‘Philips Hue Sync’ App Launches for Mac and PC to Sync Lights With Movies, Music, and Games

A few days after updating its iOS app to version 3.0, Philips Hue today is launching the “Philips Hue Sync” app for Mac and PC computers. Using the app, users can sync their Hue lights to films, music, and games that they’re interacting with for an even more “immersive experience,” according to the company.

The app works by creating light scripts for nearby Hue lights, based on screen-grabbed content from the Mac and what Philips calls a “smart color algorithm.” With this information gathered, the app then matches the chosen Hue lights to the on-screen action of games and films in real time.

For music, Philips Hue Sync creates light scripts based on the beat and type of song “on the fly,” and matches the playing music with dynamic lighting effects. Any of these features can be further customized, including brightness levels, “immersion controls” from subtle to intense, and a mode change for easily switching out the color pallet.

To set up the app, users will need to create a new entertainment area within the updated Philips Hue app on iOS or Android devices. Entertainment areas can encompass everything from one Hue bulb to a collection of devices like Hue Light Strips and table lamps (totaling up to 10 lights), but they most be color capable. Then simply download the Philips Hue Sync app for Mac, connect to a bridge, and choose the new entertainment area in the start-up menu.

Following the 3.0 iOS app update and the new Sync app for Mac, Philips is planning a line of Hue lights for outdoors that will be coming in July. With the outdoor Hue bulbs, users can connect and control their lighting on a patio, balcony, or other environments outside. The new lights include the Philips Hue Lily, which can be used to highlight key features in a garden, and the Philips Hue Calla, which can be placed in the ground and light pathways through outdoor spaces.

Tag: Philips Hue
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Drone-delivered meals come to Shanghai, but they’re dropped off by … a human?

Ele.me

Drone-delivered meals is now a thing in Shanghai with a new service launching in recent days on the outskirts of the Chinese city.

Hungry folks living and working in Shanghai’s Jinshan Industrial Park can now fire up an app, choose their lunch or dinner, and have it delivered by … a human being.

OK, let us explain.

The drone service isn’t door to door. Instead, ele.me — the Alibaba-owned company operating the service — is using the technology to increase delivery speeds by flying meals along 17 pre-defined routes, bypassing busy roads that would ordinarily ensure your meal arrives late as well as cold. The industrial park covers an area of about 22 square miles ( 58 square km) and ele.me claims it can deliver meals within just 20 minutes of being ordered, the South China Morning Post reports.

It works like this: You use the app to select a meal from one of 100 food outlets in the area. When the meal is ready, a delivery rider collects it and takes it a short distance to the nearest drone station. The drone carries the meal to the drone station nearest to your location. Another delivery rider takes the food to your door.

Ele.me said at a launch event that the drone service will reduce its operating costs by a significant amount compared to regular road-based delivery, adding that it has the potential to boost the income of its delivery personnel by as much as five times.

With a growing number of delivery companies grappling to find a workable drone platform that’s both safe and efficient, ele.me’s solution seems to fit the bill. With regulatory bodies worried about chaos in the skies, flying drones along fixed routes to drone stations seems like a logical approach until an effective drone air traffic control system can be devised, especially for urban areas. Other companies, Airbus among them, are looking at similar setups for package delivery by drone. Another bonus is that the system should prevent the rapid offloading of delivery personnel.

Ele.me, meanwhile, clearly sees technology as vital to its future success. Last year, it unveiled a food-delivery robot for so-called last mile deliveries inside office buildings. Chief operating officer Kang Jia said this week that his company is looking to introduce its second-generation food delivery robots, which will cover more than 500 office buildings in major Chinese cities, later this year.

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Moto G6, G6 Play, and G6 Plus: Everything you need to know!

It has six Gs. Count ’em.

Motorola’s new Moto G6 series isn’t a reinvention of the product line exactly, but it moves the brand further in that luxury budget category so many companies, from Honor to Xiaomi, are vying to win.

There are three new phones in the series — the Moto G6, G6 Plus and G6 Play — and they’re all intriguing in their own ways. Let’s take a look at what you need to know.

