KitKat is now on nearly 14 percent of Android devices
You know how Apple was keen to point out that only 9 percent of Android users (technically, 8.5 percent) were running KitKat in May? Well, that figure’s now out of date. Google has published fresh usage stats which show that 13.6 percent of Android owners are using KitKat as of early June. That’s still far from a majority, but it represents 60 percent jump in a single month. It’s not hard to see why the newer OS would be making such big strides. Major new phones like the HTC One and Galaxy S5 have had more time on the market, and KitKat upgrades are still making their way to older gadgets.
While the data will no doubt be welcome to Google, it also shows that quite a few people are hanging on to ancient devices. Jelly Bean still has the lion’s share at 58.4 percent (down from 60.8), while 28 percent are using Ice Cream Sandwich and older (a dip from 30.7 percent). These aging platforms are bound to fade away, but that may take some time — many pre-Jelly Bean phones are budget models sold in developing markets like China and India, where it’s not as easy to upgrade to the latest and greatest hardware.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Google
Source: Android Developers
EU court rules that reading online news doesn’t violate copyright
You probably didn’t know it, but the legality of what you’re doing right now has been a hotly debated issue in EU courts — reading articles online. For the last four years the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) and the Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA) have been trying to determine if browsing and viewing copyrighted material online required the authorization of the copyright holder; today the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that it does not. It sounds like a no-brainer, but the facts are a little more complicated: the two groups were arguing over the application of licenses to media monitoring agencies and their effects on the end-user.
According to the PR sector, the law could have been interpreted to make any user reading an online story liable for copyright infringement, but the Newspaper companies argued that its licensing fees would only apply to entities looking to make commercial use of their content. The court wound up erring on the side of caution, but the NLA says it won’t have any effect on licensing fees. “Media monitoring agencies still require a license to copy online content to create paid-for services for their clients,” explained NLA managing director David Pugh. “And their clients still need a license to receive those services.” He went on to explain it mostly effects future services with public content portals, and said that if end-users don’t need to pay license fees, those fees might increase for media monitoring firms to compensate. Convoluted? A little, but at least the news is still free to read.
[Image credit Getty: Images/Vetta]
Filed under: Internet
Source: PRWeek
PayPal ‘Kicking the Tires’ on Integrating Touch ID Into its Mobile Apps
PayPal is already working to incorporate the fingerprint scanning capabilities of the iPhone 5s into its mobile apps, likely planning to use the technology to authenticate users and confirm payments through the use of a fingerprint rather than a password.
Apple first announced a Touch ID API for developers on Monday, which will allow the feature to be integrated into third-party apps for the first time. According to a PayPal source that spoke to Business Insider, PayPal developers attended a developer session on Touch ID at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday to learn about the new API.

“It seems to be a fairly easy API to use, but we’re still kicking the tires,” the PayPal source tells us.
Anuj Nyar, PayPal’s senior director of global initiatives, confirmed in an email that company developers had attended the session.
At the current point in time, Apple’s Touch ID feature is limited to unlocking the iPhone and making purchases for apps and music within the iTunes Store. Apple has previously faced significant scrutiny over privacy concerns with Touch ID, which is likely why it has taken nearly a year for the company to allow developers access to the feature.
Since the release of the iPhone 5s, Apple has worked to overcome security concerns by releasing extensive documentation on Touch ID, which works through a “Secure Enclave” within the iPhone’s A7 chip, using a secure boot process and other security measures to prevent both Apple and any other third parties from accessing Touch ID data.
Touch ID for developers works in conjunction with Keychain, unlocking Keychain items through a simple yes/no verification process that identifies successful fingerprint matches. During Monday’s keynote, Apple software chief Craig Federighi assured iPhone users that fingerprint data remains protected and inaccessible to developers.
PayPal’s main app currently allows users to send and request money and to make payments via the service in retail stores, restaurants, and more. Several features require a password to login or confirm payments, steps that may be simplified with Touch ID.
Apple may have plans to build Touch ID into a complete payment service in the future, as the company is said to be working on a mobile payments solution. According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, mobile payments were “one of the thoughts behind Touch ID.” Apple has also reportedly been in talks with PayPal about a possible payments partnership, so it is no surprise that PayPal is eager to be at the forefront of Touch ID app integration.![]()
Philips Shows Off Prototype Hue Notification Center Widget for iOS 8 [iOS Blog]
Philips today tweeted an image demonstrating how the Philips Hue app for its iPhone-controlled line of lights might look when integrated into iOS 8′s Notification Center.
As seen in the image, adding a Hue widget to the Notification Center would potentially give users direct access to an off switch and a selection of light scenes.

