Samsung Health’s new ‘Symptom Checker’ wants to help diagnose your medical problems using AI

It isn’t going to save your life, but it sure could ease your worries when things don’t feel right.

The Samsung Health app is about more than just tracking steps and bike rides — it’s actually more than just an app, as it’s also backed up by some super-useful services. The latest to debut on the platform is a feature called “Symptom Checker,” which aims to help you get started with diagnosing medical problems you’re having and getting you set in the right direction to finding help.

It’s pretty simple: just relay whatever symptoms you’re experiencing into Samsung Health, and using artificial intelligence powered by Babylon Health the app can get you on track toward understanding what’s wrong (or not). Now of course the goal isn’t to try and pinpoint a specific problem in response to a basic set of questions, but it can provide you with some insight and give you further information and related symptoms to look for. After pulling in extra information about you, the AI-powered service will give you a range of likely causes. After reading up on each one, you can connect to a doctor online right away and get an expert opinion.

Samsung Health isn’t going to be able to do much to fix your medical issues, but this sure seems like a better course of action than tossing some disparate symptoms into a Google search and finding results for all sorts of horrible things that aren’t actually the problem. Because Samsung Health knows quite a bit about you already (assuming you’re using it regularly), and has a connection to real medical professionals, this could be a great tool for people who regularly use the platform and can be just a few taps away from interfacing with a doctor.

And just as a reminder, Samsung Health isn’t limited to Samsung phones — you can download it on just about any Android phone, and use it to its fullest extent. You’ll just need to use (or create) a Samsung Account for syncing purposes. Symptom Checker is rolling out to the Samsung Health app right away.

Download: Samsung Health (free)

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Spotify Android app will finally let you reposition songs in a playlist

IT’S HAPPENING!!! 🎉

Spotify is one of the world’s largest music streaming services, but despite this, its Android app isn’t quite up to snuff with its iOS and desktop counterparts. However, the company recently confirmed that it’s finally addressing one of the features Android users have been asking for the most — playlist re-ordering.

As it currently stands, you can use the Spotify Android app to create a playlist and add/remove songs to it. Unfortunately, if you want to change the order those songs appear in, you need to use the Spotify app on an iPhone or your computer.

This implementation is a big pain in the butt, but as noted by the Spotify Community Team for the app’s forums, this is changing:

We’re really excited to announce that the right folks are now working on this idea. An upcoming version of Android will see this feature initially released to a small number of users. We’ll post here again once we have more news to share.

It’s still unclear why a feature as simple as this wasn’t in the Spotify Android app from day one, but in any case, we’re still excited to hear that it’s something we’ll get to check out in the near future.

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Nioh 2 for PlayStation 4: Everything you need to know

Ninja Gaiden meets Dark Souls in this exciting sequel.

Nioh 2’s announcement couldn’t have started out any more epic, and it couldn’t have ended any more disappointing. We didn’t get much of a trailer or much in the way of info at its E3 2018 debut, but we can already begin to put the puzzle pieces together to learn what’s in store. Here’s everything you need to know about Nioh 2.

What is Nioh 2?

Team Ninja had a bit of a chip on their shoulders preceding the launch of the original Nioh. The company that was responsible for an all-time classic known as Ninja Gaiden hadn’t reached that level of brilliance since.

Nioh was the game they decided to make to shut all that noise up. It was an action RPG title that kind of married what they were known for in Ninja Gaiden with a more methodical fighting system akin to Dark Souls. Nioh 2, naturally, builds on that solid foundation.

The story so far

Details surrounding Nioh 2 are still scarce. The original game was set in Japan during the year 1600. It featured a fictitious story, though there were characters based on the real legends of old. It also featured Queen Elizabeth 1 and her country’s plight to control Spain.

The central plot device was Amrita, a mystical stone found in Japan. Anyone who can absorb the essence and harness the energy of the stone becomes powerful beyond measure. A pirate-turned-sailor-turned-explorer named William is eventually tasked with finding it for people who mean to use it for nefariousness.

