Samsung Gear S4 smartwatch may use Wear OS, not Tizen

If true, this could be a huge win for Google.

It’s turning out that 2018 could be a very exciting year for Wear OS. Following rumors that Google’s working on its own Pixel Watch, it’s now being reported that Samsung’s developing a future Gear smartwatch that’ll ditch the Tizen operating system in favor of Wear OS.

Earlier this week, a rumor popped up on Chinese social network Weibo suggesting that the Gear S4 will be powered by Wear OS instead of Tizen. Weibo tips/leaks are usually pretty hit or miss, but shortly after that, Evan Blass took to Twitter with the following message —

Seen on the wrists of Samsung employees: Gear watches running not Tizen, but Wear OS.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) May 23, 2018

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Samsung will decide to release a Wear OS watch to the masses, but this piling evidence leads us to believe that the company is certainly toying with the idea.

Tizen has been Samsung’s operating system of choice for most all of its wearables, save for the Gear Live that was powered by Android Wear and released in 2014.

Samsung’s gotten a lot right with Tizen, but one of its pain points has long-been lacking developer support. Wear OS is far more endowed in these regards, and having a big name like Samsung backing the platform would be huge.

Would you like to see a Samsung smartwatch with Wear OS?

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Android Wear

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DirecTV Now adds DVR to Android and Amazon Fire TV

Roku is coming next — and still no Android TV.

The fine folks at DirecTV Now today announced that it’s updated its apps for Android and Amazon Fire TV, bringing with it not just the new user interface, but the long-awaited cloud-based DVR as well.

Just like with iOS, Apple TV and the web version, you’ll simply look for the REC button in the UI. Hit it and you’re recording.

The DVR “storage” still works the same, too. You’ve got 20 hours to play with, and recordings will expire after 30 days.

DirecTV Now says that Roku support is still on the way. Hopefully proper Android TV support is, too.

How to use cloud DVR with DirecTV Now

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These Custom iPhone X Models Made From Marble, Alligator Leather, or Sapphire Glass Cost Up to $10,000

Hadoro, a Parisian company that specializes in high-priced upscale iPhone cases, custom iPhones, and Apple Watch bands, today released a new lineup of custom iPhone X models made from a range of luxury materials including wood, sapphire glass, carbon fiber, marble, and alligator leather set in anodized stainless steel frames.

It’s not cheap to replace the entire casing of an iPhone with a new shell crafted from expensive, rare materials, so these iPhones, priced at 4,500 to 8,900 euros ($5,250 – $10,400) are not designed for the average Apple customer.

The most expensive of the devices replace the glass body of the iPhone X with a gold-plated frame covered in alligator leather complete with a diamond Apple logo, while some of the more affordable options are made from anodized, gold plated stainless steel covered with Karelian birch, sourced from a small forest in Finland.

Several other iPhones feature back panels made from durable, scratch proof sapphire glass, which as we know, Apple at one point explored as a material for the iPhone. The Moire Gold iPhone X, for example, features sapphire glass with a silkscreen printed moiré design nestled in a frame made from black anodized stainless steel and carbon fiber.

The craziest of Hadoro’s iPhone X models is a carbon fiber model that has a 3D image of a skeleton with glowing eye sockets. The eyes of the skeleton light up whenever the iPhone is turned on, and the color can be customized in the device settings.

All of these modified iPhones start out as the 256GB iPhone X and then have the housing, buttons, and Apple logo replaced with new materials. In many cases, the logos on these devices light up thanks to the modifications put in place. Core functionality remains intact, but for devices where the glass has been replaced by other materials, wireless charging is likely to be affected.

The aforementioned light up Apple logos glow whenever the iPhone is turned on or when an incoming call or text message is received, and the settings can be tweaked on the phone itself.

Replacing the casing of the iPhone naturally voids the standard Apple warranty, but people able to shell out thousands of dollars for a fancy iPhone aren’t likely too concerned about that. Hadoro does, however, include a one-year warranty with purchase.

If you have $5,000+ earmarked for a new iPhone, you can check out Hadoro’s full custom iPhone X collection on its website or at Harrods department store in London, Nous in Paris, and Ali Bin Ali in Qatar.

