Technology - Google News

Windows 10 will automatically uninstall problematic updates - BetaNews
Fitbit Inspire HR review: A worthy $99 investment in your health - Ars Technica
100M subs ‘a realistic medium-term goal’ for Apple’s streaming video service, says analyst - 9to5Mac

Windows 10 will automatically uninstall problematic updates - BetaNews

Posted: 12 Mar 2019 03:40 AM PDT

Windows 10 - Do great things

Updates to Windows are supposed to fix problems and improve security, but sometimes they do the opposite. Many Windows 10 users will have experienced startup problems after installing an update to the operating system, and this is something that Microsoft is looking to address.

Rather than leaving it down to users to seek out the problematic update and uninstall it, Windows 10 could start to automatically uninstall updates that have caused issues. If this happens to you, you'll be greeted by the message: "We removed some recently installed updates to recover your device from a startup failure."

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The removal of updates is not something that Microsoft takes lightly. The company explains that "this is only done when all other automatic recovery attempts have been unsuccessful".

Once an update has been removed, Windows will not attempt to reinstall it for another 30 days. Microsoft says that this will give time for software developers to investigate what may have been causing the problems and then issue a fix.

The way the process works is explained in a Windows Support document:

Windows automatically installs updates to keep your device secure and running at peak efficiency. Occasionally, these updates can fail due to incompatibility or issues in new software. Your device has recently recovered from a startup failure if you have received this notification: "We removed some recently installed updates to recover your device from a startup failure." If Windows detects this, it will try to resolve the failure by uninstalling recently installed updates. This is only done when all other automatic recovery attempts have been unsuccessful.

To ensure that your device can start up and continue running as expected, Windows will also prevent problematic updates from installing automatically for the next 30 days. This will give Microsoft and our partners the opportunity to investigate the failure and fix any issues. After 30 days, Windows will again try to install the updates.

Image credit: Lazaros Papandreou / Shutterstock

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Fitbit Inspire HR review: A worthy $99 investment in your health - Ars Technica

Posted: 12 Mar 2019 06:00 AM PDT

Apple may be dominating the wearable space, but Fitbit isn't far behind. Long before Apple even made smartwatches, Fitbit made fitness trackers for all types of people who would like to become healthier or advance their training to the next level. And as of late, Fitbit's $129 Alta HR surpassed others as our favorite simple-yet-powerful fitness band that could work for almost anyone.

But now, Fitbit is retiring the Alta HR and replacing it with the new $69 Inspire and $99 Inspire HR fitness trackers. These devices are meant to not only fix some of the shortcomings of the Alta HR but to also attract users who have never worn a wearable before. There are plenty of those people, and Fitbit is betting that a good portion of them don't want a smartwatch and would jump at the chance to spend less on something that's just as capable when it comes to fitness.

We recently spent about a week with the Inspire HR to see for ourselves if Fitbit had taken what Ars saw as the best tracker out there and in fact made it better. And perhaps more importantly to this fitness brand, how compelling is this new wearable for newbies?

Design

There are noticeable differences between the Alta HR and the Inspire HR in design, but none are so garish that they warrant outrage—or even strong feelings. The Inspire HR looks like a refined Alta HR, with rounded corners, an oval-shaped underbody, and new bands that attach via quick-release pins.

Due to its curved profile, the Inspire HR (like the Alta HR) struggles to lay flat on a table unless it's tilted to one of its sides. When it's not on your wrist, you'll always be able to see the flickering lights from the optical heart-rate monitor as well as the magnetic pins that attach to the device's proprietary charging cable.

Many of Fitbit's devices have had interchangeable bands, but it's not a feature to overlook. Some fitness trackers still enter the world as one unmovable piece, which isn't ideal, to say the least. Devices designed in this way could succumb to wear and tear more easily, because you can't switch out bands if and when they become damaged.

The Inspire HR has a better shot of lasting for a long time thanks to its interchangeable bands, and Fitbit offers a wide variety of bands made from different materials for all occasions. I prefer the silicone bands because they're the best to wear when working out. The material doesn't irritate skin even when you're sweating, and it's easy to wipe clean and disinfect after working out. Silicone will also last longer than leather and other band materials when faced with sweat and water.

The Inspire HR's module is slightly wider than that of the Alta HR, although the touchscreen doesn't take up the entirety of the upward-facing flat portion. However, I was very happy to see that Fitbit changed the screen from a tap-only display to a full-on touchscreen that supports taps and swipes. It's still a tiny, grayscale display, but it's much more practical than the screen on the Alta HR.

