Motiv Smart Ring First Impressions – fitness tracking on your finger

Motiv announced this morning that it would be bringing its fascinating new smart ring to Android, along with Google Fit compatibility. We were luck enough to get our hands on some beta hardware and software to try out in advance, and the early results are very promising. But does the potential of the little ring outweigh its $200 price tag? let’s take a look.

What follows is some early impressions of our short time with the Motiv smart ring, and we’ll update this post in a couple weeks with a full review.

Right off the bat, the first impression of Motiv’s smart ring is a good one. The packaging is clean and understated – just a matte black flipbox with a glossy black Motiv embossed on the cover. Flipping open the lid reveals the Motiv in all its glory – a rather plain-looking titanium ring that houses much more. Under the first layer of the packaging you’ll find two(!) chargers and a single page of instructions – which is all you’ll need to get started.

Hardware

The ring itself looks no different than any other, save for the small glossy LED band and the slightly flattened optical heart-rate sensor on the underside of the inner ring. It’s light and comfortable, and only a smidge thicker than more mundane rings.

And equally importantly, it’s a breeze to set up and use: just plug in the magnetic charger, attach the Motiv to it, download the Motiv app, and pair the two via said app. After that, it just works.

The built-in, custom-built curved battery generally lasts about three days of use, and a 90 minute charge replenishes that fully – a pretty decent charge-to-use ratio. The included chargers – one to keep at home, the other on a nifty magnetic keychain – are really simple and effective. The inclusion of two chargers when Motiv only really needed to include one is very customer-first thinking. I love it.

While the Motiv smart ring does not feature an Ingress Protection Rating, Motiv insists you can take your smart ring anywhere, including swimming and the shower, and my experience backs that up as well. It’s totally waterproof.

Functionality

At the moment, Motiv is just in beta on Android, and as such it lacks some features of its iOS counterpart. Google Fit compatibility was just announced this morning, which is more or less a must-have for an Android-compatible fitness tracker. Thus far, the features that are fully baked – step counter, sleep tracker, and heart-rate monitor – work flawlessly, with no lapses in connection. I’ll flesh this section out a bit more in a couple weeks with my full review, hopefully with another update to the Motiv Android app.

Value

At $200, the Motiv smart Ring is no small investment. It doesn’t have some of the same robistitude that other fitness trackers do, but it’s the only fitness tracker around that fits in with any outfit effortlessly. If you’re in the market for a new fitness tracker, you can do a lot worse than the Motiv Smart Ring. More to come, Android Guys. Stay tuned.

Finally, you can get Google Assistant to make a Duo video call for you

Making a video call from your phone is getting a little easier thanks to some help from your favorite assistant — that is to say, Google Assistant. At long last, Google’s A.I.-powered helper will allow you to start a video call on Duo, its video calling service. Once you’ve activated Google Assistant, you should now be able to say, “video call [insert contact name here]” and Assistant will oblige, after first confirming that you do in fact want to make a video call on Duo. From there, you should be able to see and chat with your counterpart — simple as pie.

If you or your contact don’t have Google Duo installed, you may see Hangouts being used in place of the service. Google’s Duo support page about now includes mention of Assistant. It reads simply, “If you use the Google Assistant: You can start a Duo video call by saying or typing, ‘Video call [name].’”

You should be able to make calls to anyone and everyone in your contacts, and all calls will be made either through mobile data or a Wi-Fi connection. It seems as though the ability to invoke a call using Assistant is still in the rolling out process, as not everyone who has tried the feature has gotten it to work. While Duo opens up for most folks after their command, not everyone is able to actually then make a call. It’s likely that this little bug will be resolved in the coming days as the new capability gains more traction.

As Google did not make a formal announcement about this functionality, it’s not entirely clear how long it’s actually been working.

Duo has been making quite a few updates recently. Back in March, Google updated the video calling app to give users the option of leaving a video message. These messages can be up to 30 seconds long, and can be sent directly to another user, who will be able to see the message within the Duo app. There’s also a “Call Now” button that you can use to return the missed call after watching the message.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Buckle up, Houston, you’ll soon be getting 5G service from Verizon

Everything is bigger in Texas, and now, everything might be faster, too. That’s right, 5G is coming to Houston, and it’s all thanks to Verizon. On Tuesday, July 24, the mobile service provider announced that it will be bringing 5G technology to the Texas metropolis in the second half of 2018. Houston serves as the third city Verizon has determined to be part of its four market 5G plan, which will offer residential 5G broadband service. Already, Verizon has announced that the service will be available in Sacramento and Los Angeles.