There’s been a market for insanely priced custom iPhone models for years now, and Hadoro isn’t the only one selling crazy custom devices. Caviar, another manufacturer known for creating iPhones from custom materials, recently debuted the iPhone X Tesla, an iPhone inspired by Tesla vehicles that is able to charge using solar power.

The iPhone X Tesla is is priced at just over $4,600, and for that price, you get the aforementioned solar charger with shock resistant panel and a custom carbon fiber frame. Caviar also has a range of other custom iPhone X models for those seeking the most ostentatious designs available.

Related Roundup: iPhone XBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Neutral)
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macOS 10.14 Wishlist: Features MacRumors Readers Hope to See in the Next Version of macOS

Apple is expected to preview the next-generation version of macOS, macOS 10.14, at the keynote event for the Worldwide Developers Conference, set to be held on June 4. Though the keynote is less than two weeks away, we’ve heard little about what we might expect to see in the new version of macOS aside from the possibility of cross-compatible Mac and iOS apps.

With so few rumors about macOS 10.14 available, we turned to the MacRumors community to ask our readers what they would like to see the most in the next version of macOS.

• Unified macOS and iOS design – With rumors of apps compatible with both iOS devices and Macs, MacRumors reader Glmnet1 would also like to see a more unified design between Macs and iOS devices. What that might look like is unclear, and while it could happen at some point, it’s not likely for this year as we’re not expecting major design changes with iOS 12 or macOS 10.14.
• Apple iOS apps for Mac – In the same vein, based on cross platform app rumors, several MacRumors readers would like to see iOS-exclusive apps like Apple News, Health, Activity, and Home made available on the Mac. A dedicated Apple Music app that’s separate from iTunes is also on at least one reader’s wishlist, as is an improved version of iTunes.
• HomeKit – A way to control HomeKit devices on Mac is a highly requested feature, either through the aforementioned Home app for the Mac or through Siri. At the current time, while Siri is available on macOS, the personal assistant can’t control HomeKit devices from the Mac.
• Complications as Menu Bar items – Complications are limited to the Apple Watch, but since the device’s debut, Apple Watch users have been hoping for their expansion to other platforms, including macOS and iOS. MacRumors reader ButteryScrollin would like Apple Watch-style complications to be added to the Mac’s Menu Bar, introducing new quick-access shortcuts.
• Split-Screen improvements – MacRumors reader bmac89 would like some iPad-like improvements to the Mac’s split-screen functionality, with options for dragging to resize or dismiss a split-screen view, opening apps into a split-screen view from the Dock or Spotlight, and initiating split-screen in the same way.
• APFS improvements – With macOS High Sierra, Apple introduced a new Apple Filesystem. The rollout of APFS was something of a nightmare for Apple customers who have Fusion drives that combine SSDs with traditional hard drives, and to this day, Apple has not implemented APFS support for Fusion drives. MacRumors reader Ncrypt would also like to see Apple use APFS to allow for macOS updates to install in the background to cut down on installation times.
• Group FaceTime – Group FaceTime is on both the macOS 10.14 and iOS 12 wishlists, and while it’s something Apple is rumored to be working on, it’s not clear if this is a feature that’s ready for debut.

As with iOS 12, many readers listed performance and stability improvements at the top of their wishlists for macOS 10.14, and it’s likely this is on Apple’s to-do list as well. Apple is rumored to have delayed some macOS 10.14 and iOS 12 features to 2019 in order to focus on internal improvements following a slew of high-profile bugs that have impacted iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra.

What new features are you hoping Apple adds to macOS 10.14? Let us know in the comments. Make sure you check out our macOS 10.14 roundup for more on what we might see in the update, including possible naming choices. We’ve also got a separate iOS 12 wishlist that has a list of what MacRumors readers are hoping will come to iOS in 2018.

Related Roundups: WWDC 2018, macOS 10.14
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Workhorse Group’s drones are now delivering packages in Ohio

Companies from Amazon to Airbus are talking about using drones to deliver packages, but Workhorse Group is actually doing it, on a small scale, at least. The company has teamed up with the Federal Aviation Administration and the city of Loveland, Ohio for a drone delivery pilot program.

