Chromecast Ultra vs. Xiaomi Mi Box: Which should you buy?

If you want to spend $70 on a Google Cast device, you’ll be looking at the Chromecast Ultra and the Xiaomi Mi Box.

Google’s new Chromecast Ultra brings a lot to the table — not the least of which being 4K HDR streaming — but it is also unfortunately double the price of its predecessor. At $70 the Chromecast Ultra is now closer to the price of full-on Android TV boxes — including the newest of the bunch, the Xiaomi Mi Box, which also conveniently costs the same $70.

Both offer 4K video support, are of course Google Cast targets and won’t take up much room behind your TV, but that doesn’t mean you should blindly choose one or the other. Some people will prefer the Chromecast Ultra’s simplicity while others will enjoy the extra features of the Mi Box. Which is right for you, though? Read on to find out.

Size and placement considerations

The Chromecast Ultra offers simplicity in placement and configuration.

First and foremost, you ned to make an assessment of which device will best fit in your entertainment center setup. The Mi Box is one of the smaller Android TV offerings out there, but it’s still not as simplistic as the Chromecast Ultra. The Mi Box requires a separate HDMI and power cable (which are both a bit on the short side), and unless you want to get a healthy amount of double-sided tape it’s going to be sitting on some portion of your entertainment center. On the other side of the coin, that HDMI cable flexibility means you can swap it out for as long (or short) of a cable as you like for a more custom installation.

The Chromecast Ultra of course has an integrated HDMI cable that instantly saves space (or could be a potential annoyance for some), and a compact power adapter with a long, thin cable that’s easy to route. The magnetic base can even help the body of the streamer attach to the end of the cable to keep things even tidier, depending on what the port layout behind your TV is like.

Performance and features

The biggest difference between these two offerings is the fact that the Mi Box offers a standalone experience, whereas the Chromecast Ultra requires a phone, tablet or computer to control it. As soon as you get your Google Account plugged into the Mi Box, anyone who picks up the remote can control it, browse around and find something to watch using full apps — they don’t have to know a darn thing about Google Cast.

That can be super valuable for a box that sits in a spare bedroom or a shared space with a family — you don’t want to have to explain how the system works to everyone. Along the same lines, the Mi Box gives you a proper remote you can use to scroll around, play/pause and control volume — that’s a make-or-break feature for some.

The Mi Box offers a standalone experience … but can struggle with 4K.

In terms of just specs, things are about the same. Both offer 4K resolution and HDR video quality, so on paper that’s a wash. But as we’ve noted before the Mi Box has trouble powering the full Android TV interface at 4K resolution, which is a frustrating experience. Sure you get a full interface to use, but if you have to drop it to 1080p to get great performance, is it worth it? That will really depend how much 4K content you expect to watch. On the upside, the Mi Box has locally addressable storage, and a USB port that can be used for future extensibility.

Which one is right for you?

Considering that they’re the same price, the choice between the Chromecast Ultra and the Xiaomi Mi Box really comes down to just a couple of points.

The Chromecast Ultra is best for those who are okay with (or desire) the simplicity of the Chromecast and don’t need a remote or standalone apps. It’s also easier to just plug into the back of any TV, and includes an ethernet adapter in the box. If you can deal with only controlling it via a secondary device, the Chromecast Ultra offers superior performance and streaming quality, including 4K without any caveats.

With the same price, it comes down to just a couple deciding factors for you.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you want to have a remote and standalone apps on the box itself, the better choice here is the Mi Box. It will let you (or perhaps your house guests) navigate and play content without having to hook up a phone and Cast content, which can be a big plus. There are issues with performance, particularly in the interface when set to 4K resolution, but some people may be able to overlook that and just go with 1080p (considering most content is still that resolution anyway) in order to get an interface, apps and a remote at the same price as the Chromecast Ultra.

The biggest thing to point out here is that both of these devices will fit for most people’s basic home theater needs. Both are obviously Google Cast targets, and have the same $70 price. Make a couple decisions about which specific features you want, and the buying decision is easy.

See Chromecast Ultra at Best BuySee Mi Box at Walmart

There is likely no ‘Beast Mode’ coming to the Galaxy S8

Is a “beast mode” really plausible after the Note 7 debacle?

