Apple May Strike Pay-TV Partnership With UK’s British Telecom, Pre-Loading Apple TVs With BT Apps

Apple is reportedly holding discussions with United Kingdom-based British Telecom (BT) over a partnership that would make BT’s mobile brand EE a “major distributor” of Apple TV devices. Specifically, the telecommunications brand would offer Apple TVs to EE customers, coming pre-loaded with apps that deliver pay-TV content like BT Sport and channels from other broadcasters (via The Telegraph).

For Apple, the deal would get Apple TVs into the hands of more customers and increase the potential viewership for its upcoming slate of original TV programming, expected in 2019. While BT has invested in building its own set-top boxes to compete with Apple, Amazon, and Sky, BT consumer chief Marc Allera kicked off a new strategy earlier in May to begin “forging deeper partnerships with technology giants.”

Apple’s partnership with BT is said to be similar to the company’s existing deal in Switzerland with telecoms operator and pay-TV provider Salt. Apple has also partnered with Verizon, which will offer customers an Apple TV 4K as part of its residential broadband package coming to four cities this year.

In regards to Apple’s original programming, the first of Apple’s television shows could debut as soon as March of 2019, potentially through a new video streaming service subscription. The company is also reportedly considering a single subscription bundle offering customers access to TV, Apple Music, and digital magazines (through its Texture acquisition).

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
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iPhone XS ‘BeautyGate’ Test Tricks Viewers to Challenge Preconceived Notions

Following the launch of the iPhone XS and XS Max, owners began pointing out that the selfies captured on the new devices appear to apply a sort of smooth effect on the user’s skin in certain lighting scenarios. This was quickly dubbed “BeautyGate,” with some users accusing Apple of building the new iPhone models with an internal “beauty filter” for better-looking selfies that aren’t 100% honest.

Photos via @tldtoday on Instagram
In an effort to combat the BeautyGate claims, YouTuber Jonathan Morrison posted a series of selfies on Instagram and Twitter over the weekend. In captions, Morrison said these were captured on the Google Pixel 2’s Portrait Mode, and asked his fans their thoughts on how the images came out, particularly if they were better than the iPhone XS.

Commenters said that the images rivaled DSLR shots and that the Pixel 2 was still among the best smartphone cameras, based on the pictures. Some even commended Google for producing high-quality selfies without the need for having a so-called make-up effect, and argued that the Pixel 2 had the best Portrait Mode of any smartphone.

After all of this, Morrison on Sunday revealed that both images were not taken on a Pixel 2, but instead captured on an iPhone XS Max.

BeautyGate talk starts at around 3:00

So I just wanted it to be a little bit of a lesson out there: don’t let a preconceived notion or headline skew your judgement. Because clearly, everyone who thought that it was a Pixel automatically assumed it was much better than the iPhone, when in fact that was the same iPhone XS Max that apparently had all of the BeautyGate problems.

Still, Morrison explains that there is something happening on the front-facing cameras of the iPhone XS and XS Max, but it’s not a beauty filter. Apple’s latest smartphones take multiple pictures at varying exposure levels, requiring noise reduction that creates a smoothing effect over the entire image, not just on skin tones.

Halide went into detail on the issue in a blog post last week:

The iPhone XS merges exposures and reduces the brightness of the bright areas and reduces the darkness of the shadows. The detail remains, but we can perceive it as less sharp because it lost local contrast. In the photo above, the skin looks smoother simply because the light isn’t as harsh.

Observant people noticed it isn’t just skin that’s affected. Coarse textures and particularly anything in the dark— from cats to wood grain— get a smoother look. This is noise reduction at work. iPhone XS has more aggressive noise reduction than previous iPhones.

It’s unclear if Apple will choose to decrease the amount of noise reduction on the front-facing cameras of the iPhone XS and XS Max as a result of the user complaints.

