How to Use the New Continuity Camera Feature in macOS Mojave

In macOS Mojave, Apple has extended its Continuity features so that now you can use your iPhone or iPad’s camera to take a photo or scan a document, and it will be immediately available on your Mac.

Continuity Camera works in several native Mac apps, including Pages, Keynote, and TextEdit. The following steps explain how to use it. Bear in mind that both your iOS device and your Mac need to be logged into the same Apple ID for this feature to work.

How to Add a Photo Using Continuity Camera

Launch the app that you want to import a photo into.
Open an existing project or document, or create a new one.
Right-click (or Ctrl-click) the location where you want to insert the photo.

In the contextual menu, click Take Photo under the name of the iOS device that you want to use.
Take the photo on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap Use Photo on your iOS device, and the image will appear in the open project or document on your Mac.

How to Scan a Document Using Continuity Camera

Launch the app you want to use and open a project or document, or create a new one.
Right-click (or Ctrl-click) the space where you want to insert the captured document.
In the contextual menu, click Scan Document under the name of the iOS device that you want to use.
Using your iPhone or iPad’s camera, frame the document in the onscreen viewfinder. The document should turn yellow and scan automatically. You can repeat this step to scan several documents if desired.
Tap Save on your iOS device, and your scanned documents will be inserted into the open project or document on your Mac.

Related Roundup: macOS Mojave
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TicWatch Pro Review: Easily the best option for Wear OS

While Apple has seemingly figured out the smartwatch game, Android users are still searching for the best option. For awhile, we had the Huawei Watch which was the de-facto choice, but is now a few years old.

READ MORE: TicWatch E Review

Since then, we have seen plenty of options walk through the door, with not many really sticking. TicWatch has released a new offering with the TicWatch Pro that could change everything. At least temporarily.

Hardware and Build Quality

Upon taking the TicWatch Pro out of the box I was both surprised and intrigued at what was going on here. The watch itself is made from a solid aluminum, that is both large and rather hefty at first glace.

Given that I have larger wrists than the average person, the size of the watch was a pleasant surprise. However, you may want to look into the other TicWatch offerings if you are looking for something smaller.

Specs

• 1.39-inch 400 x 400 Display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 SoC
• 512MB RAM
• 4GB Storage
• GPS, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2
• IP68
• 415mAh Battery

What really excited me after putting the watch on was the band itself. On the outside, there is a leather-like material which gives a professional look. However, on the side that rests on your skin, we have silicone.

This makes it possible for your wrist to “breathe” while providing a comfortable feeling on the wrist. If this isn’t your cup o’ tea, then you can easily swap this out for a different band.

READ MORE: Best Smartwatches

Moving onto the main attraction of the TicWatch Pro, we have an absolutely gorgeous OLED display. This is bright enough to view in just about every situation, but there’s a hidden feature that sets this smartwatch apart from the rest.

On top of the standard OLED panel, there is also an FSTN (Film compensated Super Twisted Nematic) LCD panel. Essentially, there’s a layered display on top of the OLED display and this is for good reason.

This “Essential Mode” works to save battery life by acting as an “always-on display”, while showing the following bits of information:

• Time
• Date
• Step Count
• Battery Level

We’ll touch on this secondary display a bit later, but there’s a little bit more to offer on the hardware side. The TicWatch Pro offers two buttons on the right side of the frame, which have a perform a few different actions.

• Top button, single press – App list
• Top button, long press – Google Assistant
• Lower button, single press – Configurable to the app of your choice
• Lower button, double press – Google Pay
• Lower button, long press – Power menu (Essential Mode, Restart, or Power off)

Having the ability to configure the lower button to an app of your choice is a nice touch. In order to change this, you’ll need to head into the TicWatch by Mobvoi app on your TicWatch Pro.

Software

When I received the TicWatch Pro, the smartwatch was already running the latest version of Wear OS. There were a few minor updates that have been pushed since release, but only including minor bug fixes and tweaks.

It’s extremely evident that Wear OS (formerly Android Wear) has taken a back seat to everything else that Google is working on. This is really sad and upsetting, but combined with the almost 3-year-old Wear 2100 SoC, there’s not much to really get excited about.

Wear OS in general is just serviceable, but combined with the chipset, you’re likely to experience the occasional lag. Sometimes is worse than others, but all-in-all, you’ll likely be just fine for the time being.

In addition to Google-integrated features, the TicWatch Pro also includes some extra apps from Mobvoi. These are primarily focused on health, with the Fitness app which monitors your heart rate. The Health app keeps track of your steps, distance, and more all from a clean-looking experience.

Battery Life

The most intriguing aspect of the TicWatch Pro isn’t the great design, or the fact that it runs Wear OS. Instead, battery life has been absolutely superb as I was able to get 2.5 days of usage with the Pro running its “standard” mode.

The secondary display that we mentioned earlier is being touted to provide between 5 to 30 days of battery life. Since the LCD display consumes less power and only shows you the essentials, this is the perfect way to keep your watch going whenever you need to save some juice. Simply long press on the lower button and tap “Essential Mode”, and the secondary display will activate.

