Forget trivia night at the local bar, QuizUp’s now on Android
Android users looking for something to fill the hole that Flappy Birds once occupied now have a less trivial time sink in the form of QuizUp. As you’d expect from a trivia app worth its salt, it comes loaded with tons of topics (over 400) to choose from, including lifestyle, TV and literature. And, since it’s a social game, you can test your expertise in any of those subjects against friends and strangers. If the name QuizUp sounds familiar, it’s because the app was released for iOS four months ago and became its creators’ first smash hit — it did for Icelandic studio Plain Vanilla what Angry Birds did for Rovio and Draw Something for Omgpop.
QuizUp has already been downloaded over 10 million times on iOS, but (while it’s still getting 50,000 downloads a day) Recode says the number of new users has declined in the past month. Plain Vanilla CEO Thor Fridriksson believes, however, that an Android launch will reignite interest in the game. We’ve yet to see how the Android app will affect the iOS version, but it isn’t doing too shabby thus far: it’s been installed more than 10,000 times since it became available. So, don’t be surprised if a friend would rather hole up this weekend rather than go out and play actual bar trivia.
Via: Re/code
Source: Google Play
OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 Beta Contains Native ‘Retina’ Resolution Option for 4K Displays
Just released earlier tonight, Apple’s OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 beta appears to have built-in support that enables all compatible 4K displays to be set at a “Retina” resolution, with an option for 60Hz output. The compatibility was first discovered by Twitter user @KhaosT, and was tested with both the Late 2013 Retina MacBook Pro and redesigned Mac Pro in conjunction with Dell’s UltraSharp 24 Ultra HD Monitor.
To this point, OS X compatibility with 4K displays has been known to be somewhat erratic, as AnandTech revealed in December that Sharp’s 32” 4K display supported only one scaled resolution at 2560 x 1440. Furthermore, it was discovered that Apple had chosen to render text, menu and UI elements in the same manner as the Retina MacBook Pro, resulting in small and difficult to read on-screen elements on a 4K display. Various other 4K monitors were also found to be not properly supported.
Native support for 4K displays could also indicate that Apple is gearing up to release a higher-resolution Thunderbolt Display, as Apple last refreshed the monitor over two years ago. A number of other companies also introduced more affordable 4K displays at CES 2014 in January, with options from the likes of Lenovo, Asus, Seiki, and LG expected to hit the market throughout this year. 
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Sharp’s near-4K TVs are now available, starting at $2,500
Even though CES 2014 is long gone, some of the stuff announced there is just now starting to become available for purchase. Case in point: Sharp’s Quattron+ lineup, a series of 2014 AQUOS televisions featuring the latest and greatest, including a revamped SmartCentral platform. But that’s not what’s interesting here. Instead, it’s the Quattron+ technology, one that Sharp describes as being able to “accept a 4K signal and play it back at near-4K resolution, with an effective resolution of 3,840 x 2,160.”
The company says this is possible thanks to its Revelation Upscaler, which takes HD content and “optimizes it for the higher resolution screen, so that it’s sharper and more vivid.” By building Q+ TVs on 1080p panels, Sharp claims it’s then capable of pricing these lower than some of its would-be competitors. Now, is that enough to get you to buy into it? If so, you’ll have quite a few options to choose from — they’re up for grabs now in 60-, 70- and 80-inch flavors, with prices ranging from $2,500 all the way to a cool $6,000.
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment
Source: Sharp
Vine bans pornographic material, says artistic nudity is okay
Consider it an unspoken, but universally true rule: if it can be used for porn, it will be. Texting, Snapchat, Skype and video streaming technology have all fallen to mankind’s more base desires, and now, Vine has too. According to a post on the Vine blog, the company has determined that a small percentage of its users are posting videos that “are not a good fit” for its community. In response, Twitter has changed its terms of service to ban sexually explicit Vines, specifically prohibiting videos of sexually provocative nudity, obviously aroused genitalia, sexually graphic art or animation and clips of sex toys being used erm.. as intended.
That said, the company doesn’t want you to think it prudish — nudity in natural, artistic or documentary context (such as unclothed models in an art class or nude protesters) are A-OK, as are the swaying hips of any fully clothed erotic dancer. “We don’t have a problem with explicit sexual content on the internet,” the company wrote. “We just prefer not to be the source of it.” Fair enough, but if we were to guess, we’d say the move has more to do with upsetting App Store policies than maintaining a squeaky clean community.
Filed under: Cellphones
Source: Vine Blog
MEElectronics EDM Universe Earphones discounted to $29.99 USD this Weekend
We’re a big fan of MEElectronics audio products here at AndroidSPIN; the M9P earphones and AF32 Air-Fi wireless headphones that we’ve reviewed from them have been a superb balance of audio quality and value for money. MEElectronics is also no stranger to having sales on their products either, and is discounting their MEElectronics EDM Universe Earphones from $49.99 to just $29.99 for this weekend only. To take advantage of this deal, all you need to do is enter the code MarchEDM when placing your order.
For anyone wondering, EDM stands for Electronic Dance Music, for which these earphones have taken their design inspiration from; as MEElectronics says, the earphones are “tuned for EDM with enhanced bass, spacious sound, and excellent dynamics”. The earphones are also quite functional as they also feature an inline remote with volume controls and a mic. If that hasn’t convinced you, MEElectronics is sweetening this deal by offering free shipping within the U.S., or if you’re an international shopper, you get a $2.95 discount on your shipping costs (all from using the previously mentioned code).
