Mophie co-founder launches an electric scooter
Daniel Huang, co-founder of Mophie*, wants to change the way that we think about transport. That’s why he quit the company that made him famous to start Immotor in April of 2016. Now, Huang is on a mission to “define the future of personal transportation.” The result is the Immotor Go, a battery-powered foldaway scooter that’s designed to travel for up to 30km on a single charge.
We’ve seen plenty of other pedestrian-level electric transports, from ZBoard’s electric skateboard through to whatever the hell we’re calling Hoverboards these days. But Immotor is hoping that its battery tech savvy and almost Tesla-like approach to building a vehicle will give it an edge. For instance, the company says that the Go will receive periodic software updates that’ll bring future upgrades to the vehicle whenever you buy one. In addition, the unit packs intelligent GPS, device tracking, cruise control and the ability to autonomously follow you around.
Rounding out the spec list is Immotor’s “safe and functional Super Battery,” which it promises won’t combust like so many other devices over the last few years. The company claims that its proprietary power cells come with a customized operating system that’ll keep the cells balanced and regulate efficient power draw. In addition, these batteries can be puled out and used as a standard power pack for any number of consumer devices like hairdryers and laptops. At least, so long as you’ve got the necessary adapters.
The company also offered up a credibility-straining claim that its Super Batteries won’t explode, even when they’ve been punctured. When I pushed them for more explanation, the response could be boiled down to two points: firstly, the units are built with a thick metal casing that’ll make it difficult for anyone to damage one by accident, and second because they just won’t, okay, so stop being such a narc. Then again, Huang was CEO of Mophie for a decade and has been joined in his new firm by Christian Sheder, a former executive at XPal Power. So they’re going to get an inch-worth of trust to demonstrate how these claims will operate out in the real world.
The Go itself has two slots inside its neck-based battery compartment that enables users to swap in one or two of the 99W cells. With one installed, the device has an ultimate range of around 15km, while two cells will effectively double that journey time. The scooter has two modes: one that prioritizes range over speed and a power assist setting that’ll boost the power when you’re carrying heavy loads. Oh, and so long as it’s folded, Immotor claims that it’s perfectly safe to take onto an airplane. The vehicle’s top speed is 30km, although that will inevitably have an effect on your overall range.
There’s also a series of features just for millennials, including the ability to charge your phone from a USB port in the handlebar. You can even use a button on one of the handles to activate the camera on your smartphone should you want to snap images as you ride. Each Go also comes with an always-on link to the company’s customer service team, which should help with tracking if your ride goes missing and any technical issues.
It all sounds like the sort of thing a hip urban commuter would love to zoom around with, but you can’t buy one just yet. Instead, you’ll have to pledge some cash to Indiegogo and wait until March or April 2017 for your device to ship. Early birds can grab one of these for the tasty price of $399, while latecomers will have to stump up $599. For that, you’ll receive an Immotor Go with one 99W Super Battery and an AC adapter.
* Or, more accurately, the company that went on to buy Mophie, adopt its name and turn it into a battery case sensation.
Source: Indiegogo
Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones Up For Order With November Delivery on Various Non-U.S. Apple Sites
A few users on Reddit in countries outside of the United States have noticed that the Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones have been made available to order from Apple.com, outlining arrival windows of as early as next week for users in the areas. In the U.S., the Bluetooth earphones simply state “coming this fall” on Apple.com.
The United Kingdom and France display the earliest delivery estimates for the Powerbeats3 earphones, currently sitting at November 2-9 on Apple’s website, and Australia is a few days later on November 4-8. Otherwise most countries, including Germany, Spain, Italy, and Sweden, all mention vague 1-2 week shipping estimates that fall within the window of the dates for the U.K., France, and Australia, without being specific.
Apple.com in Australia depicting a delivery window of November 4-8
The takeaway appears to be that the new Beats earphones will be launching on a large scale sometime in November, most likely early in the month, ahead of the holiday shopping season. When the device was announced at Apple’s September 7 iPhone event, the company mentioned that the Powerbeats3 and BeatsX would be coming sometime later in the year but didn’t say when.
