DJI Launches New Mavic Pro Drone, Coming to Apple Stores in November

DJI today announced the launch of the Mavic Pro, its latest and smallest drone. The DJI Mavic Pro is designed to be compact, folding down to be put in a bag so it can be used anywhere.

When its four arms are folded and the propellers tucked away against its body, the Mavic Pro is “practically the size of a water bottle,” making it more portable than most drones. Despite its small size, the Mavic Pro is equipped with a stabilized 12-megapixel camera capable of capturing 4K video at 30fps and FlightAutonomy visual navigation system, plus it features a 4.3 mile range and can be flown for 27 minutes before needing to be recharged.

DJI has spent a decade making it easier for anyone to fly, and by rethinking everything about how a drones look, we have created an entirely new type of aerial platform for anyone to explore their creativity,” said Frank Wang, DJI’s CEO and founder.

“Mavic Pro is a technological triumph filled with features that once again show how DJI leads the industry. Most importantly, Mavic Pro allows you to reach the skies easily, see the world with new eyes and tell your stories like never before.”

FlightAutonomy, new in the Mavic Pro, consists of five cameras, GPS and GLONASS navigation systems, ultrasonic range finders, and 24 computing cores to navigate and plan routes for the drone. It can avoid obstacles while flying at 22 miles per hour, but it’s also able to reach speeds up to 40 miles per hour.

Mavic Pro can be controlled via an included compact remote controller with a built-in LCD screen or through an iPhone or iPad with an accompanying app. When used with a smartphone, DJI says the Mavic Pro can be set up and made airborne in less than a minute.

DJI has priced the Mavic Pro at $999 with the remote controller and $749 without it. DJI is also offering additional batteries for $89 and a bundle with a Mavic Pro, two extra batteries, additional propellers, a charging hub, an adapter, a car charger, and a bag for $1,299.

The Mavic Pro is available for pre-order from the DJI website starting today, and will soon be able to be ordered from Apple.com. Apple is already promoting the Mavic Pro on the iPad accessory section of its website, though there is not yet a store listing for it. Apple retail stores will begin selling the DJI Mavic Pro in early November.

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Apple Seeds Second macOS Sierra 10.12.1 Beta to Developers

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra update to developers for testing purposes, nearly a week after seeding the first beta and a week after releasing the new operating system to the public.

macOS Sierra 10.12.1 beta 2, build 16B2333a, can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center and through the Software update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

macOS Sierra 10.12.1 appears to focus on bug fixes and under-the-hood performance improvements to address issues that have been found since the operating system’s release. Few outward-facing changes were discovered in the first beta, but it does include Photos support for the new iPhone 7 Plus Portrait feature introduced with the iOS 10.1 beta.

Any new features that are discovered in the second 10.12.1 beta will be listed below.

macOS Sierra is a significant update that brings features like Siri support, a new storage optimization option, cross device copy paste, auto unlocking with the Apple Watch, and more.

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Let’s talk about the Pixel’s crazy new on-screen keys

Android’s on-screen buttons get a big overhaul as part of the new Google UI on the Pixel phones. So let’s take a look at what’s new, and revisit what’s come before.

So the first proper render of one of the new Google Pixel phones has leaked out, and with it we’re getting a look at some new UI tweaks in that device’s software. The Pixel phones put the Google brand front and center, and so we’re seeing some significant UI tweaks — not least of which is in Android’s soft keys.

The new key layout uses a solid triangle, circle and square for the three main Android keys, with the home key having a white border around it. It’s not a huge departure from the outlined icons of old, but it is a significant change to a part of the Android UI you’ll be looking at an awful lot.

The new-style home button is a big visual differentiator from other Android phones.

There’s no suggestion that these new-style buttons will come to other Android devices, Nexus or otherwise, with the arrival of the first Nougat maintenance release (Android 7.1). Indeed, our money would be on this style of button being unique to Google’s Pixel devices. We’ll have to wait and see on that, though.

We’ll also have to hold out on whether there’ll be any animation changes accompanying the new button style. Right now on Android 7.0, there’s a familiar glowing effect when you tap the on-screen buttons, and Screen Search (formerly Google Now) expands to form a border around the screen when you long-press the home key. With Google (and its services) taking a more central role in the software, it’ll be interesting to see whether the visuals of Screen Search — or simple button taps, for that matter — are also changed.

The new keys also raise a few concerns over possible image burn-in on phones with AMOLED screens, as the Pixel and Pixel XL are rumored to have. Since you’re you’re lighting up more pixels more often compared to the old hollowed-out icons, any burn-in could be more noticeable. (That’s almost certainly something Google’s factored into its design process, though.)

Android’s on-screen keys: A brief history

Android 3.x Honeycomb — Tron-style

Honeycomb was weird — a tablet-only release of Android in 2011 that never really took off, with an oddball sci-fi UI. And that extended to glowing blue soft keys — a first for Android at the time — with sharp edges and bold outlines.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich – 4.4 KitKat — Holo-style

In late 2011, Ice Cream Sandwich toned down the overtly futuristic visual style of Android, bringing a cleaner button layout with more consistent lines and a curvy back arrow. This button style would stick around through to KitKat in 2013.

