Thursday, 30 April 2015

Apple Watch and Wrist Tattoos Don’t Mix

The new Apple Watch is in all the headlines of late. These news stories are both good and bad. The smartwatch is a brand new category for Apple and for most people this is the first time they have seen a smartwatch. There are plenty of questions and point of confusion doing the rounds and it seems there is a lot for us to learn with the Apple Watch. One problem that has come to our attention is that of wrist tattoos and the new wearable device.

It seems that wrist tattoos and the Apple watch don’t mix. This is not a problem that would have ever crossed our mind and probably not one that Apple would ever have considered either. It seems thought that some people are unable to use the Apple watch because of their tattoos and the setting they choose on the device.

There is a Reddit thread at the moment that is getting an awful lot of attention. It seems that people with heavily tattooed arms are finding that the Apple Watch’s wrist detection system is getting confused by their ink. Seemingly, the way the Apple Watch system works involves infrared and other types of light being reflected back from a user’s skin. The problem with tattooed wrist is that the light being used by the Apple Watch is being absorbed by the ink used in tattoos, and this means that the Apple Watch doesn’t know when if it is on someone’s wrist or not.

Now you might wonder why this is a problem. Well, it means that the watch will keep locking itself because it doesn’t think it is on its owner’s wrist leaving people having to enter their PIN unlock code all the time. It also means that Apple Pay won’t work which is a real nightmare too. There is a workaround for this problem but it means that users have to disable the wrist detection inside the Apple Watch app on their iPhone, but when they do this, it rids the watch of some of its best functionality. It also makes the Apple Watch a non-starter and this is a real shame.

So far we haven’t seen or heard anything from Apple about this issue, but those with tattooed arms are being advised to find some open skin to attach their Apple Watch to if they want to keep the wrist detection turned on and working.

It really is a very strange problem to be reporting on and one that we are sure nobody thought of beforehand. Still, it is a problem and it does make this device useless to a large number of people. We are curious to see how Apple fixes this problem and as soon as we discover a solution, we will be sure to let you know.

Wednesday, 29 April 2015

Land Rover fails in its bid to block Chinese copycats

China is famous for many things, but a deeply-held respect for the concept of intellectual property isn't one of them. It's a problem that Land Rover has just run into head-first after its claims that the Land Wind X7 was a shameless copy of its Range Rover Evoque fell upon deaf ears. Autocar is reporting that, not only did authorities dismiss the complaint, but the Chinese company has been given permission to start manufacturing the vehicle.

The saga began at last November's Guangzhou Motor Show, where Land Wind showed off its SX7 for the first time. Unfortunately, executives at Land Rover were also at the show, and promptly lodged a complaint with regulators. Autocar goes on to say that the British car maker won't take this recent news sitting down, and will continue to look into other ways of preventing the X7 reaching the market.

[Image Credit: Autoblog]

Android's official texting app offers replies from notifications

Google Messenger

Hangouts may be Android's star messaging app at the moment, but Google is still willing to show its original Messenger client a little TLC. The company has updated its basic Android texting app with support for quick replies from notifications. While the feature isn't quite as slick as what you get in iOS' Messages (where the notification itself has a reply box), it'll save you from constantly switching apps when you're juggling a rapid-fire conversation alongside your usual phone tasks. Grab the upgrade today if you want some of Google's latest bells and whistles without having to use Hangouts as your SMS software of choice.

Adidas and Spotify offer another way to soundtrack your run

Adidas and Spotify are already quite friendly, especially when it comes to supplying workouts with the proper tunes. The duo teamed up for offline playback on the Adidas SmartRun watch and soundtracking a jog with the help of RunKeeper. Now, there's an Adidas Go app that varies music based on movement tracked by your iPhone's accelerometer. Using that piece of smartphone tech, the app measures stride rate and matches songs from Spotify's library -- based on your listening habits -- to help you keep pace. When the run is over, stats like time, distance and pace can all be reviewed, saved and used to calculate your Adidas MiCoach RunScore. And if you'd like, you can save the collection of tracks the music service piped in along the way, too. Ready to lace up those sneakers? Well, you'll need an iPhone 4S or later to take advantage of the free app that's available at iTunes now.

Gmail ditches a web view built to highlight ads

Gmail's grid view

Gmail on the web is getting a little more drab... and arguably, that's a good thing. Google has confirmed to Marketing Land that it's no longer testing a grid view in Gmail's promotions tab that showed you images rather than plain old text. It was meant to help email advertisers showcase their offerings in a more alluring way, but people clearly didn't bite -- they preferred the old-school subject lines. Visit now and you should see the same text view that you'd get for the primary and social tabs that you're much more likely to use. The 'new' layout won't be nearly as colorful, but it should help you clear out spam that much faster.

