Tuesday, January 18, 2022

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People are losing sleep after Google replaced the 'white noise' sound on Nest speakers

Posted: 18 Jan 2022 04:50 AM PST

In case you didn't know, Google Assistant devices like the Nest Hub can play white noise ambient sound to help you or your young ones get to sleep. However, multiple users have noticed that Google recently changed that to something that loops more frequently and has a muffled sound, according to 9to5Google. As a result, they and their infants and toddlers are apparently losing sleep over it.

"White noise" is among the 14 ambient noises available from Google Assistant, along with "babbling brook," "fireplace," "ocean" and others. You can play them for up to 12 hours if not disabled by a sleep timer, and the 2nd-gen Nest Hub has an "auto-off" feature that turns off the sound once you fall asleep.

Previously, it looped the White Noise sound every hour, but now the sound is repeated every 10 minutes, something users find annoying and repetitive. On top of that, the previously crisp sound file is now apparently "muffled" and quieter than before. "It's a different pitch, almost muffled," said one user. "Very annoying you have to set the volume to 70 percent," another noted. 

There are at least 100 complaints along the same lines, with many people saying they use the white noise to get their babies or toddlers to sleep. "I play it every night for my toddler and she's really upset about this change," said one. "Please, let there be a way to get the older version back so we can maintain our sleep schedule and sanity!"

Google may have changed the file to reduce data usage, as one Redditor said that his Mini used about 4GB of data every night just playing Google's ambient noises. Another acknowledged that this is a "first world problem," but it goes to show how tiny changes in widely used technology can cause unintended problems. If you use the old sound and miss it, another Reddit user has uploaded the original to Google Drive, so you could in theory download it and cast to YouTube Music. 

The Morning After: Spain sets rules (and fines) for cryptocurrency promotion

Posted: 18 Jan 2022 04:20 AM PST

Governments are paying more attention to the rise and rise of cryptocurrencies – and their tax implications – whether it's the major players like Bitcoin and Ethereum or newcomers looking to pick up users, investors and headlines.

In Spain, influencers and other advertisers with more than 100,000 followers will soon have to notify the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) at least 10 days before plugging crypto assets. They'll face fines of up to €300,000 (around $342,000) for breaching the rules.

And it's already happening. Some influencers who have plugged crypto-assets and related products have found themselves in hot water. In July 2021, French authorities fined a reality TV star €20,000 ($22,800) for "misleading commercial practices" over a Bitcoin trading site ad on Snapchat. More recently, Kim Kardashian and Floyd Mayweather were named defendants in a class-action lawsuit that accuses them of taking part in a "pump and dump" scheme earlier this month.

— Mat Smith

Apple may have dropped built-in noise cancellation on the iPhone 13

It's been a long-running accessibility feature on past iPhones.

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Engadget

Apple's Noise Cancellation accessibility feature has been a staple on past iPhones but may have been permanently removed from the iPhone 13 series. The feature "reduces ambient noise on phone calls when you are holding the receiver to your ear," a feature that can help make calls easier to hear.

"Phone Noise Cancellation is not available on iPhone 13 models, which is why you do not see this option in [the Accessibility] settings," Apple support told one of 9to5Mac's readers. When the reader asked for clarification, the support team confirmed the feature is "not supported."

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Even Walmart might be getting into cryptocurrency and NFTs

Patents have been filed.

CNBC is reporting that Walmart filed several trademark applications with the US patent office in late December for selling virtual goods. Meanwhile, in another filing, it said it would provide cryptocurrency and NFTs. While the documents don't necessarily guarantee action, they're surprisingly detailed.

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That time France tried to make decimal time a thing

Days were divided into ten parts.

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pjjones via Getty Images

The French Revolution of 1789 set its sights on more than simply toppling the monarchy. Revolutionaries sought to break the nation free of its past, reframing how time itself was measured. In short, it tried to make decimal time happen. Senior Editor Andrew Tarantola explains the attempt.

