Facebook vows to fight fake news but won’t say how
Facebook has a news problem. The algorithm powering its Newsfeed can’t always distinguish an accurate story from a complete fabrication, which means misleading and false stories regularly circulate throughout the site. Following Donald Trump’s win in the US presidential election this week, commentators are arguing that fake stories shared on Facebook’s Newsfeed propelled his campaign, and executives at the site need to take responsibility for distributing accurate, vetted news.
In a statement shared with TechCrunch, Facebook VP of product management Adam Mosseri said that the company is aware of the fake-news problem. “We take misinformation on Facebook very seriously,” the statement says. “We value authentic communication and hear consistently from those who use Facebook that they prefer not to see misinformation.” The rest of Mosseri’s thoughts read as follows:
In Newsfeed we use various signals based on community feedback to determine which posts are likely to contain inaccurate information, and reduce their distribution. In Trending we look at a variety of signals to help make sure the topics being shown are reflective of real-world events, and take additional steps to prevent false or misleading content from appearing. Despite these efforts we understand there’s so much more we need to do, and that is why it’s important that we keep improving our ability to detect misinformation. We’re committed to continuing to work on this issue and improve the experiences on our platform.
Facebook does not label itself a news organization, even though Pew Research Center found in May that 62 percent of adults in the US get their news from social media, and Facebook is a powerhouse in this space.
As BuzzFeed News reported last week, a team of teenagers in Macedonia figured out how to game the Facebook Newsfeed algorithm, and they made up to $5,000 a month circulating fake pro-Trump stories on the site. Their headlines include, “Breaking: Proof surfaces that Obama was born in Kenya – Trump was right all along,” and, “Oprah Tells FOX News Host ‘Some White People Have To Die.’”
The prominence of these stories speaks to a larger problem of “filter bubbles” on Facebook and other social media sites, where users end up seeing stories and opinions only from sources they agree with. Facebook has not stated how it plans to address the issues of fake news or filter bubbles on the site.
Facebook came under fire recently for getting rid of human editors who curated the site’s Trending news section. The Trending stories are now picked by an algorithm with a poor track record of distinguishing truth from fiction.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared his own thoughts on the election, alongside a photo of him holding his daughter as the results poured in. His update read as follows:
Holding Max, I thought about all the work ahead of us to create the world we want for our children. This work is bigger than any presidency and progress does not move in a straight line. The most important opportunities of Max’s generation — like curing all disease, improving education, connecting everyone and promoting equal opportunity — will take long term focus and finding new ways for all of us to work together, sometimes over decades.
We are all blessed to have the ability to make the world better, and we have the responsibility to do it. Let’s go work even harder.
Source: TechCrunch
Apple’s Extended Holiday Return Policy Now in Effect
Apple’s annual extended holiday return policy began today in the United States and several other countries.
Most products and accessories purchased between November 10 and December 25 of this year are eligible for return until January 8, 2017 in the United States, Australia, Canada, and select other regions, or until January 20, 2017 in many European countries such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Apple products that can be returned include, among other things, the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. The few items that cannot be returned include Apple or iTunes gift cards and opened software. Apple products can be opened and used prior to the return date, but must be returned undamaged with the original packaging.
When making a purchase at an Apple retail store, we recommend that you ask for printed and emailed copies of your receipt. Both printed and emailed receipts will indicate the return date for each product purchased, while Apple also lists the cutoff date under the “Your Account” section on its website.
All purchases made before today or after December 25 are subject to Apple’s standard 14-day return policy in most countries.
Tag: Apple retail
Discuss this article in our forums
Instagram Update Introduces Boomerang and User Mentions Into Stories
An update rolling out to the iOS, Android, and Windows 10 Instagram app today has introduced the company’s standalone app “Boomerang” directly into its new Snapchat-like stories feature. Boomerang allows users to take a burst of photos that cycle forwards and backwards quickly, creating an animated GIF that they can share to Instagram and Facebook directly within the app.
Today, when users swipe left-to-right to open the stories camera, there will be a new format picker under the shutter button which can be toggled between “Normal” and “Boomerang,” and shared directly to their story.
Mentions are also making an appearance in stories, allowing Instagram users to tag friends and family members using the @ icon normally found in comments and captions of posts. Whenever a friend taps the @ mention on a story, they’ll be directed to that user’s profile. Anyone who’s mentioned in a story will also receive a direct message with a link to the image or video they were tagged in.
Additionally, a “See More” tag for some verified accounts will help users dig deeper into that person’s media content.
Watching someone’s story and want to dig deeper? You may spot “See More” links at the bottom of some stories. This is a test that lets verified accounts add links so it’s easy to learn more. From discovering the latest music by Chance the Rapper (@chancetherapper) to learning about a new movie starring Dwayne Johnson (@therock) or reading a related article from Bustle (@bustle), tap “See More” or swipe up to view the link right inside the app.
Instagram is available to download for free from the App Store [Direct Link], and the 9.7 update will continue rolling out to users throughout the day.