If you’re wanting to take advantage of the deal, hop over to MEElectronics page now (found here) and place your order (limit of 3 earphones per order). Let us know if you pick one up and how you find it.
Source: MEElectronics via OzBargain
EdX expands range of institutions that can offer free online courses
EdX’s open online education system has drawn a lot of interest — enough interest that the non-profit has just loosened up its membership structure to allow for more participants. The revamp lets 12 additional organizations offer free internet-based courses, including schools as well as non-academic outlets like the International Monetary Fund, the Linux Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution. Details of the new programs aren’t available beyond the Linux Foundation’s plans for an introductory Linux course, but edX’s move is bound to improve the diversity of things you can learn without spending a dime on tuition.
[Image credit: TU Delft, Flickr]
Filed under: Internet
Source: EdX
Video of Tim Cook’s Lunch Meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Gives Inside Look at Apple HQ [Mac Blog]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Apple CEO Tim Cook for lunch yesterday at Apple HQ in Cupertino, California.
Netanyahu is traveling through the United States for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and also met the founders of popular messaging app WhatsApp as well as the president of Stanford University.
While it’s not clear what Cook and Netanyahu could have talked about, video from the event has now emerged on the prime minister’s YouTube channel (via 9to5Mac).
Cook has met with the leaders of nations before, as he met Turkish President Abdullah Gül in February prior to the opening of a new Istanbul Apple Store and has met President Obama on multiple occasions.
In recent years, Apple has seen its relationship with Israel grow as the company has acquired Israeli-based companies PrimeSense and Anobit in addition to hiring for a new research and development center in Haifa, Israel.
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Jawbone Updates ‘UP’ App With Sleep Tracking Improvements, Debuts Coffee Monitoring App [iOS Blog]
Jawbone today updated its UP app to version 3.1, adding several new features to improve its Jawbone UP fitness band. Multiple enhancements have been made to sleep tracking, with the app including more information on sound sleep and light sleep periods, plus sunrise and sunset visuals.
There’s a new sleep recovery menu that can be accessed if a band was not put into sleep mode, a feature originally introduced with version 3.0 of the app. The app also encourages better sleep through new personalized goals, challenging users to go to bed at the same time each night.
Following the update, reminders can also be set using customizable alerts, allowing users to set alarms for various purposes such as working out and taking medications.
– Reminders: Set customizable alerts with band vibrations to remind you to workout, go to bed, take medication and more.
– Forgot to put your band in sleep mode? Now access sleep recovery from the home screen.
– Added sunrise and sunset visuals into sleep graphs
– Introducing new Today I Will insights
– Bug fixes and sync performance improvements
Jawbone has also introduced an entirely new app, called UP Coffee, which is designed to allow Jawbone UP users to understand how caffeine affects sleep. The app lets users enter how many cups of coffee or other caffeinated foods/beverages they have consumed during the day and then calculates how long it will take to become “Sleep Ready.”
Up Coffee interfaces with the existing UP app, so users will see beverage consumption statistics entered into UP Coffee displayed within their UP apps.
Unlock a series of data-based reports on how your body reacts to caffeine. Check in with UP Coffee when you drink, and even when you don’t, for just 7 days to reveal your Caffeine Persona. Keep tracking for 3 more days to reveal the relationships between how much and when you drink with your bedtime, sleep duration and nighttime awakenings. Knowledge is power, so get buzzed.
UP by Jawbone app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
The UP Coffee app can also be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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Leak reveals the Nokia Lumia 630’s colorful backside
There have been leaks showing the front of the Nokia Lumia 630 (aka Moneypenny), but a complete view of the Windows Phone 8.1 hardware has been elusive… until now. Frequent tipster @evleaks has posted an apparent press shot revealing the back of the bright-hued device, and it suggests that the 630 will represent a sharp break from the designs of the Lumia 620 and 625. There’s no camera key or flash, for a start — mobile photography fans may want to give this phone a pass. We also see hints of a flatter, more X-like body. There aren’t any fresh clues as to when the 630 might launch, although we’re not expecting to see it until sometime after the official unveiling of Windows Phone 8.1, which may take place in April.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia
Source: @evleaks (Twitter)
Daily Roundup: Bitcoin founder unveiled, Facebook’s redesigned feed, 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.
Wello iPhone case tracks your blood pressure and much more
Scanadu’s new Wello iPhone case promises to make checking vital signs super easy. The wellness device is thin and light, yet it can measure heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and blood oxygen levels. It can even display the ECG waves from your heart. Should it be approved by the FDA, the Wello will ship this fall for $199.
Bitcoin’s elusive founder reportedly discovered living in California
Ever heard of Satoshi Nakamoto? He’s the mysterious individual said to be the creator of Bitcoin, and Newsweek claims to have found him. Indeed, a man by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto lives in California, but whether he’s really the father of the digital currency is still up for debate.
Spotify acquires The Echo Nest
Earlier today, Spotify acquired The Echo Nest: the company which happens to power the majority of internet radio services. What does this mean for the likes of Twitter #Music and Rdio? According to a Spotify representative, the company will continue to work with direct competitors to determine its “next business steps.”
Facebook’s redesigned news feed
This isn’t the first time Facebook has attempted to freshen up its news feed, and it won’t be the last, either. Today’s update brings a few relatively minor UI changes. For instance, comments from your friends will no longer be indented, but will instead be separated into their own post.
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Filed under: Misc
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