Category: Technology

The first “self-driving car” vehicle from Zoox, the autonomous vehicle maker that Amazon bought for $ 1.2 billion earlier this year, was spotted before its official unveiling on December 14th.

Images shared first on Reddit and then on Twitter show the Push-Me-Pull-You vehicle in front of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. It looks like it was filmed before its official reveal later this month.

@zoox is shooting everything in @FairmontSF today. Looks like 2021 to me! Exciting future ahead of us! #selfdrivingcars #innovation pic.twitter.com/8XjS4qPOcV

– Christian Claus (@ Christian1Claus) December 6, 2020

However, Zoox, perhaps one of the lesser-known self-driving startups, hasn’t kept its vehicles entirely under lock and key.

No effort has been made to disguise the test vehicles in recent years. which has taken the form of modified SUVs or its self-contained autonomous vehicle platform. With these pictures we finally get a confirmation of what the body will look like.

Photo credit: Steve Jurvetson – via FlickrZoox test vehicles at the original headquarters, a former SLAC fire station. The VH moniker was used for all of the early proof-of-concept test vehicles. It is indicative of an early derogatory press report that Zoox was just “vaporware horseshit”. They hugged and expanded to manifest this!

It is also clear that there are bus doors in the middle of the side of the vehicle, which enable passengers to get on and off board without any problems.

[Read: Why AI is the future of home security]

This means that all the front passenger seats that are oriented towards the center of the vehicle appear to be facing each other. We saw this as a possibility when the company was hosting a press day at their headquarters and their VH1 test vehicles had the same layout.

Photo credit: Reddit – u / lakhailb87 Image shared by Lakailb87 on Reddit. Zoox appeared to be filming outside a hotel in San Francisco. The LiDAR sensors on every corner are clearly visible. Without the red lights it would be hard to know if this car is coming or going.

Obviously there is no room for a human driver because as a self-driving car he doesn’t need one.

Zoox also teased an unveiling video on their YouTube that gives practically nothing, but shows the shape of the headlights and a covert silhouette.

The outline of the vehicle reflects the shape of the vehicle in the images shared on Reddit. I think we can take these as representative of what will be revealed next week.

Earlier this year, online retail giant Amazon bought Zoox for $ 1.2 billion. It was the company’s biggest foray into self-driving technology and one of the company’s largest acquisitions ever.

At the time, it wasn’t clear what Amazon would do with Zoox. The online shop already owns a handful of robotics and autonomous vehicle manufacturers that developed its warehouse robots.

Amazon said it wanted to help Zoox achieve its dream, but it rarely happens that acquisitions of this magnitude will only help. Currently, Zoox is on its own, but it is unlikely to be the case forever.

SHIFT is brought to you by Polestar. It’s time to accelerate the transition to sustainable mobility. That’s why Polestar combines electric driving with state-of-the-art design and exciting performance. Find out how.

Published on December 7, 2020 – 11:06 UTC

Are you someone who searches for lost items a lot? Do your car keys always seem to disappear? If you’re struggling to keep track of important things, a bluetooth tracker can change your life – and keep you from losing your nerve.

Some of our top picks are Chipolo and Tile. Find out which bluetooth tracker is best for Android or iPhone users and read more about what to expect from these smart little tracking devices.

tile

John Velasco / Digital Trends

Perhaps the most popular Bluetooth tracker brand right now is Tile. The current range of tile trackers covers the vast majority of situations. There’s the waterproof tile sticker, which is about a quarter-size, and can stick to most metal or plastic items. It’s IPX7 certified, has a range of around 150 feet and a battery life of three years. The Tile Slim is a credit card size tracker that fits easily in your wallet or purse. It has a range of 200 feet and a battery that should last three years. The Tile Pro is a square with a hole in the top corner that easily fits on a key ring and has the longest reach at 400 feet. It’s also the loudest of the tile trackers and has a replaceable battery that should last a year.

Our pick is the Tile Mate, which has a similar design to the Pro but is cheaper. The downside is that the range drops to 200 feet but is still noisy, comes with a removable battery that should last a year, and comes at a price that’s easier to swallow. Right now, you can buy the Tile Mate in a variety of limited-edition designs – like the comic-inspired superhero design or the colorful Malibu sunset designs – that come in a starter pack of a mate and slim tracker for $ 53 are included.

All Tile trackers work with a companion app on your iPhone or Android phone. You can have the tracker play a sound to help you find the item you’re looking for, and you can also see the last known location on a map. You can also use the Tile Mate to find your phone by pressing the button twice. With Tile, all nearby trackers can locate your marked object. Hence the important fact that it has a very large user base. Tile also supports Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can instruct your smart speaker to ask Tile where you left your buttons and trigger the ringtone. If you want smart notifications when you leave something behind, an annual battery change, and 30 days of location history, you’ll need to upgrade to the Tile Premium subscription service, which costs $ 30 per year or $ 3 per month – with a free 30-day trial.

Chipolo

Simon Hill / Digital Trends

The Chipolo ONE is very similar to the Tile Mate except that it is circular and comes in six different colors. It also has a loud alarm that goes up to 120 decibels, it’s waterproof with an IPX5 rating, and it requires standard CR2032 coin-operated batteries that you can replace – although a full battery should last around two years. Great for keys, the Chipolo ONE can also alert you out of range on your Android phone or iPhone to prevent you from leaving your keys or whatever is attached to them. Unlike Tile, these alerts are out of range at no additional cost and no subscription is required. Press the button on the Chipolo twice and your phone will ring. The range is 200 feet and Chipolo also works with Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa.

You can see highlighted items on a map on your phone or in your web browser. You can also mark lost items and get help from other Chipolo users even though they have a smaller user base than Tile, so this feature may not work. You can also purchase a Chipolo CARD that fits in your wallet but doesn’t have a removable battery and isn’t quite as loud. Otherwise it works the same as with the Chipolo ONE. Another nice feature Chipolo offers is the ability to take a remote selfie with your phone using Chipolo ONE or CARD.

orbit

You can find a full line of Orbit tracking products that work similarly to the first two items on our list. Our choice is the Orbit Keys, an aluminum disc that can be easily attached to a key ring. It’s available in many colors, IPX6 certified for water resistance, and can set off an alarm at 90 decibels. It can also ring your phone, take a selfie and of course you can use the Android or iOS app to see the last known location. It also works with Alexa and can trigger an alert if you leave a tagged item behind. Although it has a removable battery, the average battery life is a little less than the competition at around six months.

