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Intel partners with SHFT IQ to make you a better runner via a virtual coach

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Being a better runner starts from the ground up, literally, with your shoe choice being of paramount importance. But now, there’s another device that goes on your shoe that could also be an integral part of improving your form. Meet SHFT IQ, a little clip-on that calls itself “the world’s first virtual running coach with artificial intelligence.”

Thanks to this small piece of a hardware, a triangular piece that can be clipped onto your shoe or worn around your waist like a belt, you’ll be able to have an AI-based coach track and analyze your full-body running style and statistics. But this isn’t just some fitness tracker that gives you stats at the end of your run — rather, SHFT IQ promises to translate your running data into simple, actionable, and real-time coaching. That means that you’ll always have a voice in your ear telling you exactly how to improve your performance with every step and every run.

More: Garmin’s new Forerunner 935 will get you in shape — and help you stay that way

Hoping to help you achieve longer and faster runs, SHFT IQ claims to be based on extensive research on running, running technique, and metabolic costs of running movement. With years of combined experience and hundreds of hours of video analysis, the SHFT IQ team believes it has produced a reliable virtual coach.

When you place the pod on either your foot or your chest, SHFT IQ claims to measure your body movements using Intel’s Curie module. This data is then sent to the companion app via Bluetooth, and runners will receive verbal, real-time instructions on their form. Every new user begins with a screening run, which allows SHFT IQ to establish his or her baseline running technique. From this initial session, the virtual coach chooses the initial training focus based on which metric has the biggest opportunity for improvement.

With just under two weeks left in its campaign, SHFT IQ has about $20,000 left to raise to bring this virtual coach into reality. You can grab one of these wearables yourself for the early bird price of $69, with an estimated delivery date of September 2017.

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March 31, 2017 at 02:59AM

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Jeep unveils six go-anywhere concepts that will make you say ‘woah!’

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It’s a tradition: Every year, Jeep builds a handful of one-off models and concept cars and sends them to the Easter Safari in Moab, Utah. This year’s batch pays homage to one of the company’s most important models, while also giving us an sneak peek look at one of its most anticipated upcoming cars.

The Grand One concept was built to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original, ZJ-generation Grand Cherokee. Jeep started the project by buying a 1993 model found on Craigslist in Pennsylvania with 100,000 miles on the clock, according to Motor1. The SUV received 18-inch lace-style wheels wrapped by Mud-Terrain tires, a custom body kit that includes fender flares and side skirts, a 2-inch suspension lift, and a coat of metallic light blue paint.

More: Jeep’s go-anywhere Wrangler proves the original off-roader is still the best

Inside, the headliner is upholstered with plaid flannel, and the floors are coated with a protective bed liner-type material. Jeep hasn’t made any mechanical modifications, so the Grand One carries on with a 5.2-liter V8 engine and a four-speed manual transmission — it’s a tribute to the 1990s, after all, and when the ZJ made its debut only bicycles and semi trucks had 10 speeds.

The Safari, Quicksand, Switchback, and Luminator concepts are all variants of the Wrangler. The Quicksand is unquestionably the wildest of them all — it’s essentially a Wrangler turned into a classic, tire-shredding hot rod with a powerful V8 engine and gasser-style headers. It’s far from a production model, but its front grille is very close to the one we’ll see on the brand-new 2018 Jeep Wrangler expected to debut before the end of the year. The round headlights are slightly recessed into the outer slots, a styling cue last seen on the CJ-7, and the turn signals are no longer integrated into the bottom part of the grille.

Named Trailpass, the last concept is based on the new, second-generation Compass crossover. The modifications are minor; it’s unquestionably the most down-to-earth off-roader of the lot. It receives a 1.5-inch suspension lift, 18-inch tires, a roof basket, and rock rails that protect the rocker panels. It’s equipped with a fully stock 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that shifts through a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Like what you see? Head out to the 51st annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari taking place in southern Utah from April 8 to the 16 to check out all of these concepts in action.

• Meet the turbocharged, V8-powered Jeep that’s faster than a Porsche
• Jeep is about to reboot the rock-crawling Wrangler — here’s what we expect from it
• Taller, more rugged Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Recon coming to a trail near you

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March 31, 2017 at 02:59AM

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Black Insomnia, the world’s strongest coffee, is not for the faint of heart

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No, we’re not getting a jump on April Fools’ Day — this coffee could put you on the ground. Black Insomnia Coffee is officially the strongest coffee in the world — strong enough to be dangerous, according to CNN.