It’s highly unlikely that you will ever actually “only” use the Essential Mode, but it’s still something that more smartwatches should feature in the future.

Pricing & Conclusion

The TicWatch Pro is a smartwatch that could have been much better than what is already is. If it weren’t for Qualcomm and Google dragging its feet in the wearable space, then the Pro would absolutely amazing at just $249.

That being said, earlier in September, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset. This promises to offer better battery life and better overall performance. But that’s not saying much when being compared to a 2-year-old processor.

Nonetheless, if you don’t feel like waiting for new Wear 3100 smartwatches to launch, then the TicWatch Pro is our pick for a Wear OS smartwatch.

Buy the TicWatch Pro!

Eye-tracking tech lets you control a drone by looking where you want it to move

There are all manner of weird and wonderful control systems being invented to help drone pilots guide their unmanned aerial vehicles through the skies. One that sounds pretty intuitive, though, is laid out in a new piece of research from engineers at New York University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. They have invented a method to allow drone pilots to fly using a pair of eye-tracking glasses. What could be simpler?

“This solution provides the opportunity to create new, non-invasive forms of interactions between a human and robots allowing the human to send new 3D-navigation waypoints to the robot in an uninstrumented environment,” Dr. Giuseppe Loianno, a research scientist and team leader at the University of Pennsylvania, told Digital Trends. “The user can control the drone just pointing at a spatial location using his gaze, which is distinct from the head orientation in our case.”

The method is both easy to use and self-contained. In terms of hardware, it requires the drone (obviously!), a small computational unit and a pair of Tobii Pro Glasses 2. These gaze-tracking glasses boast an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a built-in HD camera. Using some smart deep neural network technology and head orientation data from the IMU, the glasses are able to detect where the user is looking and how far away the drone is.

New York University

The researchers’ hope is that such technology could be used to aid people with little drone-flying experience to safely fly them without the need for an expert pilot.

“The proposed solution opens up new ways to interpret human attention and create new anticipative human-robot interfaces,” Loianno continued. “We aim to create new ways of interaction between agents. Specifically, we are interested to develop a multi-modal interaction setup — [featuring] visual, vocal [and gesture-based interactions] — and add multiple agents in the framework. We would also [like to] investigate the benefits that the proposed solution can provide to people affected by body or ocular diseases.”

A paper describing the work, titled “Human Gaze-Driven Spatial Tasking of an Autonomous MAV,” was recently submitted to the 2019 International Conference on Robotics and Automation, which will take place in May 2019. Make sure you keep your eyes trained in that direction!

Editors’ Recommendations

• This golf course’s delivery drone flies the 19th hole to you
• 7 drone crashes that will make you fly your bird more carefully
• Meet the Mantis Q: A drone you can control by yelling, waving, or even smiling
• 7 amazing anti-drone technologies designed to swat UAVs out of the sky
• The best drones under $500

Google updates privacy policy following Chrome 69 Sync controversy

After introducing a major browser redesign with Chrome 69, Google is once again finding itself in the midst of a privacy controversy. Irate users reported that Google had materially altered the way Chrome Sync works without informing its users of the changes. Now, whenever you log into a Google service — like Gmail — on Chrome 69, Google will automatically log you into the browser. Google denied that it made the changes to track its users.

Users are concerned that the synchronization of login could be a violation of privacy and trust. When you log into a Google service through your Chrome browser, Google will automatically also log you into the browser. This change occurred after the Chrome 69 update, and users are concerned that your local browser data — such as passwords, bookmarks, web history, and more — could be automatically uploaded and synchronized to Google’s servers.

“Any time someone using Chrome logs into a Google service or site, they are also logged into Chrome-as-a-browser with that user account,” user Balint explained on his personal blog. “Any time someone logs out of a Google service, they are also logged out of the browser. Before Chrome 69, Chrome users could decline to be logged into Chrome entirely, skipping the use of Sync and other features that require a login and they could use Chrome in a logged-out state while still making use of Gmail, for example.”

Google denies that it is automatically synchronizing your local information with its servers through this change. Google explained that in order for local data to be synchronized, an additional step is needed and the user must consent. Signing into a service does not automatically do that, Google said.

“Chrome desktop now tells you that you’re ‘signed in’ whenever you’re signed in to a Google website,” Chrome engineer and manager Adrienne Porter Felt said on Twitter through a series of tweets. “This does NOT mean that Chrome is automatically sending your browsing history to your Google account! In the new version of Chrome: when you sign in or out of a Google website, Chrome UI shows your sign-in status in the top right corner.

Prior to this change, a user can log into Google services like Gmail or Hangouts without having to log into the browser, but Porter Felt claims that such a scenario led to confusion whenever shared computers are used. “My teammates made this change to prevent surprises in a shared device scenario,” she said. “In the past, people would sometimes sign out of the content area and think that meant they were no longer signed into Chrome, which could cause problems on a shared device.”

Google has also updated its Chrome privacy policy to offer more clarification on the changes.

