Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross made a song for NASA’s Juno mission

Nine Inch Nails frontman and Apple Music contributor Trent Reznor has another project with his film soundtrack partner Atticus Ross. This time around, the duo has created a nearly 9-minute track to celebrate NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter. The single song is available now on iTunes ahead of the probe’s scheduled July 4th arrival in the planet’s orbit. NASA’s solar-powered spacecraft was launched five years ago, but soon it’ll arrive at Jupiter to begin the task of measuring, studying and photographing the planet. For a behind-the-scenes look at the mission, check out our recent Juno feature.

If you’re familiar with the film scores from the pair of musicians, you know what to expect here. Airy atmospheric sounds with “chains of glassy melody” and “haunting textures.” Reznor and Ross won an Oscar for the soundtrack to 2010’s The Social Network before creating the music for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl. Nine Inch Nails is set to release new music this year and Reznor is also working on a rock opera version of Fight Club with David Fincher. In the meantime, preview the “Juno” track down below.

Via: Fact Magazine, Consequence of Sound

Source: iTunes

Samsung deserves praise (and a little criticism) for the U.S. unlocked Galaxy S7 launch

Finally, the Galaxy S7 you want is available in the U.S.

Rather than dealing with the sub-optimal experience of buying from a carrier directly — living with a deplorable amount of bloatware, slow software updates and all sorts of “gotcha” moments — you can now just go to one of several retailers and buy an honest-to-goodness unlocked Galaxy S7 or S7 edge. It’s exactly what we’ve been asking for year after year — just sell us the phone directly, and relegate the carriers to just offering service.

Now Samsung could have done the bare minimum here just to say it has unlocked versions of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge available in the U.S. — it certainly did so with the U.S. unlocked Galaxy S6. But I’m happy to heap praise on Samsung for going the extra mile this year. These aren’t just un-branded versions of a previous model, or European phones with a new charger in the box — the U.S. unlocked Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are equipped specifically to work best in the U.S., and that means full support for all four major carriers — yes, including Verizon and Sprint.

Yes, this is exactly what we’ve all been asking for. Well, almost. The only issue? How long it took to be released.

The phone we want. The phone we deserve … to have sooner.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a wonderful development for anyone who wants to buy an unlocked phone — there’s yet another direct-from-manufacturer option in the U.S. But I still wish Samsung could make this happen right alongside the carrier launch. We’re now almost four months removed from the initial U.S. carrier availability of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge — and while I’m not naive enough to think that all Galaxy S7s that will ever be sold are already in consumers’ hands, these people deserved the option to buy unlocked.

There are surely tens of thousands of people in the U.S. who have yet to buy a Galaxy S7 or S7 edge today that have held out for a proper U.S. unlocked model, and today is like a holiday for them — they finally have the phone they wanted. Next time around, we can only hope they don’t have to wait around as they want their friends, family and coworkers break down and buy from a carrier.

Let’s see what happens with the Galaxy Note 7.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• Galaxy S7 unlocked model
• Here are all four Galaxy S7 colors
• Should you upgrade to the Galaxy S7?
• Learn about the Galaxy S7’s SD card slot
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

AT&T
Sprint
T-Mobile
Verizon

Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius brings its turn-based gameplay to mobile

Square Enix has launched Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius in the U.S. and worldwide, following its release in Japan earlier this year. This free-to-play turn-based game is one of the rare ones in the long running franchise to be created specifically for mobile devices.

Here’s a quick summary of the game’s storyline:

Adventurers begin their quest for a highly-coveted crystal, shortly meeting two knights from Grandshelt, and a young girl. With special appearances by classic FINAL FANTASY characters like Cecil, Vivi and Terra, players adventure through fields and dungeons discovering items, collecting gil, uncovering hidden paths, and unlocking high-quality CG-animated summons.

