Nest Stops Selling ‘Protect’ Smoke Detectors Over Safety Concerns [iOS Blog]
Nest CEO Tony Fadell today published an open letter on the Nest.com blog announcing that effective immediately, the company is going to cease celling its multi-sensor iPhone-connected Nest Protect: Smoke + Carbon Monoxide alarm, which was first introduced in October.
According to Fadell, a recent laboratory test revealed that Nest Wave, a feature that enables the device’s alarm to be turned off with a gesture, could potentially be used to turn off an alarm unintentionally, thus delaying the activation of the alarm in a real fire.
During recent laboratory testing of the Nest Protect smoke alarm, we observed a unique combination of circumstances that caused us to question whether the Nest Wave (a feature that enables you to turn off your alarm with a wave of the hand) could be unintentionally activated. This could delay an alarm going off if there was a real fire. We identified this problem ourselves and are not aware of any customers who have experienced this, but the fact that it could even potentially happen is extremely important to me and I want to address it immediately.
The company is immediately disabling the Nest Wave feature until the issue is resolved and while a fix is being worked on, sales of new Nest Protect alarms have been halted. Nest urges customers with existing alarms to connect them to a Nest Account (if they are not already connected) so the Nest Wave feature can be automatically disabled. Customers without access to WiFi can receive a complete refund for their devices.
Nest states that no customers have been affected by the potential issues with Nest Wave and that the steps it has taken to halt sales are a precautionary measure. The company estimates that fixing the issue will take two to three months.
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STREAMZ is a pair of headphones with a built-in WiFi music player
If you’ve ever wanted to listen to your favorite songs from Pandora and Spotify without having to lug around your smartphone, then this pair of headphones that has recently launched on Kickstarter could be for you. Simply called STREAMZ, the so-called “world’s first Smart Headphones” bundles in a fully-baked WiFi and Bluetooth-enabled Android music player right inside the headphones itself. And if you’d rather listen to tunes that you own, STREAMZ has integrated 48kHZ/16 bit DAC, which lets it play CD quality music in unprocessed formats such as FLAC, ALAC, WAV and even in the new audiophile-grade Pono configuration pioneered by Neil Young. There’s even a STREAMZ MUSIC store where you can purchase music from over 300,000 CD quality albums. Users can use an Android or iOS smartphone app to search through their music library on STREAMZ.
The headphones has 36GB of built-in storage which you can fill with said tunes, and there’s a microphone that supports Google voice commands such as “search for music” or “skip track.” You can also use these headphones for more than just music, as there’s an optional Bluetooth transmitter that you can plug into your TV so that you can enjoy a more immersive TV watching or video gaming experience. As for pricing, Kickstarter pledgers can snag a 4GB pair for as low as $299, which is $200 less than the expected MSRP. If you’d rather get the 20GB model, that’ll cost you $349, while the ultimate 36GB plus accessories combo will set you back $549 (which is still less than the $849 MSRP). All Kickstarter backers will get $300 worth of music from the STREAMZ music store free of charge. If that sounds like an intriguing proposition, take a peek at the video after the break or just hit the link to get more details.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video
Source: Kickstarter
Premium Samsung Galaxy S5 rumors surface yet again
Despite Samsung’s insistence that it is not working on a premium Galaxy S5 experience, the rumors of said device aren’t going away. Details found on GFXBench indicate that the SM-G906S could be a variant of the flagship device. The difference, however, is that this model packs in twice the screen pixels and a different (2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805) processor.
At 5.2-inches, the 2560×1440 pixel screen would be the company’s first 2K display. It’s not a coincidence that this is the same resolution rumored for the premium Galaxy S5 (Project F, Samsung Galaxy F). For what it’s worth, we’ve also heard chatter that this device could employ a curved display.
Other specifications listed in the benchmark website show the phone as running Android 4.4.2 and featuring a 16-megapixel rear camera and front-facing 2-megapixel camera.
The model number very closely resembles that of the Galaxy S5 so we’re inclined to believe this is a twist on the standard model. We don’t see Samsung introducing a new line of products anytime soon.
The post Premium Samsung Galaxy S5 rumors surface yet again appeared first on AndroidGuys.
IFTTT update outfits iPads, tacks on push notifications
IFTTT’s (If This Then That) recipes automate your apps and other tech tasks to make things a breeze, and the latest update allows the software to play nice on more than just that iPhone. Version 2.0.0 of the application tacks on full support for the iPad. There’s also the ability to assign an IFTTT recipe to beam a push notification to your device, so you’ll know when David Ortiz hits a home run or if you’ll need to pack a raincoat in the morning. Of course, you’ll want to check those application settings so that you’re not duplicating efforts here. What’s more, new recipe collections and a location-specific Photos Trigger have been throw in as well. If your trusty iOS device hasn’t alerted you to the update just yet, venture over to the source link and nab it up.