Your Apple Watch is late because of bad haptic feedback parts

The Taptic Engine in the Apple Watch

Wondering why your Apple Watch won't ship for weeks, even though you ordered as soon as humanly possible? The Wall Street Journal might know why. Its sources claim that some Taptic Engines (the haptic feedback unit that vibrates your wrist) broke down in early testing, prompting Cupertino to switch suppliers and create a massive-but-necessary logistical headache. From all indications, Apple is pushing many orders to June simply because it expects to get up to speed by then. That won't be much consolation if you're staring at a bare arm for the next month or more, but you'll at least know why you're missing out.

[Image credit: iFixit]

Apple Watch
  • Form factor Other
  • Operating system iOS
  • Screen size 1.32 inches
  • Storage type Internal storage
  • Maximum battery life Up to 18 hours
  • Dimensions 1.52 x 1.31 x 0.41 in
  • Weight 1.41 oz
  • Released 2015-04-24
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7.8average user rating

  • Features 7.5
  • Display 9.5
  • Battery life 6
  • Ease of use 7.5
  • Storage capacity 8
  • Design and form factor 9
  • Portability (size / weight) 8
  • Durability 8

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You can buy your own smell-o-vision VR headset, if you wanna

Aside from the anguished cries of our loved ones begging us to go to work, there are two things that are left out when we play games in virtual reality: our senses of smell and taste. After all, we can see, hear and sometimes feel the action in the FPS realm, but we won't be truly satisfied unless we're getting artificial blood, sweat and seawater in our faces, too. That's what FeelReal's smell-o-vision headset is all about, which sits beneath a VR headset and pumps air, water and various scents into your face in an attempt to add a little more realism to your gaming.

Essentially, the face mask contains a pair of fans that can blow hot and cold air, a water mister and an odor generator that can vaporize certain smells right into your nose. Then, the idea is that when you walk past the sea in a game, you'll be able to feel the sea mist on your face and the smell of seagull poop in your nose. If you're walking past some fire, by comparison, you'll feel the warmth on your face and burning sulfur in your nostrils.

Naturally, this innovative product is making its debut on Kickstarter, where pre-ordering a single unit will set you back $300 and a pair of kits priced at $500. The company, however, is also tempting users by letting you know that it's also working on a full-face helmet that combines virtual reality and, er, smells in a single package, called the Nirvana. If you're prepared to wait for one of those to arrive, you can also get an early prototype for another $500.

TomTom put its navigation know-how to work in an action cam

TomTom, a company best known for its GPS gadgets and a line of watches for runners and athletes, is diving deeper into action sports. Meet the Bandit camera: a GPS action cam that'll beam footage to a connected smartphone. If you're in a hurry, and don't want to futz with proper edits on a computer, TomTom's app will pull videos from the camera so you can share them quickly -- all you have to do is give your phone a shake. The company claims that its device is the first of its kind to pack a built-in media server, capable of processing files before sending them to your phone. That's where the phone shaking comes in: doing so will alert the camera/app duo to automatically compile a video for you. In addition to that bit of heavy lifting, the Bandit's on-board motion and GPS automatically tag highlights based on speed, altitude, acceleration, G-force and heart rate -- the last of which is likely tracked with one of TomTom's fitness watches. Don't worry, you can manually pick those spots, too.

As you might expect, the mobile app allows you to edit and add music and stats overlays to those videos if you don't like what the software automatically creates. The app also servers as a viewfinder so you can keep an eye on what's being captured in real time. In terms of the camera's specs, the Bandit shoots 1080p at 30 and 60 frames per second and 720p at 60 and 120 fps with native time lapse and slow motion features. It's also 4K capable (at 15 fps, like the GoPro Hero 3/3+) and snaps 16-megapixel stills should the need arise, and both WiFi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity are included, too. There's also an included Batt-Stick that allows for an additional 3 hours of footage while handling microSD storage and USB transfers. Like other action cams, there's a collection of mounts and accessories to help you get the best view, including a waterproof housing and remote.

Unfortunately, the companion app is iOS-only at launch, but an Android version in the works. Speaking of launch, the Bandit will arrive next month for €429 (about $475) with a premium pack that includes some of those accessories, and probably a bigger price tag, set for June. There's no definite timeline for the US just yet, as the on-sale date is expected sometime later this summer.

