Route-tracing robot shows where bike lanes should be
Tired of having to share the road with cars while you’re biking? You’re not alone. The marketers at Radwende have built a route-tracing art robot to make a case for more bike lanes in Wiesbaden, a German city frequently considered hostile to pedal pushers. The machine draws the paths of riders who use Android and iPhone tracking apps during their journeys, creating a crowdsourced cycling map whose lines get bolder based on traffic. The more people travel down a given street, the clearer it is that a bike lane is necessary.
The robot is currently sitting inside of Wiesbaden’s Museum of Fine Art, where it will be drawing until July 2nd. There isn’t any word of Radwende taking its project on tour, but there is a way to get a map for posterity. If you’re in Wiesbaden, you can buy a print for €150 ($204) or less — the price goes down one euro for every kilometer you ride while using the app, so you have a strong motivation to get some exercise before you show up. Even if the city doesn’t pay much attention to the artwork, it’s visual proof that technology can solve urban planning problems.
Filed under: Transportation, Internet
Via: Fast Company
Source: Radewende (translated)
Apple Now Creating TV Ads Internally, Still Collaborating With Longtime Ad Agency
A new report by Bloomberg highlights how Apple has shifted to producing more of its recent TV ads internally as opposed to relying on its longtime ad agency, TBWA/Chiat/Day and its iPhone unit, Media Arts Lab.
The report notes that Apple’s changes came after marketing chief Phil Schiller considered ending its partnership with TBWA in January 2013, as previously shown in leaked emails during the company’s second patent trial with Samsung. The relationship between the two companies had been strong for many years, as Chiat/Day and Apple famously worked on the iconic ’1984′ ad for the Macintosh. The effectiveness of Apple’s relationship with TBWA/Chiat/Day reportedly started to weaken after the death of Steve Jobs in 2011, as ads for Siri involving various celebrities and the ‘Genius’ TV spots were poorly received.
Instead of parting ways with TBWA however, Apple began building its own ad team, notably hiring ad veteran Tyler Whisnand away from Media Arts Lab to head its creative team. Apple also hired renowned music director David Taylor and a number of other veteran advertising executives to fill out its team. Meanwhile, TBWA made changes internally, promoting James Vincent, who had a working relationship with the late Steve Jobs, to CEO while extracting him from day-to-day operations.
Since then, both Apple’s in-house ad team and TBWA have worked on a number of successful ads, with the former creating the initial “Your Verse” iPad TV ad that aired this past January, and the latter helping with a recent TV spot that highlighted the iPad Air’s use in music composition by conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. However, Apple has also required TBWA and its internal team to compete on each campaign in order to ensure quality.
So far, the in-house efforts have helped stanch a decline in the impact of Apple’s ads since Jobs died, according to ad-monitoring company Ace Metrix Inc. Apple’s average score from this survey of hundreds of consumers fell in 2013 to 548 – just slightly higher than the overall average score for advertisers – – from 621 in 2011. So far in 2014, Apple’s median score has risen to 564, according to Ace Metrix.
Finally, Schiller and creative executive Hiroki Asai are also now said to be determining whether Apple should push digital marketing more following the launch of an ad campaign for the iPhone 5c on Tumblr this past March. It was reported by Ad Age last year that Apple would be adding for digital agencies to help out its online marketing strategy, which would be a shift from Jobs’ approach to only focus on TV and print ads.
Jobs reportedly disliked the idea of showing Apple’s products in low-resolution online ads, and applied the same distaste to campaigns on social media as Apple could not have full control of its intended message.
Google Hangouts Update Rolling Out Adds Individual Contact Notification Tones and More [APK Download]
It is Wednesday and what would a Wednesday be without some updates to Google apps. Before we get tot he hangouts update, you should know that the Play Store also picked up a small bump. Moving from v4.8.19 to v4.8.20. We linked the download in the original post for you guys. As for the Hangouts update, it gets a boost to v2.1.223. That is slightly up from the previous 2.1.100 update that went out nearly a month ago. Wow, time flies. In terms of version numbers, it isn’t huge, but the additions in the update are pretty important to plenty of people out there.
Probably the single great addition in this update is the ability to set up per-contact notification tones. Not just for messages, but also for calls. Having a unified message tone was one killer that I know drove me insane. Now you can set your wife to one tone and your brother to another and know who hit you up without even looking.
The update also brings in a “Hidden Contacts” list that you can access via the settings in Hangouts. If you want to hide a contact from your conversations list, long press on them and a pop up will appear that will let you hide them. Useful if your contact list is ginormous and you don’t talk to most of them.
There are a few other details in the update like keyboard indicator to switch between number pad and a full keyboard and a unified SMS block list. All good thing to finally have in an integrated messaging solution like Hangouts.
As always, the download is available for you to pick up and install at your leisure.
