The Andromeda botnet still lingers as nations struggle to clean infected PCs

A recent threat landscape report published by Fortinet suggests that although the FBI and European law enforcement ended the Andromeda botnet’s reign in late 2017, there are still systems infected with the malware. The firm indicates that the process of cleaning up the infected PCs isn’t progressing at the same pace across regions, as it’s still a large problem in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

At its core, Andromeda — or rather Gamarue —  is a platform to deliver a galaxy of malware variants (actually just a mere 80) including ransomware, banking trojans, spam bots, click-fraud malware and more. Between June 2017 and its supposed demise before the start of 2018, Andromeda was on a roll, as it was detected and blocked on more than 1 million machines each month on average.

According to Microsoft, the Andromeda command and control structure spanned 1,214 domains and IP addresses. It also comprised of 464 “distinct” botnets as well as the 80-plus associated malware families. Andromeda was sold on the black market as a “crime kit” that included a bot builder, a command-and-control application, and documentation on how to create a botnet.

What made Andromeda an extremity attractive sell was its modular nature. The kit came with two plug-ins, one of which could turn a PC into a proxy server. For an additional $150, hackers could purchase the keylogger plug-in or grab the Formgetter plug-in for another $250, which captured data submitted through web browsers.

Hackers spread Andromeda through various methods such as social media messages with malicious links, spam email with similar links, trojan downloaders and more. Once it infected a machine, Andromeda contacted a command and control server to become part of a larger network of infected PCs. Once that happened, hackers could do anything with the seized army of machines.

But as the report indicates, getting rid of Andromeda is no simple feat. In Africa alone, Andromeda has the highest prevalence with 25.6 percent followed by the H-worm at 13.8 percent and Ramnit at 10.07 percent. Andromeda tops the charts in Asia followed by Ramnit (9.83 percent) and the H-worm (7.4 percent).

The report suggests that problem with these high percentages is likely tied to the response and remediation capabilities of these countries.

Outside noting the slow progression of cleaning up the Andromeda debris, the report tips its hat at VPNFilter, a Russian-developed nation-state-sponsored attack that targets networking routers. The FBI previously distributed a warning to U.S. citizens, calling on Americans to reboot their routers to cut off possible ties to the malware’s command and control servers.

The report also calls the Smominru botnet a “notable addition,” a Monero mining malware targeting Windows-based PCs. It was spread through the EternalBlue exploit, and as a botnet mined around 24 XMR each day. As of this publication, the value of a single XMR was $81, meaning the hackers were generating around $1,944 per day.

Other botnets that are permanent fixtures on the firm’s Threat Landscape Report each month include Gh0st, Pushdo, Necurs and three others.

Editors’ Recommendations

• An all-in-one botnet is on the rise, packing a scary buffet of attacks
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• Duck, cover, and reboot your router? Why the FBI’s new warning is no joke
• FBI: Reboot, reset your router immediately to prevent cyberattacks
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 is made for Windows PCs with ‘innovative form factors’

Pandora Premium is now supported by Google Home and Smart Displays

There’s a lot going on with the Google Assistant — let’s break down the important stuff.

In May 2016, we got our very first taste of the Google Assistant with the debut of Allo. The Assistant was a big draw to Allo at the time, with Google marketing it as a helpful bot that could make restaurant reservations, search the web, and more within your conversations.

Since then, the Assistant has gained heaps of new features and expanded to smartphones, tablets, speakers, and more. Google’s shown no interest in slowing down development for the Assistant, meaning that it’s likely here for the long-haul.

Whether this is your first encounter with it or you just need a quick refresher, here’s everything you need to know about the Google Assistant.

The latest Google Assistant news

August 14, 2018 — Pandora Premium now supported by Google Home and Smart Displays

Users have been able to stream Pandora through Google Home speakers for quite some time now, but starting today, you’ll be able to link your Pandora Premium account so you can listen to specific, on-demand songs/playlists in addition to the service’s popular radio stations.