The worldwide version will sport some improvements compared to the first Japanese release:

• New items and daily quests
• High-definition graphic support for tablet devices
• Achievements and Leaderboards
• Game balance refinements based on the Japanese version
• Facebook Login Integration

You can get Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius right now at the Google Play Store

How to reboot your Android Wear watch

Rebooting your watch is as as simple as a few swipes.

You’ve got your awesome Android Wear watch, and you’ve already loaded it with an awesome watch faces and apps. But like any computer (yep, you’re wearing a computer on your wrist — welcome to the future!) you may need to reboot from time to time. And if that’s the case, we’ve got you covered.

The first thing you’ll want to do is swipe down from the top of your screen. This should open up a screen that shows your notification settings. Initially you’ll also see icons for your battery percentage, and wi-fi connectivity. Swipe to the left twice, and you’ll see a gear on the screen that says settings.

Tap on the gear to open up your settings menu. You can also open the settings menu by long pressing the button on the side of your watch, and then choosing “settings” from the menu.

Scroll down to the bottom of the list of settings, and you should see an icon reading “restart”. It should be third from the bottom, settled between “unpair with phone” and “power off”.

Tap the restart icon. When you do this, a dialogue will pop up asking if you really want to restart your Android Wear watch. Tap on the check mark for yes. That’s it, that’s all you have to do to restart your watch.

In the event that your watch completely stops responding, there are certain button combinations you can press to force a restart. These vary from watch to watch, but usually involve long-pressing your watch’s crown key for several seconds, or pressing a recessed reset button on the back. To check the correct button combo for your wearable, consult your watch’s manual.

It’s a little more complicated than restarting a phone or a computer, but it’s easy enough once you get to grips with it. Do you have more questions about restarting your watch? Pop into the comments and let us know.

Two-factor authentication: What you need to know

You should use two-factor authentication on every account that offers it. Here’s an explainer of what it is, and why you want it.

You see a lot of talk on the internet about two-factor authentication (or 2FA as it’s commonly called) but most times its just people like us telling you to use it. And we’ll continue that trend and start this bit of prose by telling you to use 2FA whenever and wherever you can. But we’re also going to let you know what it is, and why it’s important that you use it. Read on.

What is two-factor authentication?

To put it in simple terms, 2FA means that you need to present two different things from two different sources that prove who you are. Generally, there are three different types of ID that can be used for 2FA purposes when it comes to online accounts:

• A thing that only you should know. Things like a password, a PIN, an account number, your street address or even the last four digits of your Social Security number fit the bill here.
• A thing that you can hold in your hands. This means your phone, an authenticator fob like this one or a USB security key.
• A thing that is part of you like your fingerprint, retina pattern or voice pattern.

When you have 2FA enabled on an account, you need two of these three things to get access.

You’ve been using 2FA for most of your adult life. The companies who process credit card payments for online retailers usually force you to enter the three-digit code on the back of your credit card as well as the card number, then provide the billing address. The numbers on the card (both front and back) are a way to make sure you have the card in your possession for the first method of authentication, then the address you provide has to match what the card issuer has on file as a second way to prove who you are. That’s 2FA. Back when the world still used checks to pay for things, most businesses wanted two forms of physical ID from a well-recognized place like your state DMV or your school as a way to make sure you are the person whose name is on the top of the check. That’s also 2FA. And to get those IDs usually requires multiple things from different places to prove who you are.

You’ve been using 2FA all along and probably didn’t realize it.

Using 2FA for your online accounts is a little bit different, but still uses the same principle — if you can provide more than one method to prove who you are, you probably really are who you claim to be. For an account somewhere like Google, or Facebook or Amazon you need to supply a password. Your password is something only you should know, but sometimes other people can get hold of it. When you add a 2FA requirement — like an authentication token sent to your phone or a USB security key that you plug into your computer — a password is no longer enough to get into your account. Without both pieces of authentication, you’re locked out.

Is two-factor authentication secure?

Yes and no. Using 2FA on an account is a lot more secure than not using it, but nothing is really secure. That scary thought aside, using 2FA is usually sufficient protection for your “stuff” unless you’re a high-profile target or really unlucky.