Orbit also has a special glasses tracker that fits on the arm of your glasses, a stick-on CD, and a wallet card which we think are some pretty cool ideas from Orbit. They also offer crowd-finding, although the base isn’t as big as Chipolo or Tile.

The classic look of the Orbit Key between the large color palette and the brushed aluminum finish offsets the size and the slightly limited battery life.

Eksy tracker with remote control

If you spend most of your time at home and still manage to misplace personal items, you may not need more extensive maintenance features such as precise coordinate mapping of places visited over a long distance.

This collection of trackers with a tracking remote control could be the answer. For a pretty reasonable price, you get four trackers that can be attached to keys, pet collars, bags, or even remotes with tape. For each tracker there is a central remote control with a separate, color-coded button.

Press the button to notify the appropriate tracker that a small LED beeps and lights up for your attention. The trackers reach approximately 70 decibels and are suitable for a range of 50 to 100 feet.

While not the smallest or most stylish on the market, these trackers are still practical enough to plug into a wide variety of devices and they won’t cost you a lot of money.

There is also no need to install or use a smartphone app. These trackers use a different radio frequency than Bluetooth. You need replaceable CR2032 batteries and the remote control requires two AAA batteries. Trackers and remotes have a battery life of one to two years, except for extreme daily use.

Editor’s recommendations

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On this Cyber ​​Monday you can give your loved ones and friends the gift of learning something new and exciting while enjoying the knowledge for yourself. It’s all thanks to MasterClass and its BOGO offer for online courses. Right now, you can get two all-access passes for the price of one. That means you and a loved one can learn and study a wide variety of subjects for just $ 180 through highly professional educational resources. It’s one of the many fantastic Cyber ​​Monday deals out there right now.

MasterClass is a big name in online learning for a reason. The service allows you to stream exclusive lessons from some of the best known experts in the field you choose. Each All Access Pass offers hundreds of lessons from the most experienced teachers, and you can easily watch them all on your smart TV, smartphone, laptop or tablet.

Always wanted to learn how to cook with Gordon Ramsay or learn the best photography techniques from Annie Leibovitz? These are just two of the options available to you with a MasterClass All Access Pass. You can also study the art of storytelling with Neil Gaiman, learn to sing with Christina Aguilera and even learn the best ball handling and scoring skills from Stephen Curry. The number of options at MasterClass is huge, with opportunities to learn almost anything you want to learn.

Each course lasts less than 20 lessons, with each lesson lasting around 10 minutes. This is ideal for bite-sized studies that you can easily incorporate into your routine, or just to learn something new and exciting. Not sure where to start? We checked out the best MasterClass online courses for learning.

MasterClass is potentially useful for your career and just plain fun. It is a fantastic gift idea for your loved one. Typically, the price of an all-access pass is $ 180. As part of MasterClass’s Cyber ​​Monday sale, you can buy one and get one for free. It is a fantastic time for you and a loved one to learn something new. You can even sign up for the same course and discuss what you learned every day!

But be quick. The MasterClass BOGO offer is limited and ends on November 30th. You don’t want to miss such a great opportunity.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and we carefully and independently select what we cover. The prices, details and availability of the products and offers in this post are subject to change at any time. Make sure they are still valid before making a purchase.

Digital Trends can earn commissions on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

Editor’s recommendations

A senior nuclear scientist with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a division of the Iranian military service, was assassinated on November 27 in what the Iranian government designated as an AI machine gun assassination attempt.

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was murdered while traveling in a convoy outside Tehran. A Nissan pickup truck equipped with a mounted machine gun reportedly captured the convoy and opened fire. Moments later the truck exploded.

According to the IRGC’s deputy commander Ali Fadavi, “no killer was present at the scene of the strike” when the scientist was attacked, according to a report by the Iranian state-controlled media company Tasnim News Agency.

The report continues:

A machine gun equipped with a “satellite-controlled intelligent system” and installed on a pickup had fired a total of 13 shots in the attack.

All other bullets were fired by the bodyguards, Fadavi noted.

The intelligent system for controlling the machine gun had focused on Fakhrizadeh and used artificial intelligence, the general explained.

He said the purpose of the explosion of the gun-laden pickup truck after the shooting was to kill the 11 IRGC soldiers who escorted the scientist.

It appears that the Iranian government and Fadvai are claiming the attack was carried out entirely remotely. In such a case, this would mean that the Nissan pickup used was either remote-controlled by a human or driven autonomously by the AI.

Assuming the claims are correct, it would mean that a terrorist organization or foreign government built a robot out of a Nissan truck and machine gun and then used satellite imagery to track, identify and detect Fakhrizadeh.

The AI-powered machine gun reportedly shot and killed Fakhrizadeh’s vehicle, as well as a bodyguard trying to shield the scientist. Fakhrizadeh’s wife, who Iranian officials claimed was inches from him, was unharmed.

Take quickly: The big news here is all of the politics. Numerous experts point the finger at Israel, whose government has not yet confirmed or denied responsibility. And some have even claimed the hit was approved and sanctioned by US President Donald Trump.

While this allegation has been an unsubstantiated suspicion, it is not that far-fetched. Donald Trump approved the use of a Reaper drone to assassinate IRGC General Qasem Soleiman earlier this year.

But maybe that’s not the big picture. This type of killing differs from the Trump drone attack ordered in January. While both are out of court (the US is not at war with Iran), the drone attack used military equipment paid for by US taxpayers to carry out a strike at the request of the US commander in chief.

If it is substantiated that Fakhrizadeh’s murder was carried out completely autonomously “without an assassin on site”, as has been reported, it would be (to the best of our knowledge here at Neural) the first time a civilian production vehicle has been converted into a killer robot and to kill someone completely autonomously.

