Europe’s free roaming law comes with an asterisk
In June 2017, the European Commission will get its wish and scrap roaming charges for travellers across the continent. Phone calls, text messages and data downloads abroad will be treated as if they originated at home, but there will be a catch. In new plans set out this week, the Commission will instruct operators to let consumers roam for in Europe up to 30 days at a time, for a total of 90 days per year.
To stop abuse, representatives had called for a fair use policy to stop travellers from buying cheap SIM deals in one European country and then abusing those benefits in another. The new plans are a first look at how the Commission intends to deal with that issue. They appear to lean on existing free movement agreements made by Member States that require some citizens to register their residency if they stay for a period of more than 90 days in a year. It’s determining whether a person can a considered a traveller or a (semi-permenant) resident — the latter of which would possibly need to buy a local mobile SIM.
Since April 2016, operators have capped roaming charges at €0.20 per MB, €0.06 per SMS and €0.05 per minute. The new plans will lower call and text message prices to €0.04 cents per minute and €0.01 per SMS, but data usage may rise to 0.85 cents per MB. To help people who regularly travel between countries for work, the Commission says that as long as they log onto their home network once a day, they will not be included in the 30-day and 90-day limits.
This is not to say that carriers cannot be more lenient with their roaming restrictions. These limits are effectively a basic right for all Europeans, and you can expect to see operators continue to differentiate themselves by offering better deals.
Representatives will now invite member countries and the EU’s telecoms regulator to comment on proposals before they’re adopted on December 15th. Overall, it looks like consumers who enjoy “unlimited” data plans at home will be offered the same opportunities abroad, as long as they don’t exceed average their carrier’s domestic usage limits.
Via: Express
Source: Europa
Cuba has been filtering texts containing political dissent
Cuba’s struggles with modern telecommunications have been many. Now, it looks as though the Communist country has another problem on its hands: text message censorship. SMS sent with words including “human rights,” “hunger strike” and the name of dissident José Daniel Ferrer García aren’t reaching their intended recipients according to Reuters and Cuban blog 14ymedio (Spanish). The news came to light when some Cubans noticed they were being charged for messages that never were delivered.
Reuters also tested sending messages containing “democracy” and the name of opposition youth group Somos Mas and had the same results — texts appearing delivered, but not showing up on the recipients’ phone. Apparently, there are at least 30 flagged words, but that could be a low estimate.
“We always thought texts were vanishing because the provider is so incompetent, then we decided to check using words that bothered the government,” Somos Mas leader Eliecer Avila says. “We discovered not just bus, but the entire country is being censored. It just shows how insecure and paranoid the government is.”
The island nation is currently under a monopoly with telco Cubacel, despite many US carriers offering data roaming there. 14ymedio says Cubacel’s terms of service includes language barring the service’s use for “carrying out criminal activities.” When the government is as infamous for human rights violations as Cuba’s is, that definition is going to be pretty wide.
Via: Reuters
Source: 14ymedio (Spanish)
Michael Kors Access smartwatches’ value is face deep
Not gonna lie. I’m a giant smartwatch nerd, and an even bigger Michael Kors fan. So when I received the invitation to review the company’s new Android Wear timepieces, I was stoked. The Michael Kors Access range falls in line with partner company Fossil Group’s mission to smarten up its range of wristwatches across its brands such as Fossil (duh), Kate Spade, Emporio Armani, Diesel and Skagen. And that should only mean good things for the fashionable wearable industry. But, try as I might, I’m having a hard time staying excited about the new MK smartwatches.
Hardware
The Bradshaw and Dylan models that I received already exist as analog timepieces. In reworking them to accommodate the components that make a watch smart, Michael Kors had to make the cases bigger. The Bradshaw’s face went from 36mm to 44.5mm, while the Dylan is now 46mm (previous size unknown). Both watches are also less water resistant — dropping from being able to withstand pressure of up to 100 meters (330 feet) to just 10 meters (33 feet). Now, the timepieces can survive just rain and splashes instead of swimming and surfing.
