4.7-Inch and 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 May Launch Simultaneously
Both the 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models are set to go into production next month, according to Bloomberg, and Apple may launch both sizes of the new device at the same time.
Apple is ramping up on two bigger-screen iPhones, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. One model will have a 4.7-inch screen that may be available to ship to retailers around September, said two of the people. A larger 5.5-inch version is also being prepared for manufacturing and may be available at the same time, the people said.
Previously, reports indicated that issues with battery life and display technology for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 may have caused Apple to delay the release of the larger version of the phone a couple months after the release of the 4.7-inch model. However, a report earlier this month said that Apple had solved the battery issues, though it wasn’t apparent whether the 5.5-inch model would launch at the same time as the 4.7-inch model.
Apple and its manufacturing partners have been ramping up for the launch of new iOS devices later this year, with Foxconn hiring a record new 100,000 employees to help assemble iPhone 6. Pegatron is also set to assist in the production of the new iPhones, with reports claiming Pegatron’s production share could be as little as 15% to as large as 50%.
Stock of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 is likely to be lower than the 4.7-inch model, mostly due to the more complex manufacturing of the phone and the need for an increase in production efficiency for the device before the manufacturing volume for it can be increased.
Engadget Daily: how to disappear, the deal with 3D printers and more!
Today, we review Sony’s lifelogging SmartBand wearable, investigate the ins and outs of 3D printing, learn how to escape the clutches of the internet and take a look at SportsCenter’s new home. Read on for Engadget’s news highlights from the last 24 hours.
How to Disappear (almost) Completely: the illusion of privacy
You could toss your laptop, tablet and your phone, but is that enough to escape the clutches of the internet? Read on as Dan Cooper investigates the illusion of privacy in part one of How To Disappear.
Sony SmartBand review: a fitness tracker that goes beyond fitness
Sony’s new fitness wearable, the SmartBand, is a $100 wrist-worn device that tracks your exercise routines and pretty much everything else. All in all, It’s a capable lifelogging gadget that unfortunately falls short of its potential.
What you need to know about 3D printing
3D printers: they’re invading our workplaces, schools and homes, but what exactly are these DIY factories capable of? Read on as Jennifer Williams-Alvarez explores the world of 3D printing and what it means to you.
This is ESPN’s new home for ‘SportsCenter’
What’s got 194,000-square feet, 1080p broadcast technology and a wall of 56 screens? ESPN’s Digital Center 2, that’s what. Read on for an inside look at this incredible facility destined to be the new home of SportsCenter.
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Nest Learning Thermostat has its security cracked open by GTVHacker
While we wait for Google I/O (which starts tomorrow) to find out what will become of the company’s TV platform, a team that we’ve seen bust open the padlocks on Google TV, Chromecast and Roku has a new target. GTVHacker just revealed an exploit for the (now Google-owned, and owner of Dropcam) Nest Learning Thermostat. It could let owners do new and interesting things (like replace the Nest software entirely) but of course, someone with bad intentions could take it in another direction: monitor whether the owner is home via its motion detector, sniff network traffic, or just crank up the temperature a few degrees — all without even opening the device. Interested in how the hack works? Check after the break for more details and a video, and if you’re headed to DEFCON in August, the team has a demonstration planned that’s oh-so-comfortingly titled “Hack All the Things.”
[Image credit: gpshead/Flickr]
So how is it done? The GTVHacker exploit is loaded using Nest’s own pathway for loading software to run its own boot-loader and add an SSH server with root access. In layman’s terms – it sneaks in like a legitimate update, but opens a backdoor giving whoever put it there complete control, and potentially without the device’s owner being aware that anything has changed. A more detailed account of how it works is on the GTVHacker blog, but the team has already packaged the tool as a one-click root + installer that works from Linux (available for download here, Windows version coming soon), so all it takes to run the tool is a PC and a USB cable — so if you see any of your guests loitering in the living room with a laptop and a cord, that’s just one more thing to worry about.
Pre #DEFCON Tease: Using DFU to Root Your Google @Nest. #HackAllTheThings #NoSolderingRequired http://t.co/yqUe5sL7Jk
– GTVHacker (@gtvhacker) June 24, 2014
Filed under: Household, Google
Source: GTVHacker Blog
Full list of Samsung Galaxy Note 4 model numbers leak
Twenty-two model numbers for Samsung’s successor to the Galaxy Note 3 have leaked thanks to @evleaks, showing where it will be available worldwide.
