Engadget Daily: Google I/O 2014, the deal with Android Wear and more!
Today, we discuss tomorrow’s Google I/O conference, review the Galaxy Tab S, take a look at Misfit’s new Pebble fitness tracking app and explore the potential of Google’s Android Wear platform. Read on for Engadget’s news highlights from the last 24 hours.
What’s on tap for Google at I/O 2014
Design, Develop, Disrupt: that’s the theme for Google I/O 2014. And while that slogan isn’t particularly revealing, we’ve compiled a handy guide of what to expect from this year’s conference .
Android Wear could make or break the smartwatch
Google knows that the smartwatch industry is disjointed, and it’s doing something about it. Read on as James Trew investigates the Android Wear platform and its potential to restructure the world of wearables.
Misfit’s fitness tracker is now available as a Pebble app
Remember the Misfit Shine? Well, this curious little fitness tracker is being reimagined as an app on the Pebble smartwatch — no Shine required. Said app is available in the Pebble appstore today, so download away.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S review: slim design, long battery life, stunning screen
Say hello to Samsung’s latest slate, the Galaxy Tab S. Besides having a beautiful, crisp display and great battery life, this incredibly thin tablet matches the iPad Air nearly spec for spec. Available in 8- and 10-inch versions, the Tab S is up for pre-order at $400 and $500 respectively.
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Filed under: Misc
Students aim to send a time capsule to Mars by 2017
Most people will bury a time capsule, but a group of brilliant young minds will surely find something more exciting to do with it — like sending it off to Mars. That’s exactly what a team of students from MIT, Duke University, Stanford University and the University of Connecticut plan to do. They’re encoding a digital time capsule with audio clips, videos, photos and messages to send to the red planet on a Cubesat-based spacecraft. But, that’s just a small part of what they’re trying to accomplish (even if the project’s called Time Capsule to Mars): they’re also using the opportunity to try out a number of new technologies for space travel. After all, in the words of mission director Emily Briere, the project aims “to remind people we go to space to push forward humanity.”
Obviously, the first thing they’ll be able to test is the vehicle itself and its MIT-developed propulsion engines — flying a spacecraft made out of three 26 1/2-pound Cubesat satellites is their biggest challenge, after all. If and when the vehicle lands on Mars, then the group can start testing a deep space internet system and quartz storage technology, which has the potential to store terabytes of data for millions of years. Also, they plan to perform experiments for a field of study that deals with ensuring astronauts’ good health during lengthy flights for future deep space exploration.
Since this is such a huge project (it’ll cost roughly $25 million to pull off), the students are working with a number of organizations, including NASA, and advisers like Buzz Aldrin. They’re in charge of developing every aspect, though, from spacecraft design and controls to flight communications. If everything goes as planned, the Time Capsule to Mars spacecraft will blast off in 2017 carrying messages from humanity.
[Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech]
Filed under: Science
Via: The Verge, The Boston Globe
Source: Time Capsule to Mars
iWork for iCloud now picks up exactly where you left off
Web-based apps are supposed to let you easily hop between devices without missing a beat, but that hasn’t been the case with iWork for iCloud — you’ve had to open files, tweak settings and otherwise break your flow. The experience should be much smoother after today, though. Apple has updated the online versions of Keynote, Numbers and Pages so that they remember both the last document you were looking at and your settings, such as the last page you were on and the zoom level. You won’t have to spend a few minutes getting everything just so simply because you’ve moved to your laptop, in other words. Although it’s a seemingly small change, it could matter a lot if you’d rather get things done instead of getting fussy.
Source: iWork for iCloud
What’s on your HDTV this week: World Cup, ‘Big Brother’ and ‘The Leftovers’
This week the World Cup moves on from Group play to the Round of 16, and the USMNT can book a trip there with a win or draw against Germany on Thursday (or a loss, if other things happen — futbol is complicated). In other sportsball news, the NBA Draft is on Thursday night, and with a list full of highly touted prospects plus intriguing free agents like Lebron and Carmelo, it could get very interesting. We’re also getting a taste of the rest of summer programming from various networks, but the option we’re most excitedly waiting for is HBO’s The Leftovers. Also, you may be wondering why we mentioned Big Brother so prominently this week. That’s because only now, despite its long run and the wide adoption of HDTV over the last decade, is the voyeuristic reality TV series going to be produced and broadcast in high definition. Check after the break for a list of what’s new this week plus a few trailers, and drop a note in the comments if you see any highlights we’ve missed.