Related Roundup: iPhone XSBuyer’s Guide: iPhone XS (Buy Now)
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Banksy artwork self-destructs after it auctions for $1.4 million

One of Banksy’s best known works of art ended up going through a shredder on Friday, October 5, just seconds after it auctioned for a whopping $1.4 million.

As the auctioneer’s hammer came down on Banksy’s Girl With Balloon stencil at Sotheby’s in London, the artwork began making a strange noise, catching the attention of those gathered in the room. What happened next took everyone by surprise.

The picture began passing slowly through a shredder built into the frame, ruining it for whoever had just made the winning bid. About halfway through, the machine stopped operating, leaving a portion of the artwork in shreds dangling below the frame. The rest of it remained intact, still inside the frame.

Two officials from Sotheby’s quickly stepped in to remove the picture from the wall as it dawned on those in the room that this was exactly how Banksy had planned for the auction to end. Whether anyone at the auction was in on the prank isn’t clear, though it seems likely that someone close by activated the shredder remotely.

Banksy’s Girl With Balloon before it was shredded.

Banksy, whose identity has never been officially revealed, later posted a video on his YouTube channel in which he appeared to offer an explanation for his latest stunt.

The video (above) begins by showing a message from the artist — “A few years ago I secretly put a shredder into a painting in case it was ever put up for auction” — followed by a clip of the shredder being installed into the frame, and footage of the moment Girl With Balloon begins to pass through the shredder.

“In a moment that caught everyone in the room by surprise, Banksy’s Girl with Balloon self-destructed just as the final hammer signaled the end of an evening of auctions in London,” Sotheby’s wrote in a post on its website. “The work sold for 1,042,000 British pounds ($1.4 million), tying the artist’s record in pounds at auction previously achieved in 2008.”

Sotheby’s added that the unexpected incident “certainly marks the first time in auction history that a work of art automatically shredded itself after coming under the hammer.”

Now the art world is wondering if the person who bid $1.4 million for Girl With Balloon still wants it, though it’s possible that as the shredding stunt was Banksy’s doing, the artwork could now be worth even more than when it was in one piece.

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Can I revoke access from a Nest Tag if I lose it?

Best answer: Yes, you can revoke access from a lost Nest Tag. All you have to do is disable it in the Nest app.

Best Buy: Nest Tag ($25)

It doesn’t matter where the Tag is — you can disable it

If you’re thinking about getting a Nest Secure home security system, then you may be excited at the prospect of being able to share Nest Tags with the people you trust most. It saves you from having to share your passcode and/or having to change it when certain people don’t need to or shouldn’t know it anymore.

That being said, if you hand out a bunch of them, you can’t be so sure that everyone’s as great about keeping track of their things as they are trustworthy. That’s why Nest makes it super simple to remotely disable a Tag, no matter where that Tag ends up. You can revoke access to your security system easily. All you need to do is open the Nest app.

How to disable a Nest Tag in the Nest app

If you have a rogue tag that you just can’t find, then revoke its access like this:

Launch the Nest app on your Android phone.
Tap Guard.
Tap the settings button on the top right of the screen. It looks like a gear.
Tap the Tag you want to disable under the Devices section.
Tap Remove Nest Tag.

Tap Remove to confirm.

That’s it — that particular tag will be removed from your Nest Secure setup and won’t be able to arm or disarm your alarm. If you do happen to find that Tag again, you can always authorize it again the same way you did during setup.

Our pick

Nest Tag

$25 at Best Buy

Easily arm and disarm your alarm without a code.

The passcode method of arming and disarming your Nest Guard is more than fine, but the true convenience of the Nest Tag is perfect for you and all of your trusted family members and friends. Plus, you have total control of all of the associated Tags in the Nest app.

Best cases for protecting your big, expensive headphones

You spent a lot of money picking up the perfect headphones; now it’s now time to protect your investment with a carrying case. Popular models like the ATH-M50x and Sony’s MDR7506 come with a pouch that doesn’t quite hold up to the rigors of everyday use. That’s why you should consider picking up the Slappa HardBody Pro Case. The hard shell case is much more durable, and offers great protection for your audio gear. Here are some other options.

