Apple Taps iPhone 5c, SE Manufacturer to Help Meet Demand for 2017’s Refreshed iPhone Lineup

Cupertino is adding a third parts manufacturer to the supply chain gearing up for 2017’s iPhone lineup, according to a new report.

Winstron, the Taiwanese manufacturer that built the iPhone 5c and iPhone SE, has been tapped for upcoming flagship iPhone orders, according to the China-based Economic Daily News. Wistron will reportedly be a third supplier for an upcoming iPhone model, in addition to Pegatron and Foxconn. Conceivably, Apple is adding more manufacturers to its chain to ensure enough units are available when it comes time for the new iPhone model to launch.

The move isn’t too far out of the ordinary for Cupertino, however. In recent years, Apple has been trying to spread the manufacturing of each of its products among several different companies. This allows Apple to lower the risk of relying on a single manufacturer — all the while maximizing its profit margins, Cult of Mac reported.

Winstron hasn’t commented on the rumor, but it did recently announce that it was increasing its total investment in Kunshan, China from $135 million to $200 million. The company’s Kunshan manufacturing plant has been focusing on producing mobile devices, PatentlyApple reported.

This rumor is noteworthy because it would mark the first time Winstron has been tapped for an Apple flagship. Historically, the Taiwanese company — which spun off from Acer in 2000 — has been involved only in the construction of cheaper iPhone models, like the 5c and SE, according to AppleInsider.

Apple is largely rumored to release three iPhone models next year. In addition to a pair of iPhone 7 refreshes, the company is also expected to launch a premium model of phone expected to be called the iPhone 8. This high-end model is rumored to feature a flexible OLED screen, wireless charging capabilities, glass construction, and an edge-to-edge, bezel-less design.

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New Device Can Detect Cancer and Other Diseases Just By Analyzing Your Breath

Researchers at the Israel Institute of Technology have devised a device that can identify 17 different diseases simply by analyzing a patient’s breath.

To develop the device, the team of researchers gathered and tested breath samples from over 1,400 patients and discovered unique, volatile compound “fingerprints” made up of 13 different chemicals for diseases such as Parkinson’s, Crohn’s disease, eight types of cancers, and others, according to a press release.

“These odor signatures are what enables us to identify the diseases using the technology we developed,” said Professor Hossam Haick, the team’s lead researcher.

The team then built an “artificially intelligent nanoarray” to detect the chemicals in other patients. The device uses a suite of specific sensors — including gold nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes — to detect the presence and even the ratio of the chemical compounds in breath. The data the device picks up is then analyzed by an AI, which factors in various things like age and gender.

The device was able to pick out the right affliction 86 percent of the time. While it’s not quite accurate enough yet to be used in clinical diagnosis, the technology shows a lot of promise: it’s fast and non-invasive, and could help medical professionals catch diseases earlier and more easily than traditional testing, Engadget reported.

“It is available without the need for invasion and unpleasant procedures, it’s not dangerous, and you can sample it again and again if necessary,” Haick said in a video.

Additionally, the device could also be used to identify patients who have a higher risk of certain conditions — even before they’re sick. Once it becomes more accurate, Haick hopes that the technology could be used to catch diseases early, when the illnesses are oftentimes more treatable.

“For example, in the case of lung cancer we can increase the survival rate from 10 to 70 percent by early diagnosis,” Haick said in a press video.

This isn’t the first time doctors have seen the breath as an accurate measure of different diseases. In fact, the ancient Greeks were the first to propose such a theory. But the confirmation of that age-old hypothesis could mean faster and more convenient treatment for patients across the globe.

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iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel – Apple Pay and Android Pay Comparison

When Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced Apple Pay in September of 2014, he called the magnetic stripe card payment process “outdated” and “vulnerable.” Initially launched alongside the iPhone 6, the service quickly became the most popular mobile payment service in the world. Over 1 million credit cards had been registered with the service within its first three days of availability. Like many other forms of mobile technology, Apple wasn’t the first to introduce a mobile payment system, but it was the first to bring the service to the mainstream.

The success of Apple Pay forced Google to step up to the plate when it came to mobile payment systems. Although Google had previously introduced Google Wallet, a peer-to-peer payment service (a la Venmo) in 2011, it didn’t have a service to compete directly with Apple Pay. Building upon the Google Wallet service in conjunction with technology from Softcard, a mobile payment service that Google purchased in February of 2015, Google introduced Android Pay at Google’s annual developer conference in September of 2015.

Apple Pay vs. Android Pay – The Basics

In terms of day-to-day use, Apple Pay and Android Pay are very similar – even down to user interface. Users can add a credit or debit card easily on both apps by either taking a photo of the card or by entering the information manually. Both services use NFC (near field communication) technology to communicate transactions to NFC-enabled payment terminals, and the app for Apple Pay or Android Pay will automatically pop up when placed near an NFC-enabled payment terminal. Users can authenticate a purchase using Touch ID (for iPhones), a similar fingerprint reader (where available for Android phones), or a PIN/passcode/pattern on Android phones. Both services are well designed and easy to use where available.

Apple Pay vs. Android Pay – Compatibility

Because Apple Pay uses NFC technology to complete transactions, its use is restricted to Apple devices that support NFC technology – mainly Apple’s newer devices. The service is currently compatible with many of Apple’s devices that have been released since 2014. The iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, and iPhone SE all support the service. The iPad Air 2, iPad Pro, iPad Mini 3, and iPad Mini 4 support in-app purchases using Apple Pay, as well. Apple Watch users can also take advantage of the technology, even if they are using an older iPhone (iPhone 5, 5s, or 5c), although older models lack Touch ID security.

Android Pay, by contrast, is available on any Android device that supports NFC technology and is capable of running Android 4.4 KitKat or newer, which includes the majority of Android devices manufactured since 2013. According to TheVerge, when Android Pay was released, it was already compatible with 70% of active Android devices and supported by over 700,000 merchants.

Although most users who would take advantage of mobile payment technology are likely already running a newer device, Android Pay has a slight edge here due to the sheer number of devices that it is compatible with.

Apple Pay vs. Android Pay – Security

When dealing with credit/debit card numbers, security is obviously of the highest priority. The good news is – both Apple and Google have taken great care in making sure their mobile payment systems are very secure. As a result, users of either system need not worry about the safety of their data. Neither Apple Pay or Android Pay actually transmit your bank information when making a purchase – instead, the systems create a “virtual card” for each transaction. This process is called “tokenization”, which, according to ARSTechnica, “obfuscates the user’s actual credit card number, but it does so using a security standard developed by various standards groups and big-name card networks like Visa. It all happens without having to go through another bank as an intermediary supplier of a virtual card.” Like many other aspects of their mobile payment systems, Apple Pay and Android Pay operate in an almost identical manner.

Apple Pay vs. Android Pay – Support

Apple Pay’s success has brought contactless payment support mainstream, and bank and retail support is constantly growing. Because Android Pay is so similar to Apple Pay, the services are supported by many of the same banks and retailers. However, because Apple Pay is a bit more mature, support for their platform is a bit more widespread.

When Apple Pay launched, it was accepted at some 220,000 vendors and more than 500 financial institutions, including many of the most popular banks in the US. Since then, the number of both vendors and banks supporting the service has grown exponentially. Even some retailers who refused to accept Apple Pay due to exclusivity deals with competing technology, such as Rite Aid and Best Buy have begun to accept the service in the past year. It’s clear that Apple Pay is here to stay, and retailers that can’t or won’t accept Apple Pay will likely become the minority in the near future.

That said, Apple paved the way for contactless payments – and Android Pay is reaping the benefits. Almost any terminal that supports Apple Pay is also capable of accepting Android Pay, so the gap between the two services in terms of acceptance is closing. However, there are still several banks, such as Barclays in the UK, that are exclusive to Apple Pay. And retailers often run promotions with either Apply Pay or Android Pay in order to lure customers in. For example, several companies offered holiday deals for users who paid using Apple Pay on the web – Adidas, lululemon, and 1-800-Flowers among them. On the flip side, several companies, including Walgreens, have integrated their loyalty cards with Android Pay, making shopping with the service a bit more convenient for its users.

Once again due to its maturity, Apple Pay is also a bit more integrated with popular apps for in-app payments. According to PhoneArena, Apple was the first to add payments within an app, and it supports the most apps including some very popular ones (Best Buy, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Etsy, Kickstarter, Uber, Target, Ticket Master just to name a few).” By contrast, “Android Pay has only recently started supporting payments in an app, so the list of supported apps lacks some key ones.” For users that do a good deal of shopping within apps, support for Apple Pay will make the checkout process much more convenient. However, support for those very same apps using Android Pay is growing quickly, and once again, the gap between the two services is closing every day.

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Magnets Could Keep Future EarPods in Place, Apple Patent Application Suggests

A patent Apple applied for in June may hint at a possibly abandoned method for keeping AirPods in place in users’ ears. The patent application, published Thursday, describes using hook-shaped implants that fit snugly around the ear. Additionally, each side of the hook would be magnetically charged — attracting each other from opposite sides of the ear wall — which, the patent contends, could help prevent the earbuds from falling out.

