Saturday 18 May 2019

'Minecraft Earth' remakes our world into a blocky AR sandbox

Engadget Email Newsletter

It's Saturday, May 18, 2019.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Welcome to your weekend! Microsoft is hoping that its augmented reality Minecraft game will top Pokémon Go this summer, and did Lenovo really steal a fan-made video to promote a foldable RAZR? Check out some of this week’s highlights below, plus a look at how we got all this foldable screen technology in the first place.

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For any Samsung engineers on a deadline.

How do you build a foldable screen?

In this episode of Upscaled, Chris Schodt is taking a close look at foldable OLEDs. Despite Samsung's Galaxy Fold being delayed, the Huawei Mate X is expected within the next few months, and Xiaomi and Lenovo have both showed off foldable prototypes. We'll examine how OLEDs themselves are constructed, and the materials and engineering behind making a screen you can fold in half.

The company said usage of its cloud tool has dropped as third-party options emerged.

Google is shutting down the Jump VR platform in June

The tech giant launched Jump back in 2015 to simplify the creation of 360-degree 3D videos using shots and videos captured by compatible camera rigs, which are typically composed of over a dozen action cameras. Now, an email went out to users that said the platform will stop accepting uploads for processing on June 26th, before it starts deleting data two days later.

It’s a planet-wide takeover.

'Minecraft Earth' makes the world your augmented reality playground

This is Minecraft Earth, a free-to-play version of one of the most popular games ever made, rebuilt around augmented reality for the iPhone and Android. Similar to Pokémon Go, which popularized AR gaming in a massive way, it relies on your smartphone as a window into a virtual world.

Devindra Hardawar tried out an early demo and discovered players will step into life-sized versions of their creations. Also, it’s still the same game that has been going on for a decade, just with the hunting and exploring done in the real world. A closed beta will launch this summer on Android and iOS.

This home security system is only $150 today

The first EV worthy of that three-pronged logo.

Mercedes’ all-electric EQC is luxury first, EV second

The EQC 400 4Matic will arrive in US showrooms sometime in 2020, at which point, it will join a growing number of luxury SUVs and crossovers vying for customers in the market for high-end, eco-conscious vehicles. Find out why Roberto Baldwin thinks this is the “uncompromising Mercedes” many of them are looking for.

Engadget’s Guide to Parenting in the Digital Age

How to track everything your baby does

Despite reading plenty of parenting books, Devindra Hardawar didn't realize how important data tracking would be when taking care of a newborn. Has her diaper been changed recently? And did she nap enough today? Knowing the answers to these questions is essential for every new mom and dad. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to be a data-conscious parent today, including gadgets, apps and some decidedly old-school methods.

An unlikely multimedia beast.

OnePlus 7 Pro review: The first true OnePlus flagship

OnePlus reversed most of its mistakes with the 6T and brought out a surprisingly ambitious OnePlus 7 Pro, packing several rare components that barely anyone else has procured. The result is a device that delivers fantastic mobile cinematic plus gaming experience, and one that’s in a well-designed package.

Stop what you’re doing and update everything.

Serious security flaws uncovered in Intel CPUs, as well as Windows 7 & XP

Patch Tuesday was busier than usual, as multiple vulnerabilities were exposed. A potentially “wormable” exploit in Windows that could lead to more WannaCry-style attacks prompted Microsoft to release a patch for older operating systems like 7, XP and Server 2003.

Meanwhile, Intel disclosed four exploits that could target most of its CPUs made since 2011. Whether you’re running Windows, macOS, Linux or ChromeOS, you’ll want to make sure you have the latest updates installed to ward off Microarchitectural Data Sampling (MDS) attacks like Zombieload.

Did you know that exists?

Gmail's log of all of your purchases pops up in the privacy debate

An awkwardly-designed log page is keeping careful track of every receipt your Gmail account gets. According to Google, it’s visible only to you, and information picked up from its email scans is not used to serve ads.

But wait, there's more...

1. China's Yutu-2 rover finds mysterious minerals on the far side of the moon

2. Lenovo stole a fan's video to promote the foldable Motorola RAZR

3. ASUS' ZenFone 6 has a flip-up camera and giant 5,000mAh battery

4. Grumpy Cat dies at the age of seven

5. Sony and Microsoft team up on cloud-based gaming and entertainment

6. Lenovo launches ThinkReality AR and VR headset for enterprises

7. Powerbeats Pro review: The best-sounding Beats headphones yet

8. Japan begins testing the world's fastest bullet train

9. Denon parent Sound United now owns Pioneer and Onkyo home audio

10. DJI Osmo Action review: A worthy GoPro rival

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Friday 17 May 2019

Editor's Pick: How Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping the Workforce

How Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping the Workforce

Peter Suciu
May 17, 2019 5:00 AM PT

Shoppers soon might see a lot more robots in Walmart stores -- but not toy robots or even human assistant gadgets that are available for purchase. Walmart's new robots will be taking over repeatable, predictable and manual tasks that up to now have been carried out by human employees. At Walmart stores, robots will scan shelf inventory and track boxes as part of its inventory management. [More...]

