Google’s latest Street View algorithm beats its bot-sniffing security system
You know how Google’s been doing such a great job associating addresses with their locations on a map? Apparently, it’s all thanks to the company’s new magical algorithm that can parse (with 90 percent accuracy) even fuzzy numbers in pictures taken by Street View vehicles. In fact, the technology’s so good that it managed to read even those headache-inducing swirly reCAPTCHA images 99 percent of the time during the company’s tests. While that proves that the system works really well, it also implies that the distorted Rorschach-like puzzles are not a fool-proof indicator of whether a user is human.
Yes, robots can beat reCAPTCHA after all, but Google swears that it doesn’t matter. The company says these findings have nudged it to build additional safeguards, so that it now looks at a number of clues (and not just the text you type in) to determine if you’re human or not. Google didn’t expound on what those clues are, but next time you get another set of reCAPTCHA puzzles despite doing it right the first time around, you know what’s up.
Source: Google (1), (2)
BBC iPlayer and Sky streaming apps go dark on iOS
If you’ve experienced problems trying to access BBC iPlayer or Sky’s streaming apps on your iPhone or iPad today, you’re not alone. In what appears to be a connected issue, both companies have confirmed that users are currently unable to access their streaming services on an Apple device. Right now, Android phones and tablets remain unaffected, while Netflix continues to enjoy trouble-free playback. The BBC reports that some users have been able to circumvent Now TV errors by setting their iOS clock back by 24 hours, suggesting that the issues are date related. However, the workaround may stop other apps from operating normally. Both the BBC and Sky say they’re working hard to restore access to their services, but are unable to say exactly when they expect them to do so.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet
Source: BBC iPlayer Help, Sky Status, Now TV Support
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will be a “new form factor”, Samsung searching again for the next big Thing
The Samsung Galaxy Note line of so-called ‘phablet‘ devices has been its own bag of surprises over the last few years; while many were sceptical that the original Galaxy Note would even sell, let alone be iterated upon, we are already onto the 3rd generation of the giant-screened smartphones and the future still looks bright for this sector of the market. The allure of the Galaxy Note family has faded, however, as most other major manufacturers have launched their own phablet device in the hopes of capturing their own part of the market. Naturally then, Samsung is looking for a new way to make their next phablet, expected to be named the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, appear even more attractive to consumers.
In an interview with Reuters, Yoon Han-kil, Samsung’s Senior Vice President of Product Strategy briefly illuminated Samsung’s ambitions for the next Galaxy Note device. As expected, Yoon confirmed that the next Note could be expected to launch in the second half of 2014, but also mentioned that the device would be in a “new form factor”, adding that “Our ultimate goal is to make products that consumers really aspire to have. This is how we are trying to find a breakthrough in the stagnant premium market.” What exactly was meant by ‘new form factor’ is unknown, but this is definitely exciting news for fans of phablets as it means Samsung is really looking at putting their stamp on the market they helped to create.
What do you think about Yoon’s comments? Do you think the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 can be the game-changer that Samsung wants it to be, and what do you think it needs to do this? Let us know what your opinion is in the comments below.
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('’);
//]]>
Eyefi’s new service sends your camera’s photos to the cloud as soon as you shoot
There are plenty of cameras that send their photos to your phone, but you frequently have to transfer those pictures yourself — and it’s another hassle to get the pics to other devices. Eyefi thinks it can solve these headaches by launching its own online service, Eyefi Cloud. If you’re using one of the company’s WiFi-equipped Mobi cards in your camera alongside new Android and iOS apps, any photos go both to your mobile device and Cloud right after you’ve hit the shutter button. You only need a browser to manage your shots, so you’re not stuck if you want to see your photos on a new PC.
Cloud costs $49 per year for an unlimited number of uploads, so it’s potentially superior to auto-syncing storage services like Dropbox or Google+ if you take a lot of snapshots. Don’t worry if you’re hesitant to pay up front, though. You’ll get three months of free service just by grabbing the app and signing in. The necessary Mobi cards start at a relatively high $49 for an 8GB model, but you may not have to worry about capacity now that there’s an easy way to back up images before you get home.
Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Storage, Internet, Mobile
Source: Eyefi
Canada makes first Heartbleed arrest after tax agency hack
Canadian police just made what could possibly be the first Heartbleed-related arrest. The suspect? A 19-year-old London, Ontario teenager named Stephen Arthuro Solis-Reyes who’s being accused of hacking the Canada Revenue Agency website and stealing almost 1,000 Social Insurance Numbers. Canadian mounties believe Solis-Reyes pilfered info from the agency by exploiting the infamous Heartbleed bug, so they seized his computer as evidence during a raid of his home. If you haven’t read our explainer yet, Heartbleed’s an OpenSSL bug that gives hackers the opening they need to steal sensitive data like passwords. Unfortunately, the tax agency didn’t patch up the vulnerability quick enough and only shut down the site to do so after the digital heist.
Solis-Reyes’ lawyer describes him as a bright, A student, who’s currently too emotional to speak about what happened. Apparently, the teenager turned himself in after authorities threatened to arrest him during one of his classes. He’s slated to appear in an Ottawa court to face two charges (one for unauthorized computer use and another for mischief in relation to data) on July 17th. We’ll likely hear more about the case when that happens, but for now, Canadians might be happy to know they have until May 5th to file their taxes due to what happened.
