Friday, 18 November 2016

The Morning After: Surface Studio review, iPhone 6 Plus repairs and satellite internet from SpaceX

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It's Friday, November 18, 2016.

Good morning! Penny for your thoughts?

Is a folding drone the next must-have accessory in your travel bag? We review the Passport, dig into Snapchat's Spectacle strategy and investigate news for iPhones old and new. Plus: The old 'Top Gear' crew is back today on Amazon with 'The Grand Tour' -- that's one way to head into the weekend.

Desktops are cool again

Review: Microsoft Surface Studio

Review: Microsoft Surface Studio

There's a new option for desktop all-in-ones, now that Microsoft has released the Surface Studio. The Surface Dial accessory brings a unique twist on interaction and touch control, while its slick design and powerful specs help meet the marks pros are actually looking for in a computer. On the other hand, mobile graphics and a stodgy hybrid storage system, plus its high price and the need for more software support, make it hard to recommend switching right away.

Big phone problems

Apple's repair program for the iPhone 6 Plus will fix touchscreen issues -- for a price

Apple's repair program for the iPhone 6 Plus will fix touchscreen issues -- for a price

We've been hearing from iPhone 6 and 6 Plus owners about a so-called touch disease affecting their phones, and Apple's response is here. Without copping to a problem with the phones, its repair program will fix your iPhone 6 Plus if it's having problems with flickering or multitouch for $149, out of warranty. The only problem? That may not go far enough, as the CEO of iFixit disputes Apple's claim that the problem comes from dropped phones, and many people have said it affects the smaller iPhone 6 too.

Bring a wind sock too

Review: Hover Camera Passport

Review: Hover Camera Passport

Sure, everyone wants a drone, but most don't have a drone like this. While it's not as big as the top-flight units from the likes of DJI and GoPro, Zero Zero Robotics' Hover Camera Passport combines a tiny form factor and foldable case. It's small enough that you can bring it along easily, without needing FAA registration. Controlled by an app on your phone, it's also smart enough to do face and body tracking for optimal selfie angles. Of course, small size means small battery, which means short flight time, plus the fact that a strong breeze could blow away your $600 machine in an instant.

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Popping tags

Instagram tries to pull in advertisers with new shopping tags

Everyone has to make money, and Instagram's next big idea is the integration of shopping tags for brands like Warby Parker and Kate Spade. Only on iOS in the US for now, it's just one of Instagram's business-focused features currently rolling out.

Comcast will ruin this somehow

SpaceX wants FCC approval for its satellite-based internet provider

Focused on more things than reaching Mars, Elon Musk's space company took the next step in its internet project this week. An FCC filing reveals it's seeking to launch 800 satellites that will provide internet service in the US, then growing its network to 4,425 satellites capable of 1Gbps connections around the globe.

Experiences, not things

Airbnb's latest category rents more than just spare rooms

Airbnb has a new "comprehensive" travel venture that goes beyond just putting you up in a stranger's house for the weekend. A new Experience category promises access to both short events and longer multi-day "Immersions," as well as features that help guide travelers to interesting places near where they're staying. The new features are live in 12 cities now, and will be available in more than 50 next year.

The Galaxy iPhone

Is 2017 the year OLED comes to the iPhone?

OLED tech just came to the MacBook Pro, and a rumor from Bloomberg suggests that next year Apple will release at least one version of the iPhone using this display technology. Samsung has relied on these screens for models of its Galaxy phones, but word on the street is that obtaining enough supply for the iPhone could be a problem.

They're playing hard to get

Snapchat is relying on fans to get the word out about Spectacles

Snapchat is relying on fans to get the word out about Spectacles

The first hardware from Snap Inc. is unique not just because of its glasses-integrated camera, but also in how it's launching. The slow rollout of Snapbots is driving up the hype about where its vending machines will arrive next, without the usual wave of media reviews.

But wait, there's more...

1. Sony's cord-cutting service comes to Apple TV

2. Obama: We have to get serious about facts

3. The Prince estate is suing Jay Z's Roc Nation, saying Tidal's streaming rights have expired

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Thursday, 17 November 2016

The Morning After: Hybrid Minis, Google Earth VR and the AI trying to get into college

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It's Thursday, November 17, 2016.

Hey, good morning! How's your commute looking?

We put the 4K-ready Chromecast to the test, see increasingly less snow around us, and gawp at the first hybrid Mini -- as well as a whole bunch of new cars coming out of the LA Auto Show. There's also the discovery of a "Watch Dogs 2" character that has fully rendered sex organs for no apparent reason whatsoever. Not just another Thursday.

Better video quality comes at a cost

Review: Chromecast Ultra

Review: Chromecast Ultra

Yes, the Chromecast Ultra does exactly what it promises to do: reliably stream 4K HDR video to compatible TVs. But the (marginal) increase in quality, alongside a lack of 4K content, means the device is hardly a must-buy.

Well, it wasn't the players' fault

Gamer discovers female characters with fully rendered private parts in "Watch Dogs 2," gets banned

"Watch Dogs 2" tried to keep things as realistic as it could when it tried to offer a hackable gaming world, but it took next to no advanced hacker skillz for one player to discover that at least one of the female character models in the game has a fully rendered vagina. Why? Ubisoft hasn't said, but revealing the hidden creepy detail was enough to get NeoGAF forum member Goron2000 banned from the Sony Entertainment Network (including PSN). Fortunately, his account was later reinstated.

May contain traces of "courage"

The new MacBook Pro (and the Touch Bar) gets the teardown treatment

The new MacBook Pro (and the Touch Bar) gets the teardown treatment

An iFixit teardown of the 13-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro reveals that there are even fewer replaceable parts than before. Its solid-state drive is embedded on the motherboard (even the non–Touch Bar model has a removable card), so whatever capacity you choose is what you'll have for the life of the system. And that Touch Bar, as you might guess, isn't exactly easy to replace.

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All-wheel drive is split between gas and electric engines

This is Mini's first hybrid vehicle

This is Mini's first hybrid vehicle

Mini unveiled its hybrid all-wheel-drive Countryman S E at the LA Auto Show today. What's intriguing is that, while it's an AWD vehicle, the front wheels are powered by the gas engine while the rear ones are connected to an electric motor. The hybrid's electric system is based on the platform used by parent company BMW's all-electric eDrive system that powers the i3 and i8 vehicles. That pedigree will extend to an all-electric Mini that will launch in urban areas in 2019.

Studying is hard -- even for artificial intelligence

Japanese AI fails to make the grade for Tokyo's top university

A team of scientists from the National Institute of Informatics in Japan have given up on attempting to make their AI smart enough to get into the University of Tokyo. What exactly held it back? Team member Noriko Arai said AIs just aren't "good at answering a type of question that requires the ability to grasp meaning in a broad spectrum."

Google Earth is now available in VR

The entire planet, inside your VR headset

Google's virtual Earth is now available in virtual reality. For the first time, users can walk through real city streets, fly through canyons and teleport to anywhere in the world. Earth VR covers the entire 196.9 million square miles of the planet, but for now you'll need HTC's Vive headset to explore. Google Earth VR will be coming to even more platforms (and presumably Google's own Daydream VR) sometime next year.

But wait, there's more...

1. Tesla cars will get even quicker through a software update

2. "White" Twitter bots can help curb racism

3. US snow cover hits an all-time low for November

4. Maven offers free birth control prescriptions via digital doctors

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