Forget Apple Pay and its silly fingerprint verification. According to Mashable, a KFC location in China is using facial recognition technology so that customers can pay for their fried chicken with nothing more than a smile.
Called Smile to Pay, the new tech made its debut in Hangzhou. It was created to work with Alipay, which is an online payment platform developed by online retailer Alibaba. Smile to Pay and KFC note that the whole process only takes a few seconds and has built-in security to combat fraud. The kiosk uses a 3-D camera employs a "live-ness detection algorithm" so that shady hackers can't try to finagle the system. Plus, the kiosk also requires hungry customers to input their phone numbers as a second authentication factor. That seems to undo the convenience of the facial recognition tech, but it's better to be safe than sorry, especially with fried chicken on the line.
The technology has been two years in the making. First unveiled at IFA in Germany, the company behind all the bells and whistles, Megvii, has been working hard to create a customer-facing product. After amassing over $100 million in funding, it seems that the KFC venture is the company's first big foray into the seemingly disparate worlds of fast food and facial recognition.
Mashable adds that KFC has introduced the tech in China before. Last year, the chain used similar facial recognition technology in select "smart restaurants" to make menu suggestions to customers based on their age, gender, and even perceived mood.
While it does seem easier to smile for a camera and type in a phone number than swipe a card, it may be a while before customers are comfortable with something as space-aged as facial recognition. However, Mashable mentions that the new iPhone is rumored to have the feature built-in, which should make people everywhere more open to the idea.
The 2017 smartphone showdown is on: Within the span of three weeks, we'll have at least two strong contenders for your texting needs. Samsung has announced the impressive new Galaxy Note8, a larger smartphone with an infinity display and built-in stylus. A week from today, Apple is expected to announce the newest iPhone(s).
If you've been a loyal iPhone user, you might be tempted to disregard the Note8 altogether. However, the Note8 is worth a look if you tend to draw on Snaps and Instagram Stories often (that stylus comes in handy).
Ahead, a look how the Galaxy Note8 stacked up to the competition over a Labor Day weekend of testing.
The Basics
Like other phones in Samsung's Galaxy Note lineup, the Note8 stands out for its size. Compared to the iPhone 7 Plus, the Galaxy Note8 is slightly longer (162.5 mm compared to the iPhone's 158.2 mm) and thicker (8.6 mm compared to 7.3 mm). It's also a bit heavier, at 6.87 ounces.
That being said, the Galaxy Note8 still fits comfortably in one hand and while I wouldn't want it sticking out of my pocket, it fits just fine in a small bag. Besides the length, the differences in weight and thickness between the Note8 and the iPhone 7 Plus feel negligible.
What you do get with the Note8 is a much larger screen. The 6.3-inch infinity display is bigger than the iPhone 7 Plus's 5.5-inch display, and makes for a far more immersive streaming experience.
There is, however, a noticeable price difference. The Note8 rings in at $929.99, which you can split into 24 monthly payments of $38.75. There are freebie offerings for anyone who preorders the phone, including your choice of a Gear 360 camera or 128 GB memory card and a fast wireless charging pad, but I'd rather have a cheaper sticker price on the phone than the extras. The iPhone 7 Plus, by comparison, starts at a more reasonable $769, although there are rumors that the new iPhone 8 will also come close to $1000.
Power Up
The battery life on the Galaxy Note8 was slightly better for me than the Galaxy S8. While I wasn't pushing this phone to the limits at a crowded festival, I was using it to take lots of photos and posting to Instagram and Snapchat while on vacation. A full day of snapping shots, watching Instagram Stories, and looking up directions on Google Maps, tended to leave me with between 40% and 50% battery life. When I streamed shows, that percentage dropped further. There are also additional power savers — a mid and max mode — that you can activate in Settings to extend battery life.
To go from an almost dead battery to 100% took me a little over three hours. However, like other Samsung phones, the Note8 comes equipped with fast wireless charging capabilities, so you can invest in a fast wireless charging pad to power up more quickly.
Face Forward
First things first: Unlocking the phone. Your options include using a pin, an iris scanner, a fingerprint scanner, or face recognition. Like the Galaxy S8, the fingerprint scanner is very poorly placed. It's located on the back of the phone, right next to the camera lens, making it almost impossible not to smudge the lens in the process of unlocking the phone.
For this reason, the iris scanner and face recognition are by far the preferred options. You can only have one enabled at a time, so I opted for face recognition. After a quick set-up involving looking at the phone as it registered my face, I was good to go.
I had about a 70% success rate with using facial recognition, though I liked it better than the iris scanner I tried with the S8(the iris scanner often had trouble identifying me in poor light and when I wore my glasses). But at times the phone still had trouble recognizing me; I entered my pin to unlock the Note8 far more often than I would have liked.
Alternatively, you can also set up a voice password with Bixby, Samsung's virtual assistant. This seemed to work fairly well, though if you're unlocking your phone in public, you'll want to be careful about what word you choose or enter your pin instead.
Pair Up
As with the Galaxy S8, you access the main menu settings and apps by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. You also have a side panel, the Edge screen, where you can put your favorites for easier access. The best part of this Edge screen on the Note8 is the ability to pair apps: Pick two apps you tend to use together, pair them, and they'll open in split-screen view.
I paired Google Maps and Messages, since I usually find myself looking up new restaurants locations while making plans over text. It's convenient to use, and easy to minimize Maps when I've finished using it — simply swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
Got A Pen?
If you tend to draw on your Snaps or Instagram Stories, or like to mark up PDFs or Notes, or enjoy winding down with a coloring book — the Note8 has the thing for you. Stored in the bottom of the phone is the S Pen, a slim stylus that is comfortable to hold and extremely precise when scribbling on screen — it is way better than using your finger.
I like that you can change the pen's width and brush type in Notes, Messages, and other apps. I don't usually draw on my Snaps precisely because my finger drawing looks like it's been done by a two-year-old, but the S Pen's accuracy makes me want to change my ways.
It's also potentially helpful for those who travel: You can also use the S Pen as a translation tool, highlighting one paragraph at a time and selecting the language you're looking to translate to.
