Special effects in Apple’s new iOS 10 not working? Here’s how to fix them

Yesterday, Apple released its much anticipated iOS 10 software for its users. The software will come standard in the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which will hit stores Friday. But users of some older iPhones and iPads can take advantage of a series of software-based improvements that will make their older devices more useful.

Of course, some users had issues with the software causing their hardware to crash Tuesday, though by Tuesday evening Apple seemed to have that under control.

But one other problem some users appear to be having is that they are unable to use the new special effects suite in iMessage that allows users to send flying balloons, use “invisible ink” and other fun little tricks.

Good news? It’s a simple fix.

The problem is the iPhone’s “Reduce Motion” setting is togged on. Because these are, well, motion effects, you need to turn it off to get them work.

How to do that? Go to Settings, then General, then Accessibility and then Reduce Motion. Slide it off and you can send all manner of special effect texts to all of your iMessage friends.

Enjoy.

 

In advance of iPhone 7, X-doria releases suite of new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus cases. We examine

Ok, so you ordered your new iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus last night and you’re probably, like many folks, thinking about the best way to keep it looking nice. And if you bought the new Jet Black color, do know that Apple says it is prone to scratching, so it’s best to find a case for it.

So on the morning of the official iPhone 7 preorder day, X-doria sent us a whole suite of cases to try out. Of course, we don’t have the iPhone 7 to put them on, but we did have a few iPhone 6s and 6 Pluses to put the cases on and try out.

So let’s dig in and see some of what X-doria has to offer.

Defense Lux Series

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At $50, this is the king of the X-doria line, but the defense lux series is relatively thin with all the cutouts for the new speaker system and larger camera window, and it’s really much larger than in the past. img_2397

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It comes in four colors — black carbon, blue gold, black leather and rose gold — and has a grippy backing to it that just feels good in the hand. More importantly, it doesn’t add a ton of bulk.

The case has a soft rubber inner-layer and a harder polycarbonate backing with an aluminum outer frame. It’s got metallic button covers, too.

It’s got a raised lip in the front and is designed, X-Doria says, to withstand 6-foot-6 drops to concrete. Best of all? It’s not ultra-bulky. Attached to the iPhone 6, this case looks sharp. Only the camera hole just looks Donald Trump HUUUUGGEEE on the older model.

 

 

ENGAGE FOLIO 

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At $29.99, this case has a polycarbonate back to cover the rear, and ours was clear so you could show off your color. The front has a fold-over leatherette covering with slots to put credit cards inside. It’s got a nice clean look and it’s not too expensive. It doesn’t provide the most protection in the world, but does give you the option to go sans-wallet in a pinch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMPACT PRO

A little surprisingly, our favorite case of the bunch was the $24.99 Impact Pro. It’s a clear case with colored edges, which is best to show off your shiny black iPhone 7 and keep it protected.img_2380

X-Doria says it’s got two layers of impact protecting rubber: a clear outer edge lining that helps you grip the phone (we can attest this works very well) and an inner layer of what it calls PolyOne shock absorbing polymer. This helps, the company says, deflect the force of impact away from your phone.

On the back side there is a hard shell and the case has a raised lip.img_2379

It’s a handsome case and a pretty decent little bargain.

To see the full line of X-Doria cases, visit their website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Samsung 4K player delivers the goods to high-def TVs

After spending a few months with a Samsung 4K disc player I have come to the conclusion that blu-ray is no longer enough.
There, I said it. Yes, folks, watching 4K movies is a much more immersive experience than watching my favorite films on Blu-ray. No there isn’t a lot of content, but what’s out there is enough to say it’s time for an upgrade.
The player is the Samsung UBD-K85009, the first to be offered in the United States. It’s debatable whether it’s actually the first 4K player, however. Panasonic sold a unit in Japan last year which was far more expensive but wasn’t available anywhere else. The Samsung unit has been selling throughout the world since late March or early April.

 

The UBD-K8500 comes with a remote, batteries for the remote and an instruction booklet. I have to say I liked the way it was packed in the box. I kept the box just in case I move. The set up is fairly easy. It has Samsung’s Smart Hub so it must connected to an wi-fi network in order to use those functions.

