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Why the EU forcing Apple to adopt USB-C would be a bad thing
When good intentions get in the way of good outcomes
Today, the European Commission has put forward legislation that would require all portable electronic devices to have a USB-C port — including Apple's iPhone. The proposal itself hasn't yet gone into effect (it stills needs to pass a vote in the European Parliament), but as much as I wish Apple would finally put USB-C on the iPhone, I'm actually hoping it doesn't pass. For several reasons.
One of the things that's unique to the Play Store compared to other mobile app stores is the ability to try out an app without having to download and install it. Android Instant Apps have been around for over two years now, with support for Instant Games added back in March, allowing potential users to play around with a game before deciding to download the full version. For developers, this provides a golden opportunity to get their app or game into the hands of users who would likely not have downloaded it otherwise, with the only real drawback being the small additional work involved in getting the Instant app up and running.
Corbin reviewed the Nebula Capsule back in April, saying that no other Android-powered projector came close to its build quality and software experience for the same price and that it was "almost certainly the best portable projector you can buy." Anker does manufacture the larger and more powerful Nebule Mars, but the Capsule's bigger brother does have some downsides, like the ancient version Android it uses (KitKat 4.4.4), the lack of Play Store support, and the higher price tag. However, Anker has just released the new Mars II to replace the old version and bring it more up-to-date, and we've already got hold of a $100 off coupon code to use on Amazon.For starters, the Mars II now runs the much more modern Android Nougat 7.1 like its smaller sibling (unfortunately, neither projector runs Oreo). It is rated at a brightness level of 300 ANSI lumens, which is three times the output of the Capsule (though apparently less than the 500 ANSI lumens of the original Mars). The Mars II has a longer battery life than the previous version, lasting up to 4 hours of continuous video playback, and comes with dual 10W drivers and 2 bass radiators. It boasts a projection resolution of 1280 by 720, higher than the Capsule's 854 by 480 resolution, and rivaling that of most other portable projectors. The Mars II can project a larger image than the Capsule, reaching up to 150" wide. A nifty new trick that's also exclusive to the Mars II in the Nebula lineup is its 1-second, automatic image focus, removing the need to manually readjust the focus every time you move the projector.The Nebula Mars II just went on sale for $539.99, but you can grab one for $439.99 ($100 off, or 18.5%) with the coupon NEWMARS2 on Amazon. For comparison, the smaller Capsule costs 9.99, so you can grab the newer and more powerful projector for just $90 more instead of $190.We still haven't had a chance to fully review the Mars II, but hopefully, we'll get a chance to do so soon.Source: Amazon
When Pokémon GO first launched almost two years ago, people downloaded the game in droves. It was arguably the first game whose gameplay relied heavily on interacting with the real world, enabling players to explore new places and capturing Pokémon through an AR lens. However, for all its emphasis on getting players off the couch and exploring the world together, Pokémon GO never truly supported any way for players to interact with one another — no kind of in-game chat exists, and trading, one of the most central parts in the original game series, has never received more that a passing hint or mention from Niantic. However, in an unexpected announcement today, Niantic has revealed that will change later this week with the introduction of several new features aimed at getting players to collaborate more in-game, such as trading and gifting.
eBay is no stranger to running regular sales and discounts, often slashing 10% to 20% off everything sold on its site. Right now, eBay is selling products in the electronics category with a 'buy one, get one 20% off' promotion, and there are a few decent deals to take advantage of.
The new GDPR rules have barely been in effect for more than a few hours, but Google and Facebook are already being hit with a complaint for failing to comply with the regulation's requirements. According to privacy group noyb.eu, both companies are engaging in so-called "forced consent," which is the practice of bundling consent into an all-or-nothing package instead of the granular approach to consent required by the GDPR.
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you'll have noticed the barrage of emails from companies notifying you of changes to their privacy policy and terms of service. That's no coincidence, of course: on Friday, May 25, a sweeping new legislation, which deals with data privacy and how companies handle an individual's personal data, will go into effect in the European Union. The regulation, called the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR for short, grants individuals a series of rights concerning their personal data, and stipulates a number of duties companies have regarding how that data is processed.
Sprint will soon unveil a plan targeted at people aged 55 years and up, a source familiar with the matter has revealed to Android Police. The plan will rival T-Mobile's recent and identically named Unlimited 55+ plan, which allows individuals who are 55 or older to get two unlimited lines for just $70 — something that would cost $120 on T-Mobile's regular ONE plan. Sprint's offering is better than a regular plan, and it now matches T-Mobile's pricing, even though T-Mobile initially offered two lines for just $60.
At I/O today, Google announced that Assistant on Google Home will soon be able to hold a conversation and respond to multiple requests without a user having to repeat "Okay Google" each time. The feature is similar to 'Follow-up mode' on Alexa, which became available a couple of months ago.
There's a message that's making the rounds on WhatsApp that mysteriously causes the app to crash if you dare to tap on the black dot within. You may have already come across it and wondered how just tapping on a single emoji can cause an app to freeze and become unresponsive. The answer, unsurprisingly, is that it can't.