Tag: Instagram
Discuss this article in our forums
Google Daydream View Review
Would you believe that it’s been two years already since Google Cardboard was first introduced to the world during Google I/O 2014? The platform, which was developed by Google, provided nearly anyone and everyone with an Android-powered smartphone with the taste of virtual reality – and without having to invest such a huge sum of money in the process, something that made it accessible to a broad range of people. Fast forward now to the present, the mobile virtual reality experience is evolving with the release of Google’s next-generation headset.
The level of immersion is undeniably critical in making virtual reality believable, so it’s going to be intriguing to see how the advances with the Google Daydream View will make for a convincing argument for the segment. Mobile VR as we’ve seen thus far, has been largely static in comparison to what commercial VR systems, such as the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, have delivered for a decent time now. Let’s just cross our fingers and hope this next iteration is a leap forward – as opposed to just small step up from what we know and have.
- The Daydream VR titles available on launch day
Design
Sorry Cardboard, you were cheap and readily available to the masses, but the comfort and ergonomics weren’t there at all. Thankfully Google’s approach this time is more mindful about those two qualities, seeing that the Daydream View adopts a design that’s more agreeable to the styling of today’s clothing – rather than the monolithic, sometimes sci-fi looking designs of other headsets. In fact, its design is inspired by the clothes we wear, so to that degree, there’s a friendlier demeanor to its particular look and feel.
While we applaud Google choice for the material employed by the headset, this breathable fabric-esque material dubbed “textiles,” they missed the mark in terms of its fitting. To be fair, though, the soft fabric material feels good over the skin and surrounding area that goes over our eyes. And the uniformity it exudes is much more charming in appearance than the prototype-esque aesthetics of the Samsung Gear VR, or the crudeness of the Cardboard headset.
However, having only a single, adjustable strap that goes around our head with the Daydream View, it doesn’t seem equipped at keeping itself propped up while it’s worn. When you place the Google Pixel XL into the headset, the phone’s weightiness causes the entire thing to become front heavy – making it a nuisance because of the constant need of being propped up using our free hand. Of course, this particular design flaw could be ameliorated by simply adding another strap that would go over the head.
Sure, the decision to go with a fabric exterior is a great direction for the headset’s overall design, but when it cracks under the weight when the handset is positioned into place, it’s more of an annoyance than anything else trying to constantly adjust the straps. Nice design, but that one flaw is glaring.
Setup
Really, there’s nothing to it with the setup process of the Google Daydream View. Once the Google Pixel XL is fastened safely into place, the sensors automatically launch the Daydream app. After that, all that’s needed to complete the initial setup process is to press and hold the home button on the new controller that comes included with the headset.
We will mention, however, that Google manages to at least plan accordingly with the controller. Its diminutive size, in fact, allows it to be tucked away in the inside of the headset when it’s not being used. For what it does in the VR world, this new accessory adds to the VR experience by providing us with an expressive and intuitive way of interacting with things. Not only does it have a touch sensitive pad, as well as the usual home, back, and volume controls, it’s capable of sensing motion. Call it the secret weapon in its arsenal, it’s similar in premise to other motion sensing controllers – like the Nintendo Wii remotes, DualShock 4, and even the HTC Vive controllers.
Once the calibration is completed, we’re automatically brought to the Daydream Home portal, which is set in this forest world and it’s the area where we see all of our downloaded apps and content. Currently, though, this portal is the only way to initiate downloads for Daydream supported apps. Meaning, there’s no separate section yet in the Google Play Store to download apps – so you’re forced to use Daydream’s VR interface.
VR experience
Given that the Daydream View is still the vessel for the brains of the operation, the Google Pixel XL in our case here, its implementation doesn’t stray far from other mobile VR experiences – including Cardboard. In our time checking out the limited selection of Daydream apps and experiences, we can agree that it follows the same fundamental properties of what we’ve seen from mobile VR already. That means that it’s still a mostly static experience, one with limited range extended to looking all around us as we’re sitting or standing still.
Before we get deeper into its experience, let’s briefly talk about the two lenses in the headset that allow us to see into this virtual reality. There’s not a whole lot to complain about, especially when the handset’s Quad-HD resolution is the gold standard for mobile VR currently. Plus, the lenses have a wide enough coverage to never once make it feel narrow as we peer into them. And in our brief time using the headset, we never once felt nauseous using it, which can also be attributed to the processing power and smooth performance of the Google Pixel XL.
Going back to the overall VR experience, Daydreamstill can’t escape the static approach of current mobile VR implementations. Indeed, the addition of the motion controller does nicely to enhance the experience, but at the end of the day, we’re still confined to our space while just being able to look around. Unfortunately there’s no advancement in terms of spatial movement tracking, which obviously would involve a bit more hardware to achieve.
The controller acts as a pointer in the virtual world, and in some instances, it’s even virtualized for us to look at. From the looks of it, the motion tracking seems spot-on and responsive, as waving, tilting, and panning it are precisely tracked – so it very much works like other motion controllers. The caveat is that it’s tethered in the way that it doesn’t respond appropriately in the VR world when it’s raised above the headset. It’s a minor limitation, of course, but nonetheless one that we have to mention.
