Prisma app now available on Android

The power of cloud-based artwork comes to Android.

A couple of weeks on from its iOS launch, photo editing app Prisma is now available on Android through Google Play. For the uninitiated, Prisma uses hefty cloud computing power to add artistic effects to your photos.

But the app is a far cry from standard photo filtering offerings like Instagram, with the app’s various filters being able to intelligently identify various objects in your photos, and render accordingly. That’s because photos are processed by the app’s remote servers, as opposed to your phone, in order to bring the full force of cloud-based AI to your images.

For that reason, Prisma can become slow during peak times — like right now, when the app has just been opened up to hundreds of millions of new users. Nevertheless, Prisma is a unique app that’s capable of producing some truly remarkable images, and it’s definitely worth a look if you’re a keen Android photographer.

If you’re trying out Prisma on Android today, be sure to hit the comments and let us know how you’re getting on!

JBL Charge 3 and Clip 2 prove there’s still innovation in Bluetooth speakers

You can find Bluetooth speakers anywhere — but JBL’s latest stand out.

No matter your needs, there’s a Bluetooth speaker out there to match — and you don’t have to look hard to find one, either. For most people, their only real need is “the cheapest price possible” — but many will pay a bit for better features, quality and sound. And that’s where JBL comes in, with the latest iterations of two of its Bluetooth speakers — the Charge 3 and Clip 2.

JBL isn’t in the race to the bottom. It’s hoping to stay on the higher end with high quality materials and of course sound, with some great features that can help turn a Bluetooth speaker experience from an “every once and a while” thing to an every-day useful accessory. Let’s take a look at the JBL Charge 3 and Clip 2 speakers.

JBL Charge 3

The JBL Charge 3 is designed to be the center of the party or fill a room with sound, and that’s immediately apparent with its size — larger than your average reusable water bottle, and weighing in at about 1.75 pounds. That weight comes from a sturdy, IPX7 waterproof enclosure that protects dual 10W speakers along with huge passive radiators on the ends that drive up the bass level.

With this much output you shouldn’t be surprised that the Charge 3 has a 6000 mAh battery inside, which can offer you 20 hours of playback over Bluetooth. You probably aren’t going to use it for that long (or heck, even half that long) between charges, so JBL also gives you the option of tapping into that power with a full-sized USB port on the back that can be used to charge your phone at 2A from 5V, which is a typical rate for a non-Fast Charge AC adapter.

It’s extremely handy if you’ve been streaming music from your phone to the speaker, but also nice to have for anyone else who’s with you that needs a quick top-up. The speaker gives you a visual indication of its charge state with a set of LEDs in the base, and charges itself over Micro-USB with a cable and 5V/2.3A wall plug in the box if you need one.

Because of its size and weight you aren’t likely to be carrying the Charge 3 around much — it’s mostly going to stay put on a coffee table or brought out to the pool or picnic table when you need music for a group. I actually mostly kept it at my desk for daily music listening, both from my computer over a 3.5mm cable and my phone over Bluetooth — and it performed far better than my set of Logitech computer speakers, at a fraction of the size and complexity. Indoors there was no reason to ever get it above about 50% volume, and I rarely needed to max it out to get the music loud enough outside, even for a big group of people.

It sounds as good as you’d expect at $150, and has a bunch of extra features.

At $150 this isn’t exactly an impulse purchase (nor is it JBL’s most expensive Bluetooth speaker), but if there’s one thing that companies like JBL, Jawbone, Bose and countless others have shown us it’s that people are willing to pay a pretty penny for a really good, loud wireless speaker with some extra features. That’s exactly what you get with the Charge 3. Not only does it produce full sound with lots of bass out of a relatively small package (compared to big wired speakers), it’s also tough and completely waterproof so you never have to worry about what happens to it. It also goes above and beyond to let you tap into its battery to charge your phone, which can prove pivotal in keeping the tunes going late into the night.

It won’t be worth the money to everyone, but it’s hard to argue that JBL isn’t giving you plenty for your money here if you’re looking for a big wireless speaker. (And if you want to save a bit, maybe consider the last-gen Charge 2+ for about $99.)

See at Amazon

JBL Clip 2

For as cool as the Charge 3 speaker is, I’m a bigger fan of the small JBL Clip 2 and I think it’ll be one that more people will actually consider buying and using on a regular basis.

This little $60 speaker is roughly the size of a hockey puck but still offers some great sound from its single 3W speaker — even up to high volumes without distorting. It connects over Bluetooth, of course, and offers easy-to-press buttons around the edges for play/pause and volume control — you can also use a built-in microphone for calls via your connected phone. Better yet, there’s also a built-in foot-long 3.5mm cable to plug in — that neatly wraps around and stores in the speaker — which is super useful when you’re passing the speaker around at a get-together and or don’t want to deal with Bluetooth pairing.