It’s worth noting that, as AppleInsider points out, some of the diagrams included show conventional wired earbuds, so it’s not known if the idea was meant to apply solely to AirPods. The patent does state the method could improve stability for both wired or wireless earphones, however.

Interestingly, some sources are reporting that the patent could apply to a future generation of AirPods. But since initial testing of Apple’s Bluetooth earphones show that they’re not as likely to fall out as EarPods are, it’s probably more likely that the patent is describing a method that Apple has abandoned in favor of a simpler workaround.

If the patent does describe an abandoned AirPods design, why Apple decided to nix the idea is up for debate. It may have been an aesthetic or ease-or-use reason, or it may be the fact that hooks would prevent the AirPods from fitting into their small charging case.

Another possible scenario is that the patent is a plan for a future generation of fitness-inspired headphones. Although the final version of AirPods doesn’t use hooks to keep them in place, some other Apple headphones do — such as the fitness-focused Powerbeats series.

For users paranoid about losing their AirPods — or for those who have had trouble with AirPods falling out of their ears — there are already a slew of third-party accessories meant to help the wireless earphones stay in place.

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Amazon Could Be Developing a Flying Warehouse to Facilitate Rapid Drone Deliveries, Patent Suggests

Amazon has been awarded a patent for a flying warehouse from which drones can make deliveries.

The patent, which was published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, outlines a plan for an “airborne fulfillment center” that uses drones to make deliveries. Amazon was originally awarded the patent in April, but it was only spotted by media late this week.

Amazon’s proposed flying warehouse would be able to remain at altitudes as high as 45,000 feet, and would be equipped with drones that could carry ordered items to delivery locations. Additionally, it could carry inventory to ground-based warehouses and even transport Amazon employees, USA Today reported.

The drones launched from the airborne fulfillment center would be able to make deliveries more quickly, and would use much less power as they would glide down from high altitudes. The flying warehouse could be restocked and refueled by a fleet of additional support vehicles, according to the BBC.

The patent also details a plan to use the airship to make deliveries at large events, such as football games, concerts or festivals. The airborne fulfillment center could be stocked with high-demand items ahead of time. During the event, the airship could function as a giant, flying billboard displaying items that customers could purchase. Once customers at the event place an order, the items could be delivered “within minutes,” CNBC reported.

The patent hints at a grander plan Amazon may have for its drone delivery service — which is currently dubbed Amazon Air. Earlier this month, Amazon made its first delivery via drone to a customer in a rural area near Cambridge, England. Similarly, Amazon was awarded a patent in July for using various structures as docking stations for its drone fleet. Another patent outlined a plan for embedding anti-hacking counter-measures into its unmanned aerial vehicles.

Of course, since this is just a patent, it’s unclear whether the airborne fulfillment center is just a proof-of-concept, or a project actually being developed.

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iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel – Touch ID and Pixel Imprint Comparison

On September 10, 2013, Apple unveiled the iPhone 5s, and with it, they introduced Touch ID. Like many other features found in our mobile devices, Apple wasn’t the first to introduce fingerprint recognition technology – that credit goes to Toshiba, who incorporated the technology in their G500 and G900 series phones way back in 2007 – but Apple was certainly the company to make the technology mainstream. Very secure and integrated seamlessly with the rest of iOS, Touch ID allowed users to unlock their phones quickly and easily, as well as authenticate purchases in the iTunes Store and App Store – and since September, 2014 introduction of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, it can be used to authenticate Apple Pay purchases, as well.

Following the release of Apple Pay, several manufacturers of Android phones followed suit, and now fingerprint recognition is present in most flagship Android phones – the Pixel and Pixel XL included. The Pixel line uses the “Pixel Imprint” for fingerprint recognition, which is the successor to the “Nexus Imprint” technology introduced with the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X. Located on the back of the device instead of the front, the Imprint sensor can quickly unlock your phone or give you quick access to your notifications.

The Pixel Imprint technology is obviously quite a bit newer than the Touch ID technology – so, as can be expected, it’s not quite as full-featured as Touch ID. That said, let’s take a closer look at how they compare.

iPhone 7 – Touch ID

Apple’s Touch ID has grown quite a bit since its introduction in 2013. Built into the Home button of your iPhone, Touch ID essentially activates when it detects a finger on the sensor, comparing the print to the fingerprint stored in the secure enclave of the phone’s chip. The first generation of Touch ID, available on the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6/6 Plus, and iPhone SE as well as several iPad models, was used for two purposes – a quick, convenient way to unlock your iPhone, and a quick, convenient way to authorize purchases made in the iTunes Store or App Store. On September 9^th, 2014, during the keynote announcing the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Touch ID’s functionality was expanded to include the ability to authorize Apple Pay purchases, as well.

The second-generation Touch ID was introduced alongside the release of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in September of 2015, featuring improved fingerprint recognition and upgraded hardware that is capable of unlocking your device almost instantly. The iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, 7, and 7 Plus are the only phones featuring the second-generation Touch ID sensor, although it was recently introduced in the 2016 MacBook Pro, as well. The second-generation Touch ID is quick, secure, reliable, convenient, and works seamlessly within iOS.

Google Pixel – Pixel Imprint

As mentioned before, the success of Touch ID spurred a number of Android manufacturers to add fingerprint sensors into their smartphones. However, due to the slew of companies manufacturing Android phones, the entire system for fingerprint authentication in the Android ecosystem is quite fragmented. According to computer security firm Elcomsoft, “different manufacturers used very different… everything. From fingerprint scanner technology to authentication API, each of the many OEMs were inventing their own wheel, some of them square.” Samsung has their own fingerprint authentication system and HTC has another, as does LG and a number of other manufacturers, including, yes, Google itself. And until Google entered the game, the quality of each fingerprint authentication system varied wildly – some were great, and some were full of security holes.

Google’s first foray into fingerprint authentication was known as Nexus Imprint, which was released alongside the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P devices in the fall of 2015. The Nexus Imprint was both fast and secure, living up to Google’s rigid standards for accuracy and security. With the release of the Pixel line of smartphones, Google has renamed Nexus Imprint “Pixel Imprint”, and added some fun new features. Like Touch ID, Pixel Imprint is incredibly fast, secure, and reliable – it’s one of the finest fingerprint authentication systems on the market.

Features

With fingerprint readers, there aren’t a whole lot of “features” to speak of. Both Touch ID and Pixel Imprint can unlock your phone almost instantly, both can authorize payments on the App Store/Google Play Store respectively, both allow users to register a number of fingerprints, and both are already open to third-party apps. They work very similarly.

That’s not to say there aren’t any differences, however, with the most obvious difference being the placement of the sensor. On the iPhone 7, the Touch ID sensor is located on the new capacitive home button, while the Pixel Imprint sensor is located on the back of the device, “where your finger expects it,” according to Google. Both are plenty convenient, and boils down to preference. The Pixel Imprint has the added functionality of displaying your notifications when you swipe down on the fingerprint sensor with your index finger – a minor convenience when operating your phone one-handed, but nothing groundbreaking. Touch ID has the advantage of maturity – it’s been around longer, and has been integrated into more third-party apps than Pixel Imprint has. The Amazon app, for example, supports Touch ID, but has yet to integrate support for Pixel Imprint (although it will likely be supported in the very near future).

Security

When Touch ID was first introduced, ZDNet called it a “big win” for security, claiming that, at the time, “about half of iPhone users don’t bother with passcodes,” making theft of one “low-hanging fruit for thieves.” Fingerprint authentication made iPhones much more difficult to steal and gain access to. Touch ID assuredly has also saved parents around the world countless dollars, preventing the all-too-familiar scene of children unknowingly racking up huge bills of in-app purchases while playing seemingly harmless games.

Although Touch ID can still be bypassed using a passcode, causing some to say that it represents a net security decrease for each device, it was initially designed to make it easier for users who don’t use a password at all to secure their device. That said, Apple has taken a number of steps to ensure that Touch ID is as secure as possible. As Elcomsoft stated in a blog post about Touch ID, “each fingerprint reader is individually paired with the rest of the system at the factory,” and users’ fingerprints are “stored on the Secure Enclave, and is never transferred to Apple servers or iCloud.” Users must also enter a passcode to use Touch ID after a device is rebooted or power cycled, after a new fingerprint is registered, if a lock command is issued from Find My Phone, after 5 unsuccessful login attempts, if the device hasn’t been unlocked in 48 hours, and/or if the device hasn’t been unlocked using a passcode in 6 days and hasn’t been unlocked with Touch ID in over eight hours. All of these security measures make it incredibly difficult for anyone other than the phone’s owner to access the device. Elcomsoft called Apple’s implementation of Touch ID “exemplary.”

