Xbox One June update arrives so you can drop the nickname and add storage
Whether or not we love the update process, we’re quickly getting used to the rapid pace of improvements coming to Microsoft’s Xbox One. After the usual beta period, the promised June update is here, and brings several features we’ve been waiting for since launch. Old school automatic logins are once again an option, so even if your Kinect is unplugged (or nonexistent) all saves and settings will be available right away without any extra clicks. There’s also support for up to two external hard drives, as long as they’re USB 3.0 and at least 256GB. That’s a boon not only for the extra storage space, but for speed too — some beta testers reported faster loading times after adding 7200RPM drives that outpace the standard laptop option Microsoft put inside the XB1. The Xbox One version of Games for Gold and a new VIP section are here too, letting subscribers nab Max: The Curse of Brotherhood and Halo: Spartan Assault without spending another dime or try out Hulu Plus free for three months.
The latest Xbox One system update begins rolling out tonight – external storage, real names & more http://t.co/haJVqLNmDA
– Larry Hryb (@majornelson) June 4, 2014
After the update is applied, those external drives can even follow you to a friend’s console, so you don’t have to install Titanfall all over again. Just as promised, the Xbox One will now let you reveal your real name to friends, just in case your Sufjan Stevens tribute screenname is no longer memorable. You can toggle between leaking what’s on your ID to everyone, friends of your friends, just friends, a particular subset of friends, or no one at all if that’s what you prefer. The store “twist” is redesigned, the SmartGlass second screen app can control your DVR or reorder the pins on your dashboard HDMI passthrough TV guide support has gone international to Canada, UK, France, Germany, Spain (which still has an actual king, did anyone know that?) and Italy, and the IR blaster has learned a bunch of new command codes. It’s a hefty list, but you can get the update right now by punching the button conveniently located in your settings menu, or just get a quick recap with this video from the Xbox team.
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft
Source: Major Nelson, Xbox Support
Life-saving vest shocks wearers’ hearts to keep them alive
Apparently, 20 percent of patients who need to wear defibrillators don’t actually keep them on at all times — even if they mean the difference between life and death. So, a group of biomedical engineering students from the John Hopkins University designed a new type of wearable defibrillator, which is unobtrusive and comfortable unlike traditional harness designs. The undergrads’ version takes on the form of a stretchable, waterproof vest fitted with sensors. Also, instead of using bulky control boxes to monitor the condition of a patient, its sensors are connected to a relatively small smartwatch-like interface.
Doctors typically ask patients to use wearable defibrillators if they’ve recently had a heart attack or a heart surgery, and they’re waiting for a pacemaker implant. The team didn’t exactly change the science behind the device, they just make wearable defibrillators a lot more, well, wearable, so that patients won’t be tempted to take them off. According to team member Melinda Chen:
We just changed the form of the device. We pursued a ‘slip-on and forget’ approach to minimize the user’s need to maintain and interact with the device.
That means the vest, like any harness defibrillator, detects deadly irregular heart rhythms and shock patients with electricity (200 joules, in particular) to return their heartbeat to normal. In case of a false alarm, patients have 30 seconds to disable the system through its interface. While the the device has already passed preliminary testing using manikins that can mimic a patient’s heartbeat, it won’t be replacing current designs anytime soon. The team plans to polish the prototype further, and of course, it needs to undergo even more testing before it can start saving lives.
Filed under: Misc
Source: John Hopkins University
Android 4.4.3 is Finally Here! HTC One E8 Officially Announced! – The ManDroid Show
Android 4.4.3 is finally here my friends. Some of have it. Most of you don’t. In a perfect world, we would all have it. But in the Android eco-system, it takes some time to get the latest Android, but we must be patient friends. HTC announced the HTC One E8, which is pretty much just the plastic version of the HTC One M8. Let us know how much you are loving Android 4.4.3.
