Sensoria is bringing fitness tracking to socks March 15th
Happy 2014! If you had any doubt that the future was here, just check out these socks. It’s hard to imagine we’ve lived through a time in which undergarments with sensors weren’t the norm, isn’t it? Fear not, because Sensoria’s fitness tracking sport socks are set to start shipping March 15th. The wearables feature textile sensors that work with with a Bluetooth anklet, tracking your steps, speed, weight distribution, foot landing and cadence. Naturally, they’ll run you a tad more than the pair of Gold Toes you just picked up at Target, at $200 for a pair of four, along with the aforementioned anklet. Sensoria’s also got textile electrode-laced sports bras and t-shirts coming in January and February, respectively, though you’ve actually got to pick up a third-party heart monitor from a company like Garmin to make the most of those. So, are fitness socks really that big an improvement over, say, a bracelet? We’ll let you know after we see some of these wearbles in action at CES.
Filed under: Wearables
Source: Sensoria
Snapchat acknowledges hack, updated app coming that lets users opt-out of Find Friends
After a quiet couple of days, the Snapchat team has acknowledged a leak in which information for 4.6 million of its users hit the internet. SnapchatDB! posted partially-obscured phone numbers and usernames for many members on New Year’s Eve, data it obtained through a security hole the photo sharing service was notified about months ago, but had apparently been slow to fix. In its response, Snapchat says it’s pushing an updated version of its app soon that will let users opt-out of the “Find Friends” feature (after verifying the phone number) that required their stored numbers so others could easily… find them. Other changes it says it’s made include the rate limiting suggested by security researchers last week and other unspecified restrictions. There’s very little there about the users and nothing for those who saw their information leaked; if you use Snapchat, you can find out whether your name is on the list by clicking here.
Find Friends Abuse http://t.co/doV5xkwW1Z
– Snapchat (@Snapchat) January 2, 2014
Source: Snapchat Blog
Intel CEO hints at wearable plans for CES
Want to see what Intel will do next with its extra-tiny Quark processors? You won’t have to wait long. CEO Brian Krzanich tells Recode that his company is launching a full-scale assault on the wearable space at CES. The chip designer will introduce both a relevant Quark chip and a host of third-party wearable devices at the Las Vegas event. You likely won’t get to try any of these gadgets for a while, however. Although Krzanich has been accelerating Intel’s shift toward ultra-mobile processors, the hardware unveiled at CES won’t ship until April at the earliest.
Don’t expect Intel to say much about its stalled TV plans at CES, for that matter. The executive says that the technology behind the online video service is in good shape, but there isn’t enough content to watch. It needs a partner that could rapidly expand the media library, Krzanich explains. Recode suggests that Verizon might come to Intel’s rescue, but there’s no official news at this stage.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wearables, HD, Verizon, Intel
Source: Recode (1), (2)
Daily Roundup: Samsung Galaxy Camera 2, LG WebOS TV, ZTE BlueWatch and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Samsung unveils Galaxy Camera 2 and NX30
Samsung revealed two new additions to its camera lineup: the NX30 and the Android-powered Galaxy Camera 2. Click the link for hands-on photos and more information about their NFC-based “Tag & Go” feature.
Rumored LG WebOS TV interface leak
LG is rumored to be releasing a new WebOS Smart TV at CES, and according to @evleaks, this is what it looks like. Click through for more details about the smartphone-like UI and potential launch apps.
Mozilla delays Windows 8 Firefox app
After being announced almost two years ago, Mozilla has yet again delayed the release of its Windows 8 Firefox app until mid-March. Follow the link for details.
ZTE Grand S II and BlueWatch for CES debut
ZTE is bringing an impressive seven devices to CES, and leading the pack are the Grand S II handset and BlueWatch smartwatch. Click on through for more information.
Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Home Entertainment, Blackberry
Apple’s iBeacon Technology Featured in CES Scavenger Hunt
Next week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will feature a promotional iBeacon-based scavenger hunt, according to a press release issued today by the Consumer Electronics Association.
Attendees to the conference will be able to use the CES Mobile apps for iOS and Android to explore various areas of the show, collecting badges for each iBeacon that is encountered. The first three players to collect all of the iBeacon badges will be rewarded with prizes that include tablets, fitness bands, and more.