Samsung 4K Blu-ray player
Samsung 4K Blu-ray player

The unit does not have analog connections so you have to supply your own HDMI and toslink cord. As well as the new 4K discs, the unit plays Blue-ray, 3-d Blu-ray, DVD, CD and CD-R. It decodes stereo, Dolby DTS, TrueHD, Master DTS sound formats. It will also play Dolby ATMOS encoded discs if you have a receiver that can be switched to bitstream and has that program.
The best feature of the unit is HDR, or High Dynamic Range. All those new pixels on your 4K TV screen (3840 x 2860) are great, but it’s what can be done with them that is more interesting. HDR allows those pixels to expand the color range. Reds pop, blues sooth and the detail and varying range of color is astonishing. New life is breathed into the depth and spectrum of how color can be displayed.
Let me make this point. All 4K TVs, especially those in the early stages of 4K (also known as Ultra High Definition) were made with HDR. These units can upscale things to near 4K quality but can’t display the complete color range without HDR. Sometimes they are referred to as “super high def.” Check for HDR on the brand you have.
My Samsung UHD40-6700 TV doesn’t have HDR, but it was built with some of the hardware so the UBD-K8500 will upscale it to just short of true 4K. The TV also upscales as well. I didn’t think I would be able to tell the difference between Blu-ray and 4K, but, boy, was I was I wrong. I watched the Ultra High Def version of “Star Trek: Into The Darkness” and was blown away. The opening scenes with Captain Kirk and Bones running through a red forest with stark white aliens dressed in yellow running after them was simply amazing. The difference between the 4K and Blu-ray (included with the 4K disc) was jaw-dropping. There is a later scene where Bones and a scientist are on a planet trying to disarm a torpedo that will simply make you shake your head. It’s that lifelike.
The rest of the movie benefited from deeper blacks and crisper images. I wanted to see how the player did on something that wasn’t action oriented so I watched Will Smith’s “Concussion.” The picture was crisp and life-like, which I think enhanced Smith’s Oscar-worthy performance. Great movie.
“Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice” also benefited. The 4K ultimate version wasn’t nearly as dark and grainy as it appeared in theaters. Wonder Woman’s costume looked brighter and Superman’s under roo was more vivid. (The added extra 30 minutes answered nearly every question there was about this film which was also good).
There is not a plethora of material to watch or buy, but what is out there is growing by the month. Don’t look for Marvel or other Disney titles because parent company Disney isn’t releasing anything on 4K yet. That’s a dumb move considering just about every movie is shot in 4K and HDR. Paramount, Warner Bros. and Sony has, as well as other studios.
The Samsung player is a good investment if you are spending a lot on your TV. Yes, you can stream 4K from Netflix, YouTube and a few other places (which this unit also does), but that is a compressed signal. A 4K disc doesn’t have internet constraints so you’re getting the Full Monty.
The Samsung UBD-K8500 was originally priced at $499.99, but hit stores at $399.99. You can now find it as little as $319.99.
Samsung isn’t along anymore. Panasonic is releasing a $700 player that will also play high-res music files. Philips will also have a 4K player in the $400 range. Microsoft’s X-Box update will play 4K and so will Sony’s Playstation 4.5. Curiously, that will be the first Sony anything that will play 4K-Blu-ray.
You can wait to see how the 4K things shake out. There are competing versions of HDR (I think the Samsung plays both) but I don’t see a loser. One version may become more popular but the end results are the same. Why wait. If you have splurged on a big-panel 4K TV you need to push it’s limits. I don’t see 4K discs going the way of 3-D. You don’t need special glasses, just a pair of eyes that can’t wait to be thrilled. I think the UBD-K8500 is the perfect place to start.
cross@alldaytech.com.

 

More online shopping consumers using smartphones than personal computers study shows

More U.S. consumers are now using smartphones for shopping than personal computers.

A new study from Demandware, an e-commerce software provider, shows smartphones accounted for 45.1 percent of web-shopping traffic in the first quarter of 2016. Computers were a tick behind at 45 percent.

The company projects that the

smartphone will account for 60 percent of e-commerce visits by the end of 2017. Make sense, phone screens are getting larger and larger and folks are on the go more. Cell phones are easier to fire up and in many cases simpler to use. With finger-print pay systems becoming popular, you can shop anywhere, anytime, not just when you get home.

Amazon must be loving this.

 

Skip Batman Killing Joke in theaters, save dud for a rainy day

Let us here at Alldaytech.com do you a favor: do not visit your metroplex Monday night (7/25) to see the animated film

The scene, despite the hype, is pretty soap-opera-on-a-weekday tame, except we’ve never seen the Caped Crusader in such a position. There’s been implied love or lust between the two characters onscreen before but the relationship has been more teacher-pupil, nee father-daughter than anything else, so to see the pair actually have, you know, feelings for one another, well, that’s too much to take for some people.

