Bill Nye lands a Netflix show
Everyone’s favorite bow-tied scientist is back with a Netflix series. Bill Nye is making a return to TV via a talk show, called Bill Nye Saves the World, set to debut in Spring, 2017.
The series will explore science and its impact on society, pop culture, and politics. Nye will tackle specific topics from a scientific point of view in each episode, while also refuting anti-scientific claims and dispelling myths, like the true cause of global warming. The show will include special guests, along with experiments and demonstrations.
Bill Nye Saves the World goes in line with Netflix’s new content strategy. It’s been experimenting with talk shows, like the recent Chelsea, with varying success. Now, with the Full House spinoff, Fuller House, being hugely popular, Netflix wants to continue attracting older viewers that grew up watching 90s shows. Netflix hopes its new Nye series will be just as popular as the 1993 PBS show, Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Via: Variety
The DxO One gets Wi-Fi control and a suite of accessories
If you take a lot of photos with your smartphone, you’ve probably noticed they’re not always up to snuff with the kind of images you’d see from a DSLR camera.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many options out there to improve your iPhone’s camera either unless you go for post-processing apps. Luckily, there’s the DxO One, meant to do just that, including a Lightning connector and an image sensor that’s meant to improve the way you shoot photos with your phone.
But any good camera needs accessories, and the DxO’s getting a new suite of accessories including a special shell for waterproofing, weatherproofing and keeping the One itself safe from the elements while you take it on the go. There’s also a stand, Wi-Fi remote control, and an optical adapter for you to attach new filters over the One’s lens.
In a pretty exciting turn of events, you can use the Wi-Fi remote to aconnect to locate networks or your iPhone directly even when not in range of networks, which makes it a pretty nifty little device, and it’s coming to all DxO One camera owners with the 2.0 software update in September.
The September update also includes a slew of other options like Mobile Smart Lighting, improved power consumption, and a new autofocus mode in addition to a white balance setting meant for shooting photos underwater.
You can pick up the outdoor case for $49 and the filter adapter for $25, with the stand going for $20. It’s a decent camera. You’ll probably want to try and keep it protected.
Via: TechCrunch
‘Second Life’ studio invites VR players to try ‘Project Sansar’
Linden Lab, the creative minds behind the bizarre social game Second Life, is unveiling its latest project, planted firmly within the roots of the virtual world.
It’s called Project Sansar, and invites are being sent out to creators this week. After this sneak peek, the public should get their first glimpse at the upcoming game early next year in 2017.
Project Sansar is meant to be an expansive 3D world that’ll work with the likes of the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, but there are scant details surrounding its impending release so far. Players will be able to interact with the world much like they currently do in Second Life, though in a relatively more scalable manner than they current do in that game, allowing for multiple instances of areas to exist in tandem with each other.
Interestingly enough, Linden Lab CEO Ebbe Altberg has likened the project to “WordPress” for virtual reality, where Project Sansar acts as a blank base or slate for others to create their own virtual reality experiences on top of.
If it’s truly as expansive and adaptable as, say, Second Life or any of the other virtual reality hangouts out there, Project Sansar could be capable of some very interesting things.
Via: Variety
Nubia’s ‘bezel-less’ Z11 smartphone launches worldwide
You probably still don’t know a lot about the Nubia smartphone brand if you live outside of China, but the company is bent on changing that: it’s launching its latest flagship, the Z11, worldwide. The phone touts a “bezel-less” design with a 81 percent screen-to-body ratio, which both gives it a seamless effect and makes its 5.5-inch, 1080p display easier to manage in your hand. Nubia is definitely playing up the looks — it’s offering a posh black gold version (above) on top of more pedestrian gray and silver variants.
Not that it’s all surface and no substance. The Z11 carries a Snapdragon 820 processor, 64GB of expandable storage, a rear fingerprint reader and 4GB of RAM in standard trim. The black gold model jumps to a hefty 6GB of RAM to please serious multitaskers. And whichever model you get, photography is one of the big selling points. Nubia vows that that the 16-megapixel rear camera’s f/2.0 aperture and mix of hardware and software image stabilization will produce “DSLR-like” images, including 72-second handheld exposures if you’re determined to get a dramatic star field shot. The 8-megapixel front cam isn’t quite so impressive, but its large pixels and “smart light compensation” should deliver solid selfies.