Don’t get us wrong, the motion controller absolutely enhances the mobile VR experience, but ultimately the overall experience is still very much like Cardboard and Gear VR. Therefore, its level of immersion still falls short of what’s achieved by the complex VR systems out there. For an on-the-go experience, it achieves the same result as other mobile solutions – just that it’s enhanced by the addition of the motion controller.
The games & content
We’ve been checking out a few games and experiences with the Google Daydream View, ahead of its official availability date of November 10th. It’s really tough to say after checking them out if it’s a home run for Daydream, especially when you know developers will no doubt create some cool and innovative content as time goes by. In the meantime, however, we will just say that this is just the beginning – so don’t expect anything extraordinary.
Google apps such as YouTube, Street View, Google Photos, and Play Movies all act as you’d expect, wherein they function in the same capacity to what we’ve been exposed to with mobile VR. Street View allows us to visit famous landmarks in far away places, or alternatively, visit the street where we spent the majority of our childhood. There’s nothing exorbitant with the VR experience, naturally, since it’s a static experience that lets us absorb the sights and scenery – while using the motion controller to quickly jump from one location to another. With Play Movies, it does nothing more than to replicate the big screen experience of a movie theater.
Again, we can’t stress enough about the static experiences here, which is due to the headset unable to measure spatial movement. The motion controller makes it more convenient with interacting with things in the VR world, such as pointing at dots to jump from one area to another in Street View. Despite its addition, it’s not doing a whole lot to move forward the experience – still, it’s better than having to press on some button on the headset, or something like that.
Moving onto the games, they make better use of the motion controller. Games like Wonderglade, makes it necessary to use the controller to play many of the mini games there. For example, it’s used to act as a firehose to douse flames, it becomes a golf club in mini golf, and even show off its motion tracking by tilting it in all sorts of ways to guide a ball through a maze. Wonderglade, by far, best showcases the potential of the motion controller’s implementation in the VR world.
Other games we’ve checked out also make use of the motion controller. In Mekorama, we use the motion controller to help guide out tiny robot friend through these puzzles by pointing it where to go, moving blocks with the motion controller to gain access to new levels, and much more. Endless shooters are being transformed as well with the Daydream View’s implementation. Hunters Gate in particular, utilizes the controller’s touchpad to navigate our player in the map, while using the controller at the same time to target enemies.
These games do a better job of showing how valuable the motion controller is with the overall experience. It’s a small tease so far, so we’re itching to see how other games and experiences try to innovate the overall VR experience.
Conclusion
Cardboard is so beloved not only because it exposed a vast majority of smartphone owners to virtual reality, for the very first time even, but also because of the minimum investment cost coming from users. With the Daydream View, of course, its new motion controller and breathable fabric design means there’s a significant cost attached to it over its Cardboard brethren. At first glance, the Daydream View’s cost of $79 might seem alarming, but it actually undercuts the competition – making for a presentable solution that’s priced effectively.
The bigger question we need to ask, though, is whether or not these new implementations add any value to the overall experience. Early on, it doesn’t seem likely, as we feel that only one game really manages to harness the power of the new motion controller. Then again, things might very well change rapidly once the headset launches and developers can go on to tinker with it more, fine-tune things, and eventually come up with some ingenious ways this system can really sell virtual reality to the masses.
One of the most pressing things, however, is just the continued static approach – something that hasn’t changed at all. The missing piece here is spatial tracking, something that has been the defining, also differentiating factor that separates mobile VR from the full-blown experience we see in things like the Sony PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift. We’re hesitant to recommend picking up the Google Daydream View right now, mainly because it’s only a small step forward from what we’ve seen in the mobile VR space over the course of the last couple of years. Then again, if you have a Pixel, it’s only $79 and so you’re not exactly investing a ton of money for the chance to dive a bit deeper with VR than you could with Cardboard.
Daydream View review: A fantastic step into the next generation of VR headsets
Google’s new VR experience is a universe of possibility populated by a fistful of successful ideas.
The next stage of smartphone-based VR is here, but you’re going to quickly notice a few things are needed for this to be as much fun as it could be.
Pros
- More comfortable than most VR headsets
- Daydream Controller is excellent
- High quality VR experiences
Cons
- Basically no apps at launch
- Light bleed affects immersion
A great fresh start
Google Daydream View Full review
The stewards of Android discovered a long time ago that a democratized platform will grow faster than one rigidly controlled and maintained. The Android OS never would have become the global power it is today had Google not made it something just about any hardware company could make something for. The same can be said for Chrome, Search, Gmail, and most of Google’s other products. Make it something as many people as possible can enjoy on their terms — more or less — and growth will be incredible.
A “20% project” announced almost as a forgotten footnote at the end of Google I/O 2014 is one of the more recent examples. A simple cardboard box with a rubber band and a pair of cheap plastic lenses offered anyone with a smartphone the ability to experience immersive photography and video in a way that hadn’t been so widely available since the View-Master. Google Cardboard grew in popularity at an explosive rate, due in no small part to how many things could interact with the hardware and how readily available the software is across iOS, Android, and YouTube.
