MacRumors

Google recently disabled a feature included in its upcoming Google Home Mini smart speaker after a reviewer found that it was causing the device to record conversations and sounds even when no "OK Google" prompt word was spoken.

As detailed by Android Police's Artem Russakovskii, who received a Google Home Mini test unit last week, the device was malfunctioning due to an issue with the built-in touch panel designed to let Google Assistant be activated with a press instead of a voice command.

The Google Home Mini's touch mechanism was registering phantom touch events, causing it to continually record audio, which is not supposed to happen. Russakovskii discovered the problem after finding thousands of recordings in the Assistant section his My Activity portal on the web, where Assistant queries are stored.

Google was alerted to the issue and collected his unit for testing, which led to the discovery of the faulty touch mechanism. The problem as described by Google:

We have learned of an issue impacting a small number of Google Home Minis that could cause the touch mechanism to behave incorrectly. We are rolling out a software update today that should address the issue.

To fix the malfunctioning touch panel, Google released a firmware update for all Google Home Mini devices disabling the feature allowing Google Assistant to be activated with a long press. Google told Russakovskii a longer-term fix is in the works, but in the meantime, the press to activate feature will not be available when the Google Home Mini launches.

In response, the updated software disables the long press to activate the Google Assistant feature. Once the Google Home Mini devices receive the updated software, all long press events (real or phantom) will be ignored and Google Assistant will not be invoked accidentally.

The company also let me know that they're in the process of building a long-term fix, whatever it may be. It's too early to say if they're going to be able to deal with "phantom" touch events entirely in software or a recall for affected units will be in order.

When the issue was discovered, Google took it seriously and collected the faulty review unit within a matter of hours. An engineer worked over the weekend to figure out what was going on and the firmware update to remove the feature was available by Tuesday.

Introduced last week, the Google Home Mini speaker is priced at $49.99 and can be purchased from the Google website. Google Home Mini units are expected to begin shipping out to customers on October 18.

Update: Google has provided an updated statement on the situation Google Home Mini and has decided to permanently remove all top touch functionality from the device.

"We take user privacy and product quality concerns very seriously. Although we only received a few reports of this issue, we want people to have complete peace of mind while using Google Home Mini.

We have made the decision to permanently remove all top touch functionality on the Google Home Mini. As before, the best way to control and activate Google Home Mini is through voice, by saying "Ok Google" or "Hey Google," which is already how most people engage with our Google Home products. You can still adjust the volume by using the touch control on the side of the device."

Twitter today announced the addition of a new "Happening Now" feature that is designed to surface customized recommendations for tweets about a particular topic or event that's going on in the world.

Events are displayed at the top of the Twitter timeline in the Twitter app, and clicking on one of the available events displays a list of tweets that are grouped up by event.

Twitter is rolling out the Happening Now feature for sports-related events to start with, but it will expand to other types of content in the future. It will eventually highlight tweets about live video, TV, and breaking news.

"There's so much happening on Twitter all the time, but it could be easier to find events you are interested in, and the conversation around those events, in the moment," the spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. "If we know you are a Giants fan, we can guess you'd love to see the conversation specifically around a game. All this content already exists on Twitter - with Happening Now, we're collecting it and making it simpler for you to find it in one place."

Happening now is available on Android and iOS devices starting today.

Snapchat today introduced a new feature called Context Cards, designed to add more information and functionality to your Snaps. Context Cards offer quick access to options like location information, directions, reviews, and ride sharing services.

Snaps will display reviews, directions, phone numbers, and more from partners that include Tripadvisor, Foursquare, Michelin, and goop, while integrations with Uber and Lyft allow you to summon a ride and OpenTable, Resy, or Bookatable let you make restaurant reservations.

Snapchat says many locations will have Stories integrated into their Context Cards to make it easier to find Snaps from places nearby, with the Snaps made up of stories submitted by the Snapchat community.

At launch, Context Cards will be available in the US, Canada, Australia, UK, and New Zealand, and Snapchat plans to expand its content partners going forward.

Apple's augmented reality developer framework, known as ARKit, launched within iOS 11 on September 19. The debut turned hundreds of millions of iPhones into advanced AR-capable devices in the span of a few days, leading to the first wave of ARKit apps on the iOS App Store.

One of these apps is called "Pixie," which existed prior to ARKit with its own proprietary AR technology, but the company updated its main app and "Pixie Point" trackers with Apple's technology last month. I've been testing Pixie's new ARKit-enabled tracking devices for about a week, and so far the app's augmented reality solution to finding lost items has provided a fun and engaging experience for item rediscovery, when it works.

Unfortunately, my experience with Pixie was too often plagued by a low-quality app guidance system and inconsistent success in its main function, making the whole package feel like a beta product for a better iteration down the line.

Like other Bluetooth trackers, you attach Pixie Points onto items you might lose frequently, or simply fear losing in the future. For Pixie's tracking technology to work reliably, one of the Points has to be attached to your iPhone via an included silicone-like case.

The Pixie Point sits embedded in the top right of the case's back, and this coupled with the slippery feel of the case made me more conscious of how I was holding my iPhone and how close it was to falling from my hand at times. You could also use the Point's adhesive backing to stick it directly to your iPhone, but for obvious reasons I preferred not do that.

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August Home today announced that its new August Doorbell Cam Pro is now shipping following nearly three weeks of pre-orders.

Like other video doorbells, the Doorbell Cam Pro is equipped with a full-color HD camera and microphone for two-way audio and one-way video. Using the companion August Home app (HomeKit isn't supported), homeowners can see and speak with visitors at their door in real time, even when they're not home.

