as a mash-up between Limbo and Monument Valley, two extremely popular and beautiful games. When your game is in the company of those two you’re off to a good start. With the use of a dark eerie geometric world, it is no surprise it has drawn comparisons to these two games. However, can Fracter live up to acclaim that both Limbo and Monument Valley have garnered? That’s what I set out to discover.

Story

Fracter’s story revolves around a girl trapped in a world of darkness looking to reunite herself with the light within. It is filled with metaphors such as “The Maze is empty, the only monsters you find are the ones you bring”. It is lines like this which elevates the gameplay from just a puzzler to something more deep and meaningful. You aren’t just chasing after something or collecting items. Instead, you are trying to put yourself back together and root out the darkness that is within.

Gameplay

You begin Fracter as a girl exploring a dark room with a mirror. After looking at yourself, many light versions escape running off leaving you weak. The only way to regain your inner light is to enter the different doors and locate all of your missing pieces.

Behind every door is a pitch black maze filled with winding paths, puzzles, and shadowy beings that attack you on sight. It is your task to wander these mazes without detection solving puzzles to open new paths in order to reunite yourself with your light counterparts.

Similar to Monument Valley there are no special powers or jumping involved. You traverse the shadows alone with only an orb of light above your head to light the way. Not only does it light the way, but when it begins to pulse you can tap on it for a tip, usually about how to solve the current puzzle.

The puzzles consist mainly of towers of light that must be rotated or bent with mirrors to activate cubes, blocks that must be moved, and rotating platforms. These start out very simple in the beginning to teach you the mechanics and become more challenging later when they are combined together.

The puzzles themselves aren’t extremely difficult but become more challenging due to the darkness, your limited field of view, and dark beings lurking through the levels. You have no attacks or special abilities to kill these beings. Instead, your first option is to creep behind them or hide to escape being detected. Your other option is to use light as either a force field or to trigger it once they are in its path to kill them.

If you are unlucky enough to be discovered these dark beings pounce on you so quickly it is often impossible to avoid. Be careful to step lightly as you explore and to learn their patterns as they patrol to evade being noticed. However, if you are captured don’t worry because you won’t have start from the beginning or lose any of your fractured pieces. You’ll simply respawn somewhere nearby.

Sound

An important aspect which cannot be overlooked in games such as Fracter is the sound design. The ethereal soundtrack helps immerse you in this gloomy world they have created. Combined with the sound effects from your footsteps, moving pieces during puzzles, and warnings of shadowy beings closeby and sound becomes an important detail in this game.

Most games that make such extensive use of sound suggest wearing headphones while playing but Fracter does not. I highly recommend it though as it really amplifies the immersion in the game.

Controls

To guide your way through the maze and around obstacles Fracter makes use of a virtual joystick. You’re given the option of a static position in the bottom left corner, hold to move, or a floating joystick.

I preferred the static joystick to keep things consistent but the floating joystick that appears wherever you place your finger is a great option. Outside of the joystick, you’ll also find yourself tapping and turning columns of light to help solve puzzles as you go along.

Conclusion

Fracter has successfully combined the dark mysterious feel of Limbo with the geometric world design and puzzles of Monument Valley creating something unique in the process. The absence of light along with the limited view keeps you on your toes while exploring and makes the puzzles more challenging. Thanks to the wonderful sound design you feel immersed enough in the game to make your heartbeat race when you come across beings lurking throughout.

My only criticism would be that the levels get a little long in the tooth as you progress. This leads to you wandering around lost in darkness more when I’d rather be solving puzzles. However, this is part of the maze aspect of the game and I just happen to prefer solving puzzles over mazes.

Besides that, I really enjoyed the game and if you’d like to give Fracter a try as well it’ll set you back $3.99 in the Play Store. If you find that to be a little expensive, I’d suggest adding it to your wishlist and watching for a sale because it is certainly worth a playthrough.

AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4 review: Are USB Type-C headphones any good yet?

A more in-depth version of this article originally appeared on our sister site, SoundGuys.com

With the TMA-2 MFG4, AiAiAi has released the first set of USB Type-C headphones that actually work well. It’s surprising how bad this category has been since the Pixel 2 ditched the headphone jack — it’s been a train wreck so far.

Who are the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4 for?

• Current Android phone users will appreciate the ability to listen to music without a proprietary dongle.
• If you want to use your headphones with your laptop, owners of brand-new laptops will be able to use these without any fuss or apps.
• Tinkerers will love the ability to swap out parts and experiment with the headphones.