As cool as Cardboard is, it’s not particularly easy to improve that experience without leaving behind a segment of the current user base. You can make apps that only work on high-end phones, or apps that work best when you aren’t holding the cardboard box to your face with your hands, but you carve out a big chunk of users with every limitation. In order to reach a higher standard of VR content, a new platform needed to exist that focused only on delivering those high quality, high immersion experiences. Google is calling this upgraded experience Daydream, and the first headset built to deliver this new experience Daydream View.
About this review
I have been using Daydream View with a Google Pixel XL for six days. That Pixel XL, which was sent with the headset by Google, arrived running build NDE63U with a version of Google VR Services that has been updated three times during the review process.
Like wearing sweatpants on your face
Google Daydream View Hardware
No two Google Cardboard headsets are exactly alike, but they all follow the same general layout. It’s a design you can spot from across the room if you own one of these simple VR headsets, and Daydream View looks like a highly stylized version of one of those them. The phone slips into the front cavity, and a pair of lenses sit a couple inches from that space to warp the image on the screen to fit your vision. It’s a familiar setup, one that works well for what Google has been trying to accomplish so far.
As you pick up and use this particular highly stylized Google Cardboard headset, it becomes clear this is much more sophisticated. Opening the front tray reveals the Daydream Controller, a small wireless controller with a wrist strap that gets used to control every aspect of the Daydream experience. Under that controller, which is nicely secured by an elastic strap, there’s an NFC tag to launch Daydream as soon as you put the phone down. That move causes a notification to float up asking you to close the headset so Daydream can start.
When you close the phone into Daydream view, it’s perfectly centered against the lenses in the headset without you needing to move a thing. This happens thanks to the two black rubber nubs touching the phone display, which tells the apps you’re about to use where the “center” is without your assistance. That’s a big deal, and not only because it means jumping into Daydream is even more convenient any other mobile VR platform right now. This mechanism removes the one real adjustment Google Cardboard users have to do to ensure a clear image, something you’ll never need to worry about on Daydream.
The thing that really sells Daydream View as a Gear VR competitor is that you don’t have to use a Samsung phone.
Putting the headset itself on is easy. There’s a single strap, and you pull it onto your head and tighten the strap until you’re comfortable. The strap adjustment sliders are convenient and work well for adults, but don’t quite get small enough for many younger users. As you’ve seen in the photos, Daydream View is almost entirely fabric, including big plush pads for the forehead and sides. It’s a quick, comfortable fit to be sure, but the winner of our Most Comfortable VR Headset award still goes to PlayStation VR for now. The pressure caused by tightening the headset all rests just above your eyebrows, and even with a loose fit you’re going to feel that pressure after about an hour.
The spacing on the face hole for this headset is wide enough for you to be able to put just about any size prescription lenses inside without being too uncomfortable, which is fantastic. You may notice some initial discomfort when trying to get the headset into place, especially if your glasses are prone to pressing against your face already, but in most cases a quick adjustment will make this a smooth ride. What you get in exchange, unfortunately, is some significant light bleed on either side of the headset.
It all comes together to form a VR headset that feels an awful lot like a response to Samsung and Oculus.
The sides of the headset don’t sit flush against your skin, so any amount of light from behind you will be visible as a reflection on the lens just in front of your display. Those reflections aren’t great for establishing total immersion in what you’re doing, but more importantly, rapidly adjusting focus between the reflection and the VR world can lead to headaches in a hurry.
All of this comes together to form a VR headset that feels an awful lot like a response to Samsung and Oculus. The Samsung Gear VR didn’t really have any competition until now, and Google’s offering sets you up with more input options with the Daydream controller, a nearly identical field a view, and a more compact and comfortable headset. The thing that really sells Daydream View as a Gear VR competitor is that you don’t have to use a Samsung phone, and that eventually there will be more options than just the Google Pixel and Pixel XL supported in this headset. That has the potential to be a very big deal, assuming support comes at a fast enough pace.
Totally contained, and damned impressive
Google Daydream View Software
Your days of crawling Google’s seemingly endless Play Store for quality games that will work in your Cardboard viewer are, thankfully, behind you. Google has a standalone Daydream app for your phone, and its job is to manage your Daydream apps and offer a simple, separate place for your VR world. For the most part, Daydream in app form is a way to organize your VR apps and offer you a 2D way to access Daydream settings. If you want to set a different VR keyboard, this is the fastest way to do that. If you want to pair a new Daydream Controller, this is where you do that. It’s fairly straightforward, which is exactly what it needed to be.
It’s also the most visually compelling app Google has ever released.
Every listing in your Daydream library is interactive. Pause on a listing for a moment and the static image for the app or game turns into a window for you to peer through into the world contained within. This simple 360-degree image encourages you to move your phone around and peek into the world in order to see what you’ll be doing with the headset on. It’s not only a great way to distract yourself for a few minutes at a time, it’s the perfect way to show off new VR apps to people who aren’t sure about buying something untested. No other VR service offers a comparable setup right now, but this should be the default experience for buying VR apps and games.
The Daydream app is the perfect way to show off new VR experiences to people who aren’t sure about buying something untested.