Pandora Premium costs $9.99/month like the majority of its competitors, but if you own a Google Home, you can get a free 90-day trial to test out the service before handing over any of your hard-earned cash.

You can start listening to Pandora Premium on the Google Home, Home Mini, Home Max, Lenovo Smart Display, and other Google Assistant speakers right now.

August 9, 2018 — Deeper, more specific news coverage is now rolling out

Pretty much since the Assistant’s inception, you’ve been able to say “Hey, Google, what’s the news?” to get a quick overview of all the big headlines for any given day.

Starting today and rolling out to users across the U.S., you can now ask the Assistant about news for specific topics, such as “What’s the latest on NASA?” or “What’s the news on the women’s national soccer team?”. Asking these questions on a Smart Display will pull up related YouTube videos while audio-only speakers such as Google Home will read out excerpts from news articles.

Additionally, this command will also be available for Android Auto, Android phones, and Assistant-powered headphones like the Bose QC35 II.

All the important details

Google Now paved the way for Google Assistant

The Google Now page compared to the new Google Feed.

Before there was the Google Assistant, we had Google Now. Google Now was introduced to the world all the way back in 2012, offering contextual info through the Google Now page and helpful answers to random questions with an “OK Google” voice command.

A lot of what made Google Now so great can still be found in the Google Assistant today, with the exception of the Google Now page. The Google Now page used to be home to cards showcasing the weather, information on packages that had shipped from online orders, boarding passes, and more. It’s since been replaced by the Google Feed – a collection of news stories Google thinks you’ll be interested in – and it’s definitely the biggest departure between the two services.

The Google Assistant as a whole is still more powerful than Google Now ever was, but long-time Android users like myself are still mourning the loss of that Now page. RIP, old friend.

Read more: Google Now is being left to wither and die as Google Assistant takes the focus

It’s available on just about everything

In just a few short years, the Google Assistant’s gone from being exclusive to a now-failed chat app to being integrated into just about anything you can think of.

You’ll find Google Assistant built right into most Android phones, it’s the star of the show for the Google Home lineup, and it’s even making its way into sound bars.

Here’s the full list of devices with Google Assistant

Setting up the Google Assistant is as easy or complex as you want

When you set up a device for the first time that has the Assistant, getting started is pretty simple. Accessing it is just a voice command or tap away depending on what gadget you’re using, but if you want to really fine-tune your experience, Google’s got you covered.

Take a quick dive into your Assistant settings and you’ll find options for just about everything – including your weather preferences, changing the Assistant’s voice, retraining your voice model, picking out preferred news sources, and much more.

How to set up and customize Google Assistant

Google Assistant is available in multiple regions and languages

Of course, a smart voice assistant isn’t any good if you can’t actually use it. Fortunately, Google Assistant will be available in 52 countries —adding 38 countries this year — and 17 languages by the end of 2018.

More: Google Assistant will expand to 38 countries and 17 languages in 2018

Google Home’s the premier way to get the Assistant in your house (at least for now)

It’s great to have the Google Assistant on your phone, but if you want to truly experience just how helpful it can be, you’ll want to consider picking up a Google Home.

Google Home is Google’s line of smart speakers that put the Assistant on full-display, allowing you to control smart devices, ask random questions, set timers, play music, and more by just using your voice.

You can spend as little as $49 for the Google Home Mini, $129 for the original Google Home, or a whopping $399 for the Google Home Max.

However, as great as the Home series is, don’t forget that Smart Displays are just on the horizon.

Announced at CES 2018, Smart Displays are essentially smart speakers with the Google Assistant and a touch screen display that can show you helpful visuals when talking to them. It’s basically Google’s answer to the Amazon Echo Show and Echo Spot, and we can’t wait to see more from them.

Everything you need to know about Google’s Home speakers

Then again, is an always-listening speaker the right fit for your home?

