Bloomberg: Apple wants to plug Shazam directly into iOS
It’s easy to track down iPhone apps that name catchy tunes, but it now looks like Apple wants to spare you from having to search in the first place. Bloomberg sources claim that a future version of iOS will incorporate Shazam’s song recognition in the same way that the existing mobile platform integrates Facebook and Twitter. While built-in music detection wouldn’t be a new idea (just ask Windows Phone users), you could ask Siri to tell you what’s playing rather than hit a button. There aren’t any clues as to when the feature would reach iOS. However, Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference begins in early June — if the rumor is accurate, there’s a good chance we’ll get the full scoop in a matter of weeks.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Apple
Source: Bloomberg
This machine creates careless synthetic whispers
What do you get when you combine a few respirator bags, some silicone air valves and a motion detector? A contraption that produces a synthetic version of our most sensual form of communication, the whisper. By fudging the aforementioned items together with a few other crude bits and bobs, designer Minsu Kim has built The Illusion of Life, a machine that he says mimics the breath temperature, humidity, smell and vocal qualities of a whisper. If you’re asking yourself “why?” you aren’t alone. Kim says that these artificial murmurs work to facilitate “strong bonds of communication and connection between the user and a machine.” In effect, using intimate human interaction to bring you closer to a gadget.
Modern tech has already surpassed what the human eye is capable of perceiving, but he says that Life serves to explore which of the other five senses technology should stimulate next. Laugh now, but once the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch or Scarlett Johansson start whispering your to-do list, you’ll likely thank Kim.
Via: The Creators Project
Source: Minsu Kim
What would a HTC Nexus phone look like? Greg Ives thinks he Knows
There’s been a lot of noise about Nexus phones and manufacturers ever since the Nexus 5 was released. Who will the next Nexus phone be made by? What version of Android will it be running? This is all just pure conjecture, but it keeps the rumour mill turning. I know that I personally don’t believe LG is going to be making any more Nexus phones (read my reasoning here), and probably one of the crowd favourites to take up the Nexus line of smartphones would be HTC; whether there’s any truth to that is up to you. And if you were wondering what a HTC Nexus phone might look like, Greg Ives thinks he has a pretty good idea.
The above concept render was made by Greg Ives (not to be confused with Apple head designer Jony Ive) and features a very HTC-esque smooth metallic design for the body and some very familiar icons on the screen. These icons of course are the alleged improvements that Google is planning for the Android icons, though we’re not really sure when, or if, these icons are going to arrive.
All the same, at least we have food for thought. What do you think about the Nexus phone situation? Do you think a HTC Nexus phone is on the cards? Let us know your opinion in the comments.
Source: Google+ via Concept Phones
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Aio Wireless takes a cue from Sprint’s Framily plan with new group discounts
Cheesy moniker aside, Sprint’s newly minted Framily plan is not one to be ignored. It allows you to save money by sharing an account with, well, friends and family, all while being billed separately on up to 10 lines. Following in similar footsteps, AT&T’s prepaid subsidiary Aio Wireless has now announced Group Save, which allows users to get a maximum monthly discount of $90 per account. It’s simple, really: the more lines you add, the more cash you save every month on your bill total, not per line. With Aio’s Group Save, you can have up to five lines; the first two get you a $10 discount, while lines number three, four and five knock off $30, $60 and $90 per month, respectively.
The Sprint offering, on the other hand, is a little bit more complicated. Each added line takes $5 off the initial $55 plan fee, but you can only get a maximum discount of $30 on each line, as opposed to, say, $40 if you had eight lines on an account. To be eligible to use Group Save, existing accounts will have to be on a qualifying Aio Wireless plan, including the Basic, Smart and Pro. Meanwhile, those of you on the $25 Talk & Text option will have to switch to one of the aforementioned to take advantage of these savings.