How strong is Black Insomnia? The dangerous brew, made from robusta beans, is almost three times stronger than Starbucks’ dark roast and more than six times stronger than McDonald’s coffee. The International Food Information Council recommends a maximum 300mg of caffeine daily, while the FDA’s limit is 400mg. One 12-ounce cup of Black Insomnia has 702mg. And that’s enough to be harmful to many people.

More: Roundup of cool coffee devices from the International Home and Housewares Show

Newly retired coffee lover Sean Kristafor founded Black Insomnia in June 2016.  Kristafor’s goal was to create the strongest coffee in the world. To prove Black Insomnia deserved the title, the company had its coffee tested against other strong brands, with an eye on Death Wish coffee, the previous claimant.

According to Caffeine Informer, Death Wish coffee has 54.2mg of caffeine per fluid ounce — Black Insomnia scores 58.5mg. By comparison, Starbucks dark roast has 21.25mg, Red Bull energy drinkhas 9.46mg, and Coca-Cola has 2.8mg.

At first, the brew was available only in cafes in Cape Town, South Africa. Jump forward five months to October, and Kristafor had customers in 22 countries. Now Black Insomnia is selling 5 to 6 tons of coffee each month.

“We’re the leader in the strong coffee category and are not letting up anytime soon,” Death Wish customer service representative Calden Tuller told CNN. “Our coffee is much different than the competition, due to the fact that our roast is USDA certified organic, and fair trade certified as well.”

Caffeine Informer’s editor Ted Kallmyer places Black Insomnia on its list of the most dangerous caffeinated products. Kallmyer said habitual coffee drinkers build up a tolerance over time so exceeding 400mg a day doesn’t harm them. “However, the problem with these products is that they can inadvertently be consumed by people who are not in the targeted category.”

Be wary out there if someone hands you a cup of coffee and says, “Be careful, it’s strong.” They may not be kidding.

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March 31, 2017 at 02:59AM

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Rock ‘n’ Rolls: British music icons customize luxury cars

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By tradition, rock ‘n’ roll has been all about sticking it to the man. It’s about playing loud, smashing instruments, and singing about things polite society would rather you wouldn’t. It’s hard to think of a carmaker more opposed to rock’s anti-establishment ethos than Rolls-Royce.

Yet Rolls corralled some of the most legendary names in the history of rock music to customize a batch of its cars. It just rolled out the first four of nine planned Wraith “Inspired by British Music” coupes, which will bear the personal touches of the likes of The Who’s Roger Daltry, The Kinks’ Ray Davies, as well as Ronnie Wood, Shirley Bassey, and Giles Martin, son of producer George Martin, known as the “fifth Beatle.”

If nothing else, the cars show off Rolls’ considerable in-house customization abilities, and will help some good causes. Rolls expects each of the one-off Wraiths to become collectors’ items, and will donate a portion of the sale of each car to a charity of its rock-star creator’s choice.

More: 2016 Rolls-Royce Dawn review

Each car is a rolling rock trivia contest. Roger Daltry actually partnered with Rolls on two cars: one inspired by his overall career, the other specifically referencing The Who’s 1969 rock opera “Tommy.” One car features the band’s famous bullseye logo in its dashboard clock, and song lyrics engraved in the door panels. The “Tommy” car got a paint job inspired by the album’s cover artwork, complete with birds in flight.

To really drive the point home, Rolls also made sure each car had the name of the artists who designed it engraved on the door kick plates, and at the base of the “Spirit of Ecstasy” hood ornament. That should get peoples’ attention, even if they don’t get all of the music references sprinkled throughout the car.

Rolls hasn’t always had this kind of relationship with rock stars. The company wasn’t exactly pleased when John Lennon covered his Phantom in a psychedelic paint scheme in 1965. My, how things have changed.

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• Rolls-Royce turns to 1930s ocean liners for inspiration as it builds last Phantom

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March 31, 2017 at 02:59AM

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6 Mobile-Friendly Sign Up Forms to Try Now

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It's been a few months since Google made an update that penalizes mobile websites that use certain pop-up forms (aka, interstitials) – an update that could lead to a decrease in rankings in Google search results. But for many businesses, the implications of this update went beyond their position in the SERPs. There was heightened concern over the impact on their email list growth, too. With 60 percent of online traffic coming from smartphones and tablets, mobile users represent a massive audience when it comes to list building. So what's the status? Fortunately, we've found the Google update doesn’t mean you have to lose out on any of these valuable visitors. With careful planning and consideration, you can find the right kind of mobile-friendly form that's both effective and Google-compliant. Before we dive into six different types of opt-in forms you can use to continue growing your list, here's a quick look at what we did to optimize our mobile experience at AWeber HQ.