As mentioned before, security on Android’s fingerprint scanners was all over the map, with different manufacturers rushing to incorporate their proprietary fingerprint scanning technology in their phones – with varied results. Once Google entered the foray, however, things began to streamline. With the release of Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Google included an official Android fingerprint API, complete with rigid hardware and software requirements for solid security and performance. Elcomsoft calls the current implementation of fingerprint authorization (in devices running Android 6.0 and newer) “a well thought through security model.” As with Touch ID, the Pixel Imprint stores fingerprint data on a secure area of the main processor, called the “Trusted Execution Environment” – similar to Apple’s “Secure Enclave.” However, some of the security features that Apple has implemented for Touch ID aren’t required for Android devices. For example, although Pixel Imprint requires devices to authenticate with a passcode before registering fingerprints, fingerprint unlocks do not “expire” – users can unlock with a fingerprint even after a reboot or after long periods of idling or storage. Pixel Imprint sensors also aren’t paired with the device at the factory, meaning someone looking to access a Pixel device could theoretically replace the sensor and register their own fingerprints (although a passcode would still be required to do so). Although the security is solid for the average user, it wouldn’t be recommended to store government secrets on a Pixel device.

Like many other aspects of the Pixel series, the Pixel Imprint is a solid implementation of fingerprint authentication hardware and software – certainly the finest Android has to offer at the moment. That said, Touch ID is a bit more mature and thus a bit more secure than Pixel Imprint, which still has a bit of room to grow in the future.

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iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel – Siri and Google Assistant Comparison

Back in April of 2010, Apple purchased an intelligent personal assistant software from a company called Siri, Inc. for a rumored $200 million. Siri became an integral part of iOS with the release of iOS 5, and was a major selling point in the release of the iPhone 4s. The rest, as they say, is history.

Siri has grown leaps and bounds since 2010, and Apple has improved upon the personal assistant with every new iteration of iOS. However, Siri has also spawned a number of competitors – Cortana, Alexa, and Google Assistant are household names these days. And each are quite powerful, and come with their own strengths and weaknesses. Google Assistant, which spawned from Google Now, is Google’s latest effort into the realm of mobile personal assistants, and is featured on the Pixel and Pixel XL. Although Google Assistant is not even half a year old yet, it is one of the most powerful mobile personal assistants out today. Let’s take a look at how it compares with Siri.

Siri vs. Google Assistant – Simple Tasks

Part of the convenience of a digital personal assistant is the ability to perform simple tasks without fussing with your phone. It’s much quicker to tell your phone to “set an alarm for 4:00pm” than it is to wake your phone, navigate to the alarm clock app, and set one yourself. Such tasks are likely what most people use Siri or Google Assistant for. And on that front, both Siri and Google Assistant perform admirably. Asking either “what’s seven times nine minus four” will yield the correct answer, and asking either how the weather is will give you the information you’re looking for. Both can navigate you to wherever you need to go (although Google Assistant uses Google Maps instead of Apple Maps, which many people prefer), and setting timers and alarms is a snap. Sports scores, stocks, definitions, and simple web searches is also easy. It’s tough to pick a winner here.

Siri vs. Google Assistant – Advanced Tasks

Once you begin with more advanced queries, differences between the assistants start to become more evident. Both handle geo-location well – asking to “remind me to call mom when I get home” does just that. Both Siri and Google Assistant know where “home” is. Both also handle sending emails and text messages well, although Google Assistant defaults to Gmail, while Siri defaults to the iPhone’s stock email program – most people prefer to use Gmail, so you could give a slight advantage to Google there.

However, Google Assistant begins to pull away when you ask more contextual, or follow-up questions.

Both Siri and Google Assistant will give you the expected answers when you ask what the weather is, but following that question up with “how about in Denver?” yields another great response by Google Assistant, and Siri just doesn’t understand – you have to ask “how’s the weather in Denver?” Asking “what’s the news today” got a more natural response from Google Assistant, as well, bringing up a quick review of the headlines for the day. Siri delivered the news in a round-about way, opening up Bing for a news search. Google Assistant can even book flights for you, while asking Siri to do so once again just brings up Bing search results. Google’s understanding of context during your queries is certainly impressive, and is hopefully something they can build upon as Google Assistant matures.

Oddly enough, there are several features that Google Assistant’s predecessor, Google Now, could accomplish that Google Assistant just can’t. For example, although Google Now can read recent emails and text messages to you, Google Assistant can’t – Siri handles this with ease. It’s likely an issue that will be worked out with Google in the near future, but it’s surprising that all of the functionality of Google Now hasn’t already migrated into Google Assistant.

Although Siri can still perform certain tasks and queries that Google Assistant can’t, a slight edge probably goes to Google Assistant for its handling of context clues and natural language.

Siri vs. Google Assistant – App Integration

People rely a lot on third-party apps nowadays. Listening to music on Spotify, jotting a quick note in Evernote, scrolling through pictures on Instagram, and looking up restaurant reviews on Yelp are all commonplace activities that most smartphone users perform almost every day. Personal assistant integration with those apps is integral for the technology and widespread use to grow. And at the moment, Siri and Google Assistant handle integration with apps very differently.

Both Siri and Google Assistant have no problem opening apps. Asking either to open Facebook will pop the app open very quickly. And both assistants integrate with their stock apps very well – from calendar appointments to setting alarms to sending a quick email, Siri and Google Assistant do just fine (although many seem to prefer Google’s apps, such as Gmail and Google Calendar to the iOS defaults). However, at the moment, Google hasn’t yet opened up Google Assistant to third-party apps yet. So, assuming that you’ve enabled the Uber app, asking Siri to “call an Uber” will do just that quickly and easily. Siri also has no problem performing such tasks as booking a reservation with OpenTable, sending a Facebook message, or sending money via the Cash app. Google Assistant can’t do any of that – at least, at the moment, it can’t.

Siri wins this category by a landslide – it handles app integration very well, and the library of third-party apps that Siri can interact with is growing every day. However, comparing app integration between Siri and Google Assistant is, at the moment, perhaps a bit unfair. Google is set to open up their Assistant to third-party developers in December of 2016, and it’s sure to face some growing pains as that integration rolls out. Siri wins for the moment, but Google is likely not far behind in this category.

Siri vs. Google Assistant – Privacy and Security

Apple has always been praised for how much they value the privacy of their customers. Just how seriously Apple takes their customers’ privacy came to light earlier this year, when Apple refused to design a backdoor to their iOS operating system so that the FBI could unlock the iPhone 5c that belonged to a terrorist. Google has never shied away from their use of their customers’ personal data – it is used for such things as displaying ads relevant to each user on the Google search engine, but it is also used for more personalization in their services. For example, when Google Now was released in 2012, it promised to present you with “just the right information at just the right time.” Google Assistant builds on that, and with the treasure trove of your information that Google collects, it can tell you when you need to leave for work to beat the traffic, etc. While Google Assistant still has some kinks to work out, for sure, there is plenty of potential for it to become a very convenient part of its users’ everyday lives. The question is, are you willing to trade convenience for access to your personal information?

Conclusion

Like almost any other category when comparing the iPhone 7 and the Google Pixel, Siri and Google Assistant each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Siri has been around for quite some time, and it’s evident during use – it feels more fleshed out. Google Assistant, while already quite impressive, still feels like a work in progress. On the other hand, the amount of data that Google is able to collect from its users, as well as their library of already-established apps, makes Google Assistant a bit more cohesive. As BusinessInsider put it in a recent review, Google “has a massive ecosystem of popular software services on which the Assistant can call. It’s a leader in search, email, calendar, music, streaming hardware, the works. It’s everywhere, and the Assistant is the line that runs through everything.” By comparison, Siri “is patchwork — it needs Yahoo here, WolframAlpha there, Apple’s own middling apps everywhere else.” At the moment, Siri is another one of Apple’s products that “just works.” It’s solid, fast, and stable. Google Assistant, however, shows much more potential. It wouldn’t be surprising if in two years time, Google Assistant is the best personal intelligent assistant available.

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Hulu Snags Over 50 Disney Classics and Blockbusters in New Licensing Deal

 

Hulu subscribers with an abiding affection for classic Disney movies have a lot to look forward to. The online streaming platform has just signed a deal with Disney, securing the rights to over 50 films from its back catalogue.

The exclusive licensing deal brings to Hulu a host of beloved animated and live-action family movies including The Nightmare Before Christmas, Mulan, Pocahontas, Hercules, Sister Act, and Air Bud. Other blockbusters, such as Con Air, Pearl Harbor, and Gone in 60 Seconds are also part of the package. The movies are available for streaming on Hulu now.

“The Disney brand is synonymous with beloved movies that the whole family can enjoy,” said Craig Erwich, Head of Content at Hulu. “Expanding our offering of top-rated kids and family programming has been a top priority for us, and we know viewers will love watching these films over and over again on our service.”

Disney owns a 30% stake in Hulu. Other partial owners include TimeWarner, Fox, and NBC Universal. The deal comes months after another exclusive deal to bring kid programming from Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD to the streaming destination.

On the other hand, you’ll have to go to Netflix to catch more recent Disney movies. The two companies signed an exclusive agreement in 2012 that will bring Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar flicks to Netflix.

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T-Mobile Releases Software Update to Kill Remaining Galaxy Note 7 Devices

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 launched earlier this fall to glowing reviews, but quickly proved to be an unmitigated disaster due to a fatal design flaw that caused it to explode. Though Samsung eventually issued a global recall and major US carriers have notified customers to turn in their combustion-prone smartphones, apparently some die-hard fans have had trouble letting go.

