Geek News

The doors don’t really work yet, but the car smells nice Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2DfiUfL"

From my perspective, there are two camps of people when it comes to screen protectors on phones. Some of us don’t mind scratches and minor wear on our devices. They’re tools we carry everywhere — every day. If they pick up slight scratches over the course of a couple years, what’s the big deal? Then there are those of us who can’t deal with visible imperfections on our expensive gadgets. Even the smallest ones. For those folks, screen protectors are an essential purchase. But with the ongoing wave of curved-screen devices like the Galaxy S8, Note 8, and Pixel 2 XL, manufacturers of tempered glass protectors have run into constant headaches. It turns out they’re really hard to get right. Some only have adhesive around the edges, which... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FlQeST"

Twitter says that while it’s committed to keeping “elected world leaders” like President Donald Trump on the service, there’s at least one thing that could cross the line: tweets that reveal a private address or phone number. Bruce Daisley, Twitter’s VP of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, laid out the details in an interview with the BBC . “If someone tweets private information — if someone tweets someone’s private address, phone number — then there are no-go areas where we don’t permit that,” he said. “Were he to do that, just picking a hypothetical example, then those would be areas” that were grounds for discipline. But Daisley didn’t say this would lead to a ban or suspension. “We would caution him to remove that tweet for sure,”... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CYAmbd"

Google's fast-loading, data-saving AMP sites help you mainline morning news on the train to work, but they come with an undesirable side effect. As you will've noticed, the URL for an AMP site looks something like this: http://ift.tt/2EnAWvx... As Google explains, it starts loading the page before you've even decided whether to click or not. For that and privacy reasons, Google has to be the middle man, though it has figured out how to nix that URL prefix in its mobile Search apps. In the latter half of 2018, though, Google has said it expects to be able to remove the AMP signature from URLs in Chrome and other smartphone browsers, too. There are a few reasons why Google would want to cut its dust jacket out of the equation. Firstly, publishers will get their rightful place at the front of the URL. But for users, it means no more irksome editing before posting an interesting link to social media, or sharing in other ways. And when you prod at a shared link, you'll...

We come to CES to see the most outlandish and extravagant developments in tech, and few live up to such a description as well as LG Display’s new rollable OLED TV . It’s the successor to 2016’s rollable 18-inch display panel , only now it’s been scaled up to 65 inches and a full 4K resolution. Looking at it up close, I could detect no difference between this rollable panel and LG Display’s other, profoundly gorgeous OLED TVs. It’s as crisp and vibrant and beautiful as the rest of the company’s OLED portfolio, only it’s that extra bit thinner, allowing it to be rolled down (kinda like a projector screen flipped on its head). LG Display’s demo showed a couple of neat uses of the tech: with the press of a button, the TV would sink down just... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CSTjMq"

The fine, well-oiled folks of World Wrestling Entertainment are bringing some of the franchise's most exciting moments to virtual reality with a new channel on the NextVR app. The WWE channel will host 10-minute experiences, uploaded for free after each participating event, that put fans in the center of the action, as if they attended the match live. NextVR is available on Samsung's Gear VR, Google's Daydream View, Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality and Sony's PlayStation VR headsets. This isn't NextVR's first foray into VR athletics. The company supports a host of sports competitions, including the official NBA, NFL, Wimbledon and boxing VR channels, plus concerts via Live Nation . NextVR streams some of these games live, though for now the WWE will offer only curated highlights, rather than full matches. The WWE is messing around with new ways to reach viewers: In December, the company announced a 12-episode tournament that will air exclusively on Fa...

