Adobe has added professional-style speed controls to its mobile Premiere Rush CC video editing app, making it much more useful for YouTubers and other creators on the go. You can do simple speed changes much like in the main Premiere Pro CC app by either stretching/shrinking clips or entering a specific speed percentage. You can also create speed ranges within a section of your clip, starting it in fast motion and finishing in super slow-mo, for instance.
If you need even more granular control, Adobe said that Premiere Rush CC is the first mobile video editing app with speed ramping, though Muvee might beg to differ. In any case, that feature (shown above) will let you progressively change the speed of a clip from fast to slow or vice-versa, Matrixstyle, without a lot of hassle.
Other features include duration adjustments and pitch control. The latter lets you keep the original pitch of a speaker when you slow them up or down, so they don't sound either like Mickey Mouse or James Earl Jones on Quaaludes.
Rush first launched on iPhone, but is now available on Android, iOS and desktop. However, it seems to be more stable on iOS, judging by Play Store comments, so hopefully Adobe has improved that. It doesn't come cheap, either -- while you can test Rush CC for free, you can only export three projects. After that, you'll need to get an Adobe Creative Cloud plan starting at $10 per month.
Apple will start providing security researchers special iPhones and will finally launch a bug bounty program for Mac, according to Forbes. Cupertino will reportedly announce those security measures at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas later this week in an effort to strengthen its flawed bug bounty program.
Apparently, the tech giant plans to provide researchers part of its invite-only bug bounty program with iPhones that aren't as locked down as the consumer version. Forbes says they won't be as open as the ones reserved for the company's employees, but they might be open enough to give researchers a way to look at the device more closely. The phones could, for instance, give the participants a way to inspect parts of the OS or specific components, such as the memory, to look for vulnerabilities.
In addition, the company is reportedly launching its long-delayed bug bounty program for Mac. Earlier this year, a researcher discovered an exploit that would allow bad actors to grab passwords from login and system keychains without requiring administrator privileges. He refused to tell Apple the vulnerability's details, however, to protest the fact that its bug bounty program only pays out for iOS bugs and not for macOS ones.
As Patrick Wardle, principal security researcher at Jamf that found several issues in macOS, told Forbes: "If you're a large, well-resourced company such as Apple, who claims to place a premium on security, having a bug-bounty program is a no brainer." Providing rewards to security researchers for uncovering flaws in hardware and software could compel them to report the vulnerabilities to the company, making Apple's products safer and more secure.
Good news for automotive audiophiles: popular audio brand Sennheiser is working with luxury automaker Karma Automotive to create an in-car audio system.
Sennheiser will lend its loudspeaker and microphone technology to the project, creating an Ambeo sound system for listening to audio and taking phone calls as you drive.
The brand's Ambeo Soundbar was introduced at CES 2018 and impressed us with its 3D sound virtualization technology. Bringing the same concept to car audio is an unexpected choice but it could improve the experience of listening to music while driving. The technology can take audio from any source, even if it is not specifically 3D audio, and turn it into a customizable immersive 3D playback.
The system uses a multi-channel speaker set-up plus a subwoofer which should create a quality audio experience for passengers as well as the driver. Even the seat headrests have been integrated into the speaker system. And there are two microphone arrays for clear phone conversations.
Curious listeners can hear the system for themselves at a showcase at the Monterrey Car Week from August 15th to 18th. There's no word on pricing yet but given that this is Sennheiser, we expect the system won't come cheap.
Comcast's Xfinity internet service appears to be down in regions across the US, according to Down Detector, tweets from multiple users and one of Engadget's editors. Service is either completely dead or only working partially in major parts of the northwest, California, New York state, Illinois, Michigan, Texas and Florida, according to Down Detector.
@comcast please quit disrupting my service. This is absurd. 2nd night in a row. I need the internet for music to sleep. Music helps me sleep. So please hurry along the routine maintenance. @comcastcarespic.twitter.com/rK0UGAcF4I
The outage started around 1:40 AM eastern time, according to several tweets. Comcast has not announced anything yet, and service technicians have only given vague answers to users who called about the problem. Comcast's own map only shows local outages, but Down Detector is showing this as a major, nationwide issue.
The service provider (a rival to Verizon, Engadget's parent company) experienced a very similar outage last June, and eventually chalked it up to cut fiber cables. Engadget has reached out to Comcast for more information about the problem, and we'll update the post once we hear back.