Read our preview, and read our review

If you want to lust after the G6 series on video, we have a hearty preview for you. If you’re ready for the full review of the G6 or G6 Plus, we have that as well. Be sure to check these out!

Moto G6 review: Finding success in compromise

Moto G6 Plus review: Motorola still masters the art of the mid-range phone

There are three to choose from

The Moto G6 isn’t a single phone, but three (so far), each aimed at a different segment of the budget market.

The Moto G6 Play is the cheapest, and forgoes some of the camera fanciness for a $199 price point. It’s also made of shiny plastic instead of shiny glass. Its 720p display isn’t great, but it’s good enough in its 5.7-inch, 2:1 aspect ratio. Its rear fingerprint sensor is tucked into the Motorola batwing symbol, which is awesome.

In the middle, the Moto G6 is the one that most people will be interested in. Made of curved Gorilla Glass 3 and adorned with two rear cameras and the ability to wake and respond to voice commands without turning on the screen first. The 5.7-inch 1080p panel is bright and gorgeous, and there’s a front-facing fingerprint sensor. At $249, it’s going to be tough to beat in the budget segment.

The Moto G6 Plus, which isn’t available in North America, adds a more powerful Snapdragon processor to the mix. It’s also got a bigger 5.9-inch 1080p screen than the Moto G6, and features a slightly better camera combo, front and rear.

Moto G6, G6 Play, and G6 Plus specs

Let’s take it to 11 2:1

Every model in this year’s Moto G6 series has a 2:1 (aka 18:9) screen aspect ratio, aligning it with popular budget models like the Honor 7X and the new Nokia 6 as well as most high-end phones today.

That means the phones are each taller and narrower than their Moto G5 predecessors, but despite the significantly larger screen size on paper, there isn’t much additional usable space on the 5.7-inch Moto G6 than compared to, say, the 5.2-inch Moto G5 Plus, which has a more traditional 16:9 screen.

A glass house

In addition to elongating each phone, Motorola has swapped out the metal enclosures of last year’s G5 for glass — at least on the two higher-end Moto G6 phones (the G6 Play is made of a shiny plastic resin, much like the Moto E5).

The Gorilla Glass outer layer is surely more slippery and prone to picking up fingerprints, but its curves also shimmer in the light and feel more substantial, making the new Moto series much more attractive and premium-looking than their predecessors. Motorola also includes a simple clear rubberized case in the box to keep that glass looking pristine when you’re expecting to be a bit rough on the phone.

Go out and Play

The Moto G6 Play has a 4000mAh battery which, despite the phone’s last-generation Snapdragon 427 processor, ensures that it should have multi-day battery life. More importantly, it seems to be a great phone for people who just want a no-frills Android Oreo experience.

The 13MP camera isn’t going to change the game, but in our brief time with it, it worked very well, and launched quickly.

The G6 is the G5 Plus sequel

It may not seem like it on paper, but the Moto G6 is the real sequel to last year’s Moto G5 Plus. It has a Snapdragon 450 platform, which seems on paper to be a step down from the G5 Plus’s Snapdragon 625, but it’s basically the same chip with only a few minor regressions, like maximum clock speed.

For U.S. buyers, the Moto G6 is actually a pretty big upgrade, owing most to the…

Camera, man

The Moto G6 has a dual camera setup: a main 12MP sensor with an f/1.8 lens and a secondary 5MP sensor that facilitates portrait mode and a few other niceties.

Motorola is also taking the camera experience a lot more seriously than in previous generations, with an interesting Smart Camera mode that identifies objects and landmarks.

The Moto G6 Plus also has a dual camera, but its 12MP sensor has a slightly wider f/1.7 lens, and its front-facing camera has a special low-light mode that uses pixel binning to get more light from every one of its 16 megapixels.

Say it, don’t spray it

On the Moto G6 and G6 Plus, Motorola has improved the popular Moto Voice functionality, allowing users to perform actions on the device itself (like turning off Bluetooth or starting to play a specific movie on Netflix) in addition to activating Google Assistant when necessary. The phones can also be activated by voice without turning on the screen first.

It’s a nice compromise and something that will be quite useful for those who use their phone in the car or when it’s across the room.