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Samsung's new mobile processor uses an AMD ray-tracing GPU

It's likely to appear in the upcoming Galaxy S22.

Samsung's first mobile processor with an AMD RDNA 2-powered GPU will allow ray-tracing and other gaming features. The system-on-chip (SoC) will likely appear in Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S22, rumored to be launching at an Unpacked event on February 8th.

AMD and Samsung announced a collaboration back in 2019, with the expectation that AMD's graphics tech would be used in Exynos smartphone processors. Rumors early last year suggested that AMD-powered Samsung processors were coming soon, and at Computex, AMD subsequently confirmed an upcoming Exynos mobile system-on-chip would feature its RDNA 2 graphics tech.

Continue reading.

The biggest news stories you might have missed


Awesome Games Done Quick raised a record $3.4 million for charity

US airlines warn C-Band 5G could cause 'catastrophic disruption'

Samsung's 14-inch Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra may offer equally massive specs

The next iPad Pro will reportedly offer MagSafe charging and a 'brand new chip'

Garmin's new Fenix 7 smartwatches get a touchscreen and a flashlight

Posted: 18 Jan 2022 04:00 AM PST

If you want a Garmin that screams "adventure" the Fenix line is the one to go for. The premium range of multi-sport GPS watches has come a long way over the last 10 years, and the new 7-series adds a few new tricks. 

Most notably, Fenix 7 line will now include touchscreens. It might seem something of an odd omission thus far, but the great outdoors tends to mean gloves, sweat, motion and the elements — all of which can play havoc with a touchscreen. As such, it'll be interesting to see how responsive it is under active conditions. Although other Garmin watches, like the Venu and vivoactive lines, have had touchscreens for a while so this isn't a first for the company by any stretch, but a new addition to the Fenix line.

Another addition includes a new multi-LED flashlight. Handy for those camping trips or early morning/late night runs. Not only is it a general-purpose light, but it can also alternate between red and white as you run, matching your personal cadence, so traffic or cyclists can be alerted to your presence (and direction).

As usual, the Fenix comes in three models/sizes: the 7S/7 and premium 7X which measure 42, 47 and 51 mm across respectively. All have solar-charging options and Garmin claims the new casing includes a larger screen surface area which could see solar gains doubling over the Fenix 6 line. This potentially puts the total time between charges (without using GPS) at up to five weeks, which is pretty impressive for a smartwatch of this size.

Beyond the hardware changes on the Fenix, there are some new advanced training modes too. These include Real-Time Stamina, Visual Race Predictor, Recovery Time Advison and Daily Workout Suggestions. These features join the already extensive offering of topo-maps, golf courses and surf/snow features that lie hidden within the Fenix's extensive sporting options.

All the models and varieties in the Fenix 7 line are available as of today, starting at $700. 

Logitech's new 'Pen' is a rechargeable stylus for classroom Chromebooks

Posted: 18 Jan 2022 03:10 AM PST

Logitech has launched a new stylus called the Logitech Pen designed specifically with K-12 students in mind. It will work with touchscreen Chromebooks that support the Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) standard and is Works with Chromebooks certified. Google backed the initiative in 2018 and joined other supporters like Intel and Lenovo in their quest to create an open active stylus standard, and a bunch of manufacturers has released USI-compatible Chromebooks over the years since then. 

The Logitech Pen works with various models across brands, namely Lenovo, Acer, HP, Asus and Samsung. Michele Hermann, Vice President of Mobility and Head of Education Solutions at Logitech, said in a statement: "Given that students and educators are increasingly using Chromebooks as an everyday tool in schools and at home, we created the Logitech Pen to unlock the full potential of Chromebooks in the classroom."

The Logitech Pen has a silicone grip, non-slip design and comes in a size that even children can hold comfortably. Its active tip features 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity — that's the same pressure levels as the Surface Slim Pen 2 — and can simulate writing on paper more closely than a stylus with a rubber tip or a finger can. As per the standard, the Logitech Pen doesn't need to be paired beforehand, so students can just pick it up and use it. 