[Lead image credit: Nest Environments]
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sprint, AT&T
Via: CNET
Source: Aio Wireless
Buy Halo: Spartan Assault on one Windows 8 device and kill Covenant on the others you own
One of the big promises that came out of Microsoft’s Build conference this year were apps that’d work across a number of Windows devices with a single purchase, and Redmond is using Halo to lead that charge. The first group of applications includes Halo: Spartan Assault and Skulls of the Shogun, both of which recently made the conversion to universal games — making them playable across Windows Phone, Windows 8 and RT devices for one price. If you’d rather not pay for your entertainment, though, Microsoft also converted the likes of Wordament, Minesweeper and Hexic too. However, as Windows Phone Central notes, buying the universal version of Skulls doesn’t grant access to the Xbox 360 version, nor does Spartan Assault’s universal purchase unlock the Xbox 360 or Xbox One versions. Given that the Xbox division is still pretty separate from everything else though, that isn’t exactly surprising.
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: PCWorld
Source: Windows Phone Central
MIT designs a floating, tsunami-proof nuclear plant
What’s the safest place to put a nuclear reactor? Offshore, apparently. A new power plant design concept from MIT envisions a facility built on floating platforms, moored in deep water several miles off the coast. This, the concept’s creators explain, lends it several crucial advantages — making it virtually immune to earthquakes, tsunamis and meltdowns. Big promises, to be sure, but the professors’ reasoning actually makes sense: in deep water, tsunami waves aren’t large enough to cause significant damage, and earthquakes are usually only felt if you’re standing on the earth. Floating the reactor on the ocean also gives the plant access to easy, passive cooling, what MIT’s Jacopo Buongiorno calls an “infinite heat sink.”
The concept may be designed to prevent natural disasters, but some of its ideas sound a little dangerous on their own. Buongiorno describes an emergency situation that sees the plant venting radioactive gasses into the ocean, rather than into the air. This protects nearby populations from airborne radiation, but seems like a questionable move in terms of protecting the local environment. For now, it’s just an idea — but if the idea can be developed further, it could provide us with safer, more manageable nuclear power in the future.
[Image credit: MIT-NSE, Jake Jurewicz]
Filed under: Science
Source: MIT News
Google earnings focus on the search and ads that actually pay the bills
With all the modular phone concepts, balloon internet projects, robots and drones it can be easy to forget Google’s main business angle: search and advertising. Google reported its first quarter earnings today and didn’t have much to say about our favorite topics — we’ll hear more about those at Google I/O in June — or even its pending sale of Motorola to Lenovo. Responding to an analyst’s question, Google execs Patrick Pichette and Nikesh Arora mentioned the need to “keep evolving (search) results,” as it increasingly serves up info (sports scores, TV listings, restaurant menus) on its own website instead of just providing links. That’s probably also behind its push for Google Now results that bring up relevant info before the user even asks, on the desktop and mobile. In a brief reference to the Chromecast, Pichette called the $35 device a hit, mentioning the over 3,000 developers had signed up to build apps since the launch of the SDK.
Its revenue of $15.4 billion was up 19 percent over the same period last year, but investment types were hoping for more. Google has the same issue as competitors like Facebook, as they try to replicate their success on the desktop and keep users clicking on ads sent to phones and tablets. Still, as long as “cost per click” contributes heavily to the bottom line, it’s going to be a more important question on these investor calls than “so just how many units did Google Glass sell yesterday?”
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Q1 2014 earnings
[Download] Chromecast version 1.5.5 update with more languages and better Samsung device Support
Update Wednesday continues today with an update to the Chromecast app, specifically the Chromecast version 1.5.5 update. According to the changelog, this update adds in some more language support which brings the total number of supported languages to 50, as well as adding better support for Samsung devices. There is also an unspecified number of minor fixes which should make the overall experience more bug-free; the full changelog is below:
What’s New
- App available in over 50 languages.
- Improved support for Samsung devices.
- Additional Chromecast settings and bug fixes.
The update should be coming to your device soon, but if you want the updated app now, we’ve got the .apk available for download below:
Chromecast version 1.5.5 update apk download
Let us know how you find the updated app in the comments below.
http://gappsearly.com/google-apps/chromecast/viewdownload/33-chromecast/124-chromecast.html
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Why I buy refurbished tech and you should too
Hi, I’m Tarus, and I’m a “tech-aholic”.
