Intel backs the U.S. government’s new bill for advancing quantum science

Intel said on Thursday, August 2, that it backs the National Quantum Initiative Act, a bipartisan bill to create a 10-year coordinated federal plan to advance quantum science research and ensure the nation’s leadership in this field. This bill aims to expand the number of researchers, educators, and students, create additional facilities and centers, stimulate research, and so on.

The U.S. Senate is reviewing its version of the bill this week (S.3143) following an approval of a version in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 6227) in June. Both state that the President will establish a National Quantum Coordination Office that will conduct public outreach, oversee the coordination of the program, promote the activities related to the program, and more.

“As nations around the world race to lead in quantum information science, the U.S. will require collaboration of industry, academia and the federal government to keep pace,” Intel’s director of quantum hardware Jim Clarke said in a statement. “The National Quantum Initiative Act is a great step forward, and Intel applauds the bipartisan leadership in Congress on their progress.”

Intel is definitely no stranger to the quantum information science field. The company entered into a 10-year relationship with the Delft University of Technology and TNO, the Dutch Organization for Applied Research, in 2015. This relationship included a $50 million investment, “significant” engineering resources and dedicated technical support to advance quantum computing.

Intel also just introduced its “Tangle Lake” processor in January, a 3-inch-square test chip that contains 49 quantum bits (aka qubits), which are units of quantum information. A quantum bit is different than your standard bit in that it can be both a one and a zero at the same time. That means it can hold more information than the typical single-digit bit.

Just three months prior to introducing its Tangle Lake chip, Intel delivered a 17-qubit test chip to its quantum research partner QuTech. Thus, in that three-month timeframe, Intel generated a processor with more than double the qubit count. According to Intel, it’s an example of the fast progression Intel and QuTech are making towards a quantum computing system.

The Committee of Science, Space and Technology believes quantum information science is critical to the nation’s economy and national security, hence the new bill. It will create “new opportunities” in communications, cybersecurity, financial services, medicine, transportation, and so on. The committee also believes the nation needs to develop quantum communications technology first for “powerful decoding capabilities” and “completely secure networks.”

“Recognizing the promise of this groundbreaking technology, China and the European Union are investing billions of dollars in new research facilities and equipment,” the committee states. “China, in particular, has stated publicly its national goal of surpassing the U.S. in quantum computing during the next decade.”

The legislation will “encourage” companies that are investing in quantum computing to share their knowledge and resources to the government.

Editors’ Recommendations

• To put a quantum computer on your desk, Intel has a plan unlike any other
• We asked Bill Nye about his plan to save Earth from civilization-ending asteroids
• Bill Gates shows how the flu could kill more than 30 million people
• Microsoft provides free lessons for quantum computing basics
• ‘Bill and Ted Face the Music’: Every excellent (and bogus) thing we know so far

The Trident scooter promises to propel you through the waves like a boss

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It used to be that a day at the beach required a pair of swim trunks or equivalent, a picnic, and maybe a shovel and bucket if you really wanted to go the extra mile. That was before the recent wave of underwater jet packs, drones, and assorted other gadgets that turn a day lying on the sand into some kind of high-tech James Bond mission. (Remember to watch out for the suspicious villainous henchmen who are sunbathing in full clothing, and likely sport some sartorial flourish like an eye patch, hook hand, or very unhappy white cat.)

Adding to this growing genre of water-based gizmos is the so-called Trident, an “underwater scooter” which lets scuba divers, snorkelers, and secret agents propel themselves through the depths with a maximum of 26 pounds of thrust. This translates into your choice of either 2.2 or 4.3 mph. The top speed isn’t significantly faster than the average person’s swimming speed (supposedly around 3.7 mph), but it does mean that you won’t have to worry about the strenuous activity of actually swimming. Also, thanks to an hour’s charge, courtesy of Trident’s 24V/6,000-mAh lithium battery pack, you should be able to keep up the pace for a lot longer than your average swimmer.

“Trident helps people get rid of underwater restrictions,” Joey Han, overseas PR manager for manufacturers Geneinno, told Digital Trends. “Even for people who [aren’t confident about swimming] can cruise through water like a mermaid or dolphin with the help of Trident.”

While we certainly wouldn’t encourage weak swimmers to propel themselves too far into the deep using a device like this, Trident nonetheless looks like an innovative device. We also suggest that anyone hoping to use this for diving is aware of the potential pressure-related risks associated.