Using 2FA is usually sufficient protection for your onlione accounts and services.

On the positive side, if you’re using 2FA and some fake phishing email manages to get you to supply your password they still can’t log into your account. The way most people use 2FA for online accounts is to have a token sent to an app on their phone and without that token, the email scammer isn’t going to have any luck getting access. They will enter your account user name or ID, then the password, and then they need to supply that token to go any further. Unless they have your phone, the work involved in bypassing the second ID requirement is enough to get the bad guy to say “forget it!” and move to someone else.

On the other hand, if you are someone like President Obama or Mick Jagger, it’s worth it to try and get into your accounts. And there are ways. The communication between the people supplying the authentication token and your phone are safe for the most part, so attackers go after the website or server asking for the credentials. Auth tokens and cookies can be hijacked by very clever folks, and as soon as one method gets patched they start looking for another. This takes a lot of knowledge and hard work so that means that the end result has to be worth it all. Chances are you and I aren’t worth the trouble, so 2FA is a good way to secure our accounts.

How do I use two-factor authentication?

It’s easier than you might think!

Setting up 2FA on an account is a three step process. You need to provide your current credentials by typing in your password again (this helps keep someone else from adding it to your account), even if you’re currently logged into the service. Then you go into the account settings and enable 2FA on your account. This lets the server that manages your login know that you want to enable it, and they will get everything ready on their end after they ask what type of authentication you will be using — most common are codes sent to your phone as an SMS message or through an authenticator application. Finally, you affirm the change by supplying a token back to the server. If you’re using an app this might be a barcode you have to scan or manually entering some information into the app. If you chose to use SMS a code will be sent that you need to enter on the website to finish things up.

The next step happens when you want to log into that account again. You’ll enter a username or ID, then a password, and then be asked to supply an authentication number. That number is sent as an SMS if that’s how you set things up, or in the app on your phone if you decided to go that route. You type that number into the text field and you have access.

Most services will store an authentication token on your phone or computer, so the next time you want to log in you won’t have to supply the code again. But if you want to set up access from another place, you’ll need a code.

Read more: How to set up 2FA on your Google account

The process for each service that offers 2FA will be slightly different, but this is a good example of how things will work.

Wrapping it up

If you decide to use an app to provide 2FA tokens on your phone (which is an excellent choice) we recommend Authy. The app looks good and doesn’t slow your phone down, but the most important feature is that you can use the app on more than one phone (or tablet, or computer) at a time. While this does mean that your 2FA token is sitting in Authy’s server for a second or two (having a third-party access your 2FA tokens is not the greatest idea) the ease of use factor outweighs the disadvantages for us. Of course, you can also use Google’s authenticator app or another app. Or even SMS. Authy is just how we do it.

Now that you know a little more about 2FA, we hope you’re inspired to set it up and use it wherever you can. Most popular services — Google, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Steam and more — offer 2FA. It’s fairly easy to set up and the peace of mind you’ll have makes it well worth it.

AT&T customers can claim free movie ticket as part of new rewards program

AT&T has officially started its new rewards program by offering all of its post-paid wirelss customers a free movie ticket if they buy one for a Tuesday showing at an AMC or Regal movie theater.

AT&T says:

Via (the Ticket Tuesdays page) the customer will simply validate their mobile number and will then be directed to movietickets.com where a coupon code for their free ticket will automatically be applied at checkout when they buy one full price ticket. The free tickets are available to qualifying customers, one per account, once a week during the length of the AT&T THANKS program—while supplies last each week. Participating theaters are AMC Theatres and Regal Entertainment Group – the two largest movie theatre chains in the country. That’s nearly 1,000 theaters and 13,000 movie screens.

AT&T also plans to offer pre-sale tickets for select Live Nation concerts later this year as part of the rewards program.