To remedy this potentially hazardous situation, T-Mobile has taken the drastic step of seeding a patch that will remotely shut off the batteries of Galaxy Note 7 units that attempt to connect to its network. The software update will prevent users from charging the faulty devices and remind them to return them. Verizon and Sprint have announced that they will take similar measures starting next month.

Though rolling out an update to remotely kill the Galaxy Note 7 may seem extreme and somewhat intrusive, it’s probably well-advised given the threat the devices pose to public safety. The smartphone is currently banned from flying under federal law.

Earlier this month, Samsung announced that it had successfully recalled over 2.7 million units, or 90% of the Galaxy Note 7s it had sold in the US. This means that around 300,000 smartphones are still lurking in the wild.

While Samsung might appreciate their display of loyalty, Galaxy Note 7 owners should do themselves a favor and turn their smartphones in.

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Blackberry’s Last Homemade Smartphone Is Scheduled to Debut at CES

Blackberry is readying itself for the debut of its last in-house built smartphone, dubbed Mercury (or DTEK70), which will take place at the highly anticipated CES 2017 tech trade show in January.

Earlier this year, the Canadian smartphone maker announced that it would cease designing and manufacturing handsets internally after years of flagging sales and would instead license its brand name out to Chinese vendor TCL. The idea is that outsourcing hardware development will free up resources and investment in software development, including security and apps.

Leaked images reveal notable design elements including the beloved QWERTY keyboard, a 4.5-inch Quad HD curved edge display, as well as a fingerprint scanner embedded into the spacebar. That last feature is a nice touch, which will allow users to authenticate passwords for various apps quickly and comfortably.

It will be powered by a 2 GHz octa-core Snapdragon 625 processor and a 3,400 mAh battery, and run on Android 7.0 Nougat. As for the sort of camera power the Blackberry Mercury will be packing, it’s expected to come with an 18 MP rear-facing camera and an 8 MP selfie-cam, though this has yet to be confirmed.

The final Blackberry-designed handset will ship with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage along with a MicroSD slot for expanded storage. The Mercury will be exclusive to Verizon in the US.

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5 Tips and Tricks Every AirPods Owner Should Know

Apple AirPods made a surprise splash this holiday season with a last-minute release. Their availability is still severely limited, so chances are you don’t have them yet – but if you are lucky enough to have a pair, here are our favorite tricks and tips to help you get the most out of Cupertino’s new Bluetooth EarPods.

5. How to Connect to Your iPhone or Android Device

If you’re an iPhone user, then connecting AirPods to your smartphone is as easy as opening the charging case and tapping the Connect button that pops up on your screen.

To connect to an Android, Apple TV or other device, there’s a small button on the back of the charging case that will pair AirPods to your non-iPhone device. Just press and hold that button until you see the status light flash white — and then follow the set up prompts.

4. Check on the Battery

There’s a couple of options to check on your AirPods battery. Much like pairing, if you open the charging case near your iPhone, it’ll prompt a battery status popup to appear on your device. There’s also an option to add Apple’s stock battery widget — which also shows AirPods’ battery life — to your widget pane.

If you own an Apple Watch, you can also check the battery by opening Control Center and tapping on the battery button. In addition to your Apple Watch battery life, the pane will also give you the battery stats for your AirPods.

3. Use Your AirPods with Your Mac

While pairing your AirPods with your Mac isn’t as seamless as using them with an iPhone or iPad, it’s still pretty easy.

To do so, you need to select the AirPods as your computer’s audio output device. With Bluetooth on, just click on the speaker icon in the menu bar and select your AirPods — which should appear under Output Device. Apple notes that they’ll only show up when they’re nearby and ready to use.

2. Use Siri with Double-Tap, or Something Else

One of the cooler features included in AirPods is the ability to activate Siri without even grabbing your phone — while wearing AirPods, just give them two quick, sharp taps.

You can ask Siri to control your music and volume, make a phone call, check your battery life, or even give you directions. If you’d rather not use the double-tap feature, you can tweak it by opening  Settings > Bluetooth on your iOS device, selecting your AirPods, and changing the double-tap settings. You can set it to Siri, play/pause music, or just turn it off entirely.

1. Keep Your AirPods to Yourself

If someone other than you tries to use your AirPods, there’s a neat feature built in. When they open the charging case to pair AirPods, a message will pop up on their phone to let them know that the AirPods aren’t theirs. They can still pair the AirPods to their iOS device, of course, but at least there’s a way to differentiate your pair from someone else’s.

On a similar note, you can give your pair of AirPods a custom name by going to Settings > Bluetooth on your iOS device, selecting your AirPods, and editing the name by clicking on the “i” icon.

Featured Image: Stuff.TV

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Cinnabon Deletes Princess Leia Tweet After Receiving Slew of Backlash

Cinnabon caused controversy on Twitter after tweeting a tribute to Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher, who died Tuesday.

When news of the actor’s death broke, many fans of Fisher and the Star Wars series took to social media to mourn and pay their respects. But Cinnabon’s apparent tribute, posted Tuesday afternoon, probably didn’t go over the way they had planned it to.

“RIP Carrie Fisher, you’ll always have the best buns in the galaxy,” the tweet read, alongside a cinnamon silhouette of Princess Leia with a Cinnabon roll taking the place of her iconic hair buns.

The cinnamon roll chain later deleted the tweet after it was met with a slew of negative reactions from the Twitterverse. Some called it tasteless, disrespectful and sexist, while others simply called the company tacky and opportunistic because of the tweet.

@Cinnabon you're awful. Totally tasteless and completely void of class. Boycotting this sexist disrespectful business.

— tenderbuds (@theeweed) December 28, 2016

After deleting it, the company also posted an apology.

Our deleted tweet was genuinely meant as a tribute, but we shouldn't have posted it. We are truly sorry.

— Cinnabon (@Cinnabon) December 28, 2016

On the other hand, some Twitter users defended Cinnabon’s Fisher tribute — and called the backlash overwrought and overly sensitive, citing the fact that Fisher, well-known for her sense of humor, would have enjoyed the tweet.

Those of you faking outrage about this Cinnabon tribute to carrie, sod off.

She would have loved it. She had the sense of humor you lack. http://pic.twitter.com/iV9zHhV4Xg

— Boogie2988 (@Boogie2988) December 28, 2016

The controversial image wasn’t originally a tribute to the passing of Fisher, however. The company originally posted the cinnamon Princess Leia picture on May 4, 2016, in celebration of “Star Wars Day,” an unofficial but widely celebrated holiday for fans of the Star Wars series, according to CNBC.

Cinnabon certainly isn’t the first company to try and capitalize on trending media topics or celebrity deaths, and they definitely aren’t the first to receive backlash for it. “News-jacking,” as the practice is called, isn’t always unsuccessful — but when it is, the response can be merciless. Crocs and Cheerios both sparked controversy when they posted images after the deaths of David Bowie and Prince, respectively

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Google Pixel vs. iPhone 7 – Price Comparison

Arguably the two hottest smartphones this year are Apple’s iPhone 7 and the first phone completely designed by Google, the Pixel. Well, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 was literally hotter, but the iPhone 7 and Pixel are figuratively the hottest smartphones this year.

Although the iPhone 7 debuted without any additional new groundbreaking features, and without the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, it did feature a brighter and more detailed display, an incredible new camera, a faster, more efficient processor, and a whole host of other upgrades. Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL, by contrast, featured an entirely new design and top-of-the-line specs all across the board. Android vs. iOS arguments aside, both phones perform very similarly according to most metrics, and the prices reflect that. Let’s take a look at a price comparison between the Android and iOS powerhouses.

iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel – Full Price

Apple has always marketed the iPhone as a “premium” product – the phones are made of premium materials, with premium hardware, all integrated with a well-designed, premium operating system. With a premium product, however, comes a premium price tag. Apple’s iPhone has always been one of the more expensive flagship phones on the market. The same is not necessarily true for Android. Because the Android operating system isn’t tied to a certain manufacturer, Android phones at all price points have pretty much always been available. Even today, you can purchase a Motorola Moto G4 for under $200 – a great value for the quality of the phone, or you can head all the way to the other side of the spectrum, and purchase a Gresso Regal smartphone for a mere $3,000. A fool and his money are soon parted.

Google debuted their Nexus line of phones in 2010, with the Nexus One. The line featured premium materials and build and a stock Android experience for an affordable price. This year, Google ditched the Nexus line and introduced the Google Pixel line. Although the Pixel phones are manufactured by HTC, the Pixel and Pixel XL are the first smartphones completely designed by Google. Before the official release, many were hoping that the Pixel line would follow the Nexus line in regards to price. Unfortunately for Android users, that wasn’t the case – the Pixel is designed to compete with the iPhone 7, and the price shows it. Unlocked, SIM-free versions of both phones are priced exactly the same, although the iPhone 7 offers an extra storage variant.

Google Pixel

	32GB	128GB
Pixel	$649.00	$749.00
Pixel XL	$769.00	$869.00

Each device and storage option also offers device protection – “2 year protection for those oops moments” for an additional $99.00

iPhone 7

	32GB	128GB	256GB
iPhone 7	$649.00	$749.00	$849.00
iPhone 7 Plus	$769.00	$869.00	$969.00

AppleCare+ is available for an additional $129.00, adding two years of hardware repair coverage and “two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $29 for screen damage, or $99 for any other damage, plus applicable tax. In addition, you’ll get 24/7 priority access to Apple experts via chat or phone.”

iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel – Payment Plans  

For those of you who aren’t too keen on dropping $649 or more all at once for a phone, there are a few payment options available for you.

