Android Q Beta 2: Gestures now swipe between apps just like iOS - 9to5Google

One of the big new features in Android Pie was the arrival of gesture navigation. However, Google’s take on gestures was highly criticized. Now, in the second beta release of Android Q, gestures have apparently been reworked in a big way.

The best gifts for Android users

The best way to describe how Android Q’s new gestures work is “iOS, but worse.” The new system actually works extremely close to how things are on the iPhone. Just like in previous releases, you’ll have the pill button and a contextual back button on screen, with a swipe up revealing your recent apps.

However, pulling on the pill button no longer switches between apps. Rather, a quick swipe along the navigation bar goes back and forth between your apps in chronological order. Just like on iOS, this functionality lets you access apps in the order you’ve had them open, as well as swiping in the other direction to go forward.

Currently, though, the functionality is largely broken. The animation itself is buggy on our devices and often the launcher’s search bar on the Pixel 3 comes through. Clearly, this is in early stages. Interestingly, we did see a glance of this change in Beta 1.

Update: The folks at XDA-Developers have taken things a step further and discovered that Google may just be ditching the home button entirely. Apparently, a long “handle” is hiding beneath the surface in this beta release which looks just like what you’d find on an iPhone. Things aren’t working fully just yet, but clearly, Google has some big changes in store.

The gesture bar can be accessed with the ADB command below.

adb shell settings put global quickstepcontroller_showhandle 1

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https://9to5google.com/2019/04/03/android-q-beta-gestures-iphone/

2019-04-03 17:30:00Z
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Borderlands 3 Supports Cross-Platform Co-Op According to Microsoft Store - IGN

Platforms don’t divide friendships.

By Matt Purslow

The listing for Borderlands 3 on Microsoft’s store page claims that the game will support cross-platform co-op.

So far in the game’s short-but-loud marketing campaign, developer Gearbox has yet to say anything about cross-platform play. And yet here it is, in black and white, under the ‘Capabilities’ section of the Microsoft store listing.

Exit Theatre Mode

We reached out to publisher 2K for comment, who say: “Cross play is something we’re looking at closely, but don’t have anything to confirm or announce at this time.”

Hopefully Borderlands 3 will support full cross-platform compatibility, but chances are it more likely refers to co-op play between PC and Xbox One. A recent example of this kind of co-op is Sea of Thieves, although it should be noted that Rare’s pirate sandbox is a Microsoft exclusive, and thus would naturally be limited to Microsoft platforms. Still, there’s significantly less corporate mess to untangle with PC to Xbox cross-platform play than there is when Sony is involved.

Borderlands 3 has now had its release date confirmed, as well as four different versions of the game, and the names of the four new vault hunters you’ll be able to play as. If you can’t wait, check out our Borderlands: Game of the Year edition review to see if the new remaster is worth jumping into.

Matt Purslow is IGN UK's News and Entertainment Writer, and would very much like to play Borderlands 3 (or indeed any game) on PC alongside his console pals. You can follow him on Twitter. 

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2019-04-03 15:45:09Z
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Beats’ new Powerbeats Pro are AirPods that fit better in your ears - The Verge

A couple weeks after Apple shipped its second-generation AirPods, the company’s Beats division is finally making its own entrance into the true wireless earbuds market. The new $249.95 Powerbeats Pro ship in May and are Beats’ most significant product in years. I get the feeling that for many people, these are going to prove even more compelling than AirPods. They offer longer battery life. They seal fully in your ears without letting in outside noise. They include the same Apple H1 chip as the latest AirPods for hands-free “Hey Siri” voice commands. And yes, to my ears, the Powerbeats Pro sounded better during my brief introduction to them.

Beats says its Powerbeats wireless earbuds are the most popular fitness headphones in the world, and the new Pro model sheds the cable that links the left and right buds together. They retain the look and identity of Powerbeats, but Beats didn’t just snip the wire; it redesigned the entire product in the move to a true wireless design. The Pros are 23 percent smaller and 17 percent lighter than the regular Powerbeats neckbuds, and Beats is offering color options beyond white: the Powerbeats Pro will come in black, white, dark green, and navy.

What’s good about the Powerbeats Pro?