As ever, we offer our usual warnings about the potential perils of crowdfunding campaigns. It’s also worth noting that Geneinno has previously had one (as yet undelivered) successful crowdfunding campaign for the Titan underwater drone, which is scheduled to ship in September. Nonetheless, if you do want to get involved with the Trident campaign, head over to Indiegogo and register your interest. The campaign hasn’t officially started yet, although you can drop your email address to be sent a notification when it does begin. Prices are set to start at $299, which we’re told is 50 percent off the recommended retail price.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Explore the deep blue sea with these awesome underwater drones
• The Titan underwater drone promises to go deeper than its rivals
• This 21-year-old’s 3D-printed aquatic jetpack makes scuba fins look prehistoric
• This diving system lets you stay submerged for 2 hours, no tank needed
• 9 bizarre drones, from web slingers to lake hoppers

Want an extra arm? A third thumb? Check out these awesome robotic appendages

3D printing and robotics technology are responsible for some amazing work creating artificial limbs for people who have lost theirs. But what if you’re the greedy sort who wants, say, an extra arm, instead of just two? What if the idea of going through the rest of your life without a third leg is simply unimaginable? Don’t worry: technologists are ready to cater for you, too.

Here are five of the most fascinating extra appendages that exist in research labs right now:

Supernumerary Robotic Limbs

Perhaps inspired by the additional mechanical arms worn by Spider-Man villain Doctor Octopus, researchers at MIT have created a set of wearable devices called Supernumerary Robotic Limbs (SRL). Whether you’ve dreamed of having additional arms or extra legs, this could be the project for you.

“These robotic limbs can move independently from the natural arms and legs of the user, and therefore enable the execution of entirely new, complex tasks that would be impossible with only the four natural limbs,” researcher Federico Parietti told Digital Trends. “The SRL can also coordinate with the user in order to improve the performance or the safety of normal tasks.”

Possible use-cases include everything from handing workers tools or securing them to scaffolding, to helping elderly people to walk and avoid falls.

MetaLimbs

It’s a familiar situation: You’re tapping away with both hands at your laptop, when suddenly your phone rings. Do you momentarily stop what you’re doing, and reach over to pick up the handset lying directly next to you on the desk? Of course not: You get your robotic arms to scoop it up and hold it by your ear so you can type and talk at the same time.

Or, at least, that’s what you’ll do if the MetaLimbs created by University of Tokyo’s Inami Laboratory ever catch on. Controlled by a user’s feet and knees, the MetaLimbs allow users to move a pair of artificial robo-limbs around and even grasp objects — such as phones — with them.

Of course, you could just use the loudspeaker function your phone comes with, but where’s the high-tech fun in that?

DoubleHand

We live in an age of global competition and 24/7 capitalism, in which the big winners are the ones who can carry out astounding feats of round-the-clock productivity. In such a world, having one hand on each arm simply isn’t enough. Fortunately, Italian “augmented human” startup YouBionic has stepped up to the plate with the introduction of (you guessed it!) its Double Hand prosthesis.

Powered by Arduino, the 3D-printed hands are attached to a gauntlet that’s worn by the operator. By moving individual fingers at different speeds, the user is able to control each robotic hand separately. There’s a bit of a learning curve involved to figure out all the movements the hands are capable of — but your boss will certainly appreciate the 100 percent increase in productivity that (presumably) results.

Brain-controlled limbs

For supernumerary limbs to really find widespread usage, one thing they’ll need is an intuitive control system. That’s something researchers from the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute in Kyoto, Japan have been working on. Their idea? A way to allow the control of a robotic third arm using mind control.

This is achieved by using electrodes attached to the user’s head to capture their brain activity, and turn it into movement commands. Using this technique, it’s possible for the user to do one thing with their biological arms, while carrying out a second, robo-assisted activity simultaneously.

“In our experiments, we used a human-like robot arm for participants to grasp a bottle, while they did a different task [of] balancing a ball,” Christian Penaloza, a researcher on the project, told Digital Trends. “[In terms of real-world applications] we could think of future use cases for this particular system, such as future construction or manufacturing workers who can use a third arm to increase their productivity, or even astronauts in space. However, the applications do not have to be limited to a robotic arm. Perhaps in the future, we could use the system to control other devices — household devices, cell phones, or machinery — while we do another task.”