“We expect 5G will be a game-changer helping us usher in a new wave of progress and innovation,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement. “We’re delighted to be one of the first cities to bring 5G to our local communities and look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with Verizon.”

The new 5G network will provide high-speed connections to those who might be able to benefit the most from them. Verizon and Houston’s plan will be to serve five traditionally under-resourced neighborhoods. This initiative comes as part of the mayor’s Complete Communities program, which seeks to provide city services equally.

“We will be the first to offer commercial 5G service and our work with Houston put us one step closer to delivering that promise,” incoming Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg said. “With 5G we are ushering in a fourth industrial revolution that will help reshape cities and lead to unprecedented innovation, and Houston will be at the forefront of that innovation.”

Verizon’s announcement comes as part of its second-quarter earnings, which proved to be quite positive for the largest mobile carrier in the U.S. Verizon added 531,000 new subscribers over the course of the last three months, including 199,000 mobile phone users. As Verizon continues to build network infrastructure for next-generation technology like 5G, it seems likely that these numbers will continue to burgeon. The company plans to roll out 5G nationally in just a couple years.

In order to make a splash with its 5G internet rollout, it seems that Verizon is considering teaming up with Google to offer a streaming TV service. This would allow the company to depend upon YouTube TV in order to offer live shows. It’s unclear how much the 5G service would cost, though given that YouTube TV currently sets folks back about $40 a month, that seems like a reasonable ballpark to target. Apple is another option, though given that Apple TV (the service, not the hardware) isn’t slated to launch for a while longer, it may not be the top choice.

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Core i9 CPU slowdown in the new MacBook Pro tied to power regulation

A recent benchmark showed Intel’s Core i9-8950HK processor installed in Apple’s latest 15-inch MacBook Pro severely throttled in performance presumably due to cooling issues. After all, the MacBook Pro is extremely thin and the six-core chip needs sufficient cooling to reach its peak performance. But one Redditor claims that the throttling has nothing to do with processor heat, but rather the module that deals with regulating voltage provided to Intel’s CPU.

Called the voltage regulator module, this component is mounted on a PC’s motherboard and ensures that the processor is getting the correct amount of voltage. This component is required to support multiple processors with different levels of power requirements. Thus, if you swap out a processor using a new chip with a different power requirement, the voltage regulator module adjusts the voltage accordingly.

That said, the Core i9’s performance supposedly has nothing to do with heat, but power throttling by this module. At its current setting, the voltage regulator module “maxes out” due to overheating, which signals the motherboard to lower the processor’s speed of a minimum of 800MHz. Remember, this chip has a base speed of 2.9GHz.

Once the voltage regulator model cools down, the processor begins to consume more energy to reach its proper speeds. But as it launches up into its turbo speeds – a maximum of 4.8GHz — the cycle repeats again.

There is a way to fix the problem, but you do so at your own risk. The process involves putting the MacBook Pro into a custom System Integrity Protection state, so you can use unsigned kernel extensions. You’ll also need to download and install a tool called Voltage Shift that is available on GitHub.

By following the instructions, you can increase the Core i9’s performance by at least 20 percent. But the chip could do better, the Redditor suggests, if the MacBook Pro had adequate cooling and a better voltage regulator module. Apple could help increase the performance in a recall by swapping out the processor’s thermal paste, or by swapping out the heatsink with something that also cooled the voltage regulator module.

While new MacBook Pro owners are complaining about the Core i9 throttling, there is speculation that the performance decrease is a bit overblown. In recent benchmarks using Adobe Premiere Pro and Cinebench, the chip was shown to perform lower than a 2017 MacBook Pro equipped with an older Core i7 processor. Speculation suggests that the chip wasn’t the problem, but that the software simply isn’t optimized for six-core chips.

“Our Cinebench application has not been upgraded to measure the performance in a meaningful way,” Cinebench states. “The development team is aware and will be addressing this in the future.”