When you aren’t browsing in the Daydream app, you have the headset on your face and are getting the full VR experience. Google has built Daydream in much the same way Oculus has built Home, as a fully contained VR experience that lets you search through your library and purchase new apps without needing to take the headset off. This experience is built in a total 360-degree world unique to Daydream, and encourages users to stick around in the VR world for longer than a quick tour through any single app or game.
Daydream’s controller lends a lot to this experience. You hold the wand in the real world, and in the virtual one you see a laser pointer to interact with whatever you want. The accuracy of this controller is key, and something Google nailed out of the box. When you move left and right, up or down, and even spinning the controller around, you see that represented in the VR world. It’s not a full travel system like HTC’s Vive controllers, but it’s the closest you’ll get from a Bluetooth-connected accessory. Using the Daydream Controller to navigate everything feels noticeably more natural than a gamepad or touch pad on the side of the headset, and if your goal is to use the headset for extended periods of time that’s a big deal.
Google’s software team worked very hard to minimize what’s called the Screen Door Effect through software, especially in the primary menu and Play Store. The use of Material Design elements with bold primary colors makes it more difficult to spot the display lines on the Pixel XL, and throughout all of the text Google supplies everything is perfectly readable without a lot of harsh black lines from the display. Google’s software partners didn’t work quite as hard, so in several other apps the SDE is more noticeable. It’s likely Google will offer up some UI guidelines to help reduce these experiences, but for now know that all of Google’s apps follow this fairly well.
Speaking of third-party apps, it’d be really nice if Daydream had a few! During the review Google Play had ten whole apps, five of which are made by Google. Here’s what I experienced:
- Arts and Culture — Taking guided 360-degree tours of amazing places all around the world.
- Play Movies — Grab a seat in a theater in a glade, with the stars above you and your Play Movies library projected on a sheet in front of you.
- YouTube — Immerse yourself in the best of YouTube, with menus that fly in to your perspective at the press of a button.
- Photos — Take a look at any photos you’ve taken, including Cardboard Camera and Photosphere pictures.
- Street View — Stand in the middle of a street, and look around to see almost any place in the world.
- Star Chart VR — Take a look at the world, or any other world in our solar system with your futuristic laser pointer.
- WonderGlade — A theme park full of minigames all involving your motion controller.
- Mekorama VR — 360-degree puzzles where you move the whole world to get your character to the goal.
- WSJ VR — 360-degree stories with an impressive level of detail.
- Hunter’s Gate — A classic dungeon crawler with a VR twist.
While no doubt a diverse offering of incredibly well-made apps, it’s possible to enjoy all of these apps in a single day and be ready for more. When the embargo lifted, Google unveiled nine more apps in the Play Store for everyone to enjoy. While no one expected Google to immediately compete with the massive list of Gear VR games that are available after years of competition-free existence, the lack of content is frustrating. We know Google has lots of support promised for the not-so-distant future, including names like HBO and Netflix as well as exclusives from CCP Games and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (which is actually available now), which is exciting and will be worth it.
Speaking of third-party apps, it’d be really nice if Daydream had a few more!
Google could have added support for the utterly massive list of Cardboard games that are available in the Play Store to flesh this list out, but it’s important to note the difference in quality between Cardboard games and Daydream games. Daydream games are immersive, rich, and offer high resolution and high frame-rate gameplay or visuals. Cardboard apps are not nearly as capable, and don’t support the basics of Daydream Controller interaction. We have some small crossover with Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes and VR Karts: Sprint that previously lived as Cardboard only. For now, and quite possibly forever, these two Google-made VR experiences are basically totally different worlds.
It’s fantastic to see Google nail software, however scarce the launch apps may seem. Everything about the Daydream world is well executed, from the spatial audio to the way many of Google’s apps are visually connected to the center “house” you start out in. It’s a great first step, and hopefully that store gets full quickly.
Lots more of this, please!
Google Daydream View Experience
From the moment you put on these goggles that weirdly feel like sweatpants, you’re in another world entirely. Pressing the activation button on your Controller causes the world around to go dark, followed by the sound of insects and flowing water. As the world gets a little brighter, the floating menu in front of you invites you to take part in a host of exciting experiences. Some of these are dedicated apps for games or immersive VR stories, but everything is a little different and there’s something for everyone. As you turn around, the rest of the little house you are sitting in comes into focus. It’s simple room with paths that lead to other apps and just enough fun randomness on the wall to encourage you to look around and soak it all in.
Daydream View is a complete thought, which is something I don’t get to say often enough when looking at new VR platforms. This isn’t a way to soak up the existing VR content and act as a gatekeeper for those experiences, it’s a standalone idea. Google, much like HTC and Valve, thinks motion controllers are the way forward. Waving your hand through the air and seeing it represented in VR is something special. Being able to swipe your thumb across the pad and quickly flick your wrist for real actions in Daydream is significantly more convenient and natural than any other control mechanism out there today.
This headset will eventually be supported by something other than Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL, but what these phones offer initially is pretty great. There’s undeniably a quality difference when looking at things through the lower-resolution (1080p) Pixel, and light bleed will be more pronounced with smaller phones that allow the bezel to be seen through the lenses, but the Pixel XL experience is great. Not once in upwards of 50 hours of use so far has the phone shown any signs of lagging or slowing down, and the games have been consistent across each play session. Your phone will be warm to the touch after a few minutes of active gameplay, but never hot enough to be painful even after hours of gameplay.
