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A Reddit user was surprised to find a new name and logo for the Android Wear OS while setting up his new smartwatch. The owner of the timepiece did not specify which particular model he purchased. Instead of using the Android Wear name, the pairing notification referenced “Wear OS” and featured a new logo. Replacing the old image that used a square and two rectangles to portray a smartwatch on a two-toned blue background, the new logo features a blue and yellow rounded search bar combined with some of the Google Assistant dots. Together, it forms the letter “W” for Wear OS.

So why take …

One of the affordable Android smartphones launched last year in the US, the Moto E4 is now available from T-Mobile. Of course, the cheap handset is already up for sale at MetroPCS where customers can get it for just $60 after various discounts.

However, T-Mobile sells the Moto E4 for $175 outright or $7 down and $7 per month for 24 months. The smartphone comes with support for 4G LTE bands 1/2/4/5/7/8/12, but it’s also fully compatible with the carrier’s HD Voice and VoLTE.

As far as specs go, the Moto E4 is far from being impressive, but it definitely does its job for the price …

Samsung is expected to unveil another set of Galaxy J smartphones soon, but we already have some information about at least two unannounced models. The first one, a certain Samsung Galaxy J8 popped up at Geekbench early this month with an Exynos 7870 processor and 3GB RAM.

Another Galaxy J smartphone has just been spotted at Geekbench and judging by the model number it seems to be an improved version of that one that we mentioned earlier, the Galaxy J8.

As such, let’s call it Galaxy J8 Plus since it packs slightly better specs than the regular model (SM-J800FN). The newly leaked smartphone …

Apparently undeterred by sluggish product sales of its first batch of face-hugging, video-recording smart specs, Snap is planning a go back to industry by having a second and third edition of its Snapchat Spectacles, based on reports.

Talking to insider sources, Cheddar states that Spectacles 2.0 will introduce later on this season, with Spectacles 3.0 coming in 2019 and bringing with it two cameras versus one. That's a little astonishing considering the first batch of social media eyeglasses only offered around 150,000 units, making the company by having a significant stock on its arms.

Additional points for perseverance though, Snap. Evidently waterproofing plus new array of colors come in the pipeline the Spectacles releasing in 2018, along with a few bug repairs and performance improvements.

GPS, aluminum, and more

It's the 3rd version associated with the Spectacles that will bring significant upgrades though: the rumor usually another camera will add additional level impacts, plus the 3.0 form of the equipment could even add integrated GPS and an aluminum frame. A possible retail price of around $300 is touted.

And also as we've reported before, augmented reality capabilities might come built into the new hardware, to get a little Bitmoji version of your self dancing on a dining table. Snap is considered exploring the possibility of building more products with third-party hardware manufacturers aswell.

The Snapchat Spectacles weren't a dreadful concept, letting users quickly share enjoyable videos without the need to pull their phones away, not sufficient people were convinced to meet the $130 price tag. We'll must wait to discover whether Snap has better luck now – with Apple waiting in the wings.

• Snapchat Spectacles nearly got me banned from Yankee Stadium

“It’s the ultimate try before you purchase,” says Amit Singh, vice president of AR and VR at Bing. 

He’s talking about the Porsche Mission E Concept that’s being driven around before us. Nonetheless it’s certainly not there, it’s element of an application developed utilizing ARCore, Google’s powerful computer software kit enabling designers to produce augmented reality experiences for Android os phones.

Initially locked to the Google Pixel range, Google has exposed the SDK called ARCore 1.0. It’s now from preview and comes filled with improvements and learnings Google has amassed since first announcing ARCore in August 2017 and before that with its venture Tango platform.

“We have scaled it such that it is across 100 million phones and growing,” claims Singh. 

At MWC 2018, it had been within the Samsung Galaxy S9 unveil plus it’s designed for other Samsung handsets, along with some LG phones and also the OnePlus 5. You can expect it to come quickly to Asus, Nokia, Huawei and ZTE phones in the future. 

“We want AR to be always a core function on Android, at the least for the high-end phones and in the long run for many more,” describes Singh.

Scaling is all very well, if the apps aren’t there it’s moot. Google knows of this which’s why it really is seeking to make use of various areas with Lens, specifically China. 

AR for all

“We’re partnering with Huawei, Xiaomi and Samsung to bring ARCore to the market,” says Singh. Google in its article emphasises this, noting, "Everyone should reach experience augmented truth."

Through the demos TechRadar had, everyone else need. If worries around had beenn’t impressive enough, we ducked and experienced the interior, analysed the thermodynamics for the car, then color picked from top Singh was wearing and provided the automobile a coating of paint because shade.

“The power to re-skin reality is compelling right here,” claims Aparna Chennapragada, Product Lead of Lens. “But to even produce that space you need to know exactly what the semantic meaning is of what you are considering, and that’s why we began Lens.

“Yes, we’re putting electronic to the real life but we’re attaching semantic meaning to it. If you want to understand something about an item, you make use of the remainder of Google. The information graph, maps, the whole shebang. 

"Lens actually powerful artistic cleverness layer.”

One of the more impressive showcases of the could be the cutting-and-pasting of real-life text. Look around you, wherever you might be there was some text. But, for apparent reasons, the text isn’t searchable. 

