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Selasa, 14 Mei 2019

The Morning After: Lenovo's foldable-screen laptop - Engadget

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

This morning, we're checking out the latest update in Walmart vs. Amazon, and Lenovo's bright new idea for a laptop is going to feel very familiar.

Aren't all laptops foldable?Lenovo is working on a ThinkPad with a foldable display

Now that we (almost) have folding smartphones, Lenovo's new prototype tries the technology on a larger scale. It has a 13.3-inch OLED display, which closes in upon itself with a Galaxy Fold-like magnetic latch. Laid flat, the flexible seam disappears, and when it's propped open, a keyboard appears on the lower half of the screen. We'll have to wait until at least next year to see this available as a real product, but it could be a way to have a large screen in a device the size of a paper notebook.

Box that.Walmart takes on Amazon Prime with free, next-day deliveries

The retail giant's NextDay delivery offering is rolling out in Phoenix and Las Vegas today, May 14th, and will be available for online customers in Southern California over the next few days. Unlike Prime, there's no membership fee required; however, it only applies to some of Walmart's items, and orders have to meet a $35 minimum.

Moving forward.Supreme Court rules against Apple in App Store price-fixing case

The Supreme Court has ruled against Apple in a long-standing case over price fixing in the App Store, in a decision that allows iPhone owners to proceed with a lawsuit against the company. The court agreed with the plaintiffs' assertion that people who buy apps from the App Store are doing so directly from Apple, and as such they aren't prohibited "from suing Apple under the antitrust laws." Now the lawsuit can go to trial, unless the parties settle. In a statement, Apple said, "We're confident we will prevail when the facts are presented and that the App Store is not a monopoly by any metric."

Now in testing at PDX.Lyft and Uber's latest ride-sharing invention: the airport taxi line

Instead of wasting time hunting for their Uber or Lyft, passengers landing at Portland International Airport can just hop in an available car and share a six-digit code with the driver. If successful, they could expand the PIN feature to airports across the country.

Prices TBA.Lenovo's new ThinkBook laptop line is built to be slim and secure

This new ThinkBook series promises "business-grade" features and security in a fairly sleek package. The laptops have thin bezels and are less than .65-inches thick, even with dedicated Skype keys, Radeon 540X GPUs, TPM 2.0 security chips, fingerprint readers and webcam privacy shutters. If you need more power, however, the new 15-inch ThinkPad X1 Extreme can be had with a 4K OLED display, GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics and a 9th-gen Core i9 CPU.

It's all about services.Apple's redesigned TV app arrives

The company is now rolling out the updated application to iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and compatible Samsung smart TVs, complete with a fresh look, the new Channels feature and curated sections such as For You and Kids. Apple says there are now more than 100,000 films and TV series on iTunes, including a large collection of 4K HDR content that you can rent or buy. Now you can get to all of that without having to leave its TV app. Plus, with Channels, users can subscribe to premium networks without leaving the app and download videos for offline viewing even from services that don't normally offer the feature, like HBO Go.

They custom fit a box to the package instead of working the other way around.Amazon might start using robots to box your orders

Sources told Reuters that Amazon is considering the CartonWrap machines from CMC Srl, which can build boxes around custom orders and add seals and labels. The machines can reportedly build 600 to 700 boxes per hour, which is four to five times faster than a human.

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/14/the-morning-after/

2019-05-14 11:30:44Z
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How to update WhatsApp to avoid its security breach - Quartz

Updates are annoying. But you really need to update WhatsApp on your phone.

The Facebook-owned messaging platform is urging its approximately 1.5 billion users to upgrade to the latest version of the app, which contains a fix to a security breach first reported by the Financial Times (paywall) yesterday. In a statement (paywall), WhatsApp also encouraged users to update their mobile operating system, “to protect against potential targeted exploits designed to compromise information stored on mobile devices.”

The breach exploited a vulnerability in the messaging app to allow hackers to remotely install surveillance software onto iOS and Android phones. WhatsApp discovered the vulnerability in early May and started rolling out a fix in recent days. It told the Financial Times it did not yet know how many users had been affected.