Residents of Loveland (near Cincinnati) can opt into the program and have their packages delivered by drone. The drones are summoned using a dedicated app connected to “existing online ecommerce platforms,” a Workhorse press release said, although the company did not name any specific retailers. Customers can also use the app to set a delivery location, monitor the progress of a delivery, and receive a photograph as confirmation once the package is dropped off.

The Workhorse HorseFly drones used in the pilot program are octocopters with carbon fiber construction, autonomous GPS navigation capability, and infrared cameras used for landing. A HorseFly can deliver a 10-pound package, fly at a top speed of 50 mph, and stay airborne for 30 minutes at a time, according to Workhorse.

Drones will launch from Workhorse delivery vans as part of a so-called “last mile” delivery system. Having drones do some of the work will save money, said Workhorse, which expects the HorseFly to cost just 3 cents per mile to operate. Drones will launch off the back of a van’s roof and return after dropping off their packages to recharge. Remote observers will monitor video feed of each deliver to judge effectiveness and safety. Drones must also remain in line of sight at all times.

This isn’t the first time Workhorse has tested drone delivery. Last year, the company teamed up with UPS for a small-scale test. A HorseFly successfully delivered a package from the roof of a UPS delivery van in Lithia, Florida. The test served as an important proof of concept, but Workhorse is expecting more insight from its Ohio pilot project.

“Data from the pilot program will provide essential insights into consumer preferences, as well as real-world evidence to support expanded use cases of drone delivery with the FAA,” Workhorse said. It could be a major step toward Workhorse commercializing drone delivery, if other companies don’t do it first.

Google hypes mobile game creators in new behind-the-scenes series

Google wants to take you behind the scenes of some of your favorite video games. Google Play is launching a new video series called First Person: The personal stories of the creative people behind mobile gaming, and it’s aimed at highlighting some of the creative minds behind the games you might play on your phone.

To start with, the company is releasing three videos on three different individuals in the gaming industry. These individuals have worked not just on great mobile games, but also other games that have made waves in the gaming industry as a whole.

For starters, there’s Ashly Burch, a voice-actor known for voicing characters like Aloy in Horizon: Zero Dawn and Nebula from Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series. In this episode, Burch goes over things like where she draws inspiration for a voice-acting role and how that translates into her voice.

Next up is Bennett Foddy, a game designer and instructor at New York University’s Game Center. Foddy has been involved with games like QWOP and Getting Over it with Bennett Foddy, which have become pretty successful online. In this episode, Foddy goes over what makes creating challenging games so exciting.

The third and final episode to be released for now follows Vassiliki Khonsari, who co-founded Ink Stories and co-created 1979 Revolution: Black Friday, a popular mobile game. Khonsari specifically aims to use games to educate people, and in this video, she discusses Fire Escape, a virtual reality experience that goes over gentrification in Brooklyn.

The videos are each only a few minutes long, but they are an interesting look at the creators and developers behind the scenes of some of the best games out there.

Of course, it’s possible that Google is hoping to create more hype about some of the games on the Google Play Store through series like this. After Apple redesigned the App Store in 2017, it was found that users were downloading more apps from the service. While we don’t expect a major redesign of the Google Play Store anytime soon, Google could still be trying to encourage users to download more apps through other means.

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FBI inflates the number of encrypted smartphones it can’t access, report says

The number of encrypted smartphones the FBI has been unable to access has been grossly inflated to the public and lawmakers, according to The Washington Post. While the bureau said it was locked out of nearly 8,000 devices connected to crimes in 2017 alone, it appears the actual number of inaccessible phones may fall closer to 1,000 and 2,000.

After first becoming aware of the error nearly a month ago, the FBI has been working to get a better idea of the actual number of handsets it is unable to access due to encryption. The current internal estimate is around 1,200 handsets but the number may change in the coming weeks as the FBI launches an in-depth audit.

On Tuesday, May 22, the FBI released a statement about the miscount noting, “the FBI’s initial assessment is that programming errors resulted in significant over-counting of mobile devices reported.’’ The bureau went on to explain the miscalculation is due, in part, to three separate databases counting handsets multiple times.

