Where y'all be: November 2013

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Ask Engadget: best online photo album with public contributions?

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Ask Engadget: best online photo album with public contributions?

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Jeff, who wants to crowdsource his wedding photography without any mess. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"As part of my wedding plans, we're expecting plenty of our friends to take pictures of the big day on their smartphones and cameras. I'd like to create a public online photo album to let everyone upload the pictures to one place, and then I can download them later. I'd really rather not have anyone set up an account anywhere (so Flickr won't work) and, ideally, I'd like those who shoot in .RAW to be able to upload the full sized files. Any ideas and suggestions of places would be great, thanks!"

Well, actually, your humble narrator has this same problem early last year. My solution, which won't work for you, was to sign up with a Flickr Pro account and set up a new group. As you can email in images to a specific group email address, we sent this address out on our invitations. That way, anyone who took pictures could just email them straight to the site. As you've said, that's not going to work with .RAW images, so let's turn this question over to the community and see what they can come up with.

Filed under: Cameras, Internet

Alt-week 11.30.13: one well preserved baby dinosaur, and the forbidden gadgets

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Alt-week 11.30.13: one well preserved baby dinosaur, and the forbidden gadgets

Alt-week takes a look at the best science and alternative tech stories from the last seven days.

Technology and science doesn't care how old you are. Whether you're a pre-historic beast, or a juvenile rebel -- technology applies to you. It's also what will, hopefully, finally make those lunar-vacation dreams a reality. This is alt-week.

Filed under: Science, Alt

Growing up Geek: Timothy J. Seppala

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Growing up Geek: Timothy J. Seppala

Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have our very own Timothy J. Seppala.

I was 7 years old the first time I read Jaws. I was in second grade, and like most boys that age, I was absurdly fascinated by sharks and dinosaurs. I still am. What made me want to read it was spending an afternoon watching the flick on LaserDisc with my dad. By the time the end credits rolled, I was filled with a sense of wonder that I still get when I watch it on Blu-ray. It left me wanting more, though, so I checked the novel out from the library.

I don't remember how long it took me to read, but I recall not being able to put it down; it was unlike anything I'd ever encountered before. Mostly because it was an adult novel and I was still a kid. There was blood! There was swearing! There were entire chapters written from a shark's perspective! After finishing it, there was no way I could go back to the steady diet of whatever it was my classmates were reading, so I skipped youth fiction almost entirely. My next read was Jurassic Park. After that, the rest of Crichton's and Benchley's works kept me busy until high school where I discovered Tolkien and King.

Filed under: Misc

Nokia's Verizon-bound Lumia 929 shows up again in leaked photo

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Nokia's Verizon-bound Lumia 929 shows up again in leaked photo

We're quickly losing count on how many times we have seen leaks of the Nokia Lumia 929. Still, something tells us Verizon subscribers won't mind getting as many looks as possible at what's rumored to be a pretty high-end smartphone. Now, courtesy of a forum member on Windows Phone Central, we're seeing the Lumia 929 from a slightly different angle than in previous occasions. As a refresher, Nokia's unannounced handset is rumored to come with a 5-inch, 1080p display, 32GB of built-in storage and a 20-megapixel PureView shooter. Previous reports suggested it could hit Verizon around Thanksgiving, but according to the person behind the most recent leak, this Windows Phone device won't be official until sometime in mid-to-late December.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia

Source: Windows Phone Central

Xbox One's 500GB HDD swapped for bigger, faster drives, and tested for performance

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Xbox One's 500GB HDD swapped for bigger, faster drives, and tested for performance

The Xbox One arrives with a 500GB HDD built-in, and in contrast to the PlayStation 4's easily-accessed storage, it's not meant to be accessed or replaced by the user, ever. While we'll probably leave ours in place to keep from voiding the warranty or risk a ban from Xbox Live, a few folks have already cracked open the console to see what else will fit. iFixit noted during its teardown that there's an off-the-shelf 2.5-inch Samsung HDD inside connected via SATA II inside, and swapping that out isn't much of an issue. Brian Williams has already tried out the system with two alternate drives: a 500GB Samsung EVO SSD, and a Seagate 1TB hybrid SSHD. As you can see in his video (embedded after the break) boot time from off to the dashboard only improved slightly, with the SSD loading in 46.1 seconds compared to 50.5 stock. A test with Call of Duty: Ghosts revealed similar results, with the SSD loading up in 27 seconds and the hybrid drive close behind in 27.7, compared to 33.5 seconds stock. We'll need tests with more games to be sure, but so far it's not showing the improvements seen after swapping the PS4's hard drive out for speedier options. The folks at Tested report doing so improved level load times in Killzone: Shadow Fall from 60 seconds to 39 seconds.