As for the new game, we’re not sure where things will go from there. We do know that it’ll stay on the same narrative track, though William may no longer be the focal point of the story. If that’s the case, we can assume that much of the game will still take place in Japan.

Gameplay

The original Nioh combined the tight combat of Ninja Gaiden with Dark Souls-like nuance. That is, you have a stamina bar that’ll dictate how much punishment you can dish out on any given foe. You also don’t want to get hit by their attacks, because death comes about quickly and often at times. And yes, the game prides itself on unforgiving difficulty, and that won’t be changing in the sequel.

You’ll earn XP and new gear over the course of the game to make your character stronger, though, and you’ll be rewarded for your masochism with more rewarding death sequences.

Team Ninja says Nioh 2 will be a natural progression, meaning it’ll build on the first game while adding new gameplay systems, mechanics, and features to make it even more fun than it already was. In fact, they’ve professed that they were intentionally more reserved with the original game, but now that they’ve gotten a good foundation they’ll be taking the gloves off and going all-in for the sequel. We’re still not sure what that means, but it’s safe to expect a better game, period.

One thing we do know is that you’ll be able to customize your character this time around. You’ll be able to choose both your gender and race, as well as other customization options that haven’t yet been revealed.

When can you play it?

We don’t yet have a release date for Nioh 2, but we do know that a PlayStation 4 launch is confirmed. It may also be available for PC if the original release was anything to go by. Team Ninja is planning a demo for players to try out ahead of its launch.

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Why Android is vital to Microsoft’s software and services strategy

Android and is now a key player in Microsoft’s overall software and services strategy — and that’s a good thing for Microsoft.

When Microsoft announced that it was stepping away from its smartphone efforts, there were quite a few of us who were worried about how we’d continue to remain invested in Microsoft’s ecosystem without being able to carry Windows around in our pockets. But it ultimately allowed Microsoft to invest in bringing ecosystem synergy to more users than ever before.

Microsoft is embracing its own ecosystem on Android and iOS, and frankly, this is an amazing idea that is paying off well. No longer does Microsoft have to rely on Windows to ensure people to use its software and services on mobile devices. These services are now available wherever the user is, rather than Microsoft expecting the user to switch platforms to enjoy those software and services.

With Android in particular, Microsoft has an opportunity to finally realize its vision of total synergy across your PC and smartphone. Android has over a billion users, a large percentage of which likely use Windows. It’s wise of Microsoft to capitalize on this.

Investment is key

Microsoft has always had apps available on rival platforms, but not in the way it does today. Windows users new to Android used to have no real reason to invest in anything Microsoft on Android. It made more sense for people to invest in Google’s ecosystem, which was already platform agnostic. But Google can only do so much in bringing synergy to its ecosystem across PC and phone. Microsoft, on the other hand, is in a unique position to make this experience truly great with features like Timeline, Cloud Clipboard, Cortana, and Your Phone.

On Android, Microsoft has a lot more freedom to dig its claws into the platform and integrate its software and services for better synergy with your PC. The Microsoft Launcher, for example, lets users share basically anything on your phone with a PC via “Continue on PC.” Photos or documents can be easily sent to your PC from your phone. Cloud Clipboard will also let you share copied content across devices, minimizing yet another barrier between your PC and phone.

With Timeline, users will be able to resume activities they started on either their PC or phone on any device that’s logged in with a Microsoft account. Everything from web browsing to Word documents will be curated by Timeline, and it will let users go back 30 days to resume content they were previously looking at or working on. Even Android apps can get involved, letting content be resumed across a Windows 10 app and an Android app, if the developer supports it.

The biggest tie-in will come in the shape of Your Phone, which will let PC users see what’s going on with their phone without even needing to pick up the phone in the first place. Your Phone will curate all notifications that come in and allow you to interact with them directly from your PC. It’ll even show you missed notifications so that you don’t ever have to lift your phone when working on a Windows device.

Vital synergy

Windows being able to talk to and interact with Android like this is super cool, and it is a vital part of keeping Windows relevant in a market that is dominantly mobile. Microsoft simply couldn’t afford to continue to expect users to switch to Windows phone if they wanted to experience Microsoft software and services anymore. Now, users don’t have to switch and can enjoy a better Windows 10 experience because of that.