Blu-ray, Streaming movies & Games
- 300: Rise of an Empire (3D)
- Star Trek: TNG (S6)
- A Hard Day’s Night
- Winter’s Tale
- Enemy
- Dragon Ball Z (S5)
- Masters of Sex (S1)
- The Bridge (S1)
- Lost Girl (S4)
- Grid Autosport (Xbox 360, PS3)
- RBI Baseball 14 (Xbox One, PS4)
Tuesday
- America’s Got Talent, NBC, 8PM
- Pretty Little Liars, ABC Family, 8PM
- Rizzoli & Isles, TNT, 9PM
- Chasing Life, ABC Family, 9PM
- Royal Pains , USA, 9PM
- Deadliest Catch, Discovery, 9PM
- Top Gear (US), History, 9PM
- The Wil Wheaton Project, Syfy, 9PM
- Heroes of Cosplay, Syfy, 10PM
- Perception, TNT, 10PM
- Awkward, MTV, 10PM
- The Night Shift, NBC, 10PM
- Tyrant (series premiere), FX, 10PM
- Covert Affairs (season premiere), USA, 10PM
- Sullivan & Son (season premiere), TBS, 10 & 10:30PM
- Freakshow, AMC, 10:30PM
- The Listener, ION, 11 & 11:59PM
Wednesday
- World Cup Group F: Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Iran, ESPN2, 11:30AM
- World Cup Group F: Nigeria vs. Argentina, ESPN, 11:30AM
- World Cup Group E: Honduras vs. Switzerland, 3:30PM
- World Cup Group E: Ecuador vs. France, ESPN, 3:30PM
- Big Brother (season premiere), CBS, 8PM
- Rogue, DirecTV 101, 8 & 9PM
- Young & Hungry (series premiere), ABC Family, 8PM
- So You Think You Can Dance, Fox, 8PM
- Mystery Girls (series premiere), ABC Family, 8PM
- Suits, USA, 9PM
- Dual Survival, Discovery, 9PM
- Wilfred (season premiere), FXX, 10 & 10:30PM
- Taxi Brooklyn (series premiere), NBC, 10PM
- Graceland, USA, 10PM
- Motive, ABC, 10PM
- Catfish, MTV, 10PM
- The Ultimate Fighter, Fox Sports 1, 10PM
Thursday
- World Cup Group G: USA vs. Germany, ESPN, 11AM
- World Cup Group G: Portugal vs. Ghana, ESPN2, 11:30AM
- World Cup Group H: Korea vs. Belgium, ESPN, 3:30PM
- World Cup Group H: Algeria vs. Russia, ESPN2, 3:30PM
- NBA Draft, ESPN & NBA TV, 7PM
- Black Box, ABC, 8PM
- Defiance, Syfy, 8PM
- Hollywood Game Night, NBC, 8PM
- Hey Bartender, Showtime, 8:25PM
- Rectify, Sundance TV, 9PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 9PM
- Rookie Blue, ABC, 9PM
- Dominion, Syfy, 9PM
- The Sixties, CNN, 9PM
- Undateable, NBC, 9 & 9:30PM
- Gang Related, Fox, 9PM
- Anger Management, FX, 9:30PM
- NY Med (season premiere), ABC, 10PM
- Last Comic Standing, NBC, 10PM
- Maron, IFC, 10PM
- Comedy Bang! Bang!, IFC, 10:30PM
Friday
- Creative Galaxy (series premiere), Amazon,
- Turbo Fast, Netflix
- Zapped, Disney, 8PM
- Rake (series finale), Fox, 9PM
- WWE SmackDown, Syfy, 8PM
- Cold Justice, TNT, 9PM
- Crossbones, NBC, 10PM
- Continuum (season finale), Syfy, 10PM
- Real Time with Bill Maher, HBO, 10PM
- The Half Hour (Fortune Feimster & Ron Funches), Comedy Central, 12 & 12:30AM
Saturday
- World Cup Round of 16: Brazil vs. Chile, ABC, 11:30AM
- World Cup Round of 16, ABC, 3:30PM
- IndyCar @ Houston, NBC Sports, 3PM
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series @ Kentucky, TNT, 7:30PM
- Bet On Your Baby, ABC, 8PM
- Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs, Lifetime, 8PM
- Power, Starz, 9PM
- The Assets, ABC, 9PM
- Almost Royal , BBC America, 10PM
- Whitney Cummings: I Love You, Comedy Central, 11PM
Sunday
- World Cup Round of 16: Netherlands vs. Mexico, ESPN, 11:30AM
- World Cup Round of 16, ESPN, 3:30PM
- Indycar @ Houston Race 2, NBC Sports, 3PM
- Wipeout, ABC, 8PM
- Red Sox/Yankees, ESPN, 8PM
- BET Awards 2014, BET, 8PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 8PM
- Last Tango in Halifax (season premiere), PBS, 8PM
- Reckless (series premiere), CBS, 9PM
- Endeavour (season premiere), PBS, 9PM
- Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, CNN, 9PM
- True Blood, HBO, 9PM
- The Last Ship, TNT, 9PM
- The Musketeers, BBC America, 9PM
- Rising Star, ABC, 9PM
- Catching Hell, Weather Channel, 9PM
- Nurse Jackie (season finale), Showtime, 9PM
- Californication (series finale), Showtime, 9:30PM
- The Leftovers (series premiere), HBO, 10PM
- Falling Skies, TNT, 10PM
- The Hunt, History, 10PM
- Halt and Catch Fire, AMC, 10PM
- Unforgettable (season premiere), CBS, 10PM
