EE and Three will soon change the way you make calls and send texts
Mobile dead spots can be a right headache, whether you get them at home, at work or a place you visit often. Luckily, EE and Three may soon be able to help. Earlier today, the two operators confirmed they’re going to let customers make high-quality calls and send text messages, even when there’s only a WiFi connection available. The good news is that if you’re an EE customer, you won’t notice a thing, even though the company is exercising its technological prowess silently in the background.
It works like this: once you connect your smartphone to WiFi, EE immediately hands off communication from its voice network to the broadband provider. Incoming/outgoing calls or texts are then broken down into packet data and routed back to EE’s core network, completing the circuit. Because EE utilises tech (IP Multimedia Subsystem or IMS if you’re interested) already supported by many of the latest smartphones, calls are automatically encrypted and can’t be eavesdropped upon by a public WiFi provider. You won’t need to launch an app or tweak settings on your phone either, as calls can be made through the phone’s native dialler and will be deducted from your allowance accordingly.
Three, on the other hand, plans to do things a little differently. In “early August,” the operator will launch Three inTouch, which operates much in the same way as EE (offering calls and texts over a WiFi connection). However, like O2′s TU Go, Three’s service requires the use of an app.
EE also revealed that it’ll soon start enabling VoLTE services, expanding its high-definition voice service across its networks and extending coverage to rural areas that had previously been unconnected. In regards to its WiFi plans, EE tells us that it has already tested the service on a Samsung Note 3, which was enabled by a simple over-the-air firmware upgrade sent by the carrier. Ahead of its autumn launch, the provider says it intends to test “hundreds” of public WiFi services to ensure they are capable of delivering “high-quality” calls. If they are unable to, EE says it will simply not allow customers to use them.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Scientists may have worked out how to defeat antibiotic-resistant superbugs
It’s been known for a while that bacteria are rapidly becoming immune to the current range of antibiotics humanity has available. That’s why it’s harder to get hold of pills now than it was a few years ago, simply because if we don’t learn to get by without them, we’ll probably all die of some hideous mutated strain of MRSA in a few years’ time. Rather than simply developing new antibiotics to throw at the problem, however, a team of researchers from the University of East Anglia claims to have discovered a way to undermine a bacteria’s ability to develop drug-resistance in the first place — causing them to wither and die before it even becomes a problem.
It turns out that the reason bugs like Staphylococcus aureus are capable of resisting antibiotics is because they develop a lipid-based outer membrane. Essentially, a defensive wall surrounds the outside of the cell, preventing antibiotics from attacking the vulnerable parts inside. The team found that these walls are created by pushing building blocks (lipopolysaccharides) to the outside along a biological path. If that pathway is blocked, however, the cells begins to weaken, and eventually dies. What’s more, because the treatment weakens and disrupts the structure of the bacteria, the team hopes that the bacteria will not “be able to develop drug resistance” against it in the future. Then again, this breakthrough — if that’s really what it is — is still trapped within the confines of a lab in Norwich, England, so there’s a long way to go before immunologists can sit back and relax.
Update: Finer minds than ours have pointed out that, eventually, bacteria will be able to mutate a resistance to this in the same way they do against penicillin.
[Image Credit: UEA / Diamond Light Source]
Via: Motherboard
Quantum computing firm calls ‘bullshit’ as scientists undermine its technology
How do you evaluate a quantum computer you just bought from D-Wave for $15 million? It’s not easy, especially since no one can really understand how the machine — with its ones, zeros and superpositioned “one-and-zeros” — actually functions. Instead, all you can do is throw increasingly complex questions at it, and hope that it answers them quicker than a top-end classical computer. This quest for evidence of so-called “quantum speeedup” has been going on for a while, with little in the way of positive results. Now, a freshly-published collaborative study involving Google (owner of a D-Wave box), Microsoft (owner of some very advanced traditional tech), and a team of university scientists, has achieved new results that are equally disappointing. Science magazine describes the study as “the fairest comparison yet.” D:Wave’s founder, meanwhile, has described it as “total bullshit.”
The dispute partly arises over the choice of questions that were run through each type of machine. The latest study deliberately used questions that both computers could readily answer, and D-Wave claims that these were too simple. The company has also pointed out that it’s a “scrappy startup,” whereas the rival classical machine had the benefit of decades of research and trillions of dollars of investment, so it’s pretty remarkable that the quantum computer was even able to keep up. By contrast, the university-backed researchers say that their comparison was based on challenges that were tailored to be extremely easy for qubit-based processing, so there could and should have been evidence of speedup if quantum mechanics are truly being exploited.
It’s not clear where things will go from here. The study has a conclusive-sounding tone, as does one of its lead researchers, Matthias Troyer from the Institute of Theoretical Physics in Zurich, who simply says “we don’t see quantum speedup.” Then again, Troyer acknowledges that other sorts of tests may reveal the phenomenon “eventually.” Perhaps the onus is now on D-Wave to find some way to silence the skeptics, not just by keeping up with standard technology, but by surpassing it in a meaningful way. Whatever happens next, it sounds like relations between D-Wave and the scientific community are becoming fractured — and that sort of tension will either speed progress up, or slow it right down.
Via: Science (paywall)
Source: Microsoft Research [pdf], Wired
Super cheap Smart Home kit brings automation to the masses
If you’re wondering when home automation might tip into the Walmart-level mainstream, here’s a sign: Archos’ Smart Home starter kit is now on sale. Along with two cameras, two movement tags and two weather tags, they’re throwing in a controlling tablet, all for $250 — or $25 each for the cameras and sensors. Archos says they’re the first to use the Bluetooth Smart tech in connected homes and engineered it to work at double the normal distance (65 instead of 32 feet) and with up to 13 devices. That’ll permit it to take a photo when a movement-tagged door is opened, for instance, using its scenario editor and the Tasker Android app. Archos also has controllable plug sockets, alarm sirens, motion-detectors and even a pet tracker planned for the future. The kit should hit its online shop soon, but fair warning — Archos is known for low-priced, but not exactly high-end goods.