Google Pixel

With “Google Store Financing”, users can pay for their phone over 24 months at 0% APR. Using Google’s payment plan, monthly pricing for each variant of the Pixel is as follows:

	32GB	128GB
Pixel	$27.04/month for 24 months	$31.21/month for 24 months
Pixel XL	$32.04/month for 24 months	$36.21/month for 24 months

iPhone 7

	32GB	128GB	256GB
iPhone 7	$32.41/month	$36.58/month	$40.75/month
iPhone 7 Plus	$37.41/month	$41.58/month	$45.75/month

Users can also finance the purchase of a new iPhone 7 with Apple’s “special financing” through British banking firm Barclays. Using this method, users pay no interest for 12 months on purchases ranging from $499 to $999 – the range where all of the iPhone 7 models lie – so long as the full cost of the device is paid within those 12 months. Users who fail to pay the full balance within 12 months will be retroactively hit with interest for every month, and that interest can be hefty – ranging from 14.24% to 27.24%, according to Forbes. Financing through Apple is certainly one way to pay off an iPhone 7 over time, but there are plenty of other, better ways.

iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel Carrier Deals 

Google Pixel

Verizon, the only official carrier partner for the Pixel, allows their customers to purchase the Pixel directly through them or at a Best Buy location. The advantage of buying through Verizon lies in the variety of payment options that the carrier offers for its customers. Verizon also offers a trade-in program*, which offers a discount on Pixel phones with the trade-in of another paid-off phone in good working condition. Unfortunately, however, there are several downsides to purchasing through Verizon, namely being locked to a single carrier and the addition of Verizon “bloatware” apps to the Pixel (as well as a locked bootloader, but most users won’t have to worry about that). However, if Verizon is your carrier, and you’re planning sticking with them, here are the pricing options available to you:

	32GB	128GB
Pixel	$10/month* for 24 months	$15/month* for 24 months
	$27/month for 24 months
	$199.99 with a 2-year contract	$299.99 with a 2-year contract
Pixel XL	$15/month* for 24 months	$20/month* for 24 months
	$32/month for 24 months
	$319.99 with a 2-year contract	$419.99 with a 2-year contract

iPhone 7

Apple is offering the iPhone 7 through pretty much every major carrier in the US. AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, and a host of others are all selling the iPhone 7 in stores and on their websites – and pretty much all of them are trying to lure customers in with deals. There were plenty of incredible Black Friday deals for the iPhone 7, for example. Verizon offered a $300 credit for trading in an old device in working condition, and AT&T offered a 32GB iPhone 7 for free for users who switched to AT&T and had DirecTV service. Big box retailers also hit customers with deals, as well – Walmart offered $250 gift cards to customers who bought an iPhone 7 on a Verizon or AT&T payment plan, and Target did the same for Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint customers.

Through the holiday season, many carriers and retailers are offering huge deals on the iPhone 7 once again. AT&T, for example, offered a buy-one, get-one free promo through Christmas Eve – “For a limited time, customers can buy one and get one free after up to $695 in monthly bill credits on some of our most popular smartphones when they buy both on AT&T Next or AT&T Next Every Year with eligible service and add a new line.” Verizon is offering a free 32GB iPhone 7, or a deep discount on a different storage options with an eligible trade-in.

Deals from carriers and retailers on the iPhone 7 are constantly changing – there are certainly too many to list here – but savvy buyers can get save plenty on an iPhone 7 if they keep their eyes peeled to the web for deals.

Featured Image: Ars Technica

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Dash Cam Footage Shows Tesla Predicting a Crash Before It Happens

A new viral dash cam video is making the rounds — and it shows Tesla’s autopilot function accurately predicting a car accident before it happens.

The video was first uploaded to Twitter by Hans Noordsij of the Netherlands. In the clip, a group of cars is seen driving on the A2 motorway near Eindhoven, Netherlands. Suddenly, the Forward Collision Warning beeps and the Tesla goes into emergency braking mode, slowing the electric vehicle down to a halt. Moments later, two cars collide in front of the Tesla, causing an SUV to flip over, according to Quartz.

Original video, authorisation from the owner. Essential, no one could predict the accident but the radar did and acted by emergency braking. http://pic.twitter.com/70MySRiHGR

— Hans Noordsij (@HansNoordsij) December 27, 2016

Noordsij pointed out on Twitter that the autopilot function accurately predicted the crash before any human could — and the emergency braking successfully and safely brought the Tesla to a stop before Noordsij could apply the brakes himself, Mashable reported. Although the crash looks severe on video, no one was seriously injured, Noordsij said.

The upgraded radar processing and emergency braking seen in the video were included with Tesla’s version 8.0 software, which first started rolling out in September. The updated software utilizes radar that “bounces” underneath or around a vehicle, effectively allowing the Tesla to “see” two cars ahead. That’s a sharp contrast to the primarily camera-based system that Tesla previously used.

That camera system came under fire after several crashes involving the company’s autopilot feature. During one crash in May, in which Tesla owner Joshua Brown was killed, the autopilot’s sensor suite was unable to differentiate the side of an 18-wheeler truck from the brightly-lit sky behind it. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said it was “very likely” that the new safety features in version 8.0 could have prevented Brown’s death.

The new safety features were pushed out via an over-the-air software update to Tesla vehicles running the first-gen autopilot software. On Dec. 22, Musk tweeted that the new features will be added to the second generation of autopilot sometime this week.

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iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel – Carrier Availability Comparison

September’s iPhone 7 release, complete with waterproofing, improved cameras and display, stereo speakers, upgraded internals, and more, was probably the most highly anticipated smartphone release of 2016. Shortly after Apple’s release, however, Google announced the successors to the popular Google Nexus line, and the first smartphones branded as “made by Google”, the Pixel and Pixel XL. Featuring an all-new design, all-new stock Android operating system, and highly impressive specifications, the release of the Pixel saw its fair share of hype, as well.

With the New Year ahead of us, both iOS and Android customers might be looking to purchase a new smartphone – whether for themselves, or as a gift for others. As always, however, the battle between telecommunications carriers complicates things. Although users enjoy a bit more freedom from their carriers – the days of being “locked in” to carrier contracts are slowly coming to an end – carrier availability is certainly still something to consider when purchasing a new smartphone. Thinking of purchasing either the Google Pixel or the iPhone 7? Let’s take a look at the carrier availability of each.

Google Pixel Carrier Availability

When the Pixel was released, Google teamed up with Verizon as the “exclusive” carrier partner for the new smartphones. Verizon is the only carrier that sells the Pixel and Pixel XL online and in stores, and Verizon users can take advantage of their trade-in program and financing plans to mitigate the up-front costs.

However, note the quotations around the word “exclusive” – the Pixel line is compatible with almost any carrier out there. The Pixel and Pixel XL are both available to buy unlocked and SIM-free directly from Google, and use the phones on practically any carrier – from Verizon, to Sprint, to T-Mobile, to AT&T, etc. etc. etc. Customers can even finance the smartphones from Google at $27/month.

That’s not all, however – the Google Pixel line is available on a number of non-traditional service plans, as well. The Pixel and Pixel XL are both available on Republic Wireless, a North Carolina-based virtual network operator that offers low-cost, Wi-Fi-based service plans. Republic Wireless offers

plans as low as $15/month for unlimited talk, text, and Wi-Fi, and plans as low as $20/month for unlimited talk, text, Wi-Fi, and 1GB of data. The service primarily uses Wi-Fi connectivity for the primary data and connectivity source, but it falls back to Sprint’s and T-Mobile’s cellular network when no Wi-Fi networks are available. Aside from its low prices, Republic Wireless is known for its incredible customer service – it’s a great option for smartphone users who are looking for a low-cost plan, and don’t use a whole lot of data.

The Pixel and Pixel XL, alongside the Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, and Nexus 6P, are the only smartphones available on Google’s Project Fi virtual carrier. Project Fi, which won PCMag’s reader’s choice pick for best carrier in 2016, rolled out in 2015 as an invitation-only service. Like Republic Wireless, Project Fi uses Wi-Fi whenever it’s available, and switches to either the T-Mobile or Sprint network (whichever is stronger), when it’s not. Basic plans start at $20/month for unlimited talk and text, with each gigabyte of data costing $10/month. Group plans are also available – customers can add additional users to their plans for $15/month, and additional gigabytes of data for an additional $10/month per GB. Users only pay for the data they use, and unused data rolls over into the next month. There are also no contracts, commitments, or penalties – sounds tempting, doesn’t it?

iPhone 7 Carrier Availability

With the release of the iPhone 7, Apple went the more traditional route in regards to carriers. Users could purchase a carrier-specific iPhone 7 directly from Apple, either paying full price or through Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program, or through traditional carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, MetroPCS, Cricket, etc. Each carrier offered their own promos to get people to purchase the brand new iPhone through them – T-Mobile even offered free iPhone 7 devices (well, actually $650 in monthly bill credits) to anyone trading in an iPhone 6 or 6s.

