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There was a time when it wasn't clear if Sony's Xperia Ear Open Style Concept buds would even become a real product, let alone reach the US, but they're most definitely real -- and a US launch is relatively close. Sony has announced that the finished product, the Xperia Ear Duo, will go on sale in the US this May for $280 with both black and gold designs. That's a while to wait, but Sony is betting that the unique 'open-ear' listening experience will reel you in. You've seen all-wireless earbuds before, but the Xperia Ear Duo uses its processing power to meld your music with the outside world in a comparatively seamless way. You can listen to your favorite tunes at the gym without completely isolating yourself from workout buddies, for example. This style isn't for everyone -- many people buy earbuds precisely to shut out external sounds. If you can't bear to be cut off from society, though, this might provide the aural experience you're loo...

Flash photography gets a bad rap, but the technique can make for fantastic photos when used correctly. Canon’s trying to slice the learning curve to bits when it ships its newest $399 Speedlite in April. It’s called the 470EX-AI, and it’s a flash that can automatically determine the “best” spot to bounce the light off of the ceiling. The 470EX-AI looks just like every other Canon Speedlite, but it has motors inside at the base and hinge, and a sensor in the corner of the face of the flash. When you double tap the shutter button on your camera, the flash points out at the subject, calculates the distance, then points itself at the ceiling and does the same. Right after that, the flash reorients itself one last time into what it “thinks”... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2Furwjq"

On top of its M50 mirrorless with 4K video, Canon also took the wraps of its latest DSLR, the Rebel T7. The successor to the two-year-old, 18-megapixel Rebel T6 now has a much bigger 24.1-megapixel sensor, making it more attractive next to excellent smartphone cameras on the iPhone X and Galaxy S8+, for instance. The Rebel T7 makes it fairly easy to take photos with "Scene Intelligent" and auto modes, then share them on social networks via WiFi and NFC. Other specs remain largely unchanged, including the 9-point phase-detection autofocus, 3fps burst shooting speed and 1,920 x 1,080, 30fps video. Clearly, this is a camera for beginners, albeit beginners that have developed high expectations because smartphone cameras are so good these days. The Rebel T7 also arrives in April of 2018, and will only be sold as a kit with the the EF-S 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens for $550. For around the same price, however, you might be more tempted by Nikon's D3400, which has a simil...

Canon has responded to criticism of the lack of 4K in all but it's high-end DSLRs by launching the EOS M50, its first mirrorless M-series camera with Ultra HD 4K video. Packing a new DIGIC 8 processor, the 24.1megapixel, APS-C model can shoot 3,840 x 2,160 video at 24 fps, or 1080p video at 60 fps. At $780 (body only) Canon says the M50 is now its "entry-level" M-series camera. Since it's the only one with 4K, that presents an awkward dilemma for potential buyers of the top-end EOS M5 and M6 models. If the M50 has become Canon's new entry-level mirrorless, then it's a good sign that Canon is getting set to revamp the rest of the lineup. It strongly resembles the high-end, DSLR-like M5, rather than the smaller M10 and M100 models. It has an OLED optical viewfinder with touch and drag autofocus, Canon's vaunted Dual-Pixel phase-detection AF, a vari-angle, flippable touchscreen ideal for vloggers, 120fps slow-motion video (at 720p), a new silent-shootin...

Ah, 2007: the days when Windows Vista was all the rage (or inducing rage), the Apple TV was brand new and music download stores were the hottest way to get the latest albums. Apple certainly remembers that year... and would like you to move on. The company has posted a support page warning that the iTunes Store will no longer work on Windows XP, Windows Vista and first-generation Apple TVs as of May 25th. iTunes itself will function, but new purchases and re-downloads are off limits. "Security changes" necessitate dropping these older platforms, Apple said. The writing has been on the wall for a while. iTunes 12 already requires at least Windows 7, and a first-run Apple TV is very limited in what it can do (you aren't about to watch YouTube or stream Apple Music). However, this is the surest sign yet that Apple wants those with older devices to get with the times. While you're probably using something considerably newer if you're reading this, the cutoff m...

One of the biggest stories out of this year’s CES, and the recipient of our Best in Show award , was a prototype phone from Vivo that showed off the world’s first in-display fingerprint scanner. This is a method of biometric authentication that could prove to be the best of all worlds — no need for bulky screen bezels, awkward rear-mounted sensors, or complex arrays of face-detection tech. That prototype later shipped in China as the X20 Plus UD , and now Vivo has brought a concept phone to MWC that represents the next evolution of that idea. It's all about figuring out how to get rid of bezels for good. The concept phone is called Apex, and its headline feature is what Vivo describes as “Half-Screen In-Display Fingerprint Scanning... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2HNKsua"

AirPods may be far from the pinnacle of audio quality, but they're definitely popular -- so much so that Apple may be expanding the variety of audio gear it releases under its own brand. KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (who has a generally good track record forecasting Apple gear) claims that Apple is making over-ear headphones under its own name, rather than Beats. Most details aren't clear, but Apple would reportedly focus on higher-end audio -- hopefully, that means balanced sound rather than Beats' signature tendency to drown you in bass. While not stated, there's a good chance these would be wireless (possibly using the AirPods' rumored wireless chip upgrade ) and would rely heavily on Siri voice integration. Kuo doesn't expect these headphones to ship sooner than the fourth quarter of 2018, but is already naming suppliers (Primax and SZS). As always, this isn't a surefire thing -- certainly not when a launch is likely several months away. It would make ...