There’s no real reason for anybody to use Outlook or Office on Android if there’s no ecosystem or synergy for the user to benefit from. Windows isn’t as relevant as it used to be, and the only way it can stay relevant is by bringing the best of Windows and Microsoft to Android.

Google and Apple both have their own ecosystems, and since they have their own mobile platforms, they are in a better position to tie in their ecosystems with users who use their phones. Google only really has leverage on the smartphone form-factor, however. Google can’t do much to make your phone work better with your PC, because it doesn’t have a PC OS that’s in use by a significant market.

Apple does have a PC platform, but it’s nowhere near as “popular” as Windows. Most Android users are also Windows users, meaning Microsoft is in a unique position. And that is a real opportunity for Microsoft.

What are your thoughts on using Android with Windows and the Microsoft ecosystem? Let us know in the comments.

Your “waterproof” phone … isn’t (IP ratings explained)

You only need to drop your phone off a boat, or into a puddle, or (yes) into a toilet one time to start yearning for a world in which all smartphones are waterproof. The good news: these days, many of them are at least water-resistant, because they’re tested according to a body of standards called the International Protection codes (think: IP68, IP57). The bad news: they’re probably not as resistant as you think.

Today on the MrMobile YouTube channel, we’ll learn how to decode IP ratings to find out how much water your gadgets can really handle – and because the liquid resistance is only half the story, we’ll delve into dustproofing as well. Finally, we bring in the Grand Marshal of Gear Destroyers himself, Zack from JerryRigEverything, to learn how these foreign intruders wreck your gadgets … and what you can do about it if they do!

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New RAMpage attack affects all Android phones released since 2012

RAMpage can access passwords, photos, documents, and more.

There’s a new security vulnerability, boys and girls. It’s called RAMpage and is the latest type of Rowhammer attack to hit the scene.

RAMpage was discovered by a group of eight academics across three different universities and the official research paper was published on June 28, 2018. It reads as follows:

RAMpage breaks the most fundamental isolation between user applications and the operating system. While apps are typically not permitted to read data from other apps, a malicious program can craft a RAMpage exploit to get administrative control and get hold of secrets stored in the device.

As for what kind of secrets RAMpage could access, the paper notes that “this might include your passwords stored in a password manager or browser, your personal photos, emails, instant messages and even business-critical documents.”

RAMpage targets the ION subsystem in Android which is a memory allocation driver that was first launched by Google alongside Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. However, even though Android’s the focus of the attack right now, it’s expected that RAMpage could also impact iOS devices, desktops, and more.

Because RAMpage targets ION, gadgets that use LPDDR2/3/4 RAM are all impacted. In other words, if your Android phone was released during or after 2012, it’s vulnerable to the attack.

The research going into RAMpage is still quite new, but now that a spotlight is being placed on it, hopefully we’ll see Google and other OEMs do their part to get devices patched up for users around the globe.

Read through the full research paper here

Rogue Amoeba Releases Audio Hijack 3.5 as Nicecast Replacement for Broadcasting Live Podcasts and Audio

Rogue Amoeba today announced it has updated its audio recording utility Audio Hijack with support for streaming audio to SHOUTcast and Icecast servers, ideal for live podcast recordings, live DJ sets, and internet radio.

Audio Hijack version 3.5 features a new Broadcast block that can stream audio to Shoutcast 2, Shoutcast 1, and Icecast 2 streaming servers in either the popular MP3 streaming format or the more modern AAC streaming format.

By placing multiple Broadcast blocks in one Audio Hijack session, you can create multiple streams for multiple servers, making it easy to offer high and low quality broadcasts, or stream audio in multiple audio formats.

To help beginners get started with broadcasting, Audio Hijack version 3.5 includes a new template for “Internet Radio.”

The latest version of Audio Hijack serves as a replacement for Rogue Amoeba’s dedicated audio broadcasting tool Nicecast, which the company ceased development of in March, and will stop supporting at the end of 2018.

