Apple to fix iMessage bug that causes ex-iPhone users to lose their texts
Apple says it’s fixed a server bug that was affecting “some” former iMessage users who had tried to switch to Android or another OS. However, it admits there’s another problem with its messaging platform that it still hasn’t managed to address. According to Re/code, the first bug was making it difficult for Apple staff to keep track of which phone numbers are currently associated with an iPhone — information that is essential for the proper running of the iMessage. Without an accurate database, ex-iPhone users could find that some of their SMS messages are mistakenly treated as iMessages and sucked into the bowels of an Apple’s datacenter, from whence they may never return. As for the remaining flaws, and iMessage’s broader dependence on up-to-the-minute record-keeping, Apple says it’s working on a fuller solution that will come in a “future software update.” In the meantime, the best advice for any iPhone leaver is still to manually disable iMessage and return to regular SMS before they power down for the final time.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Source: Re/code
Facebook stops oversharing, defaults status updates to just friends
Previously, when you first joined Facebook, all of your posts would be shared with the world by default. Anyone who stumbled upon your profile could read anything you previously shared, be it a short update or a personal photo, unless you deliberately clicked away from “Public.” Now, the social site’s switched things up for the better, making “Friends” the new default for status updates. You don’t have to do anything to take advantage, but now’s as good a time as any to pay very close attention to your Facebook privacy settings. And maybe be a bit more selective when it comes time to add a new friend.
Filed under: Internet, Facebook
Source: Facebook
Apple’s iMessage Delivery Problems Worsened by Server Glitch
iPhone owners switching from their iPhone to another device often encounter an issue with lost messages that are incorrectly delivered to their inactive iPhone, instead of their new phone. This issue is a long-standing problem that was recently made worse by a server glitch, claims Apple in a statement provided to Re/Code.
Apple’s iMessage service allows iPhone owners to exchange messages using Apple’s iMessage servers, instead of the carrier’s text messaging network. The system relies on the accurate identification of the originating and recipient devices as iPhones. When this identification fails, the message delivery system falls apart.
The lost messages problem arises when an iPhone owner switches to another smartphone, such as an Android device, and keeps their existing number. In select cases, Apple’s iMessage service continues to recognize the phone number as being attached to an iPhone, instead of the new Android device. This recognition mistake causes a problem with messaging as Apple’s iMessaging servers will route the message as an iMessage instead of converting it to a standard text message.
Apple advises iPhone owners to turn off iMessage on their phone and uncheck the number in other iMessage-compatible devices attached their iCloud account before switching devices. This method doesn’t always remove the phone number from Apple’s iMessage server, forcing former iPhone owners to contact Apple to remove them from the iMessage system manually. A recent server glitch has disabled this manual removal, leaving Apple support representatives temporarily unable to fix this problem for some customers.
“We recently fixed a server-side iMessage bug which was causing an issue for some users, and we have an additional bug fix in a future software update,” Apple told Re/code in a statement. “For users still experiencing an issue, please contact AppleCare.”
Apple has not provided a time-frame for the release of this software update. Until a fix is in place, customers will have to contact AppleCare for further guidance on how to handle this troublesome issue. 
Djay Adds Full Spotify Integration and Auto-Matching of Currently Playing Songs
Algoriddim, makers of the popular DJing software Djay, have solved one of the app’s biggest problems with a new update out today. Thanks to a new partnership with Spotify, the subscription music service, Djay now offers direct access to Spotify’s full music library of more than twenty million songs.
Previously, users could only mix and play songs that were stored locally on their iPhone or iPad, which was fine for professional DJ’s using the software, but a significant limitation to users looking to play around at a backyard barbecue.
With twenty million songs at their fingertips, users may feel overwhelmed by the choices at hand — but Djay and Spotify have a solution to that problem too. Earlier this year, Spotify acquired The Echo Nest, a “music intelligence company” that analyzes songs to recommend songs that would go well together.
