Hyundai and Kia tap SoundHound to help you identify music in your car
Always pulling out your smartphone to identify a song you’ve heard on your car radio? You’ll no longer need to if you buy a new Hyundai or Kia model in the coming year. The Korean automakers have teamed up with sound recognition specialist SoundHound to bring its music discovery tools to select 2014 models in North America, Korea and China. The partnership will see Hyundai and Kia integrate music tagging directly into their infotainment systems, letting you pull up information on a song or artist with a press of the SoundHound icon. If you so choose, the app can keep a record of your searches, giving you the option to pull them up on a mobile device at a more suitable time.
One model that will definitely get SoundHound’s music discovery feature is Hyundai’s 2015 Genesis sedan, which is already set to let owners remotely lock their cars, perform maintenance updates and send Google Maps directions to the car with Google Glass. Not content with that, the car maker is also one of the six founding members of the Open Automotive Alliance. As part of the alliance, Hyundai worked with Google to develop an Android-based version of its custom infotainment system, helping the search giant expand further into the world of connected cars.
Filed under: Transportation, Internet, Software, Mobile, Google
Via: Slashgear
Source: SoundHound (BusinessWire)
Android 4.4.2 KitKat hitting Galaxy Note 3 international variant
Samsung is pushing out its the latest update, KitKat 4.4.2, to the Galaxy Note 3. It includes a host of UI changes along with some performance enhancements to keep your tablet, I mean phone, running smooth!
The update is currently only available in Poland via Samsung Kies, however more countries are being pushed out soon. Now remember, this is for the unlocked international variant, so if you think your updates are coming to your carrier based Note 3, well you are at the mercy of your specific carrier.
Changes:
- Music album art shows on the lock-screen while music is playing
- A camera shortcut is now displayed on the lock-screen
- New emojis support
- Select between the stock messaging app or Hangouts for SMS and MMS
- Select between TouchWiz or other launchers through settings
- Wireless printing
- Updated Google apps
- Updated Galaxy Gear Manager brings improved connectivity and better email options
Source: Phandroid
The post Android 4.4.2 KitKat hitting Galaxy Note 3 international variant appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Virgin Galactic tests new thrusters, further disregards gravity (video)
Last year, Sir Richard Branson promised Virgin Galactic’s first commercial mission would rip through the atmosphere in 2014. That goal has edged ever closer with SpaceShipTwo’s latest trip beyond the sound barrier, where it shot past previous records and hit an altitude of 71,000 feet. This recent dry-run was the maiden voyage for a set of newly designed thrusters (used to keep the vessel on-course in space), and a new coating for the tail section that reflects heat from the rocket engine. As the company tells it, the purpose of this flight was to gather more transonic and supersonic data — it isn’t certain how many more test flights are needed, though. Given that Branson and his kids will be Galactic’s first passengers, however, we’ve a hunch he’ll keep tinkering ’til everything’s just right.
Filed under: Misc, Transportation, Science, Alt
Source: Virgin Galactic
Valve’s VR-friendly Steam UI launches in beta prior to its headset reveal
If Oculus Rift’s new “Crystal Cove” prototype is anything to go by (it’s seriously guano, if you hadn’t heard already), then gamers are really going to appreciate the virtual reality revival. It’s no secret Valve, too, is cooking up its own VR headset, and the company recently added a new search filter to its Steam client to highlight games supporting such hardware. Today, the headset-friendly Steam overlay that’s been in the works, now called “SteamVR,” is available in the platform’s beta client, and those who’ve got it working are seeing what’s essentially a floating and curved version of Steam’s Big Picture Mode. The launch of this experimental feature lands immediately before the Steam developer conference, where we fully expect to see Valve’s own VR hardware finally become a… well, you get it.
Filed under: Displays, Gaming, Peripherals, HD
Via: Road to VR
Source: Valve
Google Image Search makes it easier to sort results by licensing rights
Google Image Search has allowed users to filter results based on how they’re licensed since 2009, but the option remained hidden under an advanced options menu where few users ever look. Now, a request by law professor and Creative Commons founding member Lawrence Lessig has changed that. Bing added the option to filter by licensing rights last July with placement front and center, and Googler Matt Cutts tweeted that his company’s search engine has a similar option, shown above. Perfect for bloggers in a hurry (cough) or anyone looking to whip up an image for a new meme, it can pick out images labeled for reuse, reuse with modification, or commercial variants of either.
