Nokia Z Launcher Brings Simplicity and Organization – APP OF THE WEEK
The company that had no interest in Android, not only announced their first Android phone, but they decided to drop their very own launcher for Androidians to try. That launcher is Z Launcher. And it brings simplicity to the max, and organization by learning. One of the very first pieces of information you will find […]
Foxconn Hiring Record 100,000 New Employees for iPhone 6 Production as Pegatron Also Staffs Up
Apple’s manufacturing partners are gearing up for the launch of new iOS devices later this year, with primary partner Foxconn bringing on 100,000 new workers to help assemble the iPhone 6, reports Taiwan’s Economic Daily News [Google Translate] as picked up by Reuters.
Hon Hai Precision Industry will recruit over 100,000 people in mainland China to produce the newest iPhone from Apple Inc, Taiwan’s Economic Daily News said, in what the report called the firm’s largest single hiring spree in China.
Supposed front panel and manufacturing mold for larger iPhone 6
Pegatron is reportedly also involved in iPhone 6 production, with early reports on Pegatron’s production share ranging from 15% to 50%, but today’s report and other recent ones have put Pegatron’s share at closer to 30%. According to today’s report, Pegatron is boosting its workforce by 30% to support production of the next iPhone. The company made a similar hiring surge last year in support of its role as the primary assembler for the iPhone 5c.
The timing of these hiring surges is about right for the rumored iPhone 6 schedule, with production reportedly set to ramp up next month ahead of a launch around the usual September timeframe. Most of the iPhone 6 attention has focused on a rumored 4.7-inch model that is expected to represent the bulk of sale, but Apple is said to also be working on an even larger 5.5-inch model that may launch alongside or in the months following the debut of the 4.7-inch model.
How would you change the OUYA (founding backer edition)?
OUYA was one of Kickstarter’s biggest success stories, and in a way, we all felt a little chunk of pride. After all, this was a console that the community had created, which would topple Sony and Microsoft’s duopoly at the top of the gaming market, all for just $100. The higher the promises, and our expectations rose, however, the further they had to fall. When our Tim Stevens reviewed the first edition of the hardware, he found that the controller and UI fell far short of what was expected. The game library was nothing to be excited about, and the company is now offering its games store on other platforms — somewhat negating the point of the console in the first place. So, our question to all of you is this: had you been sat in those initial meetings with Julie Uhrman and Yves Behar, what would you have told them to do differently?
Source: Engadget Product Forums
Playing ‘Death from Above’ with Oculus Rift
Last time we played a virtual reality game built by the folks from Chaotic Moon, we were giving a bunch of digital sharks the business with our Engadget fists of fury. Friday night at Engadget Live in Austin, we played a new game, called Death from Above, that pitted editor against editor. The game itself is fairly simple: drive a Jeep over hill and dale to the safety of a bunker while a second player attempts to bomb said Jeep into oblivion. The driver straps on an original Oculus Rift dev kit headset, some headphones and uses a Logitech racing wheel and pedal combo to pilot the Jeep, while player two rains death using an iPad and a companion app. It’s a unique take on VR gameplay, and one that allows for a more social gaming experience. Also, it’s a lot of fun.
Driving the Jeep was an intense experience once the bombs start falling. Graphics aren’t up to par with say, next-gen consoles, simply because the resolution of the OG Rift headset can’t display such fidelity. Still, Death from Above uses the Unity game engine, so it’ll get there once Chaotic Moon gets the game running on a high definition DK2 headset. Regardless, it’s a blast to play. I found my pulse quickening and I started white knuckling the steering wheel once i was enveloped in digital smoke and flame from falling bombs. Every other time I’ve played a VR game with the Oculus Rift, it’s been a visceral, engaging experience, and Death from Above is no different.
The game is highly entertaining for the player dropping bombs, too. iPad in hand, you get an overhead view of the area the driver’s traversing and a targeting reticle that follows where you tap your finger on screen. There’s a delay between when you tap and when the bombs actually land, so leading the jeep is key to success. In short order, bloodlust set in, with folks cheering the bomb dropper as the driver swerves all over the map in an effort to survive. In my experience, the bomber has the advantage over the bombee — I played as a driver six times, and was only able to make it to the safety of the bunker twice.
I highly recommend you check out the game if you get the chance… and if you weren’t among the attendees in Austin who played, fear not. Chaotic Moon will be bringing Death from Above to Engadget Expand in NYC this November.
Edgar Alvarez and Zach Honig contributed to this report.
Recommended Reading: the theory of disruptive innovation, the curse of Xanadu and more
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you’ll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.