Today, Microsoft has announced a slew of updates to its Outlook apps across all platforms, ranging from desktop and the web to mobile. Most of the new features are actually only live for the web and desktop for now, but the Android app is set to be updated too as early as May.
After a brief one-month beta period, OnePlus has now begun rolling out the latest stable version of OxygenOS 5.1.0 to OnePlus 5 and 5T devices. The version is based on Android 8.1 Oreo and includes April's updated security patch.
Facebook recently released Messenger Kids, an app designed for privacy-conscientious parents who want a safe way to let their kids chat with friends online. Messenger Kids provides a way of doing so, offering an adult full control over a child's contact list and who they can talk to, all without having to create a full-fledged Facebook account. An update to the app finally addresses a concern that parents have had until now: being able to manage when their kids can access the service.
Last week, Amazon announced it would be increasing the price of its yearly Prime membership subscription from $99 to $119 starting May 11 and June 16 for renewals. Prime has gradually become more expensive over time — the last time the price of a yearly subscription increased was in March 2014, from $79 to $99 — and while it's hard to argue that you're not getting plenty of value for what you're paying, no one likes to have to pay more for something. Fortunately, there's an easy way to save $20 off your subscription, allowing you to lock in the current price of $99 for the foreseeable future.The trick involves purchasing a Prime Gift card and using it on yourself, and should work as long as you buy it before May 11, when Prime's price increases. It's very straightforward and won't take more than a couple of minutes, though there are some caveats you may want to consider if you've had Prime since before August 2015, which we'll talk about in a bit.Here's what you need to do to keep paying $99 for Prime:
Samsung may have quietly just rolled out Samsung Pay in France, according to SamMobile. Samsung had announced last month it would be making Samsung Pay available in France "before this summer," and that is indeed the case. Some French users have reported being able to download Pay and use it to complete a purchase, even despite the fact that Samsung has made no official statement confirming availability.
Logitech has been known for its webcams for a long time, and a while ago it started bringing that expertise into the home security camera market. The Logitech Circle 2 was released earlier this year and our own Ryan Whitwam got a chance to try it out, finding that it was superior to the first generation in almost every way. In fact, one of the only minor quibbles he had over the camera was its relatively high price when compared to other cameras on the market. The upside is that that flaw ceases to exist as soon as a good deal comes along, and that's precisely what has happened.You can grab a pair of these wired cameras with an included wall mount for just 9.99 on Amazon — a $90 saving over the previous price of $349.99. The deal is especially enticing when you consider that just one of these cameras would set you back by around $180. The pack is currently out of stock, but don't worry: you can still buy the combo to ensure you get the discounted price, and Amazon will send them to you as soon as they're available.The Logitech Circle 2 is a wired security camera that has a lot going for it. For one, it works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Homekit. It's got multiple cloud storage plans to choose from, and unlike some other brands, you can get a free plan which stores footage for 24 hours for as many cameras as you like. Considering you might be spending at least $5 a month with other cameras, that alone can save you a lot of money in the long run. The Circle 2 also has a 180-degree field of view, night vision up to 15 feet, records in both 720p and 1080p, comes with a microphone and a speaker, and connects to the internet via Wi-Fi 802.11 g/n 2.4GHz or 5GHz.You can control your camera through the Logi Circle app, which lets you check on your home from wherever you are. You'll also get snapshots in activity alerts even if you're on the free plan, something other brands typically only offer for their paying subscribers.If you're unsure why anyone would decide to buy a security camera, look no further than the dumbfounding experience Artem had with his Amazon delivery driver. You can watch the incident in the video below, which got picked up by everything from CNET to the Daily Mail — in fact, one of the few places that didn't write about it was Android Police. Go figure. The event was actually recorded using Artem's Nest camera, but the Logitech Circle would arguably have worked just as well.[EMBED_YT]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzarUhjqGZA[/EMBED_YT]To pick up your own set of Logitech Circle 2 security cameras (with the added window mount thrown in), head over to Amazon and grab them before the price goes back up.Source: Amazon
Snapchat will soon be gaining a set of augmented reality games called Snappables, Snap announced today. Snappables, which should roll out to Snapchatters later this week, are a new form of interactive Lenses through which users can play together (or by themselves) using AR. Some games can be controlled via more traditional methods like touch, but others can be played using motion and even facial expressions.
It looks like Chrome's iconic trapezoidal tabs might soon be going away. The tab's design, which has remained essentially the same since Chrome was first released almost 10 years ago, is undergoing a bit of a refresh, shifting from their old shape into more of a rounded-corner rectangle. The change is currently present (as an option) in the experimental Canary build of the browser.
Instagram has just announced improvements to Stories which will be coming to the Android and iOS apps soon. Instagram Stories, which have become increasing popular on the platform, replicate the ephemerality of Snapchat by having photos and videos expire automatically 24 hours after being uploaded.
April 23rd is World Book Day, and Google is commemorating the occasion with discounts on multiple books on Google Play. The discounts apply not only to regular ebooks, which have existed on Google Play for quite some time, but to audiobooks as well, which were launched just earlier this year.