• Battery life: Beats says the Powerbeats Pro can reach nine hours of continuous listening. That’s no match for the best traditional Bluetooth headphones out there (including Beats’ own Solo 3s) but, if accurate, it’s an exceptional achievement for true wireless earbuds. Nine hours handily beats the AirPods, Galaxy Buds, Jabra Elite 65t, and the rest of the field. The charging case holds enough extra juice to get you around 24 hours of total listening time.
• Apple H1 chip: Just like the second-gen AirPods, the Powerbeats Pro include Apple’s H1 chip for hands-free “Hey Siri” voice commands and quicker switching between your Apple devices.
• Fit: Beats aimed for a comfortable and secure fit, and my initial impression is that they nailed it. Wrapping the ear hook around my ear was a bit awkward — such is life for those of us with glasses — but once they were in, the Powerbeats Pro didn’t budge. I didn’t get to take them for a run or do cartwheels while wearing them, so more testing is needed. But don’t judge these based on older Powerbeats earbuds. Beats says “over 20 configurations were electronically modeled and physically tested. The result is a completely new, ergonomically angled acoustic housing that nests comfortably in the concha bowl of the ear with an off-axis nozzle.” Four sets of ear tips should hopefully mean you’ll find the perfect seal or something close to it.

• Physical controls: You don’t need to worry about gestures or awkward touch-sensitive tapping zones here. Both earbuds have identical physical buttons for volume and track controls. When you’re in the middle of a workout, you’ll appreciate the no-fuss controls. There’s no power button, but the earbuds contain motion sensors that automatically put them into sleep mode when idle.
• They can be used independently: Like the AirPods, both Powerbeats Pro earbuds connect to your device independently. Many other true wireless buds use a master / slave system where only of them is connected to your phone, and the other is connected to the first earbud. This limits you to using only one side for phone calls, for example. With the Powerbeats Pro, you can pop in either earbud and you’re set.

What’s not so good about the Powerbeats Pro?

• Large charging case: It’s very clear that Beats expects people to keep the charging case for the Powerbeats Pro in a bag of some sort; whether it’s your gym bag or daily carry doesn’t matter. But the case is significantly larger than the competition. It’s hard to surpass Apple here, and you’ve got to factor in the ear hooks on the Powerbeats Pro, which demand a larger case. Still, this one is way bigger than what you get with Beats’ competition. You could probably squeeze this thing into a pocket, but it’s not going to be comfortable.

• No wireless charging: If there’s one obvious thing that separates the new AirPods from the Powerbeats Pro, it’s this. The case doesn’t support Qi wireless charging.
• Water-resistant, but no rating: Beats isn’t disclosing an IPX water resistance rating for the Powerbeats Pro, but the company insists they’ve been engineered to handle all of your sweat without fail. (The charging case is not water-resistant, so you’ll want to wipe down the earbuds before dropping them in there after a strenuous workout.)

How do they sound?

Look, I really didn’t get enough listening time to make a definitive call here, but my initial impression is very positive. The Powerbeats Pro put a lot of oomph behind The Hold Steady and my rock-centric workout playlist. They exhibited a really nice dynamic range and wide sound stage as I shuffled through my library over the course of a couple minutes. Yes, there’s emphasis on bass. And no, no one’s going to confuse these with neutral studio headphones.

If you want Beats’ take on the sound, here’s that: “Completely re-engineered from the inside out, the earphones boast an upgraded linear piston driver that leverages an efficient, pressurized airflow to create a powerful acoustic response in a small package.”

Anything else?

• Case charges with Lightning: Beats put a Lightning jack on the Powerbeats Pro case instead of USB-C. It’s not the first time the company has done this; the Beats X also use Lightning. I can see reasonable arguments on both sides here: if you’ve got an iPhone, you’ve obviously got a Lightning cable at the ready. But isn’t USB-C the future? Either way, the Powerbeats Pro can still charge plenty fast. Beats says you can get an hour and a half of playback with a 5-minute charge and four and a half hours after a 15-minute top off.
• Call quality is supposed to be excellent: Lousy voice calls are a common complaint with true wireless earbuds. Check out my colleague Becca’s video review of the Galaxy Buds for just one example of that. The AirPods’ long stem helps out tremendously here. But Beats came up with its own solution: it put both speech-detecting accelerometers (to sense when your mouth is moving) and two beam-forming mics in each earbud that should be able to pull in your voice and block outside noise reasonably well. I haven’t tested it yet, so I can’t vouch, but I’m optimistic.
• They work fine with Android: The Powerbeats Pro are compatible with Android, of course, and Beats says you can expect the same battery life of up to nine hours on a charge. A Lightning charging port is a little inconvenient, but there’s nothing you’re really losing out on aside from Apple-only features like “Hey Siri.”

