Google Assistant just got proactive – and a lot more useful

A bit of the old and a lot of something new are going to make Google Assistant seem more like an assistant.

One of Android’s killer features for a lot of us was Google Now. Google Now could tell you when your Mastercard payment was coming up, let you know that you might need to take an umbrella for your trip to Cleveland, and remind you about things like that dentist appointment you made 6 months ago and forgot about. Once given access to your Google account — and mind you, it needed a lot of access to everything you have stored in Google — it seemed like a real assistant.

Fast forward a few years, and the debut of Google Assistant proper left many a bit disappointed. Assistant is smart enough to turn on your lights or set your thermostat for you, and that’s really cool, but as an assistant, it just wasn’t as useful as Google Now. It seemed like a small regression to the dark days before Google was all up in your business, but being helpful about it. Today’s news about Assistant getting more proactive looks like it might change that up and make Assistant a bit more … assistive.

Assistant will do things a bit differently than we’re used to seeing. Before the age of smartphones, folks used planners or Dayrunners to lay out the days itinerary and activities. Pick up the dry cleaning at 9, then lunch with Susan at P.F. Changs. Meet with a business contact at 2, then take your little brother to baseball practice at 5. Whether your life is incredibly mundane or if you’re some sort of RockGod, a planner you carried around kept track of everything.

Google Now tried to recreate that but use a different format where cards would pop into view when and where they were relevant. That was really cool and really smart. Now you would have directions to the cleaners available at your fingertips or the menu for P.F. Changs on your screen (the Mongolian Beef is to die for). That was helpful information that we didn’t have to go looking for, and the fact that we didn’t need to search it out is what made Google Now great. Not the interface, nor the way it knew everything. How it presented that bit of extra information was the icing on the cake.

It looks like Assistant is going to give us that bit of extra information, but do it in a way that is a bit retro with a scrolling day planner style view. This allows for some nice changes from how things used to be by keeping everything there to see at a glance on the same screen or card, while still dropping those bits that make it special like a button to make a call or a live traffic map. It’s not anything new in itself — Google Assistant will already give you all of this through regular notifications if you provide it with the information — but it’s far more useful than a mess of notifications that we will probably end up dismissing by accident or a set of cards that we’ll inadvertently swipe away.

No more poking around because we mistakenly swiped the card with our boarding pass away.

I’m looking forward to seeing what I need to know in a modern take on the Today theme from an old Palm Pilot or BlackBerry, but the addition of some extra bits of information like a discovery section that can help me find something to do where I’m at when I’m there, or integration with apps like Google Keep or Todoist are the fascinating features. Allowing Assistant to suggest app actions and dig into an app’s data (with our permission, of course) mean that your daily overview will look very different from my daily overview, but we’ll both have what we need at our fingertips.

It’s the little things that separate a good piece of software from a great piece of software. Checking the traffic or reminding you to pick up a package are little things that we can use plenty of other apps to do, but now that they are bundled into Google Assistant, a good app might become a great one again.

Alto’s Odyssey for Android: Everything you need to know

Alto’s Odyssey is coming to Android next month — are you pre-registered?

Alto’s Odyssey has been out on iOS since February, and it’s AMAZING. Developed by the same group of folks responsible for the masterpiece that is Alto’s Adventure, Team Alto has taken everything we loved from the first game — the gorgeous graphics, beautiful atmosphere and butter smooth gameplay — and stepped it all up a notch while giving us a brand new story and a beautiful and diverse new environment for us to endlessly explore.

If I sound excited, it’s because Alto’s Adventure is hands-down one of the best free-to-play games ever released for Android. Period. Seriously, if you’ve never played Alto’s Adventure go download it right now. and then come back.

July 17, 2018 — Alto’s Odyssey Android release date confirmed for July 26!

Alto’s fans rejoice! We’re just over a week away from getting our hands on Alto’s Odyssey on Android with an official release date set for July 26.