Samsung’s smartphones are already beastly enough — they play games, they’re capable of live YouTube broadcasts, and you can use any of the latest models for virtual reality.

That hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from mongering about the apparent “Beast mode” packaged into the Galaxy S8. According to a Dutch Samsung fan site, Samsung has filed a trademark for this particular feature in the European Union, which suggests that it’s something that will come standard with the company’s next flagship. But that doesn’t make much sense, considering the name itself and the implications.

The Galaxy S8 will likely already have top-of-the-line performance when it debuts — it’s a marquee device, after all — and the tip line already points to a 10nm architecture for the new flagship Exynos chip, which will supposedly increase the chip’s efficiency without compromising performance. Why would it need a “Beast mode”?

There are also rumors the Galaxy S8 will be packed with a whopping 8GB of memory, which sounds like a bit of an overkill at this point in time. Sure, the latest OnePlus devices are equipped with 6GB, but as some users had pointed out, they were hardly ever at capacity before the software update this past summer.

Next year is proving to be an interesting one. Not only will Samsung have to turn the narrative around on its smartphone business — well, maybe not too much — but the company may also opt out of announcing its Next Big Thing at the annual smartphone show in Barcelona. Regardless of when Samsung decides to debut, it’s doubtful that something like a “Beast mode” would become a major marketing ploy for a company that recalled its last phone for randomly bursting into flames. Samsung would be better off introducing a “cuddly rabbit mode.”

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• U.S. unlocked Galaxy S7
• Should you upgrade to the Galaxy S7?
• Best SD cards for Galaxy S7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

Unlocked
AT&T
Sprint
T-Mobile
Verizon

Google’s two ‘Nexus’ smartwatches will debut early next year

Get ready for a bunch of Android Wear smartwatches in 2017.

We’ve heard rumors for months, but today Google has confirmed to The Verge that it will debut two Android Wear smartwatches in early 2017. The launch will be part of bigger effort to convince consumers that smartwatches are a device category worth paying attention to.

The wearable watches will not use the Pixel branding, but they will follow a similar program as the Nexus smartphones — at least in terms of collaboration. Manufacturers of the “Nexus” watches will have a hand on hardware design and software integration.

Jeff Chang, the product manager of Android Wear at Google who was quoted in the article, also disclosed that after the launch, other manufacturers will follow suit with more new Android Wear 2.0-based devices. We might even see some as early as next month’s CES.

Google reiterated that it’s committed to supporting and promoting the various smartwatch launches in an effort to build up the platform to consumers, which is interesting considering the demand for smartwatches really isn’t that high. In fact, LG and Motorola haven’t even bothered refreshing their Android Wear smartwatch lineup this year. Perhaps because they know what’s on the horizon from Google.

These are the smartwatches that will get updated to Android Wear 2.0

Will my smartwatch get Android Wear 2.0?

Now that we know Google will debut two new Android Wear-based smartwatches in early 2017, we also know which existing products will be updated to the new version.

Android Wear smartwatches that will be updated to AW 2.0

• Huawei Watch
• Huawei Watch for ladies
• Moto 360 (2015)
• Moto 360 Sport
• LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE
• LG Watch Urbane
• LG G Watch R
• Polar M600
• Casio Smart Outdoor Watch
• Nixon Mission
• Tag Heuer Connected
• Asus ZenWatch 2
• Asus ZenWatch 3
• Fossil Q Wander
• Fossil Q Marshal
• Fossil Q Founder
• Michael Kors Access Bradshaw Smartwatch
• Michael Kors Access Dylan Smartwatch

That leaves out much of the original generation of 2014 Android Wear devices, namely the Moto 360, LG G Watch, Samsung Gear Live and Asus ZenWatch. It’s been a good ride, but we can look forward to bigger and better things with Android Wear 2.0.

More: Google’s two “Nexus” smartwatches will debut early next year

Barnes & Noble removes malware from $50 Nook tablet, but you still shouldn’t buy it

The update may remove the part where your data goes back to China, but everything else is bad and unchanged.

About that $50 Barnes & Noble tablet. You might have heard that researchers working with Linux Journal found that the BNTV450 shipped from the factory with the same malware that phones from Blu and other companies that use a MediaTek processor had. It’s called ADUPS and it was configured to literally harvest your personal data and send it back to a server in China.