Get on the beta train

If you’re looking to be on the forefront of Motorola innovation, you’ll soon be able to sign up for the company’s new Beta Experiences program, which promises to allow users to sign up for beta versions of Motorola’s new and upcoming software and apps. We don’t know a whole lot yet about the particulars, but it’s good to know that Motorola is taking software experiences more seriously than before.

Motorola’s new Beta Experiences program will let you test new Moto features before they’re public

Where and when can you buy them?

The reality is that Motorola approaches each market in which it sells like a separate business, and caters the release schedule for each product to various market demographics.

The Moto G6 Play and Moto G6 are available in almost every market that Motorola operates, including the U.S. and Canada.

Unfortunately, because the Moto X4 is already so close in style and specs to the Moto G6 Plus, Motorola is choosing not to sell it in the U.S.

Where to buy the Moto G6 series in the U.S. and Canada

Should you upgrade to the Moto G6 or another phone?

There are so many great budget phones to choose from, and Motorola has some stiff competition. At the same time, if you already have a Moto G5 series phone, should you upgrade?

• Moto G6 Plus vs. Moto G5 Plus: Should you upgrade?
• Moto G6 Plus vs. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro: Spec comparison

Grab some accessories!

The G6 you buy will already include a basic case, but you can always go a step further. There are already great accessories like cases, power banks, car chargers and more available. Be sure to check them out!

More: Best Moto G6 screen protectors

More: Best Moto G6 accessories

What’s on your priority list?

Let us know what you think about the Moto G6 series? Let us know in the comments below!

Updated May 2018: Added information regarding where to buy the G6 series, as well as links to great accessories.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 is a blatant iPhone X ripoff with a full-sized notch

The Mi 8 offers the same design as the iPhone X and top-notch internals for half the price.

Over the last two generations, Xiaomi has introduced a glass-and-metal design aesthetic with flowing curves and rounded edges that made devices like the Mi 6 stand out. However, Xiaomi is ditching all that with its latest flagship and going back to what it does best: copying Apple.

The company unveiled the Mi 8 in China earlier today, and it’s immediately evident that the iPhone X was the “inspiration” for the device. The phone features a full-sized notch at the top of the display, which houses a complement of sensors including the 20MP front camera, proximity sensor, IR lighting module and an infrared lens, and the earpiece. Unlike the iPhone X, however, there’s still a prominent bezel at the bottom, making the design asymmetrical.

Xiaomi is offering an IR face unlock feature that works in a similar fashion to FaceID, but it isn’t as secure as Apple’s implementation or Samsung’s iris scanning tech. The phone comes with a 6.21-inch AMOLED FHD+ (2248×1080) panel, and Xiaomi is touting a maximum brightness of 600nits and 88.5% screen-to-body ratio.

The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 845, and Xiaomi is offering dual 12MP + 12MP cameras at the back with AI scene detection. The primary sensor has OIS and large 1.4-micron pixels, and from the specs it looks like the camera is identical to the one featured in the Mi Mix 2S. That bodes well for the Mi 8, as the Mi Mix 2S has one of the best cameras I’ve used this year.

On the software front, the Mi 8 is running MIUI 10, which comes with a host of new features aimed at China. We’ll likely be seeing a global version of the ROM in the coming months.

The front camera is interesting too, as it is a 20MP unit with huge 1.8-micron pixels. There’s also a 3400mAh battery that should easily deliver a day’s worth of use.

As for the naming convention, Xiaomi says it skipped the Mi 7 and went with the Mi 8 moniker to commemorate its eighth anniversary.

More than any other Android phone I’ve seen recently, the Mi 8 looks like a blatant copy of the iPhone X, from the notch up front to the orientation of the dual cameras at the back. The design feels like a regression from the likes of the Mi Mix 2, and with Xiaomi now having an official presence in European markets, the Mi 8 doesn’t really paint a great picture for the brand as a whole.

The phone will be making its debut in China, and will be sold in three variants: the base model with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage will retail for ¥2,699 ($420), the 6GB/128GB option will cost ¥2,999 ($470), and the model with 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will set you back ¥3,299 ($520). That’s still less than half the price of true flagships, so if you’re in the market for a phone that looks like the iPhone X for around the $500 price point, Xiaomi has you covered.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor and transparent back

The Mi 8 Explorer Edition is loaded with innovative tech, but you won’t be able to buy one.