With Apple’s Mac-focused “Hello Again” event just two days away, it’s possible that the company will put up the new Beats earphones in tandem with the launch of new Macs that’s expected to happen following the event. If orders begin on October 27 in the United States, the earphones could hit the shipping estimates of early-to-mid November displayed today in these various countries around the world. The Powerbeats3 also appear to be featured prominently in next week’s Target circular, suggesting a wide online and retail rollout is imminent in the United States.
For the BeatsX earphones, most versions of Apple.com still say “coming this fall,” while Apple’s upcoming AirPods are listed as “available late October” for every country.
(Thanks, Sai!)
Tag: Beats
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Google Play Music: the Ultimate Guide
There is more music than you can imagine right at your fingertips.
There are plenty of different apps out there that deliver all the streaming music you’ll ever need. Not all music apps are created equal though, and Google Play Music manages to do a great job. It lets you stream music, buy new music, and even upload music from you personal collection so that they can be listened to no matter where you happen to be. There is a lot going on, but we’ve got all the details for you here.
- How to upgrade into an unlimited membership
- How to upgrade to a family plan
- How to search for music
- How to find a station
- How to curate a station
- How to create a playlist
- How to find a podcast
- How to purchase music
- How to download music to your device
Upgrade to an unlimited membership
For free, you can listen to radio streams and previews of full tracks. But to get the full experience from Google Play Music, you’ll want to subscribe. An unlimited membership with Google Play Music will run you $9.99 each month, and gets you access to tons of new features.
Launch Google Play Music from your home screen or app drawer.
Tap the overflow icon in the top left of your screen.
Scroll down and then tap on Settings.
Tap on Start free trial.
Tap Upgrade now and follow the instructions to upgrade your membership.
Note: Google offers a three-month free trial to all new subscribers, per account. If you don’t want to upgrade to the paid service right away, come back to these instructions when your trial is finished.
Upgrade to a family plan
While you can use Google Play Music for free, to get all of the features and benefits you’ll need to upgrade and pay for the service. When you upgrade, you can choose to grab a family plan. For only five dollars more than the standard membership, up to 6 people can share a membership which includes a Family Library to share your music.
Launch Google Play Music from your home screen, or app drawer.
Tap the overflow icon in the upper left hand corner of your screen.
Tap *Settings** at the bottom left of your screen.
Tap Start free trial (This may say individual unlimited if you are paying for an Unlimited membership).
Tap Other Plans.
Tap Family.
Tap sign up and follow the instructions to upgrade your account.
Search for music
You can search for what you’re looking for by genre, artist, band and song title.
Launch Google Play Music from your home screen, or app drawer.
Tap the search icon in the upper right corner of your screen.
Type in the band, or song title you are searching for.
Tap the search icon and browse your results.
Find a station
Stations are a great way to find new music that you haven’t heard before, or when you want to set a mood during a party. You can find stations based on genres, activities, moods, decades, and more.
Launch Google Play Music from your home screen or app drawer.
Tap the overflow icon in the upper left corner of your screen.
Tap Browse stations in the menu that opens up.
Choose between the stations or search for a specific station.
How to curate a station
Once you’ve started a station, you get to decide what plays and what doesn’t.
Launch Google Play Music.
Open up your music station of choice.
As songs play thumbs up, or thumbs down to decide whether you like them in the station or not.
How to create a playlist
If you want to personalize the music that is about to be played, there is always the options of creating a playlist. This way you can make sure you’re only hearing the music that you wanted to hear.
Launch Google Play Music from your home screen, or app drawer.
Open the music you want to add to a playlist.
Tap the icon with three dots on the right side of the screen.
Tap Add to playlist.
Tap Create new playlist.
Type in a name, description, and adjust the privacy settings before tapping create playlist.
Subscribe to a podcast
Google Play has plenty of podcasts that you can explore and subscribe to.
Launch Google Play Music from your home screen, or app drawer.
Tap the overflow icon at the top left of your screen.
Tap on Podcasts.
Tap Your podcasts at the top of your screen.
Tap Search.
Type in the name of the podcast you are searching for.
Tap the podcast you were searching for
Tap the icon of three dots on the right side of your screen
Tap the Subscribe button.
Choose your preferences, and tap Subscribe.
How to purchase music
Today, it’s easier to purchase music than ever. Google Play Music allows you to buy music from right within the app, meaning you can keep everything in one place.