Third Thumb

Want to get an extra appendage, but not quite ready to make the leap to an arm, or even an extra hand? No problem: a graduate student at London’s Royal College of Art (RCA) has created a functioning prosthetic third thumb you can control with your feet.

The prosthesis’ motors are controlled via two pressure sensors retrofitted into the wearer’s shoes, which then send instructions via Bluetooth. With one sensor controlling flexion and extension, and the other controlling the thumb’s adduction and abduction, you can mimic… well, just about anything a thumb can ordinarily good. Perfect for those movies so good that a simple “two thumbs up” just won’t suffice.

“The Third Thumb investigates the relationship between the body and prosthetic technology in new ways,” creator Dani Clode told Digital Trends. “It is part tool, part experience, and part self-expression; a model by which we better understand human response to artificial extensions.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Brain-controlled third arm lets you take your multitasking to the next level
• New electronic skin allows bionic limbs to feel pain — and that’s a good thing
• From drones to bionic arms, here are 8 examples of amazing mind-reading tech
• MIT’s Cheetah 3 robot doesn’t need sight to navigate stairs
• From picking to pollinating, agribots are pushing farming into the future

Google Maps’ location sharing now lets you track battery status

In addition to finding directions or transit information, Google Maps allows users to share their location with others — making it easier to meet up with friends and family.  But now, you’ll be able to share a bit more information. First spotted by Android Police, Google has rolled out a new feature within the app — the ability to share your battery level.

To share your location in Google Maps, all you need to do is tap and hold on any location to drop a pin. Then, tap the address section at the bottom of the screen to expand it and tap the “Share” button. It will then show up on the recipient’s map, and they’ll be able to follow directions to the location you’re at.

With the new feature, you’ll be able to see a friend or family member’s battery status whenever their location is shared with you. The battery level is displayed right next to where it shows how far away they are. Whenever Google Maps updates the person’s location, their current battery percentage is updated along with it to give you the exact amount.

Android Police first discovered the feature back in February, but it wan’t this specific. Instead, it showed a range of what someone’s battery was between — “Brian’s battery level is between 50 percent and 75 percent and is charging.” Now, it appears to give users an exact percentage and will also indicate if the person is charging their device.

But the feature might only be new to some — meaning Google could be quietly rolling it out in different locations at separate times. One of our own writers at Digital Trends has been using the feature for a few months now, and a few Redditors mentioned that they’ve also had access to it for quite some time.

Regardless, the feature is at this point rolling out to all users and should be available on your device soon. It’s definitely handy for those times when you’re waiting for a friend or family member and are worrying why they’re not answering their phone. You’ll now be able to reference Google Maps to ease the situation a little bit. In terms of privacy, though, it doesn’t look like there’s a way to turn the feature on or off.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Instagram finally (sort of) gets that share button in the form of stickers
• Google Duo should let you share your screen, but it doesn’t work right now
• Emojis could change the way you use maps on your phone
• Yamaha’s Adventure Pro is a rugged tablet built for off-road navigation
• Fix upcoming for Google Home, Chromecast bug that can tattle on your location

10 basic Android terminal commands you should know

You don’t have to be a software developer to know your way around the Android Debug Bridge.

For a lot of us, the fact that we can plug our Android phone into a computer and interact with it is a big plus. Besides the times when we’ve broken something and need to fix it, there are plenty of reasons why an advanced Android user would want to talk to their device. To do that, you need to have a few tools and know a few commands. That’s what we’re going to talk about today.

Granted, this won’t be the end-all be-all discussion of adb commands, but there are 10 basic commands everyone should know if they plan to get down and dirty with the command line.

You’ll need some tools and getting them is easy. Head on over to the Android developer’s site. You can either install the full Android Studio package if you want extra debugging tools or you can scroll down to the bottom of the page and download just the command line tools. Unless you’re developing or debugging something on or for your phone, you’ll want just the command line tools.

Installing the SDK on your computer

Installing the command line tools without the full SDK

If you’re using Windows, there’s one more step. Visit the manufacturer’s page for your device and install the adb and fastboot drivers for Windows. You’ll need this so that your computer can talk to your Android device. If you hit a snag (Windows can be fickle) visit the forums and somebody is bound to be able to help you through it.

Now that we’re all on the same page, enable USB debugging on your device (see your devices manual if you need help finding it) and plug your phone into your computer.

Here we go.