So, if it's not a ton faster, why would you want to take the chance of prying Microsoft's box open? To get more space. Brian's drives were simply copies of the original transferred by Clonezilla, but an individual named Juvenal1 has already worked out how to get the system to actually recognize and make use of drives bigger than 500GB. By copying files from your original drive and using their Linux-compatible tool to repartition the new HDD, you can be up and running with more capacity after just a reboot or two. Of course, this carries significant risks and we don't recommend it for most, as Microsoft's Albert Penello has already revealed support for external drives is coming in a future update, along with the ability to do crazy things like see how much storage you actually have left. Still, if you just need to live on the edge (or store every game released so far and record hours of clean Upload Studio clips) the instructions can be found here.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft

Source: Juvenal1 (Github), Brian Williams

A guide to street photography: Matt Stuart, manners and human autofocus

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A guide to street photography: Matt Stuart, manners and human autofocus

Street photography is the purest, most spontaneous way to create art with a camera. No studios, no props, no poses; all you need is the right equipment and a street with people on it. In this original series for Engadget, we'll follow three seasoned street fighters and try to glean some practical wisdom about what engages their eyes, brains and fingers in the moments before they shoot.

We learned about manual exposure in the last installment. Now we're going all in with a look at manual focusing. Our guide is Matt Stuart, a London-based photographer who's made his name with funny and quirky shots of humanity going about its business; shots that often materialize and then disappear so quickly that even the fastest autofocus system would fail to keep up. Since Stuart's style often involves stepping right up to people, almost to the point of invading their personal space, we'll also try to figure out how he manages to avoid confrontation.

Filed under: Cameras

Recommended Reading: Stuxnet's more dangerous precursor, fake memories and more

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Recommended Reading: Stuxnet's more dangerous precursor, fake memories and more

Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books dealing with the subject of technology that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.

Stuxnet's Secret Twin (4,176 words)

by Ralph Langner, Foreign Policy

Pocket

Stuxnet is a pretty nasty nasty customer, especially if you happen to be a centrifuge used in the enrichment of uranium. Amazingly, the story of the first publicly acknowledged cyber weapon keeps getting more and more interesting. Ralph Langner has spent the last several years pouring over code and other details of Stuxnet's history and discovered there was an earlier version of the virus, that was even more destructive than the one unleashed on Iran's nuclear facilities. Instead of putting the centrifuge's motors in overdrive, it over pressurized them by closing valves designed to allow gas out. It sounds like a perfectly logical avenue of attack, until you realize that the potential for truly catastrophic failure would have quickly blown Stuxnet's cover.

Filed under: Misc, Science, Internet

LG Canada says G2 will get Android 4.4 KitKat by March

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LG Canada says G2 will get Android 4.4 KitKat by March

LG G2 owners may have to wait a while to get the Android 4.4 KitKat software that their Nexus 5-toting counterparts already enjoy. A spokesperson for the company's Canadian branch informs MobileSyrup that the G2 should get its KitKat upgrade late in the first quarter of 2014 -- in other words, March. While that will disappoint early adopters, LG does note that every local carrier will receive the update at about the same time. Whether or not Americans will see the new OS any sooner is another matter. We've asked the company about its US upgrade schedule, and we'll let you know if it can provide some details.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG

Via: SlashGear

Source: MobileSyrup

PlayStation 4 and PS Vita bundle now available in the UK, but it's no bargain

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PlayStation 4 and PS Vita bundle now available in the UK, but it's no bargain

Remember that rumored PlayStation 4 and PS Vita bundle that was due to reach the UK in time for the holidays? It's now official -- if not the discount that some were hoping for. Sony UK head Fergal Gara tells Eurogamer that some stores are carrying the device combo starting today, but it will cost only slightly less than the £500 ($816) you'd pay to get the systems one at a time. Appropriately, a few shops will offer a "soft bundle" that involves regular PS4 and Vita boxes. The kit doesn't make much financial sense, then, but Gara describes this as a philosophical move that highlights the PS4's Remote Play feature. To us, the real problem will be supply; when the PS4 is flying off shelves, there may not be many bundles to sell in the first place.