What is the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4?

In short, the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4 is the very first Made For Google set of on-ear USB Type-C headphones. They’re an amalgamation of interchangeable parts for the AiAiAi TMA-2 series, comprising of the standard headband, the S01 speaker units, the E01 earpads, and the C60 USB Type-C to 3.5mm cable. If you want to add or swap out parts for these headphones, you can do that without a second thought, as these are completely modular by design.

You can completely take apart the TMA-2 MFG4 and swap out components at a whim.

If you’re unsatisfied by any part of the headphones — or just a little rough with your peripherals — you can repair or replace any component without losing the whole unit. That’s a pretty incredible value right there, considering most headphones are trashed when the band or cable breaks. This is especially good because the housings are made of inexpensive plastics, so they may not take many tumbles before giving up the ghost.

By offering an in-cable DAC, the headphones don’t need anything but a standard USB Type-C port to plug into. Of course, this isn’t always a given on devices, so you may be in for a stupid surprise depending on your device — through no fault of the headphones. However, that digital audio processing is a treat if you use the headphones with a modern smartphone. There’s only a very small number of headphones that use the new USB Type-C standard, and none really qualify as “audiophile” cans.

Be sure to get a good fit, as the rigid band and on-ear design is tough to get right.

The stock setup isn’t exactly to my tastes, as I’m not a fan of on-ear headphones at all. However, these are decent for what they are. The cloth padding snaps into the ear cups, and can be removed for easy cleaning. Additionally the band provides a consistent (but not overpowering) clamping force to keep these things on your head. You may get uncomfortable after an hour and a half like I did, but like every set of on-ear headphones, that’ll vary from person to person. They’re a little on the heavy side compared to models like the JLab Rewind Wireless Retro.

How does the cable connect?

AiAiAi’s USB Type-C cable terminates in a standard male 3.5mm plug to send an analog signal to the headphones.

My biggest gripe with the AiAiAi TMA-2 is their 3.5mm connections. While I’m happy they’re there, I loathe the proprietary system of twisting and locking the connections into place preventing the use of generic components should something break. Being unable to connect cables to your headphones due to a tiny plastic thing breaking defeats the entire purpose of having a removable cable, so it’s more than a little frustrating.

How do the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4 sound?

On-ear headphones are popular because they’re usually pretty comfortable, but they come with their own drawbacks inherent to the design — namely, they don’t isolate all that well. While the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4 sound great when everything’s perfect, it’s not always possible to get that result. If you manage to get a perfect fit, the headphones sound pretty nice, with only a few foibles. No notes fall more than 10dB below others, which is surprisingly decent for any set of headphones. This allows you some latitude to equalize your tunes and hear mixes the way they were intended to sound.

I’m a fan of the flatter (all notes the same power) kinds of frequency response, but bassheads may want to try one of the other headphone modules AiAiAi offers for the TMA-2. The upside to a flat response is clarity. You can easily hear things you may have missed in the mixes of your songs — that’s a big plus if you’re a fan of older songs like I am. You’ll actually be able to hear the bass and lowest piano octaves in Barry White’s Never Never Gonna Give Ya Up.

Mids see an ever-so-slight emphasis over all other notes, but that’s really not a bad thing. It adds a little more punch to vocal features important to immersing yourself. Language will sound “off” or strange if you can’t hear the initial impact of a plosive, for example. A response like the TMA-2’s lends itself well to vocal-heavy mixes, much like the mother of the MP3: Tom’s Diner by Suzanne Vega.

Should you buy the AiAiAi TMA-2 MFG4?

If you’re in a position where USB Type-C audio is preferable to Bluetooth, these are currently the headphones to get. They aren’t amazing, they cost $150, and they don’t offer any killer features. However, they work well — without an app — on both Android and Windows. That’s enough to be the top of the USB Type-C heap for 2018.

Underneath everything else, the headphones are still pretty standard plastic cans.

However, they aren’t better than other headphones at the same price. They absolutely have their audience, but for under $100 you can get some damn decent options. USB Type-C may yet provide a killer audio product, but the TMA-2 isn’t enough to justify the death of the headphone jack.

Affiliate disclosure: We may receive compensation in connection with your purchase of products via links on this page. The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. See our disclosure policy for more details.