In today’s comic-book multi-verse, however, stories are adapted killingjokeor story arcs are adapted for each different show or movie that comes along. TV Flash is different than the one that will be in the movie Justice League. Characters are killed off in one show that pop up in another.

DC really needs to attend to this issue. Hardcore fans understand what’s going on, but the casual viewer gets lost and expects Batman to always be the Batman they know.

TV Flash, for example, plans to use one of the most popular comic book arcs ever, FlashPoint, as a central theme for the show’s debut this fall. In the comics, Flash speeds back in time and changes — to avoid too many spoiler alerts — many things about his upbringing. Of course, those changes lead to other changes. Bruce Wayne is dead. His dad is Batman. Superman is a skinny captive held out of the sun who doesn’t know his own strength. Green Arrow is not Oliver Queen.

It will be difficult to bring that adaptation to the small screen, so expect some changes. And do those changes affect the other CW superhero shows, or do they not?

As we said, the way DC or writers handling DC characters are doing it now, it can become too much for the average viewer to understand, so they will look at a film like Killing Joke and expect the characters to be the ones they know and love. Only they are not.

This Batman is darker than most, and drawn to be older. Batgirl feels much younger, a woman who won’t date other men because she’s in love with the man who won’t pay her any attention. That’s real life.

The movie is actually two movies in one. One about Batgirl dealing with her “feelings” for her mentor (who obviously shares them) and a neophyte bad guy who thinks his mastery of technology will allow him to rule Gotham. Oh, and he’s got a big “thing” for Batgirl.

It’s a decently played out story and could’ve made a decent made-for-TV comic book movie, but it’s stopped short here, and attached with the Killing Joke arc, mainly because the comic book story that KJ is adapted from is very short.

So after the Bat team wins the day in Part I, Batman comes across some old Joker murders from three years prior and, for some reason, feels the need to confront his white faced enemy in jail figuring that sooner or later one of them will kill the other.

Only the guy Bats visits is a fake. Imprisoned for years, Joker busts out of jail (never explained) and proceeds to visit the Gordons and shoots Barbara in the belly, a direct shot which doesn’t kill her but leaves her paralyzed (we know, go figure).

Joker kidnaps Commissioner Gordon to lure Batman to an abandoned theme park where he tries to verbally assault him and kill him, after trying to make the Commissioner “go crazy” by dragging him through the park naked staring at pictures of his daughter’s bloody torso (pissed off? Definitely. Go all out loony bill? Nah).

Earlier in the film, Joker is shown to have a fondness for prostitutes — and decides to rape bloody Barbara in an implied scene. Fueled with all this knowledge, Batman — who obviously loves Barbara and respects the Commissioner — goes after Joker. The fight is swift, of course, because Joker can’t fight and Batman is Batman.

But Batman’s choices of what to do next are curious given the situation. He actually never gets close to doing what you think he would, never even considers it really, and then the movie closes with the most bizarre unsatisfying ending we’ve ever seen in the series.

I was half waiting for the off-screen voice to come in and say, “so what does the Batman do next? Tune in next week, same Bat time, same Bat channel.”

It was great to see Mark Hamill come back and voice the Joker as only he can, but the Killing Joke was a bad movie, one that you should not waste time going to see in theaters Monday night. It’s worth a rental.

Maybe.

Captain America: Civil War proves Marvel really, really knows how to make a big comic book movie

By their nature, comic book movies are not supposed to be candidates to be epic, memorable films. They are meant to be in the toy and candy aisle of the movie theater supermarket, instantly filling or instantly fun, but ultimately something you put down when it’s time to get serious about nourishing your mind or serious about nourishing your body.

capOnly “Captain America: Civil War,” the year’s first satisfying “big” super hero film, succeeds as a melodrama; succeeds as major, big, over-the-top action movie; succeeds in setting up Marvel’s next wave of films in ways DC could only have hoped for — and,
ultimately, succeeds as the best superhero movie ever made, and maybe just maybe, one of the top 10 films of the year.

It’s really that good.

Marvel has finally found the right mix of action, acting, drama and combined them with a more believable plot this time. It’s not the megalomaniac trying to take over the world (a la Ultron) or trying to invade it (a la Loki in Avengers I). It does give fans a taste of the hero v. hero action they seem to long for, in ways that Batman Vs. Superman failed to deliver.

Marvel also makes certain to show the consequences of our heroes actions and show their remorse for them, and in as realistic terms as possible for “enhanced humans,” set up real life consequences and ultimately rules.

