Google Trips wants to be the only app you need while traveling
Google has released a new app to the public that takes its Gmail inbox-reading machine learning prowess and applies it to travel.
Dubbed Google Trips, the app consolidates all of the travel data Google has collected from Gmail (with your permission) and arrays it in an easy-to-understand way, with offline support for those times you don’t have cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity.
The app takes what Inbox and Google Now have been doing for some time — deciphering the automatic emails you get from booking sites, travel agents, and other sources — and adds personalized recommendations for what the company calls the “top 200 cities in the world.” These include local tourist hotspots, restaurants and “local gems,” consolidating them into a full day’s tour that can be followed offline.
The app has been in beta since April, and as a result feels extremely polished and well-designed. From a recent trip to San Francisco, for example, it pulled in my flight and hotel data as well as any places I’d saved in Google Maps. It also described local customs, shopping districts, and any other essential information such as available of taxis and how to navigate the public transit system.
Trips can be as automatic or customized as you want, depending on how much time and investment you want to put into it. You can also add one location in a city and have Trips fill in nearby attractions based on that manual input — very clever if you know you have one or two things to hit but don’t have a full day planned.
While much of this information is available through various Google services already — Gmail, Inbox, Maps, and Google Now — it’s nice to see an app like Trips that, for the avid traveler, will fill in any of those blanks.
Olympus’ OM-D E-M1 Mark II is all about speed
Olympus is working on a new version of its flagship Micro Four Thirds camera, the OM-D E-M1 Mark II, which sports a high-speed TruePic VIII Image Processor that’s 3.5 times faster than previous editions. The new camera also includes a 20.4 megapixel Live MOS sensor and an electronic shutter, allowing it to take full-resolution images at 60 frames per second in AF and AE lock, and up to 18 frames per second with continuous tracking.
Olympus promises the new flagship’s continuous AF tracking performance will be dramatically improved with a new algorithm aimed at following subjects on the move. The OM-D E-M1 Mark II has a new Pro Capture Mode designed to catch split-second moments and a 50 megapixel High Res Shot Mode that apparently rivals the detail captured by full-frame DSLRs.
The OM-D E-M1 Mark II also takes 4K video (4096 x 2060) and to help offset camera shake, it uses a 5-Axis Image Stabilization system and electronic stabilization specialized for movies. The camera is weathersealed, dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Its battery is improved by 37 percent over Olympus’ previous flagship model and the OM-D E-M1 Mark II has dual memory card slots.
Source: Olympus
Fence-climbing robot could be priced within your reach
Four-legged, go-anywhere robots aren’t really affordable… not unless you’re willing to spend as much as you would on a used car, anyway. Ghost Robotics, however, thinks it can do better. It’s working on the Ghost Minitaur, a dog-sized quadruped bot that could cost $1,500 or less when it hits mass production. Its direct-drive electric motors both keep the cost down (since the springiness is dictated by software, not hardware) and let it pull off feats that you don’t see in far pricier machines. As Ghost Minitaur can sense contact with objects through the motors themselves, it can not only climb stairs, but scale fences and even open certain kinds of doors. Shades of Jurassic Park’s velociraptors, anyone?
It’s not certain just when costs for the robot will come down to Earth, and you’ll probably need some technical know-how to help it live up to its potential. It’ll likely be more for businesses and governments than everyday users. However, Ghost Robotics sees plenty of potential. The Ghost Minitaur could offer help in search-and-rescue or military operations where aerial drones aren’t practical, or cover rugged terrain on distant planets. Whatever the uses, it’s evident that quadruped robots could soon become relatively commonplace.
Via: IEEE Spectrum
Source: Ghost Robotics
Facebook snags modular gadget startup Nascent Objects
Google’s Project Ara was highly anticipated by consumers excited to upgrade their modular devices over time, but that dream died when the tech giant pulled the plug on the endeavor three weeks ago. Seems like Facebook isn’t done with mix-and-match gadgets: The social media titan just bought Nascent Objects, a Bay-area startup, to bring its modular electronics approach into its growing hardware R&D world.