Launch Google Play Music from your home screen, or app drawer.
Tap the overflow icon in the top left corner.
Tap Shop.
Search for the music you wish to purchase.
Tap the orange box with the price.
Download music
Google Play Music also gives you the option to download your music, so that you don’t miss out if you lose signal.
Launch Google Play Music from your home page or app drawer.
Navigate to the music you want to download.
Tap the download icon on the right side of the screen, and the selected music will be downloaded to your device.
Your turn
This is by no means everything that is going on in Google Play Music. It does give you a good place to start from, and explore to find both awesome new music, along with the tunes you’ve been jamming out to for years. Do you still have questions about using Google Play Music? Did we miss something integral? Be sure to drop us a comment below and let us know about it.
Londoners will soon benefit from Link’s 1Gbps wi-fi booths
BT is teaming up with LinkNYC, Intersection and Primesight, an outdoor advertising company to bring free wi-fi to the streets of London via Link booths. The booths will give out a wi-fi signal of up to 1Gbps that anyone in the vicinity of will be able to connect to get free wi-fi and free wi-fi calling to UK mobiles and landlines.
The Link booths will also let you charge your devices via two USB ports and provide access to maps, directions and various other local services via a touchscreen tablet.
The best part of the new service is that it will all be free thanks to digital advertising paying the bill.
The plan is to first install around 100 Link booths in the borough of Camden and they should start appearing in 2017, a total of 750 booths are expected to be installed over the next few years. Link booths will also replace existing BT phone boxes around London as they take up less space and will give more users access to phone services than the phone boxes can.
Link booths originated in New York City in January 2016, making London just the second city to benefit from the free public wi-fi.
Rajesh Agrawal, London’s Deputy Mayor for Business said: “I welcome this exciting new addition to London’s streets. Expanding London’s digital infrastructure is a priority for the Mayor, and LinkUK can play a big part in improving connectivity for Londoners and visitors to our city, while reducing street clutter by upgrading and reducing the number of phone boxes”.
Best Wireless Speaker 2016: EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards nominees
It’s almost November, which means Christmas is only weeks away and more importantly, so are the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards. The Awards are turning 13 this year and there are 14 categories, ranging from best smartphone and best car, to best wireless speaker and best VR device.
Each category has between five and seven shortlisted nominations, all of which have been reviewed by us in full at some point over the last 12 months. There are some excellent contenders across the board and as you might have discovered, we have been diving a little deeper into each category over the last couple of weeks through a series of features.
Each feature presents the nominations in more detail and explains what we loved about each device when we reviewed it, all of which you can find in our Awards hub. Today, it is time to look at the category for the Best Wireless Speaker 2016. There are some brilliant nominees, as with all the categories, but only one can be king of sound.
Will it be the BeoPlay A1 from B&O, Devialet’s Gold Phantom, Libratone’s Zipp, Naim’s Mu-so Qb, the Zeppelin Wireless from Bowers & Wilkins, or the Boom 2 from Ultimate Ears?
Click here to see the nominees for 2016’s Best Speaker in a little more detail to help you decide who should get your vote.
Voting in the 13th annual EE Pocket-lint Awards is now open so you can let us know which one of these great devices you think should win the Best Wireless Speaker award for this year and give us your verdict on all the other tech across the 13 select categories.
Winners will be announced at the exclusive event in London on 23 November in association with EE. For now, keep an eye on the EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016 hub for all the latest on how the voting works, who the elite judges are and the EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards shortlist.
Best smartwatches 2016: The best smart wristwear available to buy today
Smartwatches used to be gadgets only James Bond would have access to, but that’s no longer the case. These wrist-worn phone companions that can receive calls, texts, emails and social network notifications have been whipping the wearables sector into a storm over the past couple of years, with more and more companies after a slice of the pie.
Many attempts have been made, some more successful than others, some much better looking than others and some smarter than others. But for those looking to take the smartwatch plunge, you’ve come to the right place. We have rounded up the best out there that we have had the pleasure of reviewing in full.
Options remain limited for Windows Phone users, while things have improved significantly for iOS users since smartwatches first appeared. Apple offers its own closed-platform Apple Watch, now available in two editions, and Google’s Android Wear platform is also compatible with iOS devices, though the experience isn’t as seamless as it is for Android users.