Go Live
One of the newer features of the S Pen is Live Message, a "handwritten" texting tool that's similar to the iPhone's digital touch feature. Draw on photos, or write against a black background, and your handcrafted masterpiece will replay as a GIF-like text.
It's fun, and it works in messages sent to both Android and iOS phones. However, it's not necessarily something I picture myself using much once the novelty of it wears away. (I rarely use my iPhone 7 Plus's digital touch tool anymore.)
Don't Forget
My favorite S Pen feature is the Screen Off memo, which lets you leave reminders on the Note8's Always On Display. The Display is exactly what it sounds like — always on. Even when you haven't touched your phone for 30 minutes, you'll still see the time, date, and remaining battery without touching it. When you remove the S Pen from the bottom of the phone, you can personalize the Display with ease — adding any notes or writing a to do list, and deleting them when you're done.
I found the Screen off memo helpful for bill paying and Venmo reminders (I'm sure my friends appreciated it, too).
Shots Fired
Samsung has put an emphasis on the camera in the Galaxy Note8 and it shows: The phone has a dual camera and each lens has optical image stabilization, meaning that your shaky hand won't get in the way of a crisp shot. There are also 2x and 10x zoom options for capturing a sign or adorable dog from far off.
I'm a fan of one new camera feature, called Live Focus. This does essentially the same thing as the iPhone 7 Plus's portrait mode, which lets you focus on a close object or person in the foreground and blurs the background for a sense of depth. Here, you can see the photo I took using my iPhone 7 Plus's portrait mode on the left and the Galaxy Note8's Live Capture on the right.
I prefer the photo taken with the Note8. The colors are more representative of what I shot — pleasantly blue water with a dark brown railing in the front — and the entire wooden structure is kept in focus. In the iPhone photo, the wooden rail starts to blur with the background instead of staying in focus.
You can also turn on Dual Capture when taking a Live Focus photo, which will save two photos: One zoomed in image and one wide-angle shot that shows the entire scene. I liked that I could go back and pick which of the two I liked best, instead of only having the one option or having to take the two photos separately in the moment. It's also easy to adjust the Live Focus blur effect in your camera roll, so I could make the water more or less blurry after the fact.
Selfie Action
When you flip the camera to front-facing, you activate selfie mode. The Note8 comes with a few new editing tools that subtly adjust your skin tone, enlarge your eyes, or slim your face. I found all of these a bit odd and fake-looking, and didn't like using any.
The selfie on left was taken with my iPhone 7 Plus, while the photo on the right was taken with the Note8. In this case, I preferred the iPhone shot: My skin color looks more realistic, and my sunglasses and jacket are less washed out.
The most impressive features in the Galaxy Note8 are the phone's infinity display, dual camera, and S Pen capabilities. If you don't mind carrying around a slightly larger phone, it might be worth it — especially if you plan on using the stylus, which is the Note8's main edge over other smartphones.
However, because the price tag is so high, it's probably worth it to wait a week until Apple's iPhone announcement on September 12. While the new iPhone is unlikely to have a built-in stylus, there are rumors of camera and display upgrades that could rival those of the Note8.
We've waited all year for a glimpse at the new iPhone, so it can't hurt to wait one more week. Once it's unveiled, you'll be able to make a more well-informed decision about which smartphone best meets your Story-ing, Selfie-ing, and texting demands.
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Update: September 5, 2017: Facebook's Watch section is now available to everyone in the U.S. To stream a show, click on "Watch" in the lefthand column and choose from the options listed. You can also look for episodes on individual show pages.
This piece was originally published on August 10, 2017.
The fight for your streaming attention is on, and Facebook has fired the latest shot. The social media giant has announced a new section called Watch, available on mobile and desktop, where you'll find shows.
Facebook's rollout of Watch follows last year's launch of the Video tab, which pulled all of your News Feed's video content into one place. Where Watch differs is in the types of videos it's offering: these are live and pre-recorded episodic shows of the traditional network TV variety (i.e. ones that will probably get you addicted and lead to epic binge-watching sessions). Both individuals and publishers, including Refinery29, will have original shows that live within Watch.
Within Watch, you'll find subsections — such as "Most Talked About" and "What Makes People Laugh" — intended to help you find new shows you'll like. These sections are not unlike Netflix's homepage, with its "Trending Now" and "Critically-Acclaimed" sections, which are helpful for discovering shows you might not otherwise find on your own, as well as the essential "Recently Added" section. A "Watchlist" within Watch compiles new episodes of the shows you follow and is similar to Netflix's "My List" feature.
The most distinctive section with Watch is one which ties back to the platform's social media roots: "What Friends Are Watching" tells you which shows your friends are currently fans of.
"We’ve learned from Facebook Live that people’s comments and reactions to a video are often as much a part of the experience as the video itself," Facebook director of product Daniel Danker wrote in a blog post announcing Watch. "So when you watch a show, you can see comments and connect with friends and other viewers while watching, or participate in a dedicated Facebook Group for the show."
Facebook's push into streaming is hardly surprising: Snapchat and YouTube have both announced a slew of original programming, with many shows launching this fall. Snapchat's shows are easier to binge watch — as most will run three to five minutes long — but YouTube is packing major star power with new shows starring Katy Perry and Demi Lovato.
In other words, expect to have a hard time deciding where you'll spend your streaming time, and which shows will be lucky enough to earn your loyalty. The good news is that all of these original shows are premiering closer to fall, when you'll have more of a reason to be indoors, curl up under a blanket, and stream, stream, stream.
If you don't see Watch yet, don't fret: The feature is rolling out slowly to select users starting today, and will continue to roll out to Facebook users in the coming weeks.
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For most people who own an iPhone, you know the damage drill: You book it to the Apple store, frantically sign up for a time slot at the Genius Bar, and head to the counter when your name is called, praying that the Apple employee can solve all your device's problems. But if you've ever found the entire Apple repair process a bit confusing — what is and isn't eligible for repair? — a leaked document is providing some useful insight.