Daydream View has the potential to be the best mobile VR headset you can buy.
Battery is always a concern with smartphone-based VR, and Google promised to work hard on ensuring that experience was as good as it could be. On average, Daydream consumes 30% of battery for every hour of use, which is better than you’ll get in any other smartphone-based VR system. That having been said, the lack of any face detection sensors like the ones on the front of the Gear VR means if you take the headset off and set it down to answer a knock at the door or rush into a meeting, Daydream will continue running without you.
At the end of the day, the biggest problem with Daydream View is that I’ve already run out of things to do with it. It’s a fun system, but Google needs to step up the available content ASAP. Games are a big part of what comes next for this platform, but also watching 2D and 360-degree videos through the various apps that support your activity right now. For early adopters this is going to be a waiting game, and hopefully Google and their partners don’t keep us waiting for long.
It’ll probably be awesome eventually?
Google Daydream View Bottom line
This headset has the potential to be the best mobile VR headset you can buy, and maintain that title for quite some time. Google’s efforts in implementing motion controls, controlling the software to an extent, and making sure the headset is comfortable enough to want to use for longer periods of time are great. The price is great as well, $79 is within striking distance of many higher end Google Cardboard headsets and undercuts Samsung’s Gear VR by $20 on the shelf. Aside from the light bleed, the headset itself is well executed and the controller is genuinely fun to use while also being accurate.
But when does this stop being the cool thing early adopters get because they could or because it was free with their Pixel? The promise of Daydream lies in being able to offer something like View and know that many different phones will be able to use it to access whole worlds of content. None of that is true yet, and buying something because it might one day be what you want it to be is never a good idea.
Should you buy it? Eventually
If you’re a Pixel XL owner and want something new, there’s a lot to like in this headset. If you recently ditched a Note 7 for the Pixel and are hoping this experience rivals your Gear VR, Daydream View isn’t going to fully measure up.
See at the Google Store
Your Wi-Fi could betray the pin on your phone
Always know you can trust the Wi-Fi network you’re connection to. Always.
There are lots of individual mechanisms for extracting a pin or password from a user without their knowledge. Some involve cameras, we’ve seen examples of guessing based on smudges on the screen, and of course if you have direct access to the phone itself there are other avenues. Adrian Croyler shared a new mechanism being used that relies on Wi-Fi interference from your hand, which is both fascinating and terrifying.
WiKey uses CSI waveform patterns to distinguish keystrokes on an external keyboard. WiPass detects graphical unlock passwords. But WindTalker is particularly effective because it doesn’t require any access to the victim’s phone, and works with regular mobile phones, and it piggy-backs on an existing wifi connection.
Now, there’s a lot of ifs and maybes in the current implementation of this tech. You have to be connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot controller by the attacker, and some time to evaluate your usage patterns needs to be done before a precise model can be created. It’s not as though every Wi-Fi network in the world is dangerous, but it does call to mind an all too often ignored personal security measure. It’s important to know and trust the Wi-Fi networks you are connecting to, and with services like Google’s Project Fi increasing in popularity that’s happening less and less. Being connected to a strange Wi-Fi network through Google’s secure VPN isn’t going to protect you from this attack, because it’s entirely about measuring your physical hardware once it is connected to the network.
It’s still super unlikely an attack like this would be used on you in the immediate future, but if you care about your digital security this is one more reason to avoid that free Wi-Fi at Starbucks.
You can use the Nexus 6P in Daydream, but you really shouldn’t
You’re going to have a bad time, but it’s there if you want it.
Google has not been at all shy about whether the Nexus 6P is a good phone to use in their new Daydream headset. The big warning on the side of the Google Developers site letting you know this phone is only useful as a development model for future Daydream products should be enough. On the other hand, if all you have is a Nexus 6P and you want to see what you’re missing out on, Google didn’t work too hard to stop you from trying.
You’re only going to get about 5 minutes into Daydream on the Nexus 6P before performance takes a hit.
You don’t actually need the Daydream View headset and controller, but it certainly helps. Much like the Daydream demo Google unveiled back at I/O, all you really need is a pair of phones and simple Cardboard headset. The Daydream app can be sideloaded onto your primary phone, and Google’s Daydream Controller Emulator can be installed on the second phone if you don’t have a View. Daydream will start up and give you access to all of the same things you’ll get on the Pixel and Pixel XL. If it sounds clumsy, that’s because it is.
You’re only going to get about 5 minutes into Daydream on the Nexus 6P before performance takes a hit. The phone will overheat, the processor will slow down to compensate, and the apps and VR motions will stutter. This isn’t just a bad experience from a visual experience, it’s one of the fastest ways to experience nausea through VR. a consistent framerate and accurate head tracking are two of the most important parts of a successful VR experience, and Daydream on the 6P guarantees neither of these things.
So like I said, it’s possible to take a look but you probably shouldn’t.
