Nvidia RTX 2080 reviews may not drop until September 19

The second-most-powerful graphics card in Nvidia’s upcoming Turing generation of GPUs, the RTX 2080, may not be revealed in all its green glory until September 19. Rumors suggest that due to problems with reviewers acquiring the cards and receiving adequate drivers, the non-disclosure-agreement (NDA) that they signed has been extended from September 17 to September 19. That gives them a couple of extra days for testing and two days more for the world to wait to find out what those cards can really do.

Nvidia’s RTX-series graphics cards, the 2070, 2080, and 2080 Ti, have been mired in middling controversy since their original unveiling. Despite impressive ray tracing and supersampling features, their hardware appeared to be catering to everyone but gamers, their performance in hands-on testing seemed far from stellar, and the prices are several hundred dollars higher than the last generation. Real world numbers showing the cards dominating in games tested by third parties would go a long way to fixing some of those misgivings, but we’re going to have to wait a little longer to see those, it seems.

The original NDA lifting dates for the various hardware options were said to be September 14 for the Turing architecture itself, September 17 for the RTX 2080, and September 19 for the RTX 2080 Ti. However, VideoCardz’s sources now suggest that the date for the 2080 has been pushed back to the 19th, meaning we’ll only learn of its performance capabilities on the same day as the 2080 Ti.

Although some have cried foul at this news, suggesting that Nvidia is concerned about the performance of the 2080, neither it, nor the 2080 Ti will ship out to anyone until at least September 20, so for those on the fence about its capabilities, there should be plenty of time to learn what they can do before ordering. That said, stock of the new-gen cards is already quite low due to heavy pre-orders based on speculative performance numbers.

Even with availability and pricing concerns with the 2080 and 2080 Ti though, they may be more popular cards with the Turing generation than their predecessors. New rumors about the midrange options, like the expected RTX 2060, suggest that only the high-end cards from the new generation will sport the RT cores that make real-time ray tracing possible.

As graphics card prices return to some semblance of normality following more than a year of price hikes, top cards from the last generation could be attractive buys for those considering upgrading without the need for the new-gen features.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile sighting hints at more powerful gaming laptops
• Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 20 Series starts at $500 and features real-time ray tracing
• Everything you need to know about the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2000 series
• Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2060 might launch next year without ray tracing
• Leaked benchmark shows the RTX 2080 outperforming the GTX 1080 Ti

Samsung opens the world’s largest mobile experience center in India

Samsung will showcase phones, wearables, and VR headsets at the 33,000 sq. ft. retail store in Bengaluru.

Samsung opened the world’s largest phone factory in India earlier this year, and the company has turned to the country once again for its largest retail store globally. Samsung’s Opera House store in Bengaluru, India is dubbed the world’s largest mobile experience center, with the company showcasing phones, accessories, VR headsets, IoT, wearable devices, and home appliances at the 33,000 sq. ft. store.

The store itself was constructed during the Colonial era, with Samsung restoring the original facade over the course of the last two years. Samsung says it will offer a plethora of VR experiences for customers visiting the store, which include a Whiplash Pulsar 4D chair that makes “360 degrees three-dimensional movements,” and much more:

One can slip into the role of a fighter pilot doing extreme aircraft stunts, or experience a space battle, or a roller coaster ride. For those who enjoy the thrills of kayaking or rowing, a not-to-be-missed VR experience is awaiting them. Fitness enthusiasts can cycle through scenic Europe, racing alongside a friend.

Samsung will also give customers the ability to book the store’s home theater zone for viewing movies and TV shows. The brand will highlight its QLED TVs — including The Frame TV — as well as the Family Hub refrigerators and smart ovens. The store also hosts a customer service center and comes with free public Wi-Fi.

Those looking to pick up accessories will have no dearth of choice, and Samsung will also offer custom engraving options:

Samsung will have the biggest ever display of accessories, including cases, covers and power banks, on a 24-feet wall at its largest mobile experience centre in the world. Here, consumers will be offered unique customization options for accessories such as installation of military strength skins for screen protection and 360 degree body protection.

They can also get laser engraving done of any design or content on the mobile covers they choose from. There will also be a range of Harman Kardon, JBL and Samsung audio products to choose from.

The Opera House store further highlights Samsung’s commitment to the Indian market. The company has faced stiff competition in recent quarters, but it looks like Samsung is intent on turning the tide in its favor.