Acquired by Business Insider, the document, called the Visual/Mechanical Inspection Guide (or "VMI"), dates to March of this year and covers iPhones 6 through 7 Plus. The guide is a set of tools to help authorized service providers know what to do for different repair issues. It's broken up into three sections: "Eligible for Warranty Service," "Eligible for Out-Of-Warranty Service", and "Ineligible for Service." (You can see images of the document, which includes detailed photos of bent phones and cracked screens, at Business Insider.)
As a quick refresher: Every iPhone comes with Apple Limited Warranty coverage, which will protect your phone against any "manufacturing defects" for up to one year. According to the leaked VMI, these defects include debris under the display glass or a single hairline crack to the front glass. You're encouraged to also invest in AppleCare+ (you can buy it when you purchase your iPhone or up to 60 days after), which gives you hardware coverage for two years and "up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage." Out-of-warranty service applies to iPhones that have passed their first birthday, or "have an issue that’s not covered under warranty or consumer law, like accidental damage or damage caused by unauthorized modifications." The VMI says this includes a damaged lightning connector or multiple cracks in the glass.
While much of the guide seems like common sense — if you've intentionally messed with your iPhone's hardware, the resulting damage is not eligible for service — there are two parts of the VMI that are especially interesting. First, it says Apple's warranty does not cover cosmetic damage, like chips, scratches, or anything else that can be attributed to "normal wear and tear." So if you accidentally scratch off part of your rose gold finish, don't expect a Genius to offer a fix.
The second is the procedure for dealing with liquid damage: The guide has instructions about what a Genius should do if you deny water contact has taken place, including opening up your phone to look for corrosion. Make no mistake: A Genius can and will find water damage if it's happened, so there's actually no point in lying about it. If you've had the misfortune of dropping your iPhone in a bathtub, it's still eligible for service — it just isn't covered by a warranty. (Hopefully, the water-resistant iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have decreased visits to the Apple Store considerably.)
It is important to note that while the VMI is a general reference manual, it isn't the be all end all answer to iPhone repairs. Every visit to Apple's Genius Bar is judged on a case-by-case basis. For other issues, you can always refer to the iPhone Service Answer Center, which has useful details about cost, how long repairs will take, and battery service (a similar wear-and-tear approach applies here, too).
If you don't intentionally tamper with your iPhone, most issues you might have are likely serviceable, though you may have to deal with a loaner in the meantime.
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Update September 5, 2017: NASA has finally chosen a winner for its #MessagetoVoyager contest and announced the lucky Twitter user in the best way.
Recode reports that NASA enlisted the OG Captain Kirk, William Shatner, to read the winning message, which was sent to Voyager 1 via an antenna situated just outside of Madrid. The winner, Oliver Jenkins (@Asperger_Nerd), will have his message alongside the Golden Record, which was sent into space with Voyager 1.
Jenkins' tweet reads, "We offer friendship across the stars. You are not alone."
The Golden Record is a "gold-plated copper phonograph record" which has a welcoming message to any extraterrestrials that stumble upon it alongside images of from Earth, including snaps of the Great Barrier Reefs, a human fetus, and a color spectrum. The tweet won't get etched onto the record, but NASA reports that Voyager 1 got the message, which had to be translated into "command message format," after 19 hours. That may seem like a long time, but the data had to travel over 10 billion miles to reach its destination.
Both Voyager 1 and its sister spacecraft, Voyager 2, have been exploring the solar system for 40 years, so it's about time that a new message got added to the mix of photos and audio on the Golden Record. While aliens have yet to respond (or have they?), maybe the new message from NASA and Jenkins will finally get our outer space pals to start talking.
This story was originally published on August 7, 2017.
If you've ever wished you could send a message to whatever extraterrestrial beings may be out there, now's your opportunity: NASA is hosting a competition on Twitter for people to write messages to the Voyager mission, an exploration project consisting of spacecrafts called Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.
You can enter by tweeting a message consisting of 60 characters or less with the hashtag # MessageToVoyager by August 15. Then, NASA, the Voyager team, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory will pick their favorites, and the public will vote on one to beam into space. The message will be sent out on September 5 to celebrate four decades since the spaceships' launch. However, given all the space it has to travel, it won't actually reach Voyager 1 until September 6, Mashable reports.
Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have made a longer journey than any other spacecraft ever, discovering volcanoes and oceans on Jupiter's moons and other previously unknown sites. The mission revealed "how complex and dynamic the solar system really is," NASA chief scientist Ed Stone told NPR. "So time after time, what we thought we knew based on earth was just much too limited in terms of what nature really does."
People are already beginning to share what they'd like whoever is out there to know. Some opted for uplifting messages.
Before Voyager 1 and 2 first set off into space in 1977, astronomer Carl Sagan, his wife, and their team created the Golden Record, a phonographic record with sounds and images aimed at representing the Earth. It includes animal noises, greetings in 55 languages, and music from different countries. The tweet that's selected will serve as a new Golden Record of sorts.
Since it's permanent, the Golden Record probably has a better chance of eventually reaching extraterrestrial life, or perhaps future earthlings. But beaming words into space still may be worth a shot, because you never know who's listening.
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While the Internet may have opened a world wide web of designer consignment shopping, debating which of those options are worth whipping out your credit card can call a for a bit of detective work. But thankfully there's now a gadget that can do the hard work for us. Entrupy, a New-York based tech startup, has created a nifty device that can tell the difference between a counterfeit designer bag and the real deal. How? All you need is a smartphone and a handheld microscopic camera and you'll have an answer within minutes, Bloomberg reports.
The camera magnifies objects 260 times, bringing to light features that would otherwise be invisible to the human eye. Fashion labels routinely add holographic tags, microprinting and even radio beacons to their products to prove they're the real deal, and classic signs of a knockoff, such as misshapen stamp marks, tiny gaps in leather grain, and paint overruns, would also be visible on camera.
Entrupy's database contains photos of "tens of millions of photographs from about 30,000 different handbags and wallets" and the software becomes even more intelligent as users upload new photos of both real and knockoff items, Bloomberg reported.