Whether the benchmarks are optimized or not, something is definitely going on in Apple’s new MacBook Pro, pushing numerous owners and testers to find a resolution. The voltage regulator module fix appears to be the current resolution, but only if you’re willing to risk damaging your expensive new MacBook Pro.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Benchmark test shows Core i9 severely throttled in 15-inch MacBook Pro
• The launch of the new MacBook Pro has been a complete disaster
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• The MacBook Pro may finally get updated with faster processors
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Google Docs A.I. grammar checker will fix your poor writing habits

Google Docs will soon be able to identify grammatical errors and offer suggestions to help polish your writing. The feature, called grammar suggestions, will be available first for G Suite business accounts before a wider availability for all Google Docs users later this year, and Google said that its grammar tool is powered entirely by artificial intelligence.

The feature will help Google Docs compete against Microsoft Word’s Editor pane and is similar to Grammarly’s browser extension. Like its competitors, Google’s new grammar tool recognizes grammatical errors as you type and offers helpful suggestions, similar to how the spellchecker works in Google Docs. However, what sets grammar suggestions apart is that it uses a translation-based algorithm, essentially offering a proper English translation if it spots any improper use of the language.

Image credit: Google

“We’ve adopted a highly effective approach to grammar correction that is machine translation-based,” Google VP for G Suite product management David Thacker told TechCrunch. “For example, in language translation, you take a language like French and translate it into English. Our approach to grammar is similar. We take improper English and use our technology to correct or translated it into proper English. What’s nice about this is that the language translations is a technology that we have a long history of doing well.”

There are two ways for users to check grammar right now. The first way is through automatic suggestions as you type, and the second method is to run a spelling and grammar check through the tools menu. “When Docs detects a possible grammar correction, it will underline it in blue to indicate you might want to check it,” Google said of the feature in a blog post. “You can right-click to see a suggested correction or dismiss the alert. Possible grammar errors will also show up when you run a spelling and grammar check through the tools menu.”

Because the feature is powered by machine learning, Google claims that grammar suggestions will improve the more you use it. The feature will initially launch to its business customers in the Early Adopter Program.

Google is also pushing its A.I. capabilities to other products. Smart Replies, a feature that debuted for Gmail, will also be available to users on Hangouts Chats, Google’s alternative for Slack. Like for email, Smart Replies on Hangouts Chats will give you automatic suggested responses to messages that Google thinks will likely require a reply. The feature will be available in the coming weeks, according to Mashable. Google’s Smart Compose feature, which predicts the next words or phrases as you type an email, will also be coming to G Suite users.

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Best microSD Cards for BlackBerry KEY2

Never run out of storage space on your KEY2!

Just like its predecessor, the BlackBerry KEY2 supports expandable storage via microSD, so if you don’t think 64GB of storage will be enough, you can add up to 256GB of extra storage.

These are the best microSD cards you can buy for your KEY2, but also consider checking out Android Central’s breakdown of the best microSD cards for Android phones in general.

• Sony 32GB Class 10 microSD
• Lexar Professional 1000x microSDXC
• Samsung EVO+ microSDXC
• Sandisk Extreme Pro 64GB U3 microSDXC

Sony 32GB Class 10 microSD

We’ll start with a great value option from Sony — you can get a 32GB microSD for just $18.

This is an affordable option from a trusted brand that should serve most users just fine. The write speeds and storage space isn’t as fast or big as other options on this list — but neither is the price. It’s a great budget option for boosting the storage of your KEY2.

Get this 32GB microSD card for just $18 on Amazon.

See at Amazon.end

Lexar Professional 1000x microSDXC

From a budget pick to arguably one of the best out there, the Lexar Professional series regularly receives top marks for being one of the fastest cards you’ll find. It uses UHS-II speeds for reads and writes, which means you’ll see no slowdown using the card with your KEY2.

There are four sizes available — the 64GB is your best value at $74. You can also go BIG with a 256GB card, but you’ll also pay $260 — basically a dollar per GB but a fine investment if you plan to record a bunch of 4K video.

See at Amazon.end

Samsung EVO+ microSDXC

Samsung’s EVO+ microSD cards are top-quality, as you’d expect from such a trusted brand. These things are rugged enough to withstand pretty much any conditions you throw at them, so even if your phone gets zapped by X-rays, torn apart by magnets, or takes a dip in the pool, your data will remain secure.