1. The adb devices command

The adb devices command is the most important one of the bunch, since it’s used to make sure your computer and Android device are communicating. That’s why we’re covering it first.

If you’re a pro at the operating system on your computer, you’ll want to add the directory with the Android tools to your path. If you’re not, no worries. Just start up your terminal or command console and point it where you put the extracted tools you downloaded above.

Once you’re sure that you are in the right folder, type adb devices at the command prompt. If you get a serial number, you’re good to go! If you don’t, make sure you’re in the right folder and that you have the device driver installed correctly if you’re using Windows. And be sure you have USB debugging turned on!

Now that we have everything set up, let’s look at a few more commands.

2. The adb push command

If you want to move a file onto your Android device programmatically, you want to use the adb push command. You’ll need to know a few parameters, namely the full path of the file you’re pushing, and the full path to where you want to put it. In the picture above I’m pushing a song from my Music folder on my desktop to the music folder on my phone.

Notice the slashes in the file path and the quotes around the path on my computer in the command. Windows uses as a directory switch in a file path and Unix uses /. Because the file name has spaces and special characters (I renamed it this way on purpose!) you need to encase the path in quotes.

3. The adb pull command

If adb push sends files to your Android device, it stands to reason the adb pull command would pull them out.

That’s exactly what it does, and it works the same way as the adb push command did. You need to know both the path of the file you want to pull off, as well as the path you want it placed into. You can leave the destination path blank and it will drop the file into your tools folder to make things easy.

In this example, I did it the hard way and entered the full path(s) so you can see what it looks like. Remember your forward slash versus backward slash rules here and you’ll have no problems.

4. The adb reboot command

This is exactly what you think it is — a way to reboot your device from the command line. Running it is simple: just type adb reboot and enter.

Before you say “I can just push the button!” you have to understand that these commands can be scripted, and your device can reboot in the middle of a script if you need it to. And that’s a good segue to number five.

5. The adb reboot-bootloader and adb reboot recovery commands

Not only can you reboot your device, you can specify that it reboots to the bootloader. This is awfully handy, as sometimes those button combos are touchy, and if you have a lot of devices it’s tough to remember them all. Some devices don’t even have a way to boot to the bootloader without this command. And once again, being able to use this command in a script is priceless.

Doing it is easy, just type adb reboot-bootloader and hit the enter key.

Most devices can also boot into the recovery directly with the adb reboot recovery (note there is no hyphen in this one) and some can’t. It won’t hurt anything to try.

6. The fastboot devices command

When you’re working inside the bootloader, adb no longer works. You’re not yet booted into Android, and the debugging tools aren’t active to communicate with. You’ll need to use the fastboot command in its place.

Fastboot is probably the most powerful Android debug tool available, and many devices don’t have it enabled. If yours does, you need to be sure things are communicating. That’s where the fastboot devices command comes into play. At the prompt, just type in fastboot devices and you should see a serial number, just like the adb devices command we looked at earlier.

If things aren’t working and you’re using Windows, you likely have a driver issue and you’ll need to source it from the manufacturer.

7. The fastboot unlock command

The fastboot unlock process will erase everything on your phone and reset it.

The holy grail of Android commands, fastboot flashing unlock does one thing, and one thing only — unlocks your bootloader. It’s not enabled on every phone, even phones that support fastboot, but we’re including it because even if you don’t need it, it’s an important part of Android’s openness. Google doesn’t care what we do with phones as long as it doesn’t go against rules for Google Play access, and that includes this easy way to crack them open, even if the company who made your phone doesn’t support it.

Using it is easy enough. Once you’ve used fastboot devices to make sure everything is communicating, just type fastboot flashing unlock at the prompt and hit enter. Look at your device, read carefully, and choose wisely.

8. The adb install command

While adb push can copy files to our Android devices, adb install can actually install apps. You’ll need to supply the path where you have the .apk file saved, then run it like this: adb install TheAppName.apk.

If you’re updating an app, you use the -r switch: adb install -r TheAppName.apk. There is also a -s switch which tries to install on the SD card as well as other commands you probably won’t ever need.

And finally, you can uninstall apps by their package name with adb uninstall package-name-here. Uninstall has a switch, too. The -k switch will uninstall the app but leave all the app data and cache in place.

9. The adb sideload command

An OTS (over-the-air) update is downloaded by your phone as a .zip file. You can also download that zip file manually and install it without having to wait for your phone to have the update pushed to it. The end result is the same as if you had waited, but we hate waiting.

