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Best Bluetooth trackers: These tiny gadgets help find your lost stuff - PC World http://bit.ly/2v67qrF Best Bluetooth trackers: These tiny gadgets help find your lost stuff PC World We all lose things. Sometimes we're in a rush—sometimes we're just forgetful. Fortunately, you can lean on Bluetooth trackers to keep an eye on your things, ... Gadget News via "gadgets" - Google News http://bit.ly/2TcEcRI April 15, 2019 at 05:54PM
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Google teases 'something big' for Pixel on May 7th https://engt.co/2IzVFBq 
You won't have to wait until the fall for more news on Pixel devices. Google has posted a teaser promising that "something big is coming to the Pixel universe" on May 7th. The associated video clip is ultimately just a promo for Avengers: Endgame-themed AR stickers, but there's clearly something more to it than that. Most bets are on Google unveiling its mid-range Pixel 3a phones. The timing would be right. Google itself recently hinted at the Pixel 3a and 3a XL on its store, and May 7th conveniently dovetails with the first day of this year's I/O developer conference. Past reports had Google aiming for a mid-year debut, and even Google's Hiroshi Lockheimer admitted that he was using a pre-release (but unnamed) phone in March. If that is what appears next month, you'll at least have an idea as to what to expect. Most rumors have the base Pixel 3a pairing a 5.6-inch display with a Snapdragon 670 chip, 4GB of RAM and a 12-megapixel camera that uses the same Pixel Visual Core you find in the high-end Pixel 3. The 3a XL would jump to a 6-inch screen and should have comparable performance, although there have been rumors of a Snapdragon 710 inside. Either way, goal would remain the same -- Google would bring the essentials of the Pixel line back to more affordable devices after years of price hikes. Via: 9to5Google Source: Google Store Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com April 15, 2019 at 05:45PM
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Hulu buys AT&T's stake, leaving Comcast and Disney as owners https://engt.co/2Dh6Hbl 
Those rumors of AT&T ditching its stake in Hulu have proven true, although it didn't necessarily play out as expected. The telecom has reached a deal to sell its 9.5 percent stake in Hulu (worth about $1.43 billion) back to the joint venture. It's not certain exactly how this will shift the balance of power or affect content, but Hulu chief Randy Freer said AT&T's WarnerMedia would stay a "valued partner" for "years to come." AT&T said it would use the money to "reduce its debt." Between this and Disney's acquisition of key Fox assets, Hulu's joint venture is down to just two companies, Disney and Comcast. It's not yet certain just how this affects the ownership ratios, but Disney already had majority control with 60 percent while Comcast had a 30 percent share. This further consolidates power and could influence what appears on the service, not to mention bundles and other strategies for growing its footprint. Not that you couldn't see this coming. AT&T's WarnerMedia is developing its own streaming service, and it's expected to behave a lot like Hulu -- just with an emphasis on in-house properties like Warner Bros., HBO and Turner. A financial stake in a competing service could easily be problematic. This helps AT&T avoid conflicts of interest and focus on its own plans. Source: Business Wire Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com April 15, 2019 at 05:21PM
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Scientists print first 3D heart using a patient’s own cells https://engt.co/2Pbb5xw 
Researchers at Tel Aviv University managed to successfully print the first ever 3D heart that uses cells and biological materials from a patient. The medical breakthrough, which was published today in Advanced Science, managed to produce an entire heart, complete with cells, blood vessels, ventricles and chambers -- a marked improvement over previous attempts that only printed simple tissues without vessels. The process of creating the heart started with a biopsy of fatty tissue taken from patients. The cellular material from the tissues was used as the "ink" for the print job. That allowed researchers to create complex tissue models including cardiac patches and eventually an entire heart. It should be noted that the heart isn't very big -- it's only about the size of a rabbit's heart. But the technology that made it possible could eventually lead to the production of a human-sized organ. Currently, the hearts can only contract but researchers plan on culturing the 3D printed hearts and teaching them how to operate like the real deal. Once that process is complete, they will attempt to transplant them into animal models. Researchers have been working on 3D-printed tissues for years, with the eventual goal of creating functioning organs for transplant. The scientists involved in the heart project at Tel Aviv University theorized that within 10 years, organ printers could be available at hospitals. Source: Tel Aviv University Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com April 15, 2019 at 05:09PM
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Disney takes even greater control of Hulu after AT&T sells stake http://bit.ly/2UCjGPO 