Look out, bartenders: This cocktail-making robot is coming for your job

Like oil and water or brushing your teeth and then drinking fruit juice, alcohol and cutting-edge robotics just don’t sound a good mix. But the folks behind Yanu, a new “fully autonomous robot bartender powered by A.I.” hope to help change that perception.

Built by Estonian tech startup Robolab, Yanu doesn’t exactly look like your stereotypical bartender. In place of a waistcoat and reassuringly weather-worn features, it takes the form of a snake-like flexible robot arm that’s capable of gripping glasses, pouring bottles, taking payments and doing … well, whatever else a bartender needs to do to turn your drinks order into a soothing, refreshing beverage in your hand.

“For me, this was prompted by the crazy idea of, ‘could I create the perfect Mr. Jeeves who will serve me a drink?’” Alan Adojaan, CEO of Robolab, told Digital Trends. “It’s a boy’s dream of building a superior machine that will serve and play along. It’s a bit crazy, but why not try? The setup is easy: a robot hand mixes drinks and serves them. That’s what differs it from a vending machine. There is a show going on, and real-life action. You gotta see it!”

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As to why he felt the need to replace human bartenders, Adojaan said it’s all about efficiency. “I ran nightclubs for 15 years, and this work is constant problem-solving,” Adojaan continued. “There is a never-ending bottleneck between a bar and customer: You want to put out more drinks and customers want to buy more, but you never have enough bartenders available. It’s a nightmare and you have to be constantly optimizing. I dream of a perfect bar, where the bar works faster than customers can order.“

While Adojaan acknowledges that certain parts of the human bartender experience can’t be replicated, he said that Yanu promises to “help out in places with huge numbers of customers incoming, where humans work as robots, and there is not enough workforce. There will always be nice bars, with friendly bartenders, who take time to talk to people. We are aiming at the crammed nightclubs, where the bartender is a robot by default.”

We’ll have to wait until we see it to know for sure, but Adojaan certainly sounds confident about his $150,000 machine. A prototype of Yanu is set to be debuted in the next couple of months before it’s made publicly available to purchase in the next six months or so. It’s far from the only robot bartender we’ve covered before, though, so it will be fascinating to see how this space plays out in the years to come.

At the very least, testing them all sounds like it’s got the makings of a very fun “research” pub crawl!

Editors’ Recommendations

• Meet your new best friend: Barsys, the robotic bartender
• Processed pies: Silicon Valley’s Zume Pizza ready to offer you dinner made by a robot
• This spider robot moves around to keep the plant on its head alive
• The best sci-fi robots
• This robot taught itself how to walk and it’s as clumsy as a newborn deer

Recycle your forgotten ebook reader by turning it into a literary quote clock

With the amount of electronic waste that’s thrown away each year (up to 50 million tons per annum), we’re excited by any project which involves recycling gadgets in an innovative, environmentally friendly way. That’s what Netherlands-based Jaap Meijers has achieved with a stunningly original way of revitalizing his old Kindle — by transforming the e-reader into a cool clock that displays constantly changing literary quotations.

“My girlfriend is a teacher and scholar of English literature,” Meijers told Digital Trends. “She wanted a clock for her living room, and that got me thinking. I first thought of using quotations from books. Then I started wondering what to use as a display. I like e-ink displays because they are cool, and because they use so little electricity; so I fairly quickly realized how perfect and appropriate the e-ink display of an e-reader would be for this project.”

What makes Meijers’ clock super-nifty is that the quotations aren’t just random: each one actually contains a written reference to that time of day, which appears in place of a numerical time stamp. So rather than reading 19:59 like a regular clock, you’ll get the line — from Diane Setterfield’s 2006 novel The Thirteenth Tale — “Quickly quickly. A minute to eight. My hot water bottle was ready, and I filled a glass with water from the tap. Time was of the essence.”

Considering that there are 1,440 minutes in a day, finding literary mentions of all of them would have been a gargantuan undertaking for one person. Fortunately, Meijers found that the U.K. newspaper The Guardian had already crowdsourced such a list in 2011 by asking their readers to submit quotes.

“What I did was turn each of these quotes into an image and ‘hack’ a second-hand Kindle to show the quotes at the right times,” Meijers said. “The clock doubles as a quiz: only when you press a button on the side of the Kindle will it show you what the title and author for the quote are.” Best of all, if you suddenly decide you need your e-reader back, the clock can be turned off and the Kindle can also still be used as intended.