Filed under: Household
Source: Archos
Blumoo Entertainment System Controller and Bluetooth Streamer
How many times do you look around your home and see a huge pile of controllers lying around. One for your TV, one for the cable box, one for the audio receiver and who knows what else you may have. Many of these manufacturers claim to support multiple devices, but you always end up with something not being fully controlled, or not being able to program the multi remote in the first place. Blumoo is trying to get rid of these remotes and give you a single controller for all your devices. They are not only providing remote control, but also Bluetooth audio streaming in a single sleek little box.
There have been a few devices released that allow you to control your entertainment devices from your Bluetooth enabled smartphone and Blumoo, from Flyover Innovations Inc, is another attempt at ultimate home entertainment integration. The big question is; Does it do whats it’s supposed to do and does it do it well enough to warrant the price tag. Find out more in the full review on ThesavvyTechs.
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iFixit: OnePlus One equals five for repairability
Like the proverbial internet pony of lore, the OnePlus One smartphone is highly desirable with its juicy specs and cheap $300 price, but you can’t have it — yet. Somehow the iFixit screwdriver brigade got one though, and recently disemboweled it for your pleasure (see the video below). Sure enough, all the bits are there: 3GB of Samsung-based RAM, 5.5-inch 1080p screen, Snapdragon 801 CPU and a goodly 3,100mAH battery, all inside an 8.9mm thick body. That’s pretty slim for a phablet, and therein lies the problem: squeezing all those bits in required a hard-to-budge fused screen, hidden connectors and adhesives. All that adds up to a repairability score of five out of ten — far from the worst we’ve seen, but if you ever manage to nab one, you may want to insure it.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Via: Slashgear
Source: iFixit
Google to the rescue: Android 4.4.4 gets a speedy release to plug security Holes
Just a few weeks after Android 4.4.3 was rolled out to Nexus and Motorola devices, a new software update has already popped up. Android 4.4.4, or KTU84P for those keeping track with builds, allegedly deals with some security issues, presumably ones which have arisen due to the last update. People with devices on Android 4.4.3 and suffering an array of issues shouldn’t get too excited though; while it is a new iteration of Android, the build progression has only gone from KTU84M for Android 4.4.3 to KTU84P for Android 4.4.4, and accordingly, the changelog is extremely short.
This is eerily similar to what occured when Android 4.4 was first announced and needed to be patched almost immediately to remove security issues. Still, it’s always good to know that Google can act quickly when it needs to, but everyone who is currently struggling with major and minor issues on Android 4.4.3 probably wish Google would act quickly to help them too. The factory images for Android 4.4.4 on Nexus devices are available now, and the OTA updates have been reportedly already started rolling out.
Have you gotten the Android 4.4.4 update yet and have you noticed anything different? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Source: Google via Phone Arena
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New Motorola boot animation catches the World Cup Fever
Unless you live under a really big rock, you will be aware that the 2014 FIFA World Cup is currently underway in Brazil. Seeing as this is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, Motorola has decided to give a little themed flair to its boot animation to celebrate soccer all over the world. You can check out the new Motorola boot animation in the video below:
Owners of the Moto X, Moto G and Moto E should have seen the update from Tuesday this week, but if you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to make sure your Motorola Boot Services app is up to date. This isn’t the first time that Motorola has changed the boot animation on its devices; Motorola has also made cool animations to mark April Fool’s Day and also the start of Autumn or Spring, depending on which hemisphere you live in. It’s not game changing, but it’s always nice to see that a manufacturer likes to do the little things to make things a bit different for its users.
What do you think about the new Motorola boot animation? Do you appreciate these little things that Motorola has been doing? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Source: Motorola Blog
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Vudu makes it a little easier to buy your TV shows by the episode
If you’re really dedicated to a la carte TV, then maybe separating by channel isn’t enough and it’s time to buy only the shows or episodes of shows you really want. The only problem with that? On some services, if you buy a few episodes and then decide to grab the entire season later, that means paying twice for the same shows, but Vudu has added a fix, which it’s pitching directly towards cord-cutters. In addition to the Season Pass that lets users buy shows as they’re airing on TV, now there are options for Season Complete and Season Upgrade. Complete means just paying the price for the season, minus the price of the episodes you’ve already purchased, while Upgrade lets you jump from a low-res standard definition copy to HD (720p) or HDX (1080p) by again just paying the difference in price. The iTunes store added a “Complete My Season” option to its TV store back in 2011, but it still isn’t there for stores like Amazon and Google Play. Vudu is available on many more devices than Apple’s digital store, so if you’re building out your TV library episode by episode and season by season, now there’s one more option.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Vudu Blog
Mozilla and US news giants team up to reinvent commenting
If we ask you for a favorite comments platform, will you be able to name one, or will your answer be “I hate them all — including yours?” Folks at The New York Times and Washington Post believe they can make one better than the current options. So, they teamed up with Mozilla to make an open-source comments platform that newsrooms everywhere will be able download and use for free. The organizations claim it’s actually more like a “publishing platform for readers” than a comments system: users will be able to submit links, pictures and other media, as well as manage their online identities and track their contributions. They also mentioned that publications can use submitted content “for other forms of storytelling and to spark ongoing discussions,” though they didn’t expound on what that means exactly. Sadly, you’ll have to wait a while to find out and take the platform for a spin, as the companies expect to spend two years to complete the project.
[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]
Source: Adotas, Knight Foundation, The New York Times
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