This privacy controversy adds to the list of problems that some Chrome users have been experiencing since the big update.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Google completely revamps Chrome to celebrate browser’s 10th birthday
• Riddled with problems, Chrome 69 isn’t the celebration Google hoped for
• Here’s how to easily log in to multiple Gmail accounts at once
• To make the web safer, Google says URLs must die
• Only Google should be mad about having to change Android

Microsoft Teams blurs your video background, prevents national embarrassment

Microsoft Teams is a communication platform for organizations, allowing employees to chat one-on-one, join company-wide video conference calls, share documents, and more. At this year’s Microsoft Ignite developer conference, the company chose to add a few new features to the platform, most notably the ability to add background blur during a live video call. Don’t want someone to see where you are? Simply blur the background to go incognito.

According to the team at Microsoft, the new background blur feature has been added to allow users to remove distractions and have individuals focus on what matters most — you. The feature has already been rolled out and customers of Microsoft Teams will find that the capability is already available within its video calls.

Of course, Microsoft couldn’t help but tout the software’s new ability by bringing up everyone’s favorite BBC Dad. A year ago, Professor Robert Kelly was speaking live on the BBC when his broadcast was interrupted by his children, and then his wife, running into the room. The incident itself caused quite a laugh, as Kelly gained comedic fame for the incident. Microsoft shows how the use of its Teams software with background blur could have prevented the incident.

Additional features to hit Microsoft Teams for meetings also include a new recording ability and cloud video interloop. The recording feature allows users to record meetings so that they may be pulled up again later for review. New cloud video interloop functionality means that companies can integrate Microsoft Teams meetings with its existing boardroom hardware from companies such as Polycom, BlueJeans, and Pexip.

With over 239,000 organizations utilizing the Microsoft Teams platform, the folks in Redmond, Washington are hoping that the platform’s new features will enhance the productivity of companies around the globe — over 44 supported languages means that Microsoft Teams plays a part in many organizations outside of Microsoft’s home country.

Just remember that thanks to Microsoft’s new background blur feature for video calls, you might be able to salvage a moment with only a few clicks of your mouse. Then again, maybe you just don’t want your boss to know that you’re relaxing in Hawaii instead of reporting from your home office.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Google, Microsoft, Twitter, and Facebook team up on new data transfer project
• Instagram ‘music stickers’ could help to spice up your Stories
• Cloud-based call recording is coming to Skype, but will you use it?
• The best free first-person shooters
• Photo FOMO: Apple teaches photo editing, Sony’s submersible and bendable SD

This mirror-wielding robot arm behaves in a freakily lifelike manner

Whether it’s the weird, illogical sympathy you feel when a robot dog is kicked or the unsettling “uncanny valley” effect when computer graphics come close to generating a human face, but just falls short, there is some weird territory to investigate when it comes to the creation of lifelike machines. That’s something that German-based artist Piet Schmidt explores with his new work, “Encounter.”

Taking the form of a robot arm holding a mirror, the robot will respond to people by angling the mirror in their direction. So far, so typical smart home device, right? Perhaps, but the really intriguing part of “Encounter” is the strangely lifelike way in which it reacts. Like a nervous animal, it will retract in a seemingly fearful manner as a person approaches, but then follow them with apparent curiosity if they back up. After a while, it will even get used to them and start acting playful, angling the mirror in different ways as it does.

“I am interested in how humans build connections and [relate] to machines,” Schmidt told Digital Trends. “Certain behaviors and appearances seem to trigger humans to interpret intentions or even emotions in inanimate objects. I want to create an encounter between people and a machine — an encounter evoking an uncanny feeling that will let you [feel] torn between treating it like a machine or a living being. It leaves us confused [regarding] our intuitive perception that is trained to distinguish animate from inanimate.”

On a technical level, the arm is actuated using networked smart servos, inverse kinematic algorithms, and 3D noise fields. Meanwhile, the head-tracking and mirror aligning is achieved using an Xbox Kinect. The result is impressively naturalistic in its movement: building on the idea that the machine is somewhat alive. This is bolstered by the use of the mirror which, Schmidt said, is intended to make us feel as if we are forming a complete entity with the machine — with our own face becoming its face.

“[“Encounter”] has been premiered at Rundgang, the annual exhibition of the University of the Arts, Berlin,” Schmidt said. “I am looking forward to [exhibiting at] media art events, though no dates can be confirmed at this point.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• It’s curtains for Kuri: Work ceased on robot companion project
• Moxi the ‘friendly’ hospital robot wants to help nurses, not replace them
• This myth-inspired, karate-chopping centaur robot could save your life one day
• Stanford A.I. can realistically score computer animations just by watching them

The best iPhone XS Max screen protectors to safeguard that huge screen

If you’ve got a craving for the biggest screen available, then you won’t find many larger than the display on the Apple iPhone XS Max. The 6.5-inch display is the largest that Apple’s ever put on an iPhone, and it’s sumptuously gorgeous to boot, thanks to the Super Retina AMOLED tech powering it. Throw in Apple’s A12 Bionic processor and you’ve got yourself a powerful, beautiful, media-crunching beast of a smartphone.

But none of that will cut the mustard if your new phone’s screen cracks after a drop onto concrete. Grabbing an iPhone XS Max case is a great start, but what about making it even more secure with a screen protector? There are many options available, but we’ve sifted through the piles in order to highlight some of the best iPhone XS Max screen protectors that will keep your massive display protected.