All you have to do is download the update to your computer. Plug your phone into the computer. Then, reboot into recovery on your phone and using the up and down volume buttons choose Apply update from ADB. Then hop into your favorite terminal/command line and type adb sideload Full-Path-to-the-file.zip and hit enter. Let things run their course, and you’re golden.

10. The adb shell command

The adb shell command confuses a lot of folks. There are two ways to use it, one where you send a command to the device to run in its own command line shell, and one where you actually enter the device’s command shell from your terminal.

In the image above, I’m inside the device shell. Getting there is easy enough, just type adb shell and enter. Once inside, you can interact with the actual running operating system on your phone. I’ll warn you that unless you’re familiar with an ash or bash shell, you need to be careful here because things can turn south quickly if you’re not. Ash and bash are command shells. They allow you to interact with your phone through typed commands and a lot of folks use one or both on their Linux or Mac computers even if they didn’t know it. ** It is not DOS so don’t try any DOS commands.**

The other method of using the adb shell command is using it to tell your phone to run a shell command without going into the shell. Using it is easy; type adb shell An example would be changing permissions on a file like so: adb shell chmod666 /sdcard/somefile.

Be very careful running direct commands using these methods.

And there you have it. There are plenty more commands to learn if you ‘re the type who likes to learn commands, but these 10 are the ones you really need to know if you if you want to start digging around at the command prompt.

Updated August 2018 to stay current with the latest releases of Android.

How’s your Moto Z3 Play doing?

Motorola’s other Z3 handset is still a great choice.

Yesterday at an event in Chicago, Motorola officially unveiled the Moto Z3. The Moto Z3 is the company’s flagship phone for 2018, and while it has plenty to like, its Moto Z3 Play sibling from last month is still a great choice.

Both the Z3 and Z3 Play share a lot in common, with one of the biggest differences being the fact that the Z3 is exclusive to Verizon while the Z3 Play is available unlocked through a number of retailers.

Some of our forum users have already picked up the Moto Z3 Play, and according to them, the phone’s been doing great.

Ha P McBroom
07-23-2018 09:56 AM

“

Okay I recently got a Moto Z3 Play from Amazon the Prime exclusive model and I have to say it’s been really good with keeping up with my Daily mobile habits. I tend to use the phone for mixed use at work usually to help customer service with finding a item on our website. And for watching all kinds of video content. So the battery has to keep up and Moto Z3 Play does a good job with that. How’s…

Reply

morriea
07-23-2018 07:36 PM

“

So far, I have not found any need to use the included battery mod. I slapped a Style Shell on it when I received the phone and have only switched it out for my Speaker Mod when going on the boat. Battery life has been great (coming from a Z Play Droid with the mega battery life). YouTube, web surfing, Bluetooth for music, navigation, etc is my normal use. No social media. I rarely turn on WiFi…

Reply

Now, we’d love to get some input from you! How’s your Moto Z3 Play holding up?

Join the conversation in the forums!

How to save battery life on Android P

You should take advantage of all the battery-saving features Google built into Android P.

With the industry as a whole gravitating toward thinner phones, manufacturers are coming up with new ways to conserve battery life. For instance, Huawei is known to implement aggressive battery saving measures in EMUI, and it tends to get so extreme at times that the feature is known to break core Android apps, or cause a media player to blacklist all Huawei devices entirely.

With Android P, Google is addressing the problem head-on by rolling out a set of tools that improve battery life. There’s a new Adaptive Battery mode that leverages machine learning to understand your daily app usage, allowing only apps that see regular usage to run in the background. Then there’s Background Restrictions, which lets you limit access to apps that continue to utilize a lot of system resources in the background. Google has also introduced a new auto brightness mode that intelligently adjusts brightness based on the ambient light in your environment.

With the final Android P beta out now and the stable build set to become available shortly, it’s time to take a look at how the upcoming version of Android delivers better battery life in day-to-day usage.

Restricted apps

A welcome addition to Android P is Background Restrictions. The power management feature is a part of the larger Google initiative to improve stability and performance of all Android devices.

Android P lets you restrict misbehaving apps from using background resources. If an app designed for an older version of Android (API level 26 or lower) is using wake lock when the screen is off or utilizing excessive background resources, then the OS notifies you and gives you an option to limit that app’s access to system resources.