All variants of the Z11 will be available starting in September, at €499 (about $557) for the standard phone and €599 ($668) for black gold. Despite the Euro-only pricing so far, this is very much a worldwide launch: Nubia plans to sell the device in the UK and US as well as parts of Europe, Asia (including India), Argentina and Mexico. It’s tempting, although we’d definitely do some comparison shopping first. The OnePlus 3 could get you nearly all the performance for $399, and Google is prepping a pair of phones that may deliver lots of bang for the buck.
We’re live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Source: Nubia
Tapbots’ New Mac Clipboard Manager ‘Pastebot’ Now Available via Public Beta
Tapbots, the developers behind popular Twitter client Tweetbot, today announced a public beta for their latest app, Pastebot. Pastebot is a clipboard manager for Mac designed to store everything you copy so that it can be re-accessed at any time.
Available as both a Mac menu bar app and a standard app, Pastebot supports Pasteboards, where snippets of text that you frequently copy and paste can be quickly accessed. Multiple Pasteboards can be created to keep all text clippings organized and the clipboard can be opened with a simple Command + Shift + V keyboard shortcut.
A range of filters are available that can be applied to copied text snippets for formatting purposes. Filter examples include Create List, Wrap in Paragraph Tags, Convert to Plain Text, Change Case, Emoji Remover, and more.
For the time being, syncing Pastebot content between Macs is not available because the feature uses CloudKit, which isn’t available outside of the Mac App Store. Syncing will be available when the full app is released and Tapbots says Pastebot will work alongside with the new clipboard sharing features built into macOS Sierra.
The Pastebot public beta can be downloaded immediately from the Tapbots website. Following the beta testing process, Pastebot will be released on the Mac App Store as a paid app.
Tags: Tapbots, Pastebot
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Tile introduces the Slim, its thinnest way to keep track of your stuff
Tile has introduced a thinner way to keep track of your favorite devices with the Tile Slim. Previously, Tile needed to go on a key ring and was a bit clunky, but their development team has redesigned it to be much thinner. Now you can stick a Tile to your computer, tablet and other devices.
For those not familiar, Tile is a Bluetooth tracking device that can help you locate your items by sound when it is out of sight. If the audible alert doesn’t help you find it, you can hop into the app and check its last known location on a map, and even use the Tile community to help you find the item. It also works the other way around, and you can press the Tile to sound an alarm to help find your phone.
With it being so thick previously, there was no way to secure it to your laptop or tablet, or even put it in your wallet comfortably. Tile has fixed both of those issues with the Slim by thinning it down to the size of just two credit cards, which is super slim. In addition, the company is now offering adhesive pads online so you can stick the tracker to your laptop, camera or other devices with ease.
Tile is selling the Slim for $30 each, or $100 for the 4 pack, and you can pick up four of the adhesive pads for just $5.
See at Tile
Best car mounts for Galaxy Note 7
What are the best car mounts for the Galaxy Note 7?
The Galaxy Note 7 is such a beautifully designed phone, you may never want to put it down. Of course, you should always put your phone down when you’re behind the wheel. Beyond it becoming increasingly illegal in different jurisdictions, it’s just good common sense.
That’s where a convenient car mount can make all the difference. You’ll still have one-touch access for accepting calls or skipping tracks on the road trip playlist. Car mounts keep your phone accessible by attaching to your windshield, dashboard, air vent or even your car’s CD changer. There’s a ton of variety, so find the one that will be most convenient for your vehicle.
- Spigen Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount
- iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless Qi Car Mount
- Anker CD Slot Magnetic Universal Phone Holder
- Kenu Airframe Plus Portable Car Mount
- Spigen Style Ring
Spigen Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount
Spigen makes a lot of really ingeniously designed smartphone accessories, and their Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount is as convenient as it gets. The mount itself quickly and securely clips onto an air vent on the dash.