Alongside the launch of the standard Mi 8, Xiaomi unveiled a limited edition model that offers plenty to be excited about. The Mi 8 Explorer Edition shares the same design as the standard model — it basically looks a lot like the iPhone X — but Xiaomi is rolling out an in-display fingerprint sensor, much like the Vivo X21.

Xiaomi hasn’t detailed whether it is using the same Synaptics sensor as Vivo, but the render suggests that is likely the case. The activation point for the fingerprint reader is in the lower third of the screen, just like the X21. More interestingly, the Mi 8 Explorer Edition comes with a transparent back that exposes the innards of the phone.

You can view the camera module, the Snapdragon chipset, battery, and the internal connectors, and it looks very cool. The downside is that like most limited edition Xiaomi phones, the Mi 8 Explorer Edition is unlikely to make its way outside of China.

The Mi 8 Explorer Edition also comes with a 3D face unlock feature, which according to Xiaomi uses “advanced structured light technology” to accurately measure your facial details. It sounds very similar to that of FaceID on the iPhone X, but Xiaomi hasn’t mentioned if it is as secure. The standard Mi 8 has a face unlock feature as well, but it misses out on the 3D tech.

Other specs of the Mi 8 Explorer Edition include a Snapdragon 845, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, dual 12MP cameras at the back, and a 20MP front camera. The phone will go on sale in China for ¥3,699 ($580), and while that’s a crazy bargain when you consider the tech on offer, the device will be sold in extremely limited quantities.

The $280 Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is the world’s first phone with a Snapdragon 710

The Mi 8 SE is designed to maximize value.

Xiaomi has unveiled two phones at its launch event in Shenzhen: the Mi 8 and a Mi 8 Explorer Edition, which has an in-display fingerprint reader and a transparent back.

The Chinese manufacturer is rolling out a third variant dubbed the Mi 8 SE that’s aimed at a lower price point. The standard Mi 8 starts off at the equivalent of $420, but the Mi 8 SE will cost just $280. The phone shares a similar aesthetic as the standard Mi 8, but the highlight is that it marks the global debut of the Snapdragon 710, Qualcomm’s latest mid-tier chipset.

The Snapdragon 710 is aimed at delivering flagship-class performance at the mid-range segment, with the chipset offering eight Kryo cores in a 4×4 configuration. The four performance cores go up to 2.2GHz, and the four energy-efficient cores are clocked at 1.7GHz. The chipset also enables AI capabilities similar to that of the Snapdragon 845.

As for the device itself, the Mi 8 SE comes with a 5.8-inch AMOLED panel, dual 12MP + 5MP cameras at the back, 20MP front shooter, and a 3120mAh battery. All three devices Xiaomi unveiled today run MIUI 10 out of the box, which is based on Android 8.0 Oreo.

The Mi 8 SE will go up for sale in China next month for ¥1,799, or $280. There’s no information regarding global availability yet, but we should know more in the coming weeks.

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 picks up an upgraded OLED panel and NFC, costs just $30

The Mi Band 3 offers a heart rate sensor, NFC, and a 0.78-inch OLED screen, all for $30.

Xiaomi is one of the most popular wearable manufacturers around, which is entirely down to the Mi Band series of fitness trackers. With its latest model, the brand is looking to kick things up a notch. The Mi Band 3 has made its debut alongside the Mi 8, offering a heart-rate sensor, a larger 0.78-inch OLED screen (up from 0.42 inches in the Mi Band 2), and NFC connectivity.

The OLED screen now offers a resolution of 128×80, and the 110mAh battery is also considerably larger than last year’s model — Xiaomi says it lasts for over 20 days between charges. The Mi Band 3 is water resistant up to 50 meters, so you can easily use it in a pool (or go diving) without any issues.

The Mi Band 3 connects over Bluetooth 4.2 LE, and the larger screen allows more information to be displayed on the band for incoming texts and notifications. The band is available in three color options at launch, and Xiaomi will undoubtedly make more colors available in the coming weeks and months.