Google Wifi vs. Eero: Which should you buy?

We’re a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe. The majority of our work is also done from a home office, where great Wi-Fi is a must. We’ve tried all these products and know what works best.

Google Wifi

The name you know

$257 at Amazon

Pros

• Whole-house coverage
• Easy setup
• Inexpensive
• App-based administration
• Secure

Cons

• Google collects data
• Can’t change settings when the internet is down
• No dedicated wireless backhaul
• Large satellites

Google Wifi is simple to use, easy to set up, and inexpensive; you can even run a cable to a switch should you need to do it. On the downside, there’s no dedicated channel for backhaul and Google does collect some data about how the product is being used.

eero Home

Fits anywhere

$399 at Amazon

Pros

• Whole-house coverage
• Easy setup
• Small satellites
• Thread support
• Secure

Cons

• Beacons not Tri-band
• Short range
• Beacons have no ports
• No backhaul channel on beacons

An eero mesh system is simple to install and set up with beacons that plug directly into a wall outlet and fit anywhere. But the Home version doesn’t offer much more performance gain over Google Wifi while costing more.

Both Google Wifi and eero Home are excellent entry-level mesh Wi-Fi systems and each delivers on their main promise — better Wi-Fi throughout your home. If you’re vested in the Google ecosystem you can save a few dollars and get the Google Wifi, but if you want better internet-of-things support, eero offers dedicated Thread (IEEE 802.15.4) connectivity out of the box.

The need to know details

Internally, the Google Wifi units and eero Home base have the same hardware. The quad-core ARM CPU and 512MB of RAM don’t seem like much, but it’s more than sufficient to keep your Wi-Fi network running smoothly and send the information where it needs to go. The biggest differences are in the radio support, and that the eero Home system uses receptacle-mounted beacons instead of multiple base stations.

Both systems are “prosumer” devices — designed and marketed to the average household with an eye towards the tech-lover. They offer all the basic networking control you’d need for your home network and have additions like access control, easy to share passwords, guest networks, and device prioritization and pausing. You won’t have much trouble with Netflix buffering or gaming lag provided you have enough units and place them appropriately.

The eero beacons are smaller and easier to place but lack ethernet ports. This can be a downside if you need to connect something like a Philips Hue hub or network switch for your home theater, but most users won’t need them or care. If you do need ports the eero Pro system retails for $497 for a 3-pack of eero base stations and offers better network speeds with full triband wireless and wireless backhaul.

You can’t go wrong with either option

Each system comes highly recommended; you can’t go wrong here and we can’t stress that enough.

Google Wifi costs a bit less for a three pack, but you may find that it also offers better coverage than an eero since each Google Wifi unit is essentially a base station and covers more airspace. The addition of Ethernet ports on every piece makes connecting to smart hubs or other devices easy. It also facilitates a way to use a cable to extend the network or act as wired backhaul. It’s not tri-band like the eero base station, so if you need the extra connectivity than what 5.8GHz offers, you’ll need to look at eero.

The eero Home 3-pack is simple to set up and the beacons will fit into places where a Google Wifi won’t because they mount directly into a wall plug. The range of an individual beacon isn’t as good as other products, but the ease of adding another makes up for it. Thread networking is supported out of the box, a trend that’s catching on with companies like Nest and Apple. An eero beacon doesn’t have any Ethernet ports, but it also doesn’t have Google collecting any data (read about that here) if that’s a concern.

If you need to cover a large area you’ll appreciate eero Home’s almost endless expansion as adding beacons is simple and they fit everywhere. We can’t pick one over the other in this case, and can easily recommend either for most people. If you have special considerations you’ll need to decide which works best for you.

Google Wifi is the simplest choice to make

If you don’t have any equipment that needs 5.8GHz wireless and lives in an average to large home, Google Wifi is the simplest choice. It costs less compared to the eero Home and works great. As a plus, each unit has the required ports for a wired-backhaul setup or to connect other devices with a CAT6 cable.

Google Wifi

Inexpensive and works great

$257 at Amazon

The simple solution from a name you already know.

Google Wifi is a great product for almost every home. It doesn’t offer the better speeds you see from a mesh system with wireless backhaul and tri-band radios, but most users will never notice and even stressful applications like Netflix binging work great.