The world’s governments feel the Avengers are abusing their power and hurting innocents. They want to control when and who the Avengers fight. A group led by Iron Man decides to capitulate. A group led by Captain America does not.

Ultimately, the teams face off in an abandoned airplane hanger in the movie’s longest and best action sequence. Seeing Ant Man turn into Giant Man is, well, awesome.

Throughout the film, the action sequences are phenomenal and even though I felt like I was watching more of an Iron Man movie that a Cap movie at times — Robert Downey Jr is just that good — this film just shines. The plot builds, the tension grows and then Chadwick Boseman comes crashing through every scene as Black Panther with a presence and panache that is just begging for a Black Panther movie. But then, so does the new teen-age Peter Parker.

Spider Man’s scenes with Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark are among the best of the movie and provide, in a very serious toned film, a bit of levity among the action. Spider Man’s familiar rambling-while-fighting is also welcome and his boy-like ambivalence and surprise at his co-horts abilities was fun to watch.

And did I say the acting was very believable? At least for a movie about a bunch of people who can fly, phase through solid objects, manipulate living energy and wear 500-pound iron suits that fit like tights and can levitate and project energy blasts.

But, by now you want to know the plot. I really don’t want to give too much away, but suffice to say it’s built around a brilliantly schemed plan to divide the Avengers and get them to fight one another, brought about from events from past films, and it also involves Captain America’s long lost buddy, Bucky Brooks, a la Winter Soldier, and Cap’s seemingly never-ending battle to save his 100-year-old bud (if you don’t get the reference, just see the film).

The film does leave us with some questions, especially around Captain America’s clean-cut future, and yes, it does include not one, but two post-credit scenes, so be sure to stick around.

To not spoil them, I’ll say this: if you don’t get the point that Marvel is pointing to its future with Civil War, these will drive that point home.

And if this is Marvel’s future, we won’t be missing Cap and Iron Man and Thor too much when, and if, they’re gone.

The bullpen is stacked. And waiting.

 

CTS-V Kicks Caddy In Gear

Cadillac is an amazing company. It has transformed itself from a stodgy, luxury-leaning brand into something fresh and wonderful.
This 2016 Cadillac CTS-V sedan is something special – and I mean really special. It looks good, it drives well and it has very few things that wrong.
Let me start with the good stuff. Look at this beast. The architectural lines that dominate the body are enough to make your drool. I love rounded, swooshy cars but when you get the straight line thing right, well, you get something as handsome as this car. I love the aggressive big grille that state simply, yes, I’m a badass.

CTS interior is well done.
CTS interior is well done.

The interior is almost as yummy. A lot of angles and straight lines dominate, especially on the center stack. It gets a little busy but Caddy stopped just when it should have. The leather seats are certainly comfortable, offering a lot of support which comes in handy when you are aggressively driving this thing. I’m not a fan of the color blue but teamed with the sparkling white exterior paint it looks as if Nautica came up this color choice. I like.
There are loads of things to occupy your time while sitting in the CTS-V. The Bose stereo system is astonishing with a CD, streaming or listening to Sirius/XM. You can hang out on the internet with the built-in WiFi or just flick switches and push buttons all day.
You could if you were not interested in driving. if that’s the case buy a lesser CTS. Nope, you’ve selected the twin-turbo V6 V, which means you want to drive.
Let’s drive. It’s had to put into words how much I love this engine and transmission. A proper six-speed stick would make me delirious but the automatic with paddle shifters does nicely. This car wants to be driven hard, really hard. The 420 horsepower V6 is willing, so willing you can hit 60 miles per hour in 4.9 seconds. Let’’s say the 430 pounds-feet of torque have a lot to do with that number.
Can you fling it around a corner? Check. Can you negotiate twisty roads with the agility of race car? Check. Can you stab the brakes to bail out a tricky situation and come away unscathed? Check. Steering handling and braking – this car is blessed if you are into that kind of aggressive driving.
Ok, OK, but can you live with it on the highway while taking a long trip? Yes. the cabin is tomb quite and you can you adjust the suspension for smooth cruising. Am I describing the perfect car? Hmmmmmmm. Perhaps.
Did I find stuff I didn’t like. Well, the back seat is a tad tight for the segment and truck space is good but not great. I’m thinking hard now. Ummm, well, yep, that’s all I didn’t like.
The CTS-V comes with a lot of stuff. There’s also lots of packages to choose from. My test car had upgraded suspension and brakes, lane mitigation, crash mitigation, smart cruise, head up display, adjustable suspension, upgrade stereo and premium leather seating with sport package. Curiously, when you can’t get a sunroof with a twin-turbo V6.
That put the as-tested price in the upper $60,000 range.
Oh, my.
Yet, the Cadillac CTS-V is a marvelous blend of brawn and beauty, of finesse and power. If this is not what you are looking for there are several other versions of CTSs available. There’s also a lot from BMW, Audi, Mercedes and so on and so forth. Yet, Caddy is being mentioned in those rarified circles. Good for you Cadillac. Good for you.

