Apple Updates WWDC App for 2014 with iOS 7 Design and New Orange Theme
Apple has updated its WWDC app for this year’s developer conference in San Francisco, with the app confirming that WWDC will kick off with the usual keynote address scheduled from 10 AM to noon Pacific Time on Monday, June 2.
Unlike last year’s update that brought new features such as video integration, today’s update appears to include no significant feature additions, although it does include a new orange theme and a new look more consistent with Apple’s iOS 7 design language.
WWDC 2014 will kick off on June 2, and CEO Tim Cook is expected to lead the keynote with other executives pitching in to help share the latest news on Apple’s hardware and software. Apple’s WWDC app is available free of charge from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Apple Among Highest-Ranking Brands in Latest Workers’ Rights Report [Mac Blog]
International aid organization Baptist World Aid Australia released its Electronics Industry Trends report that examines working conditions for employees throughout the technology supply and manufacturing chain (via ZDNet). Apple was one of the highest-ranking brands in the report, which includes suppliers in all facets of the supply chain starting with mineral extraction and extending to the end stage of product assembly.
According to the report, Apple scored a B+, placing it just below Nokia, which was the leader with a B+ score on the basis of being able to prove it was paying workers a living wage. Paying a living wage was a key metric, with most of the surveyed companies (97 percent) not able to confirm they were paying workers at a rate that would meet their basic needs for food, water and shelter.
“Apple’s inclusion in the top tier may come as a surprise given the public attention it has received for poor working conditions and child labour at Chinese suppliers like Foxconn and Pegatron. In fact, Apple itself reported finding eight facilities using child labour in 2014,” said the report.
Apple has made significant progress in addressing poor working conditions in supplier factories, following several high-profile reports of labor violations at manufacturers such as Pegatron and Foxconn. Apple now routinely audits supplier factories and documents working conditions in a yearly report published on the company’s Supplier Responsibility section of its website.
Apple has pledged to prevent excessive work hours, unethical hiring policies, and the hiring of underage workers at the factories that supply Apple with parts. The company takes this commitment seriously, dropping suppliers when they are found to be violating its Supplier Code of Conduct.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Active posing on pictures and videos
There’s hasn’t been much info regarding the Galaxy S5 Active, all we had so far were the apps leak. This leak is going to make up for all that though, we’ve got pictures, videos, the whole shebang, courtesy of TK Tech News. So, let’s get started.
This leaked material definitely reminds us of the Galaxy S4 Active, it’s not that hard to believe this is the Galaxy S5 turned Active. It’s definitely beefed up, it look quite resilient. I guess there’s less point in releasing the S5 Active considering the S5 is water-resistant, but S5 Active should be water proof and quite less prone to damage if dropped or something to that effect. There are still people out there who will appreciate the ruggedness of the S5 Active, especially if they’re extremely clumsy or the S5 Active suits their lifestyle, job or something to that effect.
Do you plan on getting the S5 Active? Pictures and videos look quite legit, you can check all that out below.
VIA: Pocketnow
SOURCE: TK Tech News (Twitter 1, 2)
The post Samsung Galaxy S5 Active posing on pictures and videos appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Xbox One’s June update adds your friends’ real names and external drive support
Here are some hard facts: regardless of how proud you are of that Xbox Live handle combining your love for Halo, the Deftones and Arrested Development without subbing in numbers for letters, it’s probably hard for online pals to tell you apart from xXC0rtanaSl4ve69Xx. With the June Xbox One update, though, you’ll have the option to add a real name to your profile, and thus, friend notifications. Not entirely cool with the rest of your Titanfall squad knowing your given name? No sweat: you can cherry pick who sees the name your parents gave you from who doesn’t. And yes, you’re right: this is something that the PlayStation 4 has offered since it launched in November. This patch finally allows using external drives for storage too, so long as they’re USB 3.0 and are at least 256GB. The update also implements an auto sign-in feature, which should especially come in handy if you pick up a Kinect-less console next month. Previously, you’d either have to manually select a profile and sign in or let Kinect scan you and activate your account.
If you didn’t use SmartGlass much before, push notifications when your friends start broadcasting via Twitch, and the ability to watch said streams on your device could change that. What’s more, the One Guide’s TV listings are coming to the companion app in addition to a universal remote. While it might seem like these updates are happening more and more often, that’s all according to plan. Back in January, Microsoft said that frequent patches would roll out to help the console become “better faster,” and well, that’s what we’re seeing.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Source: Xbox Wire
Google ads could be coming to thermostats, refrigerators and car dashboards
Targeted ads have popped up in Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds as well as inside mobile apps and more. That said, it shouldn’t really be a surprise that Google has seemingly explored the possibilities of beaming those advertising bits to some rather unique places. In a letter to the Securities and Exchange commission concerning mobile revenue disclosure, the folks in Mountain View said flashing ads and services on “refrigerators, car dashboards, thermostats, glasses, and watches” is quite plausible. This isn’t a huge leap as many items on that list are powered by Android to some degree, and Google nabbing up Nest back in January locks down the remainder. Audi, Honda and other auto makers have ported the mobile OS into vehicles, Android Wear is set to sort smartwatches and we’ve being seeing smart friges and ovens at CES for years now. And of course, Google Glass. So when you’re AC craps out in the heat summer, perhaps that learning thermostat will show you the best local HVAC contractor in the near future.
Via: Wall Street Journal
Source: SEC
Spotify stays ahead of its streaming rivals with 10 million paid subscribers
Spotify has no shortage of competition, but it looks like the streaming music service is managing to stay ahead of the pack. The company has just notched up its 10 millionth paid subscriber, doubling the number of Premium customers it had a year and a half ago; the growth rate has been clearly accelerating, since it took four years for Spotify to land its first five million. Plenty of free customers have hopped aboard, too, as the total active base has doubled since late 2012 to hit 40 million.
