FaceTime Audio Coming to Macs With Next OS X Update
The OS X 10.9.2 beta first distributed to developers this afternoon includes Apple’s FaceTime audio, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) feature that was originally introduced to the iPhone with iOS 7. With FaceTime audio on both iOS and OS X, Apple users will be able to seamlessly call one another from any device.
FaceTime audio is designed to allow users to initiate voice-only calls with other FaceTime users without turning on the accompanying video feed. Currently, Macs running Mavericks only have access to the standard FaceTime app, which bundles both video and audio.
Users who are interested in voice-only communications on Macs have to resort to using third-party apps like Skype or switching to Messages, both of which allow for video chats and voice-only chats.
According to 9to5Mac, the FaceTime audio feature is “integrated deeply” into both the Messages and FaceTime apps, making voice communication between Apple users on any device easier than ever. With Messages, FaceTime, and FaceTime audio on iOS and OS X, Apple will have a complete communication system in place.
With a simple way to answer telephone calls and chat requests from all devices, those in Apple’s ecosystem will have little reason to resort to alternative VoIP apps when communicating with other Apple users. FaceTime audio is also a high-quality VoIP choice, as it uses the AAC-ELD codec for Full-HD Voice. AAC-ELD is designed to provide CD-like audio quality for voice calls, delivering high speech and audio quality at a low coding delay.
It is unknown when OS X 10.9.2 will be released to the general public, but OS X 10.9.1 was in development for just over a month before it was distributed earlier this week. While Apple has been known to remove beta features ahead of release, it is likely FaceTime audio will make it to end users as it is already available on iOS.
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Ubuntu finally embraces solid state drives as it preps for mobile push
Ubuntu is finally getting around to adding TRIM support, a pretty basic feature of most modern OSes. It’s an essential command for maintaining the performance and health of solid state drives, since they operate in a fundamentally different way than your standard spinning-platter. This function allows an operating system to tell the drive which chunks of data are no longer necessary and are ready to be erased or over-written. That may sound a little obtuse, but essentially it means the disk needs to perform less writes, resulting in faster performance, longer life and less performance degradation over time. Windows added support way back in 2009, while OS X followed in 2011. Even Android jumped on the bandwagon back in July of this year, but Linux has lagged behind. Experimental support was added to the Linux kernel in 2008, but the feature is turned off by default due to performance concerns. And the option to enable it requires at least a moderate level of command line ninjutsu.
Canonical has put a lot of work into getting TRIM support up to snuff, and finally feels it’s ready for prime time. With the next version of Ubuntu, 14.04, it will be enabled by default, finally allowing its dedicated user base to fully realize the benefits of speedy, silent, power-sipping solid state storage. While the move is certainly later than many would have hoped, it comes at an opportune time as the company plans to make a serious mobile push. And, as we all know, solid state reigns supreme in the tablet and smartphone world.
Filed under: Storage, Software
Via: OMG Ubuntu
Source: Martin Pitt (Google+)
500px brings its photo sharing to Windows Phone
Windows Phone users wanting to browse 500px photo galleries have so far had to rely on unofficial apps, but they can now go straight to the source thanks to an official app for Microsoft’s platform. As on Android and iOS, this is primarily a passive experience; you can check out friends’ activity with the Flow feature and search for interesting snapshots, but direct uploads aren’t an option. There are two OS-specific perks, though — you can introduce 500px photos to both a Live Tile as well as your phone’s lock screen. Grab the app from the Windows Phone Store today if you’re looking for an alternative to other services like Flickr.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile
Via: WPCentral
Source: Windows Phone Store
Vivo Xplay 3S Beats The OPPO Find 7 To Official Announcement, Gets A 2K Display
After seeing OPPO tease its next big thing, the Find 7 smartphone, and its potential 2K resolution display, Vivo has one-upped their tease with an official announcement of the Vivo Xplay 3S. The 3S will be capable of displaying the 2560×1440 resolution which is being referred to as ‘2K’ or ‘Quad HD’ resolution, which on the 6-inch screen works out to be a pixel density of 490ppi. You may want to retrieve your jaw from the ground right about now.
That’s not all that the 3S brings to the table; it also sports the Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.3GHz, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage memory, LTE support and stereo speakers. It does appear to be running some form of themed Android build which Vivo is calling ‘Funtouch OS’. The rear camera is a low aperture 13-megapixel affair, complemented by a wide-angle 5-megapixel camera on the front, and if you noticed the slit just below the flash on the 3S, yes, that’s a fingerprint scanner. While the 3S appears to be loaded with a lot of great features, the 3,200mAh battery appears to be on the smaller side, particularly seeing as it has such a large screen; not even the power-saving abilities of the Snapdragon 800 would be able to offset the power drain due to the gargantuan screen.
That said, the Vivo Xplay 3S is slated to sell at 3,498 yuan, which equates to about $570-580USD for the standalone device, which isn’t much at all for that kind of power and features. There aren’t any specifics on when and where the 3S will be available, but it’s likely to roll out next month and there is talk that it will be available globally. Would you get a Vivo Xplay 3S? Let us know what you think of the phone in the comments.