Affordability has been a core tenet of the Mi Band series, and the Mi Band 3 continues that tradition. The fitness band will go on sale in China for just ¥179, or the equivalent of $30. That’s for the version with NFC connectivity, and there’s also a standard variant without NFC that will retail for around $25.

For now, we don’t know when the Mi Band 3 will make its way to international markets, but the product is one of few that Xiaomi sells globally, so we should know more soon. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on the Mi Band 3?

California’s pro-net neutrality bill passes the Senate, still faces Assembly

California is halfway to restoring net neutrality rules across the state. A bill to bring ease back into the hearts of California web surfers, SB-822, sailed through the state Senate on a 23 to 12 vote. The bill now moves on to the California Assembly before potentially landing in the hands of Gov. Jerry Brown. 

The news arrives after the U.S. Senate voted to reverse the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to kill its own net neutrality rules set in place under the Obama administration. The Congressional Review Act seeks to overturn the decision made by the FCC in December 2017, but still must go through the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, the FCC’s quest to “restore internet freedom” is still slated to go live in June. 

California’s bill aims to set net neutrality rules on a state level. The bill prohibits internet service providers from offering different quality of service levels outside specific conditions. It allows the state’s Attorney General to investigate and take action against those service providers in violation of the prohibitions. 

According to Section 1776 of the bill, internet service providers cannot block lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices. Providers also cannot alter internet connections between devices and “lawful” sources, which would prevent throttling and paid fast lanes for specific media. The list goes on to include the ban of third-party paid prioritization, application-specific differential pricing, and more. 

Without rules, an internet service provider offering its own video streaming service could relegate Netflix and Hulu to “slow” lanes even if they provide better content. This bill, if passed, would prevent that type of prioritization. It would also prevent service providers from picking and choosing services that don’t count toward the customer’s data consumption. 

“Large ISPs such as AT&T don’t like this bill. They’ve mustered a series of absurd arguments that have been repeatedly rebutted. And yet, they came very close to convincing lawmakers to weaken the bill in their favor,” the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) said on Wednesday. 

Internet service providers like AT&T and Comcast don’t want net neutrality reinforced because the rules will “cut into their bottom line.” In other words, they won’t be able to charge extra for prioritization stemming from faster lanes, unfiltered content, and throttle-free connections. Their argument, according to the EFF, is that if they can’t generate revenue from those streams, internet subscription prices will rise. 

An argument can be made that internet service providers didn’t practice content filtering, throttling, or paid fast lane access prior to the net neutrality rules. Many providers claim they won’t change once the rules cease in June. But given how they lobby against California’s new bill and the effort to reverse the FCC’s decision, internet subscribers can’t help but worry about an internet without net neutrality. 

“It’s time for our federal lawmakers in the House of Representatives to follow the lead of the U.S. Senate and California State Senate, listen to their constituents, tech experts, and small business owners, and vote for the Congressional Review Act resolution,” says Evan Greer of digital rights group Fight for the Future. 

Editors’ Recommendations

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• California to introduce ‘Right to Repair’ bill for electronic devices
• AT&T and Verizon lobbying for increased pricing power over smaller ISPs
• Craigslist, Reddit prep for legal woes from FOSTA sex-trafficking bill

California’s pro-net neutrality bill passes the Senate, still faces Assembly

California is halfway to restoring net neutrality rules across the state. A bill to bring ease back into the hearts of California web surfers, SB-822, sailed through the state Senate on a 23 to 12 vote. The bill now moves on to the California Assembly before potentially landing in the hands of Gov. Jerry Brown. 

The news arrives after the U.S. Senate voted to reverse the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to kill its own net neutrality rules set in place under the Obama administration. The Congressional Review Act seeks to overturn the decision made by the FCC in December 2017, but still must go through the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, the FCC’s quest to “restore internet freedom” is still slated to go live in June. 

California’s bill aims to set net neutrality rules on a state level. The bill prohibits internet service providers from offering different quality of service levels outside specific conditions. It allows the state’s Attorney General to investigate and take action against those service providers in violation of the prohibitions. 

According to Section 1776 of the bill, internet service providers cannot block lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices. Providers also cannot alter internet connections between devices and “lawful” sources, which would prevent throttling and paid fast lanes for specific media. The list goes on to include the ban of third-party paid prioritization, application-specific differential pricing, and more. 