Good news: the OnePlus 5 and 5T can finally play Netflix in HD ... if you're willing to go through a convoluted process. OnePlus has launched an update program to enable the higher-resolution video streaming, but the "security processes" involved in enabling HD require that you send your phone in. As it revolves around the WideVine copyright protection used to allow Netflix playback, OnePlus has to perform the update with a wired connection to an "authenticated PC" -- thanks, movie industry. The company will cover the shipping costs if you're in one of its official support areas, but you could be without your phone for up to 5 business days. Also, while Netflix hasn't been available in HD on earlier OnePlus phones, you're out of luck if you aren't using one of its 2017-era handsets. Yes, it's somewhat ridiculous that you have to go without your phone for a while just to watch Altered Carbon at the same visual quality as your friends. A...

By Amadou Diallo This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After putting in more than 100 hours for research and hands-on testing since 2013, we think the Epson ES-300W is the best portable document scanner for digitizing documents without taking up half of a desktop. It combines scan speeds usually found on full-size scanners with extremely accurate text recognition. And thanks to its built-in Wi-Fi and battery, you can use it almost anywhere—even with a phone or tablet. Who this is for If you have stacks of documents and receipts filling up filing cabinets or cluttering your desk, using a document scanner to digitize your files not only frees up physical space, but it also makes your information much easier to find and backup. On both Windows computers and Macs you can do word searches that include the...

After taking a year off from announcing its latest smartphone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Samsung has returned this year to show off the new Galaxy S9 . While the phone looks mostly the same, its interior has been upgraded with all the latest specs to bring users new camera modes, updated Bixby features, and a fingerprint scanner that’s placed... well, where it should have been in the first place . There’s also a new AR Emoji feature that’s supposed to take on Apple’s Animoji by creating a custom, movable emoji based on your face. Watch all these features, and more, announced in our supercut of the one-hour long event, and be sure to follow The Verge all week as we bring you all the latest from MWC 2018. Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2BPIw3S"

In a new report, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities says that Apple is updating its wireless AirPods and is working on its own brand of high-quality over-ears headphones, which could arrive later this year, according to Apple Insider . The report says that Apple plans for the headphones to “be as convenient as AirPods with better sound quality,” and that they could arrive by fourth quarter this year. It also notes that the headphones are expected to “be priced higher than AirPods,” which retail for $159. Word broke earlier this week that Apple is planning a couple of upgrades to AirPods including the ability to activate Siri by voice this year, and making them water-resistant in 2019. If the report is accurate, it looks... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2GK0unA"

Netflix's sci-fi adaptations are about to expand beyond the likes of Altered Carbon and Lost in Space . Deadline has learned that Netflix has secured the rights to Life Sentence , a movie take on a Matthew Baker short story about a future where authorities wipe the memories of criminals instead of sending them to prison. Matt Reeves, the director of the two most recent Planet of the Apes movies, is producing the title. It's not known when the movie would premiere, but apparently that's not the big story -- there was reportedly a fierce bidding war. Reeves apparently had to contend with offers from conventional studios like Fox, Universal and Warner as well as Amazon and newcomer Apple . The choice came down to the format, according to sources. Apple and its production partner Gaumont would have made Life Sentence as a TV series, but Reeves preferred the movie format and thus headed to Netflix. The battle underscores just how much the video entertainment industry ha...

We’ve spent the last couple months hearing a lot about the kinds of speeds that 5G will theoretically be able to offer at its peak, but what about how the next-generation networks will work in actual, less than ideal real world conditions? That’s what Qualcomm is looking to answer with the 5G simulation tests it’s releasing at Mobile World Congress, and if the real world holds up anything close to the company’s simulations, then the future of mobile internet is going to be really, really fast. Instead of just offering guesses as to the gigabit-plus speeds that 5G technology could one day offer, Qualcomm’s tests modeled real-world conditions in Frankfurt and San Fransisco, based on the location of existing cell sites and spectrum... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CiQHH6"

Now that Samsung's Galaxy S9 and S9+ are official, American carriers are tripping over themselves to offer launch details ahead of March 2nd pre-orders... and trade-in deals are a common theme this time around. T-Mobile , for instance, is promising $360 off the price of the S9 or S9+ if you turn in an eligible phone (typically a high-end Apple, LG or Samsung phone from the past couple of years). Verizon , meanwhile, is offering between $100 to $350 in credit if you hand in a qualifying phone from Apple, Google, HTC, LG, Motorola or Samsung. Comcast's relatively new Xfinity Mobile is getting in on the action as well, with promises of at least $200 and as much as $450. There are other promos, as you might expect. Verizon is offering $100 off a Gear S3 smartwatch if you activate it on a 2-year plan, and promises a $150 prepaid card if you're switching networks. Xfinity Mobile, in turn, is offering a $250 prepaid card to anyone who buys a Samsung phone and opens a new line...