Roughly a month after it was released, however, Apple began selling SIM-free iPhone 7 devices through their website, allowing each customer to obtain a SIM from the carrier of their choice. However, due to Apple’s somewhat controversial decision to use two different modems in their iPhone 7 and 7 Plus devices, certain phones are incompatible with certain carriers. As per the disclaimer on Apple’s website, the iPhone for AT&T and T-Mobile, featuring the modem made by Intel, “does not support CDMA and will not work on Sprint or Verizon Wireless. It will use 3G cellular technology for voice services and either 3G or 4G LTE cellular technology for data services. However, the iPhone for AT&T and T-Mobile can roam internationally on many GSM carriers around the world.” By contrast the iPhones made for Sprint and Verizon, featuring the modems made by Qualcomm, will work with any carrier, and iPhones “activated on Sprint or Verizon Wireless, and the SIM-free iPhone, also have the ability to roam internationally on GSM networks.”

It all seems a bit unnecessarily complicated – but it boils down to the fact that the iPhone 7 models with Intel modems are, in short, inferior to the ones produced with Qualcomm modems.

Conclusion

As Google and Apple both offer their smartphones for purchase unlocked and SIM-free, users who are perfectly happy with one of the many traditional wireless carriers out there will have no problem getting either the Pixel or iPhone to work with their carriers (even though Verizon advertises the Pixel and Pixel XL as Verizon “exclusives”). While iPhone users may have a few more options for carrier specials and promos, Pixel and Pixel XL users are able to take advantage of non-traditional plans offered by Republic Wireless and Google’s Project Fi. And for users who aren’t tied to any specific carrier, Project Fi sounds pretty promising.

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Apple’s A10X SoC Faces Production Bottleneck, iPad Launches Could Be Delayed Well into 2017

While several reports have thus far suggested that the company will likely be unveiling a slew of updated iPad models within the first quarter of 2017, an even newer report has surfaced alleging that Cupertino’s next-generation iPads might be delayed at the hands of their most important component supplier.

According to the report, which was first published last week in DigiTimes, industry sources with deep ties to Apple’s supply chain indicated that Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) – Apple’s long-time A-series silicon manufacturing partner – is having trouble meeting the demand for orders of its new 10nm chip. As a result, the Taiwanese chipmaker was currently producing “unsatisfactory yield rates” of its advanced A10X SoCs, which are destined to be a cornerstone feature of the Silicon Valley tech-giant’s next-generation iPad models.

“TSMC has reportedly obtained 10nm chip orders from Apple, HiSilicon, and MediaTek, with volume production set to kick off in the first quarter of 2017,” the sources indicated. “Nevertheless, yield rates for TSMC’s 10nm process technology are not what the foundry expected.”

Unfortunately for Apple, TSMC’s inability to meet the company’s demand for ‘A10X’ SoC orders might result in the company’s anticipated, early-2017 iPad refresh being pushed back – for just how long, is anybody’s guess. More unfortunate is for TSMC, however: if the chip-maker continues to experience trouble creating chips sufficient enough to meet Apple’s demand, it might end up getting the shaft and lose out on the deal in the end, altogether.

Only time will tell what’s going to happen as a result of these alleged silicon-related issues, but one thing is for certain, iPad sales have been dropping steadily for a while now, with some reports – spearheaded by famed KGI Securities analyst, Ming Chi Kuo – suggest that 2017 could set a record low for sales of Apple’s tablet computer.

Of course, while the company has also been rumored to have some major, game-changing iPad announcements in the works for 2018, we’d still like to see an interim upgrade to its gracefully aging iPad family sometime between now and then.

What features are you hoping to see make their way onto Apple’s next iPad?
Let us know in the comments!

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Apple’s ‘Ring in the New Year’ Activity Challenge for Apple Watch Users Commences

 

Apple has announced a ‘Ring in the New Year’ Apple Watch Activity Challenge to encourage health and fitness activity among users. The challenge begins at midnight local time on December 28 and can be accessed via the Apple Watch’s Activity app.

Participants must close three Activity rings each day for a full week in January in order to win special iMessage stickers and an Activity achievement. The challenge ends on January 31. Apple’s promotional poster reads:

“Earn this special achievement when you close all three Activity rings each day for any full week, Monday to Sunday, in January. You’ll also earn special stickers in the Messages app.”

Apple hosted a similar activity challenge during Thanksgiving. A sticker and turkey-shaped Thanksgiving Day Achievement were awarded to users who successfully completed a 5K walk or run using the Workout app. However, the Thanksgiving Day Activity Challenge encountered a few hitches with correctly granting credits to users for completing their challenge, according to 9to5Mac, but we can hope that those issues have been resolved by now.

This time around, users must meet their personal move goal for burning calories, complete 30 minutes of exercise, and move around for at least 1 minute of 12 different hours during each day to complete the three Activity rings.

The activity challenges are part of an Apple initiative to promote enduring healthy habits and lifestyles among Apple Watch users.

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Turkey Is Investigating 10,000 Thousand Social Media Users As Part of Terrorist Crackdown

The Turkish government’s crackdown on social media has continued unabated since it successfully fended off a military coup attempt earlier this summer. The interior ministry confirmed on Saturday that it is currently investigating 10,000 people who are suspected of using their social media accounts to support terrorism, Reuters reports. The news was greeted with alarm from Western governments, human rights groups, and other watchdog organizations who argue that allegations of terrorism could be used as a pretense to target government critics.

The investigation is part of President Erdogan’s broader efforts to purge opponents from positions of power and quash dissent in Turkey, which has been in a state of emergency since the abortive coup. In the past six months, dozens of media outlets have been shuttered, 140 journalists have been arrested, and tens of thousands of public officials have been removed from their posts.

Overall, 3,710 people have been detained by police for questioning in that period. Of that group, 1,656 were formally arrested on charges ranging from provoking hatred among people to disseminating terrorist propaganda on social media, according to ABC News.

Turkey was targeted in a series of attacks and bombings this year that were perpetrated by the Islamic State or Kurdish militants. It has a history of shutting down social media and cutting off in times of political unrest and in the aftermath of terrorist attacks, though the government maintains that the outages occur as a result of traffic spikes.

Watchdog groups state that internet access is throttled regularly by the Turkish government in order to limit protests and restrict the flow of terrorist propaganda.

Featured Image: AP

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Police Seek to Acquire Amazon Echo Voice Recordings to Assist in Murder Case

 

The police have issued a search warrant to Amazon to share audio recordings and other data from an Echo device in the hopes that it will shed light on an alleged murder, in what is likely the first case of its kind according to the Information.

Last year, a man was found dead in the hot tub of Jason Andrew Bates, a Bentonville, Arkansas resident who has since been charged with first-degree murder. Bates happens to own an Echo voice-activated device. Echo is an always-on device, meaning it’s always listening though it only records if a user utters a keyword or phrase. Inevitably, people unintentionally trigger Echo’s recording function from time to time, especially if they frequently come within close proximity to it. That data is then transmitted to Amazon servers.

Amazon has twice refused to hand over Bates’ audio data to the police, though it has shared his account information and purchase history. The company sent the following statement explaining its stance to Business Insider:

“Amazon will not release customer information without a valid and binding legal demand properly served on us. Amazon objects to overbroad or otherwise inappropriate demands as a matter of course.”

It’s not clear whether any of the data on Bates’ Echo will prove to be pertinent to the police investigation, though it could help establish that he was present at his home at the time of the victim’s death. Police have also reported that other smart home devices owned by Bates have yielded useful information. For instance, a smart water meter shows that 140 gallons of water were used between 1 AM and 3 AM of the night in question. Police allege that the water was used to wash away potentially incriminating evidence.

Whether or not Echo helps police further their investigation, the episode raises larger privacy issues that have arisen following the proliferation of connected devices that track and record our activities while we’re at home.

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Our Top 5 Astrology and Horoscope Apps for iPhone

Astrology is a fascinating study that uses the sun, stars and other celestial markers to make sense of and better understand the world around us. To some, it might sound insane — and in all truthfulness, it just might be. But astrology can give some a sense of control in a chaotic world. For others, it can offer a different perspective, or at the very least, something to read over when they’re bored.

In any case, whether it’s for enlightenment or fun, astrology has never been easier to get into. There exists a vast assortment of smartphone apps out there that make breaking into the study easier. Here’s a list of our favorites.

5. The Leo King

The Leo King is an interactive subscription app from the esteemed astrologer, DJ and inspirational speaker of the same name.

The app offers deep, bespoke and inspiring horoscopes tailored to each individual based on their sun signs. Beyond that, The Leo King also offers fresh, weekly exclusive content, such as horoscope videos, weekly tarot readings, and content exploring other facets of astrology, such as channeling — all in the same style and flavor that makes The Leo King a favorite personality of astrology lovers everywhere.

4. The Daily Horoscope

The Daily Horoscope is one of the most popular astrology apps on the App Store, and for good reason. It’s accessible, easy-to-use, free — and packed with plenty of features to make your astrology easy to decipher.