The wait is almost over: Alto’s Odyssey is launching on @GooglePlay on July 26th 🎉 https://t.co/98uEkwJA3Y

— Alto’s Odyssey (@altosadventure) July 17, 2018

Follow the link below to be notified when Alto’s Odyssey is ready for download.

Pre-register at Google Play

What new in Alto’s Odyssey?

Alto and his pals have traded the snow-capped mountains of the original Adventure for the rolling sand dunes of a mystical desert complete with hot air balloons and other surprises to contend with.

Awesome features such as Zen Mode are included right out of the gate, and there are new tricks available and new ways to interact with the procedurally-generated areas. I mean, the developers drew specific inspiration from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (which explains the emphasis on intuitive controls) and that era in the THPS franchise is celebrated for adding subtle improvements to the gameplay that opened up a new way to link tricks and explore levels.

By all accounts, Alto’s Odyssey is the perfect sequel to an amazing game that, too, took its time coming over to Android in 2016 after becoming a smash hit on iOS in 2015.

How much will it cost?

This is the other really interesting question that we don’t have an answer for yet.

Both Alto’s Adventure and Alto’s Odyssey were released as paid apps in the iTunes App Store, but when Snowman partnered with Noodlecake Studios to bring Alto’s Adventure to Android, they opted for a free-to-play model that included video ads to revive Alto and in-app purchases for premium upgrades. It was an experiment of sorts that offered a great game for free to Android users with minimal ads — and tens of millions of downloads from the Google Play Store.

Of course, the iOS and Android app markets are unique beasts, and while Team Alto has been hush on a firm release date, they also haven’t said anything about whether Alto’s Odyssey on Android will be free-to-play or require an up-front purchase.

Either way, we’re eager to hit the sandy slopes of Alto’s Odyssey just as soon as it’s available for download.

Pre-register at Google Play

Are you excited about Alto’s Odyssey?

Let us know in the comments!

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Mophie Announces New Apple-Exclusive Powerstation Portable Chargers With Lightning Ports

Mophie today announced the launch of a new series of iPhone-exclusive Powerstation models, which are equipped with a Lightning port to allow them to be recharged using a Lightning cable rather than a traditional micro-USB cable.

With the ability to charge over Lightning, customers who purchase one of the new Lightning-equipped Mophie Powerstations will be able to charge their iPhones and their portable charger using the same cable.

Mophie is offering several new Powerstation options, with varying battery capacities and price points:

• Powerstation Plus ($79.95) – 6040mAh with built-in Lightning connector and a single USB port. Available in heather gray, slate, and black.
• Powerstation Plus XL ($99.95) – 10,000mAh with built-in Lightning connector and a single USB port. Available in heather gray, slate, black, and deep blue. Qi wireless charging is included, allowing the Powerstation Plus XL to be recharged via a Qi-based wireless charger.
• Powerstation ($59.95) – 6,040mAh with two USB ports for charging two devices at once. Available in indigo blue and millennial pink.
• Powerstation XXL ($99.95) – 20,200mAh with three USB ports for charging three devices at once. Available in black.

The Powerstation and Powerstation XXL, designed for use with iPhone, iPad, and AirPods, offer up an extra 20 and 70 hours of iPhone battery life, respectively, and come in an aluminum design.

The Powerstation Plus and Powerstation Plus XL offer built-in Lightning connectors, alleviating the need to supply your own Lightning cable for charging purposes. Both of these models offer a fabric-covered design with fabric over the top and bottom plates and can provide up to 34 hours of extra battery.

All of the Powerstation options include an LED power indicator to provide details on charging status and battery life, along with Priority Charging capabilities that send power to your device before recharging the Powerstation when it’s plugged in.

The new line of Mophie Powerstations are available exclusively from Apple retail stores, the Apple online store, and the Mophie website.

Tag: Mophie
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Future iPhones Could Use Samsung’s Industry-First LPDDR5 DRAM

Samsung today announced it has completed functional testing and validation of the industry’s first 10-nanometer class 8-gigabit LPDDR5 DRAM.