The FT reported that the malicious code used in the hack was developed by Israeli company NSO Group. The company is best known for its spying software Pegasus, which can remotely activate a phone’s microphone and camera and collect location data. Watchdog groups claim NSO has sold Pegasus to foreign governments with dubious human-rights records, which have used it to target activists and journalists (paywall) around the world.

NSO said it was investigating the breach and denied that it would target individuals or companies using its technology, “which is solely operated by intelligence and law enforcement agencies.”

WhatsApp did not confirm the FT’s report that NSO code was used in the breach, but said in a statement: “This attack has all the hallmarks of a private company known to work with governments to deliver spyware that reportedly takes over the functions of mobile phone operating systems.”

To update the app, go to the Google Play store on your Android, or App Store on your iPhone. It the update hasn’t automatically happened, you will see an option to install the latest version.

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https://qz.com/1618815/how-to-update-whatsapp-to-avoid-its-security-breach/

2019-05-14 10:49:00Z
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Alexa Guard is coming soon for all Echo owners in the US - The Verge

Amazon’s Alexa Guard feature is now rolling out in the US, following an invite-only preview that lasted a few months. This free update lets your Echo speaker listen for signs of danger in your home while you’re away. Sounds like glass breaking (caused by a burglar or a moody cat) or a smoke alarm going off will trigger Alexa to send out Smart Alerts consisting of audio clips. If your Echo has a built-in camera, it will show a direct video feed into your home.

In addition to listening, Alexa Guard can also mimic your daily smart light usage, switching the lights on and off to make it seem like you’re home. Amazon notes that Alexa Guard isn’t meant to be a replacement for an alarm system, and it isn’t able to alert authorities. Even so, these baseline capabilities give Echo speakers and displays a slight edge over what the Google Home and Apple HomePod can do out of the box.

After the app update arrives on your phone, you can enable the feature by opening the Alexa app. Once you’re there, head to settings, tap “Guard,” then follow along with the setup process. Keep in mind that you’ll need to say “Alexa, I’m leaving” each time you want to activate Guard mode.

If your home is already set up with a smart home security system (say, Ring), Alexa Guard may seem trivial. However, it’s a worthwhile addition that won’t cost you anything extra to activate. As my colleague Sean Hollister noted, Ring doesn’t yet make sensors to detect window breaks, so until it does (if it does), this feature should offer a little additional peace of mind.

Speaking of Ring, Amazon usually isn’t great about incorporating cross-functionality between its home security products, but Alexa Guard can be set up to arm your Ring security system when you tell Alexa to turn on Guard mode.

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https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/14/18618098/alexa-guard-amazon-echo-speaker-security-feature

2019-05-14 10:00:00Z
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Pixels on Android Q might receive automatic car crash detection - Android Police

Google has been putting a lot of effort into Android users' health and security with features like Digital Wellbeing, but also by helping them stay focused while driving. Now, the company appears to be working on a feature that should help you when you do get into an accident while on the road, regardless of cause. Some strings appeared on Android Q that suggest Pixels will automatically detect crashes.

The colleagues from XDA Developers dug into the latest Q Beta, released during Google I/O, and found a new app called "Safety Hub" which should be exclusive to Pixel phones as per its manifest file. The team inspected the yet-to-be-announced product closely and found some strings that suggest it can automatically detect car crashes, with the aptly called feature "Car Crash Detection." There are even two icons depicting accidents to go with it.

Thus far, it's unclear how exactly your phone detects a crash, as even a combination of acceleration measurement and microphone polling could produce a number of false positives. Maybe the feature only works when your device is connected to a car that can detect accidents itself. It's also unclear what does happen when the app recognizes a crash, but it would be fair to assume that it could automatically contact first responders and user-defined emergency contacts.

If the company can provide accurate and fail-safe crash detection, this might give it a lead against competitors and might move more people to use platforms like Android Auto or Assistant Driving Mode while on the road. And, most importantly, it could save a lot of lives.

