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Bungie only just released Destiny 2's "Go Fast" update, but it's already set to talk about its next releases -- and this time, the most important moves are outside the game itself. The studio is readying updates to both the Companion mobile app and...
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Daniel Bader and Andrew Martonik, are joined by associate editor Hayato Huseman to talk about the creepiness of Facebook, the upside of notches, and taptic engine performance on Android devices.
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On June 30th, Uber will sunset its on-demand delivery service for laundry, groceries, flowers and just about anything under 30 pounds that's not an illegal item or, say, a cute pet. The ride-hailing service has notified its users in an email that it'...Python is one of the most popular programming languages out there thanks to a fast edit-test-debug cycle and wide versatility. Jumping into Python from a beginner's standpoint isn't exactly easy, as there are many routes you can take. The training required to become a Python expert is also generally quite expensive.
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Some companies make phones but some companies make the parts used to make them, too.
Huawei's big plans to make a breakthrough into the U.S. smartphone market have been crushed. There's no gentle way to say that, so I'll just say it.
As CES 2018 was drawing to a close, AT&T and Verizon, which were both all but confirmed to be "official" carriers of the Mate 10 Pro, both announced that they wouldn't be selling any Huawei phones after pressure from the U.S. government because Huawei phones being used in the states would pose a security risk.
The government really doesn't want us using Huawei products.
This pressure became official soon after as a bill was sent to Congress that would ban any government business from being done on a network that used Huawei (or ZTE) networking equipment. In the same week, we learned that government officials were urging AT&T to stop doing business with Huawei altogether and to stop working on a 5G network with the Chinese company. Once again, national security concerns were stated as the reason behind the request.
We're not done. In February 2018, right as the Mate 10 Pro was set to go up for sale in North America, heads of U.S. intelligence agencies came forward and urged Americans to not buy Huawei phones. FBI Director Christopher Wray explains the reasoning:
We're deeply concerned about the risks of allowing any company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments that don't share our values to gain positions of power inside our telecommunications networks.
Most recently we found out the Best Buy, One of Huawei's biggest U.S. retail outlets for unlocked phones, was going to stop selling all Huawei products. This includes phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, and routers.
But why just Huawei? If there are concerns with electronics made in China when it comes to security and privacy, why not OnePlus or Lenovo or simply all Chinese companies?
I took the time to individualize and link each time Huawei faced a roadblock when it comes to U.S. sales so it could be more obvious that the government really doesn't want us to buy Huawei products. Another thing about the paragraphs above is that they also cover the times intelligence or other government officials warned against other Chinese electronic products, with a lone mention of ZTE commerical networking equipment. It appears that Huawei is being singled out, so there has to be a reason.
Checking that processors and chipsets aren't ready to spy on us is difficult.
There happens to be several reasons, and they aren't about the end produts themselves as much as the technology inside them, much of which is done in-house at Huawei. Simply put, there are fears that Huawei is controlled by the government of China and U.S. officials don't trust the chipsets and low-level firmware that Huawei makes themselves. This is why they don't want Americans buying or using them.
Making your own processors then arranging them in a mobile chipset is a rarity. Apple does this, as does Samsung (which also makes components to sell to other manufacturers). But any other instances are few and far between back to the time when Motorola flip phones ruled the market. It also takes more than just silicon and copper as there is a lot of machine-level software and firmware involved so processors can talk to things like modems or graphics adapters. You'll find a Huawei-made chip inside all the company's high-end phones as well as the network routers and switches and transfer equipment Huawei builds for companies like AT&T to run their cellular network. In plain language, Huawei makes the parts inside the phones and other gear an it's almost impossible to independently review that they are doing what Huawei claims. The U.S. government is afraid that these components can be instructed to eavesdrop on our digital communications and send it all back to the Chinese government.