Belkin ScreenForce InvisiGlass ($40)

If you’re looking for Apple accessories, Belkin is the first stop for many. Belkin’s ScreenForce InvisiGlass screen protector might be a mouthful to pronounce, but it also piles a lot of protection into a small package. It’s made from chemically strengthened tempered glass that Belkin claims is able to provide the highest possible level of scratch-resistance. Thanks to that added strength, Belkin’s also been able to make this protector very thin — just 0.29 mm thick. It’s case compatible, so there shouldn’t any issues with most cases, and an easy installation should be possible with the supplied installation tray. Best of all, buyers in the U.S. and Canada get Belkin’s limited lifetime warranty for easy replacements.

Buy it now from:

Belkin Amazon

Bodyguardz Ultratough ScreenGuardz ($20)

Bodyguardz isn’t yet as well-known as some of the bigger names in the business, but with the quality it’s been pumping out, it’s only a matter of time before it is. This screen protector is made from a clear urethane film, and has been treated with an antimicrobial coating that helps to keep bacteria off your screen. It also has self-healing properties that help close up more minor scratches. It covers your phone’s display from edge-to-edge, folding around the curves. Since it’s film and not glass, it won’t take the hit for your screen if the worst happens, and won’t be as protective — but it’s still great scratch protection that’s easy to forget once it’s applied.

Buy it now from:

Bodyguardz

InvisibleShield Sapphire Defense ($50)

InvisibleShield offers a large range of screen protectors, so it means something when it touts the Sapphire Defense as the world’s most advanced screen protector. It’s made from tempered glass that’s been infused with sapphire to increase scratch-resistance. InvisibleShield claims that this infusion means the Sapphire Defense gives seven times more protection against shattering, drop damage, and scratches than having an unprotected screen. Not only that, but this protector is also boasts “aerospace-grade” self-healing properties that remove minor scratches. However, premium protection comes with a premium price, and that may put some people off. Regardless, this is an easy-to-apply and strong protector for your iPhone.

Buy it now from:

InvisibleShield

Tech Armor Ballistic Glass Triple Pack ($9)

We go from one of the most expensive protectors on our list to one of the cheapest. But don’t let that put you off — Tech Armor has a solid reputation. Each of the protectors in this triple pack is made from high-quality glass with a 9H hardness that boasts a 99 percent clarity rating. There’s also an oleophobic coating that resists smudges and fingerprints. The screen protectors come with a 2.5D edge that prevents chipping by curving away at the edges, and are case-friendly. Tech Armor includes an easy installation tray so you can get the fit right every time, and at just 0.3 mm thick, you should be able to forget them once they’re applied. However, they only protect the flat parts of the XS Max’s screen, and will not cover the curved edges. Still, at this price, it’s a great deal.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Spigen Glas.TR Slim HD ($30)

Another great glass option from a trusted name, Spigen’s Glas.TR is made from tempered glass with a 9H hardness that should be able to handle most of the hazards posed by everyday life. It has an oleophobic coating that helps to reduce fingerprints and smears, and Spigen boasts it’s just as clear as the iPhone’s original screen. Most importantly, this protector is fully compatible with Spigen’s huge range of cases, making this a great choice if you’re already rocking a Spigen case. It’s on the expensive side when compared to some of the other options on this list, so you’ll have to decide whether the Spigen name is worth the price for you.

Buy it now from:

Spigen

Skinomi TechSkin Case Compatible Twin Pack ($8)

Film protectors aren’t the best at dealing with drops, but they are great at handling scratches. Skinomi claims that its TechSkin is the toughest clear film protector on the market, and says the same material is often used to protect luxury cars, military aircraft, and NASA space shuttles. Whether that’s true or not, the TechSkin provides good protection against everyday wear and tear, and comes with a self-healing layer and anti-yellowing properties that keep your protector from looking old as it ages. It uses a wet installation method, so there’s a physical medium between the protector and the screen, which reduces any loss of touch sensitivity. Best of all, it comes in a twin pack, giving you great value for money.

Buy it now from:

Skinomi Amazon

Laut Prime Privacy ($25)

Privacy can be hard to come by in this day and age, but at the very least you can expect to keep yourself to yourself on the train with the assistance of Laut’s Prime Privacy protector. This protector is made from shatter-resistant tempered glass that should provide great resistance to scratches and other damage, while also providinf protection against drops and falls. The real magic here is the privacy filter laid over the top of the glass. Look straight on at your phone and everything’s normal, but try to view it at an angle and the filter fades the screen to black, stopping prying eyes from reading over your shoulder. It comes with an oleophobic coating and it’s not a bad price, but keep in mind this’ll make it harder to share videos with other people.

Buy it now from:

Laut

Armorsuit Matte Protector ($14)

Tired of light reflecting from your screen and making it hard to read anything? You’re not alone — but there are ways to cut down on bothersome glare. This film protector from Armorsuit comes with a matte finish that cuts down on glare significantly, making it easier to see your phone in direct sunlight. It’s resistant to scratches with a self-healing layer, and comes with an oleophobic coating, but don’t expect it to be as strong as a glass protector against drops and bumps. That doesn’t mean it’s not tough — Armorsuit claims it’s made from the same material used to protect military vehicles, so it should hold up well over time. It’s great choice if you have a problem with glare, but people looking for drop protection should look elsewhere.