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https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/05/14/pixels-on-android-q-might-receive-automatic-car-crash-detection/

2019-05-14 08:10:00Z
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Adobe warns Creative Cloud users with older apps of legal problems - Engadget

Senin, 13 Mei 2019

What's Really Going on With These Amazon and Google Gadget 'Experiments'? - Gizmodo

Illustration for article titled What's Really Going on With These Amazon and Google Gadget 'Experiments'? — Photo: Eric Limer (Gizmodo)

This glorious Monday comes with two interesting tidbits for gadget lovers. First off, Amazon reportedly hasn’t ruled out launching another smartphone despite the debacle of its first attempt, the Fire Phone. Second, a CNET interview with Google’s Pixel team lead Mario Queiroz reveals the company is experimenting with foldable phones. Exciting, right?

Is Amazon actually launching a Fire Phone 2.0? Will we see a foldable Pixel phone to rival the Samsung Galaxy Fold? Ehhhh. Tech executives talk a lot, and it’s worth taking the extra second to squint at what they’re saying before diving headfirst into hype.

The whole Amazon smartphone rumors come from a nebulous comment from David Limp, Amazon’s senior vice president of devices and services. “It’s a big market segment and it would be interesting. We need to keep experimenting and the things we want to experiment with are the ones that are truly differentiated,” Limp told The Telegraph. He continued: “The answer is the same as to whether we’re going to build a personal computer. What we need to do in order to enter into something new is we have to have an idea to differentiate it.”

That’s a whole lot of nothing. If you Google Translated corporate business speak, it’s Limp saying “Well, I’m not saying yes, but I’m also not saying no. A successful Amazon smartphone would make a boatload of money, sure, but uh, we’d need to do something different, and I’m either not sure or playing extremely dumb as to what that ‘something different’ is.”

Likewise, Google’s Queiroz told CNET, “We’re definitely prototyping the technology [foldable screens]. We’ve been doing it for a long time. I don’t think there’s a clear use case yet.”

That statement doesn’t even need much parsing. Google admitting prototypes exist makes sense—after all, have you seen the multitude of Google patents? Vendors like Samsung and Huawei have already shown the world they see foldable phones as the next wave of smartphone innovation. Google, with all its R&D money, would be foolish not to have prototypes to at the very least, test out how its Android operating system would work. In fact, Google outright said it was committed to delivering foldable phone support in Android Q at its I/O developer conference last week. That doesn’t mean, however, those prototypes are evidence of a Pixel-branded foldable phone. If you read the CNET interview in its entirety, Queiroz reiterates that Google has no plan to go to market with a foldable phone at the moment. “We’re prototyping foldable displays and many other new hardware technologies,” Queiroz says before adding, “and have no related product announcements to make at this time.”

Giant tech companies, particularly those with hardware, are always experimenting with new features and products—some of which are doomed to live as goofy patents that never really see the light of day. Is it cool that Google is aware of the foldable phone trend and keeping up with the times? Kinda. It’d be more surprising if it weren’t.

Similarly, the idea that Amazon is going full speed ahead at a second iteration of the Fire Phone is speculation at best. One of the main reasons why industry analysts are even entertaining the existence of a Fire phone 2.0 is this semi-cryptic statement in an Amazon earnings release from last summer: “We want customers to be able to use Alexa wherever they are.” You can almost see the cogs turning of “Alexa” + “wherever they are” = smartphone 2.0.

That could easily mean something like an Alexa for every room, or even one built into a toilet. Or, something as simple as “We’re doubling down on expanding Alexa because it’s one of our most successful products.” Is it likely that Amazon is working on new experimental ways of inflicting Alexa on all of us? You betcha. Is it in the form of a smartphone? Possibly—but at this point, it’s just whispers.

Speculation is part of what makes following gadget news fun, and new product launches exciting. There’s also a fine line between speculation and unearned hype. I’d be stoked to see a Fire phone 2.0 and a foldable Pixel—but I’ll also believe it when I see more than corporate business babble to back it up.