Our Google-friendly mobile sign up form strategy

When Google announced their penalties on intrusive pop-ups and interstitials, we immediately updated our mobile site for the blog. The first thing we did was remove any slide-in or pop-up forms. To continue our list building efforts, we replaced them with embedded forms and exit-intent forms. Since the Google penalty does not apply to desktop users, we left the experience as-is so they'll still receive the pop-up forms and slide-ins. This way, the sign up form experience varies based on whether users come from a desktop or mobile device.  The results so far? Not a single dip in our subscriber growth.

6 mobile-friendly opt-in forms

To help you navigate the world of sign up forms outside of the pop-up, here are six approaches you can take to motivate mobile users to subscribe to your list.

1. Embedded forms

As a consumer of content yourself, have you ever read an article and thought, "I really love this blog post, but I wish there was more information on that one topic!” With a contextual embedded sign up form, you can offer that deeper dive at the right time. If someone reads your blog post about sign up forms, and you have a course that could help them up their game, you can embed a sign up form in the post and offer it to them right away.  Just remember to keep the form copy short, to-the-point and highlight the benefits of signing up.   I recommend using embedded forms on longer, thorough posts. You can break up the important sections with a quick check-in, and give the reader a second to digest the information you've shared and sign up for bonus content. Just look at this form used by Regina, a blogger and coach for entrepreneurs: The form doesn’t break up the post in a jarring way, and is aligned with her content and branding.  

2. Header forms

But wait! Isn’t this just another embedded form? Well, yes it is. Technically. It’s important to note, however, that the placement of a specific sign up form on your site is just as important as the type of form you use. While pop-up forms are the cat’s pajamas of sign up form conversion, embedding a form into the header has some added benefits for your mobile users.   Just check out this form from The Atlantic: It only asks for your email address, and you can move right past it to the website content without an issue. These kinds of forms are best suited for your most highly-trafficked pages. Just keep in mind that a header form works best when it’s simple and only asks for name and email address – so if you want to collect more subscriber details, this might not be the best approach. As visitors sign up to your list, however, you do have the option to get more subscriber details along the way.

3. Footer forms

Forms embedded in your footer are a great way to drive conversions. By offering your prospects something of value at the end of a post or site page, you’ll help continue the conversation. Think of your own content. Is there a blog post that’s performing better than others? Why not add a form at the end to promote your email list or another piece of relevant content? These forms act as a reminder that the awesome information you provide doesn’t have to stop at the end of the article. A well-placed footer form can be used to continue educating your prospect on a topic they’ve already sought out. If you have an email newsletter, for example, promoting it in the footer would be a good strategy to try. When someone finishes reading your post, they’ll be more interested in getting future updates through email! Here's an example of a form we have at the bottom of our Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing resource: At this point in the page, we can assume readers will be interested in downloading additional bonus content.  On other pages in the guide, we promote the bonus resources in a slightly different form called a sticky-bar form: As users scroll through the content on their mobile device, the form sticks to the bottom. It doesn't obstruct the reader experience, and it’s a simple reminder that they can get additional content by signing up. Another benefit of footer forms? You can use them to collect more subscriber information. Since your visitors have read through your content, you can ask for more details, like what kind of content they want to receive.  

4. Click-to-open forms

I know it sounds too good to be true, but you can still have this type of pop-up on your mobile site. With this form, users can click a link or button that triggers a pop-up form.  Since visitors choose to open the form, they'll also be more likely to sign up. Another great thing about a click-to-open forms? You can add them to a variety of relevant locations in your content. Check out how tech innovation and culture site, The Next Web, uses a click-to-open form to remind prospects of their upcoming conference:  

5. Page-scroll forms

Many mobile sites provide users with the option to scroll past the form to access the content. This kind of form still provides readers with the ability to sign up, but again does not obstruct their ability to read your awesome content. It’s important for this kind of form to include some visual cues to prompt readers to continue scrolling. This helps them understand they can simply scroll past the form and get on with reading.  Not sure if your forms are optimized to collect sign ups? Sign up for our bonus content below!    