You can add 128GB to your KEYone for only $39, which is an absolute steal and a must-buy if you want more storage but don’t want to spend

See at Amazon.end

Sandisk Extreme Pro 64GB U3 microSDXC

Sandisk is another popular microSD brand that offers affordable and reliable products. If you’re looking for extra space and don’t care too much about extreme read/write speeds, you can be confident that these cards will work with just fine with your KEY2.

You’ll find a 32GB card for just $29.30 or a 64GB card available for just $45.

See at Amazon.end

What’s your favorite micoSD brand?

These are our picks for the KEY2, but we want to know which microSD card you trust! Let us know in the comments below.

BlackBerry KEY2

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The ultimate streaming hardware comparison guide

Fire TV. Roku. Apple TV. Android TV. Each has its merits. Each has its problems. We put the best of the best boxes against each other.

There is a lot of hardware out there when it comes to streaming live video. So much so, that it’s understandable if you’re a prospective cord-cutter and you’re feeling a little overwhelmed. That’s where we come in.

You really can boil the hardware situation down to four major platforms. There’s Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, and Android TV. For the purposes of these comparisons, we’re leaving out Chromecast, which is excellent, and the various smart TVs like what you’ll get from LG and Samsung. Or then you have the TVs that run full operating systems, like Toshiba’s sets running Amazon Fire TV, or TCL’s Roku TVs, or Sony’s set that have Android TV on board. (Told you there’s a lot going on.)

No, here we’re going to look at the major external platforms. We’re focusing on the high-end set-top boxes and dongles. And while the low-end devices can be had for as little as $30, and the high-end boxes go for as much as $200, generally speaking what you see is what you’ll get — it’s the performance that improves as you spend more money.

So let’s take a look and how the major players fare against one another. We’ll keep this post updated as new hardware is released.

Apple TV 4K vs. the competitionAmazon Fire TV Cube vs. the competitionRoku Ultra vs. the competitionAndroid TV and NVIDIA Shield vs. the competition

Apple TV 4K ($179 at Amazon.)

Apple TV vs. the rest

Apple TV is an excellent option for cord-cutters — particularly those of the iOS persuasion. And the best Apple TV box you can buy today indeed is the Apple TV 4K. It’s fast. It’s powerful. It, uh, it does 4K resolution. And on top of that it supports both major HDR protocols — the open-source HDR 10, and the proprietary Dolby Vision. And it’ll soon do Dolby Atmos audio.

In fact, Apple TV 4K is our pick for the best streaming box you can buy.

The only question, then, is just how much better it is than everything else.

• Apple TV 4K vs. Amazon Fire TV
• Apple TV 4K vs. Roku Ultra
• Apple TV 4K vs. Android TV and NVIDIA Shield

Apple TV 4K

$179/$199 at Amazon

Apple TV is currently our pick for the best streaming box you can buy — regardless of whether you’re an iPhone person or an Android person. It’s got the best mix of performance and storage options (you can get it with either 32 or 64 gigabytes of space for apps and movies and music and stuff), and it has nearly every service you could think of at its disposal. (Google Play Movies & TV is the notable exception, though it’s not like you can’t get that content elsewhere.)

The one low mark is for the Siri remote — it’s just not fun to use, and it’s small and easy to lose.

Regardless, if you want something that just works, and works really well, this is what you want to look at.

Amazon Fire TV Cube ($119 at Amazon.)

Amazon Fire TV Cube vs. the rest

Amazon Fire TV is everywhere, be it 2017’s excellent Fire TV 4K dongle, or the newer Fire TV Cube, which is what we’re focusing on. (But let’s not forget the low-end Fire TV Stick, which is still a fine budget entry, if you don’t mind need 4K resolution or speed.)

Fire TV is really good, but it does have its hangups. Here’s how it fares against the likes of Apple TV, Roku and Android TV.

• Amazon Fire TV Cube vs. Apple TV 4K
• Amazon Fire TV Cube vs. Roku Ultra
• Amazon Fire TV Cube vs. Android TV and NVIDIA Shield

Amazon Fire TV Cube

$119 at Amazon

Amazon Fire TV Cube is a mashup of an Amazon Fire TV 4K and an Amazon Echo. It’s a full smart TV system, with the ability to do all sorts of things hands-free thanks to Amazon Alexa being built into the box itself.