Because he’s a swell kind of chap, Meijers has made the instructions for his clock available online for anyone who wants to build one. “We’re really in an age where everyone can make almost everything,” he said. “Tutorials on the internet are what makes that possible — besides cheap electronics, open source software, and designs.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Kobo Clara HD review
• The best ebook reader you can buy, no matter your budget
• This spider robot moves around to keep the plant on its head alive
• Colby Brown isn’t afraid to fail (or fall) in pursuit of the perfect travel shot
• Awesome Tech You Can’t Buy Yet: Another insane cooler, ‘probe’ lenses, and more

Razer heads to Kickstarter to create its Naga Trinity gaming mouse for lefties

When it comes to computer mice, scissors, spiral notebooks and more, lefties are a neglected crowd. Peripherals and tools catering to southpaws are few and far between. Luckily Razer wants to help fix that — at least for the left-handed MMO gamer — by creating a left-handed version of its Naga Trinity mouse.

What’s interesting here is that the company took its left-handed crusade to Kickstarter to gauge interest and fund the project. Why go this route? Because the left-handed edition of Razer’s DeathAdder mouse was a low-demand peripheral with a high manufacturing cost. Simply put, Razer doesn’t have any plans to blindly jump into another costly lefty project.

“A left-handed mouse requires significant resources and time — it’s not as simple as just flipping the original mouse design over,” the company states. “However, we were 100 percent committed to going ahead with the project because we saw a significant number of users who wanted one.”

Razer launched its Kickstarter project on August 2. Over the last four days, 224 backers pledged $27,484 with 25 more days to go to hit Razer’s $990,000 goal. As with any Kickstarter campaign, you’ll see tiers based on pledge amount. In this case, Razer provides seven ranging from $1 or more — Pitch in for a good cause — to $297 or more that will provide three Naga Trinity mice for you and your clan members.

The final product will mirror the current Naga Trinity designed for right-handed gamers packing three interchangeable plates with two-, seven-, and 12-button configurations … but on the right side of the mouse. It will also include Razer Chroma lighting, the company’s optical sensor supporting a 16,000DPI sensitivity, mechanical switches, and so on.

If you’re not familiar with the Naga Trinity, it’s mostly designed for games like World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls Online, League of Legends and more that require you to map a huge arsenal of skills and spells. You could use it for first-person shooters as well, such as pressing a numbered button instead of scrolling with the mouse wheel to switch weapons.

“With this campaign, we foresee possible manufacturing risks that could arise, which include but are not limited to production delays due to lead time or new tooling requirements, as well as stringent QA checks that might take more time, but are necessary in certifying every mouse we produce is of the highest quality,” the company adds.

Razer expects to deliver the Naga Trinity to left-handed Kickstarter backers in July 2019. One specific tier — pledge $89 or more — only has 1337 “elite” slots, providing the first batch of Naga Trinity mice to early bird gamers. Other tiers provide the mouse along with a limited-edition mouse matt sporting special artwork. As always, we recommend exercising caution before contributing to a crowdfunded project.

Although left-handed gamers can still use right-handed mice and ambidextrous models, Razer is one of the few that actually design mice for southpaw gamers. But due to low demand, Razer’s output is rather limited. According to Razer, it sold the same number of left-handed Naga mice in six years as it did in a single day with the right-handed version.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best gaming mouse of 2018
• Microsoft relaunches the classic mouse that changed gaming forever
• Wired speeds in a $60 cordless gaming mouse? Logitech did it
• Microsoft’s Surface Mobile Mouse is the ideal companion for your Surface Go
• Kickstarter just rolled out a new feature that makes crowdfunding less sketchy

Watch YouBionic’s 3D-printed robotic hand make freakishly lifelike movement

We’ve been covering the work of bionic prosthesis company YouBionic for some time now. As with any continuously iterating gadget or device, it has been fascinating to watch the concept evolve from a rough-hewn early prototype to what increasingly looks like a solid, well-engineered finished product. Well, maybe not quite “finished” yet — but it’s certainly getting there.

For those who haven’t been keeping track, YouBionic’s goal is to create a working 3D-printed robotic hand. This could be used for a variety of purposes, such as helping people with missing and partially functioning limbs, as well as acting as the final actuator for robotic arms. The fact that it is largely 3D printed also means it would be widely accessible to a large number of people.

“What can be seen in the video is the device created from the components which have returned the best results,” Italian engineer Federico Ciccarese, the creator of YouBionic, told Digital Trends. “These are the components which have finally made me proud, that I think will form the basis of what we do in the future.”