6. Exit-intent forms

Exit-intent forms display when a user goes to leave your site. This form gives you the ability to still get the benefits of a pop-up, but in a way that's compliant with Google and doesn't interrupt the user experience.  These forms also work well when used in conjunction with an embedded form. If a person doesn't sign up from a form while reading your content, for example, an exit-intent form works to remind them of what they'd be missing out on. And the more value you can provide, the better. Offering an incentive like an ebook or an exclusive discount for signing up can motivate on-the-fence visitors to sign up for your list.

What works for you?

Now that we've covered mobile sign up form alternatives to the pop-up, I'd love to learn more about what you've tried since Google's interstitial penalty update earlier this year. What works best for you? Let us know in the comments! 

The post 6 Mobile-Friendly Sign Up Forms to Try Now appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.

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March 30, 2017 at 07:49AM

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Jaguar Classic division planning to offer ten fully restored E-Types

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Jaguar’s Classic division is bringing back the E-Type. Ten lucky enthusiasts will have the opportunity to purchase a first-series E-Type that has been meticulously restored inside and out by the same company that built it over 50 years ago.

The project is similar to what Land Rover did with the Series I and, more recently, the original Range Rover. Jaguar’s E-Type experts will scout the classifieds to find original, numbers-matching cars in need of a restoration. They want to retain as much of the donor vehicle as possible, so the team isn’t interested in purchasing the rusty E-Type shell that’s been sitting in your folks’ backyard since Gerald Ford was in office.

More: Jaguar could completely reinvent the F-Type by moving the engine

Jaguar explains it’s in the ideal position to breathe new life into these rare, valuable machines.

“The resources and information available to Jaguar Classic’s expert technicians are unrivaled, which results in the most authentic E-Type restorations possible,” the company promised in a statement.

The idea is to bring each car back to its original condition; enthusiasts dreaming of dropping the F-Type SVR’s supercharged V8 in the E-Type’s engine bay will need to look elsewhere. The E launched with a 3.8-liter straight-six engine, and it received a bigger 4.2-liter six in October of 1964. Both engines were bolted to a four-speed manual transmission, though a three-speed automatic gearbox was available at an extra cost in certain markets.

Jaguar wants enthusiasts to feel safe, so it’s willing to make a few exceptions to the “all-original” rule. Notably, buyers can pay extra for an upgraded cooling system, an all-syncromesh gearbox, and bigger front brakes sourced from the second-series model introduced in 1968. The Es will also benefit from modern rust-proofing techniques.

Jaguar Classic will initially build 10 examples of the E-Type Reborn. Pricing starts at 285,000 British pounds (about $355,000); for that price, you could buy a Mercedes-Benz S-Class to drive during the week, a Porsche 911 Turbo to enjoy on the weekend, and still have money left over to build a garage. But, if you’re after the world’s nicest E-Type, Jaguar’s Classic center is the place to go.

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March 31, 2017 at 02:09AM

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Samsung Galaxy S8 vs. iPhone 7: Duking it out with the cream of the crop

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The highly anticipated Galaxy S8 has finally arrived, and it’s just as impressive as expected. Samsung’s newest flagship features a ultra-slim bezels, curved screen, cutting-edge processor, a brand-new digital assistant, and more.

But the Galaxy S8 isn’t the only heavyweight on the mobile playing field. Apple’s iPhone 7 is still a top performer. To put an end to the debate, we pitted the two phones against each other in a specs battle to the finish.

More: Behind the scenes: How Samsung designed and built the Galaxy S8 and S8+

Specs

Comparing the specs of the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 7 gets a little tricky — Apple controls the operating system and the hardware, so it can offer a smooth and optimized user experience. Samsung uses Google’s operating system, and in the U.S. it uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835, so it doesn’t have the same level of control as Apple.

Qualcomm’s eight-core, 64-bit Snapdragon 835 processor is the newest and beefiest of the company’s chip arsenal. It’s built on a 10-nanometer FinFET process, which crams 30 percent more parts into the same space than the previous generation of Snapdragon processors. It features four levels of thermal shielding that protect against overheating.

It’s too early to tell how — or if — those synthetic gains translate to real-world performance, but Qualcomm gave Anandtech a preview at its San Diego headquarters. Apple’s iPhone 7, meanwhile, packs the company’s quad-core 64-bit A10 Fusion processor, which is 40 percent faster than the A9 in the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. Graphics performance is significantly improved, too — Apple said the A10’s image chip is 50 percent faster than that in the A9. And it’s dramatically more efficient thanks to two dedicated co-processors that handle low-intensity tasks.