The Disruption Machine
by Jill Lepore, The New YorkerPocket!function(d,i)if(!d.getElementById(i))var j=d.createElement(“script”);j.id=i;j.src=”https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1″;var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);(document,”pocket-btn-js”);
There’s a lot of different theories about how markets evolve, but that of disruptive innovation has proven quite popular over the last several decades. But if you ask Jill Lepore of the New Yorker it’s an incomplete theory. While it’s more than capable of explaining why businesses fail it doesn’t really account for more complex changes. It’s not like the theory of evolution, it’s merely “an artifact of history.” But it’s still an interesting prism through which to view everything from the shift to 5.25-inch floppy disks to the downfall of the American auto industry.
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Q&A with Larry Lessig on Why You Should Have Faith in Silicon Valley Larry Lessig is certainly one of the more interesting figures in technological activism. He’s a Harvard law professor with a hand in everything from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, to the Free Software Foundation, and the Sunlight Foundation (plus countless other organizations. In this Q&A he talks about why he still has faith in Silicon Valley. Pocket!function(d,i)if(!d.getElementById(i))var j=d.createElement(“script”);j.id=i;j.src=”https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1″;var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);(document,”pocket-btn-js”); |
The Curse of Xanadu In 1960 Ted Nelson started building Xanadu, a massive project built around linked documents and hypertext. Yes, that hypertext that formed the backbone of the world wide web. An unfortunate series of events kept the project from actually being completed until this year. In this classic Wired story the history of the doomed project is recounted in painful detail. Pocket!function(d,i)if(!d.getElementById(i))var j=d.createElement(“script”);j.id=i;j.src=”https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1″;var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);(document,”pocket-btn-js”); |
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Dr. Nicholas and Mr. Hyde The tech industry has more than its fair share of eccentric billionaires and out of control CEOs. But according to federal prosecutors, Henry Nicholas of Broadcom was a special case. The story involves financial maleficence, drugs, prostitutes and a secret lair under his Orange County mansion. Pocket!function(d,i)if(!d.getElementById(i))var j=d.createElement(“script”);j.id=i;j.src=”https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1″;var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);(document,”pocket-btn-js”); |
The Robots Running this Way Before robots learned to run they first needed to learn to walk… and crawl… and hop. And, of course, DARPA and Boston Dynamics have been at the forefront of that research. Pocket!function(d,i)if(!d.getElementById(i))var j=d.createElement(“script”);j.id=i;j.src=”https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1″;var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);(document,”pocket-btn-js”); |
Feedback Loop: Amazon’s new phone, trust issues with password managers and more!
Do you need a break from watching the World Cup? Good! Because the latest Feedback Loop is right here. Amazon released a new phone this week and we discuss if it meets our expectations; we speculate on what makes password-management apps trustworthy; Kris shares her thoughts on a new startup that aims to disrupt coin machines; we share our favorite browser extensions that protect our most personal data; and we get ridiculously excited about Twitter’s support for animated GIFs. You can find all that and more below!
Talking about the Amazon Fire phone
Amazon’s phone has been a pretty poorly kept secret. Even so, there were still a few surprises in store when it was finally unveiled on Wednesday. So, did it meet our lofty expectations? Will it be a game changer? Head over to the forums and discuss whether or not you’re excited about the Amazon Fire.
Are password managers trustworthy?
It seems that hardly a day goes by without hearing about a security breach at our favorite sites. Plus, some of the most important tools powering the web have had major flaws discovered recently. It’s enough to give even the least security conscious among us agita. Because of this, there’s been a newfound emphasis on making sure users properly secure their data. xVxM4tthewxVx wants to know if we can depend on password-management tools. How can he get over his trust issues? Head over to the forums and let us know whether or not you’re using one.
A startup will sell you quarters for laundry. Yes, really.
Last week, we learned about Vessyl, a new “smart cup” that knows what you’re drinking and can track it. We even joked that this potentially foretold the end of civilization as we know it. This week, we have another seemingly ridiculous, but also potentially useful idea. A startup will deliver you a roll of quarters for a small fee, which could be useful if you forgot to bring change to the laundromat. Snarking aside, is this actually a brilliant idea? Sound off and let us know what you think.
What are some great browser extensions for protecting privacy?
Companies like Twitter, Facebook and Google (not to mention all sorts of various ad networks) store cookies on your machine that track you around the entire internet. They can (and do) build a ridiculously accurate profile of your interests and habits. Short of using incognito mode all the time, what are some browser extensions that will prevent me from turning into a glorified algorithm in some corporation’s database?
Twitter now supports animated GIFs!