Xiaomi's affordable Yi action camera versus the GoPro Hero

The first thing my Spanish mother-in-law asked me when she saw the Xiaomi Yi was, "Is that a toy camera?" With its lime-and-aqua-marine color scheme, it's not hard to see why she might think that. But no, it is not. In fact, Xiaomi's Yi camera raised a few eyebrows when it was announced recently. Here was yet another action camera that looked suspiciously like a GoPro -- but, at the equivalent of about $65, it was almost half the price of the market-leader's cheapest offering (the $130 Hero edition), with a spec-sheet that bested it on many key features. Importantly (perhaps more so for GoPro), the Yi camera has the backing of Xiaomi, a brand that's gaining traction in China. A market everyone wants a slice of. But does it really best a GoPro?

Gallery | 16 Photos

Xiaomi Yi versus GoPro Hero

The first issue for those in the US interested in this camera will be getting hold of one. Xiaomi isn't actively selling, or promoting, it in the states. When we asked the company for a test unit, it declined. Thankfully, some independent retailers are stepping in and making the camera available to US buyers such as Gear Best, which provided the loan camera for this comparison.

It's also worth mentioning that the Yi camera was reported to be waterproof to 40 meters, like the GoPro Hero is. This is not the case. You need to buy a separate dive housing for that (unlike the Hero, which has one built in). The Yi cam was also initially reported to have 64GB of storage. To clarify, it can read SD cards of that capacity (up to 128GB in fact, according to the official website), but you still need to provide one. The Yi camera is also technically made for Xiaomi under license from the (not-at-all-confusingly named) separate company, Xiaoyi.

Xiaomi Yi GoPro Hero
Video 1080p/60 fps 1080p/30 fps
Photo 16 megapixels Five megapixels
Time lapse (second intervals) 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 60 0.5
Burst 3/5/7 per second/7 in 2 seconds 10 photos in 2 seconds
WiFi Yes No
App Android / iOS (coming) N/A
Waterproof No (case required) 40 meters
Battery 1,010mAh replaceable 1,180mAh non-replaceable

In terms of hardware, toyish looks aside, the Yi camera does bear more than a passing resemblance to a GoPro Silver or Black (without the housing). Not just the matchbox-like body, but the button placement too (shutter on top, power on the front). Unlike a GoPro, though, there's no LCD display. You have to rely on LEDs, or the mobile app to know what mode the camera is in, or any other feedback (battery level, SD card capacity, et cetera).

Despite all the similarities, the Yi camera doesn't fit any GoPro accessories. I was a bit surprised; I expected it to conveniently slip into the GoPro dive housing, or the frame mount or... well any accessory. But it doesn't. The lens isn't positioned high enough, and the body is just a touch bigger, meaning there's zero compatibility with GoPro's extensive catalog of accessories. This includes GoPro's three-pronged connector, and its shoe clip. The Yi cam just has a regular tripod connection.

One fairly big annoyance with the Yi camera is that until you shell out on some accessories, you have to take special care of the naked lens. The GoPro Hero can be thrown in any bag/backpack without concern. The Yi camera's exposed glass made me nervous about putting it pretty much anywhere, including a few times when I set it down the wrong way with the lens directly on the table. I ended up carrying it in my hand for the most part, which soon gets frustrating. Another minor gripe is that the battery/port covers are very losable. The GoPro Hero's all-built-in design also makes it a bit chunkier (and limits you to one battery charge per outing), but you'll come back with as much camera as you went out with. A plus for the Yi is that you can swap the batteries, but you'll need to buy more. If you can find 'em.

What you really want to know is, though, is this thing any good? The answer is, "It's not bad." In fact, in some of my tests, it definitely gave the GoPro Hero a run for its money. I took both cameras out and shot several things side by side. This includes time-lapse videos, standard photos and, of course, regular video. In photo mode, the Yi has more pronounced colors and sometimes details are sharper. This, unsurprisingly, translates up into time-lapse videos, too -- which are, of course, just a series of photos. The examples below are shot with the Yi cam set to five-megapixel mode to be more comparable to the GoPro (which only shoots five-megapixel photos).

Xiaomi Yi:

GoPro Hero:

In the above two videos, the color difference is quite pronounced. The Yi camera has brighter, more saturated colors. The GoPro also shows some noise, particularly on the right-hand side of the image, around the more intricate details of the cathedral.

Xiaomi Yi:

GoPro Hero:

In the above images, we can again see that the colors are dialed up on the Yi camera, and that the image is actually sharper on some of the more detailed elements (the white grout between the blue tile mosaic that I've added at 100 percent crop). But, this isn't consistent. The Yi camera has a setting in the app to correct the lens curve (a common annoyance in action cameras). Once you set this, anything that's not in the center of the image seems to become a lot blurrier. The lens issue is an easy fix for the GoPro; there's free/official software to do it, and specific settings in modern imaging software. Not so with the Yi; you'll have to fix it manually.