For the CES scavenger hunt, the Consumer Electronics Association is teaming up with several companies, including Radius Networks, which provides an iBeacon platform for mobile apps.
“This is one of the coolest proximity-aware apps we have worked on,” said Marc Wallace, CEO and cofounder of Radius Networks. “This is also one of the first, tangible applications that leverages iBeacon technology. And it is a great example of how iBeacon technology is not just about advertising as it is about bringing new and innovative solutions to the marketplace. We are very excited to be a part of it.”
First introduced in mid–2013 at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, iBeacons are low-energy transmitters designed to interact with iOS devices that support Bluetooth LE. Physical beacons are able to send notifications to iPhones and iPads when within 100 feet of a device, offering up an array of location-based information like product details, maps, and more.
Thus far, iBeacon technology has been implemented in Apple retail locations to provide additional product information to visiting customers with the Apple Store app installed. It’s also been used in a collaboration between Macy’s and Shopkick, installed in a cafe to provide on-site Newsstand publications, and Major League Baseball has plans to integrate the technology into various stadiums in the future.
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Build 3D printable castles and pirate ships one cube at a time with Blokify
Alright, this is pretty neat. We suspect the responsible parties won’t be mentioning the likes of Lego and Minecraft in its press material, so we’ll have to do it in this post. The conceit here is pretty simple: Blokify is an iOS app with a 3D environment where you can build models with cubes — things like castles, spacecrafts and pirate ships. And once you’re done, you can print the models at home or via the cloud through 3D Systems’ Cubify service (using the company’s ProJet 660PRo). The iPhone/iPad app is free, but additional kits and parts are available as an in-app purchase. Professional printing will be as well, with pricing based on the size of the set you build. You can grab the download in the App Store link below. We played around with it a bit earlier today — it’s fun and dynamic, even if we aren’t quite ready to drop the extra cash needed to make our tiny castle a reality.
CBS plans to stream its NFL playoff coverage online starting this weekend
CBS is giving football fans that won’t be six hot wings deep and glued to a couch this Sunday a few more ways to catch its AFC coverage of the NFL playoffs. Starting January 5th, the broadcaster’s online portal, CBSSports.com, will begin streaming the AFC wildcard game between the San Diego Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals. It’s the first of four AFC rounds CBS plans to make available online, a lineup that includes two divisional games and the conference championship. So those of you that need to catch the playoffs on-the-go now have even more flexibility with how you watch — and even more screens to cover in hot sauce and grease.
Filed under: HD
Source: CBSSports.com
Unofficial prescription options for Google Glass to start at $99
Google Glass Explorers who have had to change to contacts, or potential Explorers who’ve been waiting for prescription glass compatibility, the wait is almost over. Unofficially, at least.
According to Gigaom (via SlashGear), Rochester Optical is planning to launch prescription lenses built specifically to work with Google Glass starting at a mere $99.
There’s no official word of when the lenses will become available in the report, other than a mention of “the next few weeks” and after CES as a general timeline.
The setup from Rochester Optical seems to include either a frame setup, requiring the Glass unit itself to detach from its frame and reattach to the new frame. Or a pop-in lens similar to the shields currently included with Glass.
The former option is similar to what Google has confirmed is in the works as an official solution for prescription glasses and the cyborg-esque headset.
The post Unofficial prescription options for Google Glass to start at $99 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
[Review] Token Icon Pack by Kevin3328
If you’re looking for a dark icon pack, with colors, and circles, you’ve found it. The Token icon pack is just that. When I first saw this pack, I wasn’t sure how much I would like it. But, after using it for a while, I love it! The icons are clean, and ingenious. And unlike other icon packs, I don’t have to substitute any of the stock icons that ship with the pack with the alternatives included. That’s something to say right there.
This icon pack comes with 320 HD icons designed at 144 x 144, as well as 9 custom designed wallpapers. I found myself using the included wallpapers with this icon pack, as they completed the theme, and fit right in on my homescreen with my setup!
