This is how Samsung thinks normal people use smartwatches
Samsung’s track record on smartwatch marketing has been, shall we say, mixed. Its nostalgic sci-fi TV spot for the Galaxy Gear was a hit, but its awkward (and slightly creepy) romantic skier ad? Not so much. Give credit to the company for learning quickly, though, as its newly released TV commercial for the Gear Fit (shown below) mostly hits the right notes. The 30-second clip sticks to showing real-world use cases, such as tracking fitness data while running and turning down phone calls. It’s still a bit silly — really, who wears a smartwatch over a fancy bracelet? — but it does make a good case for intelligent wristwear.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile, Samsung
Source: Samsung Mobile USA (YouTube)
Banksy’s latest works tackle technology, surveillance and our crumbling humanity
They say that the best art imitates life, and let’s be honest, our lives are increasingly controlled by technology. After tackling war, human rights and censorship, legendary and anonymous street artist Banksy is now turning his critical eye on our digital existence — and not surprisingly his view is bleak. Two pieces, one confirmed and one suspected, from faceless man who uses the streets of urban Earth as his canvas cropped up in the UK this week. The location of the first and confirmed piece has yet to be identified, but photographs of it have appeared on Banksy’s website. It depicts two lovers in an embrace against a darkened doorway. But rather than looking lovingly into each others eyes, the man and woman are glued to their smartphones, the screens casting an inhuman glow over their faces.
The second piece was discovered in Cheltenham, and shows three men in coats and sunglasses holding microphones and reel-to-reel recorders. Against the wall between where the three apparent government agents are painted sits an old and rather beat up looking phonebooth. Neither piece is particularly subtle (that has never really been Banksy’s strong suit), but that doesn’t diminish the cleverness or the impact. Even when we’re mere millimeters apart we’re often still worlds away from the other people in our lives, and always under the watchful eye of big brother — welcome to the 21st century.
Filed under: Misc
Via: Laughing Squid
Source: Banksy, StreetArtNews
The first HTC One will get Sense 6 in US and Canada by the end of May
Sorry, HTC, we’re still not going to call it the “Sixth Sense.” That’s the phone maker’s name for Sense 6, the latest version of its Android user interface. For the uninitiated, this is the update that comes preloaded on the new HTC One (M8) but is still in the works for older devices as well. Jason Mackenzie, the President of HTC America, announced today that we can expect Sense 6 to show up on the original One by the end of May.
Announcing a release timeframe is a pretty daring declaration for Mackenzie. Basically it means that HTC now has a self-imposed deadline of May 31st to get the new update pushed through carrier certification (for multiple networks in the US and Canada) and over the air, and it’s often nearly impossible to predict how difficult that process will be. Given the usual delays, it’s a pretty fair bet that Sense 6 will get out to unlocked versions of the original One in other parts of the world well before then, since the update doesn’t need to go through the intense network testing already required in North America.
We’ve reached out to HTC to see when the global units will get Sense 6, and we’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear back. The update is also planned for the One mini and One max, but we still haven’t heard any news on when to expect them to get it.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, HTC, Google
Via: Android and Me
Source: Twitter
Chrome OS now lets you dock small apps on the side
Chrome OS just became much more useful for multitaskers. Google has updated the web-centric platform with support for docking smaller apps along the screen edge, à la Windows 8; you can now keep a Hangouts chat or shopping list in view without having to carefully resize windows or switch tabs. If you’re the sort who wants to always have information close at hand, you just have to restart your Chrome hardware to try the app snapping feature for yourself.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Google
Source: Google Chrome (Google+)
Latest AllCast Update Brings in Beta Casting from Google Drive
Everyone with a Chromecast now a days should have AllCast from ClockworkMod (Koushik Dutta) . The application was released back in December and has consistently been gaining more and more functions and features since its release. It seems like every couple of days there is another update to the app that fixes something or adds in more support for something else.
The most recent update that started rolling out offers up a streaming from your Google Drive account to your Chromecast. The new addition is listed as a ‘beta’, so you might find various issues arise depending on the file, your device or your network. Nothing is perfect, but things are getting better and better every day. For instance, when you open up your Drive account through AllCast, you get a grid view of EVERYTHING in your Drive account. Fortunately, Koushik is working on folder support and it is expected in the next update.
AllCast is free to try out and you get 1 minute stream times to see what you think. If you want to be unrestricted then be prepared for a a quick purchase price of $4.99.
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Original HTC One (M7) Will See Sense 6 Update in May
One thing that tends to cross a lot of our minds when a new device is announced and launched, is what will happen to the previous model. In this case we are talking about the original HTC One (M7). While there are plenty out there that don’t really care because they root and run custom ROM’s anyways, there are still plenty who have been happy with their device as is. HTC knows that not everyone will be ready to upgrade, or ready to drop a ton of cash, for the new HTC One M8. With that in mind, President of HTC America, Jason Mackenzie, let loose a tweet that let everyone know that American and Canadian version of the HTC One M7 will see a Sense 6 update by the end of May.