The Yi camera at 100 percent crop, with lens correction setting

The GoPro Hero makes the sign on top of the hotel much easier to read

In video mode, things are a little more complicated. The color difference is still present, but footage from GoPro's Hero feels less shaky, and differences in image sharpness become less pronounced between the two. In my tests, both cameras were mounted in a "Norbert frame." They are right next to each other, and most of my filming was done by holding the cameras (not using a tripod). The Yi camera footage feels like it has more wobble from just the smallest of movements. You can still see some of that on the GoPro, but it's less dizzying. Below are two video edits containing a mixture of footage, one from the Yi camera, the other from the GoPro Hero.

Xiaomi Yi:

GoPro Hero:

If you've ever used a GoPro, you'll know that navigating the menus can take a little getting used to. But, once you've got the rhythm down, you can zip around, and change settings pretty quickly. Not so with the Yi camera. The lack of a display means you're guided by LEDs. The power button has one around it that changes color as battery levels decline. There's also one on top of the camera that remains on, or off, depending on which mode you are in (video and photo, respectively). But in terms of feedback, for the Yi camera, that's largely it. If you left it in burst mode, for example, you'd have no idea until you took a picture, and heard the camera rattle off multiple shots. You also can't change that back to normal camera mode without the app.

The app is actually a big dividing factor between these two cameras. The GoPro Hero doesn't have WiFi, so it won't work with the GoPro app (like the Black and Silver editions do). But, at the same time, the little LCD on the Hero means you don't actually need the app. You can easily change settings and know where you are at any time. Try using the Yi camera without the app, and you have to have a bit more faith. For example, there's an LED that flashes to confirm you took a photo. However, in bright daylight, this is easy to miss. You kinda have to hope for the best.

The Yi camera leans on its app a lot more. The downside to that is, without it, you're stuck to switching between photo and video modes, nothing else. You're also stuck when it comes to things like knowing how much memory card space you have left for photos and videos, or battery life (other than a very basic indication). The upside is that the app is quite easy to use. It also expands the capabilities of the camera quite a lot. You can not only change modes, but also fine-tune the settings within those modes. There are more general settings for things like exposure and auto power off, too. It's not a bad app at all. That said, on a few occasions, it would just refuse to connect to the camera, for no obvious reason, leaving you high and dry if you wanted to change the settings.

This is pretty much the theme throughout. The Yi camera is a mixture of surprise and disappointment. It pleases you one minute, then frustrates you the next. It's inconsistent. The GoPro is the same every time you pick it up. Then there's the higher-end GoPro Hero 4 cameras (Black and Silver), which are more expensive, but with many, many more features (and improved camera internals, even over the Hero). If you enjoy the GoPro Hero, and decide to upgrade, you can move your skill set and accessories with you. Once you've added a waterproof case and a tripod-to-GoPro adapter to even things out a little, and savings on price are less dramatic. Of course, the Yi makes sense if you're happy to offset its limitations against the dollars you do save, or mostly want selfie stick video. On the bright side, the Yi probably looks at least one level less contemptible hanging off the end of one than a phone?

Unreal game engine will support HTC's virtual reality headset

HTC's Vive VR headset

The crew at Epic Games has made a point of welcoming virtual reality with open arms, and it's not about to shy away any time soon. The studio recently updated its roadmap with indications that Unreal Engine 4 will support Steam VR (and by extension, the HTC Vive headset) no later than May. Also, Epic isn't wasting much time getting up to speed with Sony's newer Project Morpheus gear -- there's promises of silky-smooth 120Hz visuals, among other things. This wider support won't matter until you can buy both the VR hardware and titles based on UE4, but it suggests that there won't be a shortage of immersive gaming when everything lines up.

Sony Project Morpheus
Sony Project Morpheus thumbnail image
  • Announced 2014-03-18
  • Colors White
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Now there's a wearable for tracking your farts

Unless you're Le Pétomane, Terrence, Philip or Leslie Nielsen, you probably don't like the gaseous emissions that leak from your ass every now and again. Farts, you see, are a result of digestion, but unless you're paying attention to your diet, it's hard to work our what causes the most obnoxious of bum gases. That's where CH4 comes in, a wearable that sits in your back pocket or belt loop, keeping count of every air biscuit that you bake. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we're now at the point where we need a crowdfunded gadget to warn us when we've let one rip.