While the FBI admits it grossly inflated the number of inaccessible smartphones to lawmakers and the public, the bureau remained steadfast about the danger of such devices. “Going Dark remains a serious problem for the FBI, as well as other federal, state, local and international law enforcement partners. … The FBI will continue pursuing a solution that ensures law enforcement can access evidence of criminal activity with appropriate legal authority.”

The acknowledgment is the latest blow for the FBI and law enforcement agencies around the country. After a string of attempts to strong-arm Apple into providing a backdoor to access devices involved in crimes, a company called GrayKey announced it created a relatively inexpensive device that allowed law enforcement agencies to unlock encrypted iPhones.

Just months after GrayKey was unveiled, hackers managed to access code for the device, putting its vulnerability center stage. Grayshift, the company that manufactures GrayKey, told Motherboard “a GrayKey unit’s UI was exposed to the internet for a brief period of time earlier this month.” While the company admitted one of its devices was exposed online, it maintains that the device is safe and no personal information was accessed through the breach.

Apple has also been aggressively working to protect its users’ private date since GrayKey was released. In April, the tech giant updated iOS 11.3 to limit access to iPhones. The update disables the lightning port of any iOS device seven days after it was last authenticated with via passcode, fingerprint, or Face ID.

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Mozilla teamed up with a brewery for an open-sourced beer, and we downed a pint

Mozilla is seriously into open-source. So seriously, in fact, that developer doesn’t just want to see it restricted to software. In its eyes, just about anything can go open-source. Even beer.

To prove it, Mozilla teamed up with Widmer Brothers, a brewery based in Portland, Oregon. The companies crafted a survey for community input on the style, hops, and any special additions drinkers might want to see. Responses were tabulated, weighed, and turned into a recipe by the brewers at Widmer.

The result, to no one’s great surprise, was the OpenSourcery Tropical IPA, which we tried at the beer’s launch event. Beer snobs might note that the beer came out decidedly un-tropical, instead leaning toward a more typical American IPA with heavy citrus notes. Still, any concerns that open-source brewing might lead to an undrinkable mish-mash were squashed; on the contrary, OpenSourcery is the definition of a quaffable IPA, the kind you’ll likely find in any brewery across the U.S.

Thomas Bleigh, Innovation Brewer of the Craft Brew Alliance, was on hand to talk about brewing the batch. “I’ve always wanted to see how we could interface beer and technology together in a meaningful way to create an interesting beer,” he told Digital Trends. “Originally, I thought metadata might be the way I’d want to gather information, use it to shape a beer, but then I got introduced to Mozilla. They were keen on open-sourcing, crowd-sourcing beer, so there can be more engagement and participation from a consumer standpoint.”

Thomas Bleigh stands by Mozilla’s Dave Camp at Widmer Brothers’ brewing in Portland, Oregon.

Open-source isn’t about doing something once, of course. It’s a philosophy that’s heavy on iteration and gradual improvement over time, and Bleigh says he plans to take the course with Mozilla’s help. “Think of this like early days of software, there will be a version 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0. What we’ll do eventually here is after this tasting, we’ll get feedback to do a second version to bottle it up, can it. We’ll also give away the recipe, so people can open-source it at home and make their own version.”

Bleigh would also like to refine how input is provided. The first batch was made off a survey, which meant participants could only choose from batches of predetermined options and had no direct input over the recipe’s details. The hope is to refine that in a future with the use of a homebrew calculator that allows calibration of specific malt and hop additions, as well as how the beer is brewed. Bleigh wants it to be a “very intimate experience,” where beer aficionados and homebrewers can offer specific feedback and take a more active role in the recipe’s iteration.

This is just the latest example of brewing and technology company together. The arrival of homebrewing machines like the PicoBrew make it easier to craft your own beer than ever before, and even harness the open-source spirit by letting homebrewers share recipes online. We’re eager to taste OpenSourcery 2.0 – and spin a few dials in the recipe’s formula, when the time comes.