Nascent Objects’ platform is a system for consumers to build and design their own gadgets. But it also aims to help users design and prototype products with far less fuss or cost than traditional prototyping methods. In essence, as WIRED writes, it’s about reducing waste for the entire hardware lifecycle.
That fits the Facebook outfit that Nascent Labs is being placed in: Building 8. The DARPA-like projects facility was created earlier in the year, while the social giant lured prominent advanced projects lead Regina Dugan away from Google back in April to head it. Building 8 focuses on quickly prototyping new products, which will likely couple with Facebook’s massive new 22,000-sq ft Menlo Park facility, Area 404, to produce new hardware. Shortly after news broke of the acquisition, Dugan posted this video on her Facebook page offering a peek into how Nascent works:
Source: Recode
A first look at GoPro’s foldable Karma drone
It finally happened. After months of teasing its first drone, GoPro today revealed the Karma. As we mentioned earlier, the quadcopter features a sleek and compact design, with foldable blades that’ll make it easy to fit into a backpack. We had the chance to check it out in Squaw Valley, California, where GoPro hosted a launch event for the drone itself as well as the new Hero5 Black and Hero5 Session. The Karma is quite easy to fly, thanks to its gamepad-esque controller and an easy-to-use interface.
GoPro says it didn’t want to complicate things, and that’s why the controller menus are simple and straight to the point. For example, you can set the Karma to go from point A to point B, for however long you want it to, with a couple of taps on the screen. There are also two main physical buttons on the remote, one to start and stop the drone and another to have it return to its original launch point.
We only spent about ten minutes testing the Karma, but that was enough to deem it as an impressive device. Namely because of how easy it is to fly and pair with either the GoPro Hero5 Black or the smaller Session. Speaking of which, GoPro’s pricing the Karma at $799 on its own, or $999 and $1,099 if you get it in a bundle with the Hero5 Session or Hero5 Black, respectively. It’ll hit in just a few weeks, on October 23rd.
Uber plans Detroit facility so it can collaborate with automakers
Following last week’s self-driving car news, Uber is preparing to open a new facility in Detroit. The ride-sharing company revealed a fleet of autonomous Ford Fusions a few days ago that are already taking passengers around Pittsburgh. Today, vice president of global vehicle programs Sherif Marakby said that the new outpost will be used to strengthen its collaboration with automakers that are headquartered in Michigan.
Ford Motor Company’s HQ is located in nearby Dearborn and Uber chose the automaker’s 4-door sedans for its self-driving pilot. Marakby went on to explain that Uber doesn’t have any interest in building its own hardware or vehicles, but it wants to work with companies on its plans for the future of the service. As we saw last week, that future definitely includes self-driving cars. The same can be said for Ford as it offered a glimpse at its self-driving plans just a few days ago. Those plans include fully self-driving cars without steering wheels or pedals by 2021.
Ford isn’t the only US automaker in Detroit working on autonomous vehicles. General Motors is testing self-driving Chevrolet Bolts and plans to start trials with Uber’s ride-sharing rival Lyft in the near future. Over the weekend, Lyft co-founder John Zimmer said self-driving cars will provide the bulk of its service within five years and all of its rides within the next decade.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Samsung shows how to identify safe Galaxy Note 7 models
Samsung has already hinted that there will be easy ways to determine whether or not the Galaxy Note 7 you have in your hand has a safe battery, but it’s not leaving anything to chance. The company has posted a guide that shows you exactly what to look for if you’re worried that someone gave you a dud. That green battery icon Samsung mentioned before? It’ll be everywhere, whether it’s in the status bar, the always-on display mode or the power-off screen. You can also look for a square symbol on the box label. These visual cues will likely be unnecessary before long, but it’s good to have them in case someone tries to sell you one of the fire-prone models.
Via: Gizmodo
Source: Samsung Newsroom
‘Cards Against Humanity’ re-opens STEM scholarship for women
Last year, the wildly popular potty-mouthed card game Cards Against Humanity channeled the profits from its $10 Science Pack into a full-ride college scholarship for women studying science, technology, engineering or math. With Science Pack sales still going strong, and gender equality in STEM fields still sorely lacking, Cards is ready to accept another round of applications for the scholarship’s second year.