Without rules, an internet service provider offering its own video streaming service could relegate Netflix and Hulu to “slow” lanes even if they provide better content. This bill, if passed, would prevent that type of prioritization. It would also prevent service providers from picking and choosing services that don’t count toward the customer’s data consumption. 

“Large ISPs such as AT&T don’t like this bill. They’ve mustered a series of absurd arguments that have been repeatedly rebutted. And yet, they came very close to convincing lawmakers to weaken the bill in their favor,” the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) said on Wednesday. 

Internet service providers like AT&T and Comcast don’t want net neutrality reinforced because the rules will “cut into their bottom line.” In other words, they won’t be able to charge extra for prioritization stemming from faster lanes, unfiltered content, and throttle-free connections. Their argument, according to the EFF, is that if they can’t generate revenue from those streams, internet subscription prices will rise. 

An argument can be made that internet service providers didn’t practice content filtering, throttling, or paid fast lane access prior to the net neutrality rules. Many providers claim they won’t change once the rules cease in June. But given how they lobby against California’s new bill and the effort to reverse the FCC’s decision, internet subscribers can’t help but worry about an internet without net neutrality. 

“It’s time for our federal lawmakers in the House of Representatives to follow the lead of the U.S. Senate and California State Senate, listen to their constituents, tech experts, and small business owners, and vote for the Congressional Review Act resolution,” says Evan Greer of digital rights group Fight for the Future. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• U.S. Senate votes to overturn FCC’s repeal of net neutrality protections
• Congress is looking to bring fiber internet to you faster with the Dig Once bill
• California to introduce ‘Right to Repair’ bill for electronic devices
• AT&T and Verizon lobbying for increased pricing power over smaller ISPs
• Craigslist, Reddit prep for legal woes from FOSTA sex-trafficking bill

This website lets you earn cryptocurrency by picking World Cup winners

From June 14 to July 15, the attention of sports fans across the globe will mainly be focused on one thing — the 2018 World Cup in Russia. As usual with this event, more than a billion people will be cheering on their favorite teams while simultaneously making bold predictions as part of the official FIFA Bracket Challenge. But this year, those who have a knack for picking the winning teams could also earn themselves a bit of cryptocurrency as well, potentially cashing in on the current crypto craze to take home some serious cash.

A website called Cryptocup is hosting a bracket challenge of its own, with all entrants earning a digital token based 0n their picks for the outcome of the World Cup games. Those tokens are generated as part of the Ethereum blockchain, which means they will hold a certain value on cryptocurrency trading networks based on the current price of Ethereum itself. That value can — and likely will — fluctuate up and down throughout the month-long World Cup tournament.

While that tournament is taking place, the token will gain points based on the number of games that its owner has picked correctly. Those who accurately predict the outcome of the games will shoot up the Cryptocup leaderboards, putting them in position to take home a slice of the prize money. The goal is to be in the top 10 percent when the tournament ends, as those players will split the purse, which will have its value determined by the number of players who have entered the contest and the current value of Ethereum.

The organizers of the Cryptocup tournament say that roughly 25 percent of the money collected will go toward paying the website’s overhead throughout the tournament. The remainder will be split among the top 10 percent of the players, with the exception of a small consolation payout going to the player who finishes in last place overall.

But there is another element to the Cryptocup game that makes it even more intriguing. In addition to the token gaining points based on how well the owner predicts the outcome of the World Cup games, that same token can be bought and sold on a secondary trading market that will spring up around the website. This gives players the opportunity to sell their token and cash out early should they find someone interested in buying it. Similarly, would-be buyers can look to cash in on a potentially valuable token by making an offer to its owner. All transactions of this type will be subject to a five percent commission, which will also be added to the prize money.

Currently, the pot is valued at 19.5 ETH, which equates to about $11,150. The current buy-in for those who want to take part in the Cryptocup tournament is .075 ETH or approximately $42. That price will increase as we near the start of the World Cup, potentially fueling an even bigger purse and payout down the line.

To find out more and join in on the fun, visit the Cryptocup website.

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