Samsung says the prototype chip boasts a data rate of up to 6.4 Gbps, which is 1.5 times as fast as the LPDDR4X DRAM used in the iPhone X and other flagship smartphones. The chip also features an all-new sleep mode and other features that reduce power consumption by up to 30 percent.

AnandTech has a good overview of the chip’s technical details, but from a higher level, this development could result in future iPhones having even faster, yet even more efficient, memory. That would translate to maximized performance and extended battery life, which is good news all around.

Samsung said it plans to begin mass production of its next-generation DRAM lineups, including this LPDDR5 DRAM chip, but didn’t specify when. LPDDR5 is said to be so cutting edge that the JEDEC standards group has not yet finalized the specifications for it, so it could take some time.

Apple currently sources DRAM from multiple suppliers, including Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, varying by iPhone model.

Tag: Samsung
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Fourth Beta of tvOS 12 Now Available for Registered Developers

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of a new tvOS 12 operating system to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the third beta and more than a month after introducing the new software at the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV, the tvOS 12 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV using a profile that’s installed through the Xcode software. Subsequent betas can be downloaded via the software update mechanism on the Apple TV.

tvOS 12 introduces support for Dolby Atmos sound, which was activated in the second beta. Apple says that iTunes will be home to the largest collection of Dolby Atmos-supported movies anywhere this fall. Customers that have previously purchased movies that gain Dolby Atmos support will see free upgrades to their titles, much like the rollout of 4K support.

Building on single sign-on, a new zero sign-on feature will further simplify the cable authentication process. With zero sign-on, the Apple TV can detect a user’s broadband network and automatically sign them into supported apps they receive through their accompanying cable subscription.

Zero sign-on will be available for Charter Communications customers this fall and will expand to additional cable providers in the future.

Aerial screensavers now include location information and there are new screensavers captured in collaboration with the International Space Station. According to Apple’s release notes, location information for aerials should be available as of beta 4.

Other improvements tvOS-related improvements include AutoFill passwords from iPhone, an Apple TV Remote automatically added to Control Center on the iPhone or iPad, and Apple TV support on Home control systems like Control4, Crestron, and Savant.

tvOS 12 is available for developers and public beta testers to work out bugs and other issues ahead of a fall public launch.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
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Apple Releases Fourth Beta of New watchOS 5 Operating System to Developers

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming watchOS 5 update to developers, two weeks after releasing the third beta and more than a month after introducing the software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

To install the beta, you’ll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 5 beta can be downloaded using the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General –> Software Update.

To update, the Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone. It would be wise to install the beta on a secondary device instead of a primary device given that this is an early version of the watchOS 5 software that still has bugs to be worked out.

watchOS 5 is a major update to watchOS, introducing Activity Competitions so you can compete on workouts with friends, Walkie-Talkie with push-to-talk functionality for quickly communicating with the people you talk to most, and auto workout detection to make it easier to start and stop workouts if you forget.

Other new features include an improved Siri watch face with support for third-party apps through Siri Shortcuts, a dedicated Apple Podcasts app, new Workout types that include Yoga and Hiking, new features for runners, WebKit support for viewing some web content on Apple Watch, and enhanced notifications, which will make notifications on the Apple Watch interactive.

Early software betas often introduce new functionality, so we’ll update this post if anything new is found in the fourth beta of watchOS 5.

watchOS 5 is only available to developers and will not be provided to public beta testers (because there’s no way to downgrade Apple Watch software), so non-developers will need to wait until the software is officially released in the fall to try it out.

The watchOS 5 update runs on all Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 Apple Watch models, but it is not available for the first-generation “Series 0” Apple Watch models.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4, watchOS 5Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
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Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of iOS 12 to Developers

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming iOS 12 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the third beta and more than a month after introducing the new software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 12 beta from Apple’s Developer Center or over-the-air after installing the proper certificate.

iOS 12 introduces major updates to the iOS operating system, with Apple revamping the system from top to bottom to make iPhones and iPads, especially older models, faster and more responsive.