Like last year, the scholarship offers full, four-year tuition to any woman seeking an undergraduate degree in any STEM field and applications will be reviewed by a board of over 60 women working in places like NASA JPL, Harvard Medical School and the National Science Foundation. Ideal candidates will be “an ambassador for their field” and are asked to submit a three-minute video lecture on a science topic they are passionate about. Applicants must be enrolled or planning to attend college in United States during the 2017 academic year, but any STEM field is fair game. (Sorry, no graduate students, however.) The deadline for submissions is December 11th at midnight and ten finalists will be asked to submit additional materials.
“I’m so excited that we’re able to offer another scholarship for a woman studying STEM. A lot of us at Cards Against Humanity have backgrounds in science and tech, and the underrepresentation of women in these fields is staggering,” Cards Against Humanity’s community director Jenn Bane said in a statement.
To date, the scholarship has raised over $975,000 on the profits of that aforementioned Science Pack. More details about the application process can be found at the Science Ambassador Scholarship website, and for prospective applicants who need a little inspiration, here’s last year’s winning submission from Sona Dadhania, who studies Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania:
Source: Science Ambassador Scholarship
Review: QuietComfort 35 Headphones Prove Bose Won’t Miss the Headphone Jack
With the controversial absence of a headphone jack on the iPhone 7 now a reality, accessory companies are busily churning out wireless alternatives, and that’s as true of Bose as it is of other big audio brands.
Its latest QuietComfort 35 over-the-ear headphones ($350) are a wireless version of the company’s flagship premium QC25 cans ($300), seen by some as offering the best active noise-cancelling in the business.
The QC35’s retain the same established design and patented ANC smarts, so as an owner of a pair of original QuietComfort 25 headphones, I was interested to see how the new Bluetooth model compared.
Design and Features
The box that the QC35’s come in is reminiscent of the QC25’s, and the included compact travel case that the cans fold up into boasts the same assured sturdiness. You get a thinner 1.2 meter lead for wired connections, a micro-USB to USB-A charging cable, and the same airline adapter is also included.
Taking the QC35 cans out though and weighing them against the wired model, it’s clear the transition to Bluetooth meant the QC35’s had to put on a little weight – 115 grams’ worth, to be exact, for a total of 309g. So what brings the added heft?
As you can see from the pictures, cosmetically there’s very little difference between the two models. The steel headband has been marginally widened, and the single AAA battery compartment has been replaced by an integrated, non-replaceable battery (rated up to 20 hours in wireless mode and up to 40 when wired), with a micro-USB port for recharging.
Hidden inside the metal-capped ear cups is a dual-microphone system that filters out ambient noise with equal opposing audio waves generated by two proprietary ANC signal processors, which help to pick up your voice during calls, too.
Also new is a dynamic volume-optimized EQ, built-in voice prompts, and a trio of physical controls along the edge of the left can: set between two volume buttons is a larger multi-function button that controls playback, takes and ends calls, and can also initiate Siri with a long press.
The Bluetooth pairing mechanism has been integrated into the original power switch and is activated by sliding and holding the switch until the power LED flashes blue. Wireless range is stated as 33 feet (10 meters), which bore out in subsequent tests.
Equalizers and sound profiles don’t feature in the Bose Connect app, presumably because Bose is satisfied that the integrated digital EQ takes care of all that. It leaves the software options extremely basic, limiting you to manage paired devices, select an auto-off timer, update firmware, disable voice prompts, and change language.
Performance
The QC35’s paired easily with my iPhone 6s, iPad mini 4, and MacBook Pro, and the only time the connection dropped was when I was listening to music in the kitchen and the microwave was on. The cans had no trouble pairing with two devices and switching dynamically between them, and all my devices were remembered later and re-paired automatically.
The controls felt well placed, if not as intuitive as the QC25’s inline remote, and a couple of phone calls were taken while walking along the street, with the new ANC-microphone pairing doing a good job of minimizing ambient noise without detracting from voice clarity during conversation.