If you want to know how well Android Wear works with iPhone before picking the smartwatch right for you, you can read our separate feature and if you are only interested in Android Wear smartwatches, we have a separate feature for that too.
As usual, we will continue to update this feature as we get our hands and wrists on more but for now, here are the best smartwatches available to buy today.
Click here to see the best smartwatches available buy today.
The Morning After: Tuesday October 25th 2016
While you were sleeping, we found out where you can still buy a Galaxy Note 7 (don’t), Apple added Portrait mode to its flagship iPhone 7 Plus, and we’re thinking about what Microsoft has planned for later this week.
iOS 10.1 is herePortrait mode brings blurry backgrounds to iPhone 7 Plus photos
While it’s a mostly minor update, the iPhone 7 Plus will pick up another way to utilize its duo of rear-facing cameras. Yes, the once-teased portrait mode is now here to blur your backgrounds and make those portraits of loved ones really pop.
Disable in-app purchasesDoctors say your toddler can use your tablet — as long as you’re around to supervise
The American Academy of Pediatrics has softened its guidelines when it comes to screenwatchin’ for the under-twos, stating that they can watch “high-quality programming” (Sesame Workshop, for example) so long as you’re there to help understanding and monitor use. If your wee ones are younger than that, you should limit them to video chat for now. The AAP reiterates that, regardless of your children’s age, it’s important to both set “consistent limits” and ensure that device time doesn’t affect physical activity, play and sleep.
Tune in, turn on … TrumpSocial media isn’t just for apologies and insults
There’s no “Trump TV” yet, but the campaign has launched a daily show for its Facebook followers. So far, it’s not outdrawing Chewbacca Mom, but you all know those viewing counts are rigged anyway.
Scratching the surfaceHere’s what to expect from Microsoft’s ‘Imagine What You’ll Do’ event
New Surface? Sure, but in what shape — maybe an all-in-one? Perhaps, perhaps. While we probably won’t see a Surface Pro 5, we do expect Microsoft to explain what’ll happen in the next Windows 10 update, likely to launch in early 2017.
GastlyPokémon Go’s first global event is Halloween-themed
To celebrate All Hallows’ Eve, Pokémon Go creators Niantic Labs is increasing the encounter rate for its spookier Pocket Monsters. Gastly, Gengar, Golbat (ugh!) and more will appear far more frequently, while each monster caught will net you double the number of candies. In true trick-or-treat style, you’ll also get more candies from your Buddy Pokémon, and even from Professor Willow when you send him your Pokémon.
Just because you can doesn’t mean you shouldIf you want a Galaxy Note 7, they’re still on sale in Hong Kong
Because people like to risk carrying around something in their pocket that might explode in a burst of smoke. Read how Engadget Chinese editor-in-chief Richard Lai fared while trying to buy one — and why they’re still on sale in the first place.
But wait, there’s more…
- Hackers can gain full access in five seconds with this Linux exploit
- Stare at this beautifully detailed map of the Milky Way
- New White House initiative hopes to ensure microsatellites thrive
- A new stylus-toting Samsung Galaxy device that won’t burst into smoke
Google buys eye-tracking startup to boost its VR hardware
Google’s mission to bring VR to the masses has resulted in the development of the Daydream View and Cardboard, but the company isn’t stopping there. In July, we brought you news that the search giant is secretly working on a new high-end standalone headset, which we now know will incorporate eye tracking and use sensors to help users interact with the virtual spaces in front of them. To help it do just that, Google has confirmed the acquisition of Eyefluence, a three-year-old startup that specializes in turning eye movements into virtual actions.
We previously met Eyefluence CEO and founder Jim Marggraff when he showed off his company’s developments in virtual reality storytelling. Marggraff — the man behind the LeadPad kids tablet — and his team have already developed software to see what you’re looking at and tell whether you’re interested or just plain bored by it. Google hasn’t clarified what the Eyefluence team will specifically work on, but its technology seems a natural fit for a company looking to differentiate its offering from the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
Google won’t be the first company to double down on VR optics. Fove, a startup that raised $480,000 on Kickstarter, will open pre-orders for its own eye-tracking headset early next month. “Over the last three and a half years we have built an incredible team, advanced our eye-interaction technology, and created strong partnerships that have lead to the development of a completely new language for eye-interaction,” says Eyefluence in a blog post. “With our forces combined, we will continue to advance eye-interaction technology to expand human potential and empathy on an even larger scale.”