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https://gizmodo.com/whats-really-going-on-with-these-amazon-and-google-gadg-1834719070

2019-05-13 15:52:00Z
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The New Tamagotchi Can Marry and Breed - Gizmodo

Illustration for article titled The New Tamagotchi Can Marry and Breed — Photo: Andrew Liszewski (Gizmodo)

Twenty-two years after its initial release, and several years after countless revivals and re-releases, Tamagotchis have returned yet again with some interesting features like smartphone connectivity and the ability for your virtual pets to marry someone else’s and have kids. Tamagotchi? More like Tamagotchu for 18 years.

If you’re somehow unfamiliar with the toy, the Tamagotchi is like the modern version of the pet rock, but with most of the responsibilities and care that a real-life animal would require. That includes feeding your virtual pet, caring for it, playing with it, cleaning it, and generally interacting with it on a regular basis to keep it alive, happy, and growing. The latest iteration, Tamagotchi On, expands what you can do with the digital creature, but as an adult with a lot on his plate already, am I the only one who’s starting to feel these are more overwhelming than fun?

The most obvious update to Tamagotchi On is that it’s almost gigantic compared to previous versions of the toy that could hang off a keychain without being noticed. The new version is considerably larger, and as a result, it might have a hard time competing for pocket space against a smartphone.

One thing that hasn’t changed with Tamagotchi On are the three simple buttons used to interact with the virtual pet and to navigate the toy’s menus. It works, once you get used to how the navigation works (the buttons are unlabelled) but as the menus, settings, and options have expanded quite a bit in this version, it might finally be time for Bandai America to consider introducing an alternative—like a tiny touchscreen now that smartwatches have demonstrated they’re not impossibly small to use.

One small gripe: why didn’t Bandai America include a keychain with the new version? It has the holes to attach one, but it’s BYOK.

The Tamagotchi On’s full-color screen isn’t new, that feature was introduced as far back as 2008 with the Tamagotchi Plus Color in Japan, but it’s finally making an appearance here in the US. The colors are vibrant, even in bright light, and given the screen’s small size the lack of pixel density isn’t an issue. Besides, the crude pixelated graphics and stuttered animations are part of a Tamagotchi’s charm and appeal at this point. I’m not sure if I’d want a virtual pet that looked and acted more lifelike—I’d be devastated when it eventually died.

That being said, all the features that have been added to the Tamagotchi line over the years are starting to make the toy’s menus feel a little bloated. You’ll find yourself randomly digging through endless sub-menus to find an option you’re looking for, and a display with more resolution would allow more options to be squeezed onto each screen.

The ability for two Tamagotchi Ons to wirelessly communicate over IR isn’t new either, that feature was first introduced with the Tamagotchi Connection back in 2004. But it now facilitates more interactions between Tamagotchis on different devices. You can have playdates, send your virtual pet off to visit a friend or a hotel, and even propose marriage to another Tamagotchi. If they say yes, your virtual pets will consummate their relationship (presumably off-screen) resulting in each one receiving an egg that will hatch and grow into a child that looks like both its parents. Up to 16 generations of a family can exist on a device at a given time, which sounds exhausting. To make things a little easier, there’s even the option for your younger Tamagotchi to spend the day being babysat by its parents.

Tamagotchi On will be available starting in July for $60—which is the least appealing feature of the latest version—they’re no longer a cheap $15 impulse purchase. But when it launches, Bandai America will also be releasing an accompanying mobile app (it wasn’t available for testing yet) that the Tamagotchi can wirelessly connect to to further expand what your virtual pet can do, where it can go, and who it can meet—including Tamagotchis all around the world. Instead of trying to compete with smartphones, Tamagotchis may have finally embraced them so kids have more incentive to keep their pets alive.

Note: at the time of publication both of the writer’s Tamagotchi were still alive and well.

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https://gizmodo.com/the-new-tamagotchi-can-marry-and-breed-1834622822

2019-05-13 13:00:00Z
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Selasa, 14 Mei 2019

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Senin, 13 Mei 2019