I'm not going to attempt to assess these claims; that's for three-letter government agencies to do and they say we shouldn't be using Huawei gear. It is their job to look for, then look at, potential ways the country could be put at risk. My personal opinion is that this is a wise choice for networking equipment (especially when used for government communications) but looks a bit hollow when it comes to the company's phones because of how updates are routed through the internet to our Android products. You should evaluate these claims yourself and not allow me or anyone else to make the decision for you, though.
Huawei is working the 3GPP to build the next generation 5G network standards and the equipment that's going to use them.
Another reason is a bit less technology related and leans towards the economic side. Huawei is the largest provider of commercial networking equipment (products that carriers and internet providers use) in the world and they are actively involved with the creation of 5G standards and network design. Other Chinese companies that make networking products don't make their own components and rely largely on companies like Marvell or Broadcom (yes, that Broadcom) when it comes to the individual parts inside. Huawei is also making big strides in Artificial Intelligence, both at the consumer facing and backend tech that makes it work. This means technology issues aren't the only concern and the U.S. does not want a company they assume is conencted to the Chinese governemnt to be the front runner in the next generation of communications.
These claims may be valid, they may not be. What's important is that you know why they are being made.
Again, I can't remark on the validity of these claims other than saying the people who are in the position to make them think we shouldn't use Huawei products. With a phone or watch or router from another company, the "brains" aren't made by potential Chinese government agents, which is what the U.S. intelligence service is implying. If this is true and we could be plauged with sophisticated spyware they are only doing their job; every risk, no matter how small, needs to be assessed. The fact that other countries don't have these concerns could mean China is targeting the U.S. only, or that the tech involved is so advanced other countries aren't seeing the same thing, or that the CIA, FBI, and NSA are just wrong. Any or al of these outcomes are possible.
Huawei insists that these claims are false and that their products have the highest standards when it comes to security and privacy. That's to be expected, and could very well be the truth. We're not here to refute or affirm any of these claims, but I feel it is important that everyone knows why Huawei is being singled out in the sea of Chinese electronics manufacturers. When it comes to functionality, features, and value we can assess Huawei products and we all appreciate how good they are.
Keep your data safe.
As part of its Gold Box deals of the day, Amazon is offering some big savings on a variety of hard drives to help you keep all your personal data backed up. Being World Backup Day, there's no better time to have a deal like this than today. Whether you are looking for a 2TB external drive to keep on your desk or an 8TB drive for your NAS, this deal has you covered.
Some of the best deals from this sale include:
There are a bunch of other great deals that you'll want to check out as well. Be sure to grab one before the end of the day, or the sale will disappear and you'll be stuck paying full price.
By Darryl Wilkinson and Grant Clauser This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article her...Maximum nostalgia.
It took far less time for the smartwatch market to cool than the smartphone ecosystem it was supposed to emulate. The interest curve of early adopters to mainstream consumer acceptance seemed to happen fairly quickly, but the falloff was, I think, far more severe than anyone realized.
I'm referring mainly to the Wear OS (née Android Wear) and not to the Apple Watch, which as Apple products usually are, seem to be immune to category softening (though one could argue that the Apple Watch never quite took off as many pundits believed it should have).
This brings me to the current environment for Android-based smartwatches. There's a new name, Wear OS, and the promise of upgrades to come, but right now, all but a few tech companies have bowed out of the race. It's unlikely we'll see successors to the LG Watch Style and Sport this year, despite being modeled as the "Nexuses" of Android Wear in early 2017, and Samsung long-ago decided that its wearable fate lies in the hands of its own Tizen platform (a decision that appears prescient).
In lieu of the tech companies, fashion brands like Michael Kors, Fossil, Movado, Tag Heuer, Guess, and others decided they needed to add smarts to a stale industry to better compete with the looming Apple Watch revolution, and glommed onto then-Android Wear with unabashed confidence. But instead of innovating in the space, they've merely turned their storied designs into touchscreen equivalents, replete with second-rate watch faces and oversized hardware — to accommodate the large batteries needed for the ancient processors inside them.