In addition to daily Zodiac horoscope readings, the app offers other in-depth astrological content, such as zodiac sign compatibility, and your personalized Druid horoscope, which is a tree-based astrology field which can help you figure out which environment will allow you to thrive. There’s also a deep forecast of the year ahead in the Chinese calendar, as well as Chinese zodiac horoscope readings. And all of it is packaged in a clean, simple interface.

3. TimePassages

TimePassages is an astrology app, developed by the makers of astrology software AstroGraph, chocked full of features, making it easy for everyone from beginners to experienced astrologers to expand their study.

Beyond daily horoscope readings generated according to a specific birth chart, the app also features sun, moon and rising sign calculations and current astrology via GPS. The app also features a compatibility meter, progression charts, and the ability to create colorful, professional-level graphic birth charts. There’s also an in-depth glossary of signs, planetary bodies, moon phases and other astrological information.

2. Yodha Love

Yodha is unique among astrology apps because, beyond offering a personalized daily horoscope prepared by Vedic astrologers from Nepal, it also allows you to personally connect with those same astrologers. An astrology expert is now just a tap away.

Rather than making a phone call or scheduling a visit to an astrology expert — which, let’s face it, can be hard in our busy lives — the Yodha app allows you to get immediate access to an astrologer. Ask them a question, and they’ll make a prediction based on your birth chart and other astrological factors. Whether it’s a broad question about your daily life, or about an important decision to make, Yodha makes it easy to get an astrologer’s point of view.

1. Secret Language

Why do people do the things they do? That’s the question that the Secret Language app seeks to answer. This paid app, which is available for $4.99 on the App Store, offers the findings of a 40-year empirical study of more than 20,000 people, which claims that our personality traits are shared with 90 percent of people born on the same day.

The app offers to tap into the secrets of those personalities via birthdates, and even has a section of pertinent advice for each and every relationship based on these shared personality traits. Whether a friend, partner, coworker or family member, the Secret Language app can help you navigate your relationships — and even improve them. The Secret Language print books are in their 40th edition, so the app’s information draws on over 20 years of personality wisdom.

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Apple’s First Published AI Research Paper Is Focused on Improved Computer Vision

Apple’s first AI research paper — published on Dec. 22 — describes a technique to improve the recognition abilities of computer vision systems.

The paper, “Learning from Simulated and Unsupervised Images through Adversarial Training,” was submitted for review in mid-November, and was published by the Cornell University Library. Its lead author is Ashish Shrivastava, with co-authors Tomas Pfister, Oncel Tuzel, Wenda Wang, Russ Webb, and Josh Susskind, and was first spotted by Forbes on Monday.

Cupertino’s first published research paper goes into detail about machine learning computer vision. For example, it’s typically more efficient to use synthetic image data because it comes labeled and annotated — unlike real-world image data, which requires human operators to painstakingly label everything within the image. Unfortunately, using synthetic image data has its own set of problems, as it’s often “not realistic enough, leading the network to learning details only present in synthetic images and fail to generalize well on real images,” according to the paper.

To solve this, the research paper describes a method, called Simulated+Unsupervised learning, to boost the realism of synthetic images. To do so, Apple’s researchers said that they are using a version of a machine learning technique called Generative Adversarial Networks, which takes two neural networks and pits them against each other. The result is more photorealistic images, CIOL reported. The end result of the research could be machine-learning algorithms that are better at recognizing objects and traits within images. In the future, the team hopes to apply the method to videos.

The paper’s publication comes less than a month after Apple announced that it would allow its artificial intelligence employees to publish their research and confer with other researchers. Previously, Cupertino barred its researchers from publishing due to the possibility of losing commercial intellectual property, according to AppleInsider.

Additionally, the paper could be an important step for Apple’s future research. Cupertino’s previous research secrecy has historically hurt the company’s recruiting efforts, as publication and presence are key factors to many promising graduates, Bloomberg reported.

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Development of the Original iPhone Was Apple’s Best-Kept Secret, According to a Former Product Engineer

While Apple is notorious for maintaining a firm grasp over the secrecy of its most game-changing, still-in-development products – as evidenced several times before, a former engineer with deep, intimate knowledge of the original handset’s upbringing appears to divulge a litany of additional details about exactly how secretive it’s development actually was.

In a recent inquiry posed to members of the popular inquiry-response website, Quora, former iOS engineer, Terry Lambert, fills us in on the Cupertino-company’s almost ritualistic tendencies to keep the details of its original cash cow under wraps. Lambert, according to the post, joined Apple’s iPhone project back in 2006-2007 as a late-stage iOS kernel debugger, ahead of the device’s launch in June, 2007.

In his initial response to the inquiry “What was it like working on the first iPhone?”, Lambert notes, first and foremost, that Apple was particularly heavy on the “black cloths” – in that the company employed them generously in an attempt to shield the intricate details of its projects from being leaked to the public.

“If you ever work at Apple, black cloths are how they cover secret projects; you pretend not to see them; it’s a kind of willful ignorance,” Lambert alleges. “I only got to see the machine doing the remote debugging, not the target — but it was obviously an ARM based system. If you want a clever halloween costume for Apple, buy a black sheet, cut eye holes, and go as a ‘secret project’.”

Lambert goes on to contend that not only did Apple require him to sign an extensive non-disclosure agreement (NDA), but that the Cupertino-company actually gave different groups of people working on the project a different internal codename, altogether, which was apparently Apple’s primary method by which to catch employees who may willfully try to skirt their NDA-related obligations. He also spoke openly about a so-called “secret lab” that was independent of the main laboratory, which Apple only granted access to those who faithfully complied with the terms set forth in their NDA’s.

“After the read in, you got access to the ‘secret lab.’ That’s a lab inside the main lab. You may have access to the regular lab, but not the ‘secret lab.’ You didn’t really get to see the form factor, because when you are doing the initial work, it’s all prototypes on plexiglass,” Lambert noted, adding a bit of irony to the previous rumor that the project was internally dubbed ‘Project Purple’ because “the special cables you used to talk to the pre-production units were actually purple.” 

Year after year, Apple’s iPhone remains one the tech-industry’s most highly anticipated gadgets; and while the devices, themselves, are certainly enough to marvel over in their own capacity, we have seldom gotten the real “inside-scoop” about what goes on behind-the-scenes up at One Infinite Loop – so Lambert’s descriptive “story from the front-lines” tells us quite a bit of the extent to which Apple works to maintain its secrecy. Even though, in today’s present day technological landscape, it’s become increasingly challenging – if not downright impossible – for Apple to keep its secrets under wraps. 

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LG Unveils Unique Levitating Bluetooth Speaker – And It’s Water Resistant, Too

Levitating speakers might seem more like magic than tech, but LG seems to bet signs of witchcraft won’t scare away consumers.

The company has announced a new levitating Bluetooth device, appropriately named the PJ9 Levitating Portable Speaker. It’s a classy, white device with a wide base. Its standout feature, of course, is the levitating omnidirectional speaker — which achieves liftoff with electromagnets. It’s not just a gimmick, however, as LG promises that the levitating speaker will deliver “flush mid-range tones and crisp highs.” As far as low-ends go, the speaker’s base does double-duty as a subwoofer and a charging station. The levitating speaker unit can hover for up to 10 hours. Once its battery life is up, it slowly descends back to the base to charge. It can still play audio while charging, too, according to The Verge.

While it certainly could serve as a centerpiece for a living room or bedroom, the speaker isn’t afraid of the weather. It carries an IPX7 water resistance rating, meaning that you could take your levitating audio experience outside — even if it’s raining, Engadget reported.

“The PJ9 wireless speaker is an exciting combination of audio design and innovation, offering the perfect balance between performance, beauty and versatility,” said Tim Alessi, LG USA’s head of product marketing.

LG’s Levitating Portable Speaker is not the first device of its class on the market, but it offers an edge over competitors as far as battery life and aesthetics go. The speaker is also the first levitating offering from a major electronics manufacturer like LG, according to the International Business Times.

The company hasn’t announced any information about the speaker’s pricing or release, but the PJ9 will be shown off at CES next week — and the company is likely to offer more information at the event.

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Apple Will Release a 5-inch iPhone 7s in 2017, Credible New Report Suggests

While a myriad of reports concerning Apple’s imminent release of a dramatically revamped, OLED-equipped iPhone 8 next fall have begun circulating the web like wild-fire, several others have also alluded to a more ‘diversified’ line of iPhone offerings touching down next fall – with well-respected and historically accurate KGI Securities analyst, Ming Chi Kuo, most notably suggesting that a total of three iPhone variants could actually be in store for Apple’s 10^th anniversary refresh.

A new report that surfaced over the weekend, however, may be the most telling yet. The report, which was first published to the popular Japanese blogging site, Macotokara, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of Apple’s vast, Taiwanese supply chain, alleges that one of Apple’s forthcoming ‘iPhone 7s’ models will not only boast a full, 5-inch display, but the device – much akin to the Cupertino-company’s past ‘s-model’ upgrades, will retain many of the same design and construction characteristics of the iPhone 6, 6s, and 7.