Inside the device are an accelerometer, optical heart-rate monitor, and vibration motor. The former two sensors allow the device to track steps, distance, calories, activities, and sleep, while the latter is used for smartphone alerts. Notification vibrations are strong enough to alert you to a new message but not so strong that they'll startle you. The heart-rate monitor keeps track of your pulse continuously, taking and storing measurements every five seconds, or every second during exercise tracking.

The Inspire HR, unlike the Alta HR, is swimproof up to 50 meters, and it will track swim exercises. Fitbit's Flex 2 device was once the only tracker in its lineup that tracked swimming, but the company has since added that feature to all of its smartwatches and trackers. Even if you don't swim regularly, the device's water resistance should protect it from accidental drops in the sink or if you forget to take it off before showering.

All of those changes make the Inspire HR a better-looking and feeling band than the Alta HR. It's comfortable to wear all day and all night, and I never had trouble using the new touchscreen and single side button for navigation. However, the Inspire HR doesn't last as long on one charge as the Alta HR did. The previous device had a reliable battery life of seven days, but the Inspire HR will only last five days. After my fourth day of wearing the device all day and night (and after tracking three one-hour-long workouts), the HR was down to about 20 percent battery life.

That's not a huge difference, but it's still disappointing. Battery life is one of the key features of any wearable, and it's particularly important for devices that you're expected to wear through the night to track sleep. Users won't have to charge up every day, but those who put a lot of strain on the Inspire HR (as in tracking many workouts, receiving tons of alerts throughout the day, sleeping with it each night) will definitely have to charge it every four to five days.

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100M subs ‘a realistic medium-term goal’ for Apple’s streaming video service, says analyst - 9to5Mac

Posted: 12 Mar 2019 07:40 AM PDT

A couple of weeks before Apple announces its long-awaited streaming video service, a firm of analysts has suggested that 100M subscriptions could be ‘a realistic medium-term goal’ for the company. This compares to the roughly 150M Netflix subscribers.

Wedbush cautions that the number is predicated on Apple bringing on board major content partners, as well as purchasing content owners, as it would take too long to rely solely on creating original content …

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Wedbush says that Apple has a lot of catching up to do with existing players.

The new streaming video content service, which will likely officially launch in the fall, is still in the late planning stages and will include a host of content partners (e.g. HBO remains the biggest X variable) as well as original content from Apple with the company currently in production deals with Oprah, Reese Witherspoon/Jennifer Aniston, Steven Spielberg, and a handful of other projects as the company is spending roughly $1 billion on original content this year. However the company is definitely playing from behind the eight ball in this content arms race with Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Hulu, and AT&T/Time Warner all going after this next consumer frontier investing significantly more dollars ($20 billion combined and counting per annum) on content.

Acquisitions are key to rapidly building its subscriber-base, argues the firm.

While acquisitions have not been in Apple’s core DNA, the clock has struck midnight for Cupertino in our opinion and building content organically is a slow and arduous path, which highlights the clear need for Apple to do larger, strategic M&A (a24, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, CBS/Viacom, Netflix, MGM) around content over the coming year […]

100 million subs a realistic medium-term goal. If Apple executes with minimal speed bumps and aggressively acquires content given the company’s massive installed base and unmatched brand loyalty we believe reaching 100 million subs in the medium term (3 to 5 years) is a realistic goal that could translate into a $7 billion to $10 billion annual revenue stream over time for Apple and further cement its installed base and halo effect.

Wedbush suggests that achieving this goal would add around $15 per share to Apple’s valuation.

The official invitation to Apple’s event on March 25 makes it clear that the streaming video service is the focus, using the tagline ‘It’s show time’ and using a film reel countdown animated graphic.

It also seems likely that Apple will present its subscription-based plans for Apple News – if it has been able to agree to terms with publishers – and we may also get an upgraded Apple TV app.

There is less hope for hardware announcements. Although AirPods 2, AirPower, a new 9.7-inch iPad, and a spec-bumped iPad mini are all in the pipeline, it’s been reported that these are ‘unlikely’ to be announced at the event. However, the new iPads could perhaps be announced in a press release around the same time. It’s unsurprisingly hardware that most interests 9to5Mac readers.

The March 25 event will be live streamed, and we’ll of course be bringing you full coverage.