Published on December 7, 2020 – 20:29 UTC

Text messaging – the communication technology we’ve known and loved since the 1990s – is gradually showing its age. They just don’t work the way we are used to and expect over the past few years. For example, they don’t support read receipts, group messages, or animated stickers that everyone likes to trade with apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and WeChat. You need a cellular connection – and a signal – and a 160-character limit to say what you think. That may sound surprisingly restrictive, but old habits die hard. The last count, SMS or SMS (Short Message Service), is still very much appreciated by the public. According to Statistic from 2017, around 781 billion text messages are sent monthly in the US and more than 9.3 trillion texts are sent every year. According to Statista, the number of SMS messages sent in the US increased by 15.8% from 2017 to 2018 to 2 trillion.

Despite the continued popularity of text messaging, some people need more than it can provide. To make the service more valuable and competitive with popular, feature-rich messaging apps, smartphone manufacturers, wireless operators, and government agencies in the wireless industry have developed the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol (also known as RCS chat) known as the Modern Version of SMS, which combines the functions of Facebook Messenger, iMessage and WhatsApp on one platform. The interactive chat protocol enables the exchange of group chats, video, audio and high-resolution images that look and function like iMessage and other large-scale messaging apps. It makes it easy to read receipts and see in real time when someone replies to your message. Your phone may already have it.

RCS arrives

Google’s customers in the UK, France and Mexico could choose to chat instead of waiting for carriers to introduce it. Now Android users in the USA can also take part in the new chat campaign. Last November, Google announced the launch of RCS as the primary SMS platform for Android for anyone using the Android Messages app. Android Messages are installed on many Android phones. A partnership between Google and Samsung enables RCS features to work seamlessly between the Samsung Messages and Android Messages apps, the standard SMS apps on their devices. You can also jump into the Google Play Store to download messages yourself.

The SMS background story

The invention of SMS sending is older than the iPhone, BlackBerry and Palm Pilot. SMS was first proposed in 1982 for the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), a second generation cell standard developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

The original idea was to transmit texts via the signaling systems that controlled telephone traffic. ETSI engineers developed a framework that was both small enough to fit into the existing signaling paths (128 bytes, later improved to 160 seven-bit characters) and modular enough to accommodate carrier management functions such as real-time Billing and message redirection (forwarding messages to) support a recipient other than the one specified by the user) and message blocking.

After nearly a decade of tinkering, SMS went into commercial use in December 1992 – a milestone that Neil Papworth, an engineer, marked with a text message to Vodafone customer Richard Jarvis on Merry Christmas. From then on, cell phone manufacturers such as Nokia and cellular operators such as Fleet Call (now Nextel) and BT Cellnet (now O2 UK) rose on board the messaging train. By 2010, almost 20 years after the first text message, mobile subscribers exchanged 6.1 trillion messages.

Despite the explosive growth of SMS, the technology has not advanced too much since the 1990s. Even when the phone’s form factors changed and Apple’s iPhone made the modern touchscreen smartphone popular, the SMS remained unchanged – except for 160 characters. RCS changes all of that.

What is RCS?

Rich Communication Services (RCS) is the protocol that will eventually replace SMS, and it started off slowly. It was founded in 2007 by a group of industry sponsors and inducted into the GSM Association, a trade group, the next year, where it essentially languished for nearly a decade. In 2018, Google announced that it had partnered with major wireless carriers around the world to adopt the RCS protocol. The result is Chat, a protocol based on the RCS Universal Profile – a global standard for the introduction of RCS, which subscribers from different network operators and countries can use to communicate with one another.

The chat evolves to look like iMessage and other messaging apps, but there are some nice extras planned as well. Google worked with companies to add helpful features to chat to improve communication, such as: B. Branding news messages and sharing content such as pictures, video clips and gifs, or to send live updates of upcoming trips and boarding passes, and possibly even allow customers to choose airline seats from Android messages. Chat is hardware independent and therefore works on multiple devices.

However, one critical element is missing in chat: while the original RCS protocol allowed for client-server encryption to be implemented, chat does not offer end-to-end encryption like iMessage or Signal. Rather, it retains the same legal interception standards as its SMS predecessor.

It is possible for chat to work on iOS even though Apple does not yet support the protocol. This is because with iMessage, many of the great RCS features are already available to iPhone users when they are communicating with other Apple users. In the US, Apple users make up 50% of the smartphone market, and the company has been communicating with the GSMA over the past few years about implementing RCS, but nothing solid has emerged from those conversations.

Chat is a protocol

Chat isn’t just another Android messaging app: it’s the friendly name for the RCS Protocol, or the RCS Universal Profile. Chat is only available for two apps: Android Messages and Samsung Messages. While this seems a bit limiting, most smartphone manufacturers ship with Android’s default messaging app, so you may already have access. Many moving parts are required for chat to work. First of all, your network operator must support the protocol. You also need a device and a messaging app that support chat. After all, your recipient must have chat too, otherwise chat messages will revert to SMS.

In addition to the introduction of Android messaging into the 21st century with reading receipts, entering indicators, and sending and receiving high-resolution photos and videos, users can chat, name group chats, add participants and remove them from group chats via WiFi or mobile data , and more. You can activate RCS by starting the Android Messages app and activating the chat functions. Text messages are automatically routed through the new protocol if RCS is activated for both parties. But not everyone will, at least not yet.

Who supports the chat?

For almost a decade, it has been difficult to obtain broad support for the RCS protocol. While some airlines like Sprint and T-Mobile got on board fairly early, many manufacturers hesitated. Since RCS requires both software and a network update, many manufacturers did not want to develop software to make their devices retrospectively support the protocol. Google now offers chat for customers through its app, eliminating the need for carrier support. Microsoft has also chosen the protocol. In the US, all of the major carriers have signaled their support for chat, which means it should be pretty easy for virtual cellular network operators to get on board when and if they choose to implement the standard.

Carrier updates

Last fall, the four major US airlines – Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint – founded the Cross Carrier Messaging Initiative, a joint venture that focuses on standardizing RCS and operates independently of Google.