On devices like the Pixel, these restricted apps won’t be able to access the network or invoke the scheduler unless they’re in the foreground. Furthermore, Google is actively restricting the amount of network activity background apps can access. Google even made an index of the actions that would constitute bad behavior for a particular app.

Adaptive Battery

Adaptive Battery is a nifty feature in Android P that limits background usage for apps that you don’t use often. What it means is that apps that you regularly use will load instantly as the OS learns your usage patterns over time.

For example, if you open Instagram first thing in the morning, scan through your timeline for a few minutes and don’t return to the app until a few hours later, the AI will learn to anticipate that behavior and limit its background usage.

From Android Framework group product manager Benjamin Poiesz, in an interview with Ars Technica:

Adaptive battery was one of those ones where we’re trying to get better and better predictions about what we think you’re going to be using, so then those things can be allowed to run more, and the things that we don’t think will be used, we’re deferring them.

This is just the start

Alongside the AI-assisted battery saver mode, Google is implementing several under-the-hood changes that deal with how background tasks are handled on phones with two sets of cores. Most phones in the market today offer eight cores, and they’re split into two clusters: a set of four energy-efficient cores that are designed to prolong battery life, and a set of high-performance cores for when you need all available resources. Starting with Android P, Google is delineating core usage when the screen is off to restrict the idle battery drain.

There’s an excellent breakdown on how the battery-related fixes coming to Android P will deliver better battery life over at Ars Technica, so be sure to take a look if you’re interested in learning more. For instance, if you’re streaming music on your phone, it makes sense to pre-download songs as it saves the modem from having to engage constantly.

As for real-world usage, I’m seeing a considerable uptick — to the tune of 10 to 15 percent — in battery life on the first-gen Pixel running the Android P beta. That was the case from the initial Android P beta builds, and with Google constantly squashing bugs and ironing out issues, battery life figures will only go up.

What has your experience been like using Android P? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Android P

• Android P: Everything you need to know
• Android P Beta hands-on: The best and worst features
• All the big Android announcements from Google I/O 2018
• Will my phone get Android P?
• How to manually update your Pixel to Android P
• Join the Discussion

Livall BH60 Helmet Review: Smarts for my brain bucket

I didn’t know I needed a smart bike helmet, but now I won’t ride without it.

I’m a relatively new cyclist, averaging 100 miles per week, and just starting to figure out how I want to equip my bike for longer rides. In my area, riding more than 40 miles in a day means I’m going to spend some time on open roads. I don’t know if you know this, but people in cars aren’t always super friendly to those of us on bikes when we’re sharing the road. I wanted some equipment that made my time on roads as comfortable as possible, and the folks at Livall make a couple of helmets offering more than I realized I wanted to stay safe on my bike.

This base model, the BH60 Smart Helmet, has quickly become my favorite bike accessory thanks to all of the smarts running through an otherwise ordinary-looking helmet.

Livall BH60 Smart Helmet

Price: $90

Bottom line: This helmet keeps you safe and gives you music.

The Good

• Decent integrated speakers
• Fantastic light system
• Comfortable fit

The Bad

• Microphone is trash
• Battery is mediocre

See at Amazon

Livall BH60: What I like

Staying safe on the roads around here means a couple of important things. It means my ears need to not be covered so I can hear cars around me while listening to music or podcasts. Lights are also important, on the front but also the rear of my bike. Reflectors are cool, but simply not as effective as lights. These are ways to address both of these needs with individual accessories, but Livall integrates these features and more right into the helmet.

Just above my ears on the left and right side of the helmet is a set of speakers, which connect to my phone via Bluetooth. These speakers get plenty loud but are spaced far enough away from my ears that I still hear the rest of the world around me just fine. And because these little speakers are pointed straight at my ears, very few folks riding around me hear anything unless I have the volume all the way up. For me, these speakers are perfect for catching up on podcasts while I ride.

The main attraction with this helmet is the lights. A rear strip of red LEDs pulses while I ride, and continues that steady animation for hours. This keeps me highly visible in any environment, and because the lights are on my helmet instead of down under my seat it’s easier for larger vehicles to see me at night. There’s also a second set of LEDs, but instead of pulsing red, they blink yellow just like turn signals. In fact, thanks to the Livall remote mounted on the handlebars, they basically are turn signals. Tap the left arrow, and everyone behind me gets five left blinks. Same for the right. This is significantly more effective than the standard hand signals, which sadly very few car drivers in my area recognize or appreciate.