Google Lens changes this. We had been shown this taking care of a menu – Lens allowed you to just take that text, highlight it and explore specific terms. It even worked, somewhat, with handwriting.

Deceptively simple, extremely effective

“All those many years of understanding various text on website pages comes in dead handy,” states Chennapragada. “On the internet, you realize one thing in a larger font is essential, something that starts a paragraph is yet another thing. We utilize all of that experience and apply it to to be able to see the real-world.”

“It sounds deceptively easy but it’s extremely powerful,” continues Chennapragada. “Say, for something like Coachella – you’ve got a lineup on a poster therefore want to see what all these bands are love. You can make use of Lens, immediately locate them on YouTube, and immediately get yourself a feeling of who is playing here.” 

Other demonstrations we had been shown included a Snapchat Lens that allowed you to definitely tour Barcelona’s arena Camp Nou plus an software that allowed one to furnish a space. 

It’s right here in which ARCore’s technology shows many promise – it cann’t simply have the ability to ‘add’ furniture to a space, but if there is certainly genuine furniture around, it has got the capability understand what that furniture is and could even understand the model making.

Search has expanded from typing as a search field to speaking plus it’s now clear that the next medium for Google is the camera.

“We consider it in two components: there’s ‘camera in,'” claims Chennapragada. That’s what we think about Google Lens when you aim the camera at something, earn some sense of it, place some meaning to it – is it a building, a business card etc?

Then there’s ‘camera out’ which is the AR material. Therefore, we can put that sticker over there, destination a virtual furniture couch in the real life. That’s how we are considering both and exactly how they come together.

“For united states that’s the evolution of search and information breakthrough.”

MWC (Cellphone World Congress) could be the world's biggest  exhibition the mobile industry, stuffed saturated in the newest phones,  tablets, wearables and more. TechRadar is reporting real time from Barcelona  all week to create you the very latest through the show floor. Head to our devoted MWC 2018 hub to see all of the new releases, and TechRadar's world-class analysis and buying advice regarding the next phone.

• Most useful AR apps – from AR Kit to ARCore

recently Vodafone established its 'Ultimate Speed Guarantee', rendering it the very first UK provider to offer acquireable fully guaranteed minimum internet speed. We were concerned that will mean prices would travel through the ceiling, but Vodafone remains offering the market's cheapest fibre broadband discounts.

The price tag on Vodafone Superfast 1 broadband is simply £21 monthly. That's an incredible price for very quickly 38Mb connection, particularly when you consider so it will guarantee at the very least 25Mb. As you'll see from our most useful fibre broadband deals round-up, another best month-to-month price for unlimited super fast internet is Plusnet's £24.99pm.

• Just click here to make use of Vodafone's inexpensive broadband deal

Vodafone's super low priced fibre broadband discounts

Ultimate Speed Guarantee

Vodafone has become offering every one of its brand new fibre broadband clients an internet speed guarantee. Select either of its brand new Superfast broadband tariffs plus the provider will give the absolute minimum rate of 25Mb or 55Mb per second respectively.

If Vodafone doesn’t deliver regarding the speeds, customers is going to be eligible to a 15per cent discount off their next payment. It generates Vodafone's broadband plans the actual only real accessible packages available such a speed guarantee into the UK, with BT's Ultrafast broadband cope with fully guaranteed rates of 100Mb available to a choose couple of postcodes at the moment.

Best broadband discounts

Trust us as soon as we state which you can't beat Vodafone broadband purely on cost at the moment. But if you would like an all-singing, all-dancing package that features broadband and TV, Vodafone can't allow you to. It's just dealing in broadband and landline phone calls at this time.

With TechRadar's price contrast device you are able to assess most of the most readily useful deals available on the market at this time. Visit our best broadband discounts page, pop in your postcode, filter your requirements and we'll spit out of the most readily useful deals available available.

Believe it or not, there is an update for the WhatsApp Beta for Windows Phone. The new version is 2.18.30. Among the new features is Live Location. This allows you to share your location with others for a set period of time. To use this feature, go to chat and tap on Location. You then set the amount of time that you want WhatsApp to allow others to know where you are. There are three settings to choose from, 15-minutes, 1-hour or 8-hours. You can also abruptly stop Live Location anytime you want by clicking on the “Stop” button. The new feature is accurate to 5 miles.

Another new feature …

You’re otherwise occupied when all of the sudden you recognize your ringtone (maybe it’s Hanson’s MMMBop?) stopping you in your tracks. Not sure who would dare to interrupt in the middle of whatever you were doing, you quickly glance at the screen. While you don’t recognize the number, it still could be an important call. You tap the screen only to hear a recorded message trying to sell you a time share in the middle of some godforsaken country you’ve never heard of. Telemarketers, bah!

But relief from unwanted calls is on the way, according to XDA. The latter says that a number of new commits …

During the Super Bowl, Amazon ran an ad for its virtual personal assistant Alexa that showed various guest celebrities taking over after she became ill and lost her voice. Among those pinch hitting for Alexa in the ad were Gordon Ramsay, Rebel Wilson and Anthony Hopkins. But that was all make believe. Today, Alexa really is down with some inquiries receiving delayed responses, and some not being answered at all.

Turning to DownDetector.com, we can see that problems with Alexa were first reported around 9:39 am EST, and peaked at 1,099 complaints. 53% said that the problem was the lack of …