From the leaked model numbers, we can see that there will be 16 and 32 GB models and both black and white, as well as that it will be available on numerous carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon in the U.S. While it seems it will be available around the globe, some other carriers we can pick out from the list are DoCoMo and KDI.
Previous leaks about the Note 4 have suggest that there will be one model (SM-N910S) that is expected to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor while the other (SM-910C) figures to pack a 64-bit Exynos chipset. Some other rumored specs include 3GB RAM, a 16-megapixel rear camera, and front-facing 3.6-megapixel shooter. Powered by Android 4.4.3 (for now), the display should also be 5.7-inches and offer 1440×2560 resolution.
There’s been talk that the device will make a debut at the annual IFA trade show in Germany that starts Sept. 5.
VIA @evleaks
The post Full list of Samsung Galaxy Note 4 model numbers leak appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Nexus 7 from Google Play gets 3-month All Access
Google’s Nexus 7 (2013) may be just a month shy of turning a year old, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a great device.
If you’ve been in the market for a new 7-inch tablet, Google is currently offering a deal for anyone who buys a new Nexus 7. The tablet will come with three months of unlimited music from Google Play.
The Google Play All Access provides instant streaming to over 20 million tracks and usually costs $9.99 a month. Google Music recently got updated to provide playlist-based radio stations to aid in music discovery, bringing it in line with offerings from competitors such as Spotify.
After your three months, the price is $9.99, but you can always cancel it if you aren’t satisfied. The service must be setup by Sept. 30 for the deal to apply.
VIA Google Play
The post Nexus 7 from Google Play gets 3-month All Access appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Globalstar Sat-Fi satellite hotspot available now for $999
Globalstar, the company behind the affordable Spot satellite phone, has a new device on the market that can turn any smartphone into a globally connected handset. Sat-Fi is not a WiFi hotspot in the traditional sense — you can’t simply connect and expect limitless web browsing and media streaming — but it can support email, SMS and voice calls for up to eight connected devices simultaneously. Transfer rates are capped at a paltry 9.6 Kbps, so you’re really limited to text applications, and data is billed by the minute, just like a voice call.
Like other satellite devices, you also need a line-of-sight connection between Sat-Fi’s external antenna and the big bird hundreds of miles above in order to make and receive calls, but assuming you’re able to meet that requirement you should be good to go in remote areas all around the world. The device is reasonably priced, at $999, and per-minute rates top out at $1. There are plenty of monthly plans to choose from, too, ranging from $40 for 40 minutes to $150 for unlimited service. Sat-Fi is available now.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless
Source: Globalstar
Apple Hiring Siri Engineers for Additional Language Support
Ahead of iOS 8 and the release of several new products later this year that will likely take advantage of Siri, Apple may be planning to bolster the virtual assistant with a range of new and improved languages.
Apple has posted several different job listings for Siri Language Engineers that are “highly motivated and an “expert in foreign languages with strong software development skills.” According to the listings, posted largely between June 10 and June 19, Apple is seeking engineers fluent in Japanese, Norwegian, Turkish, Danish, Australian English, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Swedish, Dutch, Thai, Russian, British English, and Cantonese. Emphasized languages above are not currently supported by Siri.
Come and join the team that teaches Siri how to understand and speak new languages. We are an extremely diverse and passionate group dedicated to bringing the future of intelligent assistants to the world.
Each position’s responsibilities include tasks like developing natural language processing code specific to each language, providing suggestions towards new product features tailored to home markets, and daily interactions with other teams at Apple. Along with fluency in the target language, applicants are expected to have a proven track record delivering product-quality code as well as iOS or OS X development skills and proficiency with Java, perl, and shell scripting.
Apple has previously made several language related hires for its Siri team, recruiting a number of Cloud Services Engineering Interns fluent in a range of languages back in 2012 to work on support for additional languages for the service.
At the current time, Siri understands and speaks English (US, UK, Australia, Canada), Spanish (US, Spain, Mexico), Chinese (China-Mandarin, Hong Kong-Cantonese, Taiwan-Mandarin), French (France, Canada, Switzerland), German (Germany, Switzerland), Japanese (Japan), Italian (Italy, Switzerland), and Korean (Korea).
While the current version of iOS 8 available to developers does not add any additional language capabilities to Siri, it is possible that a Siri expansion is on the horizon for a later version of iOS 8, perhaps iOS 8.1, or iOS 9.
iOS 8, to be released to the public in the fall, does, however, feature a number of other Siri improvements including hands-free “Hey Siri” voice activation, Shazam integration, streaming voice recognition, and the ability to open the App Store.