As the name suggests, this mount secures using magnets. That will require you to attach a metal plate to the back of your phone, or better yet to your Galaxy Note 7’s case. Once installed, all you have to do is hold your phone close to the mount and it pops right on. With no clips or holsters to deal with, you can easily grab your phone with one hand as you leave the car. You can also take the Spigen clip with you and use it as a portable kickstand which holds your phone at the perfect hands free viewing angle.
But for all the positives, there are some drawbacks to this design. Adhering the metal plate on to back of the phone may potentially interfere with wireless charging and the NFC-based Samsung Pay service. If these are important features to you, you may want to look elsewhere, or slap the metal plate on the inside of a thin case so you can quickly pop your phone out when you want to wirelessly charge or pay via NFC.
See at Amazon
iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless Qi Car Mount
From a car mount that might interfere with wireless charging to a car mount that supports wireless charging, the iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless Qi is the ideal mount if you prefer your Galaxy Note 7 to be fully charged when you reach your destination.
This mount attaches to your dashboard or windshield and features a two-step locking mechanism to accommodate both smooth and textured surfaces. It includes a micro USB charging cable to provide power to the Qi wireless charging pad, so you’ll also need a USB car adapter to get full functionality. Mounting your phone is simple. The one-touch button on the back closes the arms around your Galaxy Note 7, holding it securely in place. It features a telescopic arm that’s adjustable up to 180 degrees along with a ball joint so you can set your phone exactly where it’s most convenient for you. Grabbing your phone is just as easy — simply press in the two arms to release your phone and be on your way.
See at Amazon
Anker CD Slot Magnetic Universal Phone Holder
If your car has a CD changer, but you’ve moved beyond physical media thanks to, say, cramming all your favorite music onto your new Galaxy Note 7, you can still get use out of that CD slot — with the Anker CD Slot Magnetic Universal Phone Holder.
The CD changer is typically the centerpiece of a car’s console, so using it as a place to mount your phone just makes sense. Anker’s mount uses a rubber-coated clamp provides a firm grip while keeping the CD slot scratch-free. Installing is as easy as inserting the mount into the cd play and flipping the lever on the bottom.
Like the Spigen above, this car mount also uses magnets to securely hold your phone, meaning you’ll need to mount a metal plate to the back of your phone or to a thin case. Similar issues may arise regarding regarding wireless charging or your phone’s NFC capabilities, so keep that in mind.
See at Amazon
Kenu Airframe Plus Portable Car Mount+
Minimalism and simplicity are important features for a lot of people. The Kenu Airframe Plus+ is a simple car mount that’s slim enough to comfortably fit in your pocket, but securely holds your phone by clipping to an air vent.
There’s really not too much to this one — no suction cups, adhesives or adjustable arms — so there’s less places for this mount to break or fail. The clip is able to mount to any vent type, whether they be horizontal, vertical, angled or circular. It’s so portable that you can take it with you and also use it as a kickstand. Simply slip a business card or something of a similar size in the clip on the back and it will stand on its own.
Versatile, simple and portable — what more could you want?
See at Amazon
Spigen Style Ring
This little accessory from Spigen is handy in a bunch of ways, but we’ll be focusing on the car mount feature.
While the Style Ring might be the star of the show, the adhesive-backed hook mount is so incredibly handy. Simply clean off an area of your dash, peek off the backing and press and hold it onto the dash until you’ve got it securely mounted.
Once you’ve installed the Style Ring on your phone or phone case, the next time you hop in the car you simply loop the style ring around the hook mount and press. There’s a little divot built for the swivelling post in the center so you can push the phone until you feel it pop in to know that phone ain’t going anywhere — that is until you arrive at your destination and pop it off the hook mount. The way the Style Ring swivels lets you easily rotate your Galaxy Note 7 from portrait to landscape mode and since there’s no arms or attachments gripping your phone around the edges, it will appear as if your phone is just sort of floating on your dash.
See at Amazon
How do you drive with your Galaxy Note 7?
Did we miss your favorite car mount on our list? Leave us a comment below!
Samsung Gear S3 Frontier and Gear S3 Classic specs
They cram a lot inside these watches.