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Having trouble keeping up with your meetings? Amazon Alexa can help

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Who needs a calendar when you have Alexa? The personal assistant is not only helping you control your house, but she’s now managing your schedule, too. Since 2017, Alexa has been able to keep tabs on your calendar — all you need to say to set a meeting or an appointment is, “Alexa, schedule a meeting for 10 a.m. on Wednesday.” But previously, if you needed to make a change to an existing event, you had to go to a computer or mobile device. That is no longer the case. Beginning this week, if you say, “Alexa, rearrange my meeting,” she will ask which event you need to be edited and what new timeslot you would like to occupy.

For an even simpler interaction, you can just command Alexa to move your 9 a.m. meeting on Tuesday to 3 p.m. on Wednesday. You’ll immediately see this change implemented on your computer, your phone, and anywhere else. Better still, you can actually get Alexa to schedule a meeting with a specific individual, as long as he or she is in your contact list.

For example, if you say, “Alexa, schedule a meeting with Carol,” she’ll find Carol from your digital black book, and if there are multiple people with matching names, confirm exactly which Carol you’re talking about. Then, Alexa will suggest a time that suits both of your calendars — be warned, this feature will only work if you and Carol have set your calendars to share information with one another. This way, you no longer have to carry on long, arduous conversations to determine who is available when. Alexa will check all of this for you.

As it stands, these new features have been rolled out to calendars in Gmail, G Suite, Office 365, and Microsoft Exchange. Currently, only Alexa users in the U.S. will be able to explore the whole host of calendar maintaining abilities that the smart assistant has, but it seems likely that this ability will soon be expanded to users in other parts of the world as well.

So if you’ve been having some trouble managing your calendar, look no further than Alexa — she’s only too happy to help.

How To Add A Keyboard and Mouse to Playstation 4

This probably isn’t going to work out the way you think, but you can have some fun.

PlayStation 4 gamers already have access to one of the best controllers in the world with DualShock 4 included in the box, but it’s not great for everything.

While Sony has put a ton of work into making the controller better for typing on the PS4, it’s still not ideal. The fix, if you’re really interested in typing on your PS4, is to use a mouse and keyboard. This isn’t going to make your gaming any better— in fact, most console games won’t recognize the mouse and keyboard as valid inputs for gaming — but if you chat with friends a lot or you want to use the included browser you’ll find some use with this combo.

Here’s how you get your mouse and keyboard up and running on a PlayStation 4.

Just plug it in?

The front of your PlayStation 4 includes a pair of USB ports for all sorts of things, from charging your controllers to hooking up a Bluetooth headset. If you have a mouse and keyboard you already love, you can plug them in right here and they will receive power just like everything else.

Most wireless input systems are supported as well, just plug the dongle you would normally connect to your PC into these ports and the connection will be mostly the same as your computer.

Bluetooth Mouse and Keyboard

If you have a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse without a dongle, things are a little different. To connect one of these:

Go to Settings on your PlayStation menu.
Locate Devices in this lest and press X.
Find Bluetooth Devices at the top of this list and press X.

This will start your PlayStation 4 pairing system for Bluetooth. From here, set your keyboard or mouse into “pairing mode” and it should appear in a list on this screen. Select your device with X when you find it, and the PlayStation should connect to it.

Keyboard Settings

The Devices menu on your PlayStation 4 includes a setting for External keyboards. This menu includes three options for configuration. You can adjust the language of the keyboard you are using with the Type setting, but the default will be set to whatever your current default language is.

You can also control key repeat settings, both the delay between key presses and the rate of repeat presses when holding any particular key down. This can be useful for games like War Thunder, one of the few PlayStation 4 games with mouse and keyboard support. Adjusting this setting to your liking can have an impact on your performance when you hold a key down instead of repeatedly pressing it.

Each of these settings can be easily changed at any time through this menu, even in the middle of gameplay.

Now what?

With your trusty mouse and keyboard attached, you can now type faster when sending messages to friends or send more detailed messages when posting screenshots and gameplay video. Any time you see the PlayStation keyboard show up in a menu, your newly connected keyboard will be able to replace it for typing.

Of course, this also includes browsing the web. The web browser on your PlayStation 4 isn’t quite as capable as the one on a computer, but it’s right there on your TV and ready to be used at a moment’s notice. Enjoy!

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