Sometimes, data really does get sent back to China. This was one of those times.

Anyway, there’s an update in the wild that “fixes” things. At least this one thing. Maybe.

The update brings a new version of ADUPS to the tablet. Supposedly, the “bad stuff” the ADUPS malware does is no longer present in versions newer than 5.5. The shipping version — 5.2.0.2.002 — was filled with data stealing goodness, but the version in the update file we received last night is 6.0. The worst part is that most of us can’t check for this ourselves, as the ADUPS application needs to be completely decompiled to see the version number in the app manifest. To make a long story short, unless the folks behind ADUPS are doing something else that’s shady, the update from B&N squares the malware issue away.

The “Maybe” part? Plenty of people consider any device with any version of the ADUPS software to be compromised and not fit for storing your personal information on. Personally, I’m with them but it’s your $50.

But there are plenty of reasons to still not buy this tablet. Beginning with the fact that it’s still 100% vulnerable to CVE-2015-6616. In human language, that means the Stagefright exploit. The Android version (6.0 in this case) should be at least partially patched, but there are security updates for the processor which have not been applied.

Don’t buy this tablet. I’m telling you to not buy this tablet and our own Modern Dad looked at this one so you didn’t have to.

Here’s what he has to say about the update:

So it had malware in the program that serves ads. An update is removing the malware from the program that serves the ads. It’s still not worth $50. Suck it up and buy an iPad or a Kindle Fire HD.

You know what tablet doesn’t have malware, performs way better, and also costs $50? The Amazon Fire Tablet 7.

See at Amazon

Russian Hackers used Android malware to track Ukrainian artillery

More proof that you need to be extra careful downloading apps online.

Android software is everywhere these days, even finding use on modern battlefields. And just like the apps on your smartphone, downloading potentially compromised .APKs from unofficial sources can lead to unforeseen consequences.

A new report from American cybersecurity technology company CrowdStrike found that a hacker group known as Fancy Bear embedded a malware implant known as X-Agent into an Android app used by the Ukranian military. The group is thought to have ties to Russian authorities who supported rebel forces in Ukraine, and had previously been linked to the DNC email leaks in another report published by CrowdStrike.

From the CrowdStrike blog:

Late in the summer of 2016, CrowdStrike Intelligence analysts began investigating a curious Android Package (APK) named ‘Попр-Д30.apk’ (MD5: 6f7523d3019fa190499f327211e01fcb) which contained a number of Russian language artifacts that were military in nature. Initial research identified that the filename suggested a relationship to the D-30 122mm towed howitzer, an artillery weapon first manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1960s but still in use today. In-depth reverse engineering revealed the APK contained an Android variant of X-Agent, the command and control protocol was closely linked to observed Windows variants of X-Agent, and utilized a cryptographic algorithm called RC4 with a very similar 50 byte base key.

The filename ‘Попр-Д30.apk’ was linked to a legitimate application which was initially developed domestically within Ukraine by an officer of the 55th Artillery Brigade named Yaroslav Sherstuk. In media interviews Mr. Sherstuk claims that the application, which had some 9000 users, reduced the time to fire the D-30 from minutes to seconds. No evidence of the application has been observed on the Android app store, making it unlikely that the app was distributed via that platform.

The report goes on to say that if the X-Agent malware was successfully deployed within the application, it would have allowed for accurate reconnaissance for rebel troops on the location of Ukrainian artillery positions. CrowdStrike found through open source reporting that “Ukrainian artillery forces have lost over 50% of their weapons in the 2 years of conflict and over 80% of D-30 howitzers, the highest percentage of loss of any other artillery pieces in Ukraine’s arsenal.” You can read the full report from CrowdStrike here.

This case is obviously a fairly extreme example of the damage hacked apps can do, but let this serve as a stern reminder to all of us about just how easy it can be to download malicious Android apps from the internet.

Pokemon Go for Apple Watch now out, lets you play from your wrist

You can now catch ’em all from your wrist. Sort of.

Developer Niantic has finally launched the Apple Watch version of Pokemon Go, three months after unveiling the edition during an Apple event. Keep in mind this isn’t the full game. Instead, it complements the mobile version, allowing you to do certain things without having to touch your phone. You won’t actually be able to catch Pokemon, but you can collect items at Pokestops.