Our pick

Slappa HardBody Pro Case

If you’re using the ATH-M50x, MDR7506, HD518, or any other large headphone, your search for a hard shell case ends here. Slappa’s case offers a rugged exterior that is water-resistant, and the interior is lined with velveteen to prevent any scratches. The durable design combined with the quality of the materials used make this the go-to choice to protect your headphones.

$19 at Amazon

For large headphones

Geekria HippoCase

If the Slappa case doesn’t fit your headphones, then this Geekria option should do the job. The HippoCase has more than enough room to accommodate the largest of headphones, and you also get a pouch for cables, DACs, or other accessories. The sturdy construction of the case and the generous amount of padding on the inside makes it an ideal choice for the likes of the AKG K702, HiFiMan HE400S, and other large headphones.

$33 at Amazon

Versatile option

Headcase Audio Protective Case

Headcase Audio’s offering is a semi-hard-shell case easily fits your headphones, and there’s also an internal case that’s designed to hold cables. The case is quite compact, but you get the option to remove the padding at the front to accommodate larger headphones.

$19 at Amazon

Also great

Caseling Hard Headphone Case

The Caseling hardshell case is large enough to fit an ATH-M50x along with both of the bundled cables, so there’s no shortage of room to offer. At $13, it is also one of the more affordable options for a hard shell case. The outer layer is not entirely rigid, the interior is lined, and the case is water-resistant.

$13 at Amazon

Perfect for Sennheiser

LTGEM Hard Shell Case

The LTGEM case is designed to fit most Sennheiser headphones, and the EVA case is resistant to the elements. The hard shell combined with the lined interior should provide an adequate amount of protection for your audio gear, and the case will easily fit a Sennheiser HD598 along with the cables.

$13 at Amazon

Great for earbuds

UGREEN Headphone Organizer

If you’re looking to carry earbuds, UGREEN’s case is a great affordable choice. It costs just $8, and has a water-resistant hard shell design that should provide ample protection. It also has a mesh pocket for storing cables, and overall it is a great case for transporting earbuds.

$8 at Amazon

Slappa’s HardBody Pro Case is the ideal pick as it offers a rugged design that’s guaranteed to protect your headphones. It is resistant to the elements, the design accommodates most headphone models, and the quality belies its $19 price tag.

Do Ring products work with Alexa?

Best answer: Yes! All of the Ring doorbells and cameras work perfectly with Alexa, and there are few different things you can do with the two ecosystems.

Amazon: Ring Video Doorbell 2 ($199)

Do Ring products work with Alexa?

Yes! Once you install the Ring Video Doorbell Alexa skill, you can use your Echo speaker or other Alexa-enabled device to control your Ring devices.

What can you do with Ring products and Alexa?

You get different capabilities depending on which Alexa device you’re using. If you have an Echo Show or another device with a screen (including a Fire TV), you can say, “Alexa, show the front door” to see what your front entryway looks like. Same goes for any cameras you have around the house.

If you don’t have an Echo Show or other device with a screen, there’s really nothing you can do with your smart speaker and the Ring Video Doorbells. At this time, you can’t use your Echo speaker to hold a two-way conversation using your Ring’s microphone and speaker. You can add that capability with a $40 Fire TV, though. You would use your Echo speaker to say, “Alexa, show the front door”, and have your video come through your television.

The doorbell for you

Ring Video Doorbell 2

$199 at Amazon

A great way to start your smart home.

If you want to keep an eye on your front entryway, this doorbell is perfect for you. You can see the video feed from anywhere in the world with Ring’s smartphone app, or by using Alexa to show you the feed.

A smarter screen

All-new Amazon Echo Show

$229 at Amazon

See your camera feed, and a million other things.

You can use other Amazon devices to see your camera feed, but the Echo Show is useful for so much more. It’s a great companion in the kitchen to let you follow along to your favorite recipes, talk to your friends over Skype, see the weather, and more.