• Sprint: While Sprint has already introduced RCS Universal Profile and was the first to do so, you need a supported device to benefit from it – and you also need to speak to someone who has a supported device. The latest Universal Profile is now running and all Sprint Android devices are RCS enabled for messaging to communicate with both Sprint customers and other supporting vendors.
• T-Mobile: T-Mobile has started rolling out RCS Universal Profile on some smartphones and has activated RCS with an older version of the universal protocol. Subscribers can access features such as 100MB file transfer, 100 member group chats, and tap indicators, but not chatbots, sender verification, and business messaging that are included in the newer versions. It is supported on most Android phones made from 2018 onwards.
• AT & T: AT&T has approved the RCS standard, but there is still no final word for a rollout.
• Verizon: Verizon introduces RCS to support its phones. Most Verizon phones support RCS messaging with the Verizon Message Plus app. However, since it is not the universal profile, it will only work with other Verizon devices. Well-known devices that support the universal profile are the Google Pixel 3, 3a and 4 series, the Samsung Galaxy S9, S10 and S20 series and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 series.
• Google Fi: Google Fi now supports RCS on all Fi phones.
• US Cellular: US Cellular runs the latest Universal Profile so all US Cellular Android devices can communicate using RCS messages if the recipient supports the protocol.

Prepaid cellular operators in the US have joined the RCS law. Those who now support the Universal Profile include: Boost Mobile, EcoMobile, Freedom Mobile, NTT DoCoMo, Straight Talk, Telcel América, Tiercel Wireless, Ting, Total Wireless, and Virgin Mobile.

Outside the US, telecommunications providers in countries around the world have adopted the universal RCS profile, including Vodafone, Orange, Deutsche Telekom, NTT Docomo, and others serving Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, and Latin America. Working with the UK and French airlines, Google has fully rolled out RCS in these countries.

Where are we now

Google and the other carriers are not yet sure how RCS will come together or if it will merge into one cohesive whole. RCS has not yet turned into an organized, fully connected, multi-faceted messaging passageway that we hope will happen at some point. Not much has changed at the moment, however. Network providers offer RCS messaging, but the service is still not compatible with all computers. There are 430 million active users according to the GSMA. 13 million of them live in Germany. While RCS has already initiated services in several countries, they have yet to effectively standardize the network connection between all of these countries. Hence, we know that RCS has the potential to become a primary consolidated messaging technology, but it will take them more time to troubleshoot issues in their system.

Editor’s recommendations

Here at SHIFT, we think electric cars are great – obviously. But we have a particular weakness for classic cars that have been converted to electric drives.

Unfortunately, it is complicated to bring a beloved vintage engine with batteries and electric motors into the 21st century. The specialist for EV conversions, Zero Labs, would like to change this with its “classic electrical platform”.

In simple terms, it is a complete and ready-to-use electric car chassis with just one body placed on top and the controls connected.

Credit: Zero Labs The Zero Labs platform is a fully functional, ready-to-use electric car. All it takes is a body to fall on and it’s pretty good to drive.

According to Zero Labs, this platform can be used to replace the powertrain of classic muscle cars, two-door coupes, SUVs and pickups.

Unlike other classic car conversions that only replace the engine, transmission and fuel tank, the platform replaces the entire chassis, including the brakes, suspension and running gear.

[Read: Why AI is the future of home security]

With that in mind, you can be sure that it will have the driving characteristics of a modern car.

Credit: Zero Labs The Zero Labs platform would transform your classic car into a modern, one-of-a-kind performance vehicle.

The platform can be equipped with either an 85 or 100 kWh battery. The larger of the two is good for a range of up to 235 miles, but this can be significantly affected by the aerodynamic profile of the body placed on it.

While Zero Labs isn’t trying to turn classic cars into quarter mile monsters, it does claim some formidable performance metrics.

The company says it can deliver 400% more power than the original powertrain in cars manufactured before 1975. In other words, it has around 600 horsepower delivered by two engines.

It’s important to note that this platform is much more than just a bunch of electric car parts that you bolt a body to. It has remote diagnostics so Zero Labs can perform maintenance work wirelessly.

It also has regenerative braking, quick charge capability, built-in thermal management and a four-year warranty on the motor and battery. With the Zero Labs platform, you are essentially buying a complete electric car, but one that gives you the freedom to decide how it should look.

There’s no word on prices but don’t expect it to be cheap. Zero Labs will be accepting requests for production slots next year.

While the platform introduces some standardization to the world of converting classic cars to electric vehicles, it is still a niche product and is not manufactured on the same scale as traditional electric vehicles.

Zero Labs already offers EV conversions of old Ford Broncos and Land Rovers, starting at around $ 185,000.

At the moment, EV conversion still doesn’t seem cheap, but it remains very, very unique.

SHIFT is brought to you by Polestar. It’s time to accelerate the transition to sustainable mobility. That’s why Polestar combines electric driving with state-of-the-art design and exciting performance. Find out how.

Published on December 7, 2020 – 16:14 UTC

Bitcoin is in the news today more than ever. Thanks to skyrocketing prices and roller coaster rides, everyone and their dogs are keen to learn how to buy and sell Bitcoin.

As the most popular form of cryptocurrency (and the blockchain technology that powers it) is Bitcoin now recognized worldwide and has a growing number of uses. However, if you want to take advantage of this, the first thing you need to know is how to buy bitcoin and what to do with it when you have bitcoin.

Would you like to mine Bitcoin instead? It is not advisable, but it is still possible. Here is how.

Step 1: Find a Reliable Bitcoin Wallet

Bitcoin is stored in digital “wallets” until you are ready to spend it or exchange it for another currency. Wallets vary in terms of features, platforms they accept, and level of security. So it’s important to choose one that works for you – although you should probably stay away from the one evangelized by John McAfee.

For those who are just starting out, it is best to use the wallet that is automatically provided to you on our recommended Coinbase exchange. However, it is also a good idea to set up a wallet that is not connected to a crypto exchange to ensure that you can access your Bitcoin instantly, even if there is overwhelming traffic or the website closes.