Samsung Gear VR owners will get to view lots of the Rio Olympics in virtual reality

NBC will give owners of the Samsung Gear VR headset free access to 85 hours of virtual reality coverage of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

The Associated Press (via The New York Times) states:

The content, which will be presented on delay during the games running Aug. 6 to Aug. 22, will include opening and closing ceremonies, men’s basketball, gymnastics, track and field, and other sports. It will be captured by Olympic Broadcasting Services, a unit of the International Olympic committee that provides feeds to international broadcasters. The content will be accessible to Samsung users with compatible devices via the NBC Sports app.

Gear VR owners will need a paid TV subscription to access the Rio Olympic Games VR footage.

Google Calendar is down

It’s not just you. Google calendar is down.

From the app status dashboard:

We’re investigating reports of an issue with Google Calendar. We will provide more information shortly.
Users of Google Calendar see ‘Server Error’ page intermittently.

If you all you do in your daily existence is Google Calendar, now would be an excellent time to attempt to do something else.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 preview: Specs, software, release info and more!

Once again, it’s almost Galaxy Note time — and 2016’s big-screen Samsung phone looks like being the best in years.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note series has always been a fan favorite. It’s said among followers of the series that the only thing which can replace a Note is another Note. And so after a strong showing earlier in the year with the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, all eyes are on the Galaxy Note 7, due for arrival in the second half of the year.

As usual, the rumor mill is buzzing with speculation about what we can expect from the latest in a popular line of big-screened phones. And to help you cut through the hype and speculation, we’ve collected all the most reliable info here, in our Samsung Galaxy Note 7 preview. Read on to learn more.

What happened to the Galaxy Note 6?

You would be forgiven for thinking Samsung had skipped a generation. In fact, it’s looking likely that the sixth Note will come to market as the Galaxy Note 7, not Galaxy Note 6. The most convincing evidence thus far comes from Twitter leaker Evan Blass, who’s uncovered an official-looking Note 7 logo. But he’s not only source to mention the Note 7 name.

Earlier reports suggest Samsung may have passed over the Note 6 monicker in order to avoid the impression of it being “an outdated phone.” With the next Note set to follow the Galaxy S7 series, and compete against Apple’s iPhone 7, it’s an understandable move.

Galaxy Note 7 design

No real-world photos of the Galaxy Note 7 have yet emerged, but the most likely images to have leaked thus far come from Steve Hemmerstoffer, a.k.a. @onleaks, in conjunction with British outlet USwitch. Renders created by Hemmerstoffer, allegedly based on CAD images of the phone, show a device incorporating parts of the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S7 edge’s design language.

First up, the biggest change: We’re looking at the first Galaxy Note since 2014’s Note Edge to have an Edge screen, meaning Note 7 owners will be able to enjoy the curved sides and extra software features from phones like the S7 edge and S6 edge Plus. In fact, one way of looking at the Note 7 is as a combination of last year’s Note and Edge Plus lines. Instead of two phones, Note 7 owners will get the best of both worlds in one handset.

The first Galaxy Note with an Edge Screen since 2014’s Note Edge.

Besides that, it should come as no surprise that water resistance is rumored to be built in, given that that’s a major tentpole feature for the GS7 line. Nor should it be shocking to see Samsung sticking with its metal-and-glass design language, which has served it well over the past couple of years. The render also appears to show a USB-C port, which among other things (like faster file transfers and charging speeds) would mean Samsung would have to launch a new Gear VR with the next Note.

In terms of aesthetics, there’s a lot of crossover between these renders and the GS7 edge, albeit in a more rectangular design. The Note 7 shown here appears to sport “2.5D” tapered edges and rounded corners, which should give a more comfortable in-hand feel than last year’s model.

