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Mercedes AR app gives truck drivers crucial info on their rig
Mercedes isn't new to experimenting with augmented reality, and at MWC 2018 the company showed off its latest creation with that technology. The "Vehicle Lens" app is exactly what it sounds like: It uses a smartphone to give you an AR view of a car or truck, showing vital information as you move around and point the camera at different parts of your ride. If you have it facing the wheels, for example, you see details about tire pressure. That will come in handy before taking a trip. In addition to that, Vehicle Lens can display engine info like mileage and coolant levels, how much fuel there is and personal info about drivers -- including if they've been driving for too long.
Archos' 'Hello' smart displays are powered by Google Assistant
As Google Assistant continues to get smarter every day, more and more companies are making hardware that's compatible with the platform. The latest one is Archos, which has introduced a couple of Google Assistant-powered smart displays at MWC 2018, adequately dubbed "Hello." Like with other similar products, you can use the Hello display to ask Google for a variety of things, such as the weather, recipes or news. The benefit here of course, compared to something like the Home Mini, is that you can actually view your search results on a screen, as opposed to just hearing what the Assistant has to say.
The chaos of unlocking your phone in 2018
PIN codes and patterns are passe. MWC 2018 kicked off with the usual fanfare of a major flagship launch -- the Galaxy S9. With it, Samsung introduced its own, new, face unlock feature. Google may have added the feature to Android many years ago, but it seems technology has progressed enough to make it worth resurrecting by Samsung -- with some extra biometric backup. The House of Galaxy might have also felt the competitive tug of Apple's surprisingly slick Face ID unlock feature on the iPhone X. Samsung wasn't the only company innovating when it comes to how we get our smartphone working. And it's not just the thousand-dollar flagships, either. Biometrics are here in a big way, although no-one seems to know which method's best. How many of these techniques will last to see 2020?
Nokia made a smart, fashionable jacket for first responders
Nokia has been creating unconventional products for years, like that weird touchscreen made of ice from 2010. And now, at MWC 2018, the company is showing off a new, offbeat project that's in the works: the CHASE (connected health and safety equipment) LifeTech FR (first responders) jacket. This smart garment was designed in collaboration with Kolon, a South Korean fashion brand, and GINA, a software developer from the Czech Republic. While the CHASE LifeTech FR may look like a traditional bright piece you'd see on a cop or firefighter, there are a few things that make it different than your average first-responder jacket.
Watch ASUS' Zenfone 5Z launch in under 9 minutes!
When you're going up against serious mobile heavyweights, carving out a little bit of MWC for yourself can be tough. Maybe that's why ASUS held its Zenfone 5/5Z launch on the second day of the show (and that's not counting the pre-event press days). Either way, company CEO Jerry Shen was more than happy to enjoy his time on stage and tell us all about what's new with Zenfone. Catch up on the whole affair right here. Catch up on the latest news from MWC 2018 right here.
Google beta tests Flutter toolkit for better cross-platform apps
Building apps for both Android and iOS can be a pretty time-intensive task, so it's no wonder that many developers often build for one platform first, followed by the other. There are workarounds to this, such as using Facebook's React Native that lets you build apps just with Javascript. Last year, however, Google introduced its own solution called Flutter. First revealed at I/O, Flutter is an open-source toolkit that lets devs create native apps for both platforms quickly and easily. Plus, it's also compatible with Fuchsia, Google's upcoming OS. Now, at Mobile World Congress, Google has announced that Flutter is officially in beta and is thus ready for wider adoption.
Dear HMD, the world is finally ready for the Nokia Communicator
The phone that stole the show at last year's MWC wasn't an Android, didn't have a Samsung badge on it, could barely connect to the internet and didn't have a touchscreen. The relaunched Nokia 3310 traded on one key thing: nostalgia. But it was enough for it to grab most of the headlines, and even see a re-rerelease later that year with souped up "3G" data speeds. That wasn't it though, just a month ago, we finally got the 4G version we presume some people were asking for.
ASUS’ ZenFone 5 stretches the limits of the term ‘AI’
As expected, ASUS officially revealed its new ZenFone 5 in Barcelona today, and if you don't mind I'm going to skip my usual meandering intro. The company talked up a handful of AI features in its latest midrange smartphone, but I think ASUS is throwing around the word "AI" haphazardly. More on that later though: Let's get the usual hands-on stuff out of the way first.
How La Liga is making Barcelona and Real Madrid games high tech
La Liga, Spain's professional football (soccer) league, is home to two of the biggest clubs in the world: Barcelona and Real Madrid. And those teams are each anchored by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, respectively, who are the two biggest players in the sport. While that alone is a reason to keep up with La Liga every season, the league isn't resting on its laurels and is working hard to make the game experience for fans more interactive -- particularly those watching at home. Through a partnership with Intel, La Liga is now letting TV viewers have access to 360-degree replays, thanks to the same True View tech that was recently implemented in the NBA and NFL.