However, the convenience of a Google Home (or any smart speaker for that matter) does come at the cost of privacy. Speakers like the Google Home are “always listening”, meaning they’re constantly on the lookout for a hot word to know when you’re talking to it (such as “Ok, Google” and “Hey, Google”).

This means the microphone on a Google Home is always active, but it’s not necessarily storing all the audio it hears when it doesn’t detect its hot word.

Most all speakers allow you to restore some privacy by being able to mute the microphone, but if you want to start asking the Assistant questions, you’ll need to unmute it first.

To learn more about these “always listening” speakers, I’ll pass the mic over to Jerry

Big upgrades are coming to the Assistant on Wear OS

Switching gears for a second, the Google Assistant on Wear OS (formerly Android Wear) is about to get a big upgrade.

In the near future, the Assistant on Wear OS will support Assistant Actions (basically apps for the Assistant) and give you the option to hear its responses through your watch’s speaker or a pair of connected Bluetooth headphones.

Along with this, Google will be adding something called “smart suggestions.” After asking the Assistant for the weather, for example, you’ll see little bubbles for “weather tonight”, “use celsius”, and more so you can continue the conversation with just the tap of your finger. Google Assistant on Android offers something similar, and it’s a great tool to have.

IFTTT supercharges the Assistant’s usefulness

IFTTT (If This Then That) is a powerful online tool that allows you trigger something (that) if a certain event (this) happens. You can connect IFTTT to the Google Assistant to create your own recipes using this formula, and it can allow for some incredibly helpful combinations.

Some of our favorite uses for IFTTT and the Assistant include adding contacts to your Google account, setting your Google Calendar status to Busy for a certain period of time, and much, much more.

Getting started with IFTTT can take some time and patience if you’re new to it, but once you’re all set up and ready to go, it can prove to be a lifesaver.

How to connect Google Home and IFTTT to do amazing things with your connected tech

You’ll get the same experience no matter what devices you use

With so many devices capable of running the Assistant, it’d be easy to think that the experience you get on one gadget would be different from another. This is something that Google struggled with for a while at first, but we’re finally in a position where the Assistant experience you get on a smart speaker, for example, is the same you’ll get on your phone.

There are a handful of features here and there that still create for some discrepency, but for the most part, the Assistant you use on your Pixel 2 is the same one found on Google Home.

Google Home and Google Assistant finally offer the same experience

Google Duplex is actually going to be a thing

Google showed off Duplex — Google Assistant making natural-sounding phone calls on your behalf — at I/O 2018, but quickly noted that it was just an experiment. Flash forward a couple months, and Google announced that certain users have started testing Duplex, and a public release will be here in the next few months. Before you know it, Google Assistant will be able to book hotels, dinner reservations, hair appointments and more without you lifting a finger.

More: What is Google Duplex?

Updated July 2018: Added the Google Duplex and language support sections, as well as links to recent Assistant news.

How to completely disable Bixby

Get rid of the Galaxy’s most disappointing feature.

The Galaxy Note 9 is coming August 24, and it also integrates Bixby. While we’re still evaluating the software, we believe that these steps will be the same on the Galaxy Note 9.

Ever since Samsung announced the Galaxy S8 with its onboard assistant, Bixby, people have been asking for ways to disable it and forget the button ever existed in the first place. With the Galaxy S9, that chorus is even louder.

While the hardware’s not going anywhere, we can definitely do something about the software. Here’s how to get rid of Bixby Voice and, if you’re using Samsung’s launcher, Bixby Home.

Why do you want to disable Bixby?

One of the biggest frustrations with the Bixby button is its placement; the button is right under the volume keys and nearly directly opposite the power buttons. On larger phones like the Galaxy S9+ and Note 8, this often leads to accidental presses and unintended Bixby launches, especially when double-pressing the power button to launch the camera.

The Bixby button is also not mappable to another action; Samsung wants you to use it for Bixby, or not at all. This isn’t ideal, so many people will inevitably choose to just forget it exists and move on.