Google Hangouts v2.1.233 APK download
Source: Android Police
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('’);
//]]>
Engadget Daily: inside the mind of Cortana, a desk/PC hybrid and more!
Today, we give Microsoft’s Cortana a psych eval, take a closer look at Lian Li’s desk/PC hybrid, go hands-on with the MSI GT70 Dominator and learn about the HP’s latest slate, the Pro x2 612. Read on for Engadget’s news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Her name is Cortana. Her attitude is almost human.
Confident, caring, competent: these are just a few of the terms Microsoft’s Susan Hendrich uses to describe Cortana, the personal assistant with attitude. Read on as our own Brad Molen investigates the lovable AI’s development and the real-life personal assistants behind her demeanor.
MSI GT70 Dominator review: everything it’s supposed to be, not much else
MSI’s GT70 Dominator gaming laptop is built for power, and it shows. It may have a bulky, old-school frame, but this machine packs a full-sized keyboard and a killer sound system, complete with its own subwoofer.
HP’s Pro x2 612 laptop-tablet hybrid brings pen support, a sturdy keyboard
If you’re intrigued by the Surface Pro 3, but need a 2-in-1 with a sturdy keyboard, then HP’s new Pro x2 612 might be just the device for you. This hybrid shares many features and specs with Microsoft’s premier tablet, but also packs a backlit, spill-resistant keyboard dock.
An up close look at the giant gaming PC that’s also a desk
What you’re looking at is Lian Li’s DX-01: a sleek, glass-faced office desk that happens to have a high-powered PC stuffed inside. What’s more, you can buy it right now, starting at $990. That’s just for the empty case, though — you’ll have to get all the computer bits yourself.
You also might like:
Filed under: Misc
BBC: YouTube’s new music service is shortchanging independent acts
Who’s going to argue that stuffing a veritable world of music in your pocket isn’t awesome? Probably very few. One of the downsides to the digital age, though, is that musicians often get the short end of the stick when it comes to payment. Spotify and Pandora’s per-song pay rates for most artists are abysmal, and based on a BBC report, YouTube’s rumored music service won’t be much better. If true, the video giant’s business tactics aren’t exactly honorable, either.
A European group by the name of Impala that represents the continent’s independent artists and labels, says that indies are being presented with non-negotiable contracts to join the service. What’s more, if the artists don’t sign to “probably the lowest rates in the business,” the videos that they’ve posted to their YouTube channels will reportedly be blocked from the site entirely.
A musician (understandably) not playing ball with Google’s video wing hurts everyone involved, all the way down to the end user. If Impala isn’t familiar, you’ve almost assuredly heard of its artists: Jack White, Adele, M.I.A., Royksopp, Arctic Monkeys, and The National, to name a few. Should this go through, you can probably say goodbye to pulling up the video for “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” next time the mood strikes. YouTube’s non-answer reads as such:
“YouTube provides a global platform for artists to connect with fans and generate revenue for their music, paying out hundreds of millions of dollars to the music industry each year,” said a spokesman for the company. “We have successful deals in place with hundreds of independent and major labels around the world – however, we don’t comment on ongoing negotiations.”
The concept of paying musicians a living wage isn’t exactly new, either. As songwriter Van Dyke Parks writes in The Daily Beast, a similar argument came about over a century ago. In 1907, conductor and all around marching-band badass John Philip Sousa spoke out against recorded music to lawmakers in Washington, D.C. because he claimed it would have dire consequences for live musicians. However, the advent of player pianos and vinyl records left his thinking in the dust and recorded music thrived for quite awhile.
Back then, songwriters were making a reported $0.02 per recording (adjusted for inflation, about $2 today). For an idea of exactly how that compares to modern times, Parks says co-writing a song with Ringo Starr today would net him around $40, based on 100,000 streams from Spotify at $0.00065 per play. Four decades ago, he says, the same work would have bought him a house and a swimming pool. Parks says that moving forward, we should be nurturing new ideas and innovative art along with those who create it with fair and legal compensation — something we find hard to argue with.
[Image credit: Getty]
Filed under: Google
Source: The Daily Beast, BBC
Rezence wireless charging standard now supports laptops and tablets
Wireless charging is a technology often reserved for smaller devices — smartphones, watches and electronic toothbrushes — but that’s about to change. The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) just updated its Rezence charging standard to support laptops, tablets and devices requiring up to 50 watts. The Alliance only just made this change official, but it’s been coming for awhile: when Dell joined the group back in February, the A4WP promised to introduce a higher-power specification that would enable Ultrabooks to charge untethered.
It’s a good step forward in charging technology, and could make it easier to keep your devices topped off on the go. That said, manufactures still have to pick from three disparate charging standards before shipping a device, leaving any product without specific internals to brave a fragmented landscape. A4WP member Lenovo seems optimistic, at least, stating that the new Rezence standard the solution that “best meets [their] customers’ needs.”