As a result, Djay will analyze a currently playing track and make recommendations based on BPM, key, musical style, and how well a song mixes with the current track. There is also an Automix Radio feature that will automatically pick and play songs that go well together, beatmatching them for DJ-style transitions.
The Spotify integration, a relative rarity for standalone apps, shows what Apple could be looking for with its rumored Beats music service acquisition. A subscription music service API built-in to iOS could unleash a whole new category of apps to give the iPhone and iPad a unique differentiator from Android, especially if Apple were to bundle the service into the cost of the device itself.
“Having more than 20 million songs instantly at your fingertips is a DJ’s dream come true. It gives djay 2 users endless creative possibilities and elevates the artform of DJing to a new level,” says Karim Morsy, CEO of Algoriddim. “The power of The Echo Nest driving track selection brings a new tool to the DJ that I could not have ever imagined possible. It truly helps to discover, explore, and find great new music that sounds amazing together.”
“Not only can Spotify Premium users DJ millions of songs, but they’ll also enjoy real-time, intelligent suggestions on what to play next, powered by The Echo Nest’s analysis of all the music on Spotify,” says Sten Garmark, VP of Product at Spotify. “Djay 2 will help DJs and regular music enthusiasts, regardless of their skill level, select the perfect songs for their set – or simply lean back and let djay 2 turn any Spotify playlist into a slick DJ set for parties or private listening.”
Djay also revealed that it has more than 10 million downloads across all its platforms, a number that connects nicely to the 10 million global subscribers that Spotify announced yesterday.
Djay owners looking to use Spotify will need to sign up for a $10/month Spotify Premium account, though Djay users will be able to take advantage of a special 7-day free trial even if they have previously used a Spotify Premium trial. Premium includes ad-free music, the ability to download tracks to listen offline, and full mobile support.
To celebrate the new partnership, Algoriddim is offering Djay 2 for iPhone as a free download and Djay 2 for iPad for half-price, $4.99, for a limited time. Both are available from the App Store. Djay for Mac does not include Spotify integration, but the company didn’t rule it out as a future possibility. [Direct Link: iPhone, iPad, Mac]
More hands-on video leaks of Galaxy S5 Active
Earlier this week, we got a taste of the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active shown in some leaked pictures and videos here. Now we’re back for another fresh round of leaks with alot more videos this time.
The first two videos show an extended hands-on look at the S5 Active hardware and software. Then the next video show the use of opticalimage stabilization, however, shaking the phone hasn’t convinced me. Then finally we see more software and the configurable soft button, “Active Key”, that can be customized to your liking.
Tell us what you think of the S5 Active and if you’ll be picking one up!
Source: PocketNow
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HP 7 Plus gets an official launch, bezels overload
Earlier this month we’ve seen a leak of a tablet with too much bezel on it, that tablet didn’t have a name, up until now that is. HP launched that bezel-heavy tablet under the “HP 7 Plus” name. This is now the most affordable tablet in the HP line, going for just $99, we have to admit it looks cheap and quite frankly rather ugly, but the price is low so we can’t complain much.
Regarding the hardware we’re looking at a quad-core tablet featuring Allwinner Technology A31 chip with four Cortex A7 cores clocked at 1 GHz, alongside it we have a Power VR SGX544MP2 GPU. Allwinner chips are mainly used for budget devices in China. HP 7 Plus has a 7″ (as the name states) display 1024×600 in resolution. The device has 1GB of RAM, 8GB storage expandable via microSD card (up to 32GB), 2MP back and 0.3MP front cameras and it is powered by 2800mAh battery. As far as software goes, Android 4.2.2 is powering the tablet and it is a near stock version of it, which is a good thing.
You can’t expect much from a tablet priced at $99, now can you. You get what you pay for and for that price we can’t complain much, it’s not the fastest tablet in the world, far from it actually but you’re not going to spend much either. If you’re interested you can buy it directly from HP via link below.