This is also a decent, comfortable helmet. There’s a ratchet gear on the back of the helmet to tighten to different head sizes, and none of the smarts in the helmet cause any uncomfortable bulges or shape deformities anywhere. The power and volume buttons on the front of the helmet are easy to access if I need them, and the electronics are all shielded well enough that I have ridden in a total downpour and everything has continued working perfectly.

Livall BH60: What I don’t like

The best part of this helmet is having all of these important features in one place, so when I prep my bike for a ride there’s a lot less I need to check and make sure is charged and set correctly and functional. Unfortunately, that also means there’s a single failure point when riding so if anything goes wrong with the helmet I’m out quite a few important features for the rest of the ride.

If I’m going to have to stop to answer my phone, I’m just going to pick up my phone and use that.

The biggest issue I have with this helmet is battery life. Livall claims this helmet can get you 9-10 hours of battery in a single charge, but that goes down fast when you have a phone paired and the Livall Remote controller connected. With things set up the way I’d prefer, that battery life is closer to 3.5-4 hours in a single charge. And because the Micro-USB charging port is in the front of the helmet, it’s basically impossible to try and charge it from a battery backup while I’m riding.

Livall’s helmets also allow you to make phone calls, but that feature is just plain not enjoyable to use. The single microphone up near the power button is too far from your mouth to effectively pick up normal conversation, but it does a great job picking up basically everything around me. You can’t really use it when you’re actually moving, which all but defeats the purpose of being able to answer calls from your helmet to begin with. If I’m going to have to stop to answer my phone, I’m just going to pick up my phone and use that.

Livall BH60: Should you buy it? YES

Battery concerns aside, Livall puts some important features in a helmet. I like the way the helmet looks, I know it’s keeping me safer, and I can listen to whatever I want from my phone with no concerns about hearing the world around me. That peace of mind is well worth the price you pay over a standard helmet, and I hope we see a lot more integration in future releases from Livall.

4.5
out of 5

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Samsung Galaxy Note 9 rumors: Release date, specs, price, and features!

Here’s everything we know about the Galaxy Note 9!

Now more than ever, Samsung’s Galaxy S+ phones are becoming eerily similar to the Note series. The Note used to be Samsung’s way of touting all of the latest and greatest tech it had to offer, and while this is still the case, the same can be said for this year’s Galaxy S9+.

Samsung needs more than just the S Pen to make the Note 9 stand out from its own phones and the rest of the competition, and luckily, all signs are pointing to something exciting for this year’s release. Here’s what we know so far!

August 3, 2018 — Note 9 retail box confirms many of the Note 9’s specs

For Pete’s sake — this is just getting ridiculous.

The same day that Samsung accidentally published a promo video for the Note 9, a Russian retail box for the phone has appeared to confirm a number of specifications. Although the specs are written in Russian, a quick translation makes them accessible in no time at all.

For the display, we’re looking at a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of Quad HD+. The camera hardware appears to be the same as the Galaxy S9+, consisting of two 12MP sensors on the back. That means the primary lens will be capable of dual f/1.5 and f/2.4 apertures while the secondary f/2.4 lens allows for optical zoom.

Also present is an 8MP front-facing camera, 4,000 mAh battery, 128GB of storage (other rumored configurations include 256GB and 512GB), and headphones that are tuned by AKG. The box mentions “remote control” for the new S Pen, but doesn’t go any further to explain what that actually means.

August 3, 2018 — Official Galaxy Note 9 promo video leaks days before announcement

Six days before Samsung’s set to announce the Galaxy Note 9, an official promotional video for the phone has leaked online to give us an early glimpse of what’s to come.

The video confirms much of what we’ve been anticipating for months, including the Note 9’s design, an “all new powerful S Pen”, “powerful all day battery”, and expandable storage. The video ends with a bit of text that says “pre-order now”, suggesting that pre-orders for the Note 9 might open the same day it’s announced.

What will the Galaxy Note 9 look like?

Quick answer — a lot like the Note 8.

We’ve seen one collection of renders for the Note 9 so far (pictured above), and save for the fingerprint sensor being moved below the rear camera sensor, the phone’s shaping up to be nearly identical to last year’s model.