The eero gives you more flexibility at a higher price

If you need to cover a large area you’ll appreciate eero Home’s almost endless expansion as adding beacons is simple and they fit everywhere. As a plus working Thread support means you’re ready for the next wave of IoT devices.

eero Home

Fits everywhere

A more flexible solution from wireless mesh pioneers.

$399 at Amazon

An eero Home system is also perfect for most homes. The beacons are small and plug directly into a wall socket for easy placement, and what they lack in range they make up for by being so easy to add more.

Instagram Tests Video Tagging Feature Among Select Users

Instagram is testing a new feature that allows users to tag friends in videos (via TechCrunch). The option uses the same icon that users normally tap at the bottom left of tagged photos, but instead of overlaying the content with tagged names, the button links to a separate page listing all the people tagged in the video.

The new page, titled “People in this Video”, also lists users that the original poster wants to notify of the shared content. As it stands, the videos don’t copy over to the tagged users’ profiles like tagged photos do, but that could change if Instagram opts to roll out the feature globally in future.

Video tagging in Instagram (via TechCrunch)
Video tagging only appears in the mobile app right now, so it won’t show up for anyone using the web version of the social media platform. Instagram also confirmed that the feature is currently only available to a “small percentage” of users who specifically opted in to test video tagging.

Photo tagging has been possible on Instagram since 2013, with the feature having since been extended to support additional usage scenarios, such as product tagging and tagging friends in Stories. Video sharing was introduced later the same year, but the ability to tag people in them has been missing thus far.

TechCrunch notes that the introduction of video tagging could drive additional engagement on the platform and usher in a spate of “shoppable videos” that could enable users with a large following to share videos promoting their favorite products, places, and brands more easily.

Tag: Instagram
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This quadcopter is a ‘flying battery’ than can stay in the sky for 2 hours

A big annoyance for drone owners is the limited amount of time you can keep your bird in the sky before the juice runs out.

Many of today’s remotely controlled copters can only stay in the sky for around 30 minutes tops, so buying a couple of extra batteries is a necessity for most pilots when they order their machine.

But Impossible Aerospace says it can change all that.

Impossible Aerospace

The Sunnyvale, California-based startup on Monday announced a battery-powered quadcopter capable of staying in the sky for up to two hours on a single charge, or 78 minutes with a 3-pound payload.

Designed by experienced engineers from the likes of Tesla and SpaceX, the US-1 drone is, in simple terms, a battery with propellors. Indeed, the “battery-first” approach was key in the machine’s development.

“The US-1 is more than just a drone — it’s the first aircraft designed properly from the ground up to be electric, using existing battery cells without compromise,” Spencer Gore, CEO of Impossible Aerospace, said in a release. “It’s not so much an aircraft as it is a flying battery, leveraging an energy source that doubles as its primary structure.”

The CEO said this is how electric aircraft will need to be built if they’re to compete with conventional designs and displace petroleum fuels in aviation. Gore hinted at plans to incorporate the technology into larger aircraft, a move that could result in a major shift in the aviation industry.

The US-1 drone

With its 26-inch frame, the US-1 has a top speed of 42 mph and tips the scales at at a hefty 15.7 pounds, making it about five times heavier than DJI’s Phantom 4 Pro — not all that surprising considering its larger lithium-ion battery.

Impossible Aerospace, which was founded in 2016, is aiming its machine at the commercial market and says it’s already received orders from firefighters, police departments, and search and rescue teams. Important extras such as optical and thermal sensors are also part of the US-1’s package, and delivery to customers is expected later this year.

A bonus for companies with concerns about privacy and national security issues is that the US-1 will be engineered and assembled entirely in the U.S.

But at $7,500 for the basic model, the drone doesn’t come cheap. Whether potential customers will be attracted by the US-1’s extended flight time over, say, DJI’s Inspire 2, which offers 27 minutes of flight time at less than half the cost, could be key to the drone’s success.

Editors’ Recommendations

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• This net-blasting security drone can stay airborne forever. Here’s how.
• DJI Mavic 2 Zoom review

Orbiting satellite offers a unique view of a recent rocket launch

Rocket launches are spectacular whichever way you look at them. In fact, they’re so darn impressive they can even cause drivers to take their eyes off the road, occasionally leading to all kinds of unwanted metallic entanglements.