The speaker is built to take a beating, and feels like you could drive a nail with it if you needed to (but seriously, don’t do that). It’s also fully IPX7 waterproof, with a robust rubber door over the Micro-USB charging port, allowing it to handle dirt and even full submersion in water. Its rugged abilities are exemplified by the carabiner that’s attached to the side of the Clip 2 (the name makes more sense now, huh?) that lets you hook it on things wherever you go.

When a speaker is built this well, it goes with you and you use it more.

I clipped it on the outside of my messenger bag or backpack to carry it places, not being worried about it getting bumped and knocked around. I clipped it to my pants pocket so I could listen to music around the house as I took care of some chores, and found it particularly useful to hook on the shower curtain in the morning for podcast listening in the shower.

JBL claims eight hours of music playback, and I found that to be perfect for a week’s worth of casual listening off and on around the house. It also powered through several hours of Bluetooth music streaming for my Fourth of July party with battery to spare — and again, I never had to worry about it getting bumped or dropped.

I found the rugged Clip 2 to be infinitely more useful than other standard Bluetooth speakers that are more fragile and don’t have a clip, and because of its design elements I carried it around and used it more than any other speaker I’ve had. It’s more expensive than the dime-a-dozen Bluetooth speakers online, but you get something for it — and with how much more you’re likely to use it, it’s worth it.

See at Amazon

Netflix to stream Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboot in U.S. and other countries

Netflix has announced it has bought the rights to stream the upcoming reboot of Mystery Science Theater 3000 in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

The revival of the classic comedy TV series, where its stars make fun of really bad movies while the film is running, first received funding in 2015 via a highly successful crowdfunding campaign. It ended up wth over $6 million to spend for 14 new episodes. Netflix stated:

Original creator Joel Hodgson will be joined by comedian Jonah Ray (“Jonah Heston”) as the new host and Felicia Day (Geek & Sundry) as “Kinga Forrester.” Joel McHale and Dan Harmon have attached as writers. Additionally, Mary Jo Pehl (“Pearl Forrester”), Bill Corbett (“Crow T. Robot”) and Kevin Murphy (“Tom Servo”) from the original cast will reprise their roles in the new series. Elliott Kalan, Emmy-winning former head writer of The Daily Show, will serve as the new head writer on the revival.

Netflix will begin streaming the new MST3K show “in the Not-Too-Distant Future”.

The After Math: She blinded me with science

This was a pretty good week for all but VHS enthusiasts. NASA tested a new lightweight rocket material. The Kepler space telescope found a couple of potentially habitable exoplanets. Researchers built a robot out of a sea slug. And scientists at TU Delft went ahead and solved that whole nanoscale data storage issue. Numbers, because it’s “rocket science”, not “rocket art”.

Solar Impulse 2 starts the last leg of its round-the-world flight

It’s all coming down to this. Well over a year after beginning its round-the-world trip, Solar Impulse 2 has embarked on the final leg of its journey. The solar-powered aircraft left Cairo early on the morning of July 24th and should reach its original starting point, Abu Dhabi, within 2 to 3 days. This certainly isn’t the most arduous part of the adventure (the Pacific crossing was far more challenging). However, it’ll likely be the one that everybody remembers — it’ll be the definitive proof that clean energy can be used to accomplish impressive feats.

And this isn’t strictly the end. Bertrand PIccard, the pilot on this last stint and the architect of Solar Impulse, stressed to Reuters that the project isn’t done once the aircraft touches down. To him, the flight has created an “international community” that will endure after the buzz is over. It’s far too soon to say what Solar Impulse’s legacy will be, but it’ll at least get a page in the history books.

BREAKING @bertrandpiccard has taken off from #Cairo for the last flight of the journey to #AbuDhabi #futureisclean pic.twitter.com/2ufDjAS5VK

— SOLAR IMPULSE (@solarimpulse) July 23, 2016

Via: Reuters

Source: Solar Impulse, Twitter

Galaxy Note 7 might have a smaller battery than GS7 edge

Latest leak points to a 3,500mAh battery for Samsung’s upcoming Note.

There’s been no shortage of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 leakage of late, and the latest details to sneak out of a Korean carrier gives some intriguing info on the phone’s battery capacity.

A prematurely published spec listing by mobile operator SKT lists the Note 7 with a 3,500mAh battery — an increase over the 3,000mAh cell of the Note 5, but a decrease of 100mAh compared to the Galaxy S7 edge. Other details in the listing include dimensions: 73.9 x 153.5 x 7.9mm — a small increase in thickness compared to both the S7 edge and Note 5 — and a weight of 169 grams — down 2 grams from last year’s Note.

However small it is, a drop in battery capacity relative to the S7 edge may disappoint enthusiasts hoping for a beefier battery in what’s likely to be a 5.7-inch handset. (One possible explanation is that space that would otherwise have been occupied by the battery is instead take up by the S Pen.)

In any case, if the specs listed here are accurate, the Note 7 should still pack a decent bump in battery life compared to the previous model. And there’s no telling how Samsung might be saving power elsewhere, for example with more efficient internals or display tech.

MORE: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 preview

Would a tiny difference in battery capacity sway your smartphone purchasing decision? Shout out in the comments!

via: SamMobile