Verizon owns Engadget's parent company, Verizon Media. Rest assured, Verizon has no control over our coverage. Engadget remains editorially independent.
LG doesn't like to waste any time, confirming the impending arrival of its next flagship smartphone mere hours after said device made its debut in the rumor mill. Just as expected, it seems that the LG V60 ThinQ 5G will be announced at IFA Berlin on September 6, although technically, the company is yet to even hint at the name of the upcoming high-end phone.
Of course, LG isn't quite as secretive when it comes to teasing the main feature that should help the V60 stand out from this fall's Android flagship crowd. A 20-second video invitation to the September 6 event makes it crystal clear the quirky Dual Screen attachment of the V50 ThinQ 5G will be returning with a vengeance and an interesting enhancement.
For those unfamiliar with the Dual Screen case (or even the V50 itself), the concept is pretty simple. You can easily slap that bad boy on for double the display action, which comes in handy in certain heavy gaming scenarios, not to mention general side-by-side multitasking use cases. Basically, this was LG's affordable (and somewhat rudimentary) answer to the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X, providing similar flexibility as an actual foldable device but in a far less seamless way.
On the bright side, the V50 ThinQ and its Dual Screen companion actually became available several months ago, although for some reason, LG never expanded the availability of the latter accessory to the US. Something tells us the whole world will be able to get in on the flexible dual display gaming action this time around, and what's even cooler is that it seems the V60 ThinQ will get a third screen as well.
We're talking about a tiny external panel you'll be able to check the time and date on without draining too much battery. This brings to mind the Second Screen implementation on 2015's V10 and 2016's V20, although it's currently unclear if the third display of the V60 ThinQ 5G will be capable of showing more information, like various notifications, alerts, calendar items, or previews of received messages. Either way, color us curious to check out exactly how LG intends to refine and improve the Dual Screen concept. Don't forget - September 6, 10 am Berlin time, which equates to 4 am ET (yeesh).
Less than three years after it launched Google Trips, Google is killing the service and rolling some of its features into other services.
“We’re saying goodbye to Google Trips on August 6,” a message greeting users of the mobile app version reads. “Many of your favorite features will live on in Google Search and Google Maps, so you can continue to plan and manage your trips with Google.”
Uh-huh.
“Many” doesn’t mean “all,“ nor does this change mean you have a single place to manage everything trip and travel-related: When Google Trips launched in September 2016, it was billed as a way to consolidate all vacation and trip planning into a single, offline-accessible place. In other words, a TripIt competitor.
“Google Trips is a personalized tour guide in your pocket,” Google explained at the time. “Each trip contains key categories of information, including day plans, reservations, things to do, food & drink, and more, so you have everything you need at your fingertips. The entire app is available offline — simply tap the Download button under each trip to save it to your phone.”
“Support for the Google Trips app will end on August 5, 2019,” a Google support document explains. “At this time, you’ll no longer be able to use the app. Until then, you’ll still be able to access and email all of your trip reservations and notes as normal.”
As for that bit about Google Trips functionality being available in other services, Google says that Google Search is now your go-to for learning about destinations, viewing past and upcoming reservations, and finding saved attractions, flights, and (soon) hotel rooms. You can also use Google Maps to find things to do at a destination and browse saved places, and Maps will soon organize your upcoming reservations by trip too.
We do use Google Maps extensively while traveling too, so some of that makes sense. A better option, perhaps, is the Google Travel website, which combines destination exploration with flights and hotel booking. Hey, I have an idea. Maybe Google could make a mobile app version and consolidate everything in the same place.
They could call it Google Trips. It’s a great idea.
Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Watch Active 2 smartwatch just six months after the Galaxy Watch Active was released at the Galaxy S10 event in February and two days before its expected Note 10 launch event. It's not common to get a sequel the same year as the original, but Samsung is bending the rules. Just like the company's Note phone and Galaxy S phones have two different launch cycles, so too do Samsung's watches. The Active 2 may cost $80 more that the first-gen Galaxy Watch Active ($279 for the cheapest 40mm non-LTE version vs $199 for the original), but it definitely seems like the better deal. Though they look similar, the Active 2 has more features. It has new ECG (which isn't medically cleared yet), improved heart rate and an accelerometer, there's an LTE option (price pending) and it brings back the spinning outer dial that we loved on older Galaxy watches. But in this watch it's a haptic-response touch bezel instead of a physical one.