The service launched a year ago and the accuracy of the device has improved to 98% for 11 designer brands including Gucci, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Hermes, the company told Bloomberg.
The device, which looks like a torch, is probably too pricey for the average shopper to bother with, but it's worth it for second-hand online stores, online marketplaces, pawn shops and wholesalers, for whom establishing the authenticity of products is crucial. It can be leased for $299 and monthly plans start at $99. About 160 businesses have signed up so far, the company told Bloomberg.
The technology can even be used to authenticate other items. “The technology works pretty well on everything except for diamonds and porcelain, because those are refractive and we use optical analysis,” said Vidyuth Srinivasan, one of the company's co-founders. “We’ve already tested it on auto parts, phones, chargers, headphones, jackets, shoes, even crude oil.” Because imitation might be the most sincere form of flattery, but it might be safer to just send flowers.
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday, after much speculation, that the Trump administration is rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). President Obama created the program in 2012 to allow undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children to legally work and study in the country, but President Trump wants to force Congress to act on the issue in the next six months.
The Department of Homeland Security will no longer take new DACA applications, and the program will officially end March 5, 2018. Recipients whose permits expire before then have until October 5 to submit a renewal application, but people whose permits expire later than March 5 won't be able to get a renewal.
After the news broke Tuesday morning, tech leaders began responding through letters to their employees, tweets, and blog posts.
Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote in a letter to Apple employees obtained by Refinery29 that he was "deeply dismayed" that 800,000 immigrants, including more than 250 Apple employees, may have to leave the country. He vowed to work with Congress to pass new legislation and to support Apple workers who may be affected.
"Despite this setback for our nation, I’m confident that American values will prevail and we will continue our tradition of welcoming immigrants from all nations," Cook said. "I’ll do whatever I can to assure this outcome."
Though he didn't mention his own employees, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg called Tuesday "a sad day for our country." He wrote in a Facebook post: " The decision to end DACA is not just wrong. It is particularly cruel to offer young people the American Dream, encourage them to come out of the shadows and trust our government, and then punish them for it."
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg also posted on Facebook that she was "heartbroken and deeply concerned" about the decision. She wrote: "As Mark said, Dreamers deserve to be protected and live without fear. I'm standing with them and their families today — and asking Congress to pass the DREAM Act or other permanent legislation right away to give them a much-needed path to citizenship."
Uber's new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, made similar comments on Twitter, writing: "It's against our values to turn our backs on #Dreamers. Everyone deserves a chance to work, study and contribute - the #AmericanDream!"
Embed:
It's against our values to turn our backs on #DREAMers. Everyone deserves a chance to work, study and contribute - the #AmericanDream!
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki also tweeted: "Saddened by the decision to turn against our friends, neighbors & coworkers. Congress must do the right thing: protect Dreamers."
Saddened by the decision to turn against our friends, neighbors & coworkers. Congress must do the right thing: protect Dreamers. #DefendDACA
Microsoft's president and chief legal officer, Brad Smith, called for Congress to put humanitarian needs above tax reform.
"As an employer, we appreciate that Dreamers add to the competitiveness and economic success of our company and the entire nation’s business community," he wrote in a blog post. "In short, urgent DACA legislation is both an economic imperative and a humanitarian necessity."
And IBM, run by CEO Ginni Rometty, released a statement saying the company "believes that Dreamers have made a positive contribution to our company and to our economy, and we support bipartisan legislation in Congress to allow them to remain in the United States."
For now, DACA recipients must wait for Congress to act. If you want to be an ally to undocumented immigrants, check out a few suggestions for how to act here.
This story was originally published on September 5, 2017.
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To learn the answers to these questions, or just to watch how your fantasy team's doing in real-time, you'll need to watch as the NFL regular season officially kicks off this Thursday, September 7, with the New England Patriots playing the Kansas City Chiefs.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to watch all the action live, from now through February of next year when the season ultimately ends with the Super Bowl. Even if you're only in it for the halftime show, or the hilarious commercials, this guide will be your key to catching those, too.
First off: It's important to determine if a game in market or out-of-market. In market games are those that are broadcast locally, so if you live in the city where your favorite sports team is from, these games will usually be in market. If you live in Texas, however, and are a Patriots fan, most of these games will be out-of-market (unless they're playing the Cowboys).
Sunday afternoon games air on CBS and Fox. If you subscribe to Hulu Live or YouTube TV, both of those will let you access these games. You can watch Fox on Sling Blue, but not CBS. CBS games come with the CBS All Access Pass.
If you want to watch an out-market-game, you can buy an NFL Sunday ticket for $69.99 per four months to watch these games live.
If you missed your team playing live, you can still watch it after the fact. NFL's Game Pass gives you access to game replays as well as exclusive coaches film for $99.99, or four installments of $29.99. Simply download the NFL Game Pass app to watch.
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But it's been two years since rose gold made its debut, and as with anything over time, the color's popularity has lost a bit of its sheen. Fear not, bling lovers. There are rumors of a shiny new hue debuting with Apple's newest iPhone, set to be announced this coming Tuesday, September 12: A "blush gold" iPhone 8. Could this be the one iPhone color to rule them all? From the looks of it, probably yes.
iPhone rumors reporter Benjamin Geskin tweeted a photo of a supposed SIM card tray from the new iPhone, showing a gold color that looks more sparkly and coppery than rose gold. It's far less subdued than the already available gold iPhone. This hue is like Pat McGrath's best-selling gold pigment, but on an iPhone.
These precious metals would set the new iPhone apart from those offered by Samsung, Apple's main competitor. Samsung's latest phone — the pricey, but well-reviewed, Galaxy Note8 — is only available in black and the purplish Orchid Gray hue in the U.S. The more affordable, and also recently released, Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ are available in one metallic color, Arctic Gold. Only the Galaxy S8 Active comes in a gold finish, Titanium Gold, which is pretty similar to the iPhone's currently available gold color.