These or AirPods?

Beats (and by extension Apple) view the Powerbeats Pro as complementary to the AirPods — not a direct threat. They’re in a different price bracket ($250 vs. $159 or $200). They isolate sound, which some people will prefer but others will not. If you frequently run outside on busy city streets and like being aware of what’s happening, that might be a deciding factor. The Powerbeats Pro don’t have any kind of ambient noise mode to pipe in outside audio.

But if AirPods don't fit you well or if you do want to block out surrounding noise, the Powerbeats Pro are looking very impressive out of the gate. That 9-hour battery life sets a new bar for true wireless earbuds. They fit snugly and securely.

Where do they fit in terms of pricing?

The Powerbeats Pro are firmly in the high-end tier of true wireless earbuds. They’re not the most expensive, but they’re certainly up there.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay E8: $299.99
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless: $299.95
Master and Dynamic MW07: $299
Beats Powerbeats Pro: $249.95
Sony WF-1000X: $199.99
Apple AirPods with wireless charging case: $199
Bose SoundSport Free: $199
Sony WF-SP700N: $179.99
Jabra Elite 65t: $169
Apple AirPods with regular case: $159
Samsung Galaxy Buds: $129
Anker Soundcore Liberty Air: $79

Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge

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2019-04-03 17:00:00Z
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Walmart and Google Are Teaming Up Against Amazon Over Groceries - Motley Fool

A new front has opened in the battle for your grocery dollars.

Aiming to narrow Amazon.com's(NASDAQ:AMZN) technology advantage, Walmart (NYSE:WMT) is teaming up with Alphabet's(NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google to enable voice ordering for the retail giant's grocery shoppers. 

Walmart said in a blog post that, starting this month, customers would be able to grocery shop through the Google Assistant by saying, "Hey, Google, talk to Walmart." Walmart will use shoppers' past orders to guide requests so when they ask for milk, for example, they'll receive the milk they usually order, rather than having to specify what size and brand they want. Shoppers can add items to their carts over the course of the week as they think of what they need, and their shopping list will be ready when they decide to make their online order for eventual curbside pickup. Walmart also plans to partner with other voice assistants eventually.

Image source: Walmart.

The enemy of my enemy

Walmart's deal with Google comes several months after Amazon launched a similar service, which allows Whole Foods shoppers to add items to their cart using Alexa, Amazon's voice-activated assistant.  Last August, Amazon said shoppers could add items to their grocery lists through the company's Echo smart-speaker devices, but Walmart's initiative promises to bring voice-activated shopping to many more consumers as Walmart is the country's biggest grocery seller, while Whole Foods claims just about 2% of the market.

This is not the first time Walmart and Google, who share a common rival in Amazon, have teamed up to fight the e-commerce giant. In 2017, Walmart joined Google Express, the search giant's same-day delivery service that also partners with popular stores like Costco and Target. That service also allowed voice shopping. Walmart left Google Express in January, and speculation at the time was that Walmart was developing its own voice-ordering system. It's possible that this week's announcement is Walmart's answer to that speculation. 

Similarly, Walmart forged a strategic partnership with Microsoft, Amazon's biggest cloud competitor, to challenge the e-commerce leader in both technology and retail in areas like cashier-free stores similar to Amazon Go. 

Is voice shopping the future?

Voice shopping is still in its infancy, though close to half of Americans now own smart speakers. OC&C Consulting Group projects sales ramping up from just $2 billion in 2017 to $40 billion by 2022, and says that 62% of Americans who own a smart speaker have used it to buy groceries or other such items. 

If voice shopping will indeed make up $40 billion or more in U.S. retail sales in just a few years, it's incumbent on Walmart to compete in that arena. The company is the country's (and the world's) biggest retailer, and captures nearly 10% of all non-automotive retail spending in the U.S. 

But there are obstacles to mass adoption of voice shopping that Walmart needs to account for. For instance, it's difficult for consumers to do things like compare prices or read reviews through a voice assistant. That means shoppers need to trust the voice technology and the assistant with their orders because they are giving up more control over what they order than they would by using a screen interface like a smartphone or computer.

Avionos, a management consulting firm, found that just 1% of consumers surveyed said they would choose voice to make an intentional purchase over other options. That's a strong indication that voice as a shopping platform still has a long way to go.

Voice technology and interfaces are likely to improve over the coming years, making shopping with a smart speaker even easier. But it's unclear if the format will ever go mainstream in the way that e-commerce has.