Here are our recommended options:

Exodus: Exodus is an all-in-one offline application with support for multiple cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. It’s free to use, has built-in shape change trading, and includes some simple graphing tools that you can use to visualize your cryptocurrency portfolio.

Mycelium: This is a popular mobile wallet known to be compatible with more advanced technologies like Trezor hardware wallets (for maximum security) and Tor.

Bitcoin Core: Bitcoin Core is a free, open source option that acts as a Bitcoin node. They do an excellent job of verifying payments and only accept payments from valid blockchains.

To take a look at some of our favorite wallets, here is a more in-depth guide to the best Bitcoin wallets.

Note: While an online wallet is great for your first Bitcoin purchase, if you are confronted with a lot of valuable cryptocurrencies due to trading or appreciation, keep it in an offline “cold storage” wallet for maximum protection.

Step 2: choose the right bitcoin trader

The best place to make your first Bitcoin purchase is with an exchange. There are a lot of exchanges with varying levels of performance. Some are less trustworthy than others, and some can be very limited. Therefore, it is important to choose the correct exchange first. We recommend using Coinbase, though it doesn’t hurt to check out the competition using a Bitcoin exchange comparison site.

Signing up for a Coinbase account is easy, but you’ll need to show some ID. This could include sending a copy of your photo ID and possibly sending a live image of your face via webcam. It is imperative to follow these rules as they allow the websites to know the rules that your customers are aware of.

While Coinbase alone allows you to buy and sell Bitcoin, it’s also worth signing up to the linked exchange platform Coinbase Pro, which gives you better control over your purchases.

If you prefer a more direct route when buying Bitcoin, you can use a peer-to-peer service like LocalBitcoin or BitQuick. They offer a wider range of payment options and allow you to buy Bitcoin directly from a seller without the intermediary. If you want to use these and trade in person, you should meet in a safe place.

Step 3: Choose your payment method

Exchanges accept a variety of payment options, although one should beware of scam sites. Coinbase allows both bank account and credit or debit card transfers for payments, although a payment solution must be linked to your account before you can make a trade. Coinbase recently added PayPal as an option for transferring Bitcoin, although there are certain restrictions.

Note: Bitcoin ATMs allow you to exchange Bitcoin for cash in compatible wallets. These ATMs are available in a limited number of cities and offer an alternative to withdrawing money through an exchange. Again, most exchanges and online wallets won’t handle cash directly.

Step 4: buy bitcoin and keep it in your wallet

The exchanges tell you how many (or how much) Bitcoin you can buy for certain sums of money. However, due to its volatility, Bitcoin prices can vary dramatically depending on the exchange and moment to moment. That means you’ll likely buy a fraction of a bitcoin even if you have a lot of money to burn. There is nothing wrong with that, and for most people, this is the route they will go as few but the rich can afford to buy multiple bitcoins at once.

To make your first trade, enter the amount of Bitcoin you want to buy in the space provided and click the Buy button. Coinbase or Coinbase Pro is a standard market buy order where Bitcoin is bought at the best market price. Alternatively, you can place a limit order that allows you to set a price that you are willing to pay for a certain amount. A trade will only take place if this amount is displayed at that price.

Once you have made your purchase, your newly acquired Bitcoin will be transferred to your Coinbase wallet for safekeeping. You should then seek the option of transferring those funds to the address of the Bitcoin wallet you created. You have to pay a small fee to remove the money from the exchange, but that’s an essential part of Bitcoin transfers. Fortunately, the cost of such transfers is much lower than in the past.

Just a note: Bitcoin transfers can be made sporadically. When buying bitcoin funds, unlike other forex trades, the transaction must be recorded and confirmed on the blockchain. The transfer process can take a while (approximately an hour or two), especially during busy trading hours. It is a good idea to plan your transfers accordingly before boarding.

Step 5: get ready to use it

Whether you want to sell your Bitcoin (hopefully for a profit) or use it to buy goods or services, you can always do so. Bitcoin’s value fluctuates widely, so it is important that you plan your endgame early. Prepare now by setting up a seller account on an exchange or finding out how to use it to buy what you want before the time to buy. That way, you won’t panic about completing your transactions at a specific time.

We have compiled a list of compatible online stores to give you an idea of ​​where to spend your Bitcoin. Do your research by reading reviews and fine print before buying or exchanging bitcoin.

Editor’s recommendations

Now is the time of year to find the best bargains on electronics of all kinds. Cyber ​​Week offers discount everything from computers to smartwatches. This is a great time to buy what you’ve always wanted to buy but never seem to enjoy. Or when you buy Christmas gifts, you can give that special someone a great gift at a great price. One category that you should definitely check out is drones, as these once exclusive technologies are now cheaper than ever. Whether you want to get aerial photography of an area or an event, or just want to have fun with friends or family while flying a drone outdoors, you can find tons of Cyber ​​Week drone deals today.

Best Deals on Cyber ​​Week Drones

How to choose a drone during Cyber ​​Week

There are tons of different types, brands, and prices of drones. How do you know which one to choose? When choosing the best drone for your needs, consider factors such as video resolution and frames per second, additional features like video stabilization and obstacle avoidance, and the weight of the drone. More high-end drones not only record better quality videos, but are also easier to control in the air thanks to intelligent environmental sensors and more precise inputs. This is especially important on days with wind and bad weather, as it is more difficult to control a drone in these conditions. So think about what you want to use your drone for and whether you are at the mercy of the weather when you fly your new drone.

Weight is also an important factor as drones weighing more than 250 grams must be registered if you want to fly them in the US. So drones like the original DJI Mavic Mini and the newer DJI Mini 2 weigh just 249 grams, both of which are great choices for those who want to start flying right away and don’t want to worry about paperwork. If you are looking for the best video quality for professional productions, a high-end model like the DJI Mavic 2 Pro or even the DJI Mavic Air 2 offers features such as environment detection, autonomous tracking of a subject, exceptionally solid build quality, responsive controls and an excellent camera . Of course, all of these features aren’t cheap, so high-end drones are expensive!