The sensor, naturally, only comes into its own when paired with a mobile app, which asks that you log every component of your meals. Then, once it's sniffed enough of your Paul Blart: Mall Blarts, it'll identify which foodstuffs are causing your most obnoxious guffs and advise you to stop eating them. CH4 is the brainchild of artist and engineer Rodrigo Narciso, and while he assures us that the project is legitimate, this could still be one very long-winded prank. Unfortunately, Narciso's vision of a world where farts are no more doesn't look like it'll arrive any time soon. That's because the Kickstarter to back the gadget has raised less than $2,000 on a goal of $180,000.

Evernote's Plus tier gives you a bit more notetaking for $25 a year

Evernote on Android

Until now, Evernote's service options have been something of an all-or-nothing proposition: either you stick to the free, very limited tier for your notetaking or shell out $50 a year for the full Premium package. You won't have to pay quite so much after today, though. The company has introduced an in-between plan, Evernote Plus, that unlocks a few key features at a more reasonable $25 per year, or $3 per month. You can only upload 1GB per month, but you get access to offline notes on mobile devices, automatic email-to-note conversion and a passcode lock. It's enough to help you with some serious life organization or your schoolwork, and not much more. If you do need more, though, you'll be glad to hear that Premium now has unlimited uploads and larger note sizes. All told, you're more likely to pay only for the features you'll actually use.

iPad 'test model' swiped in Cupertino kidnapping

Despite Apple's notorious love for secrecy, it famously lost a prototype device in the past (maybe even two), when one of its employees left it in a bar. Now, the company might have lost another: a 20-year-old man reported that a couple robbed his Cupertino home and took an iPad "test model" with them, along with $7,500, prescription drugs and more electronics. It's unclear at this point what exactly "test model" means, and if it's a prototype for an upcoming version or one for an earlier iteration. Either way, it hasn't been returned yet, even though the couple is already in custody.

According to Mercury News, the victim was kidnapped by the duo after answering the woman's advertisement (its nature wasn't revealed) and meeting them two blocks away. They all drove to the victim's house, where his guests pepper-sprayed him at knifepoint. While authorities refused to divulge more details about the tablet, we'll likely hear more about it in case it's an upcoming version. After all, Apple has already proven that it'll go to great lengths to retrieve and protect its unreleased devices.
Apple iPad Air 2
  • Form factor Tablet
  • Operating system iOS (8)
  • Screen size 9.7 inches
  • Storage type Internal storage (16 GB, Flash)
  • Maximum battery life Up to 10 hours
  • Dimensions 9.4 x 6.6 x 0.24 in
  • Weight 0.96 lb
  • Announced 2014-10-16
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9.3average user rating

  • Features 9.3
  • Display 9.5
  • Battery life 8.4
  • Ease of use 9.6
  • Storage capacity 8.9
  • Design and form factor 9.6
  • Portability (size / weight) 9.8
  • Durability 8.2

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Your Windows 10 phone is a tiny desktop computer with Continuum

Microsoft just demoed its 2-in-1 Continuum feature on a Windows 10 phone giving the mobile device the ability to become a really tiny desktop computer. Continuum adjusts the UI of Windows 10 on a device from desktop to tablet mode based on what's plugged into it. If you plug a keyboard and mouse into a tablet or phone, it goes into desktop mode. When those are unplugged, a pop-up asks if you want to enter tablet mode with touch input. Desktop mode includes the Start Menu and Taskbar you usually associate with a full size computer. For anyone that travels that would like to pare down the devices they pack, this is great. Corporate Vice President of the Operating Systems Group, Joe Belfiore did note that phones would need a hardware upgrade to fully implement the feature.

Microsoft shows off Windows Holographic running Windows 10 apps

When Microsoft debuted its Windows Holographic Platform and HoloLens headset a few months back, Windows 10 apps were mentioned as a possibility. Well, at BUILD 2015 today, the folks in Redmond offered a look at Windows 10 universal apps in holographic action. During the on-stage demo, apps could be placed on walls or floated in space, and resized based on the user's needs -- something we'd only seen in videos up to this point. Of course, this means that users in different locations can collaborate on 3D models without having to be in the same room. Any Windows 10 app can be used as a hologram with the headset, so getting work done at a place other than your desk will soon be a possibility.

Microsoft Windows 10
Microsoft Windows 10 thumbnail image
  • Type Computer OS
  • Source model Closed
  • Architecture 64-bit, 32-bit
  • Announced 2014-09-30
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8.8average user rating

  • Ease of use 9
  • Speed 9
  • Configurability 7.5
  • Ecosystem (apps, drivers, etc.) 9.3
  • Openness 7.3

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