Withings Debuts ‘Activité’ Fitness Tracker With Traditional Watch Design [iOS Blog]
Withings today unveiled a stylish new fitness tracker, the Activité, which bundles activity tracking capabilities into a traditional-style watch. Unlike smart watch and fitness band offerings from companies like Samsung, Pebble, Nike, and more, the new Activité features a round, analog watch face protected by sapphire glass and attached to a leather band.
Inside, the watch includes sensors that track steps taken and sleep quality, also helping users to calculate calories burned. An included secondary dial tracks a user defined metric, such as distance walked or calories burned. The Activité connects wirelessly to the accompanying Withings Health Mate app.
In an interview with WIRED, Withings chief marketing officer Julien De Preaumont said the company’s mission with the Activité was to have an impact on health with a design people like.
“Our mission is to have an impact on health,” Julien De Preaumont, CMO at Withings, tells WIRED. “That requires devices that we’ll use in the long term.” The Activité is so pared down, the design borders on obvious: “Let’s use the design of a classic watch that we know people like,” De Preaumont says.
Because of its simple design and its limited tracking abilities, the Activité is powered by a traditional watch battery with a charge that lasts up to a year, a far more impressive battery life than many of its competitors.
Withings has an existing fitness tracker, the Pulse 02, along with several other health and fitness related products, including its line of smart scales, a baby monitor, a blood pressure monitor, and an upcoming sleep tracking system, the Aura.
Available in two separate color varieties, black and silver, the Withings Activité will ship this fall for $390.
Cruise aims to make a self-driving car out of one you already own
We’re plummeting headlong into a future of cars that move without us, and you may not have to buy a brand new ride to be a part of it. You see, a startup called Cruise has been showing off a working prototype of its aftermarket RP-1 kit, and it aims to bring self-driving smarts to the car you already have.
Cruise’s system is an awfully neat one: it combines a roof-mounted sensor array with a series of actuators that manipulate the wheel and pedals. Meanwhile, a computer lodged in your trunk sort of sits between the two, chewing on all that road data and issuing commands to the control system. Of course, all of that is invisible to the person in the driver’s seat — one touch on a button installed in the dash toggles the whole shebang on and off. Calling it a full-fledged autonomous driving system is a bit too generous, though. At this point, it’s best to think of it as cruise control plus — Cruise will maintain a set speed and steer to avoid obstacles, but you shouldn’t plan on taking any naps in the back seat.
If all that sounds just a little too good to be true, well, you may be right. Neat as the startup’s tech is, it’s only set up to work on Bay Area freeways and with Audi’s recent A4s and S4s… for now, anyway. Tackling the former is an especially tricky issue since Cruise does all of that road mapping itself; scaling beyond a few locales would likely require loads of time and devotion. Cruise’s tech will set you back a pretty penny, too — it’ll cost you $10,000 to trick out your Audi with the requisite slew of sensors and silicon. That’s hardly the most accessible proposition we’ve ever heard, but if the Cruise team keeps the improvements coming, this just might give Google and its rivals a run for their money.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: re/code
Source: Cruise
Aviate’s ever-changing Android home screen is now available to everyone
Just several months after it first surfaced, Aviate’s self-organizing Android home screen is now available to everyone, with no invitation required. The finished launcher remains focused on presenting just the apps and info you need at the time you need them. You may get news when you’re at home in the morning, navigation apps during your commute or restaurant reviews when out at night. It also categorizes apps to help you find them a little sooner, and plugging in your headphones will both show relevant apps as well as online content related to the tracks you’re playing.
However, it’s clear that Aviate has received more than just new branding since Yahoo took the reins. You can now reach favorite contacts with a swipe up from the home screen, and you can track your sleeping habits. Multiple day-to-day tasks are also just a bit easier; you’ll get commute time estimates based on weather, single-step conference calls and alerts for big changes in weather. I’ve given Aviate a quick spin, and it still isn’t going to satisfy power users who want to fine-tune every last aspect of their Android home screen. However, its simplicity and context-savvy presentation are still appealing — it’s easy to use, and saves a bit of time when checking for headlines or trying to find that new camera app. Provided you like that hands-off approach to managing your phone, you can try Aviate for yourself at the source links.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: Google Play, Yahoo Aviate (Tumblr)
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