- Penny Dreadful (season finale), Showtime, 10PM
- Vicious (series premiere), PBS, 10:30PM
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11:15PM
Filed under: HD
Sit back and watch hacks around the world in real time
Want to feel anxious about your internet connection? The security firm Norse is more than happy to oblige. It’s running a live hacking map that shows the attacks against a worldwide honeypot (that is, purposefully vulnerable) network as they happen. While this isn’t representative of the full internet, it does act like a microcosm to some degree — the bulk of attacks originate from China or the US, while Americans almost always serve as the punching bag. You’ll even see large-scale (and surprisingly pretty-looking) assaults if you tune in at the right time. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to double-check on our firewalls… this map isn’t exactly reassuring.
Filed under: Internet
Via: Smithsonian.com
Source: Norse
Optical Image Stabilization May Be Differentiating Factor for 5.5-Inch iPhone 6
Rumors have suggested Apple’s next-generation iPhone may include camera improvements in the form of optical image stabilization with modules produced by sensor company InvenSense, but according to a new prediction from Pacific Crest Securities analysts John Vinh and Kevin Chen, optical image stabilization may be a feature limited to just the larger 5.5-inch iPhone.
Citing a cost premium of $4 to $5 for optical image stabilization over traditional auto focus solutions, the two analysts believe that Apple will use the feature as a differentiating factor between the 4.7-inch iPhone and the more premium 5.5-inch iPhone.
We believe the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 smartphone camera will support optical image stabilization (OIS) and anticipate that it will represent one of several opportunities at Apple that will benefit InvenSense. In our analysis, we believe Apple chose to only include OIS camera technology in the larger iPhone 6 given that there is still a significant cost premium ($4 to $5) over standard auto focus solutions and that it provides a point of differentiation between the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the step-up model (5.5-inch)
Optical image stabilization (OIS) is designed to reduce shake and stabilize photos and videos using either a lens with built-in stabilization or a separate sensor. In the past, this has been limited to traditional digital cameras, but recently, cell phone manufacturers like Google, HTC, Nokia have been incorporating OIS systems in order to improve photo quality. Currently, the iPhone 5s uses software-based image stabilization techniques, which are seen as inferior to OIS.
Comparison image courtesy of Electronics 360
Apple aims to improve photo quality with each iteration of the iPhone, so new image stabilization techniques make sense for the next-generation phone. The company also has a history of limiting features to its flagship offering, such as Touch ID for the iPhone 5s, and it appears that the 5.5-inch iPhone may be the higher-end 2014 model. Rumors have suggested that the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 might include a $100 price premium over the 4.7-inch version and that it might be the only model to receive a sapphire crystal screen.
Along with optical image stabilization for the larger 5.5-inch iPhone, Chen and Vinh are also “increasingly confident” that the iPhone 6 will support NFC, based on supply chain conversations. This is in line with previous rumors that have suggested NFC may finally be deployed in the iPhone 6 ahead of an upcoming mobile payment solution.
While it was initially thought that Apple’s 4.7-inch iPhone 6 would launch first due to manufacturing issues with the 5.5-inch version, it seems Apple may have solved those problems. A report from Bloomberg earlier this week has suggested both the 5.5-inch and 4.7-inch iPhones may launch simultaneously later this year.