Buy it now from:

Armorsuit Amazon

Zizo Lightning Shield ($20)

Edge-to-edge protection can be tough to come by when phones have curved edges, but that’s not the case with Zizo’s Lightning Shield. Like many others on this list, it’s made from tempered glass and is resistant to scratches, drops, and other hazards. It covers the phone completely, and the edges of the protector gently curve down to prevent chipping over time. It’s just 0.33 mm thick, so you should be able to forget it’s there, and it also comes with an oleophobic coating to resist greasy fingerprints. At $20, it’s cheap for a full glass protector, and it’s not hard to install either.

Buy it now from:

Zizo Mobile Fun

IQ Shield Full Bodyskin Protector ($8)

We’ve highlighted a lot of screen protectors on this list that work well with cases, but what if you’re not getting a case, but still want some protection? This combination of front and back protection from IQ Shield allows you to install some protection on your XS Max, while still letting your phone’s beauty to shine through the protective film. The film includes a variety of layers to add UV and other protection to your phone, and it also comes with a wet installation method that’ll ensure the adhesive stays strong. Thin film won’t do much to protect against drops and falls, but if you’re worried about scratches, then this is a great all-over solution.

Buy it now from:

IQ Shield Amazon

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best iPhone XR screen protectors
• The best iPhone XS screen protectors
• The best Samsung Galaxy Note 9 screen protectors
• The best OnePlus 6 screen protectors
• InvisbleShield’s new screen protector helps spare eyes from blue light

What to expect from Microsoft’s October 2 Surface event

Microsoft is set to hold its fall event on October 2. While the official word is that Microsoft will be talking about hardware, software, and services, the rumors suggest that Microsoft will be making a lot of interesting Surface announcements for multiple new models.

So, what could be announced? Let’s run down the list of possibilities.

The Upcoming Windows 10 Update

We expect Microsoft to talk quite a bit about the upcoming Windows 10 October 2018 Update and updates to important software. It was first announced at IFA and will be the next big update to Windows since the April 2018 Update.

What will the new version of Windows 10 include? Well, inter-connectivity has been a major theme for Microsoft lately, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see more Windows 10 compatibility with other devices and platforms. We already know that the update, called Redstone 5, will have changes like a new Notepad, a Cloud-powered Clipboard, a better Game Bar, and the SwiftKey app (which Microsoft now owns). But we don’t know much else, so expect a specific release date and full update notes at the event.

Surface Laptop 2

My Smart Price

The Surface Laptop is a lower-budget line for those who wanted a Surface computer, but preferably not at the price of a Book. In this the Laptop was more or less successful, but there was a lot of compromise, too, especially in the switch to Windows 10 S. But now that Windows 10 S has been replaced with S Mode, Microsoft’s approach toward this products may be have been altered.

Upgrades to the display, processor, and storage are all likely if Microsoft is bringing a new model to market. There’s also a good chance the new Surface Laptop could be black as well if recent leaks are to believed.

Surface Pro 6

It’s a good time for a new Surface Pro, particularly since Intel recent announced 8th-gen mobile processors that would be a perfect fit for an updated Pro model. While an updated processor is a guarantee, we don’t have much information beyond that. We could see it come in black, and we might also have it come with a USB-C port.

Rumors also suggest that an updated Surface Pen may also be likely, as Microsoft looks for new ways to add usability to the model. Other rumors caution that Microsoft may be planning on a full redesign of the Pro line, which would push any new model announcements into 2019 — or would at least mean this year’s update will be fairly minimal.

Surface Book 3

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

If Microsoft wants to stick with a yearly schedule for the Surface Book line (which it has thus far), then we will definitely see a new Surface Book model announced this October. Last year we saw an updated Surface Book 2 with an option for a larger screen, and even more power. However, we suspect and hope that a Surface Book 3 is still on its way. The Surface Book 2 was certainly an improvement, but it still has its problems, including a power charging issue and a USB-C port that was already a little out of date on release.

A new Surface Book could keep the 15-inch model option, update the power cable and USB ports, and give us an even more refined tablet mode. Patent notes indicate that there could also be more hinge changes on the way, maybe even with a swivel option. Changes like these could do a lot to convince buyers who are still on the fence about the Surface Book.

Surface Dial 2

The original Surface Dial was a cool concept – a movable, customizable button that you could put on the surface of the Studio and use to control things. Not all of that novelty transferred to the real world—outside of some artistic and design applications, it can be hard to find a novel use for the Dial. Some users also found the device a little awkward to use, while others disliked how it blocked off a part of the Studio screen.

The new Surface Dial, however, could take quite a different approach to make the tech puck as attractive as possible to a broad audience. Patent filings from Microsoft indicate that the Dial 2 could have a transparent design that makes the screen below easier to see. If such a device really were in development, the October event would be a great place to talk about it. Which brings us to…

Surface Studio 2

The first Studio was an ambitious and beautiful desktop PC specifically aimed at artists, engineers, architects, and all types of designers. It had an incredible, adjustable screen, but the hardware didn’t exactly impress. Fortunately, there are many ways that Microsoft could improve the Studio, and a Studio 2 announcement seems likely this time around.