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Eyefluence
Xiaomi’s curved Note 2 has a striking yet familiar look
It was only last month when Xiaomi launched the Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus, but the Chinese company is already back with yet another flagship model. What we have here is the Mi Note 2 which, as you can tell by the name, is all about its large 5.7-inch 1080p display and generous 4,070 mAh battery. If it weren’t for the missing stylus, you’d easily confuse the Mi Note 2 with the Samsung S7 Edge or Note 7: It comes in a familiarly gorgeous body design with curved glass on both sides, and yes, much like Samsung’s offerings, the Mi Note 2 features a flexible OLED screen that lightly wraps around the edges, though it’s just for looks for now. Not bad for a phone that starts from 2,799 yuan or about $413.
As a flagship phone, the specs should come as no surprise: Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 821 chipset (2.35GHz; same as the Mi 5s Plus), from 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, from 64GB of UFS 2.0 storage, NFC, Quick Charge 3.0 and HD audio playback (192kHz/24 bit). Xiaomi is pitching the Mi Note 2 as a “business flagship” so roaming support is obviously very important: It does LTE Cat 11 with up to 600Mbps downlink using tri-carrier aggregation, and its top model supports 37 bands (22 of which are LTE) which matches the iPhone 7 Plus and beats the Huawei P9 Plus’ 32 bands.
On the photography side, the Mi Note 2’s main camera has opted for a higher resolution — using the 22.56-megapixel Sony IMX318 sensor — instead of larger pixels like the Mi 5s series has. While it doesn’t have optical stabilization (nor laser auto-focus for that matter), it does offer electronic image stabilization for 4K video capture. As for the front-facing camera, we have an 8-megapixel f/2.0 imager with Sony’s IMX268 plus auto-focus — which is still a missing feature on many selfie cameras. Not only does this come with Xiaomi’s third-gen beautification software, it also has a cool feature which makes sure everyone in the shot isn’t blinking: This is achieved by taking burst shots, and then the software picks the best shot and also replace the faces of whoever blinked with the correct ones from other shots.
Due to the more complicated manufacturing methods for this design, the Mi Note 2 costs a little but more than Xiaomi’s typical price points. The base model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage is going for 2,799 yuan or about $413, then the next model up with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage costs 3,299 yuan or about $490, and finally we have the ultimate model with the same specs but also with global bands asking for 3,499 yuan or about $516. It comes in Piano Black and Glacier Silver, but the latter won’t be available for another two to three weeks. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to buy this phone in the US, but you’re bound to find one from online importers.
Source: Xiaomi
BlackBerry’s third Android phone packs a fingerprint sensor
BlackBerry has announced the DTEK60, the second in its range of Android smartphones manufactured by a third party. Like the DTEK50, the actual device has been put together by TCL, leaving BlackBerry with the job of making sure that it’s secure enough to be loved by corporations. The biggest new feature, compared to its predecessor, is the new fingerprint scanner that allows you to unlock the device as well as use Android Pay.
The DTEK60 is a little bit bigger than its older sibling, packing a 5.5-inch QHD display and a 3,000mAh battery. If we were guessing, we’d assume it was based on the same design as TCL / Alcatel’s Idol 4S, which packs a similar screen and display, not to mention the same fingerprint scanner. But unlike that handset, this one carries BlackBerry’s security know-how tucked inside, including the hardware “root of trust.” The other big difference between the 60 and the Idol 4S is in the camera, since BlackBerry’s version is packing a 21-megapixel rear camera.
Then there’s the usual raft of BlackBerry additions, including the company’s intelligent keyboard, unified inbox tool and rapid security patches. It’s not clear how much built-in storage the device ships with — we’re guessing 16GB — but it comes with a microSD card slot that’ll push that figure up to 2TB. The BlackBerry DTEK60 is available to buy from the company’s website today, setting you back $499 / $650 CDN / €579 / £475. If you deal direct with BlackBerry and pay before November 8th, you’ll also be handed some form of phone case (depending on your region) and a rapid charger for free.
AIVAnet 