Because of the additional components, the connected Bradshaw and Dylan are pretty heavy. The case alone (for both) weighs 51 grams (1.17 ounces). Even though that heft made me feel like I had an ankle bracelet latched onto my wrist, I still loved the style and quality of both wristbands. The straps are some of the most sturdy and premium that I’ve seen on a smartwatch so far, making them feel a lot more like real chronographs. And, perhaps thanks to careful craftsmanship, the fully stainless-steel Bradshaw and silicone Dylan succeed in looking classy and glamorous without crossing over into gaudy, as some wristwear is wont to do.
Inside the polished metal cases sit a Snapdragon 2100 CPU, 4GB of storage, a 360mAh battery and a variety of sensors, while a 1.5-inch face with a 320 x 290 resolution sits on top. Notably absent is a heart rate monitor on the underside that most Android wearables at this price sport.
Software
Until Android Wear 2.0 arrives, there is nothing really new to say about Google’s wearable platform, which powers many of the devices we’ve reviewed. Although it’s improved a lot in the two years since its debut, the OS is still somewhat limited in what it can do. The 2.0 update, which Michael Kors says the watches will get once Google release it publicly, brings improvements such as an onscreen keyboard, third-party complications and better iPhone support.
On the Bradshaw and Dylan, Android Wear is basically the same as it is on every other smartwatch, with the exception of the Michael Kors Access app and custom watch faces. The former lets you do two things: save your favorite watch faces and set up two looks (day and night) that will automatically change at a specific time of your choosing. Frankly, even though the auto changing of faces is nice, the whole app is incredibly basic, and I could just as easily do the same by pressing down on the home screen.
The handful of custom watch faces are slightly more interesting (and not to mention very pretty). You can tweak the Michael Kors ones by changing the background, dial and crystal colors. On some themes, you can add information to make the watch more useful at a glance. For instance, the Notes profile lets you display up to four time zone differences (as in, how many hours ahead or behind), your local time and temperature, as well as your steps progress.
In use
Here’s where the Access line really falls short. On paper, everything seems decent. It’s got most of the same specs as other Android Wear devices, save for the slightly smaller battery. But, that resulted in a much shorter runtime than its rivals; the Dylan went from 80 percent charged at 2:30 PM to just 35 percent by 8 PM after a few hours of heavy use. The Bradshaw lasted about the same. On average use without many notifications and interaction with the Dylan, though, it lasted slightly more than a day.
Worse than the disappointing battery life is the glitchy performance. Despite sporting capable processors, the Bradshaw and Dylan struggled to respond quickly to my commands. While the watch’s microphones accurately picked up my requests most of the time, it occasionally misheard what I was saying, even in a dead quiet room. Then, when it correctly spelled out my request to remind me of an upcoming task, the Dylan never alerted me at the appointed time. It’s as if I sent my reminder request into a black hole.
The Bradshaw was similarly finicky; I tried to enable brightness boost from the slide down shortcut panel, and was constantly redirected to the Settings page while the feature remained stubbornly off. Both watches were also sluggish to respond to my swipes, compared to the instant reactions I’m used to on competing Android watches. I had to swipe three or four times on average to dismiss a card.
I reported these issues to Michael Kors, who, after verifying that I had the latest software and build, sent me two other units to test out. The replacements worked better, were more responsive and didn’t exhibit the abovementioned brightness boost problem. It’s worth noting that they arrived with a software upgrade already installed, whereas I had to run that update on the devices I initially got. I still had trouble getting Ok Google to reliably set a reminder, though; sometimes the new Dylan buzzed at the appointed time, but more often it never alerted me.
But there are some problems that aren’t as easily fixed. The watches’ screens wash out when you’re not looking at them straight on. And as much as I loved the chunky style of the timepieces, Michael Kors needs to make them lighter. After an hour, my (admittedly very weak) arm began to ache, and the Dylan felt like it was literally dragging me down. I had to very unwillingly take the watch off to continue typing in peace.