On the iPhone X, there are new Animoji characters along with “Memoji,” which are customizable, personalized Animoji that can be used both in Messages and in FaceTime. Messages and FaceTime have also gained fun new camera effects, and Group FaceTime support allows for calls with up to 32 people.

Siri is smarter in iOS 12 with a new Shortcuts feature that lets you create custom automations using first and third-party apps that can be activated with Siri, with Shortcuts able to be created with the beta version of the Shortcuts app that was introduced earlier in July.

Apple also built a comprehensive set of time management and monitoring tools into iOS 12 with Screen Time, allowing you to keep track of just how much time you’re spending on your iPhone and iPad. App limits can help you cut back on iOS device usage, and robust parental controls are included for families.

Updated Do Not Disturb options make turning off notifications and distractions easier than ever, and a new Do Not Disturb at Bedtime feature cuts down on nighttime interruptions.

Group Notifications make incoming notifications easier to view and manage, while a new Instant Tuning feature lets you tweak your notification settings right on the Lock screeen on a notification-by-notification basis.

Apple News has a new Browse feature, the Stocks app has been redesigned, iBooks has been overhauled with a new look and a new name – Apple Books – and Voice Memos has been revamped with iCloud support and an iPad app.

ARKit 2.0 introduces new capabilities like shared experiences that let two people see the same AR environment on separate devices, and persistence, which allows AR experiences to be saved across multiple sessions. There’s also a new Measure app for measuring objects using AR capabilities.

iOS 12 includes a revamped and rebuilt Maps app that uses a new Apple-designed Maps engine that will display foliage, pools, buildings, pedestrian pathways, and other map elements more accurately. The new Maps also includes significant improvements to traffic, real-time road conditions, construction, and more, plus it will enable Apple to push out changes and fixes more quickly.

The revamped Maps app is available in the San Francisco Bay Area during the beta testing period, and when iOS 12 launches in the fall, it will expand to all of Northern California. From there, Apple will continue rolling it out to additional U.S. locations across late 2018 and 2019.

Tons of other small tweaks and features have been added to iOS 12, so make sure to check out our dedicated roundup for additional detail on what’s new in iOS 12.

Early betas of new operating system updates always introduce tweaked features and new functionality, and we’ll be outlining what’s new in the fourth beta below. We also rounded up all of the changes that were introduced in the previous betas, beta 2 and beta 3.

iOS 12 is available for developers and public beta testers, with a public launch planned for the fall alongside new iPhones.

Update: According to Apple’s release notes for beta 4, there are several new issues with features like Screen Time, the App Store, and Siri Shortcuts. Apps in the App Store might fail to download properly the first time, and the cellular signal status bar on the iPhone X could be inaccurate while on the Lock Screen or Home Screen.

Screen Time usage data and settings may not sync between devices, with Apple recommending a restart to fix the issue.

Siri Shortcuts may not work while using CarPlay, could result in an error message on HomePod, may not be restored from iCloud backup, may not work if a device is locked, and SiriKit queries could be delayed or result in an error message.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
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The MediaTek A-series aims to bring premium features to budget phones

Qualcomm may have recently unveiled its 700-series chipsets, but the competition is just heating up. MediaTek is unveiling a new series of chipsets too — the MediaTek A series. It has also announced the first product in the new series — the MediaTek A22.

Like the Qualcomm 700-series, the A-series is targeted directly at companies building so-called “affordable premium” devices — or devices that aren’t as expensive as flagship phones, but still boast many of the same features. To that end, MediaTek says the “A” stands for “Advanced.”

Under the hood of the MediaTek A22, you’ll find 4 A53 2GHz CPUs, along with an Imagination GE8320 GPU, which isn’t as powerful as what you’ll find in MediaTek’s flagship Helio P series, but should still deliver plenty of power for the price in the phones that this chip will show up in. It’s not all about processing power either — the chip also offers support for dual cameras of up to 13 megapixels + 8 megapixels, or a single camera of up to 21 megapixels. It also supports a display with a resolution of up to 1,600 x 720 — which makes it clear that this chip is targeted toward lower-end handsets.