A built-in motion detector triggers instant alerts via push notifications when something's happening at the door. A new feature called HindSight adds a few extra seconds to the beginning of a video recording so homeowners can see what's happening just before motion is detected, rather than someone walking away.

The updated camera features a built-in floodlight that enables it to work during the night. By comparison, its competitor Ring uses infrared in the dark.

An optional August Video Recording plan, available for $4.99 per month or $49.99 for a one-year plan, lets users replay, download, and share recordings of activity at their door through the August Home app.

The video doorbell replaces a home's existing wired doorbell, and has a USB dock for easy setup ahead of installation.

August Doorbell Cam Pro is available immediately for $199 USD in silver and dark gray from August.com and select other retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy. By comparison, the Ring Video Doorbell starts at $179.

Pixelmator today updated its iOS app with full support for iOS 11, including importing HEIF images and Drag and Drop functionality on iPad.

Drag and Drop support enables iPad users to easily move images and graphics between Pixelmator and other apps. For example, users can move their entire composition into apps like Mail, Messages, and Keynote by simply touching and holding outside the image canvas, then dropping the image into the other app.

With support for HEIF images, Pixelmator for iOS users can now import images saved in the High Efficiency Image File Format. The new, more efficient format reduces file sizes without sacrificing quality, and is now used as the default on the iPhone 7 and later. Learn more about HEIF in our earlier coverage.

Last week, Pixelmator for Mac was also updated to include HEIF image support and integration with Apple's Photos app on macOS High Sierra.

The update also includes bug fixes for issues such as Pixelmator quitting unexpectedly when zooming in after starting a selection, compositions sometimes disappearing when adding or removing layers, and certain buttons in the Color and Format popovers occasionally not responding to touches.

Pixelmator version 2.4 is available on the App Store [Direct Link] as a free update for existing users. The app costs $4.99 for new users.

Apple Music subscribers will be able to watch an exclusive short film about the making of Niall Horan's new album "Flicker," with the movie and album set to launch simultaneously on October 20 (via Billboard). The film will showcase Niall in a behind-the-scenes look at the making of his debut album, similar to the short film that Apple Music released about Harry Styles around the launch of his own debut album in May.

"On The Record: Flicker" will feature interviews, footage of acoustic rehearsals, and "insight into Horan's creative process and this watershed moment in his career -- all with heart-on-sleeve honesty that he pours into his songwriting." Prior to the October 20 debut of the film and album, there will be an "intimate private screening" for fans of the movie in Los Angeles on October 19, after which Horan will premiere the songs from Flicker in a live performance.

"I always knew that if I ever made a solo album what it would sound like," Horan says in a preview of the film. "I spent the last year and a half between the four walls of a studio and I'm ready to go and show how proud of the album I am."

Another recent Apple Music short film looked into Pink's creative process when making her new album "Beautiful Trauma." The film -- titled "On The Record: P!nk - Beautiful Trauma" -- included interviews and behind-the-scenes footage with Pink "reflecting on her art and her career, on motherhood and the world we live in--all with the sort of honesty and sense of humor we've come to love and expect." Similar to Horan's film and album, Beautiful Trauma is set to release on October 13 alongside the short film about the album's creation.

Nokia on Tuesday announced that it is halting the development of its $45,000 Ozo virtual reality camera, citing "slower than expected development of the VR market" as the reason behind the company's rethink.

The news comes at the expense of 310 jobs in the U.S., the U.K., and Finland – the home of Nokia – as the company optimizes its investments in virtual reality and targets faster growth in digital health products and services instead.

In digital media, the slower-than-expected development of the VR market means that Nokia Technologies plans to reduce investments and focus more on technology licensing opportunities. The unit aims to halt development of further versions of the OZO VR camera and hardware, while maintaining commitments to existing customers.

Nokia acquired French health tracking company Withings in 2016 for an estimated $192 million, signaling the company's long-term investment in consumer digital health and the Internet of Things sector. Withings completed its rebrand to the Nokia label in June of this year and simultaneously launched two new connected health products under the Nokia brand.

Nokia announced the professional-grade Ozo camera back in 2015, when it had a $60,000 price tag. The 360-degree 3D camera is capable of live streaming, live monitoring and automatic stitching. Disney, UEFA, Sony Pictures and other media companies bought Ozo camera units, and Nokia later dropped the price to $45,000, but sales clearly didn't warrant continued development.

Apple is investigating designs for Apple Watch bands that self-adjust to fit the wearer's wrist using an integrated tensioner mechanism (via AppleInsider). A patent application granted on Tuesday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office describes multiple designs that utilize such a system, which could one day replace magnetic clasps, velcro, and other fasteners used in current bands.

Titled "Dynamic fit adjustment for wearable electronic devices", the patent begins by highlighting the cumbersome nature of existing fastening methods, which can be inconvenient to adjust or require special tools to achieve the desired fit, and often fail to offer fine-grained adjustment.

The patent goes on to note that not only can a sub-optimal fit be uncomfortable, it also risks decreasing the sensitivity of onboard biometric sensors and reducing their measurement accuracy. These potential problems are often exacerbated by sweat and motion during exercise, the document notes.

A number of possible solutions are offered, using variations of a built-in tensioner mechanism that adjusts automatically or at the wearer's request, tightening or loosening as required. Variations include embedded shape memory wire, internal ratcheting apparatus, gas or fluid bladders, retractable band elements, and even extendable portions of the device housing.

As always with patents, it's not known whether the inventions will ever be used in Apple's consumer product line-up, but the designs clearly relate to potential future models of Apple Watch or watch band, the latest being the Sport Loop with hook-and-loop fastener.