Google’s Daydream VR now available to buy and experience
Get in the game.
Google’s Daydream View launches today, as you may know, but along with it is a host of software experiences you can get for the new platform.
That’s because Daydream is both hardware and software, and the View is just the first example of hardware we’re going to see for it; as Cardboard did to inexpensive mobile VR, Daydream hopes to do with slightly-more-expensive-but-still-affordable mobile VR.
The Daydream View itself is available for $79 in the U.S., and goes on sale today. It’s also available in Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia, all through Google and in some cases, like Canada and Germany, at various carriers.
The software story is a little weird. Google has released updates versions of Google Play Movies & TV and Street View on which to view VR-enabled content, but there isn’t much in the way of original content, at least at launch. There are 12 games, including Mekorama and Hunter’s Gate, and 13 apps, including Fantastic Beasts and YouTube VR, that are Daydream-optimized.
Russell Holly, in his review, says that the Daydream View, and its accompanying platform, are fully-formed out of the box:
Daydream View is a complete thought, which is something I don’t get to say often enough when looking at new VR platforms. This isn’t a way to soak up the existing VR content and act as a gatekeeper for those experiences, it’s a standalone idea.
Right now, the Pixel and Pixel XL are the only two phones that work with Daydream, but that number should increase relatively quickly as more phones are released running Android 7.1 Nougat.
Are you planning on picking up a Daydream View, or did you receive a code for one when purchasing a Pixel? Let us know!
See at Google
Best Waterproof Phone
The best phones are ones you can take out in the rain or drop into a sink. The best of the best is the Galaxy S7.
Best Overall
Samsung Galaxy S7
See at AT&T
See at Sprint
See at T-Mobile
See at Verizon
We’ve touted many aspects of the Galaxy S7 since its release: its design, its screen, its camera, and its software. But one thing is often overlooked in the Android ecosystem: waterproofing. With an IP68 rating that should be good up to one metre for 30 minutes, the Galaxy S7 can withstand the odd plunge into a pool or epic rainstorm.
Elsewhere, the phone hits all the right marks. Powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor, it is wildly fast, and should get more so with an upgrade to Android 7.0 Nougat. Better, its 4GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage primes it for the next couple of years, while its camera is still best-in-class months after its release. Not only is the Galaxy S7 attractive, with a nicely-curving rear glass back that connects to polished aluminum bezels, but its 5.1-inch form factor fits nicely in the hand.
Bottom line: The Galaxy S7 is an all-around great phone that is a no-brainer if you’re looking for the ultimate in waterproofing.
One more thing: If you want something a bit more robust, check out the AT&T exclusive Galaxy S7 Active. It may not be quite as beautiful, but it’s a bit more drop-resistant, if that’s your thing. And if you want something a bit more accessible, the Galaxy S7 edge is slightly larger but just as water resistant.
Why the Galaxy S7 is the best
There’s something nice about being caught in the rain.
It’s truly reassuring to know that your phone can withstand inclement weather — whatever form that may take. The Galaxy S7 not only withstands wind, rain, snow and other torrents, but it doesn’t have to cover anything to do so; its Micro-USB port, speaker and headphone jack are fully exposed and don’t need any silly covers.
Waterproofing is just one aspect of the Galaxy S7’s dominance, and differentiates it from our favorite Android phone at the moment, the Google Pixel. That phone is barely water resistant, and Samsung adds a considerable amount of value to the Android ecosystem giving its flagship products (RIP Note 7) waterproofing. The Galaxy S7 is also more competitive with the new iPhone 7 as a result of this ingress protection — its IP68 is somewhat more substantial than the iPhone’s IP67 (though there are arguments to be made that they are more or less the same).
Having a waterproof phone also allows for some cool underwater experiences: the Galaxy S7 can take photos and shoot videos below the meniscus, which saves you an expensive case and a bunch of anxiety.
Best alternative
Sony Xperia XZ
See at Amazon
The Xperia XZ is Sony’s latest flagship, and it’s a pretty great phone, accessible through Amazon in the U.S. Sony has a great pedigree of waterproof phones going all the way back to the early Xperia Z lineup, and the XZ is the company’s best example yet. A 5.2-inch 1080p display may not seem sufficient in today’s market, but it’s a great panel, with vivid colors and excellent viewing angles. Similarly, Sony has taken its 23MP camera to the next level with the addition (finally!) of optical image stabilization.
Ultimately, though, the Xperia XZ encompasses Sony’s philosophy of iterative but progressively better hardware and software, with experiences that mirror Google’s own Android versions.
Bottom line: If you’re not taken with Samsung’s design or software, or want something a bit bigger and more substantial — or unlocked and cheaper — the Sony Xperia XZ is a great option.
One more thing: Looking for something a bit smaller from Sony with water resistance? The Xperia X Performance costs a bit less, has a more diminutive 5-inch form factor, and is just as fast.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S7, or its larger Galaxy S7 edge, are equally good phones for different users, but they both boast incredible specs, amazing screens, and waterproofing. It’s that last note we’re highlighting here because, for many people, it’s the difference between a usable phone and a call to warranty.