The A22 offers a top level of connectivity too. It boasts Bluetooth 5.0, along with Cat-7 4G LTE, dual-SIM support, and more. It also supports Google’s Neural Networks API and facial recognition, meaning it should support many of the modern features, such as face unlock, that customers expect on newer phones.

While the MediaTek A-series could compete with the Qualcomm 700-series, for now it seems as though the new series is aimed at being slightly lower-cost. MediaTek says the A-series is really aimed at handsets in the $100 o $250 range, though that will depend on the region. In fact, there’s already one handset slated to include the new chip. It’s the Xiaomi Redmi 6A, which will cost around $100 — though there’s no word yet on whether it’ll be available in the U.S. or not.

It’s likely we’ll see the MediaTek A-series pop on a number of phones over the next year or so, but as is usually the case with MediaTek chips, those phones may be more sold in Asia than in the U.S.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Qualcomm targets ‘premium midrange’ phones with the Snapdragon 710
• Here is everything we know about the Asus ZenFone 5
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• Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon chips will power next-gen budget phones

Spilled water on your laptop? Here’s how to fix it

JodiJacobson/GettyImages

So, you’ve spilled something on your laptop. Whether you put your glass down too close to your computer, or were using it to play music at a party and your Elaine dance didn’t go as planned, you may be reading this article frantically on your phone while trying to figure out how to save your precious laptop from the liquid you just spilled on it.

It’s important to note that if your laptop gets wet, time is of the essence. You must turn it off, unplug it, and remove the battery at once. Every second counts. Do not bother to take the proper steps to turn it off, either – go ahead and press that power button until your machine shuts down. If you haven’t done that yet, stop reading and do so now before following on with our tutorial below, and accept the hard truth that your computer will be out of commission for a few days.

In case of wet-laptop emergency

Step 1: Remove all components that are easily detachable. Unplug your mouse and any cables, and remove any flash drives and DVDs. Leave your laptop bare.

Step 2: Dry the outside of your machine. Open your laptop as far as it goes, hold it upside down, and wipe dry any wet surfaces that you see with a towel or another lint-free absorbent fabric. The type of liquid matters: Water is the least corrosive, while sugary and alcoholic liquids are the most harmful. Either way, the goal is to mitigate their effects as much as possible by drying the computer immediately.

Step 3: At this point, we’d recommend you take advantage of the warranty if it’s still applicable, or take your machine to a repair shop.

If you don’t want to have a professional take a look at it for you though, there are some more steps you can take to try and dry your machine out. Note though, that neither Digital Trends nor the author accept any responsibility for damage caused to your machine from taking it apart.

Break it down

While laptops of years gone by made the process of opening them up and removing components easy, that’s not really the case with modern day laptops. We wouldn’t recommend doing much to them unless yours makes the process relatively painless, as it’s easy to damage a laptop by taking it apart and the last thing we want to do is make the situation worse. That said, here are some steps you can take if your laptop allows it.

Step 1: If you haven’t already, remove your battery. This can be achieved by pressing a switch or button on the underside of your laptop.

Step 2: If you’re concerned about liquid leaking through the whole system to components like your memory and storage drive, you can remove those too. In some laptops you’ll find panels that allow for their removal on the underside. In most cases you’ll need to use a Phillips screwdriver to remove them. With the memory, press the side clips to eject each stick. With the solid state drive or hard drive, you’ll likely need to undo more screws to free it from the frame. Be sure to carefully detach it from the power and data connection ports or cables.

Step 3: Examine each component you’ve removed to check for any sign of wetness or corrosion. Any wet parts should be dried, but if the liquid is anything other than water, you’ll want to wipe it off (you can use a cotton swab) with 99 percent isopropyl alcohol – this will dissolve gunk without causing damage and evaporate without leaving residue.