More Picks:

Digging for Bitcoin Is a Labor of Love
It would have been reasonable for those attending Josh Bressers' session at CypherCon -- myself included -- to expect a presentation by a cryptocurrency expert. It was billed as a talk about plumbing the depths of the bitcoin blockchain. When Bressers admitted that his material grew out of a hobby, I was surprised. Still, the talk was far from disappointing. [More...]

Zombieload, Fallout, and 2 Other CPU Flaws Have Intel on the Hop
The high-tech industry once again is in a tizzy over flaws discovered in Intel CPUs -- four new MDS vulnerabilities have come to light. MDS is a sub-class of previously disclosed vulnerabilities that sample data leaked from small structures within the CPU using a locally executed speculative execution side channel. The practical exploitation of MDS flaws is a very complex undertaking, however. [More...]

US Mobile: Another Bait-and-Switch Disappointment
I just dumped US Mobile after less than four months, setting a new speed record for hitting my tolerance-for-b.s. ceiling. I'd had high hopes for this relatively new mobile virtual network operator, but it turns out I chose poorly. Switching wireless service providers is one of those things I don't relish doing, but every few years I find that I'm in a one-way relationship with my carrier. [More...]

Technology Is Filling a Need in Philanthropy
It's surprising that philanthropy as an industry has gotten by for so long without technology. That's changing, however. The cost of technology has dropped at the same time that philanthropic organizations have been discovering an acute need for it. Of the more than 1.5 million charitable organizations in the U.S., it's not a stretch to say that the vast majority of them are small and underfunded. [More...]

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This Week's Top News Headlines From the E-Commerce Times

US Mobile: Another Bait-and-Switch Disappointment
(Posted 16-May-19)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/86019.html

Walmart Enters High-Stakes Next-Day Delivery Game
(Posted 15-May-19)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/86018.html

Flexa Launches Crypto-Based Payment App
(Posted 14-May-19)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/86014.html

Online Shopping Gets Real: The Rise of Interactive Product Visualization
(Posted 13-May-19)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/86012.html

This Week's Top News Headlines From TechNewsWorld

How Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping the Workforce
(Posted 17-May-19)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86023.html

Zombieload, Fallout, and 2 Other CPU Flaws Have Intel on the Hop
(Posted 16-May-19)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86020.html

Software Bug Gives Spyware Free Rein With a Single WhatsApp Call
(Posted 15-May-19)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86017.html

SCOTUS Greenlights Apple App Store Antitrust Lawsuit
(Posted 14-May-19)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86015.html

Google, Microsoft In Step in New Era
(Posted 13-May-19)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86011.html

This Week's Top News Headlines From CRM Buyer

Technology Is Filling a Need in Philanthropy
(Posted 14-May-19)
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/86013.html

This Week's Top News Headlines From LinuxInsider

Digging for Bitcoin Is a Labor of Love
(Posted 16-May-19)
http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/86021.html

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SpaceX is trying to launch 60 Starlink internet satellites

Engadget Email Newsletter

It's Friday, May 17, 2019.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

It’s Friday. We’ll have to wait until next week for SpaceX’s Starlink launch, but, for now, there’s a review of Beats new true-wireless earbuds and an unexpected online-gaming alignment between Sony and Microsoft.

Even with a huge charging case and divisive hook design.

Powerbeats Pro review: The best-sounding Beats headphones yet

The $250 Powerbeats Pro is a great all-around option for workout headphones, and the features, reliability and sound quality make it a solid choice for everyday use, too.

The Iron Man actor has a new endorsement deal.

Robert Downey, Jr. shifts his smartphone allegiance to OnePlus

RDJ shared on his Weibo page a photo of himself holding a 7 Pro and standing in front of a McLaren. "Good to work with a technology brand I can vibe with," he wrote.

What if Apple was your cable company?

Apple's new TV app is a work in progress

In theory, this revamped TV app is the sort of seamless experience we've come to expect from Apple. In practice, though, it's clear the company still has work to do.

Launch a career as a Microsoft SQL database pro for $39

Yes, that happened.

Lenovo bizarrely teases a foldable Razr with... a fan render?

According to Sina Tech, Lenovo shared a video with media that showed a new RAZR-like folding phone in action. However, we later learned that the video shown was edited from a fan render. So what’s really going on? Your guess is as good as ours.

Next up, more cross-platform online gaming?

Sony and Microsoft team up on cloud-based gaming and entertainment

The two companies are planning to work together to build future cloud solutions in Microsoft Azure that will support gaming and content streaming. Sony will also use Microsoft data centers for its existing game and streaming platforms.

Plus a software update is adjusting charge and thermal settings on some of its batteries.

NTSB says Tesla's Autopilot was active during fatal Model 3 crash

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report that Tesla's Autopilot system was active at the time of a fatal Model 3 crash in Delray Beach, Florida. Data showed the car's driver, who died in the March 1st incident, activated Autopilot around 10 seconds before the collision. In the approximately eight seconds before the Tesla crashed into a semi truck, the car didn't detect the driver's hands on the wheel. Separately, it’s updating the software on Model S and Model X vehicles after a Model S was recorded bursting into flames in Hong Kong.