Amazon’s 2nd-gen Echo is back down to just $80 today

Buy today and save!

Right now you can pick up the 2nd-gen Amazon Echo for just $79.99 at Amazon, which is $20 less than it normally sells for. We’ve seen the price move around a bit this year, but . only a few times has it ever dropped down to this low, and only once (on Prime Day) was it ever more affordable than this. The discount applies to all the fabric versions of the speaker, and if you prefer the limited edition oak or walnut finish it will set you back an extra $20, making it $100.

The Echo has Amazon’s Alexa baked right in to help answer your questions, convert measurements, keep you updated on the news, and even control your smart home gear, including all these discounted Philips Hue lights and accessories. It has seven microphones, which allows it to hear you even in loud situations when you’re not right next to it, and the improved speaker quality makes listening to music on it a better experience. Amazon is constantly adding new skills and features to Alexa, thus making the Echo devices even smarter and better to use.

Whether you’re looking to grab your first one ever or add another to your home, today’s price drop makes it a great time to purchase!

See at Amazon

Samsung Galaxy S10 krijgt 5 kleuren en aparte chip voor AI

Er zijn wederom enkele geruchten over de aankomende Galaxy S10 van Samsung binnen. Ditmaal over het toekomstige kleurenschema en er is iets meer bekend over de rekenkern. Zo krijgt de S10 mogelijk een aparte chip voor kunstmatige intelligentie (AI); een zogenaamde NPU. Ook fabrikanten zoals Huawei en Apple passen die momenteel toe.

Daarmee lijkt het er op dat Samsung met de Galaxy S10 zich meer wil richten op kunstmatige intelligentie. Om dit mogelijk te maken krijgt de Exynos 9820 als eerste Samsung-processor een aparte NPU (neural processing unit). Deze chip kan berekeningen die nodig zijn voor kunstmatige intelligentie veel sneller uitrekenen. Alhoewel de S9, S9+ en Note 9 ook al functies hebben die leunen op kunstmatige intelligentie richt Samsung en in tegenstelling tot sommige andere fabrikanten nog niet erg op AI.

Ook de Galaxy S6 kwam in het groen uit

Ook ontvingen we berichten over het toekomstige kleurenpalet waarin de S10 straks verkrijgbaar zal zijn. Naast het traditionele zwart en wit worden dat hoogstwaarschijnlijk grijs, roze en groen. Die laatste klinkt misschien nieuw maar Samsung bracht haar vlaggenschip eerder al eens uit in deze Green Emerald-optie. De grijze en roze uitvoering klinken ook bekend maar die worden wel iets anders dan de huidige kleuren. Grote vraag is waar de blauwe (Coral Blue), paarse (Lilac Purple) en gouden (Sunrise Gold) uitvoering blijven. Mogelijk volgen die later, iets wat Samsung wel vaker doet. De lancering van de Samsung Galaxy S10 ligt op moment van schrijven nog redelijk ver weg en wordt niet voor 2019 verwacht. Traditiegetrouw lanceert Samsung haar Galaxy S-vlaggenschip ergens in het eerste kwartaal aan.

Ontvang een e-mail wanneer de Galaxy S10 verkrijgbaar is

E-mail

Yoink 2.0 for iOS Brings iCloud Sync, Handoff Support, Siri Shortcuts, and More

Eternal Storms Software today released Yoink 2.0 for iOS and Yoink 3.5 for Mac, two major upgrades to the popular drag and drop-improving “shelf” app.

For those unfamiliar, Yoink acts like a convenient shelf for users to drag in files and other content, do something else (switch apps, tabs, and so on) and then easily access those items again by dragging them out of Yoink.

Version 2.0 of Yoink for iOS brings iCloud sync support, so items stored in Yoink are available across iOS devices logged into the same Apple account. Each device has its own “shelf” in iCloud, so all items are grouped for easy discoverability.

