Giphy
Hey, good morning!
Welcome to your Thursday morning. Now relax: we tap technology for ways to relax and decompress, get excited by Netflix's next big budget project, and learn how Google is trying to make location sharing happen. Again.
Adult Week: Finding inner peace (with help from your smartphone)
Technology is draining. Social media networks are programmed to make you come back for more, always swiping to refresh, like and post. You are constantly on your PC, your smartphone, your TV. You fall asleep to Netflix or reading Twitter as it spits up funny gifs or more bad news. It can wear you down. So what did Mat Smith do? What should you do? Those are probably different answers. There's no shortage of introductory guides to meditation, relaxation podcasts and devices that promise to help or offer relief, but here are some things to start with.
Apple hopes cheap, not powerful, will turn around iPad sales
Apple has been trying to reverse declining iPad sales for several years now, without much success. For the past year and a half, that strategy could be summed up in one word: more. More power, more screen real estate, more accessories. And more money. Its new iPad, however, is cheaper. It might be what the company needs to get the many people who bought iPads three or four years ago to upgrade.
Critical LastPass bugs identified that could leak passwords or worse
Using a password manager is a convenient way to not only keep track of logins but make sure they're all unique. That's key to keeping accounts safe in a world where billion-account databases are available on the dark web, but it does rely on the app remaining secure. Google Project Zero researcher Tavis Ormandy identified a few bugs in extensions for LastPass that could allow someone to steal a target's passwords, or in some cases run code on their computer.
The company quickly responded to deal with the issues, so any users should make sure they're patched up (and using two-factor authentication in addition to unique passwords, or perhaps another manager that works separately from the browser like KeePass.)
Google Maps' location-sharing feature is one you might actually use
Google has been busy beefing up Maps recently. Beyond just using it for turn-by-turn directions, you can now use Maps to remember where you parked, find reviews for nearby restaurants and avoid heavily congested areas. This week, it added location-sharing. With just a few taps in the app, you can now share your real-time location with friends and family. It's a feature that can be handy for when you're running late to an appointment or if you simply want your buddies to keep tabs on your whereabouts.
Review: The Galaxy Tab S3 is good, but not $600 good
The Galaxy Tab S3 has a promising list of features, including its HDR-friendly screen, quad-speaker array, included S Pen and powerful processor. And they mostly work as touted. Its colorful and sharp display, coupled with loud audio, makes for satisfying multimedia consumption. It's also a responsive machine and lasts more than 11 hours on a charge. But the Tab S3 and its companion keyboard, which costs an extra $130, aren't good enough for intensive typing and multitasking.
Nintendo cites 'manufacturing variation' for Joy-Con issues
Since the Switch started to show up in gamer's homes, some have been complaining about issues with its wireless Joy-Cons. Problems with losing connection, particularly on the left one, have plagued some enough to attempt DIY fixes, but Nintendo says a "manufacturing variation" is to blame for the issue. The company added that it's figured out a "simple fix" for anyone with affected Joy-Cons to improve patchy connectivity. It seems to involve a spot of conductive foam.
'Super Mario Run' for Android is here
If you were expecting to see Nintendo's new mobile game on Android today, then surprise -- it's already out. No matter what platform you play on, Super Mario Run is updated to version 2.0 with new character choices and more. It's free to try, so grab it on Google Play and find out why iOS players spent $53 million bucks on the game in January.
Google plans faster updates for all Android phones in 2017
Once again, Google says it's prioritizing updates for Android devices. The platform has historically struggled with slow rollouts of updates to many devices, limiting features and current security patches to a small group. To turn that around, Google says it's giving manufacturers more data on how each one is doing with rollouts and it's reducing the size of patches. Already, it claims 78 percent of flagship devices were current with security updates at the end of 2016 -- hopefully, that trend continues to spread this year.
But wait, there's more...
- Here's our first look at Netflix's big budget 'Death Note' remake
- Apple has acquired Workflow, an app that runs multi-step, multi-app tasks from iOS devices
- 'Castlevania' successor 'Bloodstained' is coming to the Switch (but not the Wii U)
- Adult Week: I love my child too much to put her on the internet
The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't subscribe.