News Topics
Android 4.4.3 OTA update for the Nexus 7
HTC One E8 announced
ASUS Padfone S is the Padfone X
Son Xperia Z Ultra 2 teased
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HP’s Pro x2 612 laptop-tablet hybrid brings pen support, a sturdy keyboard
If you read our Surface Pro 3 review, you know we recommend it, but only for a certain kind of person: someone who needs both a laptop and a tablet, preferably one that allows for pen input. Even then, is Microsoft’s approach the smartest one? Can you really call something a laptop replacement if it’s not as comfortable to use in the lap, or if the keyboard isn’t as sturdy? For all of you skeptics out there, there’s an alternative incoming: HP has just announced the Pro x2 612, a laptop-tablet hybrid that offers many of the same features as the Surface Pro 3. Like the Surface, this is a 12-inch tablet that supports pen input and runs on Ultrabook-caliber Intel Core processors. The main difference is that rather than use a flat, click-in keyboard, the Pro x2 612 comes with a backlit, spill-resistant keyboard dock. As a bonus, that dock also includes a spare battery that brings the total runtime to about 14 hours.
As for the tablet itself, it uses a Wacom pen digitizer, which is what the Surface Pro had before Microsoft switched to N-Trig. As a quick refresher, Wacom’s chief benefit has always been its precision, with 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity. The downside, though, is that Wacom tablets tend to be thicker than N-Trig ones, which is the primary reason Microsoft made the switch. Indeed, that seems to be the biggest drawback here: the tablet and keyboard dock combined weigh around four pounds, compared with two or so for the Surface Pro 3. In exchange, you get a bunch of ports on the dock, including VGA, DisplayPort and Ethernet sockets; an SD slot; and two USB 3.0 ports. The tablet, meanwhile, has a microSD slot, along with a slot to stow the pen — something you won’t find on the Surface. In effect, then, the Pro x2 612 is a laptop first and a tablet sometimes, whereas the Surface Pro 3 tries to be both in equal measure. Again, different approach here.
Given that HP plans on selling this to businesses and government agencies, you can bet it has all sorts of security measures in places. These include TPM and a Smart Card reader, as well as an optional fingerprint scanner. Spec-wise, it’ll start with a Celeron processor, with options for Pentium, Core i3 and Core i5 (the Surface Pro 3 goes up to i7). Storage capacity ranges from 64GB to 512GB; screen resolution starts at 1,366 x 768 but goes up to full HD. A built-in 4G radio will be an option too, as will Windows 7. HP says it will retail ship in September, with the power keyboard included. You can also buy the standalone tablet, in which case it’s just called the Pro Tablet 612 (no “x2″). Oh, and if you’re put off by the weight, there’ll be a lighter-weight “travel” keyboard too. Until then, check out our hands-on photos above — and take our word for it when we say the keyboard is pretty good.
Google Glass test update lets you see notifications by shifting your eyes
If you’ve worn Google Glass, you know that it can be a pain to tilt your head back every time you want to check a missed alert. You might not have to move so awkwardly in the future, though. Google has posted an as yet unannounced Glass update with an experimental “notification glance” feature. As it implies, you only have to point your eyes toward the display to turn it on and see a recent notification. The catch? Right now, the new trick doesn’t apply to general use; Android Police notes that you can’t shift your gaze just to take a picture or get directions. Nonetheless, the glance option should be very helpful for Explorers who’d like to keep their head movements (and funny looks from others) to a minimum.
Filed under: Wearables, Google
Source: Android Police, XDA-Developers
ASUS shows off a 14-inch USB touchscreen monitor
ASUS is demoing quite a few alleged “world firsts” at its Computex booth. In addition to a 32-inch curved LED monitor, there’s a 14-inch USB touch monitor on hand here in Taipei. We’re used to seeing USB monitors here — ASUS had one at this same venue last year, actually — but the addition of touch is definitely the standout feature this time around.
For anyone looking to get some work done, the ability to navigate an external display with 10 fingers is definitely appealing. The demo at ASUS’ booth showed the monitor connected to an ASUS VivoTab, but imagine using the monitor connected to your Surface Pro 3 (or any other device with USB 3.0, really) to focus on a project in Photoshop. In my brief time with the monitor, 10-finger touch works well, and the modest 1,366 x 768 resolution didn’t detract from the product’s usefulness. It’s currently a prototype, so there’s no price or availability info to share for now.
Filed under: Peripherals, ASUS
Engadget Daily: new features in iOS 8, Apple invades the connected home, and more!
Today, we explore Apple’s push into the connected home, uncover a few lesser-known iOS 8 features, take a look a net neutrality and go hands-on with ASUS’ Llama Mountain reference tablet. Read on for Engadget’s news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Here are a few lesser-known new features in iOS 8
Yesterday, Apple unveiled a bunch of new features coming to iOS 8, but many of them didn’t make it to the spotlight. Read on as our own Brad Molen uncovers a few of the lesser-known but awesome additions to the mobile OS.