Rogue Amoeba strongly encourages all Nicecast users to migrate to Audio Hijack for a more modern broadcasting setup with several advantages, including full SHOUTcast 2 support, AAC/AAC+ streaming, the ability to create multiple streams for multiple servers, track titles, and improved accessibility.

Rogue Amoeba notes that the last version of Nicecast, version 1.11.13, works as expected on macOS High Sierra and earlier, but may experience compatibility issues with macOS Mojave. And, as a 32-bit app, Nicecast will eventually not work at all once a future macOS release only supports 64-bit apps.

Audio Hijack version 3.5 is a free update for existing owners of Audio Hijack 3. For new users, a license to the full version costs $59, while users of any older version of Audio Hijack can upgrade for $25. Nicecast users can also save $20 off the purchase of Audio Hijack through the end of 2018.

Tags: Rogue Amoeba, Audio Hijack 3, Nicecast
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Sling TV Increases Cheapest Plan to $25/Month, Introduces Limited Free Content and À La Carte Channels

Sling TV today announced that it will be increasing the price of its entry-level Sling Orange service by $5 per month, jumping the price up to $25 per month for subscribers. Existing subscribers will not be grandfathered in to their old price, and all Sling Orange customers will see the new monthly $25 price reflected in their bills starting in August.

Sling TV president Warren Schlichting explained in a blog post today that while the company’s goal is to keep subscriber prices as low as possible, programming fees and other aspects of the service necessitate the monthly price hike. “Our team works hard to negotiate fair programming deals, with the goal of keeping your price as low as possible,” Schlichting said. “Programming fees, however, only go one direction, and that’s up!”

No other aspects of Sling Orange have been changed, so users can still subscribe to the $25 plan and get just over 30 live channels (including ESPN) and DVR features. Comparatively, Sling Orange is still one of the cheapest entries in live TV streaming market, with DirecTV Now starting at $35/month (down to $20/month for AT&T Unlimited plans), and Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV starting at $40/month.

Alongside the price increase, Sling TV revealed a slew of new updates aimed at introducing free content, à la carte channels, movies on-demand, and more without requiring customers to pay for a base subscription (for now only on Roku devices). Part of the announcement is an attempt to get anyone who previously subscribed to Sling TV to return to the service.

When returning customers re-open the Sling TV app, they’ll be able to access more than 100 hours of free TV shows and movies without restarting their subscription. These customers will also see ribbons that highlight free shows and films to watch, at launch including “Good Behavior,” “Wrecked,” “The Detour,” and more.

Additionally, anyone can now purchase select channels à la carte without needing to sign up for an entire Sling TV tier. Right now, there are only eight channels available, but with the update if you’re interested in only watching one of these channels in the Sling TV app, you can pay individually per month to get the access you want without other channels you might not watch. The company said that more channels will be added in the future, but as of now include:

– Showtime: $10
– CuriosityStream: $6
– Stingray Karaoke: $7
– Dove Channel: $5
– Outside TV Features: $5
– Up Faith & Family: $5
– Pantaya: $6
– NBA League Pass: $28.99

Outside of a Sling TV subscription, customers can now buy pay-per-view events as a one-time purchase in the app as well. There’s also the option to buy movies in Sling TV without a monthly subscription, including a catalog of 5,000 popular films.

The company didn’t clarify when exactly non-Roku users will see these updates, but confirmed other devices will be supported “in the near future.”

Tag: Sling TV
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‘DC Universe’ Digital Streaming Service Entering Beta in August, Coming to iOS and tvOS

DC Comics today revealed new details about its upcoming “DC Universe” streaming platform, which will hit iOS and tvOS devices this fall. Before that time, the company will launch a beta of the platform in August, allowing a small group of users to test out DC Universe before a wide rollout.

The main draw of the service will be exclusive TV shows that feature popular DC characters, including live action shows like Titans, Doom Patrol, and Swamp Thing, and animated series like Young Justice: Outsiders and Harley Quinn.

Existing DC films and TV shows will also be available on DC Universe, like Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, the original Christopher Reeve Superman movies, Lois and Clark, and Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman series, available for the first time in HD.