Audio company Klipsch announced today that its next generation of Heritage Wireless speakers will have Google Assistant enabled. It’s still pretty uncommon for higher-end audio companies to include Google Assistant, which is why seeing Klipsch incorporate it is notable. While the new Heritage Wireless speakers — called The Three and The One — feature Bluetooth and Google Assistant, because they are based off mid-century modern design, they still don’t quite look like they’re from this century. They are made from wood veneer and have copper switches and knobs. The Three is a stereo tabletop with an integrated subwoofer to provide bass. It will cost $499 in the US, and will be available this fall. Meanwhile, The One is a smaller tabletop... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2mifOQF"

If you’re looking for a gaming headset that’s only a little bit goofy but does the job, consider the new Sennheiser GSP 600, which comes with a new speaker system, new ear pad design with deep memory foam, and improved aluminum voice coil speakers. The GSP 600 builds on Sennheiser’s Game Zero gaming headset and comes with better performance, an improved mic, and increased comfort and durability. The company promises “an exceptional audio experience with an increased sub-bass range.” The newer headset looks to be a bit big and clunky , but Sennheiser says it’s ergonomically shaped and provides improved noise insulation (with high-end noise cancellation) and wearing comfort. The headband is adjustable so you can even customize contact... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CVfuBU"

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will make it easier for companies to install high-speed broadband networks in rural areas. The move is designed to tackle the economic challenges of integrating broadband infrastructure in these communities -- where 39 percent of people don't have access to broadband -- which the Obama administration highlighted two years ago. Earlier this year Trump commented on his "$1 trillion infrastructure proposal", but this latest order doesn't appear to offer any funding to promote broadband in rural areas. Instead, it expedites federal permitting requirements, essentially removing governmental bottlenecks for broadband companies looking to install and operate wireless towers in these places. Trump signed the order in front of nearly 5,000 American Farm Bureau Federation members in Nashville, telling them, "Those towers are going to go up, and you're going to have great, great broadband." Via: USA T...

Energy Is it smart—or crazy stupid—to rely solely on wind, solar, and hydro? Is it smart—or crazy stupid—to rely solely on wind, solar, and hydro? A bit about the 100 percent renewable energy debate. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2FlqmGz"

We get it: all you wanna do this year is go for a run and leave that pricey, thousand-dollar smartphone at home. That's why almost every running watch worth its salt now comes with built-in music playback that'll push tunes to your Bluetooth headphones. Garmin's support for this cause now includes the new Forerunner 645 Music which, clue in the name, is a running watch that packs storage for up to 500 songs. As well as the music on your desktop, you can also pipe in songs from either iHeartRadio and Deezer to take on your outdoor jaunts. As well as Bluetooth music, the 645 comes packing Garmin Pay, which is ideal for that post-workout coffee (or beer, we won't judge). In addition, prospective owners should be wowed by the pretty steel bezel, the first Forerunner to get such a flashy addition. Battery life is always an issue with running watches, and the 645 will last up to seven days on a charge, or five hours on GPS. Garmins always have sturdy build quality and sh...

Thanks to new EU regulations, you won't have to put up with irritating card surcharges for much longer. Unfortunately, minimum card spends you come across in small shops and such will stick around, but from January 13th, the Payment Services Directive comes into play. This stops retailers from charging you more for, say, using a credit card than a debit card, or generally just passing the transaction fee onto the customer. It won't, however, make your Just Eat delivery any cheaper. That's because yesterday, ahead of the new EU rules being implemented, Just Eat did away with its 50p fee for paying by card, and instead created a new 50p "service charge" that applies to all orders. What's particularly cheeky is pay-by-cash customers now also have to fish between the sofa cushions for an extra coin -- a move Just Eat calls "fairness for all" ( lol ) -- meaning it's making even more moolah while sticking a middle finger up to the spirit of the EU ...

The Winter Olympics is getting a virtual reality makeover. NBC will present over 50 hours of VR coverage from the games in South Korea next month, using Intel True VR technology to create 360-degree immersive environments. It's the same style of tech that's been adopted by BT Sport , MLB , UFC , PGA and NBA , and it made an appearance at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, but it's the first time the Winter Games has been given the treatment (they only happen every four years, after all, and VR has only taken flight in recent times). The VR content will be available on a wide range of devices and platforms (unlike programming for the Summer Games, which was only available on Samsung headsets) and will include the opening and closing ceremonies, behind-the-scenes extras, packaged highlights and a whole host of events including ski jumping, snowboarding and big air, which will make for impressive VR viewing. Programming will span every day of the Games (with the except...