The YouBionic robot hand is capable of performing realistic motions on a level of fine-grain detail that’s similar to that of a human. Compared with the previous builds of the robot, this latest version boasts superior design and construction of the arm; thereby giving it more natural multi-rotational wrist movement, hand twisting, and elbow flexion. It’s also capable of increased strength, allowing it to interact with the outside world more like a biological hand.

It can either be controlled by a remote or pre-programmed movement or, as shown in the video, could be rigged up to mirror the movements of a person’s actual hand and arm. Ciccarese said that he is currently exploring ways that it could even be made to function based on the electrical activities recorded via a person’s brain.

“Our aim is to create devices that help or replace parts of our body,” Ciccarese continued. “We want to evolve humanity by using mechatronics. Imagine a completely robotic being that can be consciously controlled by a biological brain. That is what we are creating.”

Given how much of a game-changer, a high-quality, low-cost 3D printed hand prosthetic could be, we can’t wait to see what’s next for the project.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Want an extra arm? A third thumb? Check out these awesome robotic appendages
• MIT researchers develop a robot system controlled by brainwaves
• Look out, bartenders: This cocktail-making robot is coming for your job
• A drone made out of pizza? This YouTuber shows you just how to dough it
• After 70 years, a working Dick Tracy two-way watch radio is finally available

Best Car Mounts for Google Pixel and Pixel 2

What’s the best car mount for Google Pixel?

The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are beautiful, dependable phones that get updates years longer than the majority of Android. If you want to keep your Pixel safe, secure, and easy to use with Google Assistant or Android Auto’s standalone mode, you need a car mount you can trust to keep it from coming crashing down when you hit a pothole. Car mounts come in a wide variety of styles and types, and we have some favorites to share with you!

Best magnetic car mounts

• Spigen Style Ring POP
• Spigen Kuel Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount
• Oliv. magnetic button mount
• Nite Ize Steelie

Best cradle car mounts

• Kenu Airframe Plus Portable Car Mount
• Ram mount
• ProClip

Best magnetic car mounts

As the name suggests, this type of mount secures using magnets. Magnetic car mounts require you to attach a metal plate to the back of your phone, or slip one inside your Pixel’s case. Once installed, all you have to do is hold your phone close to the mount; magnetism will pull the phone to the mount and keep it there.

Note: If you keep the metal plate inside your case rather that on top of it, it is worth noting that the magnetic grip might not be as strong, meaning the mount could still drop your phone when it hits a big pothole or is involved in a car accident.

With no clips or holsters to deal with, you can easily grab your phone with one hand as you leave the car. While magnets can technically wear out over time, they’re going to last far, far longer than spring-loaded clip and cradle mounts, and chances are your magnetic car mount will outlive your Pixel and possibly your car.

Spigen Style Ring POP

Spigen’s original Style Ring was on this list with its locking hook car mount, but those mounts were proprietary, not easily transferable, and not sold separately. In short, they were a big, fat pain, and Spigen decided to go a better direction when it upgraded the Style Ring.

The Spigen Style Ring POP is a slimmer phone mount that lets your phone sit flat instead of teeter-tottering the way the original did, and since it has a flat back, Spigen has made the POP compatible with magnetic mounts. If you haven’t considered a phone grip before — and you really, really should — the Spigen Style Ring is a phone grip, a kickstand, and a verstaile, dependable magnetic plate to use with your choice of magnetic car mounts.

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Spigen Kuel Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount

Spigen makes a lot of really ingeniously designed smartphone accessories, and their Kuel Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount is as convenient as it gets. The mount itself quickly and securely clips onto an air vent on the dash. Because its so easy to apply and move around, you also take the Spigen Kuel with you and use it as a portable kickstand — or pack it along and use it in your rental car while you’re on vacation.

You can buy a single Kuel mount for $7.99, but if you belong to a multi-car family — or take business trips often enough to want a dedicated travel mount — then buy the 2 Pack for $9.99 and give the spare to your boyfriend, your Google Maps-dependant mother-in-law, or a coworker who really, really needs to put the phone down while she’s driving. The 2 Pack comes with 2 Kuel mounts and 4 magnetic plates.