Via: CNN
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
You can now watch A&E and History live on iOS and the web
A&E Networks is regularly finding ways to make its programming more widely available, particularly by having on-demand options through TV providers and its own apps. To help boost these efforts, the company’s now bringing live streaming into the fold, at least with a couple of properties. As of today, viewers can now watch a real-time feed of A&E and History, via each channel’s website and their applications on iOS — no word on when, or if, the feature will head to Android. Naturally, you’ll need a cable subscription to enjoy this, as is often the case for most services that use the internet to broadcast entertainment content.
Of course, TV Everywhere offerings like Time Warner Cable’s mobile apps already made live streaming A&E and History possible, so long as you’ve had access to the right channel package. By doing this, however, A&E Networks is essentially cutting out the middle man and, in the process, giving you another option for times when you might need it. A&E Networks Senior VP of Digital Media, Evan Silverman, told Variety that “this is just another stage in our evolution of TV Everywhere.”
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Via: Variety
Amazon’s making a custom Kindle store for Samsung Galaxy devices
Samsung seems to be on a roll with bagging media partnerships for its Galaxy line of phones and tablets. First music streaming service Deezer, and now it’s getting a custom-built Kindle book store in a deal with Amazon. Announced this morning, the service also gives Galaxy owners (starting with the GS5, but more to follow) 12 free books a year. Users will get four “prominent” titles a month to choose from, which have been “chosen specifically” for Galaxy owners (whatever that means). Samsung’s already laden with bespoke services, such as its Milk internet radio platform, its own custom app store, and there’s even an existing Samsung Books app. Of course, let’s not forget the existing Kindle app for Android. However, if you want to snag yourself those free libros, Kindle for Samsung launches in the next two weeks.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Spotify moves away from delivering music through peer-to-peer networks
Spotify has always streamed at least some of its music over peer-to-peer listener networks, helping it deliver music quickly while saving some cash on bandwidth and servers. However, the service is now ready to leave that tradition behind. It tells TorrentFreak that it’s phasing out peer-to-peer connections, with plans for everyone to use dedicated servers in the months ahead. As the firm explains, there’s simply no need for peer links at this point — Spotify’s servers can deliver “best-in-class” performance all by themselves.
The move should reduce the amount of data you use when checking out hot tracks at home, which could help if you’re on a basic or capped internet plan. We’d also note that the transition should be relatively inexpensive for Spotify itself. Music doesn’t chew up as much bandwidth as video services like Netflix, so Spotify isn’t very likely to find itself paying extra connection costs to price-sensitive internet providers.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Source: TorrentFreak
Stock Android Camera Now in the Play Store! Fleksy Keyboard Update to 2.1! – App Updates
Happy Hump Day guys. Time to talk about some app updates that hopefully you already have. Google updated a couple of their apps today, but the big story is the fact that the stock Android camera is now available in the Play Store. They also added a Chrome remote app to control your PC with your device. Oh don’t we just love Google.
App Updates
Google Play Services update
Stock Android camera app now in the Play Store
Chrome Remote Desktop app
YouTube update
Chromecast update
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('’);
//]]>
Sony pumps up its PS4 update with game pre-loading and SHAREfactory video editor
Sony just announced sales of seven million PlayStation 4 consoles and promised more details on its upcoming software update would follow soon, now here they are. We still don’t have an exact timetable for when firmware 1.70 will arrive, but now we know more about its new “SHAREfactory” video editor and that game pre-loading is in the update. Many people are familiar with pre-loading via Steam and other PC services, which allows gamers to download pre-ordered games ahead of their release, then simply unlock the digital copy on the day it’s “released.” All it takes is enabling the PS4′s “auto download” feature, and you’re done, no more waiting while overloaded servers choke on release day.
The other big addition is SHAREfactory, a rich video editor app that will let gamers spice up their game recordings (which are getting a resolution bump to 720p) with filters and effects, music and picture-in-picture feeds from the PlayStation Camera. The music element is particularly interesting because it mentions both provided tracks and the ability to import your own original songs, even though the PS4 can’t play MP3s right now. If that’s a surprise addition to the list later, we won’t argue. One other tweak is letting users decide which friends they will share a clip or screenshot with from the Share menu itself, instead of having to go back into settings first. Additionally, a Japanese press release indicates the update will bring Remote Play to Sony’s Vita TV mini-console and the ability to archive those HD Ustream / Twitch broadcasts online.
While the Xbox One’s Upload Studio shares some of the same features, Sony is going a step further by letting users post SHAREfactory videos directly to Facebook, or move them directly to an external USB storage device to upload them elsewhere (YouTube). We called out the PS4′s lack of a video editor when we compared the two system’s services and apps, and while we’ll have to wait for some hands-on time to be sure, that gap may be closed. Of course, if you prefer DIY capture and editing, FW 1.70′s HDCP-off that will allow video capture of games over HDMI will be the big addition, but this makes it easier for anyone to try it. Now, if only we knew when we will get to see the new update (and, hopefully, successive ones to fill in missing features like MP3, Blu-ray 3D, DLNA).
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Source: PlayStation Blog
AIVAnet 