Galaxy Note 7 key specs

As much as we’re reaching a plateau in terms of high-end phone specs, raw hardware power remains important. And based on a handful of reports from SamMobile, Evan Blass and USwitch, here’s what we’re expecting from the Note 7’s hardware:

• Samsung Exynos 8890 processor (similar or identical to that of the GS7 in Europe/Asia) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 820-series in some markets.
• 6GB of RAM
• 4,000mAh or 3,600mAh battery
• 5.7-inch QHD SuperAMOLED display, possibly with RGB subpixel matrix. (Higher subpixel density than diamond PenTile matrix displays used in most AMOLEDs, and thus sharper images.)
• IP68 water and dust resistance
• black, blue and silver color variants.
• USB-C with USB 3.1
• 64GB internal storage + microSD
• 12-megapixel rear camera, likely the same as the GS7’s; 5MP front camera.
• Iris scanner for added biometric security.
• An S Pen, presumably.

None of these should be considered confirmed, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see a next-gen Note with any of the specs listed here.

Galaxy Note 7 software

Here’s where things get kinda interesting. Early rumors pointed to the Galaxy Note 7 potentially shipping with Android N out of the box, which wouldn’t be out of the question considering the likelihood of an early release for the next version of Google’s OS. However more recent reports suggest Android 6.0-based firmware is much more likely.

Minor tweaks make TouchWiz a more polished experience in late 2016.

Italian blog HDBlog.it recently outed what appears to be an future version of Samsung’s TouchWiz software, which seems to have been designed around Galaxy Note-level hardware. (The firmware was shown running on a Note 5, for what that’s worth.) The look and feel isn’t a dramatic departure from TouchWiz as seen on a Note 5 or GS7 today, but Samsung does seem to have tightened things up visually, while leaving the core look and feel of the GS7’s software intact.

The most interesting feature is shown in the TouchWiz launcher, where a gesture activates certain secondary functions for apps, much like 3D Touch on an iPhone 6s. That’s not guarantee that this technology will be included — after all, on a Note, it could well be implemented through the S Pen or, as shown in the video, through a simple swipe gesture.

But there’s one crucial distinction: This next-gen TouchWiz appears to be based on Marshmallow, not Android N — note the old-style notifications and Multi Window implementation in the video above.

Galaxy Note 7 release date

Last year’s Galaxy Note 5 launched in the United States in late August, closely following a mid-August announcement event. This year there’ve been unconfirmed reports of an Aug. 2 launch event, which could once again see a Galaxy Note on store shelves before the Berlin-based IFA trade show — traditionally a big show for Samsung — later that month.

Based on an unverified image, SamMobile reports that the launch event for the Note 7 will indeed fall on the second day of August, being held at the Lincoln Center in New York City. We’d also imagine satellite events would be held in Europe and Asia, given the importance of the handset.

(And yes, we’d absolutely expect a European release for this year’s Note, after Samsung strangely opted not to launch the Note 5 in that region.)

Join the discussion!

Eagerly awaiting the Galaxy Note 7? Chat it up with fellow fans on the Galaxy Note 7 forums!

Amazon Prime Day will offer 1,000s of Black Friday style deals on 12 July

Amazon is to hold is second annual Amazon Prime Day on Tuesday 12 July, where it will discount more than 100,000 products in a Black Friday style sell-off.

All deals will be offered to Prime members exclusively and they will be available globally.

That means Amazon Prime subscribers in the UK, US, Canada, Spain, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium and Austria will be able to purchase items at huge discounts.

And if you aren’t already an Amazon Prime member, you can sign up now (or just before the sales start) for a 30-day trial from amazon.co.uk/primeday.

New deals will start every five minutes and when they are gone, they are gone. There will also be countdown deals on the build up to the day, starting on 5 July and running through to 11 July. These will include a 40 per cent discount on a 43-inch Finlux UHD TV with Freeview Play.

In the UK, Amazon is also holding competitions with Prime Music prizes on offer throughout the day. Gig tickets, signed items and even a full Sonos system will be up for grabs. You could even have Brit Award winner Passenger play a private gig in your front room.

In addition, Prime members who upload at least one photo on their included Prime Photos account will be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win £3,500 in Amazon.co.uk gift cards.