You can also find nearby Pokemon, as the watch app will serve up notifications. You’ll also receive notifications on your wrist when eggs hatch and medals are awarded, and you’ll be able to count distance toward hatching Pokemon eggs and receiving candy. The entire experience is focused on fitness, too, since Apple Watch is positioned as a fitness device just as much as it is a smartwatch.

Niantic is letting users log each play session as a workout, for instance. Check out Pocket-lint’s guide on Pokemon Go for Apple Watch to learn more about the game, including how to play and why it’s perfect for the wrist. 

Pokemon Go for Apple Watch is bundled with the latest update – version 1.21.2, which is rolling out on the App Store – to Pokemon Go app for iPhone and iPad. 

• Apple will release iOS 10 update for iPhones and iPads on 13 September
• Apple made these wireless AirPods and Lightning EarPods for iPhone 7
• Apple Watch Nike Plus is designed to be your perfect running partner
• Finally! Apple shows off new Apple Watch Series 2 models
• Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are official
• How to watch iPhone 7 and 7 Plus launch
• Mario coming to iOS with Super Mario Run
• Pokemon Go is coming to Apple Watch by end of 2016
• Super Mario Run for iPhone: How to play and when can you get it?

A French town just installed the world’s first ‘solar road’

The tiny town of Tourouvre-au-Perche in Normandy, France no longer has to worry about how it will power its street lights. The Sun will handle that.

French Ecology Minister Ségolène Royal (above) officially opened the kilometer-long road on Wednesday. It took five years to develop and cost $5.2 million to produce and install the 30,000 square feet of solar panels. They’re coated with a clear silicon resin that enables them to withstand the impact of passing traffic.

Being the first of its kind, the panels are still prohibitively expensive to produce en masse (they’re also less efficient than conventional panels because they’re laid flat rather than angled). But should Colas, the road’s manufacturer, figure out how to get costs down and efficiency up, France may install them along another 1,000 kilometers of its roads.

Source: The Guardian

Congress claims Snowden has been in contact with Russian intelligence

Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor who released a trove of confidential documents detailing the massive scope of US surveillance programs, has been accused by Congress of giving information to Russian intelligence agencies. A new report from the US House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) claims that Snowden “has had, and continues to have, contact with Russian intelligence services” since seeking asylum in Russia in 2013. The 33-page report, which was just declassified today, contains a section called “foreign influence” in which the deputy chairman of the Russian parliament’s defense and security committee claims that “Snowden did share intelligence” with the Russian government.

That section of the document (along with many others) is heavily redacted, so it’s hard to know the substance of these claims. It’s logical that a high-profile asylum seeker would be in touch with Russian officials, but the nature of that relationship is unclear. And given the recent claims from the US government intelligence that Russia was being the DNC hacks and possibly influenced the outcome of this year’s presidential election, Snowden seems like a natural target.

Naturally, Snowden has denied much of the content of today’s report. “Unsurprising that HPSCI’s report is rifled with obvious falsehoods,” he said on Twitter. “After three years of investigation and millions of dollars, they can present no evidence of harmful intent, foreign influence, or harm.” Specifically regarding his potential collaboration with Russian intelligence, he said that “an indicator of HPSCI’s slant is the knowing omission of my strident, well-documented criticisms of Russian policy. Despite this, they claim without evidence I’m in cahoots with Russian intel.”

Despite this, they claim without evidence I’m in cahoots with Russian intel. Everyone knows this is false, but let’s examine their basis:

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) December 22, 2016

The report goes far beyond just detailing Snowden’s potential ties to Russian intelligence. At a high level, it claims that many of the documents Snowden stole do not pertain to to programs that impact civil liberties; most of them instead detail military, defense and intelligence programs that don’t affect the public. The report also definitively states Snowden is not a whistleblower (because he didn’t use the standard channels for communicating his concerns and that he “was, and remains, a serial exaggerator and fabricator.”

To that, Snowden says: “bottom line: this report’s core claims are made without evidence, and are often contrary to both common sense and the public record.” Of course, the government will make its claims and Snowden will mount his defense, but without further proof from either side, it comes down to who you trust more.

Via: CNN

Source: US House of Representatives