While footage of most launches is shot by cameras on the ground, we occasionally get a glimpse of a lift-off from another angle, for example, via a camera attached to the rocket itself.

But how about this for something a little different: A rocket launch captured by a camera on an orbiting satellite.

Truly god view, Jilin-1 video satellite shot @OneSpace01 OS-X1 suborbital rocket’s launch at JSLC this noon. pic.twitter.com/KposRHZc4D

— dafeng cao (@dafengcao) September 7, 2018

Spotted by The Verge, the camera on China’s perfectly positioned Jilin-1 satellite captured a rocket launch that took place last week at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, around 1,000 miles west of Beijing.

The Jilin-1 satellite was orbiting at an altitude of around 332 miles (535 km) as the OS-X1 rocket launched from Jiuquan at around lunchtime local time on Friday, news site GB Times reported.

The video shows the early stages of the launch of the solid-fueled rocket, which took just over three minutes to reach an altitude of 22 miles (35 km). The suborbital OS-X1, also known as the Chongqing Liangjiang Star, is operated by OneSpace, a private space company based in Beijing. OneSpace and Jilin-1 owner Chang Guang Satellite were both founded after the Chinese government began to allow private investment in space companies in 2014.

OneSpace has plans to become a major player in the increasingly competitive market of small-satellite launchers, with CEO Shu Chang aiming for 10 launches next year.

How do they capture those incredible pictures?

YouTube is choc full of stunning rocket-launch footage, shot mainly by cameras down on the ground rather than from anything in the air. Earlier this year, YouTuber Primal Space took the time to explain how such extraordinary imagery is captured, and the kind of equipment needed to nail it.

While it’s certainly entertaining for regular folks to watch, the high-quality footage is also useful for space companies as it allows them to analyze their rockets in great detail during the launch sequence.

You can check out Primal Space’s fascinating video here.

Editors’ Recommendations

• SpaceX just landed another of its reusable Block 5 rockets
• The world’s biggest plane now has some rockets to launch
• This crash-tastic video shows why rocket launches aren’t easy
• Japan preps first test for its awesome ‘space elevator’
• SpaceX wins confidence-boosting Falcon Heavy contract with U.S. Air Force

Finally, Apple Pay and Google Pay arrive at 7-Eleven this month

Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images

You really want convenience stores to double down on convenience at every opportunity, ensuring everything is as convenient as possible the moment you walk through the door. But for fans of Apple Pay and Google Pay, this hasn’t been the case at 7-Eleven. Until this month, that is.

It’s been a long time coming, but 7-Eleven is about to support both of these contactless payment services, banishing the annoyance — or sheer inconvenience — of having to handle fiddly coins or fish around for a bill whenever you hit the checkout.

It means that so long as you have a compatible smartphone or smartwatch, you’ll be able to simply tap your device on the store’s reader when you go to pay for your goods. OK, it’s not quite as convenient as Amazon’s super-convenient Go store, but it’s a step in the right direction, for sure.

Support for Apple Pay and Google Pay is rolling out at the majority of 7-Eleven’s U.S. stores throughout September, adding to the company’s other mobile payment options that also include Samsung Pay.

“Frictionless experiences are the future, and digital payments are key to such experiences,” 7-Eleven executive Gurmeet Singh said in a release.

Singh said 7-Eleven’s aim is to “adopt consumer-facing technology to enhance the customer experiences, as well as the technologies that work behind the scenes to ensure seamless and effortless interactions.”

Other efforts by 7-Eleven in the tech space include its 7-Eleven Now app that allows online ordering, and 7Rewards, an app-based customer loyalty program that lets shoppers earn and redeem points at the checkout. And didn’t it dabble in drone deliveries a while back?

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed a few months ago that Apple Pay was on its way to 7-Eleven’s 10,000 or so U.S. stores, and now it’s finally landed.

If you’re new to the idea of making contactless payments using your iPhone or Android device, Digital Trends has all the information you need. Check out this page to find out how to use Apple Pay, and this one to learn all about Google Pay. And as we’ve already mentioned it, here’s everything you need to know about Samsung Pay, too.

Editors’ Recommendations

• What is Google Pay? Here’s what you need to know
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• Apple found guilty of infringing WiLan patents, must pay $145 million
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Tesla to Restock Sold-Out Wireless Phone Charger at a Discount

Tesla is notifying customers that it will soon restock its wireless phone charger at a discount, after the device quickly sold out when it was released late last month.