How to disable Bixby Voice

Bixby is divided into two distinct categories: Bixby Voice and Bixby Home. Voice is the feature that lets you get stuff done by holding down the Bixby button for a moment, walkie-talkie-style. It’s useful but can get frustrating when it doesn’t work, so you’re going to want to turn it off before you disable Bixby Home (which is accessed by short-pressing the Bixby button).

While on the Samsung home screen, swipe right until you get to Bixby Home.

• Alternatively, press the Bixby button on the left side of the phone, right under the volume rocker.

On the top menu bar, tap the three vertical dots.
Tap Settings.
Uncheck Bixby Voice.

That’s it! Now Bixby Voice won’t bug you when you accidentally hold down your finger on the Bixby button. Next, we have to prevent the Bixby button from accessing Bixby Home.

How to disable the Bixby button

Now that Bixby Voice has been disabled, we have to disable Bixby Home from popping up whenever we accidentally press the side button.

Press the Bixby button on the left side of the phone, right under the volume rocker.
In the top menu bar, tap the Settings button (looks like three cogs).
Uncheck Bixby Key.

That’s it! Now when you press the Bixby button once, it won’t open the Bixby Home

How to disable Bixby Home from the home screen

Now, the final step to disabling Bixby entirely is to disable Bixby Home access from the home screen which, by default, puts it on the left-most panel.

From the home screen, hold down on empty space until the menu appears.
Swipe to the right to reach the left home panel.
Disable Bixby Home.

That’s it! Now neither the Bixby button nor the Bixby Home screen will work and you can move on with your life, Bixby-free.

Should you want to access Bixby again, though, you’ll need to follow these steps in reverse, first enabling Bixby Home from the launcher and then the Bixby button from inside the menu.

Questions? Comments?

Got any questions about this process, or just want to share your sheer joy at being able to disable Bixby? Let us know in the comments below!

Update August 14, 2018: This article is still accurate, and we’re looking into whether the steps still work for the Galaxy Note 9.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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Indy is Verizon’s 4th 5G city, will partner with YouTube TV, too

Verizon workers install 5G radios in Indianapolis — the company’s fourth city announced to receive residential 5G service.

Details are scarce, other than Verizon 5G is coming to Indianapolis.

Verizon today announced that Indianapolis will be its fourth city to receive residential 5G service. And to sweeten the deal, it’s pairing up with Google and Apple for some sort of deal for YouTube TV and Apple TV 4K for subscribers.

Houston, Los Angeles and Sacramento previously were announced and will also partake in the YouTube TV and Apple TV 4K fun.

Verizon said more details on the YouTube TV deal would be announced when its residential 5G service actually goes on sale. Currently, YouTube TV has a flat rate of $40 for its service, with additional add-on channels available. It’s not clear if Verizon will foot the bill for YouTube TV in its entirety, or subsidize it for a fixed amount of time. It’s also not clear if it’s throwing in an Apple TV 4K for free — it merely said that it will “offer” the streaming box. (Which, by the way, is our current pick for the best streaming box for most folks.) While Verizon’s press release didn’t mention this, The Verge notes that you’ll either be able to snag an Apple TV 4K, or YouTube TV, but not both.

But that’s conjecture on our part. For now, all we have is a vague press release. But, Indianapolis, Verizon 5G is coming.

Motorola P30 leaks, and … well, it’s another iPhone X running Android

They aren’t even trying to hide it.

Remember the Motorola One Power that leaked a few months back with an iPhone X-like notch and a vertical dual camera array? It turns out that phone might be going by a different name, the Motorola P30.

According to leaked press renders from AndroidPure, the Motorola P30 looks almost indistinguishable from the iPhone X in most angles. It has a metal and glass design with rounded corners and a wide notch at the top of the display. There’s a vertical dual camera array around back with an LED flash between the sensors, and one feature the iPhone X lacks — a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor integrated into the Motorola logo.

Speaking of Motorola logos … like always, there’s one at the bottom of the display, because Motorola just couldn’t help itself. From the looks of the leaked images, the P30 could practically fit in an iPhone X case, though the volume buttons sit above the power button along the right side of the frame, leaving the left side bare.