As with any Apple rumor, we'll need to wait until the official announcement to know for sure if "blush gold" is joining the iPhone family. If it does, history may repeat itself and we can expect a slew of similarly colored products to hit stores in its wake.
One thing that's for sure: If rumors of an almost $1000 iPhone are true, this rich, bling-y color certainly matches the price.
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Look down at your iPhone. Does it need a little...something? A little early-aughts-style bling that any member of the extended Kardashian fam would buy in bulk, perhaps?
Okay, here it is. London-based retailer Goldgenie has answered your prayers. The timing is just right, too, as Apple rolls out its iPhone 8 next week, on September 12 — a few days later than expected.
Apple is rumored to be launching a new "blush gold " version this time around. But if that's not glitzy enough for you, you can princess up your iPhone even more and pre-order your 24k-gold, rose gold, platinum, or 24k-gold and diamond-encrusted device now on Goldgenie's website.
The latter has a little diamond apple on the back (the company is in no way affiliated with Apple, however). According to Mashable, the company can also take your existing phone apart and replace the casing with solid 18k gold.
Last year, Goldgenie decked out the iPhone 7 for $3,258. No word on how much this version will cost, but we can safely say these won't be bargain-bin prices.
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Today, students at UW Madison, Berkeley, Texas A&M, and Syracuse will have a less traditional, though very 21st-century source of news: Snapchat. After rumors earlier this summer, Snapchat has confirmed that it is working with colleges and universities around the country to officially launch Campus Publisher Stories in its Discover section.
The Stories are a chance for students to get a different kind of campus news, one that is more colorful, clicky, and quickly digestible than traditional articles online and in print. With major news companies, including the New York Times, launching content for Snapchat, this new feature will also a way for aspiring journalists and designers to get their bearings in the new multimedia landscape. All Campus Publisher Stories will be written, designed, and animated by students on campus, and consist of 10 to 12 slides. There will be one new Story each week, which will be live on the app from Friday through Sunday. Snapchat will maintain some oversight of the process.
Alice Vagun, editor-in-chief of UW Madison's The Badger Herald, told Refinery29 that Snapchat first reached out to the campus publication in the spring about working on their version of publisher stories. In mid-July, Vagun says Snapchat touched base again and kicked off a series of weekly meetings with student journalists (all done over video) to go over storyboards, offer feedback on animations, and recommend content types that would work best on the platform.
"One of the things they want us to focus on is how we can connect the campus community and create a space where everyone is in on the joke," Vagun told Refinery29.
This includes turning the paper's "Banter" section, which Vagun describes as "our funny, viral content" into clickable Snapchat material. While Vagun says some of the publication's print content will be repurposed and chopped up into individual slides for their Publisher Story, there will also be exclusives, such as "7 Things All Freshman Should Know About Having Sex In College."
Intrigued? Unfortunately, you'll only be able to see a Campus Publisher Story within an established geofence that covers campus grounds and any off-campus student living areas.
For those who question whether Snapchat is losing ground to Instagram and Facebook, Campus Publisher Stories is a smart move to engage college students and journalists. Before Snapchat reached out about creating a Publisher Story, Vagun says The Badger Herald focused on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to push out news. Though they had a small Snapchat account, it was more of an experiment than a place with focused attention and resources.
According to a 2017 ORC International study commissioned by Snap Inc, 47% of college students say their campus newspaper is their primary source of news about on-campus events, with social media platforms coming in second at 44%. As Campus Publisher Stories launch across the country, all that may be about to change.
"It's a way to push content that is more campus-community friendly — that's quirky, and banter-esque," Vagun says.
Stories will also include Snap Ads as a source of revenue, though Vagun would not disclose how much money the publication is making from the revenue sharing agreement with Snapchat.
If you find yourself on Syracuse, Berkeley, Texas A&M, or UW Madison's campuses today, head to Snapchat's Discover section to check out their debut stories. Otherwise, stay tuned for more universities to announce their own Campus Publisher Stories.
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Beauty pageants may be struggling with diversity and representation of a variety of body types. But millions of people are still tuning in, whether to cheer on their home state, simply hate-watch, or watch for cringe-worthy and hilarious viral moments.
This Sunday's Miss America competition is no different. And if you're looking to watch it, there are so many more ways than just on television. (Although, if you have a TV, you can still tune in on Sunday, September 10, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.)
No TV? No problem. You can stream the pageant, co-hosted by Chris Harrison and Sage Steele, online. If you have cable login information, you can watch it on the ABC website or app. Sling TV and Hulu Live offer livestreaming options as well, according to Bustle.
If you're busy on Sunday (it is also both football season and New York Fashion Week), you might be able to watch it the next day on-demand. Hulu and YouTube are also likely to have clips of the show. With an all-star panel of judges this year, you may want to tune in just to watch stars like Maria Menounos, Molly Sims, Tara Lipinski, and Jordin Sparks, dole out their opinions.
Of course, because it's 2017, even if you don't watch the actual show, you'll be able to follow along on social media and hear about every viral moment right as it happens. The Miss America organization doesn't seem to have much of an Instagram account, but you can check out news about the competition on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and even Pinterest. You can also follow along using the hashtag #MissAmerica.
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For the second time in three years, Google is finding itself in the news over an employee-generated spreadsheet. According to The New York Times, a spreadsheet the newspaper obtained shows that male employees at the company receive higher salaries and bonuses than women at nearly every level.
Two years ago, Erica Baker, a former Google employee, posted a series of tweets detailing her creation of a transparent, salary-sharing spreadsheet at the company. Baker said this spreadsheet, which showed a gender gap among peer bonuses, was less than welcomed by the higher-ups at the company.
a thing bothered me yesterday and it's still bothering me today and so now i want to tell a story.
The New York Times reports the spreadsheet they saw is the same one initially started by Baker, with up-to-date 2017 base salaries and bonuses. These figures appear to show women earning less than their male counterparts in five out of six pay levels at the company.
It's important to note that the spreadsheet only contains information from 1,200 United States-based Google employees, so it is far from representative of the whole.