The Verge reports that emails are going out to customers informing them that the Tesla Wireless Charger, originally costing $65, will return to the electric car maker’s online store at a roughly $15 discount, thanks to a higher production run this time around.

The battery-powered Qi-based charger features a sleek white or black enclosure, a 6,000 mAh battery for charging on the go, 5W of output, a built-in USB-C cable for Android devices, and a USB-A port that supports faster wired charging.

Tesla says customers who purchased the charger when it first went on sale in August will be refunded the $16 difference, but the company omitted to mention when the discounted version will be available. We’ll update this post if we learn more.

Tag: Tesla
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How to install Android Pie-based OxygenOS Open Beta on the OnePlus 6

Be the first to try out all the new features coming to OxygenOS.

OnePlus mentioned at the start of the year that it would do a better job rolling out updates, and that’s exactly what it’s doing. The company has kicked off the Android Pie-based OxygenOS open beta for the OnePlus 6, so if you’re interested in taking a look at all the new features coming to OxygenOS, here’s how you can get on the beta channel.

The Pie-based beta build features a new UI along with a redesigned gesture navigation system, Do Not Disturb mode with more granular controls, and Gaming Mode 3.0.

Before you proceed with the installation, there are a few things to note. First, as this is a beta, you’re bound to encounter glitches and crashes, and Google Pay integration is broken. If you rely on the service a lot, you’re better off waiting for future beta builds. If you don’t use Google Pay and are interested in taking a look at what’s new, read on below.

How to install OxygenOS Open Beta on the OnePlus 6

OnePlus rolled out the OxygenOS Open Beta build last week, and quickly followed it up with Open Beta 2. Installing the build takes just under 10 minutes if you’re upgrading from the stable OxygenOS channel, and the process won’t delete data and apps on your phone. Nevertheless, you should back up important documents and files before you proceed.

The easiest way to install OxygenOS Open Beta 2 is to download the build directly on your phone and move it to the root folder. Here’s how that works:

Go to OnePlus’ download page, scroll down to ROM downloads in the OnePlus 6 section and select OnePlus 6 OxygenOS Open Beta 2 to commence the download (1.49GB).
Open File Manager from the app drawer after the download is finished.

Select Downloads.

Long press the downloaded file to select it, and tap the action menu (three vertical dots) on the top right corner to see file transfer options.
Tap Copy.

Select Internal storage.

Use the Paste command to paste the file in the directory.
Exit the file manager, and open Settings from the app drawer or home screen.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Select System.
Tap System updates.

Hit the gear icon in the top right corner.

Choose Local upgrade.
The build that you placed in the root directory should be listed here. Select the file to install OxygenOS Open Beta 2 on your OnePlus 6.

The installation takes about five to ten minutes, after which you’ll be able to use the Android Pie-based OxygenOS build.

I’ve been using the beta for just over a day now, and I haven’t encountered any major issues thus far. If you’re not willing to try out the beta build, a stable Pie-based OxygenOS build should be arriving sometime by the end of next month if previous beta cycles are any indication.

Already installed the latest OxygenOS Open Beta? Hit up the comments below to share your experience.

OnePlus 6

• OnePlus 6 review
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• Join the discussion in the forums

Apple Maps Transit Directions Rolling Out in Alaska, Wyoming and Idaho

Apple recently updated its Maps app to add transit directions and data for areas in Alaska, Wyoming, and Idaho.

Apple Maps users in select cities in these states can now select public transportation routes when getting directions between two locations. In Alaska, for example, there are bus routes and other transit options in cities that include Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks.

In Wyoming, transit options are available in areas that include Cheyenne and Jackson, and in Idaho, transit data is available in Victor.

Transit information appears to still be rolling out in these three states and could expand to additional cities over the course of the next few weeks.

Apple has not yet added Wyoming, Alaska, and Idaho to the website where it lists locations where transit directions are available, but it should be added in the near future.

Transit directions were first added to Apple Maps in 2015 with the launch of iOS 9. Maps initially only offered transit information in a handful of cities, but over the course of the last three years, Apple has worked to expand the feature to additional areas.

Transit information is now live in dozens of cities and countries around the world, with a full list available on Apple’s iOS 11 Feature Availability website.

(Thanks, Ram!)

Tag: Apple Maps
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