AT&T has sold its 10 percent stake in Hulu back to the streaming service today for $1.43 billion dollars, in a move that will now give Disney (which already had gained a controlling interest in Hulu through its Fox purchase) even more control going forward. Post-purchase, that puts Disney’s stake in Hulu as owning 66 percent of the service, with Comcast owning the remaining 33 percent. As a sign of how quickly this has progressed, just last year, Hulu was still divided evenly between Disney, Fox, and Comcast — each owning a 30 percent cut of the company — alongside AT&T’s 10 percent stake. Disney gaining even more control over Hulu could also mean a radical shift in what Hulu even is. Right now, the site offers streaming content from a huge range of providers, including Comcast-owned NBC and Universal, and AT&T-owned networks like TBS and TNT. But with AT&T no longer in the game and the balance of power firmly shifted in Disney’s favor, it’s easy to imagine a future where Comcast and AT&T pull out their shows entirely in favor of their own streaming efforts, leaving Hulu as an exclusively Disney service that compliments the upcoming Disney+. Disney has even hinted as much, with the company highlighting in the past few days the different roles it intends for Hulu and Disney+ (Hulu offering more mature content) and even the potential for a joint bundle. And while that’s good for Disney, it’s a decidedly less appealing future for consumers, who could see one of the last streaming services to offer cross-network content get fractured into even more monthly fees to watch all your shows. Gadget News via The Verge http://bit.ly/1jLudMg April 15, 2019 at 05:04PM
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Google teases new Pixel announcement for May 7th http://bit.ly/2GszF9h 
“Something big is coming to the Pixel universe,” reads a new teaser on the Google Store, offering a strong hint that the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL phones are set for an announcement at the company’s I/O 2019 keynote on May 7th. Details about both have leaked over the last few months (even on Google’s own website), with Google expected to introduce the pair of devices at a lower price point than the flagship Pixel 3 and 3 XL that were launched last year. The 3a line will reportedly offer the same camera performance, which has become Google’s signature strength, but make downgrades elsewhere including build (these are rumored to be plastic-backed phones), screen resolution, and processing power. The Google Store page’s “help is on the way” tagline alludes to the Avengers: Endgame tie-in also announced today; several Marvel characters are joining the lineup of augmented reality Playmoji that are available exclusively on Pixel phones. Users can sign up for more details on whatever’s coming next month. /cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16034984/Screen_Shot_2019_04_15_at_5.25.07_PM.png)
Just today, 9to5Google and Android Police both reported that the Pixel 3a might be coming to T-Mobile in addition to Verizon, which would break the US carrier exclusivity that the latter company has enjoyed dating back to the original Pixel phone. Gadget News via The Verge http://bit.ly/1jLudMg April 15, 2019 at 05:04PM
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Some publishers claim Apple 'playing favorites' with Apple News+ http://bit.ly/2v3vpaM  Apple News+ is apparently experiencing growing pains, as a handful of smaller publications speak out about problems with the month-old service including access to platform-specific design templates and poor communication from Apple. Gadget News via AppleInsider - Frontpage News http://bit.ly/2SesSV9 April 15, 2019 at 05:02PM
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A South Carolina prison tested ‘micro-jamming’ cellphone signals http://bit.ly/2UF5Agw 
The US Federal Bureau of Prisons recently ran a test for jamming contraband cellphones in a South Carolina state correctional facility. “Micro-jamming,” or disrupting phone signals within a very precise area, was tested in a federal prison last year. But this test signaled that state prisons — which generally don’t have the authority to mess with phone signals — could be on their way to using the technology. The test was held last week at the maximum-security Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina. According to the Associated Press, it lasted five days and involved jamming signals in a housing unit. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which oversaw the test, will analyze the results and release them in a report. Corrections officials say that contraband phones are a major issue for prisons, citing cases like the shooting of corrections officer Robert Johnson, who nearly died after a prisoner ordered an attack on his home using a smuggled cellphone. Micro-jamming presents a possible solution, but because of FCC regulations, only federal agencies can legally implement it. And federal prisons hold just a fraction of America’s 2.3 million prisoners, while state prisons hold more than half. Those rules might be changing, however. Last month, the Senate and House of Representatives introduced bills that would let state prisons jam signals. (In this case, South Carolina Corrections director Bryan Stirling was apparently deputized as a US Marshal, giving him federal authority.) And the FCC has previously loosened restrictions on managed access systems — small-scale cellular networks that can block devices from making calls or using mobile data, but don’t outright jam all wireless access. However, one commissioner expressed concern that prisons could pass on the costs of these systems to inmates’ families. Critics of jamming say that opening up the rules could create a “slippery slope” to letting jammers proliferate outside prisons, and that imprecise jamming could block legitimate calls outside the prison — although micro-jamming promises to make that problem less likely. The Federal Bureau of Prisons ran an earlier test of micro-jamming last year at a federal prison in Cumberland, Maryland. The NTIA reported that jammers could disrupt the signal within a prison cell, but keep network access available just 20 feet away — a result that the US Department of Justice called “promising.” Gadget News via The Verge http://bit.ly/1jLudMg April 15, 2019 at 04:57PM
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The Best Charging Cable Is the One You Always Have With You http://bit.ly/2PdzUc7 You probably own a USB battery pack. Hell, you probably own several. But precious few have charging cables built in, and without one, your battery is just an expensive paperweight. The 3' long cable that came with your phone wasn’t really designed to slip into your pocket, but if you carry keys with you, there are a bunch of great options that you can clip onto your keychain for any on-the-go charging emergencies. Native Union Key CableNative Union’s iconic yarn ball-style charging cable also comes in keychain form. The braided cable comes wrapped up in a decorative knot that will look right at home on larger key rings, and it also includes a lifetime warranty, which is particularly useful on a cable that will take a lot of abuse going in and out of your pocket every day. (Lightning | MicroUSB | USB-C) inChargeThis 1.5" cable is one of the smallest on the market, and folds over an included keyring, securing to itself with built-in magnets. Since it’s so small and has no true locking mechanism, this one could be a bit easier to lose without realizing, but that’s a small price to pay for something so sleek. (Lightning | MicroUSB | USB-C) Skiva Cord2GoSkiva’s Cord2Go is what you might call “over-designed.†But hiding the connectors and cables inside a plastic housing means the delicate parts are less vulnerable, and less likely to get caught when you pull your keys out of a tight pocket. It’s also roughly the size and thickness of a key, and is designed in such a way that it should be essentially impossible to lose. (Lightning | MicroUSB)
Gadget News via Lifehacker https://lifehacker.com April 15, 2019 at 04:55PM
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Westworld won’t return until 2020, HBO chiefs confirm http://bit.ly/2UZ2tPF 
The final season of Game of Thrones is wrapping up over the next few weeks, but fans of Westworld (HBO’s other star-studded, high-profile genre show) are still in for a bit of a wait, with WarnerMedia Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt and HBO president of programming Casey Bloys confirming to Deadline that the series won’t return until 2020. There’s been speculation for a while that Westworld wouldn’t be back in 2019, but now it’s official. The news also raises a question — with Game of Thrones ending and Westworld not on the schedule for a year or more, what will HBO’s new marquee show be? Bloys doesn’t seem concerned about holes in the company’s programming, pointing to shows like Succession, Sharp Objects, The Deuce, My Brilliant Friend, The Night Of, The Leftovers, Barry, Veep, High Maintenance, and John Oliver’s and Bill Maher’s shows, which have already filled the extended gap between the seventh and eighth seasons of Game of Thrones. He says new series like Euphoria, Watchmen, The Nevers, and His Dark Materials will also continue to carry the network forward in a post-Westeros world. “Networks often go through these periods when signature shows go away, and people speculate on what the future is. And there’s always something that comes along that you didn’t expect,” adds Greenblatt. Of course, one of the natural things that could take Game of Thrones’ place in HBO’s pantheon of shows would be more Thrones, but the company is stepping carefully to avoid (as Greenblatt puts it) “killing the golden goose and not putting on shows that aren’t up to that quality level.” A Thrones prequel series from author George R.R. Martin and Jane Goldman is in the works, but right now, HBO has only ordered a pilot for that show, “so that we can see if it has all the goods and is it worthy of going forward.” But even if that pilot doesn’t make it to air, odds are that we haven’t seen the last of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy world — with the final season of Game of Thrones once again breaking the show’s own ratings record with the season 8 premiere, HBO will likely keep trying until they find something that can replicate even a piece of that magic. Gadget News via The Verge http://bit.ly/1jLudMg April 15, 2019 at 04:50PM |
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