Suitable Technologies, maker of the Beam range of telepresence robots, has unveiled the BeamPro 2 — its latest high-end device. Like all telepresence bots, the BeamPro 2’s main function is Skype-on-wheels; letting employees call in to their workplace remotely and trundle around it with the help of an app. It’s fun! If not always practical . The Pro2 adds a number of improvements and refinements to the original BeamPro, including a 24-inch LCD touch display and two “super-wide” 12-megapixel HD cameras with 12x digital zoom. It also comes with 3D depth sensors (optional on the original BeamPro), ambient light sensors (to automatically adjust screen brightness), and a trio of speakers that Suitable Technologies claims can reproduce... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2mjqMVW"

Fashion brand Kate Spade New York started dabbling in “hybrid” smartwatches back in 2016, introducing classic-looking wrist-wearables that happened to include accelerometers and Bluetooth chips. Now it’s going full-on smartwatch. Kate Spade brand, in conjunction with the Fossil Group, announced three smartwatch models today at CES, ones that run on Android Wear 2.0 and have full touchscreen capabilities. Called the Kate Spade New York Scallop Touchscreen Smartwatch, they come in three different styles: two rose-gold watch cases, one with a leather strap and one with a bracelet, and a yellow-gold toned watch case with a black strap. All three are made of stainless steel. The body of each watch doesn’t look very different from some other... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2Fhybgz"

The Razer Phone will soon support HDR video and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound in the Netflix app thanks to a forthcoming software update. This will make the Razer Phone the first mobile device to support both of these audio and video formats in Netflix. In addition, the update will include firmware improvements for the phone’s display and sound system. Razer says the 5.1 surround sound feature will work with both the phone’s speakers and with headphones plugged into through the THX-certified USB-C headphone dongle included with the phone. The update is expected to be available to download later this month. The Razer Phone’s unique feature is its high-framerate screen , which can support refresh rates up to 120Hz. It enables smoother... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FfntqO"

Last year, August began testing in-home deliveries with Walmart . Now the smart lock maker has made the practice official with the launch of its in-home delivery service, in partnership with Deliv, a last mile logistics company. August will use its Access platform to support the new delivery option, which already allowed for select deliveries as well as service providers to access your home with a one-time PIN code. Users will be able to order products from participating retailers as usual, and select same-day delivery. If a customer chooses in-home delivery, August will generate a one-time password for the Deliv driver to drop the package off inside your home, and you’ll get a notification on your phone. August says the delivery option... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2ErefXf"

Fox Sports is no stranger to leveraging the power of technology alongside its broadcasts. Now, it's expanding its coverage of the forthcoming FIFA World Cup beyond TV, with plans to feature exclusive shows, stories and highlights across Twitter and Snapchat. The channel will produce a 30-minute live show with host Rachel Bonnetta, streamed exclusively on Twitter from Moscow's Red Square on each match day. It'll feature Fox Sports personalities such as Rob Stone, Landon Donovan, Kate Abdo and Alexi Lalas, plus action previews and recaps, and fans can also jump onto @FOXSports and @FOXSoccer for near-live video highlights, goal replays and talent Q&As. Over on Snapchat, Fox Sports will produce a Publisher Story, chronicling the day-by-day drama of the tournament through recaps, previews and features produced exclusively for the platform. Plans for the digital coverage are comprehensive, keeping diehard fans and newbs alike up to speed with the tournament without ev...