Samsung’s Gear S3 Frontier and Classic are notably larger than their predecessors, but that means they hold improved specs, larger displays and perhaps most importantly a bigger battery. Though the specs aren’t groundbreaking, the fact that they all fit in a smartwatch size is pretty impressive, and the Gear S3 Frontier and Classic make it look good as well. Here’s the full spec list:
| Screen size | 1.3-inch circular AMOLED360x360 resolution, 278 ppiCorning Gorilla Glass SR+ |
| Processor | Dual-core 1GHz Samsung Exynos |
| RAM | 768MB |
| Storage | 4GB |
| Operating system | Tizen Wearable OS 2.3.2 |
| Battery | 380 mAh |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC, MSTLTE optional (Frontier) |
| Resistance | IP68MIL-STD 810G (Frontier) |
| Case size | 46 mm |
| Band size | 22 mm |
| Dimensions | 46 x 49 x 12.9 mm, 62 g (Frontier)46 x 49 x 12.9 mm, 57 g (Classic) |
Samsung will continue Gear S2 and S2 Classic sales, update with latest software
Keeping old models will fill out the wearable lineup.
When the Gear S3 Frontier and Classic are released later this year, they won’t be taking store shelf space away from the Gear S2 — all four watches will sit together along with the Gear Fit 2 as important components of Samsung’s wearable ecosystem. Going a step further, the Gear S2 models will also be receiving an update by the end of the year with all of the new features being shown off on the Gear S3s — and considering that the Gear S2’s hardware is more than capable even a year on, they should be able to handle the software just fine.
Read: Gear S3 Frontier and Classic hands-on preview
As a quick refresher, here’s the breakdown of the specs of the Gear S3 Frontier and Classic, and how they compare to the Gear S2:
| Screen size | 1.3-inch circular AMOLED360x360 resolutionGorilla Glass SR+ | 1.2-inch circular AMOLED360x360 resolution |
| Processor | Dual-core 1GHz Exynos | Dual-core 1GHz Exynos |
| RAM | 768MB | 512MB |
| Storage | 4GB | 4GB |
| Operating system | Tizen Wearable OS | Tizen Wearable OS |
| Battery | 380 mAh | 250 mAh |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC, MSTLTE optional (Frontier) | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC3G optional |
| Resistance | IP68MIL-STD 810G (Frontier) | IP68 |
| Case size | 46 mm | 42 mm |
| Band size | 22 mm | 22 mm (Classic) |
| Dimensions | 46 x 49 x 12.9 mm, 62 g (Frontier)46 x 49 x 12.9 mm, 57 g (Classic) | 42.3 x 49.8 x 11.4 mm, 47g |
Naturally the Gear S2 and S2 Classic are expected to receive price cuts, making them more competitive options against many smartwatches that previously undercut them by anywhere from $50 to $100. Having the older models around also makes sense from a style perspective, with the Gear S3 Frontier and Classic going in a different direction from the more sporty Gear S2, and being notably larger than last year’s models.
Price and size both factor into keeping the Gear S2 available
Anyone with smaller wrists or just a simpler taste will still be far better off getting the Gear S2 in terms of fit, without being worried about missing out on features — and you can save some money in the process. At the same time for the extra money there’s a clear improvement in screen size and battery life on the Gear S3 Frontier and Classic, as well as some new designs that may speak to you.
With these five wearables all standing together, Samsung is going beyond the idea of just releasing one product and iterating it each year — with different update cadences and a diverse portfolio, it can hit an even wider market. That may just be the best shot it has to grow its market share in wearables.
MrMobile goes hands-on with the Samsung Gear S3
Samsung’s smartphones have matured into some of the best on the market in 2016, and its smartwatches seem poised to do the same.
With the Gear S3, Samsung evolves some of the solid ideas behind last year’s S2, while further honing its software and industrial design to produce a device that’s a wristwatch first and a smartwatch second – an often-touted but seldom realized ambition in the wearable world. Whether Samsung ultimately meets that goal will have to wait for MrMobile’s full Gear S3 review; for now, join me for a quick Samsung Gear S3 hands on!
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