Source: Vivo via Phone Arena
Colossatron: Massive World Threat Out Today On Android For A Dollar
You might have seen the announcement Halfbrick Studios made last week that said their newest game on Android, Colossatron: Massive World Threat, would be out on the 19th of December. Well, lo’ and behold, the game has gone live on the Google Play Store today, available for the very affordable price of $0.99. Check out the game’s launch trailer below:
If you haven’t guessed by now, in Colossatron, you assume the role of a giant robotic snake that reaps havoc upon the city of Metropolis as the city’s defences try to defeat you, all the while getting upgrades and making yourself into an even larger threat and source of destruction. This marks the fifth game that the Australian-based outfit has launched on Android following a star studded line-up that features games like Age of Zombies, Jetpack Joyride and of course, Fruit Ninja. And while it does look like Colossatron has big shoes to fill, the frantic gameplay shown in its trailers make it look up to the task.
You can purchase and download Colossatron: Massive World Threat on the Play Store now for $0.99; links are below. Are you going to pick Colossatron up? Let us know if you do.
Source: Halfbrick Blog
Game: Colossatron: Massive World Threat
Price: $0.99
Motorola starts Android 4.4.2 push to the Moto G
The Moto G device from Motorola has been one wildly popular device for the low price it pulls off with no contract. As well it should. We have seen nothing but good things about this little device since it made its way out. At launch it came with Android 4.3 but it looks like Motorola isn’t going to sit around and let the device fall off the bandwagon. They have announced today that an OTA update for the Moto G is on its way already and it is bringing Android 4.4.2 along.
Motorola certainly seems to be stepping up their game with their devices lately. They have put out the Kernel sources for the 4.3 version for the Moto G along with the 4.4 Kernel source for the Moto X. We expect the 4.4.2 kernel source for the Moto G to be out shortly too. They have taken the Moto X and got the real wood customization going. They have also taken a number of Motorla (both X and G) specific apps and moved them to the Play Store to keep them updated quicker and people happier.
Feel free to read up on the release notes or check up on the Motorola Blog for other great little notes.
Source: Motorola
via Android Police
Microsoft’s Project Siena lets you create Windows apps with ease
If you think creating an app is something only whizkid developers and those with programming skills can do, think again. Microsoft has recently unveiled Project Siena, a Metro-style app that lets anyone create their own Windows 8.1 program with regular PowerPoint and Excel knowhow. As it’s a Metro app, you can even craft it directly from a touch-enabled tablet, no keyboard or mouse required. Microsoft has done this before with Windows Phone App Studio, which lets you build apps for the phone, and Siena is very much like that. Microsoft says using Siena is as easy as editing a document; simply cobble together the right design, connect it to your data and away you go. As for what you can do with it, the program is compatible with a variety of content like SharePoint lists, Excel and Azure tables, RSS feeds and an assortment of RESTful services, which should give creative minds a few ideas. Underneath the hood, the Siena-built apps are just HTML5 and Javascript and can be deployed like other Windows 8.1 programs, so even tried-and-true developers can give it a go. If you’re keen on learning how Siena works, hit the link below to watch a couple of tutorials, download it from the Windows Store and get started on creating the next big hit.
Filed under: Software, Microsoft
Via: Surface Geeks
Source: Windows Store, MSDN Blog, Microsoft Project Siena
Verizon to publish regular reports on government data requests
Numerous tech giants have been eager to publish what they can about government data requests, but telecoms haven’t been so forthcoming. Verizon is breaking some ground, though, with plans to publish semi-annual transparency reports starting in early 2014. While the reports will mostly reflect information that the carrier has already been publishing in some form, the data will be more accessible and consistent than before. Much like Google, Verizon plans to break down requests by type, such as court orders and warrants. It’s also asking the government if it can be more precise with the number of National Security Letters it received last year. Although it’s doubtful that the reports will reveal everything that the public would like to know, they represent a big step forward for a communications industry that many believe is too eager to cooperate with government eavesdroppers.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Internet, Mobile, Verizon
Source: Verizon Policy Blog
Spain fines Google $1.2 million for allegedly violating privacy laws
Google triggered investigations in six European countries when it revealed its unified privacy policy last year, but Spain is the first of the bunch to draw blood. The country just fined Google a total of €900,000 ($1.2 million) for allegedly violating data protection laws through its current approach. The firm isn’t properly explaining why it’s collecting personal information, the Spanish Data Protection Agency claims; it also isn’t saying how long it will keep that content, and it isn’t giving Spaniards enough control over who sees what. For its part, Mountain View tells Reuters that it will read the full report before deciding on its next steps. However, there’s a real chance that Google will have to make at least some concessions when the Dutch (and possibly other European nations) also believe that it broke the law.
[Image credit: Contando Estrelas, Flickr]
Via: Reuters
Apple Seeds First OS X 10.9.2 Build to Developers
Apple today seeded the first test build of OS X 10.9.2 to registered Mac developers, just three days after the public release of OS X 10.9.1. The build, termed 13C32, is available to registered developers through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store as well as through the Mac Dev Center.
Apple asks that developers focus their testing on the following areas: Mail, Messages, VPN, Graphics Drivers, and VoiceOver.
There is no word yet on specific fixes and changes included in the update, and a public release target remains unknown.
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