This icon pack shares a lot with one of the developer’s other packs, Define. It shares the same application setup and the same icon picker setup, which is very nice. I like uniformity across apps. Here’s what the developer had to say about Token:
Huge thanks to @NeffStar for creating the walls in this set..If you are into personalizing your device check out his app OYM wallpaper Manager .. it is one of the nicest collections of walls you will find in the play store!!!
find it here —> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.oym.wallmanager&hl=en
Without further ado Welcome to Token Icons… a circular set with an added bevel to make the image resemble that of a coin or token. This set comes with 320 custom hand drawn icons with a glossy finish that willl really make them pop on your screen! Each image is drawn at 144 x 144 pixels for a high quality HD look. These icons are intended for screen resolutions of xhdpi and above.. results on lower resolutions may vary
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A LAUNCHER THEME AND SKIN.. IT DOES NOTHING WITHOUT A CUSTOM HOME REPLACEMENT LAUNCHER EXCEPT SIT IN YOUR APPDRAWER
COMPATIBLE LAUNCHERS INCLUDE
-NOVA LAUNCHER
-APEX LAUNCHER
-ADW LAUNCHER
-ACTION LAUNCHER
-SMART LAUNCHER
-GO LAUNCHER (YOU MUST TURN OFF THE MASK IF THIS IS YOUR LAUNCHER OF CHOICE)
-ANY OTHER LAUNCHER THAT SUPPORTS THE APP FILTER SYSTEMFeatures
-320 custom icons and growing (weekly or biweekly updates will occur)
-a Fully comprehensive dashboard which includes
-see whats included.. scroll through this section to see all the included apps
-A builtin wallpaper picker with 5 custom walls
-an icon request tool which allows you the end user to send me an icon request in app
-contact section.. connect with me on social media
-standalone app-ICON MASK IS UTILIZED WHICH WILL HELP THEME THE NON CUSTOM ICONS TO AN EXTENT WHERE THEY MATCH THE THEME!!
Without further ado, have a look at the screens and insert Token into your device!!
With that being said, are you going to pick up Token? It’s a very nice, very well designed theme, though it could possibly use a few more icon additions. But, again, if you want to get those, you can use the in-app request system, just like Define! Very simple and easy, just the way I like it. The Token pack is a paid pack that will set you back a moderately priced $1.50.
Let us know in the comments if you too picked up Token!
New Mac Pro Uses 68% Less Energy, 74% Less Aluminum Than Previous Generation
Apple today released an Environmental Report [PDF] on its newly introduced Mac Pro, detailing the greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, and material efficiency of the company’s professional workstation.
According to the report, the Mac Pro uses power-efficient components that utilize less than half the allowable energy limit of the ENERGY STAR requirements for computers. It also uses 68 percent less power in idle mode than the previous generation Mac Pro, released in 2010.
Because one of the largest portions of product-related greenhouse gas emissions results from actual use, energy efficiency is a key part of each product’s design. Apple products use power-efficient components and software that can intelligently power them down during periods of inactivity. The result is that Mac Pro is energy efficient right out of the box.
Apple states that the Mac Pro’s “ultracompact product and packaging designs” are at the forefront of the industry in terms of material efficiency and that its component makeup contains large amounts of aluminum and copper, which are desired by recyclers. The Mac Pro contains 3660 grams of aluminum and steel, 715 grams of copper, and 270 grams of plastics and uses 74 percent less aluminum than the previous Mac Pro.
Mac Pro packaging has also become more efficient, with current retail packaging using 82 percent less volume than packaging for the previous generation Mac Pro, which also allows for three times more units to fit in a single airline shipping container.
Finally, Apple clarifies that all of its products, including the Mac Pro, comply with and exceed the European Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment, avoiding hazardous substances like brominated flame retardants and offering PVC-free internal cables and a PVC-free AC power cord in most regions.
Apple maintains detailed reports on its environmental responsibility, producing progress reports on its environmental impact each year. Recently, the company hired former EPA chief Lisa Jackson to head its environmental and sustainability efforts and it has also made efforts to create data centers that use 100 percent renewable energy.
The Mac Pro is the first Mac in many years to be manufactured in the United States, providing more than 2,000 jobs across 20 states. The computer is produced in Austin, Texas, in partnership with Flextronics.
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AIVAnet 