As far as specs go, we can expect a 6.2-inch 19:9 display, an unspecified octa-core processor, a 3000mAh battery, 6GB of RAM, and either 64 or 128GB of storage. It looks like the primary camera around back will be a 16MP sensor, while the secondary sensor will be 5MP and the front camera will be 12MP — all with an f/1.8 aperture.

We don’t know exactly when the phone will be announced (rumor has it it might be tomorrow) or how much it’ll cost if and when it launches in the U.S., but it’s certainly a departure from Motorola’s unique Moto Z lineup. No Moto Mods, no ultra-thin design … just an iPhone X running Android One.

That’s not the most exciting way to sell a phone, but at the same time, hardware is hardly a problem with the iPhone X. Is an iPhone running Android really the worst thing in the world?

Read more: Moto Z3 review: Verizon’s middle child

Hands-On With 6.1-Inch and 6.5-Inch 2018 iPhone Dummy Models

Before every new iPhone release, we’re often inundated with rumors, part leaks, mockups, and dummy models, giving us a clear picture of what to expect when the new devices come out.

This year is no exception, and we’ve managed to get our hands on dummy models that are said to resemble the rumored 6.1-inch and 6.5-inch iPhones that are coming in 2018, both of which offer up a look at the sizes and designs we can expect from the 2018 iPhone lineup.

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Apple’s 2018 iPhone lineup, like the 2017 lineup, will include three phones, but the lineup’s composition is unlike anything we’ve seen before. Apple is planning to introduce a 5.8-inch OLED iPhone that’s a follow up to the iPhone X, a 6.5-inch OLED iPhone that can be thought of as an “iPhone X Plus,” and a 6.1-inch LCD iPhone that’s going to have a much lower price tag than the two OLED iPhones.

We don’t have a dummy model of the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone to go along with dummy models of the upcoming 6.1 and 6.5-inch iPhones, because it’s going to look identical to the existing iPhone X, so we’ve used a real iPhone X to compare to the two dummy models.

iPhone X (left), 6.1-inch iPhone dummy (center), 6.5-inch iPhone dummy (right)
All three of the 2018 iPhones feature an edge-to-edge display that adopts Face ID and a TrueDepth camera system, marking the official end of Touch ID for new iPhones. To house the TrueDepth camera, there will be a notch on all three iPhones, just as there was on the iPhone X.

The middle-tier 6.1-inch iPhone uses an LCD display instead of an OLED display to keep costs down, which means that the bezels of that device are slightly thicker than the bezels of the 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch iPhones. The 6.1-inch iPhone dummy also features a single-lens camera, in line with rumors that Apple will stick with a single camera for cost purposes.

6.1-inch iPhone dummy model
A dual-camera setup is expected for both the second-generation 5.8-inch iPhone X model and the 6.5-inch “iPhone X Plus” model, and we can perhaps expect some camera improvements, as Apple typically introduces new camera features with each iPhone upgrade.

Rumors have also suggested the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will have an aluminum frame rather than the more durable stainless steel frame expected in the two more expensive devices, but other than the frame, the camera, the slightly thicker bezels, and the screen sizes, these devices are expected to be nearly identical.

6.1-inch and 6.5-inch iPhone dummy models
All will include Apple’s next-generation A12 processor, according to rumors, along with faster Intel-made LTE chips. RAM could be a differentiating factor, though, with the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone offering 3GB RAM and the OLED iPhones offering 4GB RAM.

We have absolutely no idea what Apple is planning to name its next-generation iPhones given the current iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X naming scheme. Most of the possibilities sound a little off, such as “iPhone Xs” or “iPhone X Plus” or “iPhone 9” or “iPhone XI.” The naming of the 2018 iPhone lineup is perhaps the biggest mystery, given the myriad rumors and part leaks we’ve seen so far.

iPhone X with 6.5-inch iPhone dummy model
Pricing for the 2018 iPhones could start somewhere right around $600 to $700 for the entry-level 6.1-inch LCD model, based on rumors, while the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone could cost between $800 and $900, and the 6.5-inch OLED iPhone could cost between $1,000 and $1,100.