As such, we can expect a large Infinity Display with slim bezels, an all-glass back, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Samsung’s event teaser suggests that we’ll get at least one bright yellow color option, but I’m still crossing my fingers the Galaxy S9’s Burgundy Red gets a wide release on the Note 9 🤞.

What specs can we look forward to?

Samsung’s Galaxy Note phones are always home to some of the best specs around, and the Note 9 shouldn’t be any different.

Based on the current rumor mill and what we’ve seen from other 2018 flagships, here’s what we think we’ll see this year.

What’s going on with the S Pen?

The S Pen has always been one of the biggest draws to the Galaxy Note phones, and this year with the Note 9, we’re expecting Samsung to give the accessory one of the biggest updates we’ve seen in years.

One of the biggest changes this time around is that the Note 9 S Pen is rumored to come with Bluetooth. On one hand, this means the S Pen will need to have a battery and be charged somehow. Although we can’t confirm this, it’s likely Samsung will design a system that allows the S Pen to charge up while it’s inside the Note 9.

On a more exciting note, Bluetooth could allow for the S Pen to be useful even when it’s not in direct contact with the Note 9. Its button could act as a camera shutter, slide-show clicker, give you better alerts when it’s away from your phone, and more.

There have also been hints at some sort of gaming-specific features, but it’s unclear how exactly these will pan out.

When will the Galaxy Note 9 be released?

The Galaxy Note 9 will be announced on August 9, 2018, at an Unpacked event in New York City.

We can expect retail availability to come in a 1-2 week time frame after the announcement, if any previous launches are any indication.

How much will the Galaxy Note 9 cost?

Pricing for the Note series has steadily been going up each year, as has the majority of the smartphone industry.

The Galaxy Note 8 costs $950 unlocked, and I’d expect the Note 9 to cost either the same or slightly more. Apple proved with the iPhone X that people aren’t afraid to shell out $1000+ for a new smartphone, and I don’t consider it to be out of the question for Samsung to follow suit with the Note 9 – especially if it adopts newer technologies like an in-display fingerprint sensor.

Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+: Everything you need to know!

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 rumors: Release date, specs, price, and features!
• Is it best to buy the Galaxy S9 or wait for the Note 9?
• Do you plan on upgrading to the Note 9?
• Galaxy Note 8 review
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

Updated August 3, 2018: Updated spec sheet with latest available info.

Revisit the good old days with an NES or SNES Classic Edition console in stock

You should hurry up.

Update: Both consoles are available for purchase right now! The NES Classic is in stock and ready to ship, while the SNES Classic won’t be back in stock until August 9th. You can get the console and controller at Best Buy as well, either separately or in a bundle. There’s no telling how much longer these consoles will be available for, so best get your order in while you can!

Ah, Nintendo, breaker of hearts and crusher of dreams. How can one company be so good at releasing such limited quantities of the coolest items ever?!

The Nintendo NES Classic Edition has been hard to nab from the get-go. When it was first released, people waited in line for hours in the hopes of snatching one up — myself included. This little gadget hit the reseller market fast after stock was depleted, selling for up to $1,000. Seriously. It was once thought to be gone forever, and it left thousands of fans upset, knowing that they may never have the chance to revisit their childhood favorites on an actual Nintendo machine. (Yes, you can emulate retro games. No, it isn’t the same. Don’t @ me.)

Thankfully, you don’t have to wait for six hours in the freezing Wisconsin snow to get yours like I did. You don’t even have to leave your house. Amazon has the Nintendo NES Classic Edition console in stock for the MSRP of $59.99. No markups, no hassle, and no blood, sweat, or tears. Except for maybe tears of joy.

If you haven’t yet gotten your hands on the Super NES Classic console, you can snag one of those at Amazon right now too for its regular price of $79.99.

The NES Classic is awesome. It has the look and feel of the original console, although it is slightly smaller and sleeker. It includes an old-school controller and it’s packed with 30 games, including Super Marios Bros., Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, and more. It’s worth noting that the controller cord is pretty short, but extenders are available for cheap or you could even pre-order a wireless controller. If you were inclined to do some web searching, you may also find that rumor has it you can hack the console to include hundreds of other games, although you run the risk of bricking your machine, among other things, and an editor such as myself couldn’t possibly suggest that you do such a thing.

This is the first major restock of this console since it was released. If you’re interested, trust me: there are thousands of other interested people, too. Hop to it and beat them to the punch before it sells out again.

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