That’s not to say you’ll never need the remote control — or have to grab another remote to control things like volume and power. But it’s a really cool iteration of both the Fire TV and Echo lines.

Roku Ultra ($89 at Amazon.)

Roku Ultra vs. the rest

Roku may not be sexy, but it’s super popular. It’s built in to one out of every four smart TVs, and there’s no denying the usefulness of its external offerings. The low-end Roku Streaming Stick is a mere $50. And the high-end Roku Ultra, which we’re concentrating on, is less than twice that much.

No, Roku Ultra is the sort of box you’ll get someone who doesn’t have loyalties to one of the major smart operating systems, and they just want things to work simply — and work well.

Here’s how Roku Ultra fares against the other major players:

• Roku Ultra vs. Apple TV 4K
• Roku Ultra vs. Amazon Fire TV Cube
• Roku Ultra vs. Android TV and NVIDIA Shield

Roku Ultra

$89 at Amazon

Roku Ultra was released in October 2017 as the top-of-the-line box from the streaming company. It handles 4K resolution and HDR10, with private listening available through the remote control.

It’s the pinnacle of Roku products and provides a simple user interface meant for making streaming video easy, without a lot of cruft getting in the way.

NVIDIA Shield TV ($199 at Amazon.)

NVIDIA Shield vs. the rest

Finally, there’s Android TV — Google’s answer to the living room operating system. You can find Android TV built in to a few televisions. But for everything else, there’s NVIDIA Shield TV, which is the only set-top box we recommend that runs Android TV.

While Shield TV may be getting up there in age — it’s going on three years old — it’s still super powerful, and a great option for anyone, even those who don’t use Android.

Here’s how it stands up:

• Android TV vs. Apple TV 4K
• Android TV vs. Amazon Fire TV Cube
• Android TV vs. Roku Ultra

NVIDIA Shield TV

$179 at Amazon

If you’re and Android lover, this is the box to get. And even if you’re not, there’s still a lot to like in NVIDIA Shield. Yeah, it’s an aging product, having been introduced in 2015, but it’s still extremely powerful thanks to the NVIDIA Tegra X1 system on a chip.

NVIDIA Shield also receives consistent software updates, and it doubles as a Chromecast target, making it super easy to watch anything you’ve got on your phone or tablet — and that includes iPhones and web browsers, too. Plus, it’s one hell of a gaming platform, too, and can serve as a local media server.

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Spigen Thin Fit case for Pixel 2 XL review: Basic protection with some flaws

If you want a basic but thin case for your Pixel 2 XL, check out this case from Spigen.

Spigen is known for making plenty of phone accessories, from Style Rings to screen protectors and even headphones. But Spigen is most famous for offering a variety of cases for nearly every phone out there, from ultra rugged cases down to the simpler Thin Fit series. There are lots of great cases for the Pixel 2 XL, but Spigen’s Thin Fit may be the right choice for you.

Spigen Thin Fit for Google Pixel 2 XL

Price: $11.99

Bottom line: While this is a great basic case, there are some issues that keep me from universally recommending it.

The Good

• Easy to get the phone in and out
• Doesn’t add any real bulk
• Precise cutouts for the camera and fingerprint sensors
• Features a slot for Spigen’s magnetic car mounts

The Bad

• Doesn’t offer much grip or protection
• The front edges are sharp enough to dig into your thighs or hands
• Only one color option

See at Amazon

I — Tom Westrick — have been using the Thin Fit case with my Pixel 2 XL since July 3rd. Spigen provided the case for this review.

Feels like I’m wearing nothing at all. Nothing at all. Nothing at all…

Spigen Thin Fit for Pixel 2 XL What I like

I dislike using cases 24/7 because most cases make my phone too bulky. Not so with the Thin Fit: it adds just a hair of thickness meaning my pockets don’t feel any more weighed down than normal. The case is a simple piece of black plastic: it snaps onto the phone with ease. If I do need to remove the phone for any reason, that’s just as easy.