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Sony

Via: Joystiq

Source: Eurogamer

Friday, November 29, 2013

Spotify update lets iPad users browse curated playlists, follow their friends

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Spotify update lets iPad users browse curated playlists, follow their friends

Spotify listeners with iPads no longer have to look on with envy as their Android- and iPhone-touting friends browse curated playlists with ease. An update to Spotify's iOS app has introduced the Browse feature to Apple tablet owners, letting them quickly pick tunes that suit their mood. They can also follow artists and friends without having to turn on their PC, and there's both a smarter search engine as well as an improved look for playlists. There aren't many upgrades for iPhone users, although the company promises that the follow, search and playlist refinements will "soon" reach smaller iOS devices. In the meantime, iPad fans can grab the improved app from the source link.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

Via: AppAdvice

Source: App Store

Comet Ison may have survived its kiss with the sun

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Comet Ison may have survived its kiss with the sun

We humans can form curious attachments to non-living things, so when Comet Ison veered toward the sun, naturally we rooted for the plucky iceball. After seeing it mostly vanish after brushing the corona, though, scientists feared the worst. Cue the heroic music, though, as new footage released early today (after the break) shows that at least a small chunk of the 1.4 mile-wide comet has emerged from the brutal encounter. It's looking a bit ragged after all that, so scientists will have to wait a bit more to make a final call on its health. Hopefully it'll still be classed as "comet" rather than "scorched hunk of rock."

Filed under: Science, Alt

BBC

Galaxy S Duos 2 all but official after being listed on Samsung India site

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Galaxy S Duos 2 all but official after being listed on Samsung India site

Samsung has yet to make an official announcement about the followup to its Galaxy S Duos. But, if the company's online store in India is any indication, it won't be too long before the second-gen dual-SIM-toting handset becomes available. According to the product page, Samsung's Galaxy S Duos 2 features a 4-inch, 800 x 480 screen, a "fast and powerful" 1.2GHz processor with 768MB RAM, 4GB of internal storage (expandable up to 64GB) and a 1,500mAh battery. The listing also notes that the Duos 2 -- said to be running Android 4.2 -- will be sold for 10,999 Indian rupees, which comes out to a little over 175 bucks in the US.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Via: Sammy Hub, Phone Arena

Source: Samsung India

Sony suspends PlayStation promo code support following network trouble

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Sony suspends PlayStation promo code support following network trouble

Sony's PSN woes aren't over just yet. The company has temporarily stopped taking PlayStation promo codes following a surge in traffic on the gaming service; for the moment, money cards and game vouchers won't work. There's no estimate for when code redemption will return. It's easy to see the potential causes, however. Between the weekend, the PlayStation 4's European launch and a big discount on PlayStation Plus subscriptions at Amazon, there's guaranteed to be a deluge of PSN activity -- Sony may have unintentionally created a perfect storm.

Filed under: Gaming, Sony

Source: PlayStation Community Forums

Text message exploit can force your Nexus phone to reboot (updated)

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Text message exploit can force your Nexus phone to reboot (updated)

Watch out if someone sends a flood of text messages to your Nexus phone -- they may be trying to break in or otherwise cause havoc. IT administrator Bogdan Alecu has discovered an Android bug that triggers exploitable behavior in the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 whenever they're hit by a large volume of Class 0 SMS messages, or texts that aren't automatically stored on the phone. The denial of service attack usually forces the handset to reboot, but it can also disable the network connection (if temporarily) or crash the messaging app. Non-Nexus hardware appears to be safe, although Alecu notes that he hasn't had a chance to test a wide variety of gadgets. Regardless of the problem's scale, affected users will have to be cautious for a while; Google tells PCWorld that it's looking into the exploit, but there's no word on just when we can expect a patch.

Update: There's already a firewall app in Google Play that protects against the exploit. Thanks, Chipsy4!

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

Source: DefCamp, Google Play

Unlocked Moto G now up for pre-order on Amazon, expected to ship December 4th

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Unlocked Moto G now up for pre-order on Amazon, expected to ship December 4th

A mere three days after Motorola started selling the Moto G unlocked online, giant retailer Amazon is bringing the budget-friendly smartphone to its shelves. Pre-orders are being accepted as we speak, with the 4.5-inch device being priced at $179 and $199 for the 8GB and 16GB models, respectively. Unlike with Motorola's promise to ship the Moto G as early as December 2nd, Amazon has the arrival date listed for a couple days later, on December 4th. And if you've yet to determine whether this little guy is for you, then perhaps this here review can help during the decision-making process.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, Amazon