Android 5.0 Lollipop – 7.0 Nougat — Material-style

Lollipop introduced Material Design, a major design overhaul for the whole of Android, and other Google properties. And with it, Android’s on-screen keys became simpler and more geometric, with small outlined shapes for each key.

Pixel phones (Android 7.1 Nougat) — Google-style

The new Pixel phones are more Google-focused than ever before. So it’s only natural to see this reflected in the devices’ new button layout, with solid shapes extra prominence given to the home key, which is used to activate Screen Search (formerly Google Now).

Love ’em? Hate ’em? Share your thoughts on the Pixel’s new-style soft keys in the comments below!

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LG V20 cameras: What you need to know about the manual shooter’s dream phone

Here’s a peek at what the LG V20’s cameras can do.

The LG V20 still isn’t on sale just yet, but it’s coming. And when it officially launches, it will arrive chock full of camera features that your current smartphone probably can’t do — at least not without some serious trickery.

If you’re looking to upgrade to a better camera phone, but you’re not sure if the V20 will have much to offer, here’s a quick glance at some of the camera features LG stuffed into its new smartphone.

It’s got two cameras

The LG V20 is equipped with a 16MP f/1.8 OIS-supported primary camera and an 8MP f/2.4 super-wide 135-degree camera. The latter allows you to capture more of the scene at hand with the literal touch of a button. However, while the wide-angle camera modes are pretty useful in certain shooting situations, be forewarned that you can’t use them inside third-party camera apps like Snapchat and Instagram.

Its front-facing camera is wide-angle, too

The 5-megapixel rear-facing camera features an ultra-wide 120-degree lens, so you can fit in more than a few people into your selfie.

It’s got two manual modes

Whether you’re shooting a video or snapping a scene, the V20 lets you adjust the exposure, ISO, and white balance with easy-to-use toggles. You can also adjust the shutter speed—up to 30 seconds for both video and stills. What’s more: the manual video mode offers a helpful sound gauge and frame-rate readout, while the manual camera mode offers a histogram and f-stop indicator.

Keep in mind that if you’re shooting with the wide-angle lens, you’ll have to manually focus.

It’s got filters

The truth is, we’re still a society that dresses our memories in overly-contrasted, color-tinged filters. The V20 has eight of them built in. You can use them to record video and snap photos, and you can adjust them in manual mode.

You can make a video collage

Video collages are a fun way to share yourself on social media. I certainly had fun making my own musical concoction on Instagram when I was testing out the phone.

The LG V20 lets you make a multi-view masterpiece. It uses all three cameras at the same time. You can create an entire video collage, a still collage, or a “mixed media” collage, where you combine both video and stills. The only bummer is that it doesn’t crop entirely well to social networks like Instagram.

You can shoot your own personal Story

Forget Snapchat. The V20 lets you shoot up to a minute of your own personal Snap story. A Snap a comprised of three-second vignettes that you don’t have to shoot in one sitting. You can come back to the Snap throughout the day and then render it when you’re finished. The Snap can be as long or as short as you like. You can also choose between multi-view layouts to add even more variation to your story.

You can edit from inside the camera app

The V20 is a smartphone for content creation, so naturally, LG made it possible for you to quickly edit videos. You can snip away at the length, or speed up and slow down bits of your timeline. But if you’re looking for more granular camera controls, you’ll want to invest in a capable third-party app.

Zooming is hard

If you’re recording a video, the camera app will offer a virtual zoom slider at the top of the viewfinder. It’s finicky and requires a bit of a learning curve before you can properly use it. There’s a second slider option you can expand that’s easier to use, but that’s only offered when you’re recording video. But it’s really nice to have!

Steady recording is available

The V20 is equipped with Qualcomm’s electronic video stabilization feature, which helps reduce the latency in the interface between the phone’s gyroscope and the video image. It’s like a souped-up version of optical image stabilization.

Pop-out mode is still useless

Smartphone makers tend to ham fist a bunch of extra camera features without actually verifying their worth. The V20’s optional Pop-out mode seems like it fits the bill. It seems that the only point for this limited camera mode is to offer up a picture-in-picture experience. All it really does is devote the background to emulating what the secondary rear-facing camera sees. It’s a cool effect, though I don’t see its worth.

Your turn

Curious about what else the V20 can do? Sound off in the comments!

Grab two of these keychain USB-C adapters for just $6

Right now you can pick up this awesome little USB-C adapter for just $6 with coupon code FHWTY97R, a savings of $2 on the two-pack. Why would you need something like this? Well, ever been out and about and everyone has either a Lightning cable or a Micro-USB, and no USB-C cables? Now you can take that Micro-USB cable and turn it into a USB-C cable with this adapter that you can fit right on your keyring.