Amazon made an escape room powered by Alexa
During a glitzy Amazon showcase along Barcelona's seafront, the company held two escape room experiences to drill home how very, very excited it is about its action series, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, coming to Prime Video later this year. Now, escape rooms are really popular. So is Amazon's Alexa assistant and all those Echo gadgets it likes to call home. The two things make the perfect storm for 2018. So we tried to solve the (not much of a) mystery.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai: ‘We need smart networks, not dumb pipes’
After cancelling his CES 2018 appearance in January, reportedly due to death threats, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai today attended a panel at MWC 2018 in Barcelona. During the event, titled "The Future of the Industry: Transatlantic Digital Policy and Regulation," Pai discussed his plans for 5G connectivity and, of course, his decision to repeal net neutrality in the US. He said that, despite public perception on the moves he's made since taking over the FCC as part of President Trump's administration, the internet will remain open and free and that "no one gets a pass." The "no one" he mentions is likely a reference to the idea that certain companies, particularly network carriers like Verizon, will get special treatment after net neutrality ends on April 23rd.
The Galaxy S9 vs. the competition: Under the hood
On the outside the Galaxy S9 looks pretty familiar: not only does it maintain the same basic shape as the S8, but it's kept the screen and battery size of its predecessor as well. In fact, other high-end phones like the Pixel 2 and iPhone 8 have also stuck with familiar design language, which means that you have to look at the specs to see what's been revised or refined. This year it's mostly about the S9's cameras, with the rear-facing one boasting a dual aperture and the software adding a slew of new features for better pictures and videos. But what other changes should you look at, and how do they compare to what's already on the market? We've stacked up the Galaxy S9 versus its closest competitors so you can get a better idea which one you might want to pick up this spring -- though we also advise checking out our full review of the S9 when it drops next month.
Airfox's mobile wallet aims to replace banks in emerging countries
Mobile wallet applications aren't anything novel, but most of the existing ones (like Venmo or Square Cash) all have something in common: they require people to have a bank account or a debit/credit card to use them. That's where Airfox differentiates itself. The app is geared toward "unbanked" users in emerging markets who may not have a credit history, due to lack of resources or because they're generally not fans of banks. Part of how Airfox plans to succeed is by adopting services that are already offered in certain countries. Like in Brazil, for example, which is the first place the app's launching. There, users can put money in the app through a "Boleto," a popular paper-based payment method that can be loaded by depositing cash in ATMs.
Watch Sony's Xperia XZ2 launch in under 10 minutes!
Sony phones have had a consistent look for years now -- and we've never been sure if that's a good thing. It seems like Sony might agree, too, as the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact are some of it's most distinct phones to date. That date is today, for the record, as Sony took to the stage (or, rather, it's booth here at MWC) to reveal them to the world. Catch up on the best bits of the event right here. Catch up on the latest news from MWC 2018 right here.
Watch Samsung's Galaxy S9 launch in under 11 minutes!
And just like that, Samsung's Galaxy S9 has arrived. Today, at MWC 2018, the company introduced its new flagship handset with the slogan "The camera. Reimagined." While the bulk of improvements to the Galaxy S9, over the S8, are imaging-focused, there are also new features like AR Emojis -- Samsung's answer to Apple's Animojis. You can watch a recap of the Unpacked 2018 event here, where you'll also learn more about the updated DeX desktop experience, which now uses the S9 as a trackpad.
Vivo’s all-screen concept phone hides a pop-up selfie cam
When I think of funky, ambitious smartphones, I don't usually think of the name Vivo. That began to change after seeing a phone with an in-display fingerprint sensor -- the world's first, actually -- a month ago at CES. Now, after playing with the company's APEX FullView concept phone, it's clear that Vivo is more clever than we've given it credit for.
The Xperia XZ2 is Sony's fastest, strangest flagship phone yet
Sony has longed to find lasting success in the smartphone market, but none of the devices it released in the past few years have done the job. It's clearly time for a change, and Sony knows that — that's why the new Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact are notable steps away from the company's smartphone norm. They're fast, fascinating and pretty (to me, anyway), and it seems obvious that Sony wanted to strike a balance in these devices between immersive media consumption and powerful content creation. After a little bit of hands-on time with the XZ2 and its little sibling, I don't think Sony hasn't gotten everything right, but at least these things are pleasantly strange.
Samsung's updated DeX desktop experience uses the S9 as a trackpad
When it launched last year, Samsung's first DeX dock was the latest in a long line of attempts to blur the line between phones and traditional PCs. And you know what? It worked surprisingly well, even though the value for most people wasn't particularly clear. That didn't stop Samsung from trying again, though: the company unveiled a new version of its DeX hardware alongside the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, and it's much different from the dock we got last year.
Watch Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked 2018 event right here!
Samsung's getting ready to unveil its next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S9, at MWC 2018 in Barcelona. You can watch a livestream of the Unpacked 2018 event in the video below, and don't forget to follow the action on our liveblog, as well -- where we'll have colorful commentary from our senior editors Cherlynn Low and Chris Velazco. It all starts at 9AM PT/12PM ET, so you have a few minutes to grab a drink and a snack before finding out what the Galaxy S9 looks like.
Live from Samsung's Galaxy S9 event at MWC 2018!
Today is the day Samsung will be unveiling its highly anticipated Galaxy S9, the company's latest flagship smartphone. As we discussed earlier this week, you can expect an improved, smarter camera on the handset, as well as an answer to Apple's Animojis, animated emojis that will use face recognition technology to make your phone more interactive when you message friends or family. We'll learn all about the Galaxy S9 in the next few hours, so stay tuned to this post to keep up with the action as it happens. The event kicks off at 12PM ET/6PM Barcelona time. Enjoy!