After being pleasantly surprised by Michael Kors' second-generation Grayson smartwatch, which featured a large, vibrant display and an honest-to-goodness manipulable crown, I was curious to see how Skagen's entry into the canon holds up.
My take? It's not great, but I love it anyway.
My first Skagen watch was a gift to myself for my 16th birthday. I was a counselor at a small summer camp and earned just enough money to buy a couple computer games and one of those thin, mesh-banded watches you see at department stores all over the world. I still have it, though the battery ran out years ago. I've always appreciated Skagen's minimal Danish aesthetic, though in the years since I've switched predilections from metal to leather. That's why I was so eager to try the Falster, which reworks Skagen's familiar design into the Wear OS facade that we're familiar with today.
Like Movado's entry into the Android Wear game (and I'll be using Wear OS and Android Wear interchangeably throughout this piece, so simmer down), Skagen takes the bare essence of what makes its hardware recognizable — circular symmetry; exposed lugs; thin, comfortable bands — and fills in the gaps with software. The six included watch faces are overly simplistic, and only barely meet the requirements of Skagen's storied branding, but alongside the comfortable 20mm brown leather strap (there are also steel-mesh and black leather options), I found a couple faces I love and settled into to be won over with charm.
You see, at the moment Wear OS is a known quantity; the app store is a barren wasteland, but the platform's core competencies are still in tact, and over the years I've learned to expect little else but accurate time and notifications.
That the Falster offers a fairly convincing digital approximation of a real Skagen watch while mirroring notifications from my Android phone (and offering quick responses by voice, canned retorts, and a beguilingly small keyboard) is enough to satisfy my needs, and do it in a way that justifies its $275 price. It's not cheap, but I've spent more on watches that do less, and this one hits me right in the feels.
Even if it lacks a few things that would make me cherish it for longer than I likely will.
Where is my digital crown? When I unboxed the Falster and realized the single side button was just that, and not a more desirable way of navigating the OLED display, I was more than a little disappointed. When I realized the watch lacked NFC capabilities, which prevents Google Pay, it added to the frustration. And while the lack of a heart rate monitor isn't as significant a pockmark, it reinforces that this is a smartwatch for those who want little more but to be seen wearing a smartwatch.
Battery issues with Wear OS watches have more to do with Qualcomm's ancient processor than the battery size or screen quality.
The side button isn't very good, either: it's squishy and requires almost a double press to activate, and feels like it would be the first point of failure. And while the screen is a manageable size on my wrist, its 42mm diameter means it may not be as universal as Skagen desires. Thankfully, there's an ambient light sensor hidden behind the display, but there's also a massive bezel swallowing a good 10% of the front — and the 12mm thickness of the body makes it difficult to forget that you're wearing a gadget instead of a timepiece.
Such dimensions would be justifiable if battery life was better than the average Wear OS device, but it's not. I used the Falster every day for two weeks and bled it dry each time, and managed around 36 hours — the afternoon of the following day if I took it off the charger in the morning — before it died. Not particularly surprising, but not reassuring given the pedigree.
The issue is barely with Skagen, Fossil, Michael Kors, or any other sucker company building Wear OS watches these days; the Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip inside the device is a derivative of the smartphone-based Snapdragon 400 that shipped in the first generations of Android Wear smartwatches. In other words, there's 2013 tech inside this 2018 watch. That Google hasn't worked with Qualcomm to further the progress of this silicon speaks to the indecision and insecurity around wearables as a viable long-term business. While Intel has dipped its toes into the wearables hardware game with Tag Heuer and a few others, it will be Qualcomm that, should it decide to, pushes the market forward with smaller, more power-efficient smartwatch SoCs.
Charging the watch, too, is a bit of a letdown: the dinky plastic magnetic charger is identical to other Fossil-built smart products (likely a money-saving measure) and barely adheres to the bottom of the watch. It's an Apple Watch charger clone done wrong.