Despite the extra weight, the QC35’s never felt uncomfortable to wear, even when I did so for long periods. The widened headband seems to be the masterstroke here, offsetting that extra weight equally between the pivots and cups, while undoubtedly being helped by the soft synthetic leather cushioning that surrounds each ear. In terms of comfort, these headphones really are up there with the best.
Audio-wise, the QC35’s didn’t disappoint either, delivering well-heeled bass and excellent sound separation, especially with instrumental music. They do lose a bit of oomph in the mid-range when listening in wired mode when the ANC is off, but the Bluetooth battery life was long enough for it not to be a significant concern. Plugged into a MacBook Pro, a full charge took about two hours – fine.
The entire listening experience really benefitted from the always-on ANC – effectively silencing the drone of jet engines during a domestic flight, for example – while the low-level hiss characteristic of noise-cancelling systems was barely audible, even at low volume. Whether sat in my living room or stood on a sardine-can commute, I was left with the overriding sensation of being pleasantly cocooned in a private bubble of sound.
Bottom Line
I’ll miss the QC35’s. The cans’ interchangeable, dynamic pairing between my iPhone and MacBook quickly became second nature as I switched between devices, leaving my wired QC25’s feeling positively passé in comparison. Besides the practicality of Bluetooth though, there’s very little between them.
The superior quality of Bose’s patented noise cancelling is so well established these days that casting judgement on it almost feels redundant. Having said that, I don’t consider Bose’s ANC untouchable, with similar systems on cans like the Parrot Zik’s and Sennheiser PXC-550’s now offering almost-as-good if not equal performance in recent tests. I didn’t notice any real improvement over the QC25’s ANC either, so you could make the case that Bose has stood still while its rivals have caught up.
That’s not to take anything away from the QC35’s, though. In terms of marrying comfortable sound isolation with quality audio reproduction, they’re still the complete package. Does the $50 hike on an already premium-priced set of headphones justify the transition to wireless? Maybe not, but it’s less a matter of ‘courage’ than it is one of convenience.
There are a couple of other caveats. The rechargeable battery isn’t replaceable like the Parrot Zik 3.0’s (for instance), which could put off some. The powered ANC doesn’t work in wired mode when the battery is dead either, but the passive isolation offered by the seal of the ear cups does provide a decent buffer against noisy environments.
Pros
- Luxuriously comfy over-ear design
- Excellent battery life
- Dynamic pairing between two devices
- Signature active noise-cancelling
Cons
- Threadbare app
- Lower audio quality in wired mode
- Non-replaceable battery
- $50 premium for Bluetooth
How to Buy
The Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones cost $349, are available in black or silver, and can be ordered on the Bose website.
Note: Bose loaned the QC35 headphones to MacRumors for the purposes of this review. No other compensation was received.
Update: The Bose QC35’s come with a micro-USB port, not mini-USB, as originally stated in error.
Tag: Bose
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Best leather cases for the Galaxy S7
The Galaxy S7 is a sophisticated phone. It demands a sophisticated case.
Many cases that are meant purely for protection aren’t necessarily the prettiest. Leather cases are a great and durable way to protect your Galaxy S7 while maintaining a sense of upscale style and really making your phone stand out.
We’ve rounded up the best (and sexiest) leather cases we could find, just for you.
- Piel Frama FramaSlim
- Leather wallet case by Sarac Leather
- Leather wallet case by Jinapple
- Leather wallet case by Istanbul Leather Shop
- Leather wallet pouch by Benittorre
- Samsung leather cover
Piel Frama FramaSlim
Piel Frama’s line of FramaSlim leather cases for the Galaxy S7 are the epitome of haute couture. The height of fashion also means top price, with these cases starting at 60€ (around $70 US).
That being said, you get what you pay for, which is one of five types of handcrafted genuine leather cases made in Spain. You have your choice of cowskin, cowskin-crocodile, iForte Style (a more rugged cowskin), lizard, and stingray. These are all blends of calfskin and other material that add a truly personal touch to your S7. “Oh, your case is from Best Buy? Mine was hand-made by an old man in rural Spain.”