Reminder that Sense 6 will push to current HTC One users by end of May. #htcadvantage
— Jason Mackenzie (@JasonMacHTC) April 14, 2014
The tweet doesn’t give up a link to a detailed page of what features of Sense 6 will be making its way to the older device, but we are sure there will be a happy medium.
HTC has done a pretty good job lately getting older devices caught up and sticking to timelines. Let’s hope this one holds true and the carriers are on board to push it quickly and not hold it back.
How many of you still run stock and plan to keep holding on to your One M7 through May at least?
Source: Jason Mckenzie Twiiter
Via: Androidandme
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Engadget Podcast 392: The whiskey ‘sode
After a chance meeting with Distiller app co-founder Mikael Mossberg and in-house whiskey expert Stephanie Moreno at this year’s SXSW event, a unique podcast concept was born. In this Very Special Episode, our guests serve as spirit guides, taking us through the business and production end of the whiskey trade. They also offer some sage advice on sampling and understanding the nuances of this popular adult beverage. Feel free to drink along (for those 21 and over) as we discuss and sample a selection of whiskey, scotch and bourbon. So get comfortable, grab your glass and join us for this special edition of the Engadget Podcast. Cheers!
Hosts: Terrence O’Brien, Joseph Volpe, Ben Gilbert
Guests: Stephanie Moreno, Mikael Mossberg
Producer: Jon Turi
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Connect with the hosts on Twitter: @terrenceobrien, @jrvolpe, @realbengilbert
Email us: podcast [at] engadget [dot] com
Filed under: Podcasts
Netflix speeds soar on Comcast following controversial deal
The past few months have been very active for Netflix, as it’s faced new challenges with getting its video streams into homes. It responded to customer complaints and dropping average speeds by making a new connection deal with Comcast, while others like AT&T and Verizon also lined up with their hands out. For Comcast users at least, the recent deal between the cable provider and Netflix does seem to be bearing fruit. Thanks to the agreement — which allows Netflix to connect its network directly with Comcast’s infrastructure to bypass the bottlenecked third parties — average speeds for streams on the network have surged up to 65 percent, going from 1.51Mbps in January to 2.5Mbps in March.
Netflix also notes that it has also seen “early improvements” as a result of its deal with Telenor, an internet service provider in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. “We are dedicated to delivering a great streaming experience and invest in continually improving that experience,” states Netflix on its blog. Even if similar deals are on the way with other ISPs, so long as net neutrality only covers traffic over the last mile, Reed Hasting likely has a few more furious Facebook messages in store.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Netflix
Anyone can sign up to buy Google Glass tomorrow; will you?
Tomorrow, as most everyone in the US knows, is tax day. It’s also the one day where Google will open up the sale of its Glass wearable to the general public, meaning you won’t need that Explorer invite to nab a pair. What you will need is $1,500, a US shipping address and a healthy dose of realism about the limitations of Google Glass as it currently exists. That’s right; even though the curtain of exclusivity around the product is slowly but surely lifting, Glass is still very much in the beta stage, with short battery life and a limited number of apps.
Plenty of you have voiced suspicions that Google made this one-day-only event for the sole purpose of selling out of units and making headlines. Maybe so, but it’s still a good opportunity for the curious who may have hefty tax rebates heading their way. If you want to take the plunge, make sure to point your browser here tomorrow at 6AM Pacific on the dot, as supplies are indeed limited. In the meantime, tell us if you’re planning to splurge tomorrow in our poll below the break.
Vote on our poll for Do you plan to buy Google Glass tomorrow?!
Filed under: Wearables, Google
Source: Google Glass
Snowden leaks and NSA reporting win Pulitzer Prizes
Both The Guardian and The Washington Post were announced as Pulitzer Prize winners today in the public service category. The prizes were awarded for The Guardian‘s Edward Snowden work, which revealed dozens of details about the United States government spying on citizens the world over, and for Washington Post’s ongoing National Security Agency coverage, which uncovered Prism and myriad other surveillance overreaches. Of the 14 awards given, only two were given for reporting on NSA surveillance and Edward Snowden’s leaks.
At The Guardian, Glenn Greenwald broke and wrote the story of NSA surveillance. He worked with Snowden directly, and uncovered dozens of the US government’s surveillance programs (much of which was collected and categorized by the ACLU). Greenwald and his colleagues laid out a wide range of surveillance programs, from American companies handing the US government information to spying on international allies.
At The Washington Post, Laura Poitras revealed similarly damning evidence from Snowden’s archive (only Poitras and Greenwald are said to have access to said archive). Beyond the individual programs, Poitras identified the finances dedicated to running surveillance at that scale, and The Washington Post helped to break down the archive into readable material.
Both outlets (and one dozen others) are being celebrated by the Pulitzers in late May at Columbia University.
Filed under: Networking, Internet
Source: Pulitzer
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