For a complete rundown on all of the rumors we’ve heard about the 2018 iPhone lineup, make sure to check out our 2018 iPhone roundup.

What do you think of the iPhones Apple is planning to introduce this year? Which one will you buy? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: 2018 iPhones
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Apple’s Upcoming Sci-Fi Series From Ronald D. Moore Casts Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, and Sarah Jones

One of Apple’s upcoming television shows is an unnamed sci-fi series from Battlestar Galactica developer Ronald D. Moore, which is currently in the casting stages.

According to Variety, several actors and actresses have inked deals to star in the show, which has been described as a series that will explore what would have happened had the global space race never ended.

Image via Variety
Joel Kinnaman has signed on to play Edward Baldwin, a top NASA astronaut, while Michael Dorman and Sarah Jones will play Gordo and Tracy Stevens, a prominent NASA couple.

Kinnaman previously played Takeshi Kovacs in “Altered Carbon,” along with Will Conway in “House of Cards.” He’s also known for roles in “Easy Money,” “Suicide Squad,” and “RoboCop.”

Michal Dorman has been in “Patriot” and “Wonderland,” while Sarah Jones has starred in “Damnation,” “The Path,” and “Alcatraz.”

The show was created and written by Moore along with “Fargo” co-executive producers Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi. Moore is known for his work on shows like Battlestar Galactica,” “Caprica,” “Helix,” and “Outlander.”

Apple has more than a dozen original TV shows in the works, several of which are at the point where actors are being cast ahead of filming. Details on all of the shows that Apple has picked up can be found in the original content section of our Apple TV roundup.

Rumors have suggested the first of Apple’s TV shows could potentially launch in March 2019, perhaps through an upcoming streaming television service.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12Tag: Apple’s Hollywood ambitionsBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
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Verizon to Offer Free Apple TV 4K in 5G Residential Broadband Package

Verizon today announced that it will offer the Apple TV 4K as part of its 5G residential broadband package that’s set to launch in four markets this year, including Indianapolis, Houston, Los Angeles, and Sacramento.

A free Apple TV 4K will be provided to Verizon 5G broadband customers in lieu of a traditional cable box. Several other cable providers have also been offering the Apple TV 4K as an option to customers, including DirecTV in the US, Canal+ in France, and Salt in Switzerland.

With the Apple TV 4K, customers have access to cable content, both free and subscription, through a wide selection of apps that are available on the device, plus it includes perks like Siri for voice control and the Apple TV app for keeping track of the content you’re watching across a wide range of apps.

In addition to an Apple TV 4K, Verizon is also planning to provide its 5G broadband subscribers with a subscription to YouTube TV, YouTube’s $40 per month streaming service that offers access to television shows on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW, Disney, ESPN, FX, USA, and dozens more.

Verizon’s 5G residential broadband service will include Apple TV 4K & YouTube TV in Houston, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Indianapolis:

Apple TV 4K: https://t.co/NAyBcRERqT

YouTube TV: https://t.co/dBGgTZdL53 pic.twitter.com/hjuyz3PVJC

— Verizon News (@VerizonNews) August 14, 2018

Verizon is aiming to be the first wireless provider to offer 5G residential broadband and 5G mobile service in the United States. Its home internet installations in Indianapolis, Houston, Los Angeles, and Sacramento are set to begin in the second half of 2018.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12Tag: VerizonBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
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Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless High-End Over-Ear Headphones Review

A bit ago, we looked at a new initiative by the high-end headphone maker, Beyerdynamic. Its lack of wireless options began to be addressed with the Aventho Wireless, which we deemed a thoroughly premium and well-performing on-ear. But a hole was left for folks who prefer the over-ear flavor. That’s now filled with the new Amiron Wireless.