Filed under: Software
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: IFTTT (iTunes), (Blog)
Roku devices can now stream Qello’s concert library for $4.99 per month
Have a current-gen Roku device? Want to watch Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour performance from Madison Square Garden? Well, you’re in luck. The aforementioned streaming gadgets in the US, Canada and the UK are getting a Qello Concerts channel today, bringing access to “the world’s largest collection” of full-length performance and music documentaries via a $4.99 monthly All-Access Pass. While the added cost may be a bummer, live music enthusiasts can expect selections from Mumford & Sons, Queen, Wu-Tang Clan, Wolfmother and many more. If you don’t already have a Qello subscription, you can try it out free for a week on that Roku box or streaming stick.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Roku
Unreal Engine 4.1 update adds SteamOS and Linux support, arrives later this month
Good news for gamers who’ve been eyeing Valve’s upcoming Steam Machines: Unreal Engine 4.1 will support the Linux-based SteamOS after a pending update. In a blog post today, Epic Games’ Mike Fricker announced that the source code now includes “initial support for running and packaging games for Linux and Steam OS.” This means that upcoming UE4 titles like Daylight and Fortnite could be ported to the systems. If you’ll recall, CryEngine — the game engine that powers the likes of Ryse: Son of Rome and others — added Linux support back in early March to prep for the launch of Valve’s newfangled platform.
Source: Unreal Engine
Mozilla CEO steps down due to political backlash
After a slew of criticism and increased scrutiny over his donations to an anti gay-marriage bill in California, Mozilla’s newly appointed CEO Brendan Eich has stepped down. The company recently published a blog post that read, “Mozilla prides itself on being held to a different standard and, this past week, we didn’t live up to it.” This is despite many assertions Eich has made in several interviews in the past week that he would not resign, even though multiple employees have come forward on Twitter and elsewhere asking him to leave. Popular dating site OkCupid also made its opinions clear by refusing Firefox users access to its website for a short period. In an interview with Re/Code, Mozilla Executive Chairwoman Mitchell Baker said that Eich’s ability to lead has been compromised due to the increased scrutiny over the issue. She also told the publication that Eich’s decision to resign was his own and not due to any pressure from her or the board. There is currently no leading candidate to replace Eich, though efforts to seek one are underway.
Via: Re/Code
Source: Mozilla
Over 200 NSA documents collected and made searchable, from Snowden to Prism
When Edward Snowden made a name for himself last June by leaking classified NSA information, he did so by working with The Guardian and a documentary filmmaker. As such, the public learned of much of the NSA’s surveillance measures through the medium of a single media outlet. In the ensuing months, much more has come to light, and today the American Civil Liberties Union is unveiling “NSA Documents Database,” a searchable, categorized database of just over 200 previously classified NSA documents.
That includes everything from the initial Snowden leaks through Mystic (and more). The collection comprises “all of the documents released since [June 5, 2013], both by the media and the government,” and the ACLU promises more documents will be added as they become available. In so many words, if you’re looking to dig in and bone up on the current government surveillance debate, this is gonna be your jam.
Filed under: Cellphones, Networking, Internet, Software
Source: ACLU, NSA Documents Database
Apple and Microsoft help form lobby group opposing attempts to kill software patents
Few would object to legislative attempts to stop patent trolls in their tracks. However, a host of companies are worried these efforts might go too far — enough so that they’ve formed their own US political lobby, the Partnership for American Innovation. The group, which includes tech giants Apple, GE, IBM and Microsoft, wants a “balanced” approach that reduces the volume of junk patents (and the resulting abuse) while letting companies file for software and biotech patents. The policy isn’t surprising when these firms are trying to protect their cash cows. However, it also pits the Partnership’s members squarely against firms like Netflix and Twitter, which argue that patents only get in the way. No matter what lawmakers do, it’s now clear that they’re going to get an earful from both sides.
Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Internet, Apple, Microsoft
Via: Reuters
Vine, now with messaging
Vine isn’t just about sharing six-second videos anymore. The Twitter-owned service has just launched a messaging feature that lets you reach out to friends through either videos or text messages. It’s not very sophisticated at this stage (there’s no true group chat, for instance), but you can send videos to anyone in your smartphone’s contacts, whether or not they’ve installed a Vine app. Android and iOS users can get chatty today, but there’s no word on a corresponding Windows Phone update. Wherever Vine goes from here, it’s apparent that the service wants to be more than just entertainment — it would like to be a complete social platform.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet
Source: Vine, App Store, Google Play
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