The competition
Pictured above: Samsung’s Gear S3 Frontier and Classic.
Man, has Michael Kors got some serious competition. From its own partner company alone, the Access line has to contend with Fossil’s Q Founder. That wearable is similarly chunky, but has a sharper screen for a cheaper $275. On the other end of price spectrum sits the Tag Heuer Connected, which is stupendously well-built and still manages to be lightweight. But it also costs a ridiculous $1,500.
Then, there are offerings from more traditional tech companies, like the second-gen Huawei Watch, 2015 Moto 360 and LG Watch Urbane. These have crisp displays and modest style for about the same price as the Access, but also offer onboard heart rate monitors and more software features that make their wearables more functional. For example, the Moto 360 offers Live Dials, which let you access specific apps directly from the watch face without all the excessive swiping.
Look outside the Google ecosystem, and you’ll find even more contenders. If you own an iPhone, the Apple Watch is a no-brainer. It’s the most seamless option for iPhones, with better messaging integration and a ton of apps you can launch from your wrist. Its squarish face may be a little, well, square, so those who want a little more style should look elsewhere.
That somewhere else might be Apple’s biggest rival, Samsung, which just unveiled the Gear S3. The new wristwear features a rugged, country aesthetic that wouldn’t look out of place whether on a lumberjack or an investment banker. They’ve got rotating bezels that makes navigating the interface much easier, and run Samsung’s Tizen OS, which should offer about 10,000 apps and watchfaces than the mere 1,000 it did when the Gear S2 launched. That could give Android Wear a run for its money.
Speaking of wearable platforms that could topple Google, industry pioneer Pebble also has some solid options that are both attractive and functional. The Pebble Time Round is one of the slimmest smartwatches on the market and offers longer-lasting battery than Android Wear, Apple and Samsung devices for just $200. But it doesn’t have a touchscreen, and its display is nowhere near as vibrant as the rest.
Wrapup
In the end, the Michael Kors Access line is just another option in the Android Wear market. Michael Kors might sell plenty of Access watches based on the strength of its brand alone, but it doesn’t do much that’s different from its competitors. Don’t get me wrong: these watches are truly gorgeous, and, bugs aside, generally do what they promise. But there’s nothing here that sets it apart from being yet another smartwatch that married Android Wear with a fashion house’s good looks.
The thing is, it’s difficult to fault Michael Kors for the functionality of the Access line — it’s limited by what Google offers in Android Wear. That means it ultimately suffers the same plight as all the fashion and horological brands out there that are struggling to deliver a decent, good-looking smartwatch. At least Michael Kors had the good sense to not charge an arm and a leg for its pieces (*cough* Tag Heuer *cough*). Besides, having another designer get in on the growing market is an encouraging sign, and I can’t wait to see what (one of my favorites) Kate Spade delivers. In the meantime, I’ll keep saving up for a smartwatch worth splurging on.
Russian YouTuber imprisoned for playing ‘Pokémon Go’ in a church
A Russian YouTuber has been imprisoned and could be looking at some serious jail time, all for catching a Poliwag in a church and posting footage of it online. As the Guardian reports, Ruslan Sokolovsky’s video has been viewed over 900,000 times since it was posted on August 11th and begins with Sokolovsky addressing news reports warning Pokémon Go players that their hobby could get them locked up if they played the game in church.
“I decided to just catch some Pokémon in church because, why not?” Sokolovsky says, before the cartoon theme song plays. “I believe it’s both safe and not prohibited by law. Let’s go.”
After the video was posted to YouTube, Police began investigating Sokolovsky, whose channel has some 300,000 subscribers and a history of criticizing the Russian church. In a statement released last Saturday, the investigation committee said the 21-year-old had been charged with “inciting hatred and offending religious sensibilities” and would be detained for two months, noting that the penalty could be as high as five years in prison. As the Guardian and the Verge have also noted, the statute Sokolovsky allegedly violated was the same Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code that landed members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot in jail for several years back in 2012.