Now you can slice/dice Google image searches by usage rights under “Search tools. Thanks to @lessig for the request! pic.twitter.com/8mQxxebTHJ
– Matt Cutts (@mattcutts) January 14, 2014
Filed under: Internet
Source: Matt Cutts (Twitter)
CyanogenMod’s new gallery software now available as a beta download
Think CyanogenMod’s image gallery is lacking? As it turns out, the CyanogenMod team itself thinks so too. In a recent Google+ post, the custom ROM maker not only admitted the current gallery’s shortcomings, but also also announced its replacement — an app it calls GalleryNext. In addition to functioning as a standard gallery app, the updated tool also bakes in support for Flickr, Picasa, Facebook and Dropbox. CM also plans to give it an Android KitKat-esque interface overhaul in the future, too. Unfortunately, early adopters report that the app is a bit buggy (not unusual for a beta), so proceed with caution. Still, CyanogenMod has made the beta available to anyone who joins its Google+ page, and the app itself can be found on Google Play, naturally.
Filed under: Mobile
Source: CyanogenMod (Google+)
Sony grows its Xperia line by two with the 6-inch T2 Ultra and Walkman-centric E1
You’d think a company that very recently announced two new flagship smartphones at CES would slow its roll and hold off on the product announcements for a bit. But no, Sony’s introducing two more handsets to the mix with the Xperia T2 Ultra and Xperia E1, albeit for very specific markets. Neither the T2 Ultra, which gains its ‘Ultra’ distinction by virtue of a 6-inch, 720p display, nor the diminutive 4-inch E1, with its 100Db speaker and focus on music, are going after the early adopter crowd. Instead, Sony’s crafted these devices for those with less champagne tastes; the T2 Ultra’s aimed at “emerging markets”, while the E1′s a mid-tier take on Sony’s Walkman legacy. And both arrive with dual SIM variants.
For the T2 Ultra, Sony’s kept some specs consistent with the original Xperia T, like the 720p display (here of the Triluminos variety) and 13-megapixel camera, while enlarging the phone’s overall footprint and beefing up its battery life with a 3,000mAh cell. Yes, that 6-inch display means pixel density will suffer, but on the upside, the phone is relatively thin at 7.6mm — the same thickness as the iPhone 5s. Storage-wise, users are looking at meager 8GB of internal memory with the option to expand that by an additional 32GB via microSD.
Sony’s bundled a handful a camera apps for those users that want to take advantage of the T2 Ultra’s 13-megapixel module. It’s not entirely the same app suite we saw on the Z1S — Info Eye, AR Effects and Social Live didn’t make the cut — but users will have access to Background defocus, Sweep Panorama, Collage, Timeshift burst and the selfie-friendly Portrait Retouch.
Despite its emerging markets bent, the T2 Ultra is indeed an LTE handset, owing to the unspecified 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor inside. That said, HSPA-only versions will be made available in certain markets where LTE isn’t readily accessible.
As for the E1, that tiny (by today’s standards) 4-inch HSPA+ handset’s all about the music, not top shelf specs and will be available in three colors: white, black and purple. Its combination of a WVGA display (800 x 480), 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor paired with 512MB RAM, and 1,700mAh battery makes the E1 a solid budget device. What saves it from mid-tier Android smartphone obscurity and sets it apart, however, is its 100Db speaker.
If you’re unfamiliar with decibel ranges, the E1′s 100Db speaker essentially means you’ll be able to blast the latest Pitbull/Ke$ha collabo over your dad’s Saturday morning lawn mowing or the soothing sounds of jackhammers attacking the pavement. We’re aware that audio quality could take a hit at those levels, but Sony’s packed in its ClearAudio+ and xLoud technologies to ensure overall balanced sound. The E1 also features a dedicated hardware key for Sony’s Walkman application, support for shake-to-shuffle play controls and a 30-day trial for Sony’s Music Unlimited catalog.