We would love to see a more powerful processor than the rather underwhelming Studio provided, a full SSD drive, and a greater number of useful ports on the Studio 2. A lower price tag would also be great, but that’s a lot to ask with all the other improvements.

Surface Go with LTE

Rich Shibley/Digital Trends

We compared the Surface Go to the iPad a lot in our review, because this is definitely the market spot that Microsoft was aiming for (although the Go is a bit more keyboard-dependent). And like the iPad, it largely fills that on-the-move tablet space while still have plenty of room for upgrades.

Even though it’s only been a couple months since the Go was released, Microsoft indicated LTE would be coming soon, and it would be an easy way to capitalize on the recent release of the tablet.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Refreshed Surface Pro 6 could arrive at Microsoft’s October 2 event
• Microsoft could debut transparent Surface Dial sequel at October event
• Microsoft may go back to black with 2018 Surface Pro and Surface Laptop
• Microsoft Surface Laptop review
• Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) review

From Android 1.0 to Android 9.0, here’s how Google’s OS evolved over a decade

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The smartphone has come a long way since the first iPhone launched in 2007. While Apple’s iOS is arguably the world’s first smartphone operating system, Google’s Android is by far the most popular. Android has evolved significantly since its inception, first being released on an HTC-made T-Mobile device back in 2008. Some might not know, however, that Android’s history dates back before it was available on smartphones.  In fact, Android was first created in 2003 by Andy Rubin, who first started developing the OS for digital cameras. Soon, he realized that the market for digital camera operating systems perhaps wasn’t all that big, and Android, Inc. diverted its attention toward smartphones.

It wasn’t until 2005 that Google purchased Android, Inc., and while not much about Android was known at the time, many took it as a signal that Google would use the platform to enter the phone business. Eventually, Google did enter the smartphone business — but not as a hardware manufacturer. Instead, it marketed Android to other manufacturers, first catching the eye of HTC, who used the platform for the first Android phone, the HTC Dream, in 2008.

Beginning with that initial version of the operating system running on the HTC Dream, join us as we take a look at how Android has changed in the past decade.

Android 1.0 — Android Market, widgets, and notifications (2008)

Android 1.0 was obviously far less developed than the operating system we know and love today, but there are a few similarities. For example, most agreed that Android pretty much nailed how to deal with notifications, and it included the pull-down notification window that blew the notification system in iOS out of the water.

Another groundbreaking innovation in Android is the Google Play Store, which, at the time, was called the Market. While Apple beat it to the punch by launching the App Store on the iPhone a few months earlier, the fact is that together they kick-started the idea of a centralized place to get all your apps — something that’s hard to imagine not having now.

Apart from the Market, Android 1.0 also boasted the ability to use home screen widgets, a feature that iOS did not have. In fact, iOS still doesn’t let you put widgets on your home screen. Unfortunately, developers couldn’t create their own widgets at the time. That changed in later versions. Last but not least, the first version of Android had deep integration with Gmail, a service that had already taken off at the time.

Android 1.5 Cupcake — Third-party widgets, on-screen keyboard, and a sugary name (2009)

The first major update to Android not only got a new version number, but it was the first to use Google’s naming scheme, too. Cupcake was significant for a number of reasons, but the most important is probably that it was the first version of Android to have an on-screen keyboard — before that, manufacturers had to include physical keyboards on their devices.

Next up is widgets. While widgets were supported in earlier versions of Android, third-party developers couldn’t create and implement then. Starting with Cupcake, Google opened the widgets SDK to third-party developers, which was an important move. Now, many developers bundle at least one widget with their app.

Can you imagine a world without video? Before Cupcake, Android did not support video capture, so users with earlier versions of Android could only capture photos. That all (thankfully) changed with Cupcake.

Android 1.6 Donut — CDMA, quick search box, and different screen sizes (2009)

Android Donut gave users a pretty big update — a much bigger update than the 0.1 version number increase suggests. For example, Donut brought Android to millions of people by adding support for CDMA networks such as Verizon, Sprint, and a number of big networks in Asia.

Donut was really targeted at making Android more user-friendly, but some of the biggest updates were under the hood. For example, Donut was the first version of Android to support different screen sizes, meaning that manufacturers could create devices with the display sizes they wanted and still run Android.

Back to user-friendliness, though. Donut was the first version of Android to include what’s now considered an Android staple — the quick search box. This basically allowed users to quickly search the web, local files, contacts, and more directly from the home screen without having to open any apps.

Donut also introduced a few aesthetic changes to Android, such as a redesigned Android Market, which offered more curation over top free and paid apps.

Android 2.0 Eclair — Google Maps navigation, HTML5 browser support, and new lock screen (2009)

While the updates to Android so far were important, they were still incremental refinements of the same operating system. Around a year after Android was first released, Android 2.0 Eclair made its debut, bringing some massive changes to the operating system, many of which are still around today.