Step 4: Once you’re done, you’ll want to leave everything alone to air-dry for two to three days in a warm, dry area. Remember that a fan will hasten the drying process. Do not use a hair dryer, as this could cause static problems. Once you’ve picked your machine apart and given the components time to dry, you can follow the instructions in reverse to put your laptop back together and see if it works.

Hopefully, all will be well, but if not you’ll want to take it to a repair center.

If your laptop cannot be taken apart

What if you have a Surface Book 2 or MacBook or any another laptop that refuses to be taken apart? This situation drastically reduces your options, so you’ll have to take it to a repair center.

Between the time that liquid is spilled on your keyboard and the time that you take it to the store, here’s what you can do: Hold your machine upside down, wiping dry any visible wetness with a towel.

Then, lay it down on a dry surface – an excellent option is a large bag of rice because rice is absorbent enough to help draw out any liquid that made its way inside through the crevices of your keyboard. Use a big bag, a lot of rice, and place it all in a warm, dry room. Feel free to turn on a fan to speed the process along until the time when you can carry your laptop to a repair store.

Waterproofing options

To safeguard your laptop in the future, we’d recommend investing in a silicone or clear plastic keyboard cover, a waterproof laptop skin for the top and bottom halves of the case, and a waterproof laptop screen protector. You can also carry your laptop around in a great laptop bag. Be careful not to cover any ventilation holes, however, and use scissors to cut the skin if necessary to ensure that your ventilation holes are left free.

Editors’ Recommendations

• How to clean a laptop screen
• 10 common laptop-buying mistakes you can easily avoid
• MacBook DIY keyboard repairs don’t void your chance of a free replacement
• The best Asus Laptops
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Lumen measures metabolism, creates personal nutrition plan with a single breath

Lumen — an Israel-based digital health and wellness company — has officially launched its new device to help with weight management out of beta. With a single breath into the device, users are provided with a personalized nutrition plan to help lose weight and achieve fitness goals.

At first glance, the Lumen looks a bit similar to a breathalyzer — at the top, there’s a mouth-piece to breathe into in order to populate results. Every morning, you’ll take a breath into the device and the companion app will you show you information like your daily goal for carb consumption, along with meal and snack recommendations.

To help keep you on track, the Lumen app comes with a “food search” feature that allows you to look up certain foods to find out how many carbs each contains. For additional help, the app allows you to submit photos of your meals to nutritionists for feedback in order to get an expert opinion.

But how does it work, exactly? The Lumen uses Respiratory Exchange Ratio, which is the preferred method for determining metabolic fuel. By taking a single breath, the Lumen measures the carbon dioxide production and oxygen uptake of a user’s breath in order to calculate how much energy is being burned from carbohydrates or fat.

From there, the Lumen curates a personalized plan for you to follow without having to constantly log your food intake or activity each day. Using artificial intelligence that adapts to your nutritional patterns and behavior, the device is meant to teach you about your body — specifically carbohydrate to fat ratio insight and when it’s best to use an energy source to receive maximum results.

Lumen partnered with design firm Frog on the device. Both companies wanted to step away from wearables and fitness trackers to create a unique device that can still help you maintain your health on-the-go — without being strapped to your wrist or body 24/7. The Lumen is designed to be small enough to fit into your gym bag or handbag to allow you to check your metabolic data throughout the day.

For example, you can breathe into the Lumen before going on a run after work. If you’re low on energy, it’ll notify you and let you know to eat a high-carb snack both before and after the run — it will also provide you with potential options you can eat.

“It was important to us that when it comes to energy sources in the body, Lumen not only educates users, but also validates those measurements. They can count on them being scientific, accurate and personal, providing an easily digestible step-by-step guide to harness that analysis and actively lead healthier lives,” Dror Ceder, Lumen CPO and CMO, said in a press release.

The Lumen is currently available on Indiegogo until for $179 — its “Super Early Bird” price until August 25. At full retail price, the Lumen will cost you $300.

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• Can a $500 nerve zapper help you lose weight? We tried the Modius headset
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