Apple attempts to conquer the connected home
Many companies have tried their hands at home automation and failed to stir things up. Android @ Home ring any bells? With its new HomeKit platform, Apple might have the market power to pull it off, but can it succeed?
Intel’s Windows 8.1 Pro Broadwell tablet is thinner than the iPad Air
What you’re looking at is Intel’s Llama Mountain reference tablet, or Pro Broadwell for short. It’s a mouthful for sure, but this slate manages a thinner profile than the iPad Air and has an eight-hour battery life.
Congratulations, internet: you collapsed part of the FCC website with comments
How much does net neutrality matter? Enough that the Federal Communications Commission’s website is receiving so many complaint submissions that it’s suffering under heavy traffic. Read on for everything you need to know about the open internet.
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Filed under: Misc
Apple Introduces Lightning Cable MFi Specifications for Headphones
Apple has introduced new specifications for manufacturers in the company’s Made for iPhone (MFi) program that allow them to create headphones that connect to iOS devices via a Lightning cable rather than a regular 3.5mm headphone jack, according to 9to5Mac.
The Lightning headphones will be capable of receiving lossless stereo 48 kHz digital audio output from Apple devices and sending mono 48 kHz digital audio input. The input means that the headphones will also support a microphone for audio input following Apple’s upcoming update. Manufacturers will be able to take advantage of Apple Headphone Remote controls like Volume Up/Down/etc, as well as other buttons for launching specific apps such as iTunes Radio or initiating playback controls on iOS. In addition, the headphones can be made to work specifically with a companion iOS app and launch a specific app when connected to an iOS device.
The specification includes two configurations for headphones. The first is called Standard Lightning Headphones, which uses minimum components when paired to a digital-to-analog converter. The second is called Advanced Lightning Headphones, which allows for more complex features like active noise cancellation.
The Lightning cable-equipped headphones would also allow iOS devices to power or charge headphones that require electricity, and would also allow for headphones to potentially power or charge up iOS devices.
Reports suggest Apple is planning to allow high definition music downloads and playback on iOS devices as well as new in-ear headphones that could take advantage of high-quality audio and take advantage of Lightning Cable MFi specifications. It is also possible Apple uses newly purchased Beats Electronics’ popular headphone line to accelerate adoption for the new standard.
Turkey finally drops its ban on YouTube
YouTube joined in Twitter’s freedom last night as the government of Turkey lifted its two-month ban. The move, unsupported by Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, follows an April 4th ruling of the country’s Constitutional Court. After Google filed its complaint, the legislature came to the consensus that the ban did indeed violate human rights and ordered a repeal, which was reluctantly carried out by the Turkish government almost a month later.
Why was Google’s video service, like Twitter, blocked at all? On the surface, both banishments were part of an attempt to squash politically controversial media, including several posts and videos that allegedly leaked top-secret military plans (which, per the ruling, are still restricted). At its core, however, this debacle spins from a larger movement of authoritarian censorship affecting similar social media companies like WhatsApp and even the internet itself.
Let’s take another look at Twitter. Yes, it may have escaped the blockade, but Turkey still has tight grips on the micro-blogging site. Thanks to its Communications Minister Lütfi Elvan, the country and social giant are working together to neutralize “malicious” content. The TIB also has the power to censor offensive posts and accounts at its discretion. So, what counts as malicious or offensive content? That’s the million dollar question — and it’s scary. The implications of such extensive social control are vast, but for now, at least YouTube is available once more.
Filed under: Misc, Internet, Google
Source: Wall Street Journal
Apple: Putting doctors, trainers and nutritionists in your pocket
It’s been a long day. You were in meetings from nine in the morning until five in the evening, with barely enough time to eat in between. So you gorged on donuts from the cafeteria and indulged in a slice of pizza on the way home. When you enter that dietary data in your nutrition-tracking app on your iPhone, you get a notification that you’ve exceeded your daily caloric amount, sidelining your weight loss goals. Feeling guilty, you lace up your running shoes and head out to the park with a Fitbit in tow, knowing that you need to burn at least 500 calories to get back on track. Feeling pretty good after the run, you get a text from your doctor reminding you to have a good night’s sleep tonight to rectify the erratic sleep patterns she’s been tracking via a daily health report app. You tell her that will definitely not be a problem.