Eclair was the first device to feature Google Maps navigation, for instance, kicking off what soon became the death of the in-car GPS unit. While Maps has changed a lot since then, a few important features showed up in the service that are still present today, such as turn-by-turn navigation and voice guidance. There were turn-by-turn navigation apps at that time, but they were expensive, meaning Google’s move to offer Maps for free was pretty disruptive.

The internet browser in Android Eclair also got revamped for the new operating system. Google added HTML5 support to the browser and the ability to play videos, putting Eclair on par with the ultimate mobile internet machine at the time — aka the iPhone. Last but not least was the lock screen, which got a major refresh and allowed users to swipe to unlock — just like on the iPhone. From the lock screen, users could also change the phone’s mute mode.

Android 2.2 Froyo (2010)

Android Froyo was first released in 2010, and proved why it was an advantage to have a Nexus phone. The Nexus One, which was the first Nexus phone to be released, was also the first phone to get the Android Froyo update. Froyo was  aimed more at refining the Android experience, offering users five home screen panels instead of three, and showing off a redesigned Gallery app.

There were, however, a few under-the-hood improvements. For example, Froyo was the first version of Android to bring mobile hot spot support. Users also finally got the PIN lock screen, which was perfect for those who didn’t really like the pattern lock screen that was previously offered in Android.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread (2010)

The Nexus program was finally coming into its own, and the release of Gingerbread confirmed that. Google chose the Samsung-built Nexus S for this one, however, a phone that was derived from Samsung’s highly-successful Galaxy S. Gingerbread was another big Android refinement, and it saw a redesign of Android’s stock widgets and home screen.

Gingerbread also came with an improved keyboard, which offered new coloration for the keys, as well as improved multitouch support, which allowed users to press multiple keys to access a secondary keyboard. Last but not least is that Gingerbread added support for the front-facing camera — what would us selfie-lovers do without that?

Android 3.0 Honeycomb (2011)

Google had been making waves in the smartphone industry for a few years now, which made Honeycomb a very interesting release purely because it was targeted at tablets. It was even first showcased on a Motorola device that would eventually become the Xoom.

Honeycomb provided a few design cues as to what would appear in future versions of Android. Instead of accenting the operating system with the classic green Android color, for example, Google switched to blue accents. On top of that, instead of users having to choose home screen widgets from a simple list, where they couldn’t see what the widgets looked like, previews were offered for individual widgets. Perhaps the biggest move in Honeycomb was the fact that it removed the need for the physical button, Instead, the home, back, and menu buttons were all included in the software as virtual buttons, meaning they could be hidden or shown based on the application.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (2011)

The Nexus S was a great phone, but it wasn’t the be all and end all of Google’s partnership with Samsung. The two paired up once again for the release of the Galaxy Nexus, which showcased Ice Cream Sandwich, an operating system that brought many of Honeycomb’s features over to the smartphone.

For example, the operating system brought over the aforementioned virtual buttons, as well as the tweaked and refined interface that made use of the blue highlights. Other small features, such as face unlock, data usage analysis, and new apps for mail and calendar, were also included in the update.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (2012)

Android Jelly Beam signaled a new era for the operating system, even if the OS seemed more or less the same as its predecessor. If you dug a little deeper, you would have seen some very important changes. The most important of which was Google Now, which could be accessed with a quick swipe from the home screen and brought information — i.e. calendar events, emails, weather reports — all to a single screen. The feature was really Google’s first major stab at a digital assistant, and it laid the groundwork for future versions of digital assistants, including Google Assistant.

Apart from Google Now, a number of other important additions were implemented in Jelly Bean, such as Project Butter, which was aimed at drastically improving Android’s touch performance by tripling buffering graphics. This eliminated a lot of the stutter in Android and made it a much smoother experience overall. Refreshed font, expandable notifications, greater widget flexibility, and other features were also added in Jelly Bean, rendering it one of the biggest updates to Android so far.

Android 4.4 KitKat (2013)

The launch of Android 4.4 KitKat coincided with the launch of the Nexus 5, and it came with a number of great features. For example, KitKat represented one of the biggest aesthetic changes to the operating system to date, modernizing the look of Android. The blue accents found in Ice Cream Sandwich and Jellybean were replaced with a more refined white accent, and a number of the stock apps that came with Android were redesigned to show lighter color schemes.

Apart from a new look, KitKat also brought things like the “OK, Google” search command, which allowed the user to access Google Now at any time. It also brought a new phone dialer, full-screen apps, and a new Hangouts app, which offered SMS support along with support for the Hangouts messaging platform.

Android 5.0 Lollipop (2014)

Android Lollipop, which debuted alongside the Nexus 6, was the first to feature Google’s “Material Design” philosophy. The updates, however, weren’t purely aesthetic — the operating system also exhibited a few major updates under the hood.

Google replaced the aging Dalvik VM with Android Runtime, for example, which boasted ahead-of-time compilation. This essentially meant that part of the processing power required for apps could be conducted before said apps were ever opened. On top of that, we saw a number of notification upgrades, the addition of RAW image support, and a host of other refinements.