2 criminal articles & up to 5 years in jail
for catching fucking pokemons in a church#FreeSokolovsky pic.twitter.com/enTl2UnNRL
— Pussy Riot (@pussyrrriot) September 3, 2016
Apparently seeing the parallel, the band joined in on the #FreeSokolovsky hashtag. Meanwhile, other Russian fans and activists, including a member of Russia’s Progress party have planned Pokéwalks to the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg to protest Sokolovsky’s arrest.
While many cities and countries have had their issues with Pokémon, Russia’s relationship with the blockbuster game might be the most contentious. Niantic has not officially released the game in Russia (although that apparently hasn’t stopped anyone from playing), and the Russian government has made it known that they believe the game might be tied to foreign intelligence services.
Although the Russian government’s chief of the religious affairs committee Jaroslav Nilov doubted that using a smartphone in church counts as an insult, a spokesperson for the Russian Orthodox Church claimed Sokolovsky is a “well-known” blogger who “who works in the style of Charlie Hebdo.” For now, Sokolovsky has been detained on a two month sentence and according to the AP he has already filed an appeal.
Source: The Guardian, Associated Press
IFA 2016: All things mobile
IFA isn’t as big of a mobile show it once was. Samsung and LG opted to have their big phone announcements elsewhere this year, and even Motorola had its own Lenovo-hosted soiree a few months ago. Still, we did see a few new handsets at the show, along with a cool new MotoMod attachment. Peruse our gallery below for all the mobile news to come out of IFA 2016.
We’re live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
IFA 2016: The rose gold edition
No, Apple didn’t invent the color pink, but it certainly made “rose gold” famous. It all started last year with the company’s first rose gold iPhones, the 6s and 6s Plus, which quickly inspired other manufacturers to embellish their own devices with identical hues. It’s no surprise, then, that the IFA 2016 show floor is filled with rose gold gadgets, although some would prefer to be described as “copper” or “luxury pink.” Whatever it may be, it’s become a major trend in the tech world, one that shows no sign of slowing down. With that in mind, take a look at some of the best rose gold gadgets we found in Berlin.
We’re live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Alcatel’s standalone VR headset is a tough sell
While Samsung’s Gear VR requires a smartphone and full-fledged headsets like the Oculus Rift require a computer, Alcatel’s newly announced Vision doesn’t need either. Indeed, it’s a standalone VR headset, which is still something of a rarity in the VR world. Intel announced its own Project Alloy about a month ago and smaller companies like Sulon have come out with prototypes, but the Vision is the first working model I’ve actually had the chance to try on. As cool as it is though, I have to admit it faces stiff competition from the likes of Gear VR as well as Daydream-compatible phones and headsets.
At first glance, the Vision looks more like a kind of fighter helmet rather than a VR headset. Instead of using straps, the Vision utilizes a sort of brace that fits around your head. On the front is a set of goggles, which is then attached to a large back pad via a pair of flexible plastic arms. The reason for such bulk though, is that the 3,000 mAh battery is actually located in the rear. The result is a surprisingly balanced and comfortable fit despite its size.
In fact, I didn’t feel weighed down at all while wearing it. I was a little concerned with the lack of adjustable straps, but the Vision clamped on my head pretty securely. I did think it needed some kind of additional nose pads — it kept slipping a little on me — but it was otherwise fine. The eyewear area was roomy enough for my glasses and the extra padding around it added to the overall comfort. There’s a touchpad on the right temple, while the power key lies on top. It also has a headset jack to which you can attach your favorite pair of headphones.
Instead of a smartphone, the Vision comes equipped with a pair of 3.8-inch AMOLED displays, each with 1,080 x 1,020 resolution. I watched a couple of videos and played a game or two on the Vision and while the performance seemed fine, the resolution was a little blurry and the screen-door effect was apparent; definitely not any better than that of the Gear VR. It was still plenty immersive though, and I enjoyed tapping at the touchpad to zap away oncoming robots. On the inside, the Vision has specs that mimic most smartphones. It has an octa-core CPU, 32GB of storage, 3GB of RAM, Bluetooth, LTE WiFi as well as the usual accelerometer, gyro and proximity sensors. The Vision will apparently have around 3 hours of battery life.