I love mobile tech — phones, tablets, wearables. if it has to do with mobile, I’m all over it. The newest flagship phones are starting to be released, and I’m wide-eyed yet again, hoping to get my hands on the latest and greatest.
With new devices being released all the time, it can be exhausting and extremely expensive to keep up. We are getting to that time of year when it seems like there are new devices being released weekly and we just saw the HTC One (M8) and Samsung Galaxy S5 launch to great fanfare that are expensive on-contract , but off-contract, the prices are through the roof.
This leads me to the question I’ve been pondering: Why is there such a stigma around buying refurbished hardware? I frequent several forums and deal sites and when there is a post about a sale on a refurbished phone or tablet, there is usually a massive number of people making negative comments about the item. I read things like, “I thought this was a good deal until I saw that it was a refurb.” Comments like this really grind my gears.
I think that some people have had bad experiences with refurbished products and it left a sour taste in their mouth. They spew their negativity all over the Internet, and pretty soon, every refurbished product sale has a gang of angry villagers with torches and pitchforks in hand just waiting to vilify the perfectly acceptable products available for purchase.
When I’m in the market for my next Android device, I will check for refurbished deals first. I’ll scour deal sites like Slickdeals and Woot. I’ll look at Amazon, Walmart, Cowboom, and Newegg. Plus, I‘ll even take advantage of Ebay, utilizing reputable sellers to purchase refurbished products.
Personally, I’ve had a really good experience with buying refurbished products, and when purchasing items I need. There are a few reasons why I chose a refurb first, such as:
- Items can usually be had for a fraction of the cost compared to buying brand new.
- Items usually look brand new with little to no signs of use.
- Most refurbished items are store demos, returns, overstocks, or cancelled orders.
- The manufacturer warranty still applies in most cases.
- You can purchase an extended warranty for piece of mind if you’d like.
- Returns are offered on most items.
Now, I am not saying that your experience will be perfect, as I’ve even purchased a smashed, refurbished TV from a certain big box retailer, which I was able to return. Nevertheless, you should highly consider buying refurbished devices if you’re looking to save money and get a deal. Please don’t worry about what others say on the Internet because for every negative commenter, there are a hundred others smiling, kicking back and enjoying their “refurbs”.
The post Why I buy refurbished tech and you should too appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Apple Working With Shazam on Song Identification Capabilities for iOS 8
Apple is working on a song identification feature as a new addition to iOS 8, reports Bloomberg. The company has plans to partner with music discovery service Shazam to offer users a way to discover a song that is playing on the radio or from another source, such as a TV, using a small music clip.
The company is planning to unveil a song-discovery feature in an update of its iOS mobile software that will let users identify a song and its artist using an iPhone or iPad, said two people with knowledge of the product, who asked not to be identified because the feature isn’t public. Apple is partnering with Shazam Entertainment Ltd., whose technology can quickly spot what’s playing by collecting sound from a phone’s microphone and matching it against a song database.
Along with Shazam, several other apps, including SoundHound, offer music and media identification capabilities. The apps use the iPhone’s microphone to listen to short sound clips, matching songs against a database and providing additional information like lyrics and purchase links.
Shazam is also capable of recognizing television shows and other media, so it is possible Apple’s iOS identification feature could offer similar capabilities. According to Bloomberg, the feature will be directly integrated into iOS and will not need to be downloaded as a standalone app. It will function with Siri, allowing users to ask what song is playing.
The song-identification feature will be integrated into the mobile software in the same way that Twitter Inc.’s service is currently incorporated, meaning consumers don’t need to separately download it. Among the ways it can be used will be through Apple’s voice-activated search feature, Siri. An iPhone user will be able to say something like “what song is playing,” to find out the tune’s details, one person said.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Apple has plans to revamp its iTunes music store in order to boost flagging digital music sales. The company is said to be considering iTunes for Android and an on-demand streaming music service similar to Spotify. A song identification feature could be released as part of the same iTunes overhaul, and it’s also possible that high resolution song downloads are in the works.
AIVAnet 