“The analysis in this story is extremely flawed, as it features an extremely small sample size, and doesn’t include location, role, tenure or performance," says Gina Scigliano, a Google spokesperson, in response to the Times article. "This means that the story is comparing the compensation of, for example, a high-performing Level 5 engineer in the Bay Area with a low-performing Level 5 non-technical employee working in a different location. It doesn’t make sense to compare the compensation of these two people. We do rigorous compensation analyses and when you compare like-for-like, women are paid 99.7% of what men are paid at Google."
However, Google has been facing formal scrutiny on its gender pay gap: In January, the government filed a lawsuit against the company requiring it provide salary data so the Labor Department can conduct their own analysis into claims of a gender pay gap. At the time, Google told Reuters the requests were "overbroad in scope." Then, in April, the Labor Department said Google violated employment laws by paying women less than men. In July, a judge ruled Google was not required to hand over the government requested data (though they are required to hand over a "limited" data set).
Gender pay gap issues continue to be a problem, especially in Silicon Valley. While the Times' report isn't conclusive due to the small size of the data, scrutiny over pay gaps at Google is unlikely to go away anytime soon. The company will have a lot of convincing to do beyond simply saying it's not true. Earlier this year, The LA Times reported that Alphabet (Google's parent company) shareholders voted against publishing a report on pay transparency.
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Tech blogs are buzzing after some Apple-related rumors leaked onto Reddit. According to Gizmodo, a Golden Master build of iOS 11 hit the internet after it was listed at a super secret URL on Apple's website. While the information comes from an unofficial leak, multiple credible Apple blogs are reporting similar info, including what could be the most important new feature: animated emoji.
Dubbed Animoji, Gizmodo reports that the new animated icons incorporate another rumored addition to the new iPhones: facial recognition. Mashing up that tech with the emoji that smartphone users already know and love, Animoji will "sync with facial tracking" to create custom expressions on a few of the icons, including the puppy, cat, robot, and monkey. Instead of being static miniature pictures, the icons will blink, move around, smile, and frown, depending on how senders interact with the facial recognition tech.
9 to 5 Mac reports that Apple's tech will focus in on over 50 different spots on users' faces, so the once two-dimensional emoji's transformation into 3-D, expressive ones will transform the images into more realistic renderings. The Apple team didn't change the actual icons that much, so favorites will look familiar, even in 3-D.
The leak also revealed that there may not be a line of S phones for the iPhone 7. Instead, consumers will have to choose between the iPhone 8 and an X model, which is set to be the high-end model without a home button. Seventeen reports that the new phones will come equipped with various flash settings to create super-flattering selfies and perfect lighting conditions for other photos.
According to the leak, "these features include a new portrait lighting mode which supports 'Contour Light, Natural Light, Stage Light, Stage Light Mono, and Studio Light.'"
While a new camera with smart lighting is nothing to scoff at, being able to send your friends a frowning poop emoji may just prove that the future is now.
Update: September 11, 2017: According to 9to5Mac, the latest iOS 11 leak reveals the new iPhones will be called iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, in reference to the phone's ten-year anniversary.
This article was originally published on September 8, 2017.
Apple's September event, taking placing this Tuesday, occurs every year. But 2017 is extra special for a couple reasons.
First, this year marks the iPhone's tenth (!) birthday. A decade ago, Steve Jobs announced the revolutionary device that paved the way for touchscreen smartphones. While Apple is unlikely to break out the bubbly or throw confetti over Tuesday's event attendees — they probably don't want to make a mess in the brand new Steve Jobs Theater — any iPhone lover can consider this an excuse to have an early afternoon celebration.
Which brings us to the second exciting point: Apple is giving the press — and anyone streaming the event — a first official look inside the Theater, located in Apple Park, the company's new Cupertino headquarters. The circular, glass-enclosed event space has its fair share of stylistic Apple designs elements: A flat silver roof covers the main lobby, with the main auditorium (supposedly) lying underground. According to Bloomberg, there may even be a hidden room where Apple will keep samples of all its new gadgets concealed until after CEO Tim Cook has delivered the keynote. A secret Apple product lair? This is Christmas come early.
Photo: Courtesy of Apple.
Let's not forget the gadgets themselves. While Apple unveiled its HomePod smart speaker and MacBook upgrades back in June, Tuesday's event and keynote speech is rumored to introduce new models of three existing devices: The iPhone, Apple Watch, and Apple TV.
Here's what to expect:
iPhone(s) If the rumors are correct, the iPhone 8, or whatever Apple chooses to call this year's model, could be the most expensive iPhone yet ringing in at close to $1000. It may come in a brand new gold color that will have you blushing, and is unlikely to have a home button. In place of the home button may be a feature with facial recognition technology for unlocking the phone. You can also expect an upgraded camera, wireless charging (finally), and an OLED screen with a bezel-less display (similar to Samsung's Galaxy S8 infinity screen).
According to Wired, we may also get 7s and 7s Plus versions of the already existing iPhone 7, with improved cameras and wireless charging. If these options are significantly cheaper than the iPhone 8, it could be a far more appealing option for many people.
Apple is also likely to reveal an official release date for iOS 11, the iPhone's operating system, which is packed with new photo and messaging effects.
Apple Watch
The Verge reports the latest version of the two-year-old Apple Watch may come with an LTE modem. This would make it possible for your Watch to operate far more independently from your iPhone than the current version.
Apple TV
According to MacWorld, a new Apple TV could come equipped with 4K and HDR streaming capabilities. All you need to know about those is they make for a much richer Fall TV streaming experience.
Of course, all of this is just speculation until Apple does its grand on-stage reveal. One thing that is for sure: As soon as Tuesday is over, everyone will start speculating about the iPhone 9.
Can't wait for the tweets and event recaps to start rolling in on Tuesday? You can watch the full keynote live here, beginning at 1 p.m.
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The newest iPhones are (almost) here, and if rumors are correct, investing in one could put more strain on your bank account than usual. While you could get 2016's iPhone 7 for $649, the latest models are expected to ring in at close to $1000 — and that's not including the cost of a new case or other related accessories.