Like the watch market itself, the Wear OS ecosystem is separated less by the quality of the products these days than the nostalgia value of the brands themselves. I like Skagen so I like Skagen's first attempt at a smartwatch. I like the way the Falster looks on my wrist because I enjoy minimal design and quality leather bands, and I don't mind spending $275 for the privilege. I don't mind that price despite the product's numerous flaws and lazy oversights meant to prop up Fossil's margins.
You, however, may mind, and that's OK because there are plenty of other products that do practically the same thing for less money.
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This theme pulls double duty as an April Fool's prank and testament to Android's customizable beauty.
There are few themes that are quite as flexible and adaptable as what I like to call the "invisible" home screen. It's a theme that could only exist on Android, and it is both high art and farce. It is both a prank and a functional beauty. Setting up this theme is quite easy, it can work with just about any wallpaper, and it's like turning your home screen into a fun little magic trick.
This is the invisible home screen, and here's how you can pull it off.
There are two methods to utilize in this theme — completely clear app icons and gesture launcher shortcuts — and while the former is available on almost any launcher that allows custom icons, the latter is a little harder to come by. In the interest of expediency, we're going to give you instructions for this theme in our two favorite theming launchers: Nova Launcher and Action Launcher.
Whichever launcher you use, you'll need this blank png to set all of your home screen icons to.
This theme is wonderful because you can use literally any wallpaper you want. Use an ultra-minimalist wallpaper, use a completely chaotic wallpaper, use a photo of your kids; use whatever you like. The important thing to remember with your wallpaper is that you're going to be using the wallpaper to gauge where your icons are on the screen. So if you use a wallpaper with a lot of distinct elements in it, you can use those elements to signify your shortcuts. On a minimal wallpaper, you'll have to rely more on muscle memory and your knowledge of your home screen's app grid.
Need some help finding a new wallpaper? We can help
Tap the icon square to edit the icon.
Navigate to and select the downloaded blank .png icon.
Repeat with every app and folder on your home screen.
Swipe up to reveal the app icon menu and tap My photos.
Repeat with every app and folder on your home screen.
It's worth noting on Action Launcher that you cannot change folder icons to custom icons the way you can on Nova Launcher. If you want to make a folder invisible on Action Launcher, you'll first have to enable its Cover, then set the icon of the first app in your folder to invisible as well.
Now, most launchers have app labels turned on by default, and having iconless labels floating on your home screen would ruin the invisible home screen effect. Here's how to turn them off.
Tap Desktop.
Tap Label to turn off app labels.
Now, Action Launcher has app labels turned on by default, and having iconless labels floating on your home screen would ruin the invisible home screen effect. Here's how to turn them off.
Tap Desktop.
Tap Home screens to uncheck it.
In order to use gestures in Nova Launcher, you must have Nova Launcher Prime, which is $4.99 and worth every single penny. Nova Prime seldom goes on sale, but if you answer surveys on Google Opinion Rewards, you should be able to pay for it that way after a few months. There are 11 gesture controls you can set for your home screen on Nova Launcher, but the three set most frequently by far are Swipe up, Swipe down, and Double tap.
You can set your gestures to any app you'd like, to a variety of Nova Launcher tasks, or you can even set shortcuts like direct dialing or a Tasker task. Once you decide what you want your gestures to do, here's how to assign them.
Tap Gestures & inputs.
Select the app, shortcut, or Nova action you wish to assign.
Like Nova, gestures are a paid feature on Action Launcher, meaning you'll need to pay for Action Launcher Plus. Plus is an in-app upgrade, priced at $4.99, and if you're a long-time Action Launcher user, you probably invested in Plus a long time ago. Action Launcher sets you set 12 gesture controls to an App, a Shortcut, or an Action.
Tap the gesture section you wish to assign.
Select the *app, shortcut, or Action you wish to assign.
Is your invisible home screen a thing of precision and minimalism? Is it chaos that only you can navigate? Did it freak out your girlfriend when she saw your home screen was empty? Tell us in the comments.