This is a concept prototype to show the use of extensions to provide access to hue from the notification centre! pic.twitter.com/xC92LAgVfq
— Philips Hue Dev (@philipshuedev) June 5, 2014
Currently, the Philips Hue line of lights, which includes various bulbs and accent lights, is controlled through the Philips Hue app and through various third-party apps. Access to Hue controls in Notification Center would make it much simpler for users to turn off lights or choose their favorite scenes, as it would not require an app to be launched.
As described during Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, iOS 8′s Notification Center allows third-party apps to create widget extensions to display information directly in the “Today” view. Right now, Apple limits Today view to integration with its own stock apps like Calendar, Stocks, and Weather, but with iOS 8, users will be given far more customization options thanks to third-party integration.![]()
Big list of Google Now commands

Since the debut of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Android users have been privy to an increasingly cool experience known as Google Now. Baked into the search app for Android, it’s the personal assistant that we’ve always needed. And, the best part about it is that it improves all the time. New commands and features are being added to Google Now on a regular basis. We’ve compiled a list of everything we know about Google Now and how to activate/use them.
Below are a list of commands for Google Now. Keep in mind that these are just some of the examples available and that the tool allows for slight variations in verbiage. What’s more, the more you teach Google what your interests are, the less you may have to “ask” it to do.
Basic Commands
- “Search for [Nexus 5]“
- “How do I say [I love you] in [French]?”
- “How old is [Morgan Freeman]?”
- “What is the stock price for [Google]?”
- “What is the meaning of [life]?”
- “What is [Chekhov’s Gun]?”
- “Open [Gmail]“
- “Take a picture”
- “Record a video”
- “Where’s my package?”
- “Listen to voicemail”
- “Find [Adam’s] number”
- “When is [Adam’s] birthday?”
- “What’s the tip for [$27]?”
- “How late is [The Home Depot] open?”
- “What are [Red Robin’s] hours?”
- “Show me pictures of [Memphis]“
- “What’s [16 ounces] in [pounds]?”
- “What is the square root of 2209?”
- “When is sunset?”
Navigation
- “Navigate to [Cleveland, OH]“
- “Navigate to [home]“
- “Directions to [123 Main Street]
- “[Biking] directions to [FedEx Forum]“
- “Find [the St. Louis Arch]“
- “Where is [the Empire State Building]?”
- “Where’s the nearest [ice cream shop]?”
- “Map of [San Francisco]“
- “How far is [Cleveland] from [Columbus]?”
- “Show me the menu for [Rendezvous]“
- “Where is my hotel?”
- “What are some attractions in [Memphis]?”
Reminders, Notes, and Tasks
- “Remind me to [call mom] at [9:00AM]“
- “Remind me to [buy gas] when leave [work]“
- “Set timer for [10 minutes]“
- “Set alarm for [7:000AM]“
- “Wake me up in [6 hours]“
- “Note to self: [remember to buy Cheese]“
Time and Date
- “What time is it in [Japan]?”
- “What is the time zone for [Denver, CO]?”
- “What time is back home?”
- Create a calendar event [Dinner at Red Robin] [on Friday night at 9:00PM]“
Weather
- “Weather”
- “Is it raining?”
- “Will it rain tomorrow?”
- “Do I need an umbrella [tomorrow]?”
- “What’s the weather in [Las Vegas]?”
Sports
- “Did the [Cavaliers] win today?”
- “When does the football season start?”
- “What are the [American League East] standings?”
- “How did [The Packers] do?”
Communication
- “Post to Google+ [I am having an awesome day!]“
- “Call [mom]“
- “Call [my wife]“
- “Send SMS to [Shawn Collins] [I will see you in a week]“
- “Send email to [Adam Pollich] [I need you to call me as soon as possible.]“
- “[Contact name]“
Entertainment
- “Play some music.”
- “Watch [The Hobbit]“
- “What movies are playing tonight?”
- “Where is [Godzilla] playing?”
- “Listen to: [John Lennon]“
- “Play: [Everybody Hurts]“
- “What’s this song?”
- “Who directed [Stand By Me]?”
- “Who sings [Everybody Hurts]?”
- “Listen to TV”
Web
- “Go to [androidguys.com]“
- “Open [cnn.com]“
- “Show me [Reddit.com]“
- “Browse to [filmjunk.com]“
Travel
- “Show me my flights”
- “Flight [AA 1230]“
- “Has [AA 1230] landed?”
- “When will [AA 1230] land/depart?”
Easter Eggs and Fun Stuff
- “What does the fox say?”
- “What is the loneliest number?”
- “Do a barrel roll”
- “How wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”
- “Beam me up, Scotty”
- “When does the narwhal bacon?”
- “Up up down down left right left right”
- “Go go gadget [Baconreader]“
- “What is the Bacon number for [Tom Cruise]?”
- “Tilt”
- “Askew”
- “When am I?”
- “Who are you?”
- “Sudo, make me a sandwich”
- “Make me a sandwich”
- What is your favorite color?
- “Tea, Earl, Grey, hot”
What did we miss? What are your favorites? How do you use Google Now in your daily life? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
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