There are tons of affordable drone pilot options for beginners too. Brands like Snaptain have many inexpensive entry-level drones under $ 200, and you can find inexpensive models from well-respected brands like Potensic too. The Potensic T25 or Snaptain SP650 are two examples of affordable drones that still allow you to enjoy the fun of flying and record videos in 1080p quality. This makes them perfect for home and leisure use.

Should you buy a drone during Cyber ​​Week?

For all bargain hunters, Cyber ​​Week is the last big sales event of the year where you get the best drones at the highest discount on the market. If you don’t take advantage of these Cyber ​​Week offers, the next time you’ll see discounts as good as 2021. There is no better time to start purchasing these Cyber ​​Week drone deals than today.

Are drone deals too good to be true?

The old axiom “if something seems too good to be true, it probably is” always applies to sales like Cyber ​​Week. Retailers like to take advantage of these events to clear their shelves of stale inventory, so a hot Cyber ​​Week drone deal you noticed earlier may be out of date by today’s standards and not have the features you really want in 2020 The excitement about the sale (or pressure tactics like countdown timers and limited availability warnings) can improve your judgment. Feel free to add the item to your cart, but do take a look around and compare prices first before hitting the checkout button.

It is also a good idea to do your research by reading guides like this before shopping for Cyber ​​Week drone deals. So you already have a good idea of ​​what you want, what features to look for, and what is actually a really great bargain. This will help you set a budget to stick to while also providing you with the information you need to prevent you from making a purchase that may later disappoint you.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and we carefully and independently select what we cover. The prices, details and availability of the products and offers in this post are subject to change at any time. Make sure they are still valid before making a purchase.

Digital Trends can earn commissions on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

Editor’s recommendations

During the UK’s initial lockdown, I received an email from my son’s elementary school with a list of webcams we might like to check out. We particularly enjoyed observing and identifying the animals at a specific African watering hole that we were able to observe live online.

I continued to explore this world of location-based live streaming webcams which I had previously overlooked. I was fascinated by those who focused on city centers and revealed largely deserted urban landscapes. I left nature cams and coastal web cameras open on my PC monitor to distract myself when working from home. They offered me a portal to the outside world when, like so many others, I was trapped inside.

I suspected that I wasn’t alone in my virtual journeys. Indeed, the media soon described a massive increase in the use of these webcams. At Edinburgh Zoo, webcam views increased from around 100,000 to 5 million per month. As a tourism expert, I wanted to research this further. I completed a questionnaire and heard from 227 members of the public about their experiences traveling with webcams.

Some had used webcam travel for years to reconnect with nature. One respondent described the appeal of his favorite webcam in an eagle’s nest:

I enjoy watching the eggs hatch and watching the eagles ripen in spring, learn to fly and leave the next. I find it a nice antidote to the urban environment in which I live and work.

Respondents found webcam travel relaxing, especially when it came to nature and wildlife. “I feel calm and relaxed when I’m stressed or anxious.” Coastal scenes were also very popular. One person told me:

Before the lockdown, I’ve always found that looking out to sea is relaxing. I really miss walking along the coast. Watching the waves help me feel more connected to the outside world and remind me of what’s waiting when it’s safe to venture out again.

One thing these reports revealed was the importance of the vivid and unfiltered nature of webcam travel: “It helps to keep in touch with places and things that I like. Watch too Real time You almost feel like you do [you are] There. “The living nature of the experience seemed to encourage a sense of connection.

Virtual travel

The places that are virtually visited via these mostly static webcams are varied, numerous and are becoming increasingly popular. Wildlife, coastal scenes, city centers, zoos, aquariums, and landscapes are all favorites.

[Read: Why AI is the future of home security]

This surge in popularity isn’t surprising given the events of 2020. This year, our freedoms have been restricted in ways that most people have never experienced. In this context, webcam travel is a way to connect with nature and nature.

The Brockholes Nature Reserve in Lancashire informed me that they had seen 850 views from their two nature cameras in February 2020, but two months later, in April, that number had risen to 13,917 – an increase of 1,537%. SkylineWebcams now has more than 1,000 location-based webcams around the world showing city centers, heritage sites and a variety of resorts. In May they told me that they too had seen a huge surge in the popularity of their webcams and said:

With the spread of COVID-19, our website has actually seen an increase in numbers, from an average of 70 million monthly page views to 120 million in March. Webcams definitely played an interesting role during the lockdown. They have connected individuals with both distant countries and areas of their own cities that they would normally attend on a daily basis.

My research supported these reports: I found that nearly a third of respondents tried webcam travel for the first time during the lockdown, and 64% viewed webcams for longer than normal. 69% said they were more likely to physically visit places they viewed on webcams once restrictions were lifted.

Webcam trips therefore provide tourism organizations with a relatively inexpensive way to connect with visitors when recovery is on the horizon. 90% of the respondents felt connected to the place or nature and 83% felt more positive after traveling with the webcam.

Of the two-thirds who tended to view webcams from places they knew before they were locked, 83% said the experience brought back happy memories. One wrote on his favorite Arnside webcam: “A beautiful and unspoilt place in Cumbria – every time I look it brings back very fond memories of nice visits.” Nostalgia can ward off negative feelings such as loneliness, boredom and stress . This provides refuge from the challenges, fears, and frustrations associated with being locked out.

Many webcams are subject to natural outdoor environments or wildlife. Environmental psychology offers insights that explain this stimulus. Exposure to natural environments has been shown to provide health-related benefits associated with positive feelings such as calm, refreshment, and enjoyment. Even exposure to images of natural surroundings can be linked to mood restoration.

In 2020, webcam travel offers a sense of control over our movements so that we can exercise our freedom – at least virtually, if not physically. However, the experience is uplifting. It appears to be relaxing and mood-enhancing at a time when there are widespread mental health concerns. It offers an unfiltered experience that complements and supports the connection to place and nature.

As our freedom of movement continues to be restricted due to COVID-19, traveling with the webcam appears to continue. This may seem depressing to some, but webcam travel isn’t just a way to deal with escape or nostalgia: it allows you to connect to places we know or want to explore sometime in 2021.