The newest Active watch goes on sale Sept. 27, likely right up against the next expected Apple Watch, and Samsung will continue to sell the discounted Active until further notice.
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What it's like to wear Samsung's new Galaxy Watch Active...
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A few design upgrades on the Active 2
The Watch Active 2 is a bit bigger and thicker than the Watch Active, but it now comes in two sizes: a 40mm ($280) and 44mm ($300). It still manages to be more compact than the 2018 Galaxy Watch, which Samsung is also going to keep selling alongside these models. It comes in black, silver, gold and "lily gold," which replaces the green option in the previous model. You'll also have the choice between an aluminum frame with rubber straps or a stainless steel frame with leather straps.
I wore the Watch Active 2 in both sizes and peeked at the LTE model. Aside from these small changes, it still has the same appeal as the original: It's compact, well-built, minimal and attractive.
I like the haptic touch bezel more than a physical bezel
Using the new touch-sensitive edge controls on the Active 2, I could swipe around easily with minimal finger motion. Of course, you can also just swipe the screen, making the edge control a bit redundant. But the edge control feels easier for certain tasks. The haptics are nice and strong, and the clicking feel gives some solid feedback to make it feel "real."
Touching the bezel to give the watch a spin. It has a definite "click" feel thanks to haptics.
Sarah Tew/CNET
ECG... when?
Samsung's built an electrocardiogram into Watch Active 2, which will allow timed one-lead readings of heart rate and heart rhythm to spot for possible arrhythmia, much like the Apple Watch Series 4. Note that doctors in the US usually call these EKGs, rather than ECGs, but it's the same thing.
The feature isn't active on the watch, or medically cleared yet, so it'll essentially be useless for most people for the time being. Samsung is inviting medical institutions to start doing research with it, but there's no concrete timeline for an official launch or for any kind of FDA clearance.
The redesigned health sensors on the back of the Watch Active 2.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Revamped heart rate and fitness
Samsung's moving from four to eight LEDs in its optical heart-rate monitor on the new Watch Active 2 models. There's also a new accelerometer that measures 32G of force, vs 16G on the older model. According to Samsung this will allow the watch to detect heart rate data faster and yield more accurate results. This upgrades seem similar to what Apple did on the Apple Watch Series 4 last year, which made the fall detection feature possible. But Samsung hasn't explained how these improvements will come into play in fitness and health tracking on the Active 2.
The added LEDs on the heart-rate sensor could be helpful for Samsung's research into blood-pressure tech, though. While Samsung hasn't revealed any results from its ongoing blood-pressure study with UCSF, My BP Lab, Samsung executives admitted adding additional LEDs could improve future blood-pressure measuring efforts, and the company remains confident that FDA clearance for blood-pressure tech could come sometime in the near future.
Samsung's also added new coaching features, including a real-time running coach that measures pace. I didn't get a chance to test that in my brief demo in a conference room, but I'll report back when I do.
LTE model has a stainless steel design
Samsung's LTE-enabled Watch Active 2, much like other cellular-equipped Samsung smartwatches, should work standalone for core features including calls and notifications. Apps such as Spotify will be able to stream music over LTE, and you could potentially even watch a movie trailer on Youtube on your wrist with no phone involved.
Google Translate comes aboard
Samsung's including Google Translate on the Watch Active 2, a tool that's new to Samsung smartwatches, but one that was already available on Google's Wear OS watches. Frankly, all things Google Assistant would be better than Bixby, and the more Samsung allows, the better off the Watch Active 2 will be.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The watch matches your shirt
Samsung's added a "My Style" feature that will take a photo of your clothing (a tie or a pair of socks, for example) and generate a set of unique watch face wallpapers to color-match. I was oddly charmed by it. As much as I like finding new watch faces to add, I get bored quickly and picking a new color scheme is fun. This feature should be on all smartwatches.
Apps will use a single sign-in
The Watch Active 2 still runs Tizen OS, Samsung's software and app ecosystem that stands alone from Google's Play Store and Android, but it's getting a bit better in this model. Samsung won't require you to sign in to apps on the watch that you've already signed in to on your phone, which is one of my biggest pet peeves about previous models.
We'll probably know more about the Watch Active 2 at Samsung's Unpacked event this week. And we'll be back with a review as soon as we can get one on our wrists for more than a half hour.