The different shelves are accessible through both the Yoink app and also in its extensions, users can access all items via the Today Widget, the keyboard, the file provider, and Spotlight search.

Yoink 2.0 for iOS also brings support for Handoff across iPhones, iPads and Macs, so items selected on one device can be handed off to another and those files are transferred right away.

Elsewhere, Yoink now also includes support for Siri Shortcuts. Using Siri, users can store clipboard contents or download the link to the clipboard in Yoink, without having to switch to or activate Yoink itself.

Items can also be copied from Yoink using Siri (the most recently added image, PDF, text or link, for example), while Yoink can be opened using the virtual assistant to show a specified, synced device’s items.

In addition, Yoink for iOS has expanded support for keyboard commands, an optional Dark Mode interface, and optional smaller icons for showing more items stored in the Yoink “shelf” at once.

Meanwhile over on Yoink for Mac, the new version 3.5 update adds Handoff support between Macs and iOS devices, a clipboard history Today Widget that keeps track of your clipboard’s contents, and full compatibility with macOS Mojave (including Dark Mode) as well as a Finder Quick Action.

Yoink for iPad and iPhone is available on the App Store for the introductory price of $3.99. After the introductory week has passed, the price will change to $5.99.

Yoink for Mac is available on the Mac App Store for the introductory price of $4.99. After the introductory week has passed, the price will change to $7.99. A free, 15-day trial is also available on the website – the app requires at least OS X Lion 10.7.3, although macOS High Sierra 10.13 or later is recommended.

Tag: Yoink
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U.K. Court Blocks Mass Legal Action Over Google’s Alleged Tracking of Safari Users

London’s High Court on Monday blocked attempts to bring a collective lawsuit against Google over alleged historical snooping of millions of iPhone users in the United Kingdom (via Reuters).

The lawsuit’s claimants alleged that Google illegally gathered the personal data of over 4 million iPhone users in the U.K. between 2011 and 2012 by bypassing the default privacy settings on Apple’s smartphones which allowed it to track the online behavior of users browsing in Safari.

Original explanation of the “Safari Workaround” in 2012 WSJ article
Veteran consumer rights campaigner Richard Lloyd, who led the collective 20,000-strong lawsuit, had claimed that Google’s “Safari Workaround” breached the U.K. Data Protection Act by taking personal information without permission, and wanted the tech giant to pay out several hundred dollars in damages to each person affected. As a ballpark figure, a claim by 5.4 million people for £500 each would result in a £2.7 billion ($3.63 billion) payout for Google.

When the case was first brought in November 2017, it was the first time a collective action has been brought in the U.K. against a leading tech company over alleged misuse of data. “Collective action” is where one person represents a group with a shared grievance, similar to a class action lawsuit in the U.S.

However, Google said it was “not new” and vowed to defend itself, having defended similar cases before. “We don’t believe it has any merit and we will contest it,” said the tech giant at the time. On Monday, the court ruled in Google’s favor.

“Today’s judgment is extremely disappointing and effectively leaves millions of people without any practical way to seek redress and compensation when their personal data has been misused,” Lloyd said in a statement.

“Google’s business model is based on using personal data to target adverts to consumers and they must ask permission before using this data. The court accepted that people did not give permission in this case yet slammed the door shut on holding Google to account.”

A similar case occurred in the U.S. in 2012, when Google and several other advertising agencies were discovered to be circumventing privacy protections in Safari for iOS in order to track users through ads on numerous popular websites.

At the time, Safari blocked several types of tracking, but made an exception for websites where a person interacted in some way — by filling out a form, for example. Google added coding to some of its ads that made Safari think that a person was submitting an invisible form to Google, and thus Safari let Google install a cookie on the user’s phone.

Google halted the practice once it was reported by the Wall Street Journal, but argued that the tracking was unintentional and did not harm consumers. However, that didn’t wash with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and the company was forced to pay a record $22.5 million fine over its use of the tactic.

Tags: lawsuit, United Kingdom
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