Android 5.0 also saw the addition of another version of Android, dubbed Android TV, which brought Android to the big screen and is still in use on plenty of TVs today.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow (2015)

Android Marshmallow brought about both design changes and changes under the hood. Most notably, the app menu almost completely changed. Google used a white background instead of black, for instance, and added a search bar to help users quickly find the app they need. Android Marshmallow also brought the addition of the memory manager, which allowed you to check the memory usage of any app used within the past 3, 6, 12, or 24 hours.

Next up are the volume controls. In Marshmallow, you’ll get access to a more comprehensive set of volume controls, allowing you to change the volume for the device, media, and alarms. Security also got a pretty big boost within the operating system. Android officially supported fingerprint sensors beginning with Marshmallow, and permissions got a significant revamp. Instead of apps requesting all permissions upfront when downloaded, permissions are requested on a per-permission basis when they’re required.

Android 7.0 Nougat (2016)

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Android 7.0 Nougat arguably marked one of the biggest upgrades to Android in its 10 years — largely because of how smart the operating system got. In fact, perhaps the biggest change to Android in Nougat is that Google Now was replaced with the now much-respected Google Assistant.

Along with Assistant, Nougat brought an improved notifications system, which tweaked how notifications looked and acted within the OS. Notifications were presented from screen to screen, and unlike previous iterations of Android, they could be grouped together for easy management. Multitasking also got a boost with Nougat. Whether you’re using a phone or a tablet, you’ll be able to use split-screen mode, allowing you to use two apps at once without having to exit out of each app every few minutes.

Android 8.0 Oreo (2017)

Android Oreo brought the Android platform to version 8.0, and in particular got a ton of multitasking features. Picture-in-picture and native split-screen both made their debuts in Android Oreo, meaning you could continue watching your favorite show on Netflix while browsing the web.

Android Oreo also gave us a whole lot more control over notifications. With Oreo, users were given the ability to turn notification channels on or off, meaning you could get super granular with which notifications show up and what happens when they appear. In particular, notification channels allowed users to sort notifications based on importance. Also notification-related, Oreo brought notification dots, and the ability to snooze notifications.

A few other smaller features showed up in Oreo, too. For example, Google did away with the blob style for emojis, replacing them with emojis that were a little more in line with other platforms. Oreo also gave us auto-enable Wi-Fi, a smart text selector, and so on.

Android 9.0 Pie (2018)

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Now, ten years after the launch of Android on smartphones, we’re at Android 9.0 Pie. Android Pie brings with it a number of visual changes — so much so that from a visual perspective, it’s the biggest change to Android in a few years.

Most notably, Android 9.0 Pie does away with the three-button setup that has existed in Android for years, replacing it with a single pill-shaped button and gestures for controlling things like multitasking. Android 9.0 Pie also brings with it some changes to notifications, including extra control over the types of notifications that show up and where they show up, as well as Google’s new “Digital Wellbeing,” a feature that essentially tells you how often you use your phone, the apps that you use the most, and so on. The feature is aimed at helping users better manage their digital lives and curb smartphone addiction.

Other features include adaptive battery, which limits how much battery background apps can use, as well as “App Actions,” which are deep-links to certain app features that show up straight from the app drawer.

That’s a brief history of Android to date. The mobile operating system just hit its 10-year anniversary, despite the current version being called Android 9.0 Pie.

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Snap, then shop? Snapchat’s camera will soon buy stuff from Amazon

Snapchat

Snapchat’s camera is good for more than puppy dog ears and augmented reality games. Soon, the social media platform will shop for you, too. On Monday, September 24, Snap Inc. announced the ability to shop on Amazon with your Snapchat camera. The feature is in early testing and will roll out slowly to more users, Snap says.

The feature is a hidden one without any changes to the icons displayed in the Snapchat camera. To search for a product, after pointing the camera at whatever that object is, tap and hold the object. An Amazon card pops up on the screen with the top link, including an option to see more results by leaving the Snapchat app and going directly to Amazon, using either the app (if it’s installed) or the website. Along with using object recognition to search for products, the feature will also search via barcode, Snap says.

Snap says the feature is a faster way to shop and the camera option is easy to use. The lack of a physical icon on the screen could make the tool one of Snapchat’s lesser-known features, like the option to Shazam a song from inside Snapchat that uses the same process of tapping and holding on the screen. On the flipside, the touch control also keeps the interface from looking too cluttered.

The feature was first discovered by an app researcher breaking down the code, but details at the time didn’t confirm Amazon as the retailer for finding those products.

Shopping by camera isn’t new — the Amazon app has a camera mode that will also search using object recognition and barcodes alongside “trying” a product using augmented reality. By integrating into the Snapchat app, avid Snapchatters can skip a step if they want to buy something they see while snapping photos for Stories or Snapchatting friends.

Visual shopping is becoming increasingly available across multiple platforms, including Pinterest Lens and Google Lens. The tools can help when searching for a jacket won’t do — you want to find that particular jacket in a certain style and color. Besides fashion, other artificial intelligence-powered visual shopping searches can dig up home decor, books, and more.

The Amazon visual search isn’t Snapchat’s first dive into integrating shopping on the social network either; Snapchat also has shoppable AR filters and Stickers. The feature, for now, is only a test and Snap didn’t clarify when that slow rollout will happen.

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