In all likelihood, the Snapdragon 835 and A10 will trade blows. Anandtech’s testing shows the Snapdragon 835 scoring 2,672 in the web benchmark Kraken compared to the A10’s 1,119 (lower is better). In GFXBench, the two are neck-and-neck — the Snapdragon 835 managed 60 frames per second, while the iPhone 7 averaged 59.90. Basemark put the A10 ahead with a score of 1,538 compared to the Snapdragon 835’s 889. But 3DMark had the Snapdragon 835 dominating the A10 with a score of 3,844 versus the latter’s 2,806.

It’s worth noting that the iPhone 7 has half the amount of RAM as the Galaxy S8 (2GB vs. 4GB), but iOS doesn’t require the kind of memory that Android does, so it may be a moot point. We’ll be testing the S8 soon, but Apple’s OS-level control may still put the iPhone 7 ahead of the competition in terms of performance.

Winner: Apple iPhone 7

Design

There’s no two ways about it: The Galaxy S8 is drop-dead gorgeous. The front of the handset’s dominated by a 5.8-inch AMOLED curved screen that extends from the phone’s right-hand bezel to its left. It has a high 2,960 x 1,440 pixel resolution that’s vibrant and colorful, and it may be the best display we’ve seen in a smartphone.

There’s no home button — it’s been relegated to on-screen navigation icons at the bottom of the display. Short of the sensors flanking the top, it’s an exceptionally utilitarian look. It’s a different story around back, where Samsung has stuck a fingerprint sensor next to the rear camera and flash. It isn’t ugly, per say, but it’s a little busier than the iPhone 7’s minimalist finish.

But we can’t fault Samsung on its choice of materials. The Galaxy S8’s made of aluminum and glass, and that helps give it a more premium feel.

Short of the aluminum, the iPhone 7 couldn’t share less in common with the Galaxy S8. It’s got the curved, seamless aluminum unibody of its recent predecessors, but the infamous antenna lines on the rear casing now curve around the back corners. The iPhone does have a lower 1,334 × 750 pixels on its 4.7-inch display, but one advantage worth noting is 3D Touch, which serves up hidden menus if you press the screen with a little more force than usual.

There’s a debate to be had about whether a screen the Galaxy S8’s size and resolution is really necessary, but the facts are clear: On a technical level, the Galaxy S8 bests the iPhone 7’s screen in every metric. In excelling in display, Samsung wins points for design as we can’t stop staring at that Infinity Display.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S8

Sound

It’s no secret that the iPhone 7’s ditched the standard 3.5-millimeter jack found on every other iPhone before it (not to mention most other smartphones and laptops). Instead, the iPhone’s Lightning connector — or included Lightning-to-3.5-millimeter adapter, as the case may be — handles audio, which makes using an old pair of wired headphones a bit of a chore.

You could buy a Bluetooth pair, of course. The iPhone 7 sports the W1, a Bluetooth chip that delivers audio more efficiently than competing solutions. But taking full advantage requires picking up a pair of with Apple’s AirPods or new Beats lineup, which is an expensive proposition.

You won’t have that dilemma with the Galaxy S8, which sports a familiar 3.5-millimeter jack. Most headphones work just fine, and the S8 will come packaged with earbuds from AKG Acoustics.

When it comes to loudspeakers, though, the iPhone 7 has clear the advantage. Apple’s flagship boasts a stereo configuration that uses the phone’s earpiece and bottom speaker to deliver two times the volume of the iPhone 6s and “increased dynamic range,” according to Apple.

The Galaxy S8 retains the previous Galaxy’s single loudspeaker. We’ll have to put it through it spaces to see how it fares, but if it’s anything like the Galaxy S7’s tinny speaker, it’ll have a tough time besting the iPhone.

Still, in the current climate we think having a headphone jack is more useful than carrying around a dongle. The win goes to the Galaxy S8.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S8

Battery life and charging

The Galaxy S8 packs a battery that’s largely on par with the Android competition. It’s 3,000mAh in capacity, and supports both wireless charging and Samsung’s rapid charging technology. It’s said to last about a day, and the Galaxy S8’s Snapdragon 835 processor may boost it a bit further — according to Qualcomm, batteries managed by the chip will maintain at least 80 percent of their original capacity after 500 charge cycles.