Comparing against rivals is tricky, since they’re not always as eager to boast about major milestones. However, it’s clear that there’s still a significant gap. Rdio, one of Spotify’s best-known challengers, had 6 million paying listeners as of late 2013; Deezer had 5 million at that time. Whether or not Spotify can keep up its current pace is another matter. Part of the music provider’s lead comes from launching in some regions ahead of its peers. While it’s still one of the most widely available services, with access in 56 countries, opponents like Rdio are quickly expanding their reach — it’ll soon take more than broad coverage to stand out from the crowd.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Spotify
Oppo N1 Mini gets spotted getting the FCC treatment, rocking a 5-inch Screen
The Oppo N1, more colloquially referred to as the Cyanogen phone, was the first device to be natively available with the CyanogenMod OS on it out of the box, which was extremely exciting for the modding Android community who had been waiting for this moment. With a neat, swivelling camera, if nothing else, the Oppo N1 looked to be an intriguing device to close out 2013, however it failed to garner much attention after some mediocre reviews that among other things, criticized its massive frame which supported its 5.9-inch screen. As perhaps a rectification of these criticisms, Oppo looks like it is bringing out an Oppo N1 Mini which was spotted at the FCC today.
Don’t be fooled by the name of the device, however; the Oppo N1 Mini looks like it will still have a 5-inch 1280×720 display, which definitely makes it the biggest ‘mini’ device on the market. Along for the ride is apparently a 2,140mAh battery and a 13MP camera, which looks to be able to swivel like the original N1′s was able to. With other 5-inch devices out there that do a very good job already, it’s crucial for the N1 Mini to be priced at a decent level, but we’ll see what happens when the device is officially announced.
Would you consider the Oppo N1 Mini? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.
Source: FCC via Android Ice Cream Sandwich
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U.S. Customers Unsurprisingly Delaying New iPhone Purchases as iPhone 6 Launch Nears
A study from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster unsurprisingly shows that interest in the iPhone is waning as the current lineup ages and users are increasingly looking toward an expected fall launch for the iPhone 6. The survey asked 1,016 U.S. consumers about their plans to buy a new smartphone in the next three months.
According to Munster, only 34 percent of surveyed consumers plan to buy an iPhone in the coming months, down from the 50 percent reported shortly after the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c launch in September of last year. While interest in the iPhone wanes, consumer attention towards Android has increased as the balance shifts toward the newest handsets. Leading Android vendor Samsung introduced its latest flagship Galaxy S5 handset in February ahead of a launch last month.
This declining interest in the iPhone is not surprising, given the cyclic nature of product launches. With the iPhone midway in its product cycle, consumers may be delaying their purchase of a new iPhone due to rumors that suggest Apple’s iPhone 6 is likely to arrive this fall. The effect of rumors on a consumer’s purchasing decision is nothing new — Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer blamed rumors for declining iPhone sales in the months preceding the launch of the iPhone 4S. The iPhone 6 also appears set to bring a larger than normal upgrade spike as the device moves to a significantly larger display.
Even with U.S. customers delaying their purchases, Piper Jaffray still sees reason for optimism with continued strong international sales and even U.S. planned purchase rates remaining as high as 34 percent.
The Mar-14 quarter showed 17% y/y iPhone growth, which was significantly ahead of Street expectations for low single digit y/y growth. We believe that the iPhone showed significant strength in overseas markets, in addition to the China Mobile launch, that enabled it to grow meaningfully higher than expectations. While our survey is US focused, we believe the data suggests that the iPhone, particularly the highest-end 5S model, continues to have staying power given about a third of US smartphone consumers expect to purchase an iPhone in the next three months. We view the stronger March quarter in addition to our survey as an indication that iPhone can remain healthy into the iPhone 6 upgrade in September.
Apple’s next-generation iPhone is expected to launch this fall with a 4.7-inch display, a faster A8 processor, and an upgraded rear-facing camera with image stabilization. It may also feature a thinner profile with a new power button layout and elongated buttons to accommodate the changes in form factor. An even larger 5.5-inch model may also be in the works, although it could launch several months later than the 4.7-inch version.
World’s smallest nanomotor can pump drugs into cells at 18,000 RPM
Scientists at the Cockrell School of Engineering in Texas have created a nanomotor less than one micrometer in diameter, smaller even than a cell. Powered by electric fields, it consists of a nanowire, magnet and electrode and can spin at a terrifying-sounding 18,000 RPM for over 15 hours (see video below). That’s as fast as a jet engine, but don’t worry (much). During testing, it showed the ability to pump fluids at hyper-fast speeds and to move around freely in other liquids. That opens up beneficial applications like highly controlled insulin delivery, or devices that could specifically target malignant cells. Of course, that would mean you’d have to let intelligent nano-devices with mini-saws roam about your body — I guess you’re allowed to be a bit terrified.
Via: CNET
Source: Journal of Nature Communications
BBC will soon show you how green its TV programmes are
In an effort to reward programme makers for doing their bit for the planet, the BBC will soon start displaying a seal of approval on shows that are greener than most. In partnership with BAFTA, the Beeb will award TV programmes that “meet higher environmental standards” with a new “Albert+” certification badge on the credits. To be eligible for the badge, content producers need to have a strong focus on sustainability, share those goals with cast and crew, measure their carbon footprint and take the necessary steps to reduce carbon emissions when filming. Quite the list, but two programmes (From There To Here and Springwatch) have already earned their green (or should it be gold?) stripes and are set to air in the next week. Despite its small beginnings, the BBC and BAFTA hope that other UK producers and broadcasters will follow suit, making Albert+ “the expected standard for all publications.”
Filed under: Home Entertainment
Source: BBC Media Centre
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