Such imaginative trips can allow us to look to a more positive future. It also offers the tourism sector an opportunity to connect with its customers when considering how to relax. And connecting with nature, albeit virtual, isn’t a bad thing for us, the wildlife charities sharing their nature cameras, or the planet.

This article by David Jarratt, Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management at the University of Central Lancashire, is republished by The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

We’ve reviewed hundreds of laptops, so we know what to look for in a laptop regardless of the price. The best laptop you can buy is the Acer Swift 3. It does everything that laptops cost hundreds of dollars more can do — and in some cases, it does it even better.

But if your budget is a bit lower, or if you want to be able to game on your laptop, we’ve included options for you as well. If you’re looking for savings, you can also check out some of the best laptop deals and best Cyber Monday laptop deals, some of which are featured in our roundup of the best Cyber Monday sales happening now.

The best budget laptops at a glance:

The best budget laptop: Acer Swift 3

Why you should buy this: You want a fast, well-built laptop for very little money.

Who’s it for: Anyone who doesn’t mind sacrificing style for power.

Why we picked the Acer Swift 3 (AMD):

Finding a fast, well-built laptop for $650 isn’t easy. Normally, one of the things you give up is processing power, relegated to low-end and/or last-generation Intel Core CPUs, in addition to builds that are plasticky and don’t elicit confidence in their long-term viability.

Fortunately, Acer has come on strong with the Swift 3 equipped with AMD’s latest Ryzen 7 4700U CPU. For around $650 (prices fluctuate), you get an eight-core laptop with AMD Radeon integrated graphics. That helps the laptop not only perform productivity tasks with aplomb but even churn through demanding tasks like encoding video. The display isn’t the best we’ve seen, but you’ll forgive it once you see how well this budget laptop performs.

The $650 Acer Swift 3 also gets you 8GB of RAM and a large 512GB SSD. It’s not a sleek or modern-looking laptop by any means, although it’s very well built, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a faster or better-built laptop for this kind of money.

Read our in-depth Acer Swift 3 (AMD) review

The best budget laptop for students: Microsoft Surface Laptop Go

Why you should buy this: It’s inexpensive and fits a student’s mobile lifestyle.

Who’s it for: Students, buyers on a budget.

Why we picked the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go: 

Students usually want a few things in a laptop — something that’s easy to carry around, that provides good enough performance for getting their homework done, and something that’s not going to embarrass them when they pull it out to take notes. Oh, and it needs to be affordable. Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop Go meets all those criteria and more.

To begin with, it’s the first Surface device offered at budget prices, in this case, $550 for a 10th-gen Ice Lake Core i5 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 64GB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD). You can spend a bit more, namely $700, and double the RAM and storage. Those are remarkably low prices for a Surface laptop and should appeal to students at all levels.

Next, the Surface Laptop go is a highly mobile device with a 12.4-inch IPS display that, although it’s not quite FHD resolution, is still of very high quality and a pleasure to use. It’s solid for both productivity and media binging.

Finally, the Surface Laptop Go is a good looking device that comes in a variety of colors to let students choose just the right one for them. It’s as well-built as all Surface devices and shares a common aesthetic — it’ll look great sitting on a desk.

Read our in-depth Microsoft Surface Laptop Go

The best budget Chromebook: Lenovo Chromebook Duet

Why you should buy this: It’s extremely affordable, with a great screen, and more than all-day battery life.

Who’s it for: Anyone on a budget who doesn’t mind sacrificing performance for extreme value.

Why we picked the Lenovo Chromebook Duet:

Chromebooks have become popular budget choices over the last few years, and many have won us over as well. One style that hasn’t done as well as some others is the detachable Chrome OS tablet. That’s changed with the introduction of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet, which not only is a very usable tablet but that represents a tremendous value thanks to the included kickstand cover and detachable keyboard.

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet’s low price brings some limitations — performance isn’t the greatest, for example, although it’s good enough for the kinds of tasks you’ll want to run on it. And the display is very good but not great, with a 16:10 1,920 x 1,200 resolution that’s not as pixel-sharp as Apple’s baseline iPad that the Duet competes against.

However, if you want a tablet for web browsing, light productivity work, and consuming media, then the Duet has you covered. It’s a very comfortable size as a tablet — although it’s a bit chunky with the kickstand cover and keyboard attached — and it feels great in hand. Not only is this the best budget Chromebook, but it’s one of the best budget laptops you can buy, period.

You will have to get used to Chrome OS too. It’s not as functional as Windows, and it works best when you have an active internet connection, but it’s more fleshed out today than it was in the past. If you find yourself using a lot of Google web services and watching streaming services like Netflix, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet could be a great way to save a lot of money on your next upgrade.

Read our in-depth Lenovo Chromebook Duet review

The best budget gaming laptop: Dell G5 SE Gaming Laptop

Why you should buy this: It offers solid gaming performance for under $1,000.

Who’s it for: Gamers, and only gamers.

Why we picked the Dell G5 SE:

Although gaming laptops are typically expensive, the Dell G5 SE is a great example of why they don’t need to be. Starting at just under $900, you get an AMD Ryzen 5 4500H CPU, an AMD Radeon RX 5600M graphics chip, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD, with options for faster CPUs, more powerful graphics, extra and faster storage, and memory if you don’t mind spending a little more. Every model comes with a 15.6-inch, 1080p IPS display. For $1,049, you’ll get a fantastic machine with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and the faster Ryzen 7 4800H.

With a decent build quality and surprisingly good gaming performance that rivals laptops with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, the G5 SE offers an all-around solid gaming package at an impressively competitive price. It does have its weak points, most notably a less than stunning display — it’s dull, but it offers a fast 144Hz refresh rate that’s great for gaming.

The keyboard is surprisingly good and offers RGB lighting for $30 more, and overall there are fewer sacrifices than expected to keep the price down on such a capable gaming machine.

There are far better gaming laptops out there, but we’d struggle to find one that’s as powerful as Dell’s G5 SE at this price point. It’s a fantastic, budget gaming machine.