“DC UNIVERSE is so much more than a streaming service. It’s a welcoming place for everyone to immerse themselves in their own level of DC fandom, with the epic characters, stories, and experiences they have come to expect from DC,” said Jim Lee, chief creative officer and publisher, DC Entertainment.

“We are investing in and creating original, high-quality shows including the new Titans series, and curating the most beloved nostalgic content, while at the same time elevating the comic reading experience to new heights. Nothing this robust has ever been offered to fans before.”

Additionally, DC revealed that DC Universe will house more than just TV shows and movies, but also include comics, a merchandise shop, community forums, an interactive encyclopedia of DC characters, and more. Comics will include both modern and classic digital series, from Action Comics #1 and the first appearance of Superman to the recent “Rebirth” event — and even support reading on big screen apps like Apple TV.

Members of DC UNIVERSE can:

WATCH exclusive originals and classic favorites;
READ from an extensive list of curated comic books;
CONNECT with the DC community;
EXPLORE the latest breaking news and the ever-expanding DC encyclopedia;
WIN premium rewards and participate in sweepstakes and contests;
SHOP for exclusive merchandise.

As of now, DC has not hinted at how much subscribers will be paying monthly for DC Universe. The platform will be entering a heavily saturated market of streaming services (soon to include Apple), but its focus on popular characters in the DC canon should prove to be favorable and worth a monthly subscription for some users.

Disney is also planning its own streaming service for launch at the end of 2018, which is rumored to bundle Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Walt Disney Animation Studios content under one monthly price. After Disney announced it will remove its TV shows and films from Netflix beginning this year, rumors swirled that Marvel would be getting its own dedicated service — like DC Universe — but Disney CEO Bob Iger quickly denied those rumors and confirmed Marvel will be found alongside Disney’s content in the upcoming streaming app.

For DC Universe, the service will launch on desktop, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Google Chromecast this fall, and those interested can sign up to be among the first to receive beta news on the company’s website.

Tag: DC Universe
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The Instagram Lite app is so small, your Android phone won’t notice it’s there

A Lite version of the Instagram app has been launched in the Google Play Store, and despite being less than 1MB in size, still manages to squeeze in all the main features we know and love from the full-size Instagram app. Interestingly, it removes several features that have seen Instagram evolve beyond its photo-sharing roots recently, returning the app almost to basics.

Instagram Lite is a 573KB app, while the standard Instagram app varies depending on which device it’s installed. On our BlackBerry Key2, it is 83MB. Doesn’t that mean a complete lack of features? No. The Lite app lets you post pictures and add filters, just as you’d expect, and also create Instagram Stories. The Stories can only be modified with text rather than adding animations or GIFs. The Explore tab is ready to introduce you to new people.

The app does not have any of the messaging features found in the main app, or the ability to share video, though in the Google Play Store description it states these will come soon. How much difference it will make to the app’s file size is not known. Facebook, which owns Instagram, also makes a Lite version of its primary app, and of its Messenger app too.

Wondering why you’d need a Lite app? You may not, if you have a brand new phone with potentially hundreds of gigabytes of storage space. But for those with Android phones that are older, or more modern without a high specification, space for apps is often at a premium. Lite apps minimize the impact downloading and installing an app can have on a device and makes it easier for it to remain on the device, even when the owner wants or needs to install more.

Facebook isn’t the only company making Lite apps. There are minimalist versions of many other big-name apps, including Twitter, Skype, and Linked In. Google itself is pushing smaller, less space-intensive apps with its Android Go operating system, which comes with miniature versions of its own app suite. The phones on which Go is installed are low-cost, and the perfect examples of the devices on which Lite apps will be installed.

While Instagram Lite is listed in the Google Play Store, it’s not available to download everywhere, or potentially by everyone either, at the time of writing. It’s not compatible with any of our phones in the U.K., and reports show it’s similarly impossible to install in the U.S. too, indicating it’s in a final test phase at the beginning of the app’s launch. It’s likely Instagram will open it up to more people in the future.

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