cross@alldayteh.com

The NFL on Twitter? Coming this fall

The NFL is coming to Twitter this fall.

Twitter has beaten out Verizon and Amazon for $10 million global rights to stream 10 NFL Thursday night games to fans around the world. Twitter will be able to show games on its app on platforms like Xbox game consoles and the NFl said it’s working on ways to allow Twitter to stream games via syndicated partners like Google and Yahoo.

 

Twitter will also be able to stream the games via its apps on platforms like Xbox game consoles, and the NFL says it is exploring ways to let Twitter stream the games via its syndication partners, including Google and Yahoo.

And on one screen, you can watch and tweet at the same time.

 

Audi’s e-tron hot hatch hybrid

2016 Audi A3 sportback e-tron
2016 Audi A3 sportback e-tron

Despite cheeper gas prices car companies are still trying to build models that will squeeze every drop possible out a gallon of fuel. We all no gas will not be cheep forever so that is a good thing.
Audi enters the fray with the e-tron, a plug in hybrid that uses the A3 hatchback as it’s host.
It’s the only A3 hatchback available in this country. You can get a sedan but not a hybrid sedan.
Anyway, the e-tron is a nicely put together car. It is stylish, comfortable and gives you the best of both worlds, but not necessarily a lot of both of those worlds.

Well finsihed interior is a plus
Well finsihed interior is a plus

If you go EV only you will get 17 miles before running out of juice. Doesn’t seem like a lot but there are lots of trips made a day that are less than a couple of miles. Pulling off in EV mode feels quite brisk. The 1.4-liter turbo-charged engine makes about 150 horsepower with 184 foot pounds of torque. The electric engine is powered by an 8.8 kWH lithium ion battery that puts out an additional 104 horsepower and 234 lbs.-ft. of torque. Combined the output is 202 horses with 254 lbs.-feet of torque. When in EV mode the car is whisper silent. I had to keep checking the gauges to see if the car was on. I didn’t go far because the car was nearly out of juice. It takes five hours to charge if you use a regular 120 volt outlet. Find something that puts out 240 volts and you are fully charged in two hours. You can also charge the battery in hybrid mode while highway driving.
To charge the car, twist a lever hidden in the rings on the front grille. That exposes the socket. The portable charger is in the trunk. Once finished, unplug the charger and slide the rings back in place. There are now thousands of spots across the country to charge an EV. Charlotte, NC, has lots, included designated spots in certain airport parking decks.
Most of my time was spent using the electric motor which was fine with me. I’ve met few Audi’s that I dislike and this wasn’t one of them. The e-tron posses the kind of handling you expect from an Audi. That is to say it handles crisply, with sharp turning and accurate steering. The e-tron can get to 60 miles per hour in 7.6 seconds, which is pretty good for a hybrid. (You’ll also be glad to hear that in EV mode it can get up to 80 miles per hour.)
I found the ride to be comfortable. The anti-lock brakes are wonderful. My test car was a Premium Plus, equipped with 17-inch wheels, adaptive LED headlamps and auto dimming mirrors. Extra equipment included all season tires, heated front seats, navigation, audi connect and high-gloss aluminum widow trim.
The interior is very comfortable and displays a great deal of style. The black leather trim was classy and all surfaces felt expensive. The back seat was smallish and there isn’t a lot of room for storage under the hatch.
The base price for the e-tron is $37,900. With options and destination my as-tested price was $46,100.
Well, now, that sounds a bit high but not when you compare it to other plugin EVs. You will get 39 miles per galloon combined as a hybrid. In EV mode it’s a staggering 86 MPGe.
If and when Audi figures out how to extend the EV range on the e-tron, that will be a wonderful thing. For now, the e-tron is still wonderful. You can’t get quattro (Audi’s all-wheel-drive system) yet, but it may be coming. So far, this is my favorite EV. Good job, Audi.

cross@alldaytech.com