The iPhone 7, meanwhile, packs a 1,960mAh cell that lacks rapid charging and wireless charging. But the A10’s low-power cores help deliver at least a full day of juice, and the iPhone has excellent standby time.

The jury’s out on which phone lasts longer. But the Galaxy S8’s rapid charging and wireless charging features are enough to put it over the top.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S8

Camera

The Galaxy S8’s camera is no different from the Galaxy S7’s camera, and that’s no joke. It’s the same 12-megapixel sensor found in last year’s model, down to the 1.44 micron pixel size and f/1.7 aperture. That’s not a bad thing — it benefits from a dual-pixel design, which speeds up autofocus by using 100 percent of the sensor’s pixels (traditional smartphone cameras use less than 5 percent). Compared to the Galaxy S6, it captures 96 percent more light.

The iPhone 7’s 12-megapixel shooter boasts an f/1.8 aperture, phase detection autofocus, and optical image stabilization. It’s able to capture stunning shots with that hardware, but it can’t quite match up to the iPhone 7 Plus’s dual-sensor camera. The larger iPhone’s setup is superb, with a 2x optical zoom and depth-of-field feature that convincingly simulates bokeh.

When we pitted the Galaxy S7’s camera against the iPhone 7, we noted that the Galaxy S7 tended to “amp up” the color in its pictures, giving some of them an almost hyper-real quality. The iPhone 7’s colors were a little more natural, but tended to come out noisier in low light.

No matter which you choose, though, you’re going to capture some awesome pictures you’ll be proud of. We’re calling this one a draw.

Winner: Draw

Software

The Galaxy S8 runs Android Nougat, the latest stable version of Google’s Android operating system. The iPhone 7, in contrast, runs iOS 10, the newest iteration of Apple’s mobile operating system.

Comparing the iPhone 7’s iOS software to the Galaxy S8’s brand of Android, dubbed TouchWiz, is comparing apples and oranges. In broad terms, though, it’s worth noting that Android is generally more customizable than iOS, though iOS is considered a little easier to use.

One of Samsung’s new software features on the S8 is Bixby, an assistant that’s activated with a dedicated physical button on the Galaxy S8’s side. It taps into the 10 apps that come preloaded on the Galaxy S8: Gallery, Contents, Settings, Camera, and so forth. You can delegate tasks with your voice, or use the Vision feature to have Bixby recognize objects in pictures (a bottle of wine, for example). And you can check Bixby Home, which supplies information in cards to the left of the home screen. It should be noted that a lot of what Bixby can do isn’t exactly innovative — in fact, Bixby’s capabilities piggyback off other apps you can download on iOS, like Vivino and Pinterest’s Lens.

The Galaxy S8 also has Dex, a feature that transforms the it into a fully functional desktop. Plug the phone into the Dex Dock (sold separately) and you’ll a Windows-like interface that supports mouse and keyboard input. It’s a little like Microsoft’s Continuum.

Software features aren’t the only major differences between the platforms, though. High-profile apps and games generally come to the App Store first, and Android updates are frequently beholden to the Android manufacturers and carriers who must approve them. Samsung isn’t always quick to update its devices with the latest patches and upgrades.

Apple’s updates roll out fast — even to older devices. That alone is a huge win for Apple, giving it the win here.

Winner: Apple iPhone 7

Durability

Without dropping it shoulder-level onto concrete, the Galaxy S8 is probably less likely to survive a fall than the iPhone 7, which isn’t wrapped in glass

Both devices are water-resistant though — Samsung’s Galaxy S8 maintains an IP68 rating, whereas the iPhone 7 has an IP67 rating. It’s almost the same thing, though you should be able to take the S8 0.5 meters deeper for 30 minutes.

Dropping a phone is more likely than water damage, and since both already protect against it, we’ll take the iPhone’s aluminum back over the slippery, dangerous all-glass Galaxy S8.

Winner: Apple iPhone 7

Price and availability

The Galaxy S8 starts at $720 in the U.S., which is a lot more expensive than the iPhone 7’s $650 starting price. To be fair, with the iPhone you’re starting with 32GB of storage with no MicroSD card for that price, and the S8 comes with 64GB and a MicroSD card.

Neither phone is cheap, but the iPhone still offers a comparable if not better experience for less money.

Winner: Apple iPhone 7

Overall winner: iPhone 7

It’s a close match, but the iPhone 7 takes the cake as it offers strong performance, and immediate software updates for a lower price. Some of the iPhone 7’s features are also comparable to the Galaxy S8, such as the camera.