Source: Rezence
The Amazon Phone Looks to be Set for a June 18th Announcement in Seattle
Speculation and rumors surrounding an apparent Amazon phone have popped up a number of times over the last two years or so. There have been leaked images that depict an Amazon centric and branded device along with various supply chains confirming its existence. The last few Amazon events were speculated to include an announcement of said device, but have all come up short with just some new tablet announcements.
It would appear that that is all about to change though. Amazon is having an event on June 18th in Seattle.
See. There is clearly a device in the image with the Amazon branding on what we would assume is the rear of the device. You could claim it is another tablet, but the video they offer up will show you something different. Take a look for yourself.
Did you see the lady at the 41 second marker? Right at the very bottom of the screen, you can see she is looking at a small form factor, much smaller than a 7-inch tablet, device. Pretty certain at this point that it is the Amazon phone that has eluded the world for so long. Aaron Kasten snagged the perfect still of what I am referring to.
Now, what is all the head twisting and turning about? Well, the previous chatter indicated that the device would bring a total of 6 camera sensors that will enable the device to offer a 3D interface when you are looking at it. Pretty nifty idea really. Rounding out the leaks the device was said to offer a 4.7-inch 720p screen, a Qualcomm processor, 2GB of RAM and a 13MP rear camera. There has also been a fair amount of talk about it launching with certain Prime Data plans and that it will be an AT&T covered device. However, memory serves me that June 18th is also the date that T-Mobile is set to announce the Uncarrier 5.0 information. I am wondering if it will come right along side the Amazon phone as well.
Sadly all of this is rumor and speculation until June 18th gets here. It is pretty obvious that Amazon is announcing the Amazon phone though.
Via Aaron Kasten
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('’);
//]]>
HTC One Remix leaked with Verizon branding
It seems that Verizon is gearing up to release the HTC One Remix. Folks over at @evleaks leaked an image of a HTC smartphone with Verizon branding on it. The phone is said to be the Verizon’s version of the HTC One Mini 2, and the only difference is that the Remix comes with a smooth metal back. It’s a beautiful device and we will hopefully see it at Verizon soon.
The device will come with 4.5″ 720p LCD display, Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor, 16GB of storage (plus microSD slot), a 13MP rear non-UltraPixel camera, 2100mAh battery, and Android 4.4 atop which sits HTC’s Sense 6 UI layer.
Are you planning to grab one? Let us know in the comment box below.
Source: @evleaks
The post HTC One Remix leaked with Verizon branding appeared first on AndroidGuys.
‘Swift’ Programming Language Been in Development for Four Years, “Major Focus” Since 2013
The Swift programming language was as close to a “One More Thing” as there was at the WWDC Keynote this week, debuting to significant cheers from the developers in the audience. Immediate reaction after the keynote suggested Swift was “huge news” and the future of development on Apple products.
Apple says Swift code is “concise yet expressive”, interactive and fun. For coders, the introduction to Swift is available on the iBooks Store but Chris Lattner, head of Apple’s Developer Tools department, shared additional information on Swift on his personal webpage (via TechCrunch).
Now that Swift is public, Lattner revealed that he began working on Swift in mid-2010, with a team of coders “contributing in earnest” late in 2011. Last July, Swift finally became the major focus of Lattner’s Developer Tools Group.
The Swift language is the product of tireless effort from a team of language experts, documentation gurus, compiler optimization ninjas, and an incredibly important internal dogfooding group who provided feedback to help refine and battle-test ideas. Of course, it also greatly benefited from the experiences hard-won by many other languages in the field, drawing ideas from Objective-C, Rust, Haskell, Ruby, Python, C#, CLU, and far too many others to list.
The Xcode Playgrounds feature and REPL were a personal passion of mine, to make programming more interactive and approachable. The Xcode and LLDB teams have done a phenomenal job turning crazy ideas into something truly great. Playgrounds were heavily influenced by Bret Victor’s ideas, by Light Table and by many other interactive systems.
Lattner says that he hopes to make programming “more approachable and fun” with Swift, getting rid of extraneous materials to make programming easier to learn.
“We’ll appeal to the next generation of programmers and to help redefine how Computer Science is taught,” Lattner writes.
Watch this: Robot arm composes intricate 3D light paintings
What happens when you outfit a robot arm used for manufacturing with RGB LEDs? Well, lots of things we’d surmise, but super detailed 3D light paintings are but some of the possibilities. A pair of human/computer interaction students at Carnegie Mellon have done just that, producing much more detailed results than previous efforts. Using a Kinect to capture the subject(s), a collection of 5,000 points are plotted over the course of about half and hour with various software applications handling the plotting, color, 3D modeling and more. To log the work in its entirety, DSLRs snap long exposure stills as the arm does its work. Perhaps that ABB IRB 6640 can moonlight as a portrait artist between construction projects.
Filed under: Misc
Source: The Creator’s Project (Vice)
AIVAnet 