Since this is such a thin case, there’s really nothing blocking the top microphone or the USB-C port. If you have trouble getting some of your charging cables to fit with other cases on, this may be the best choice for you. The case isn’t nearly thick enough to interfere with photos and videos taken on the rear camera, and my fingerprint reads just as well as it does when the phone is naked.

While I don’t own one of Spigen’s magnetic car mounts, this case features a spot for the magnet to stick to. And while I prefer buttons that are replicated on the case itself, the cutouts for the power and volume buttons are generous enough that it doesn’t bother me.

A bit too pointy

Spigen Thin Fit for Pixel 2 XL What I Don’t Like

My main complaint with this case comes down to the finish of the front of the case: there’s an ever-so-slight lip to protect the glass if you place the phone face-down, and — at least on the case I received — this lip is sharp enough for me to notice it digging into my thighs or my hands. It isn’t something I’ve even thought about with other cases, which should tell you how pronounced it is on this sample.

The finish on the case is also a bit too smooth for my liking; I felt like I had less grip on the phone in this case than I did when the phone was uncovered. Finally, while I myself would buy a black case anyway, it’d be great for Spigen to offer more colors for those that want more variety.

Not perfect, but…

Spigen Thin Fit for Pixel 2 XL: Should you buy this?

Maybe. I wouldn’t buy it myself, because it doesn’t offer enough protection or grip to make it worth using to me. But if you want something that will just protect the back glass of your phone and you don’t want to deal with a skin, this isn’t a bad option. Just don’t hesitate to return the case if it’s uncomfortable to hold or put in your pocket.

3
out of 5

If you get a sample with a smoother front edge than I did, this case is easier to recommend.

See at Amazon

What’s your favorite form factor for cases?

Do you like thin, simple cases, folios, or something else entirely?

It’s 2018, and that means just about every high-end phone — and even some budget devices like the Moto G6 — has a glass backing these days. They’re beautiful, sure, and they allow for wireless charging, but glass is still a fragile material, and the last thing anybody wants is a shattered panel on their expensive gadgets.

The obvious solution is to put a case on your phone, but there are so many different types of cases to choose from. We’ve all seen the standard covers that wrap around the back and sides of your phone, but there are also folio cases that cover the front of your phone with a flap, cases with card slots on the back, full-protection cases like the Otterbox … the list goes on. So which form factor works best for you?

There are pros and cons to every different type of case, but I’ve always stuck with the tried and true cover-style case — at least when I’m not carrying my phone case-less, which I admittedly do more often than I should. I don’t like adding a ton of bulk to my phone, so I love thin cases that protect the back of my phone from scratches and add just enough padding to take the brunt of most light drops. I’ve been using the Mujjo leather wallet case on my Galaxy S9 for a little while now, and before that, I used Samsung’s Alcantara case for months with few complaints.

See at Amazon

For those that need more protection, though, full-coverage cases from brands like Otterbox and Lifeproof are a better fit. There’s a lot more bulk to these kinds of cases, but in exchange, you get far more protection from drops, scratches, and sometimes even water damage. A lot of these cases even provide a built-in screen protector as an added bonus.

Folio cases have also been extremely popular over the last few years. The added flap covers the screen when not in use for protection from scratches, and they often include card slots on the inside for extra convenience. Folios like the Galaxy S9’s LED cover also interact with your phone to display notifications through the case without having to turn on your phone’s entire display. The downside to folio cases? When you’re using the phone, the flap can tend to get in the way — even more so when you’re trying to take a photo or video.

See at Amazon

What’s your favorite case form factor? And going a step further, what’s your favorite case you’ve ever owned? Let us know in the comments below!

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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New ‘Miles’ App Awards Your Daily Commute With Exclusive Deals, If You Grant it Constant Location Access

Startup “Miles” today launched a new iOS app [Direct Link] that grants its users exclusive rewards to use at places like Starbucks and Whole Foods every time they travel in a car, bus, on a bike, or on foot. The company aims for its app to be a ground transportation alternative to frequent flier miles, allowing users to earn discounts over time for travel that they likely perform more frequently than flying on an airplane (via The Verge).

The caveat is that for the full experience, the Miles app requires you to give it constant access to your location, so it can keep up with automatically tracking your movement and converting its “miles” currency into deals and offers. You can opt to choose “only while using the app,” but you’ll then need to remember to keep Miles open every time you travel in order to gain rewards.