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Oliv. Magnetic Button Mount

Oliv. mounts are minimalist, effective, and an awesome addition to your dashboard. They come in a few iterations, but I like the button mount the best. It has a 3M adhesive on the back and sticks to your dash anywhere you like it. The strong magnet then holds your phone in place in any orientation you like (there’s the adhesive metal plate, which I recommend you stick on your case, since it doesn’t seem to work through a case).

It really is just a button that adheres to your dash, and then the link sticks to that via magnet. The metal plate that goes on your phone is low-profile, and quite a bit more refined-looking than other metal mounting plates. At $30, the Oliv. doesn’t come as cheaply as other mounts on this list, but it does offer efficacy, a modern design, and it takes up minimal space.

See at Oliv.

Nite Ize Steelie

This is definitely the coolest looking mount on this list. The Steelie is a somewhat unique mounting system wherein a concave magnet adheres to the back of your Pixel and a spherical magnetic base adheres to your car’s dashboard or console.

Hop in the car, and your phone mounts in a snap. This is about as minimalist as it gets in terms of car mounts. Making sharp turns and hitting potholes? No worries: The magnet is super strong and the magnetic ball moves with your phone to prevent it from falling off.

If you want a mounting system that nigh unnoticeable, the Nite Ize Steelie is your slick solution for around $20.

See at Amazon

Best cradle car mounts

Cradle car mounts aren’t quite as widely used as they once were, seen as bulky, expensive and old-fashioned by many Android users, but they still have their place in the world and on this list. If you’re someone who wants a grip that they are 100% sure of no matter what they drive over, then a cradle mount is what the car mount you’ll want to trust your Pixel with.

Kenu Airframe Plus Portable Car Mount+

Minimalism and simplicity are important features for a lot of people. The Kenu Airframe Plus+ is a simple car mount that’s slim enough to comfortably fit in your pocket, but still secures your phone by clipping to an air vent. The clip is able to mount to any vent type, whether they be horizontal, vertical, angled or circular.

It’s so portable that you can take it with you and also use it as a kickstand. Simply slip a business card or something of a similar size in the clip on the back and it will stand on its own. Versatile, simple and portable — what more could you want? Grab it for around $20.

See at Amazon

Ram Mount

The Ram Mount is an adjustable crade-style mount that holds onto your Pixel or Pixel XL with four arms. It adheres to your dashboard or console via a suction cup and is adjustable via its ball socket, which allows you to orient your phone any way you want it.

The holder is spring-loaded, so you can just slide your Pixel in and away you go. It’s made of a high-strength composite, aluminum, and stainless steel, so it’s durable and strong, sturdily securing your phone. It’s a little on the expensive side at $50, but it’s worth it.

See at Amazon

ProClip

For a completely customized car mount, direct your attention to ProClip. They offer a two-part car mount solution that you customize for your specific needs. First, you select your Pixel model from the menu and indicate whether or not you want to factor in the case you use. You’ll be given a variety of six to eight images to choose from with specs and details for each phone holder offered.

Once you’ve decided on your Pixel holder, you move on to the custom mounting base. Select the kind of base you want (dashboard, pedestal, and so on) and select the vehicle you drive. The bases you will be selecting from are designed to snap into the seams of your dashboard or grip the necessary panels, so no sticky pads or bolts are necessary. Eliminate the guessing by customizing every aspect of your car mount and know that it’s going to fit just the way you want it to.

Pricing starts around $35.

See at ProClip

How do you drive with your Pixel?

Did we miss your favorite car mount on our list? Leave us a comment below!

Updated August 2018: We have reorganized this guide by mount type to help readers like you better compare and choose the one that’s best for you. We’ve also replaced the Spigen Style Ring with the Style Ring POP.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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Build your own Bose Bluetooth speaker at home for just $75

A project to do with the kids.

Amazon has the Bose BOSEbuild speaker cube on sale for just $74.96. Earlier this year, this build-it-yourself speaker was selling for $150 but dropped down to a new regular price of $100 around the end of April. It hasn’t been discounted since until recently, and this price drop marks a new all-time low for the speaker.

You may be wondering what exactly a BOSEbuild speaker even is, so let’s take a look. It’s a Bluetooth speaker with Bose-quality sound that you can build and personalize at home. You can add lights to it, change the covers, and more with ease. It’s intended for children ages 8 and above, and is compatible with any Bluetooth 3.0 device, though Bose does offer an iOS app to guide you through some additional hands-on activities.

Now, if you’ll excuse me I have a speaker to buy for my son to try and build this weekend!

See at Amazon