Best Overall
Samsung Galaxy S7
See at AT&T
See at Sprint
See at T-Mobile
See at Verizon
We’ve touted many aspects of the Galaxy S7 since its release: its design, its screen, its camera, and its software. But one thing is often overlooked in the Android ecosystem: waterproofing. With an IP68 rating that should be good up to one metre for 30 minutes, the Galaxy S7 can withstand the odd plunge into a pool or epic rainstorm.
Elsewhere, the phone hits all the right marks. Powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor, it is wildly fast, and should get more so with an upgrade to Android 7.0 Nougat. Better, its 4GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage primes it for the next couple of years, while its camera is still best-in-class months after its release. Not only is the Galaxy S7 attractive, with a nicely-curving rear glass back that connects to polished aluminum bezels, but its 5.1-inch form factor fits nicely in the hand.
Bottom line: The Galaxy S7 is an all-around great phone that is a no-brainer if you’re looking for the ultimate in waterproofing.
One more thing: If you want something a bit more robust, check out the AT&T exclusive Galaxy S7 Active. It may not be quite as beautiful, but it’s a bit more drop-resistant, if that’s your thing. And if you want something a bit more accessible, the Galaxy S7 edge is slightly larger but just as water resistant.
Best Black Friday UK games deals: Amazing PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo deals
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are almost upon us again and that’s great news for gamers. Not only can you snag many a bargain when it comes to the best games, you can also get yourself a shiny new console for a song.
That’s why we’ve put together the best gaming deals around, with links of where to get them.
We’ll also update this feature as more discounts emerge.
- Best Black Friday UK phone deals: Apple, Samsung, Android phone deals galore
Xbox One deals
Microsoft dropped a pre-Black Friday stunner in the form of huge reductions for the original Xbox One – among which is the Xbox Elite bundle with the amazing (and normally hugely expensive) Xbox One Elite controller.
Microsoft Store deals
You can get several original Xbox One deals directly from Microsoft, by heading to the Microsoft Store. They start at a penny short of £180 and all include a game or more. Plus, while stocks last, you also get a free copy of Forza Horizon 3 or Gears of War 4 with almost every console sold, regardless of the other bundled games. Here are the best:
- Xbox One Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Bundle – you can get a 500GB Xbox One, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition and Forza Horizon 3 for £179.99 – click here to view this deal
- Xbox One Name Your Game Bundle – get a 500GB Xbox One, Forza Horizon 3 plus another game choice from Forza Motorsport 6, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition or Rare Replay for £179.99 – click here to view this deal
- Xbox One Elite Bundle – a staggering 1TB solid state hybrid Xbox One and the amazing Xbox One Elite controller for just £199.99 – click here to view this deal
- Xbox One with Kinect Bundle – if you want voice control, Microsoft is offering a matte black 500GB Xbox One, Kinect sensor, Dance Central, Kinect Sports Rivals and Zoo Tycoon, all for £199.99 – click here to view this deal
- Click here to view all of Microsoft’s Xbox One deals
Game.co.uk deals
UK high street retailer Game is also getting in on the act, selling similar bundles and offering other cheeky original Xbox One deals.
- Get a 500GB Xbox One with Forza Horizon 3 for just £179.99 – click here to view this deal
- Or you can get a 500GB Xbox One with Forza Horizon 3 and a Turtle Beach 50X gaming headset for £199.99 – click here to view this deal
- A 1TB Xbox One with Tom Clancy’s The Division and Gears of War 4 is also available at £199.99 – click here to view this deal
- You can also get a copy of Fallout 4 with an Xbox One Elite Console, which includes the game, a 1TB solid state hybrid Xbox One and an Xbox One Elite controller for £209.99 – click here to view this deal
- Click here to view all of Game.co.uk’s Xbox One deals
PS4 deals
We fully expect a whole raft of PlayStation 4 deals on the build up to Black Friday, especially including the older standard model. These are the deals we’ve found so far.
Amazon.co.uk deals
Amazon will undoubtedly have some incredible deals throughout its Black Friday Lightning Sales promotion, starting on 14 November, but already has several great PlayStation 4 game bundles you can nab right now.
- Sony PS4 Slim with 500GB HDD and exclusive steelbook edition Battlefield 1 for £249.99 – click here to view this deal
- Sony PS4 Slim with 500GB HDD and Titanfall 2 for £227.99 – click here to view this deal
- Click here to view all of Amazon.co.uk’s PS4 deals
Nintendo deals
With the Nintendo Switch coming next year and the Wii U rumoured to be winding down, we are bound to see plenty of console deals during the Black Friday period. We’ll also see Nintendo 3DS and 2DS deals too, especially with Pokemon Sun and Moon available soon.
Nintendo Store deals
Nintendo itself will more than likely have several console deals on its online store in the coming days and weeks. In the US there are some amazing deals on 3DS handhelds, for example, so we hope they will make it across the pond. Here are the deals we’ve spotted so far.
- Wii U Premium Pack with Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon for just £259.99 – click here to view this deal
There will be plenty more deals across all categories throughout the next couple of weeks, on consoles, games and accessories. Check back often to see the best.
AIVAnet 