Reactions to the speculated pricing are, as to be expected on Twitter, exaggerated, though not by much.
Apple's new IPhone X is apparently going to cost more than a grand. For that money I'd expect airplane mode to take me on friggin' holiday!
However, if you already own an iPhone, you'll be able to cut down on whatever that final price tag is by trading in or selling your current version. There's no shortage of ways to do so, though it can be tricky to decide which is best.
Ahead, a few reliable options for trading in and getting money put towards a shiny new, blush gold iPhone 8.
Apple Trade-In
The easiest and most reliable option is to take your iPhone to your nearest Apple store, where you'll get immediate credit for a new phone. Although Apple hasn't yet listed trade-in values for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus yet, they may fall around $260, users can currently get as much as $260 for trading in an iPhone 6s Plus. You aren't guaranteed that amount: It all depends on the condition your phone is in and your carrier's financing plan.
If you joined the iPhone Upgrade program when you bought the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, you don't need to worry about trading in for credit: You're automatically all set to upgrade to the latest model when it's available. Sign in here with your Apple ID and password to check if you signed up for the program.
Amazon Trade-In
Amazon's smartphone trade-in program is similar to the one offered by Apple, but instead of Apple credit you'll get Amazon credit. Start by selecting the type of phone you currently have here and answering a few questions about its condition, such as "are there any cracks on the screen?" and "are you still logged in to your iCloud account on the device?" If the answer to both of those is no, you're in good shape. (You can easily log out of iCloud by going to Settings > [Your Name] > Sign out, or by going to iCloud.com and signing out of the device there.)
After that, you'll be able to lock in a trade-in value. If you think you might want to trade in your phone via Amazon, it's smart to lock in this value now since it will last until September 18, 2017, at which point you'll know exactly how much the new iPhone costs and if you want to buy it.
If you do end up trading in through Amazon, you'll receive a pre-paid shipping label to mail in your phone, and an Amazon gift card in return. Right now, you can get a little over $300 for many iPhone 7 models, depending on storage size, carrier plan, and condition.
Best Buy Trade-In
Best Buy's trade-in program offers credit that tends to align with the offerings you'll find on Amazon. Right now, you can trade in a 128 GB rose gold iPhone 7 in good condition — signs of normal use, but has no screen damage — for $316. If the new iPhone really is $1000, these savings will make the cost slightly easier to stomach.
As with Amazon's trade-in program, you'll get a Best Buy e-gift card in exchange for trading in your phone.
Carrier Trade-In
Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile all have trade-in programs that offer credit towards a new phone. However, when we tried this option our online price estimates showed that you'll get better trade-in deals at Apple, Amazon, and Best Buy than you will at one of the carriers. The one exception here is Verizon, where the estimated trade-in value for a 128 GB rose gold iPhone 7 on a Verizon plan is an impressive $348.
Gazelle
If you'd prefer to get paid via check rather than earning store credit, go with electronics trade-in company Gazelle. You can currently earn $325 for a 128 GB iPhone 7 in good condition, making this a slightly better option than the estimated value at Best Buy and Amazon (but not quite as good as the one at Verizon, if it's your carrier).
No matter which of the above options you choose, make sure you follow these steps to erase all your content from your current iPhone. You want to trade in the hardware — and not all of your personal information.
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"We’ve added an FAQ to our website to confirm that enrolling in the free credit file monitoring and identity theft protection that we are offering as part of this cybersecurity incident does not waive any rights to take legal action," the agency said in an update on EquifaxSecurity2017.com.
Update 9/8/2017: This article has been edited to include a statement from Equifax.
This article was originally published on September 8, 2017.
People who want to check their credit scores generally pull the figures from one of the three major credit bureaus in the United States — Equifax, TransUnion, or Experian.
The three credit reporting agencies collect a vast array of personal data from consumers to calculate credit scores, which can determine an individual's loan-worthiness or the terms of a loan. At a minimum, the accrued information includes Social Security numbers and credit card information that would be nerve-wracking to have stolen.
Yesterday, this information from as many as 143 million people in the U.S. — about 44% of the population — was leaked after a cybersecurity breach of Equifax's database.
"The information accessed primarily includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver's license numbers. In addition, credit card numbers for approximately 209,000 U.S. consumers, and certain dispute documents with personal identifying information for approximately 182,000 U.S. consumers, were accessed," the firm said in a statement. "As part of its investigation of this application vulnerability, Equifax also identified unauthorized access to limited personal information for certain U.K. and Canadian residents."
Equifax says the breach occurred from mid-May through July 2017, and they urge consumers to "check potential impact" at a dedicated website, which you can do here. They've also opened a call center line (which will be open on weekends), and recommend that people with questions check www.equifaxsecurity2017.com for information.
Robert Harrow, a credit expert at ValuePenguin, tells Refinery29 that he advises people who are worried about their information being exposed to consider placing a temporary fraud alert on their credit report for now.
"Consumers can contact just one of the three credit reporting bureaus to place a fraud alert," he says. "The bureau that is contacted is required by law to share the alert with the other two bureaus. A fraud alert tells lenders that the consumer in question is a potential victim of ID theft. This signals to the lender to take extra caution in verifying their ID every time a new account is opened in their name."
Harrow says the alerts last 90 days, and that consumers can secure an extended fraud alert that lasts seven years by filing a police report indicating they have been a victim of identity theft.
Freezing one's credit report is another, "more drastic action" that Harrow says can be done independently of Equifax. To do so, individuals must contact each of the three bureaus and make the request. This option prevents lenders from pulling your credit report, "and ostensibly keeps anyone from being able to open an account in your name," he continues. But, he adds, "it is not a good option for someone who plans to apply for credit, such as a mortgage or auto loan in the near future. To do so, they will need to unfreeze their credit reports first."
It will take a bit of time to determine exactly what the breach means for each person, but Harrow has a simple lesson moving forward: remain alert about your money outlook.
"Check your credit report periodically, even if you have no special reason to suspect irregularities with your credit," he advises. "Everyone is entitled to a free credit report from each credit bureau — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — once every 12 months."