Via: 9to5Google

Source: Amazon

FIFA rolls out iOS and Android apps ahead of 2014 World Cup Final Draw

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FIFA rolls out iOS and Android apps ahead of 2014 World Cup Final Draw

Now that we know which 32 football nations will be on the quest for global domination in Brazil, FIFA, the sport's governing body, decided it was the right time to release a set of apps for iOS and Android. These official applications, which are free of charge, provide fans with access to a ton of footie-related stuff, including news, videos, photos and match results from nearly 200 leagues. The official FIFA app also lets you to mark up to three national teams, clubs and competitions as favorites, allowing easy access to information from those followed the most. Better yet, FIFA's going to be using its new mobile ware to stream the 2014 World Cup Final Draw on December 6th, so you'll be able to see in real-time what road lies ahead for your country.

Filed under: Internet

Source: App Store (iPhone), (iPad), Google Play

A guide to street photography: Antonio Olmos and the dark art of manual exposure

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A guide to street photography: Antonio Olmos and the dark art of manual exposure

Street photography is the purest, most spontaneous way to create art with a camera. No studios, no props, no poses; all you need is the right equipment and a street with people on it. In this original series for Engadget, we'll follow three seasoned street fighters and try to glean some practical wisdom about what engages their eyes, brains and fingers in the moments before they shoot.

In part one, we focus in on Antonio Zazueta Olmos -- a street photographer who has learned to rely on manual exposure to capture the images he wants, rather than making use of the ever-smarter, ever-quicker automatic settings available on the latest digital cameras.

Filed under: Cameras

Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Gaming

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Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Gaming

Welcome to Engadget's holiday gift guide! Head back to our hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month.

This is an especially good year for gamers: With major consoles from Microsoft and Sony debuting just in time for the holidays, there are some pretty obvious items to add to the wish list. If hand-held gaming is more your thing, don't fret; we've got you covered, too.

Filed under: Gaming, Sony, Microsoft, NVIDIA

HTC One developer and unlocked models start receiving Android 4.4 KitKat in the US

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HTC One developer and unlocked models start receiving Android 4.4 KitKat in the US

If you were bold enough to buy a Developer Edition HTC One or its unlocked sibling, today is your lucky day. HTC's US division has announced that it's rolling out an Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade to both One variants, weeks ahead of the expected update for carrier-locked models. Sense 5.5 should also be a part of the package. While the KitKat upgrade isn't reaching these units as quickly as it did for the Google Play Edition, it's safe to say that many One owners will have another reason to celebrate this Thanksgiving weekend.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC

Source: HTC USA (Twitter)

A closer look at the Jolla phone: good intentions, bad delivery (video)

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A closer look at the Jolla phone: good intentions, bad delivery (video)

Jolla's self-titled and first smartphone launched in partnership with Finnish carrier DNA this week, with a few hundred handsets finding their way to early pre-orderers. Today, a couple of familiar faces from the company stopped off in London to let us play with the final hardware and get to grips with Jolla's Sailfish OS, which is based somewhat on Nokia's old MeeGo platform. If you caught our tour of the Jolla prototype earlier this year then you've got a good idea of what the handset looks like. In fact, the only differences we can see aesthetically are slightly smaller bezels above and below the screen, and that the rear camera has moved from right flank to center stage. Internally, the core specs are: A 1.4GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 (MSM8930), 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage space (expandable), a 4.5-inch, 960x540 (qHD) IPS LCD display, an 8-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel shooter on the front. We only had a few hours to probe Jolla's first device, but head past the break for our initial impressions.%Gallery-slideshow124244%

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

Georgia Tech's Tongue Drive wheelchair proves quicker than traditional breath controls

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Georgia Tech's Tongue Drive wheelchair proves quicker than traditional breath controls

Georgia Tech researchers believed that tongue-controlled devices could help the disabled, and now they have solid proof. A new study shows that the school's wearable Tongue Drive System lets the paralyzed control wheelchairs three times faster than they would using an ordinary breath-based approach. The speediness is due to TDS' intuitive design, Georgia Tech says -- wearers use a magnetic piercing in their tongue as a joystick, which is both faster and more logical than puffing into a straw. It's subtler, too, as wearers don't block their faces with as much equipment. Trials have so far been limited to hospitals and labs, but the findings pave the way for real-world tests. Eventually, Georgia Tech hopes for widespread use that improves tetraplegics' mobility -- and gives them more control over their lives.