At the moment, Sony hasn’t released pricing or release info for the Xperia T2 Ultra or Xperia E1 — not even pegging them for something as vague as a Q2 launch. We do know though that the Xperia T2 Ultra is being geared towards China, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, so don’t count on seeing it show up in Europe or stateside anytime soon. The Xperia E1, on the other hand, is more of a wild card, but we’re betting that 4-inch Android boombox gets the broader market rollout.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sony
Motorola’s Moto X is coming to the UK on February 1st for £380
When Motorola returned from Google’s wilderness, it came back with a new approach to phone design and customization. The Moto X was the subject of plenty of envious glances from the other side of the pond, and while the Moto G is an excellent low-end smartphone, it couldn’t entirely scratch that itch, you know? That’s why it’s to our delight that the flagship is now coming to the UK, albeit without the choose-your-own-body options that are available in the Moto Maker, at least not at launch. According to CEO Dennis Woodside, the company will launch the service just as soon as it can work out how to deliver the units within the same four-day window as it does in the US. It’ll be priced for £380 unlocked, or for around £25 a month when it lands in stores on February 1st.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Source: Motorola
Video messaging app Wordeo turns plain text into audiovisual poetry
Six-second Vine clips are all well and good, but the best ones involve significant amounts of creative energy and pre-planning. A new video messaging app called Wordeo, on the other hand, tries to simplify things by asking you to write a text message first, and then automatically providing short snippets of moving images (gathered from Getty Image’s huge media library) an an emotive background to each word you’ve written. As you’ll see in our hands-on video after the break, the whole process can be completed in under a minute, depending on how much time you spend messing with the font, background music or — more importantly — inserting self-made, two-second video clips to better express a particular word or sentiment.
Yes, Wordeo might sound a bit silly, or like a hotchpotch of other ideas (not least HTC’s highlight reels and Google’s Auto Awesome Movies, which creative musical slideshows from camera content). And yes, the app requires a reasonably fast internet connection at every stage, while also inevitably exposing your messages to a third-party’s servers. But we think the end results are quite satisfying, especially considering how little effort you need to put in. Currently, finished mini-movies can only be shared directly with other Wordeo users, or shared as links via Facebook and Twitter, but the app’s creators are hoping to get permission for the .mp4 videos to play directly in people’s social feeds, which might help to win more people over. In the meantime, you can try the iOS app for free from the App Store today, and an Android is promised to arrive at some point too.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile
Healthcare IT Jobs (And Certs) On the Rise in 2014
Healthcare IT jobs as well as certifications in the year 2014 simply range from entry-level up to specialized practitioners. The sector of Healthcare is one of the most thriving industries of the United States economy, with professionals working into this field simply generating greater incomes above the national average itself. However, healthcare is an evolving field and since it has been growing and developing continuously, more and more new job IT positions are being created.
If you have a successful background in IT and you want a well-compensating job in the Certified Healthcare Financial Professional, there’s no need for you to worry, as the demand is getting higher and higher every day and this sector needs you much and that they could instantly hire you if they have seen that your portfolio is something that they need.
- Big data experts- the buzzword we had yesterday will become the hot job market. While the hype around the big data is not anymore a new thing. Database experts will surely start gaining tangible ground in the year 2014. There are certain experts for big data analytics, so if this is relevant to your, knowledge, skills and abilities, then you are on for this job.
- Business intelligence designers- this needs the ability of turning all of the information in order to stuff the executive suite, marketing and even the non-technical business units. So, if you could fairly understand and use this matter, then you could get this job from the Healthcare sector. There is actually a whole lot of companies that could help you in terms of storing data, building the redundancy into your storage and normalize the data for the efficient access and storage. The only thing is that, there’s somehow a shortfall of the talented developers that could assist you interpret and present such data in a meaningful way, in the form of executive-level or the business-level dashboards, guiding the decision-making procedure throughout intelligent discerning as well as representation of the stored data. If you think this is you, then such a wonderful opportunity awaits you.
- DevOps Experts- if you have the cloud as well as mobility skills, then this is your chance. The IT professionals with serious chops on DevOps are in higher demands in the Healthcare sector right now. Experts who build up and maintain the cloud infrastructure as well as mobile apps are sitting pretty not only in the labor market but in such sector as well.
- Mobile developers- it’s not only the businesses we have these days needs mobile developers. The Healthcare sectors also need such individuals who could work with mobile developments to serve everyone in the sector. Thus, those of the IT professionals with the legit skills in mobile development could effectively call their very own shots right now. Healthcare now has open positions than the other qualified people to fill them.
AIVAnet 