This is a picture of the future that Apple is envisioning with HealthKit, one of the more interesting features of yesterday’s iOS 8 announcement. In essence, it’s Apple’s attempt to unify and share the disparate data of your health and fitness apps with each other, and — if you want — with your medical institution as well. With HealthKit, Apple wants to be the one-stop shop for your health and fitness needs. It’s a rather ambitious goal, but it’s also a necessary one given the increasingly crowded fitness field. And, of course, it also lays the groundwork for that long-rumored iWatch.
Before we get into the ramifications of HealthKit, let’s dive a little deeper into what it is. It’s essentially a set of tools that lets developers integrate health data into other apps, including one from Apple called Health that houses all of that info in one central hub. Currently, information from different apps and devices is siloed — you can’t sync Fitbit data with any other app, for example. With HealthKit, devs can build that kind of cross-app syncing.
This means that you could use devices and apps from different companies — say a Nike FuelBand, a Withings Blood Pressure Monitor and an iHealth Wireless Smart Gluco-Monitoring System — and have information from all of them gathered in the Apple Health app, which serves as a dashboard for your health and fitness data. You could also have applications talk to each other, like a nutrition app syncing with a fitness app to calculate just how many calories you need to burn to lose that extra pound.
But the really interesting part of HealthKit is its potential to enable fitness trackers and health apps that are out there to work together.
Obviously, HealthKit could very well be the foundation for the iWatch, the wearable that Apple’s supposedly been working on for a while. We imagine it could be used to sync with Apple’s Health app so you could view all of your fitness data in one handy, wrist-worn location. After the rumor that Nike would be ending its FuelBand production, we were hoping to hear more on Nike’s and Apple’s collaboration on this front, but sadly that didn’t happen. However, Apple did use Nike’s Fuel on stage as an example of one app that’s HealthKit-compatible, so we wonder if that’s a hint of a hardware partnership to come.
But the really interesting part of HealthKit is its potential to enable fitness trackers and health apps that are out there to work together. Use both a Fitbit and a FuelBand? Not a problem, as the Health app will be able to track info from both. It gives you a much more holistic view of your health, as you could potentially see how the lack of sleep affects your blood pressure, for example. It could also enable a much more advanced and intimate take on health care, allowing patients to interact with their doctors in real time. This lets you, along with your health care provider, make more informed decisions to enhance your overall well-being.
However, in order for HealthKit to truly live up to its potential, a whole mess of developers will need to get on board. There’s certainly a strong incentive for them to do so, but big names need to be involved beyond just Nike. Fortunately, Withings, Fitbit and iHealth already appear to be on the docket, but we’re hoping smaller apps like MapMyRun and Strava get in on the action as well.
Further, there’s a surprising lack of standards compliance across different devices and apps, and it’s not entirely clear how Apple’s HealthKit would resolve it. For example, the number of calories that my Fitbit says I’ve burned can be very different from the number that my FuelBand reports. Will it know to prefer one over the other? Even a metric as simple as the number of steps taken can differ wildly from app to app. Additionally, will companies that deal in proprietary metrics be okay with opening that up to other apps? Nike, to its credit, has agreed to share its made-up Fuel stat with at least a few third-party applications, though it’s still relatively locked down compared to the competition. It remains to be seen how Apple will put all of this together to paint an accurate picture of your health.
Letting different apps and devices talk to each other essentially makes your iPhone the ultimate all-in-one fitness tool.
And, of course, we have to consider the competition. Samsung announced last Wednesday that it’s planning on launching Simband, a modular, wrist-worn reference platform that might inspire a multitude of different Samsung-powered wearables, which could provide serious competition to the fabled iWatch. Simband will also work in concert with SAMI (Samsung Architecture for Multimodal Interactions), the company’s open-source data-collection effort that’ll make all that fitness data accessible to other services and devices — perhaps the very same ones that’ve signed on for Apple’s HealthKit.
HealthKit is iOS 8-only for now, so it likely won’t be compatible with older iOS devices or desktop apps on OS X, which at least hints that Apple is still testing the waters as HealthKit slowly gains momentum. Regardless, the future for HealthKit is great if Apple can pull it off. Letting different apps and devices talk to each other essentially makes your iPhone the ultimate all-in-one fitness tool. As a stream of new wearables and apps place a heavier focus on health and fitness, HealthKit is a clever attempt by Apple to keep those loyal to the iPhone within the fold.
Filed under: Apple
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