It's good times for Nokia. Or rather HMD Global, the Finnish company that now owns the beloved Nokia brand. After a successful holiday season the phone maker has marched into Mobile World Congress with a bevy of new devices in tow. The Nokia 8 Sirocco is a stylish-looking Android flagship, while the Nokia 8110 Reloaded is a throwback to the classic 90s slider. For the average consumer there's also the entry-level Nokia 1 , mid-range Nokia 6 and 6-inch Nokia 7 Plus. For a full rundown of the company's announcements, check out our 10-minute press conference supercut. Catch up on the latest news from MWC 2018 right here . via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2CGRtte"

The modular phone trend hasn't taken off as fast as companies like Motorola would have hoped, what with devices like the Moto Z and Moto Z Force not exactly being a hit. But, that doesn't mean there aren't others trying to mimic that style, even if they aren't doing it with their own phone. Here's where Bay Area-based startup Vibes Modular comes in, as it has built a smartphone case that turns your non-modular iPhone or Android device into one that is. So far, the company has a made a Bluetooth speaker and an external charger that attaches to its cases (compatible with 30 different phones), and in the future it plans to roll out a small projector and a drone. The speaker module itself is waterproof, has a microphone for conference calls and lasts up to 12 hours. Being waterproof is neat because that means you can remove it from the case and take it into the shower to listen to some tunes or make a call, if you're into that sort of thing. As for the charger ...

Russian hackers were responsible for a cyberattack against the 2018 Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony, and tried to make it appear as though North Korea was responsible, reports The Washington Post . Citing officials from the US intelligence community, the Post says that Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) gained access to around 300 computers, hacked routers, and distributed malware in the lead-up to and during the event’s opening ceremonies . The contests themselves were unaffected. Officials speculated that attack was in retaliation for the ban on Russian athletes in the wake of a systematic doping scheme . The Post says that the GRU used North Korean IP addresses to mask their tracks to shift the blame to the country,... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2GIRJdI"

Now that the 2018 Winter Olympics are over, we're now learning who was responsible for hacking the games' systems ... and the culprit won't surprise you at all. US intelligence officials speaking anonymously to the Washington Post claimed that spies at Russia's GRU agency had compromised up to 300 Olympics-related PCs as of early February, hacked South Korean routers in January and launched new malware on February 9th, the day the Olympics began. They even tried to make it look like North Korea was responsible by using North Korean internet addresses and "other tactics," according to the American sources. It's unclear if Russia was directly responsible for the chaos during the opening ceremony, which disrupted internet and broadcast systems to the point where some guests couldn't even print their tickets. However, the new evidence suggests Russia was in a prime position for such an attack. It also has the motivation: the country hasn't been sh...

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Lately, my phone really wants me to turn on Bluetooth. I only own one Bluetooth gadget (a UE Boom 2 I keep around my apartment) and I typically turn the antenna off when I’m not actively using it, but lately it’s been popping back on when I’m not looking. It’s a deliberate move by Apple: under iOS 11, turning Bluetooth off from the control center simply puts Bluetooth on time out until the next morning instead of disabling it permanently. Even when it’s off, the antenna stays on , looking for new devices. You can turn it all the way off by digging into the settings menu, but as soon as you turn it on for any reason, the cycle starts again. The assumption is that, between Apple’s EarPods, the Pencil, and the HomePod, the average user has... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FuSnMv"

While the survivors of the Stoneman Douglas shooting provided the nation with a master class in how to effectively articulate policy reform demands and ruthlessly drag talking heads of the political class, the tech industry had some communication issues of its own. Like the 1,600 911 calls a set of iPhones at a California repair center made, or the Tinder security flaw that enabled account access with only a phone number, or how the FCC is getting sued (again) for trying to roll back Net Neutrality rules. Numbers, because how else are you going to see how savagely the NRA is getting ratioed? 1,600 : That's how many calls a group of iPhones at a California repair center autonomously made to 911 over the last five months -- around 20 a day. Unfortunately, dispatchers stopped buying the "accidental butt dial" after the first four or five dozen incidents. 23 : The number of state attorney generals (well, 22 states plus DC) who have filed a lawsuit against the FCC to ...