Read our in-depth Dell G5 SE review

The best budget laptop for video editing: HP Envy x360 13 (Ryzen)

Why you should buy this: You won’t find a better video editing laptop for less than $1,000.

Who’s it for: Video and photo editors who demand fast performance and a low price.

Why we picked the HP Envy x360 13 (Ryzen):

Finding a laptop for video editing under $1,000 isn’t easy. When it comes to video editing, the more cores the better. The best video editing laptops like the Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro 16-inch will cost you well over $2,000.

Fortunately, HP has released the Envy x360 13 with AMD’s latest Ryzen 5 4500U CPU. For $730, you get an eight-core machine with AMD Radeon graphics that can handle demanding video and photo editing tasks unlike many other laptops in its price range — or even higher. The Envy x360 actually outperforms many premium laptops costing well over $1,000 at tasks like rendering video.

The Envy x360 even has an excellent display, with a fairly wide color gamut (71% of AdobeRGB and 96% of sRGB) and a DeltaE of 2.26 (not the most accurate, but not terrible either). But it’s also a bright screen at 399 nits and enjoys an excellent contrast ratio of 1110:1 (we consider anything over 1,000:1 to be very good indeed).

The $730 also gets you 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, which can be upgraded to 256GB for only $40. And the Envy x360 is also a great looking 360-convertible 2-in-1 with pen support, giving you some creative flexibility. It’s a great creative laptop for an almost unbelievably low price.

Read our in-depth HP Envy x360 13 (Ryzen) review

The best business budget laptop: Dell Inspiron 13 7000

Why you should buy this: With powerful and efficient hardware, this budget laptop enjoys solid battery life for an all-day work schedule.

Who’s it for: Office workers who want to game in their off-hours.

Why we picked the Dell Inspiron 13 7000:

Whether you’re typing up another spreadsheet or winding down with a game at the end of a long workday, the Dell Inspiron 13 7000 strikes a great balance. It features powerful and efficient general computing power, like a ninth-generation Intel CPU — options include Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9 chips — and up to 16GB of RAM, and this laptop sports a dedicated graphics chip. The standard model comes with an Nvidia GTX 1050 3GB for entry-level gaming chops, but there’s also an option for a new-gen 1650, which can play all sorts of games if you tweak the settings enough.

With the typical Inspiron build quality, we’d expect this system to borrow a number of great design features from the more premium XPS range, but make them available in a more affordable form. It’s not the lightest laptop at just over four pounds, but it has a great, spill-resistant keyboard, full Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth connectivity, and a top-mounted 720p webcam for conferencing.

The Dell Inspiron 13 7000 also comes in an attractive white paint job, which helps it stand out from all of its silver contemporaries.

The best budget 2-in-1: Microsoft Surface Go 2

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Why you should buy this: It’s quick, lightweight, and versatile.

Who’s it for: Anyone who needs the on-the-go mobility of a small, 2-in-1.

Why we picked the Microsoft Surface Go 2:

The Surface Go 2 may be limited by its small size and, at the entry-level, by a low-powered Intel Pentium processor — which can be upgraded to an Intel Core m3 for $130 more — but it offers something never before seen in the Windows world: A truly budget-minded 2-in-1. Its build is every bit as solid as its bigger brother, the Surface Pro 7, and it boasts a beautiful, bright display to boot. The best part? It’s actually thin and light enough to be held in one hand like a proper tablet.

While performance doesn’t feel as smooth as on something like an iPad or even a Chromebook, those devices can’t do quite as many things as the Surface Go 2, which runs a full version of Windows 10. On the battery front, however, it’s a bit lacking. That’s its most unfortunate compromise since this is a device made for portability. Also, we still wish the excellent Type Cover keyboard and Surface Pen came bundled in.

But even with its fair share of faults, the Microsoft Surface Go 2 is absolutely the best budget 2-in-1 you can buy. Competitors in this price range lack its high build quality and often have a less impressive display or keyboard.

Read our in-depth Microsoft Surface Go 2 review

Research and buying tips

Are budget laptops any good?

Absolutely! Depending on what you need your laptop to do, budget options can be just as good as their high-end counterparts. If you only need a laptop for watching Netflix and answering emails, a budget Chromebook can save you hundreds of dollars and perform no worse than something that costs $2,000 or more.

That said, you do need to be careful about which system you pick. Budget laptops tend to make some sacrifices where the expensive options don’t, so be sure to make sure that the system you’re interested in can do what you need it to before buying.

Do any budget laptops have Thunderbolt 3?

There are certain features that are less common in budget laptops, and Thunderbolt 3 is one of them. Plenty of budget laptops offer USB-C support, but only some provide Intel’s Thunderbolt 3 spec, such as the Dell Inspiron 13 7000.

Do budget laptops have good battery life?

Some do, some don’t. The models that prioritize portability tend to offer a little more, and you’ll want to skip a dedicated graphics chip if you want the most battery life.

However, you can find plenty of budget systems that offer a full workday and beyond on a single charge. In some cases, an option like the Asus ZenBook 13 UX333 offers better battery life than many laptops that cost a few hundred dollars more. Many Chromebooks also offer impressive battery life thanks to how lightweight the software is.

Can I find a good display on a budget laptop?

Definitely, but as with battery life or specific ports, you’ll need to pick and choose the right laptop. A good display will need to be a key component of the laptop, as color accuracy and contrast can be some areas where savings can be made on certain systems.

The best-looking screen of our budget recommendations comes with the HP Envy x360 13, which is yet another reason why it’s our pick for the best video editing laptop.

Is AMD better for budget laptops?

AMD’s release of the Ryzen 4000 line of CPUs has shaken up the budget laptop space. In short, the fastest machines we’ve tested that aren’t based on Intel’s 45-watt powerhouse CPUs have been running AMD, and that’s a major advance. Intel is still a far more dominant force in the laptop space with a wider range of options available, but as far as the CPUs that go into budget — and even premium thin and light — laptops, Ryzen 4000 rules the performance roost.

We strongly suggest that you consider AMD when picking your next budget laptop. If you can find one that matches your needs, you’ll get much better performance per buck.

Editors’ Recommendations