SOURCE: HP
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Vodafone’s gift of Netflix takes the edge off its 4G plans
If deciding which mobile operator to go with hinges more on watching House of Cards than on price or coverage, then Vodafone’s latest entertainment offer could be worth a look. In addition to its Sky Sports and Spotify entertainment packs, the carrier today threw TV and movie streaming into the mix by bundling a six-month Netflix subscription when you sign up to one of its Red 4G plans. There’s a catch, though: You’ll need to pick a minimum £26-per-month plan, which furnishes you with 3GB of data (although it is unlimited for the first three months). That’s fine for browsing and social updates, but it’s worth noting that Netflix streams consume up to 1GB per hour for SD video and up to 3GB on HD content, which could burn through your allowance in double-quick time. That isn’t to say you can’t utilise the free Netflix pass over a WiFi connection, but it pays to be mindful when the operator says you can “stream your favourite shows and films on the move.” Vodafone will let you select Netflix as your entertainment pack of choice from between July and December, so put that upgrade on hold if you want to catch the new series of Orange Is The New Black.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Source: Vodafone Blog
Samsung gives up on its homegrown Music and Book Hub services
Just like HTC with its doomed movie service, Samsung is apparently starting to realize that its in-house efforts can’t compete with specialist alternatives. While Spotify has been busily publicizing its rapid growth, the Korean manufacturer has been quietly warning Galaxy phone and tablet owners about the impending closure of its similar, own-brand Music Hub. Users can no longer sign up for the premium monthly subscription option, and a message inside the app says they’ll need to re-download any purchased tracks and use up any vouchers before the entire service shuts down on July 1st. This at least suggests that any stored tracks will continue to work after that date, perhaps via 7Digital, whose platform underpinned the Music Hub in the first place.
The warning message promises to advise customers on how they can continue their “music experience with Samsung,” which could well include asking them to switch to its premium Milk radio-style service instead (although this isn’t really an equivalent offering). Meanwhile, there’s also a short note about changes to Samsung’s ebook service: The company say it’s closing the Books section of its Hub and merging it into a new “Kindle for Samsung” app that relies solely on Amazon. And that’s not the end of it — pretty soon the whole Hub may evaporate, as a Samsung exec recently tweeted that “Samsung Hub is going away.”
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video, Tablets, Internet, Mobile, Samsung
First Unreal Engine 4 mobile game built in a week with no coding skills
Epic Games can crow all it wants about how easy its next-gen development toolset is to use, but until we actually see results, those words are pretty hollow. That changes today with the release of Tappy Chicken, the first Unreal Engine 4 game released for Android, HTML5 browsers and iOS. Yeah, it’s a far cry from the fiery demon we’ve come to associate with anything UE4-related (and it looks more than a little bit like another flying fowl), but the key here is that Epic says it’s the work of exactly one person using a sort of simplified scripting system called Blueprints. What’s more, the developer isn’t even a coder — he’s an artist by the name of Shane Caudle. Caudle designed the game-play loop for the procedurally-generated game in an evening and spent around a week on the menus and squashing bugs. Epic says that it could even be ported to consoles pretty easily. The reason for the free game? To show how easy it is to mod and add-on with UE4 even by someone who doesn’t know a lick of typical programming languages like C++. If you want to give it a go for yourself, all it takes to start is $19.
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Mobile
Source: Google Play, Apple App Store
Sense 6.0 for HTC One (M7) begins its rollout in Europe
Some HTC One (M7) users have already received their Sense 6 update in different regions, but according to reports, it should be available in more markets now.
The Sense 6 update has been reported as available in countries of Europe. Owners of unlocked HTC One (M7) devices in Albania, Croatia, Finland, France, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and UK are getting most of the goodies found on the One (M8), in terms of user experience. Of course, hardware limitations restrict the availability of Duo Camera features on the 2013 model, but still, it’s good to see HTC updating its last year phone to this year’s software.
Source: PocketNow
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