It has a built-in 56KΩ resistor to for safety and reliability, and even better is that two come in the pack. For the cost of what many spend on a cup of coffee or some afternoon snacks, you’ll be able to ensure that your phone is able to be charged while on the go. Remember, you need coupon code FHWTY97R for the full savings here.

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Go Time! Episode 11: A different kind of hunting

Episode 11 of Go Time has arrived!

Jen, Russell and Erin return for another week of representing their respective teams.

This week, we’re all in the middle of a different kind of hunt. That’s because we’re looking for the new Pokémon Go Plus accessory, with very little luck so far. Team Mystic also takes us down the rabbit hole to talk about Pokémon Go and rooting your phone. There’s also a spirited discussion about how complex Pokémon Go is becoming, and whether this alienates new players.

Join us as we explore the big world of Pokemon Go!

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You can also join our Facebook page to keep up on all things Pokémon Go. See you in the world!

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New Galaxy Note 7 sales begin October 28 in Europe

New release is almost two months after the original street date, as Samsung announces 57% of old Note 7s have been returned.

Samsung has today announced that new Galaxy Note 7 sales will recommence from October 28, after battery safety problems scuppered the original launch date of September 2. The company says the new date is “subject to a full completion of the exchange program” — so all (or at least the overwhelming majority) of old, potentially dangerous Notes need to be returned before new sales can begin.

In a press release, Samsung also revealed that in Europe, 57% of Note 7 customers have exchanged their phone in the week since the exchange program began. Of those people exchanging, 90% chose a new Note 7 and 3% chose an alternative Samsung phone, the company says. (That leaves 7% taking the refund option.) Samsung predicts that the recall will be completed in Europe by early October, allowing a good buffer before the new street date.

The relatively high rate of returns in the first week isn’t surprising, given that Samsung last week rolled out a software update with warning messages to owners of the old Note 7, while also capping the battery charge at 60 percent. Samsung today confirmed that “strong co-operation with retail partners, daily direct communications with customers and software updates” has had a positive impact on the number of Europeans returning their Notes, adding that every Note 7 owner had now received a “safety message,” either as a “push notification, email, social media message or carrier communication.”

New Note 7s, like the ones that’ll go on sale from October 28, can be identified by their green battery icon.

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Hive takes on Philips Hue with colour changing light bulbs

Hive, the smarthome subsidiary of British Gas, launched its first Active Lights back in June, instantly making it a major smarthome player. The ability to control heating and lighting from one app and using one hub makes it incredibly simple and accessible.

Today, the company has announced two new lightbulb models to add to the range and increase your lighting options.

• Hive Active Light: Connected bulbs make Hive a major smarthome player

The first is a colour changing bulb which covers full RGB and white colours, leaving you to choose any colour you can think of to set the right mood. Like the original Active Lights, Hive is offering the colour changing bulbs with screw and bayonet fittings to cater for all British homes. They’re available now for £44 a bulb, £159 for a three bulb starter pack with a Hive Hub, £119 for a three bulb pack or £179 for a five bulb pack.

The other new bulb is a cool to warm white which can change from warm white 2700K to daylight cool 6500K. Both new bulbs are A+ energy rated and 240 and 230 degree bean angles respectively to help prevent shadowing. The cool to warm white bulbs are available now for £29 per bulb or £119 for a starter pack with a Hive Hub.

There’s still no GU10 bulb, so spotlight users still can’t join the party, but the addition of the new bulbs make Hive even more competitive in the smart lighting space.

Honeywell Lyric T6 smart thermostat will make your home toasty warm when you’re on your way home

Honeywell has launched the Lyric T6, the latest in its range of connected thermostats, joining the evohome and and Single Zone. The new model has Apple HomeKit integration meaning you can control it using your voice and Siri, or through Apple’s Home app.

It also packs in geofencing technology, so it can detect when you’ve left the house or are on your way home, based on the location of your smartphone. When the last person leaves for the day, the Lyric T6 will automatically switch to an energy saving mode and then kick into action when it detects you’re within a predetermined radius.

• Which Honeywell heating system is best for you? Evohome vs Voice controlled vs Single Zone Thermostat

If you know you’re going to be in and out the house a lot and don’t want your boiler to be constantly stopping and starting, you can set seven day or daily schedules.

You can also control the T6 when you’re out and about and even on holiday via Honeywell’s Lyric app. As long as you’ve got an internet connection, you can control the temperature of your home to help save money on energy costs.

Because the Lyric T6 supports Apple HomeKit, it can be included in any of your ‘scenes’, so can, for example, come on the same time as some connected lights and a coffee machine when you get home so you can sit down and relax.

It can also let you know if the temperature inside your home becomes extremely hot or cold and even learn heating cycles to automatically adjust the temperature without you having to worry.

The Honeywell Lyric T6 is available now in two variants: the T6 has to be fixed to a wall while the T6R is a wireless version and can be placed anywhere around the home. Both are available online or through plumbing and heating installers.