It's CES, and that means Razer is in Las Vegas with another one of its concepts. As the company recently released its first smartphone , it's not too surprising that the Project Linda hardware ties into that: It's a laptop dock for the Razer Phone . Razer's take on the laptop dock is a little different. The phone slides into a cavity where you'd typically find a trackpad, replacing the need for one entirely. Push a button on the keyboard's corner and a connector smoothly slides out of the cavity, making a satisfying whirring noise as it connects firmly to the phone's USB-C port. A notch in the tray gives access to the handset's side-mounted fingerprint reader, and also doubles as an easy way to lift the phone out of the tray once it's disconnected from USB. Marketing manager Kevin Sather said that the two devices weren't "fully" designed in parallel, but the fit and finish is seamless. There's nary a gap between the devices, and...

If you're a fan of mobile entertainment, the Razer Phone is about to get better. At CES, the company just announced that it's entering a partnership with Netflix and that the handset will be the first mobile phone to offer Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound. That's in addition to HDR10 video. Basically, it's the highest-quality Netflix experience you can get that still fits into your pocket. How does it look and sound in action? From my brief demo, pretty well. A Razer spokesman offered a quick clip from Stranger Things ' second season , and Steve's hair looked as luscious and feathered as Farrah Fawcett would hope. Nancy's exasperation that he related a basketball win to his grandpa's time in the war sounded plenty convincing from the phone's front-facing speakers as well. It was tough to get a feel for how accurately the phone replicated surround sound in a moderately noisy hotel suite and with a dialogue-heavy scene, but we'll have fur...

Last CES, Dell unveiled its first XPS convertible -- the XPS 13 2-in-1 . This year, the company is expanding its hybrid lineup. In addition to being the first convertible of its size for the series, the new XPS 15 2-in-1 is also the first laptop to pack Intel's Core processor with Radeon graphics . That chipset was teased in November, and incorporates an AMD Radeon GPU with dedicated RAM and Intel's CPU, allowing for smaller motherboards and thinner devices overall. Indeed, the XPS 15 2-in-1 is slimmer than its 15-inch competition -- its 16mm profile is thinner than devices from HP, Lenovo and ASUS. Since it's just 1mm less than the clamshell XPS 15, the new hybrid didn't strike me as noticeably skinnier than before, but it's still a pleasant device to hold and behold. Dell managed to whittle away at the profile not only because of the space gained from Intel's new chipset, but also because the XPS 15 2-in-1 has a maglev (magnetic levitation) keyboard. The s...

While Amazon continues to toy with the idea of granting delivery drivers one-time access to your front door (or car trunk) to safely stow packages away from nimble-fingered thieves, August Home has gone ahead and added the functionality to its line of smart locks. The company announced on Tuesday that it is teaming with same-day delivery service, Deliv, to offer in-home package drops. Dubbed "August Access" the new feature will work on all August Smart Locks, as well as Yale residential locks and a smattering of commercial ones (ie the ones at the main entrance of apartment complexes). So, if you order same-day delivery from a website that's partnered with Deliv, you'll have the option to opt in for in-home delivery. Doing so generates a one-time password that the delivery driver can use to open the August lock and gain access. And to make sure that there's no shenanigans taking place, customers can watch the delivery take place in real time or view a recording...

Developing self driving vehicle technologies is hard -- just ask Google , or Uber , or Google that other time , or that one bus from Vegas . That's why a number of companies have been working to virtualize the development cycle so that untested technologies can crash and burn safely as their bugs are worked out. Among those companies is Optis, which announced on Tuesday that it will be partnering with two other firms to make virtual prototyping more accessible to the industry. The first company is LeddarTech -- they developed a signal processing technology that's used in solid state LiDAR. LeddarTech and Optis will be working to create a vehicle simulation system so that vehicle manufacturers and OEMs will be able to virtually prototype and test their LiDAR systems. Specifically, Optis "can validate the LiDAR model and simulate the correct response from the LiDAR in real-time through a virtual closed loop simulation with automated driving functions," according to t...