Under Miles’ rewards, you’ll earn more miles for transportation that is more environmentally friendly: one real-world mile of walking/running grants you 10 reward miles, one mile of biking is worth five reward miles, a mile in a ride share vehicle is worth two, and a mile in a car is equivalent to one reward mile.

At launch, you’ll be able to trade these reward miles in for deals like $5 gift cards to Starbucks, Amazon, and Target, $42 off a first order from Hello Fresh, a complimentary rental on Audi’s Silvercar service, and more. Other launch partners include Whole Foods, Canon, Bath & Body Works, and Cole Haan. When you trade in miles for rewards, some deals grant you with a barcode to scan at the physical checkout location (Starbucks), while others provide you with discount codes.

In terms of its tech, Miles works in the iPhone’s background to automatically log each trip a user takes from point A to point B. The company says that the app “consumes almost no power” when stationary, and will only “minimally increase battery consumption” when in transit. The app detects drives in a vehicle with special formulas that don’t rely solely on GPS for location data, helping to reduce battery consumption.

The app remembers your trips and logs them so you can revisit them later (including time of day, starting location, ending location, and distance) and fix any mistakes it might have made, like incorrectly logging a vehicle trip for a ride share. Additionally, there’s a section of the app that The Verge describes as a “Venmo-style feed,” showing how other users are earning and redeeming their miles.

In an attempt to get ahead of users worrying about their location data being constantly tracked and stored by a third party, Miles CEO Jigar Shah says that neither the company nor its partners get access to specific location information. Instead, user data that is gathered is more ambiguous, but the app still knows when users travel, how they travel, and what deals they clip — which is then fed into a “predictive marketing AI platform” to match them with other appropriate deals.

Once more people in an area begin clipping the same coupons, Miles uses this vague user data to predict demand for the most popular rewards. Shah says this prediction of “near-future demand” plays into the creation of future rewards as well, and is the backbone of the entire app:

To better explain how this works, Shah says, imagine there are 50,000 Miles users. 10,000 of those might be within 0.3 miles of a Starbucks. Out of those users, Miles can figure out which ones are most likely to buy a coffee within the next hour based on the history of where and when those people have stopped at coffee shops in the past. From there, Miles can also tell which users are likely to go to Starbucks, which will go somewhere else, and which customers aren’t too picky.

Miles then lets Starbucks tailor different offers to those specific groups. Maybe a Dunkin Donuts loyalist sees a $5 Starbucks gift card show up in the app that’s redeemable for 1,500 miles, instead of the typical 3,000, and decides to break rank. The goal is to get deals in front of customers when they’re “most receptive,” Shah says. “We allow [businesses] to understand their own customers’ near future. What do they need in the next four hours, next four days, and next four weeks? We’re literally making predictions about what their customers need and when they need it.”

The CEO promises that this “anonymously” aggregated information is secure and “nothing of users’ data leaves the system.” Still, as The Verge points out, the app will essentially be a middleman between businesses and customers, holding the latter’s personal data in its hands, which is believed to have been what brought big brands to support Miles at launch in the first place.

Despite promises of personal data privacy and security, Miles is launching in a time when online privacy is at the forefront of many users’ awareness when signing up for a new service, or deciding to leave an old one. In the spring, the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal broke, wherein more than 87 million Facebook users had their personal data gathered and used to reportedly influence their votes during the 2016 presidential election.

Another app that heavily relies on user location data also faced a scandal in the spring, with MoviePass coming under fire for CEO Mitch Lowe pointing out that it watches “how you drive from home to the movies” and how the company watches “where you go afterwards.” Lowe eventually admitted he was “completely inaccurate” and that the app “has never tracked” users in the background, with the developers removing an “unused app location capability” shortly after the story was shared online.

Just last week, privacy researchers began pointing out that Venmo’s publicly viewable feed of money exchanges (which has been around since the app launched), does not sit well in today’s privacy-concerned climate. Now, more people have begun questioning why Venmo chose to have the feed’s settings default to public sharing, likely resulting in many users who may not know their payment information is available for others to see.

Tags: privacy, Miles app
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