Filed under: Transportation, Wearables, Alt

Source: Georgia Tech

A closer look at the Jolla phone: good intentions, bad delivery

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A closer look at the Jolla phone: good intentions, bad delivery

Jolla's self-titled and first smartphone launched in partnership with Finnish carrier DNA this week, with a few hundred handsets finding their way to early pre-orderers. Today, a couple of familiar faces from the company stopped off in London to let us play with the final hardware and get to grips with Jolla's Sailfish OS, which is based somewhat on Nokia's old MeeGo platform. If you caught our tour of the Jolla prototype earlier this year then you've got a good idea of what the handset looks like. In fact, the only differences we can see aesthetically are slightly smaller bezels above and below the screen, and that the rear camera has moved from right flank to center stage. Internally, the core specs are: A 1.4GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 (MSM8930), 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage space (expandable), a 4.5-inch, 960x540 (qHD) IPS LCD display, an 8-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel shooter on the front. We only had a few hours to probe Jolla's first device, but head past the break for our initial impressions.%Gallery-slideshow124244%

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

Engadget Giveaway: win a 55-inch 4K Ultra HD TV courtesy of Sony!

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Engadget Giveaway: win a 55-inch 4K Ultra HD TV courtesy of Sony!

Whether you've decided to spend the day battling bargain hunters for an insanely low-priced wafflemaker or just chillin' by the warm glow of your computer screen watching the mayhem unfold, we've got a little surprise for you. We've managed to snag a brand new Sony 55-inch 4K Ultra HD TV and we're giving it away to one lucky Engadget reader. Those who passed by Sony's booth at Expand NY earlier this month can attest to the fact that 4K really is a thing to behold. So don't push, don't shove, but do head on down to the Rafflecopter widget below for your chance to win. Of course, a prize of this size does have some region restrictions, so be sure to check the rules before entering. Good luck and stay safe out there!

Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile, Alt, Sony

Experimental 3D scanner creates clear images with almost no light

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Experimental 3D scanner creates clear images with almost no light

We've seen seen single-pixel cameras, and now MIT researchers have figured out how to create clear images of dimly-lit objects using single photons -- in 3D, no less. The technique doesn't involve any fancy new hardware, either, as the team worked with a standard photon detector that fired low-intensity visible laser light pulses at subjects. The magic happens from the algorithms they developed, which can pick out variations in the time it takes for individual photons to echo back. After that software separated the noise (as shown above) the result was a high-res image created with about a million photons that would have required several hundred trillion with, say, a smartphone camera. That'll open up new possibilities for low-energy surveying, for instance, or even spy cameras that could virtually see in the dark -- because no laser research project is complete with a sinister-sounding military application.

Filed under: Cameras, Science, Alt

Source: Nature

Robot sea turtle will map shipwrecks that humans can't reach (video)

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Robot sea turtle will map shipwrecks that humans can't reach (video)

Some shipwrecks are too costly or dangerous for humans to explore, but many underwater robots are too disruptive and unwieldy to serve as substitutes. The Tallinn Institute of Technology's new U-CAT mapping robot solves that dilemma by imitating one of the ocean's more graceful creatures: the sea turtle. The small machine uses flippers to get around instead of propellers, preventing it from kicking up silt (which would obscure its camera) and letting it turn on a dime. It's also autonomous, which helps it venture deep into a wreck without worrying about cables. It's sure to have a big impact on underwater archaeology, and you can see it in person if you swing by the London Science Museum between November 28th and December 1st. However, It will eventually map shipwrecks in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas as part of the EU's ARROWS Project, providing more detail than any diver could manage.

[Image credit: Tallin University of Technology, Flickr]

Filed under: Robots, Science

Source: Tallinn University of Technology, ARROWS Project

Brazil wants to know why Apple bills its citizens in US dollars

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Brazil wants to know why Apple bills its citizens in US dollars

Brazil's national currency is the real, but you wouldn't know that by looking at its iTunes storefront. Apple prices everything there in US dollars, which has led Brazil's Consumer Protection Secretariat to write a formal letter to the company requesting an explanation. We're not sure why this has taken so long, given that iTunes came to Brazil two years ago, but in any case Apple now has ten days in which to respond or face the threat of a penalty. Other countries that've tackled Apple over its pricing policies in the past have generally failed to reach a resolution, and in some cases citizens have even been urged to take matters into their own hands.