But at the end of the day, it largely depends on what operating system you prefer, and you won’t be disappointed whichever way you go.

• Samsung Galaxy S7 vs. Galaxy S8: Is this year’s ‘Next Big Thing’ really worth it?
• Samsung S8 vs. LG G6: Which rival’s flagship phone do you want in your life?
• Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. iPhone 7 Plus: Which adds more value?

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March 31, 2017 at 02:09AM

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Australian commission denies banks’ right to negotiate as group with Apple

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Australian banks will be forced to negotiate with Apple individually when it comes to rolling out Apple Pay, due to anti-cartel laws. This confirms a ruling handed down by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) back in November 2016.

Although Apple Pay is a service introduced by the Cupertino, California-company, the actual financial transactions themselves stay between the banks, retailers, and customers. That said, Apple has, elsewhere in the world, negotiated lower transaction fees in return for encouraging more credit-based transactions.

If it wants to do that in Australia though, it will need to do so with individual banks, rather than all of them as a collective.

“The ACCC is not satisfied, on balance, that the likely benefits from the proposed conduct outweigh the likely detriments,” ACCC chairman, Rod Sims said in a statement (via 9t05Mac). “We are concerned that the proposed conduct is likely to reduce or distort competition in a number of markets.”

“While the ACCC accepts that the opportunity for the banks to collectively negotiate and boycott would place them in a better bargaining position with Apple, the benefits would be outweighed by detriments.”

More: Users can now donate to their favorite charities in the U.K. with Apple Pay

Apple’s response to the news was slightly derogatory. It suggested that it had been able to successfully negotiate the use of Apple Pay in a variety of markets, but struggled with Australia, purely because of the ACCC.

Part of the reason a deal has yet to be struck with Australian banks is because they have previously requested access to the iPhone’s NFC chip, which would allow not only Apple Pay to work, but alternative mobile payment options as well. Apple’s denial of access is said to be related to security concerns.

It’s sticking to its guns, too, so it may mean that negotiations take far longer now that it will have to make deals with individual banks over the coming months. This could lead to some banks negotiating better rates than others, which could affect the rollout, though to what extent is anyone’s guess.

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March 31, 2017 at 02:09AM

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Smart sensors allow paralyzed man to move his arm for first time in years

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Modern technology is pretty darn amazing, but sometimes we need a particularly prominent example to remind us of just how awesome it can be.

That’s what happened this week when Bill Kochevar, a man who has been paralyzed below his shoulders for the past eight years following a bicycling accident, was able to feed himself by using his thoughts to send messages from an implant in his brain to implants in his arm.

In the study, Kochevar underwent surgery to install sensors in his brain’s motor cortex, the part of the brain responsible for hand movement. Over the following four months he then learned to use the sensors to control a 3D virtual arm, before undergoing a second operation to install 36 electrodes in his arm and hand. These electrodes prompted electrical stimulation of muscles in Kochevar’s shoulder, elbow and hand.

More: Innovative brain-reading cap allows ‘locked-in’ patients to communicate with doctors

“This is the first in-man success of a fully implanted brain machine interface (BCI) and functional electrical stimulation to restore function in a fully paralyzed limb in an individual with quadriplegia,” researcher Benjamin Walter, associate professor of neurology at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, clinical PI of the Cleveland BrainGate2 trial and medical director of the Deep Brain Stimulation Program at UH Cleveland Medical Center, told Digital Trends. “What is amazing about this approach is the technology essentially bypasses the damaged spinal cord and allows the individual to just think about moving his arm and it moves. He has been able to perform functional tasks and move his arm in multiple directions with multiple degrees of freedom.”

Despite the headline-grabbing study, Walter said that the work is still in its relatively early stages, and that the algorithms are being tweaked and improved on a regular basis as a result of the team’s work with Bill Kochevar.

The restorative abilities of the brain machine interface are long-lasting, but work only when the system is hooked up to a computer.

That won’t be the case forever, though. “Eventually this technology will all be wireless or internalized which could allow for more continuous independent use,” Walter concluded.

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March 31, 2017 at 02:09AM

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Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

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Everyone likes apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers make paid apps free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest apps on sale in the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money, and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

More: 200 Awesome iPhone Apps | The best Android apps for almost any occasion

• Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Digital Trends

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March 31, 2017 at 02:09AM