The Pen's battery can last for up to 15 days with regular school use and can be charged using a standard USB-C Charger. And, since it's designed for students, it's also spill-proof and has military-grade drop protection of up to four feet. It will be available this month from resellers in the United States and select markets for $65.

The Kingdom Hearts trilogy is coming to Nintendo Switch on February 10th

Posted: 18 Jan 2022 02:30 AM PST

Late last year, Nintendo revealed that the Kingdom Hearts JRPG trilogy would be coming to the Nintendo Switch, with the caveat that they'd be cloud streaming titles only. Now, Square Enix has announced that the three games, Kingdom Hearts - HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and Kingdom Hearts III will arrive to Switch via cloud on February 10th for a rather exorbitant $90, or $72 on pre-order. 

That's essentially the entire series so far, covering Sora's journey up to the most recent chapter, Kingdom Hearts III. The series is one Square Enix's best-selling franchises of all time, particularly the original and Kingdom Hearts III titles. 

Because the Switch trilogy is a cloud version, you'll need a reasonably fast internet connection to have a decent experience. While a cloud release seems valid for the latest Kingdom Hearts III chapter first released on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, one has to wonder why the first two games couldn't have been remade to run directly on the Switch. After all, it can run Witcher 3 and the Assassin's Creed collection that's set to arrive on February 18th.   

By purchasing the all-in-one collection or individual Kingdom Hearts III version, you'll receive the Advent Red Keyblade for use in the Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind (DLC), Square Enix said. There will also be a Kingdom Hearts 20th anniversary event in Tokyo, with a mini concert, Q&A with the development team, an exhibition and more. 

The collection is now available for pre-order at $72. If that's too much, you can pre-order individual titles for prices varying from $33 to $40. The trilogy price climbs to $90 afterwards, so if you're interested, try to pick it up ahead of the February 10th release date. 

Update 1/18/2022 6:15 AM ET: Pre-order and full pricing added. 

Samsung's Exynos 2200 mobile processor uses an AMD ray tracing GPU

Posted: 18 Jan 2022 12:49 AM PST

Samsung has revealed the Exynos 2200, its first mobile processor with an AMD RDNA 2-powered GPU that will allow ray-tracing and other gaming features. The system-on-chip (SoC) will likely feature in Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S22, rumored to be launching at an Unpacked event on February 8th. 

The Exynos 2200 with AMD's "Xclipse" GPU will be manufactured on Samsung's 4-nanometer EUV process. "Samsung's Xclipse GPU is the first result of multiple planned generations of AMD RDNA graphics in Exynos SoCs," said AMD Senior VP David Wang.

The CPU, meanwhile, will use one high-powered Cortex-X2 "flagship core" along with three performance and efficiency balanced Cortex-A710 big-cores and four power-efficient Cortex-A510 little-cores. The image processor is designed to support camera sensors up to 200 megapixels like the Isocell HP1 Samsung revealed last September. 

Samsung's Exynos 2200 processor uses an AMD ray tracing GPU
Evan Blass

AMD and Samsung announced a collaboration in 2019, with the expectation that AMD's graphics tech would be used in Exynos smartphone processors. Rumors early in 2021 suggested that AMD-powered Samsung processors were coming soon, and at Computex, AMD confirmed that an upcoming Exynos mobile system-on-chip would feature RDNA 2 graphics technology. 

The Exynos 2200 was supposed to be launched earlier, but Samsung mysteriously no-showed its own launch event originally scheduled for January 11th. Normally, Exynos processors are earmarked for regions outside North America, while the US gets Qualcomm's Snapdragon mobile processors. That would mean the you wouldn't see the AMD GPU and its ray tracing features stateside, but we'll have to wait for the Galaxy S22 launch to confirm that. 
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