Filed under: Misc, Internet, HD, Mobile, Apple

Source: Brazilian Ministry of Justice

Apple gives Europeans Black Friday discounts, US settles for gift cards

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Apple gives Europeans Black Friday discounts, US settles for gift cards

If you've been mulling the latest Apple gizmo but wince at the prices, today could be the day to act. That's because Cupertino's offering UK discounts of up to £81 on the latest and greatest iMac or MacBook models and £31 off of the iPad Air. Other iPad models are discounted too, and you can score a deal on the iPod Touch or accessories like the Parrot AR drone. As for the US and Canada, gift cards are being handed out in lieu of cash off, including $75 offerings on the iPad Air, $150 for iMacs and MacBooks and $50 for an iPod Touch. As for the rest of the EU, other countries like France and Germany are seeing similar cash discounts to their UK counterparts on the same products. Not everything is on sale, though. For instance, the iPad Mini with Retina display is still full price. Still, if your iProduct trigger finger's been feeling itchy lately, hit the source.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Apple

Source: Apple (UK), (US)

Dutch regulator says Google's privacy policy breaks the law

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Dutch regulator says Google's privacy policy breaks the law

Almost two years after it updated its privacy policy, Google is still facing the wrath of European watchdogs. The Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) has just ended a seven-month investigation into the search giant's practices and, similar to rulings in the UK and France, has deduced that Google isn't doing enough to inform users about the data it "collects and combines." The DPA accuses Google of spinning an "invisible web of our personal data without our consent" with its Search, Gmail and YouTube services, which it states in no uncertain terms "is forbidden by law." It's another knock for Google, which has found itself under investigation by a total of six European privacy authorities after French privacy regulator CNIL initiated action on their behalf last year. Google has said that it "respects European law," but its commitment will be tested at the Dutch DPA's upcoming hearing, after which the authority will decide it wants to take "enforcement measures" against the company.

Filed under: Internet, Google

Via: Techie News

Source: Dutch DPA

Virgin Media brings its TV Anywhere service to UK Android devices

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Virgin Media brings its TV Anywhere service to UK Android devices

It took a while, but Virgin Media has finally brought its TV Anywhere service to Android. Already available on the iPhone and iPad for more than a year, the app comes to Android smartphones and tablets with nine new UK TV channels including Alibi, Dave, Drama, Good Food, Home, Really, Watch, Yesterday and CBS Reality. That takes the total number of mobile channels up to 67, with up to 90 available online. Virgin Media boasts it now offers more choice than rival service Sky Go, but like it's competitor, some might be frustrated by the patchy support for Android devices. Although you'll find support for Samsung's Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note, HTC One, Sony Xperia Tablet Z and Google's Nexus tablets, you might experience issues if your device is running Android 4.4 KitKat. While you won't be able to install it on your Nexus 5 just yet, Virgin says more Android devices will join the line-up "in the very near future."

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Software, HD, Mobile

Via: Virgin Media

Source: TV Anywhere (Google Play)

Chrome may let you try Web Store apps without installing them

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Chrome may let you try Web Store apps without installing them

Ever want to test a Chrome Web Store app without installing it? You may get your chance if a pair of Chromium changes reach finished software. Google is experimenting with support for "ephemeral" apps that launch like regular Web Store titles, but don't leave a footprint in Chrome or Chrome OS. Users wouldn't even have to visit the Web Store in the first place -- a recent Chromium build lets surfers launch an app directly from a Google search result page. There's no certainty that the feature will surface in a browser near you, but don't be surprised if it soon becomes easy to try a Chrome app without any commitment.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Google

Via: The Next Web

Source: Francois Beaufort (1), (2)

Georgia Tech's tongue-driven wheelchair outruns conventional rivals (video)

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Georgia Tech's tongue-driven wheelchair outruns conventional rivals (video)

Georgia Tech has long wanted to show that tongue-controlled devices could help the disabled, and it now has solid proof. A new study shows that the school's wearable Tongue Drive System lets the paralyzed control wheelchairs three times faster than they would using an ordinary breath-based approach. The speediness is due to TDS' intuitive design, Georgia Tech says -- wearers use a magnetic piercing in their tongue as a joystick, which is both faster and more logical than puffing into a straw. It's subtler, too, as wearers don't block their faces with as much equipment. Trials have so far been limited to hospitals and labs, but the findings pave the way for real-world tests. Eventually, Georgia Tech hopes for widespread use that improves tetraplegics' mobility -- and gives them more control over their lives.

Filed under: Transportation, Wearables, Alt

Source: Georgia Tech

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