Piel Frama has been making leather cases for cell phones since 1984, so if anyone knows how to craft a case that fits your phone perfectly, offering a bit of protection and maximum style, it’s Frama. Form meets function, in that there is no need to open your case when you want to talk, so that you don’t have the cover awkwardly flapping away.
Something to note is that your phone doesn’t actually sit in these cases, rather it sits on them via an adhesive pad. This pad, however, has deep “craters” in it so that no residue is left on your S7.
See at Piel Frama
Leather wallet case by Sarac Leather
We mined Etsy for leather cases because some of the finest craftspeople in the world sell their good there. This leather wallet case by Sarac Leather is a gorgeous and stylish cover that offers your S7 some solid protection, while accenting it with personal style.
Hand-made of genuine leather, this unit comes in either brown or purple suede and has two slots on the inside for debit or credit cards. The cover also flips back and folds to provide a handy stand for hands-free video watching or calling.
Since these are hand-made items, no two are alike, so if you want a case that’s truly unique to you and your S7, then consider Sarac Leather’s offer.
See at Etsy
Leather wallet case by Jinapple
Jinapple’s handmade leather case for your GS7 is one of rustic beauty and somewhat rugged protection. It’s made of the type of leather that you’re not worried about scuffing up, since that would just add to its appeal.
The leather comes in a few different shades of brown and then you have your choice of brown for the thread. You can make everything uniform or your can make the thread pop by choosing a dark leather and light thread. There are many combinations, meaning your case will truly be yours. For an extra five bucks you can even have your initials etched into it.
There are three slots for cards on the inside and a larger cash slot that can fit cash. The thin leather won’t add a ton of bulk to your S7 and you won’t be able to fill it with credit cards so no worry of bulk there either.
If you want a splash of rugged style and like the feel of leather but don’t want a case that you have to preen over and worry about scratching, then give Jinapple’s offer a look.
See at Etsy
Leather wallet case by Istanbul Leather Shop
This is the type of leather case that you’d associate with a glass of 12 year old scotch and a deep leather chair, with a roaring fire next to it and a portrait of Ron Swanson on the mantle – refined.
This elegantly designed case has three slots inside for credit and debit cards, with a little more room that some of the other cases in this roundup. So, the front cover is a little bulkier, but it’ll still fit comfortably in your pocket.
There are speaker holes on the front so that you can talk with the cover closed. You can also fold the cover back to create a stand for hands-free video watching.
There is only one choice for color, but it’s a deep and rich brown that will suit any Galaxy S7 color.
See at Etsy
Leather wallet pouch by Benittorre
This case is a little different from the others in this roundup in that it’s a pouch rather than a folio. Your S7 easily slide in and out of this handsomely crafted pouch without being scratched up, since the inside is made of soft microfiber. Heck, it might even clean your screen as you slide it out.
The front pocket is only really designed to fit one card, but you might sneak two in if you don’t mind a bit of stretch. You have the choice of a bare case, one with the Benittorre logo, or a monogrammed case, which makes this one an excellent and personalizable gift idea for someone special.
This is the best-reviewed case in our roundup, so Benittorre is clearly doing something right. If you’re looking for a case that easily flips open and stands when you want to watch videos, this isn’t for you. However, if you’re wanting more of a sheath to protect your S7 while it’s in your pocket or purse, then this pouch is beautifully ideal.
See at Etsy
Samsung leather cover
This still isn’t available on Samsung’s website, but you can find it on Amazon for around $35. Looking more like a textured bumper case, Samsung is joining form with function in a sophisticated-looking package. It’s made from genuine leather that’s hardened to make your Galaxy S7 feel substantial, though it likely won’t protect your phone from a big drop – you do compromise protection for style.
However, it will indeed protect your Galaxy S7 from scratches and bumps and the raised bezel on the front will protect the screen should you lay your phone face-down.
See at Amazon
If leather cases just aren’t doing it for you, check out our roundup of the best cases for the Samsung Galaxy S7.