We’re a little thrown off by the naming convention, having expected the “Aventho” name to become the company’s new wireless series. Maybe the fact that they both start with the letter “A” shows implies some relation. Similarly, the headphones don’t share much in the way of design, but can still be considered brothers. Anyway, with the Amiron’s considerable price tag pitting it for the wireless headphone top spot, we’re most interested in if it can deliver. Let’s find out.

Design

Portability is inherent in wireless tech, and therefore, such headphones make an extra effort to be compact and lightweight. The Amiron, on the other hand, didn’t get the memo. Its footprint is burly like that of Beyerdynamic’s classic over-ear headphones. We’re talking about imposingly-sized ear cups/pads, thick headband, and maybe what will be of most contention, no fold-ability.

You’ll see a consequence of that last point when you pull the product out of the box. The carrying case supplied with it is bulkier than we imagine most users would want to commute with. The more we tour the Amiron, the more we believe Beyerdynamic’s purpose for them was in-home or in-office listening, rather than on-the-go. This is evident from its stout 380 g weight as well.

Beyerdynamic’s hard, zipper case is constructed well but imposing.

Beyerdynamic owns the fact when it comes to design. It feels as brawny and sturdily constructed from every angle. Although, the materials aren’t quite what we’d expect from a $700 headphone. Except for the metal ear cup stems, we feel plastic throughout. Granted, it’s a very slick, smooth, and sophisticatedly finished plastic (ceramic-like in feel). But it’s still apparently hard plastic, and the structural elements, like the stem hinges and headband caps, have the slight plastic-y creak to them. We aren’t doubting that they’ll stand the test of time; this is more of an evaluation of the “premium” aesthetic of an expensive device.

The headphone’s exterior features bunched on the right ear cup.

As for features, the expected elements of a wireless over-ear are present. The physical interfaces are bunched towards the bottom of the right ear cup: power button (which is transparent to show the blue/red status LED underneath), charging port (kudos to Beyerdynamic for using the current USB-C standard), and 3.5 mm jack for optional wired listening. That’s not all, though. The flat surface of the ear pad is touch sensitive for various playback controls, a design feature that mimics that seen on the preceding Aventho Wireless.

Function

A hefty headphone begs for substantial cushioning, and Beyerdynamic fortunately did not skimp. Both the ear pads and headband are equivalently plump and feel great on the head. The wrappings are a soft fabric rather than leather, making the headphones feel like a pillow encompassing your head. The design successful in making you forget about the heft, and instead, relax in comfort.

The thick ear pads also make noise isolation above average. These headphones are wireless but not noise-canceling, so this important attention to detail is appreciated.

Getting started with the Amiron is as easy as should be. Long press the power button and the headphones will first boot in pairing mode (flashing the LED blue and red). Then find it in your device’s Bluetooth settings and get playing. You’ll get a vocal indication of battery percentage level at each startup.

Just like the Aventho Wireless, the playback control is via an inconspicuous touchpad.

The touchpad gesture controls aren’t nearly as simple to figure out. The touch response works great, but you’ll have to refer to the manual to learn all the maneuvers. You will catch some of the essentials by sliding your finger across: swiping left and right switches the track, while up and down adjusts the volume. And then double-tapping is how you play/pause the audio.

A cool feature that Beyerdynamic has developed for its flagship wireless headphones is sound-personalization software. With the Amiron (Aventho too), you can utilize the company’s MIY app, which runs you through a hearing test in order to tune the output for your specific ears. It’s a neat effort and improves your audio in a more calculated way than just the user making manual adjustments.

As for the performance of the Amiron as a wireless headphone, it is rock solid. That is, the battery life has about 30-hour endurance, and the Bluetooth connection was faultless in our usage.