There are only two things that power the internet: cat photos and animated GIFs. That’s why the recent news about Twitter supporting animated GIFs is so exciting. When you only have 140 characters to share your thoughts, every letter counts. If an image is worth a thousand words, surely an animated GIF is worth way more. Are you happy about this new feature? Share your favorite GIFs right here.
You might also like:
- Non-Apple tablet suggestions
- Phantom gadgetry: A hair-raising awakening
- What are your fondest memories or experiences with mobile technology?
- Which Xbox One controller should I buy for the PC?
That’s all this week! Want to talk about your favorite gadget or have a burning question about technology? Register for an Engadget account today, visit the Engadget forums and start a new discussion!
Inhabitat’s Week in Green: ‘Eyeronman’ vest, eco hobbit home and a labyrinth of plastic waste
Buildings account for nearly 40 percent of emissions in the US, so greening our architecture will go a long way toward curbing climate change. In Singapore, a developer built the world’s largest vertical garden on the exterior of a building, setting a new Guinness World Record for the nearly 25,000-square-foot green wall. On the green energy front, Germany is blazing a trail by smashing three solar energy records in just two weeks. We also featured the world’s first integrated solar system, which generates both heat and electricity. The system was installed on a house in suburban Sydney. The new technology could be a game changer for the solar energy industry. That sounds like a big deal, but this could be even bigger: Researchers appear to be on the brink of developing paint-on solar cells that could make renewable energy cheap and widely accessible.
In green transportation news, a transit agency in Budapest decked out its trams with 30,000 bright LED lights, making them look like futuristic time-traveling vehicles, and we took Lincoln’s new MKC out for a test drive. One of the most useful and impressive new pieces of wearable technology is the vibrating “Eyeronman” vest, which can help visually impaired people avoid obstacles. The innovative vest uses a set of sensing and vibrating clothes that can “see” what’s around the wearer and alert them to objects’ locations through vibrations. And rumors are swirling that Apple may launch an iWatch as soon as the fourth quarter of 2014 that will feature a curved OLED display and a heart-monitoring system.
A Dutch company has developed a 3D printer 10 times the size of ordinary one — and it’s using it to create the world’s first 3D-printed building. The team will use an on-site printer and bioplastics to fabricate a full-size house next to a canal in Amsterdam. In other news, industrial designer Konstantin Grcic has created a mobile prefab pavilion built from seven Audi TT tailgate doors for this year’s Design Miami/Basel fair. Resiliency is the key to creating sustainable cities — and this week, investigators showed how New Jersey’s devastating boardwalk fire could have actually started when an influx of sea water from Hurricane Sandy hit insecure electrical and mechanical systems. And we joined the call to save this incredible brand-new hobbit home in Wales, which is being threatened with destruction by the Pembrokeshire City Council. The reason? “The benefits of a low-impact development do not outweigh the harm to the character and appearance of the countryside.”
In global developments, authorities in Fukushima are still trying to contain radioactive water from flowing from the site of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. TEPCO, the plant’s operator, recently announced that it will build a giant underground ice wall to block the flow of water from the site — but they have yet to achieve success. And new reports reveal that China is building a network of artificial islands in a disputed part of the South China Sea to bolster its territorial claims.
In other green innovation news, a British inventor has created a percussion shaker that converts kinetic energy into electricity. A team of Dutch designers is developing what it’s described as the world’s smallest electric vehicle. The Trikelet is a folding, three-wheeled electric scooter that can hit top speeds of 12MPH, and it folds up to the size of a carry-on suitcase. And if you’ve ever dreamed of riding a Back to the Future-style hoverboard, the Flyboard is for you. Sure, you can only use it on water, and yes, it’s attached to a big hose, but it’s a hoverboard nonetheless. The anonymous art collective Luzinterruptus created a labyrinth of plastic waste from 6,000 recycled plastic bottles illuminated with LED lights. Plastic pollution is an enormous challenge for the world’s oceans, and to deal with the problem, 19-year-old Boyan Slat is seeking donations for his Ocean Cleanup Array.
DEALS & STEALS: Refurbished 32GB Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 12.2 for $385
Back in January when Samsung announced Galaxy TabPRO 12.2 it was a monstrous device… and it still is. Unfortunately its price is also quite high. Well, now you can get a refurbished 32GB version of Samsung’s 12.2″ behemoth on eBay for $385 (41% off). Tablet ships all around and the shipping is free for U.S.
This 2560×1600 12.2″ tablet is also packing an Exynos 5 Octa, octa-core chip and a 3GB of RAM along with an 8MP rear and 2MP front-facing camera’s. You can check its full specifications on the link above.
You’ll hardly get a better deal for this tablet, so if you’re in a market for one follow the link below.
Source: Ebay
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