Equifax is giving consumers the option to enroll in TrustedID Premier by November 21, 2017, "regardless of whether your information may have been impacted. The service touts five complimentary offers, including receiving copies of your Equifax credit report, monitoring and alerts of changes to files through all three bureaus, placing a credit report lock that prevents third parties from pulling the information, Social Security number monitoring, and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance (subject to terms and conditions).
The offers might seem 100% above-board, but Harrow says that consumers might want to wait on more information before they accept.
"We're still digging into the implications of signing up for Equifax's TrustedID service for consumers," he says. "Since the announcement last night, there has been a lot of confusion over how their service will help, when it will start working, as well as language in the terms and conditions on opting out of a class action lawsuit if consumers sign up for the service. In light of this, we recommend that consumers wait on Equifax to provide more clarification on what this will mean for them."
Refinery29 contacted Equifax for comment about the issue. A rep replied over email: "The arbitration clause and class action waiver included in the TrustedID Premier Terms of Use applies to the free credit file monitoring and identity theft protection products, and not the cybersecurity incident."
In other words, you can check whether you're part of the security breach, free and clear. But if you are part of the breach and decide to enroll in Equifax's TrustedId Premier program, you won't be able to sue the agency, class action or otherwise.
Twitter may never abandon its 140-character limit, but the social network is now making it easier to string together tweets, so complaints, rants, and diatribes can flow uninterrupted.
The Daily Dot reports that Twitter is testing a new feature called tweetstorm that allows users to conjure a storm of tweets without the hassle of numbering their own tweets and responses. (Please, nobody tell the sitting president about this.)
Devesh Logendran discovered the new feature, which is currently only available on Twitter's Android platform. At the moment, it's a hidden feature and not rolled out to everyone, so if anyone can see a few bars underneath their compose window, they should feel very lucky.
According to users who have access to tweetstorm — rumors say that Twitter is testing it in-house — it lets them compose a string of tweets, links them all together, and then sends them all out at once. Bada bing, bada boom: instant storm.
Here's hoping that it gets used for good, but knowing Twitter and the internet at large, tweetstorms are probably going to the dark side sooner rather than later.
As it stands, users can create a tweetstorm by replying to their own tweets, which the Daily Dot notes is a time-consuming process that can lead to mistakes and issues with the order of the tweets. That's why it's common to see numbers assigned to tweets that are meant to be read in succession, like 1/3, 2/3, etc. The new feature eliminates manual numbering, adding the digits to tweets to ensure that each and every rant gets read the way it was intended.
Twitter hasn't confirmed the existence of the feature, perhaps because it's not ready to unleash the power of the tweetstorm to the masses just yet.
Since Instagram launched Stories last summer, it has introduced a constant stream of tools and updates to increase the platform’s usefulness: A way to go Live (alone or with someone else), location and hashtag stickers, and a rewind camera mode, to name a few. But it’s been noticeably missing one of the most useful tools of all.
How often have you watched an adorable dog Story (Ace_Adventures is my current favorite), or a slow-motion runway walk, and wished you could send the Stories to a friend? Too many times to count? Same.
Today, Instagram is finally ending the sharing drought by adding a way to share Stories you watch (and love) as Direct Messages. If someone has Sharing enabled, you’ll see a Direct icon (the arrow-like image) at the bottom right-hand corner of their Story. Tap that, and choose the friend or group you want to send it to. You’ll be able to control whether someone shares your Story in the same way you control who can reply to your Story: Simply go to your Story settings (tap the settings icon in the upper left hand corner of the camera screen) to change up sharing permissions.
If someone shares a Story with you, you’ll want to make sure to check your DMs within 24 hours. As soon as a Story disappears or is deleted, you won’t be able to see it anymore.
Sharing Stories may seem like a small change, but it’s one that has the potential to expand a Story’s reach exponentially. Without it, Stories has been far more limiting than your regular Instagram feed, since viewers could only reply directly to you. If you're trying to grow your following, enabling Story sharing is a solid start.
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Online lender and refinancing company SoFi is the latest tech company to be caught up in a series of sexual harassment allegations.
Yesterday, The Wall Street Journalpublished an exclusive feature in which "nearly a dozen current and former employees" across departments accused some executives, including SoFi's former chief financial officer Nino Fanlo, of "engag[ing] in or tolerat[ing] improper behavior toward women in recent years."
Fanlo said the interactions weren't sexual, and that he "occasionally complimented both men and women's outfits." He later resigned from his position in May to "pursue another executive opportunity." Now, SoFi's chief executive officer Michael Cagney is following suit.
"The resignation follows a lawsuit over claims of sexual harassment at the San Francisco-based start-up," reportsThe New York Times. "Several former employees said that Mr. Cagney, 46, had inappropriate relationships with SoFi employees, which helped foment a toxic workplace culture."
Employees told WSJ that culture included being pressured to work extra hours and on holidays to avoid being fired. "Mr. Cagney used to tell SoFi staff that if they weren't waking up twice a week in a cold sweat, they weren't working hard enough, according to a former staffer." The Times also notes that Cagney "sent sexually explicit text messages " to an executive assistant, which resulted in a $75,000 settlement, and that he "pursued a relationship" with another employee later that year.
The outgoing CEO (who will also be vacating his post as chairman) sent a letter to employees on Monday night saying that "the combination of HR-related litigation and negative press have become a distraction from the company's core mission." The line is become a familiar refrain.
David Bonderman, a partner at private equity firm TPG, resigned from his position as a member of Uber's board after making a sexist remark during a staff meeting about the company's culture. (Which has been widely panned, even beyond Silicon Valley.)
"I do not want my comments to create distraction as Uber works to build a culture of which we can be proud," he said in a statement. "I need to hold myself to the same standards that we're asking Uber to adopt."
Many critics of the ride-sharing company might argue that Bonderman's comments weren't a distraction, but a regular feature of the dynamic at Uber. Whether the same will be said of SoFi remains to be seen.
We reached out to SoFi for comment and will update this story when we hear back.
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