Still, it's crucial for a retailer the size of Walmart, which has leaned on its grocery advantage in the past, to be at the forefront of new shopping channels, and strengthening its partnership with Google is a smart move as the company seeks to defend itself from Amazon. 

 

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2019-04-03 15:15:00Z
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Apple starts advertising Powerbeats Pro ‘totally wireless’ headphones before release - 9to5Mac

After 9to5Mac exclusively revealed the look and design of Apple’s upcoming Powerbeats Pro fully wireless earphones last week, the new AirPods-like product has been spotted in a huge ad in Hollywood ahead of the official announcement.

As spotted by 9to5Mac reader, Jonathan Ducrest, Apple has put up a large vertical ad for the Powerbeats Pro fully wireless earphones in LA at the intersection of Sunset and Vine.

The ad shows a picture of the earbuds with the text “Totally Wireless” beneath the Powerbeats Pro name. In the full photo below, you can also see a second landscape ad for the product.

We’re told that one says “coming soon.”

Last week, 9to5Mac’s Gui Rambo uncovered images of the AirPods-like product including what the charging case will look like.

The new Powerbeats Pro will likely include the new H1 chip found in the second-generation AirPods and “Hey Siri” functionality. Notably, Powerbeats are a great option over AirPods for users who value the ear hook design for a more secure fit and they also offer multiple eartips with an in-ear design.

Pricing is still unknown at this point for the updated fully-wireless Powerbeats, but it could land near or above the $199 original retail price that Powerbeats 3 sold for (although they now go for just $99).

With the two ads now live for Powerbeats Pro in Hollywood, it may not be too long before we see an official announcement for the exciting new earphones.

Do you plan on picking up the Powerbeats Pro when then become available? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Thanks, Jonathan!

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2019-04-03 15:33:00Z
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Google Assistant gets its long-promised John Legend voice - Engadget

Google

It took the better part of a year to show up, but John Legend's Google Assistant cameo is finally available in the US. Ask the AI helper to "talk like a Legend" and the singer's dulcet tones will greet you when issuing certain commands, such as asking about the weather. Naturally, he'll have answers for questions about his own life, such as his wife Chrissy Teigen or his favorite type of music (take a wild guess). Some of those answers will be canned, but others will take advantage of WaveNet speech synthesis to deliver a customized response.

Legend will only be available for a "limited time," and you'll have to be ready to hear the regular Google Assistant voice for those many queries where the crooner isn't available. It still beats hearing the same old dialogue for everything, though, and hints at a future where there's considerably more variety in voice assistants.

Source: Google

In this article: ai, artificial intelligence, gear, google, google assistant, internet, john legend, video, voice assistant

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2019-04-03 12:46:23Z
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WhatsApp groups getting a fix for their most annoying feature - 9to5Mac

I’m generally a fan of WhatsApp groups, offering many of the benefits of group iMessage chats, but across both iPhone and Android devices – but they do have one annoying feature …

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Anyone who has your cell number can add you to a WhatsApp group without asking you.

There’s no request mechanism, you just get dropped into the chat. That’s true of iMessages too, of course, but my experience is that people tend to be rather more gung-ho where WhatsApp groups are concerned.

WhatsApp told VentureBeat that it is now rolling out a fix for this, giving you control over who can auto-add you to a group, and who has to ask.

Users can choose between Nobody, My Contacts (people whose phone numbers they have saved in their phone), and Everyone — assuming they don’t have any reservations about random people adding them to different groups.

To add someone who has restricted access, users will be required to send a private message to the person with an invite link. That individual can then decide whether they wish to join the group through the invite link, which will be active for 72 hours.

The new feature is available in Settings > Account > Privacy > Groups.

Facebook, which owns the messaging app, says that the rollout begins today, though it is expected to take several weeks to reach everyone.

The move was partly made to avoid political spam, where campaign groups in some countries have been adding large number of people to groups to promote their cause.

WhatsApp came into its own for us over the weekend. Our apartment block has a group to enable us to pass on news and discuss issues related to the building. A major burst pipe took out the water supply for the building and, because it flooded an electrical utility room, the power shortly afterwards. The WhatsApp group proved invaluable at passing on updates about the repair work, as well as neighbours rallying round to share bottled water supplies, battery banks to keep smartphones charged and so on.

Photo: Shutterstock

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2019-04-03 13:27:00Z
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