Interestingly, however, the report goes on to suggest that this ‘5-inch’ handset will boast a vertically-oriented, dual-lens camera module around back – meaning, in other words, that while the unit will be similar to Apple’s current, dual-lens camera system employed on the company’s iPhone 7 Plus, the lenses, themselves, will be stacked one on top of the other rather than positioned horizontally, side-by-side, as is currently the case.

As 9to5Mac notes, given that this alleged 5-inch offering will be more consistent with what we’ve been hearing about Apple’s modest ‘iPhone 7s’ refresh – and not the super-slick ‘iPhone 8’ rumored to be launching alongside them – it would appear that the rumored 5-incher is more of an “extension” to the Cupertino-company’s iPhone lineup – rather than a vastly overhauled, redesigned and reengineered unit like the OLED-equipped iPhone 8 is supposed to be.

For instance, in addition to the vertically-stacked dual-lens camera, the 5-inch ‘iPhone 7s’ variant will only boast moderately upgraded internals, including Apple’s next-gen ‘A11’ SoC, a standard LED-backlit LCD display, and refreshed internal components across the board – while retaining the familiar, 7000-series aluminum construction of yesteryear.

Unsurprisingly, additional details about this ‘iPhone 7s’ remain vague at this point. A majority of them, however, point to Apple’s hotly anticipated, 5.8-inch iPhone 8 being the true star of the company’s 2017 offerings.

As we mentioned, however, these details are vague and should be taken lightly until further notice, especially considering how Apple can change its plans at any time and for any reason. Stay tuned, though, because we have a feeling once 2017 rolls around, the rumor mill is going to start churning at full-force once again.

Which size iPhone would you choose if Apple offered a 5-inch model?
Let us know in the comments below!

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iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel – Security Measures

In the past, it’s been generally accepted that iOS easily outperforms Android when it comes to matters of security – and in the past, that has been absolutely accurate. Apple’s closed operating system combined with their strict policies on third-party apps, regular update schedule, and regular commitment to protecting the privacy of their customers has led to an extremely secure environment for iPhone users. The Android operating system, by contrast, operates in a very ‘open’ manner. While the ‘open’ OS allows its users the plethora of customization options that they so often brag about, it also allows for a much less secure environment. On top of that, the fact that Android phones and tablets account for around 70% of the market share vs. the roughly 25% that iOS devices account for, explains why those designing viruses and malware typically target Android devices instead of iOS devices.

That said, mobile security is constantly evolving. The security on the iPhone 7 is the best that Apple has ever designed, and Google has taken huge steps to beef up the security of its Pixel devices. The security gap between the two is closer than you might think – let’s take a look at how they compare.

iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel – Prevention of Malicious Access

Apple’s dedication to user privacy made worldwide news this past February when the FBI demanded that Apple “unlock” the iPhone 5c of Syed Rizwan Farook, a terrorist responsible for a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California in December of 2015. Apple opposed the FBI’s demands, with CEO Tim Cook proclaiming in a public memo that FBI’s court order “has implications far beyond the legal case at hand,” and could set a dangerous precedent that could “undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect.” When all was said and done, it took the FBI nearly two months to gain access to the phone, and although their method was never made public, many suspect that they took advantage of a security flaw on the phone’s outdated operating system that had already been patched with the release of iOS 9.

Gaining access to a locked iPhone is notoriously difficult. With the release of the iPhone 5s, Apple began featuring a security measure called the “Secure Enclave” – “a sub-section of the processor chip that stores the fingerprints and other security-critical data,” as MacWorld described it. Security expert Mike Ash clarified the Secure Enclave, adding that it “uses a secure boot system to ensure that the code it runs can’t be modified… and uses encrypted memory to ensure that the rest of the system can’t read or tamper with its data. This effectively forms a little computer within the computer that’s difficult to attack.” Had the San Bernardino shooter’s phone been an iPhone 5s instead of a 5c, there’s a good chance that the FBI (and even Apple themselves) would never have been able to gain access to it thanks to the Secure Enclave.

On the user end, Apple has bolstered the iPhone unlocking process (especially using Touch ID) with a number of security measures, many of which require the user to enter their four to six-digit passcode – the passcode must be entered to register a new fingerprint with Touch ID, after a device is rebooted or power cycled, if a lock command is issued from Find My Phone, after 5 unsuccessful login attempts, if the device hasn’t been unlocked in 48 hours, and/or if the device hasn’t been unlocked using a passcode in 6 days and hasn’t been unlocked with Touch ID in over eight hours. The passcode itself is very hard to crack – a four digit passcode has 10,000 possible combinations, and a six-digit passcode has 1,000,000. And incorrect combinations lead to a waiting time before more combinations are attempted – phones are locked down for 15 minutes after 8 incorrect passcode attempts, an hour after nine, another hour after 10, and an eleventh incorrect passcode completely erases all of the data on the device.

With the release of Android 7.0 Nougat, currently only available on the Pixel line and a handful of other manufacturers latest flagship phones, Google introduced a host of new security features making phones running the latest Android OS tougher to access – many of which seem to be almost direct copies of security measures Apple introduced in previous versions of iOS. With the release of Nougat, Google took advantage of the technology that Apple’s Secure Enclave is based on – ARM TrustZone. According to Google’s Security Blog, TrustZone provides “a means to execute code in a mode that remains secure even if the kernel is compromised… Starting in Android Nougat, all disk encryption keys are stored encrypted with keys held by TrustZone software.” The introduction of TrustZone is a huge step forward for Android device security.

Google has added several security measures to the unlocking process, as well. Like many other Android devices, the Pixel allows users to choose how secure they want their device. Users can choose to unlock with a PIN code, a password, a pattern on the screen, via the Pixel’s fingerprint scanner, known as the Pixel Imprint, or for those that don’t care to secure their device, via a simple swipe. However, according to Google, with Android 7.0 Nougat, TrustZone now “enforces a waiting period between incorrect guesses at the user credential, which gets longer after a sequence of wrong guesses” – a feature Apple has enforced for some time now. Google claims that “With 1624 valid four-point patterns and TrustZone’s ever-growing waiting period, trying all patterns would take more than four years. This improves security for all users, especially those who have a shorter and more easily guessed pattern, PIN, or password.”

With Google’s recent additions to Android’s security measures, what has historically been a weakness for Android is now growing into a strength.

iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel – App Security

Yet another classic knock on the security of Android phones concerns the safety/integrity of their apps – or how likely they are to be infected by viruses or malware. As discussed previously, much of the malware that is written is done so for the Android operating system – partly because of the fact that Android accounts for a larger market share of the smartphone and tablet market, but also because the rules surrounding apps are much looser in the Android ecosystem. Although apps downloaded directly from the Google Play Store are likely very safe, Android phones and tablets still allow users to install possibly tainted apps from third-party sources, such as from Amazon or a number of shady websites across the web. Although Android does its best to warn its users about the dangers of installing apps from third-party sources, many users fail to heed these warnings and pay the price because of it.

By contrast, Apple is notoriously strict with their App Store policies. iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users can only install apps directly from the official App Store. On top of that, as Digital Guardian explains, “Apps in the App Store have to be signed by an identified developer, and Apple tracks those developers and the apps they sign meticulously.” Although malware attacks on iOS apps aren’t completely unheard of – the XcodeGhost attacks from September of 2015 ring a bell – they are very rare, and Apple works meticulously to clean them up as soon as possible.

It may not be fair to say that the Google Pixel line is more vulnerable to malware – Google’s beefed up security efforts do make the phone quite secure – but the freedom of the Android platform gives users the ability to download malware themselves, which makes a malware attack much more likely on an Android device than on an iOS one.

iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel – Security Updates

When Apple releases a new version of iOS, it is pushed out to every compatible iOS device immediately. Users are often excited about these updates due to the promise of new features for their phones and tablets, but the security and bug patches included in these updates are far more important. This is another area where Android’s fragmentation creates a security flaw for its ecosystem – as Digital Guardian points out, carriers such as Verizon or Sprint are responsible for releasing security updates for Android to their own users, and most of those carriers push them out at highly irregular intervals, if at all.” Add to that the fact that each manufacturer pushes out Android updates at different times, and many Android users don’t even bother with updating the firmware on their phones. According to cloud-based access security provider Duo Security, up to 90% of Android devices currently in use are running out-of-date versions of the Android operating system – although the latest Android operating systems have patched thousands of threats and backdoors, many users are still vulnerable to them due to the fact that they are running outdated firmware.

Although Google has worked hard to address the inconsistency in update availability – in August of 2015 Google made monthly security updates available to the Android OS. Unfortunately, however, these updates are pushed out to devices at the discretion of carriers and manufacturers – some, like Samsung and LG, have committed to making these updates available to their users, yet others, like Motorola, have not. The good news for Pixel owners is that they bypass all of this red-tape and fragmentation. Pixel owners will receive the most up-to-date version of Android as soon as it becomes available, and thus will experience the best security Google has to offer.

While it has been true in the past that the iPhone has been, generally speaking, a much more secure device than Android phones, that’s not necessarily the truth today. Android security has come a long way, and Pixel owners gain the benefit of all of Google’s hard work when it comes to phone security. Users who aren’t careless with their device will receive top-notch security from either the iPhone 7 or the Google Pixel.

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