It’s unclear how much the Vision will actually be but we hear that it’ll likely cost around $500 or $600. Seeing as you can get a Gear VR and a compatible smartphone for around that price, we’re not sure if the Vision offers a compelling alternative, especially since the Samsung option appears to have a far wider content library. Plus, we’ve yet to see what Google has to offer in terms of Daydream-compatible handsets. Still, if you fancy a VR headset without the constraints of a phone or a PC, the Vision might be a good one to try out. It’ll be available in China before the end of the year while the US should see it in early 2017.
We’re live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
HSBC’s ‘selfie verification’ helps customers open a bank account
In a bid to replace the password, banks have jumped about the biometric bandwagon and are experimenting with new ways to authenticate their UK customers. Between them, HSBC and Barclays have already trialled fingerprints and used Voice IDs over the telephone, but HSBC now wants to let business customers use “selfie verification” to pass identity checks for new accounts via its new smartphone app.
The bank will let new customers snap a front-facing photo on their iOS or Android phone and have it cross-referenced against their passport or their driving licence. Execs believe it’ll save business customers time as they’ll no longer need to visit a branch to verify who they are. “We also expect the convenience and speed of a ‘selfie’ to become the verification method of choice for our customers” said HSBC’s global propositions boss Richard Davies.
The app utilises facial tracking technology, which matches specific parts of a customer’s face to photos used in official documents from over 150 countries. It’s similar to Mastercard’s Identity Check, an online system that maps a user’s face instead to verify online payments.
Source: Independent
Des Moines’ city council is trying to ‘opt out’ of ‘Pokémon Go’
The City Council of Des Moines, Washington is working hard to cut down on its residents’ access to Pokémon Go, even going so far as to make attempts to “opt out” of the game.
The council, spearheaded by Jeremy Nutting, is looking to remove the city at large from the game. Even though this technically can’t be done, since the game is based on map data (and it doesn’t make much sense), the best that could be done is possibly remove Poké Stops or something to that effect.
The idea sprang up after the City Council had a meeting about the droves of teenagers and other players walking around idly, looking down at their phones while crowding the marina and other areas, making noise, littering and partaking in certain legal and illegal vices.
After discussing Pokémon Go and the burden it seems to be placing on the city, the council members voted unanimously to request that the entire area “opt out” from the game, as far as public places and parks in Des Moines. Local business, as Nutting commented, were being affected by these roaming crowds. A valid worry, especially if the crowds of players are as obtrusive as described, but something a ban on one mobile game isn’t going to solve immediately.
It’s highly likely this request simply won’t be fulfilled due to the large expanse of area and the fact that these are public areas being policed, essentially. A similar situation occurred in France recently when the mayor of a French town decided he was interesting in “banning” Pokémon Go from the city.
It seems both mayor Fabrice Beauvois and council member Jeremy Nutting subscribe to the same school of thought when it comes to the mobile game: Augmented reality games are “spreading” and the perceived problems aren’t just going to go away.
Via: Seattle Times
IBM’s smart earphone team-up puts Watson to work
Smart earphones like Bragi’s Dash aren’t just for personal activities like music and running — they could also help you get some serious work done. Bragi and IBM are partnering on ways to combine “hearables” like the Dash with Watson’s Internet of Things platform to help you communicate and collaborate with your teammates. The Watson supercomputer could translate what you’re saying for a coworker, for instance, or give you instructions and smart notifications. Higher-ups could benefit, too — they could get a sense of your location and safety without relying so much on cameras, or have you authenticate with your voice.
There’s no firm roadmap for bringing the technology to market. You probably won’t get a company-issued Dash the next time you come to work, then. However, Bragi says the team-up’s current goals are “short and medium term.” It may not be too long before you’re regularly wearing earbuds in certain working conditions.
Source: Bragi (PDF), IBM
AIVAnet 