Sound

Like the Aventho, Beyerdynamic makes the Amiron Wireless able to accept the higher fidelity aptX HD transmission. For a “HiFi” wireless headphone, we wouldn’t expect to see anything less. That said, at this price range, we would’ve liked to see support for LDAC as well. Sony has the footing on wireless audio bandwidth. Specifically, we’re talking about aptX HD’s 576 kbps vs LDAC’s 990 kbps channel, not a small difference.

The aptX HD-enabled Amiron Wireless and LG G7 the perfect match.

Still, upon first listen, we’re immediately hit with an exceptionally detailed sound (relative to other wireless headphones). A lot what we liked about the Aventho’s signature is present here, and then some. That is, a notably clean/clear and distinctive delivery throughout and punchy energy. However, it’s important to know that while the Amiron’s quality trumps many of the wireless headphones out there, it does noticeably heed to what would be its wired counterparts. You don’t get micro-details or extension, such that a careful ear would pick up from deep bass or crisp highs. But it gets most of the way there.

Dynamics are the Amiron’s shining quality, right in line with the general benefit of a full-on over-ear headphone. That is, you get an expanded space around your head, where instruments can display spatial distinction. The Amiron well defines these elements, capable of delivering encompassing symphony that you can get lost in. The crispness from cymbals crash with echoing range and boom of the bass skillfully expands in all directions without overtaking any range.

With all this said, it’s not the widest or airiest delivery. Granted, closed-back headphones can’t compete with their more spacious open-back counterparts. But even compared to its own class (especially price class), it’s fairly average, making this part of the Amiron’s sound our least favorite.

Final Thoughts

The Amiron Wireless is no doubt a solid wireless headphone. We love the sophisticated look, extra comfy padding, high-res wireless playback, and the notably dynamic and crisp sound. But we can’t ignore that steep $700 asking price, which shines the light on its imperfections. The headphones overwhelming footprint is kind of counter-intuitive for a wireless “mobile” device. While its build is nice on the surface, in-hand it doesn’t quite feel the price. Lastly, the sound is very much that of a closed-back headphone, not making a valiant effort to past the boundaries like some others.

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Forget flying cars: This shoe-tying robot is proof that the future is here

Technology can be a great labor-saving aid, carrying out many of the tasks which are considered too dull, dirty, or dangerous for us to bother wasting our time with. Engineers may be getting to the end of the list of problems to solve, however — since researchers from the University of California, Davis’ College of Engineering recently decided to build a robot that’s sole personality in life is to tie shoelaces.

Word of advice: If you’re getting to the point at which you can’t dedicate a few seconds each day to making sure your shoes are properly laced up, you may be working too hard!

We are, of course, being a bit facetious, since the project was one handed to mechanical engineering students to see if they could carry out a complex task (tying a shoe) using only two motors and no more than $600 in funding. Judging by the results, they passed with flying colors.

The Arduino-powered, shoe-tying robot uses a pair of motors to drive four gearboxes, two on each side of a dedicated shoe platform. One motor transfers power to the machine by driving a horizontal shaft with three spur gears on each side of the motor, while the second motor controls a sort of “clutch”, or idler gear. Using these components, the robot is able to move horizontally and vertically, as well as making rotational movements to manipulate the laces. A finished shoelace tying session lasts around four minutes.

“Imagine getting a project, doing a Google search and finding no leads,” Joel Humes, one of the students who worked on the project, told Digital Trends. “[We checked] YouTube, Instructables, random forums, ran patent searches, nothing at all [came up]. In a world full of information easily accessed through internet searches, it was hard to believe a fully automated shoe-tying machine appeared to be completely nonexistent.”

The machine was ultimately pitted against another robot created with the same objective by students from Meijo University in Japan — and emerged the victor. “Currently, there are no plans to further develop this product because we do not have the proper funds to,” Stephanie Thai, another student engineer, told us. We guess that could change in time, however.

Other researchers who worked on the project included Gabriela Gomes, Jacklyn Tran, and Andrew Choi. Remember those names: When their (possible) shoe-tying robot company is valued at several billion dollars, you will want to be able to tell everyone you knew them all back when they were starving students!

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