Lenovo’s Google Glass-like wearable concept keeps your voice chats private
Even Lenovo isn’t immune from the temptation to produce a Google Glass-like wearable display, it seems. The Chinese tech giant has applied for a US patent on a headset design with dual screens, touch-based navigation and an unusually strong emphasis on voice quality. Rather than use conventional noise-canceling microphones, like Google, Lenovo would use a bone-conducting microphone just above your nose bridge. The approach would make it easier to catch your voice, since you wouldn’t have to compete with outside sounds for attention; it could also offer an extra level of privacy for internet calls, since you could speak quietly and still get your message across.
There’s no telling whether Lenovo will get its patent, let alone use it in a wearable display. Like many companies, it may simply be hedging its bets in case the category takes off. With that in mind, the firm is both flush with cash and expanding rapidly into the mobile world — don’t be surprised if you’re donning Lenovo-badged eyewear in the future.
Filed under: Displays, Wearables
Via: TechCrunch
Source: USPTO
Pioneer and Onkyo unite to bring their home audio into the internet era
Home audio isn’t what it used to be — for many people, it means internet-savvy speakers everywhere instead of a conventional stereo in the den. Pioneer and Onkyo are clearly aware that they need to adapt, as they’ve just started the process of combining their home theater units with a mind toward modernization. The two will “cope” with the shift in music playback trends through the strengths of their brand names and “superior technologies;” a private equity firm is also taking a controlling stake in Pioneer’s home electronics division, so there will be cash available to expand the business. It’s still early going, so just what this alliance will do to embrace internet audio isn’t clear. However, it’s safe to say that they’ll be doing more than rolling out the occasional wireless adapter or smartphone dock.
[Image credit: Christian y Sergio Velasco, Flickr]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Pioneer (PDF)
iWork for iCloud Updated Gets Minor Update, Will Remember Last Used Settings [Mac Blog]
Apple today updated its iWork for iCloud software suite, adding new features to Pages, Keynote, and Numbers (via The Loop). All three cloud-based applications now remember a user’s last used document settings and a user’s most recent screen name when opening a shared document.
The apps also now include tips on how to perform certain actions using keyboard when right-clicking on objects and they’ve also gained the ability to mask images with a right-click. Here’s a list of the updates to each app:
Pages for iCloud now remembers your last used document settings including zoom level, show/hide format panel, show/hide guides, and more.
Numbers for iCloud now remembers your last used document settings including zoom level, last selected sheet, show/hide format panel, show/hide guides, and more.
Keynote for iCloud now remembers your last used document settings including zoom level, last selected slide, show/hide format panel, show/hide guides, and more.
Prior to this update, iWork for iCloud was last updated in May, adding several new collaborative features. Apple has promised to continually improve iWork for iCloud and its other iWork apps for iOS and Mac in an effort to bring feature parity to the software across all platforms.
The iWork for iCloud software is available to all users for free, and it can be accessed through Apple’s iCloud.com website.
New Samsung Exynos chip get benchmarked, better than Snapdragon 805
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is expected to launch later this year, and is also expected to come in two variants: A Snapdragon 805 version for the US market and an Exynos 5433 version for the international release. Typically, the Snapdragon version is just a bit faster and a bit more reliable than Samsung’s own Exynos chips, but so far it appears different this year.
These benchmarks posted by AnTuTu show the new Exynos 5433 chip outperforming the mighty Snapdragon 805. Both of these chips haven’t hit phones yet this year, but the Snapdragon 805 chip is looking to be a very powerful chip and come with a the advanced Adreno 420 GPU. You can see Qualcomm comparing the 805 chip with the slightly older 800 chip, which was found inside the LG G2, Nexus 5, Note 3 and many other powerful devices.
What’s even more interesting, is that the Exynos 5433 chip could be the most powerful chip on the market, period. The AnTuTu chart at the top shows the Tegra K1 chip being the best, slightly outperforming the Exynos, but the Tegra K1 chip was tested on a device with a 1920x1080p, while the Exynos was tested on a device with a 2560x1440p display (Galaxy Note 4?).
This is big news, as powering a phone with a 1440p QHD display is no easy task, but the Exynos 5433 looks up to the task.
We’ll keep you updated with all news and rumors regarding this new chip and the anticipated phone it will accompany later this fall.
source: GSM Arena
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