New Zealand ISP admits its free VPN exists just so people can watch Netflix
One of the most frustrating parts of trying to go legit with your movie watching is being restricted by Hollywood’s windows and geofences that limit what’s available to watch in your area. Of course, a network of third parties provide tools to help users go around and through the blocks, but now an ISP is taking the unusual step of getting directly involved. For the last year, New Zealand’s Slingshot has offered a Global Mode VPN feature marketed for use by visitors from the US or UK. As a not-so-secret side effect it also let Kiwis pull in streams from the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and BBC iPlayer, but that wasn’t mentioned — until now. Slingshot General Manager Taryn Hamilton confirmed to the New Zealand Herald that “No beating around the bush. This is to watch Netflix,” ending the ruse and opening it to all subscribers for free.
[Image credit: Nathaniel Bell for Netflix]
Slingshot has unlocked the internet! Check out the @nzherald article below about turning on Global Mode for everyone! http://t.co/UVpC5eEcXl
– Slingshot (@SlingshotNZ) July 3, 2014
Questions raised by the move start with whether or not this will cause providers to reinforce their walls — Hulu started blocking VPN users recently — or if the local video providers that have the rights to the content will mount a legal charge. Not coincidentally, the change in advertising arrives just as competing ISP Telecom New Zealand is launching an internet video service of its own for $15 per month, and rumors suggest Netflix will launch an Australian service soon. Both of those will probably have fewer viewing options than services from the US or UK, giving Slingshot an advantage. New Zealand ISP Fyx tried a similar strategy for a few weeks in 2012 before withdrawing the service, we’ll see if support from local consumer groups like Choice help this one last any longer.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: New Zealand Herald, Slingshot Global Mode
Moto 360 may be offered with a Silver wristband
The Moto 360 is a stunning looking smartwatch already, and arguably the best ascetically of the Android Wear offerings so far, but according to a recent discovery of an image embedded on the landing page of the Moto 360 on the Motorola website, the device could yet be offered in a Silver option. Hidden in… Read more »
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Read the rest at the source, SmarterWatching.com
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CyanogenMod 11.0 M8 begins rolling out to select devices
For avid followers of CyanogenMod you’ll be pleased to hear that version 11.0 M8 that moves to the Android 4.4.4 KitKat codebase has hit download servers today for a select few devices.
The devices that will have CyanogeMod 11.0 M8 available to them include: OnePlus One, Oppo Find 7a, Galaxy S Relay 4G, Samsung Galaxy S III, Xperia Z1 Compact, and the Acer Iconia Tab A700.
Don’t worry if your device isn’t one of those initially supported, since more than 80 more will be added to the compatibility list in the coming days.
Here’s the full changelog that CyanogenMod 11.0 M8 gives you:
- Common: Android 4.4.4 (Google)
- New Devices: Sony Xperia Z2 (sirius); Xiaomi Mi2 (aries); Oppo Find 7a/s (find7); OnePlus One (bacon)
- Common: Fix VPN issues related to 4.4.3 merge
- Common: Enable ‘Heads Up’ notification mode (Settings > Notifications)
- Settings: ‘Interface’ replaced by ‘Status Bar’, ‘Notification Drawer’, and ‘Gestures’
- Settings: Moved ‘Expanded Desktop’ to ‘Display’
- Settings: Moved all lock screen related items to ‘Lock Screen’ and removed duplicates from ‘Security’
- Settings: Moved ‘Navigation Bar’ layout control to ‘Buttons’
- Trebuchet: Custom Homescreen grid size
- Trebuchet: Add Protected Apps feature
- Trebuchet: Add Search Panel (Google Now) option
- WhisperPush: No longer ignores ‘Blacklist’
- Futex: Protect against Towelroot
- Various small bugfixes, global and device-specific
Had a chance to try the new build out yet? Drop us a comment below.
The post CyanogenMod 11.0 M8 begins rolling out to select devices appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Key fob phone alerts friends that you need help with the press of a button
You know how establishments have hidden emergency buttons to call the police? There’s a new device called the ECHO Urgent Messenger that’s something like that, except it’s a tiny one-button emergency phone that you can attach to a keychain, so you can call for help whenever needed. According to the device’s Indiegogo page (where its creators are trying to raise $5,000 to start production), ECHO sends a message to the company’s urgent care staff and to all your authorized contacts when you press the emergency button. Yes, you can include anyone you want, whether you have them as a phone or email contact or even as a Facebook friend. This message will apparently contain your location within five feet, as determined by GPS, GLONASS and cell tower triangulation.
While that makes it sound as if you’re carrying a tracker, the company swears it won’t try to track you until after you press the button. When you do, though, know that the company’s staff will be able to talk to you, or to listen in if you’re unable to talk or if your safety will be compromised by doing so. ECHO, which runs on AAA batteries, can reportedly last for seven years on standby and through five hours of talk time, in case (god forbid) you end up needing to use it. You’ll have to pledge at least $144 to get one in December, but like many crowdfunding projects, production will only start if the company meets its goal.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: Indiegogo
The Brazilian Job: Thieves hit Samsung’s Campinas factory, steal $36 million worth of Gear
All the action really is happening in Brazil. While the World Cup has been going on, an ambitious heist has occurred in Campinas, Brazil, specifically at Samsung‘s Campinas factory, where thieves have allegedly taken around 40,000 laptops, phones, and tablets that are estimated to be worth $36 million. Samsung has since downplayed the cost of the goods stolen, but that doesn’t take away from the magnitude of the heist itself.
In fact, so impressive was the heist that it is suspected that the thieves had inside help within the factory. It is alleged that the thieves hijacked a company shuttle to get inside the complex, where they then took hostages and took their phone batteries so they could not call for help. Furthermore, stealing that number of devices could not have been so efficient without precise knowledge of exactly where those things were within the complex. That, or they might have been Ocean’s Eleven. Either way, it’s unlikely that the devices will ever be returned, and it’s unclear if Samsung is going to investigate their staff to uncover potential insiders.
What do you think about Samsung getting stolen from? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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The post The Brazilian Job: Thieves hit Samsung’s Campinas factory, steal $36 million worth of Gear appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
ReWalk rehab exoskeleton goes home with a patient
The FDA may have only cleared the ReWalk exoskeleton for home use just two weeks ago, but it’s already finding use outside of hospitals and clinics. Retired US Army Sergeant Theresa Hannigan (shown meeting the President in March) has become the first patient in the US to take one of the mobility machines home, letting her walk and reclaim much of the independence she lost after being paralyzed. The Argo-made gear is expensive to own at nearly $70,000, but the Department of Veterans Affairs plans to cover the cost of ReWalk technology for Hannigan and anyone else who’s eligible to use it. The exoskeletons will have some positive side-effects, to boot — since recipients are much more active, they reduce the chances of heart disease and other conditions that might take them back to a doctor.
[Image credit: Debbie Hill-Pool/Getty Images]
Filed under: Transportation, Wearables
Source: CBS News
The Post Office will soon let you pick up a mobile SIM along with your stamps
No longer just a place to send letters and exchange money, the Post Office is set to add another service to its ever-expanding list of utilities: mobile contracts. The company announced today that it’s joining the list of providers that rely on EE’s network to launch its own phone service in the UK. It’ll initially be sold online, over the phone and in 50 Post Office branches this autumn, with a view to expanding nationwide later this year (if it’s successful). The move will see it take on supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda, which all offer mobile packages in addition to home phone and broadband bundles, but also bigger players like Virgin Media. There’s currently no word on cost, but given the large number of players in this market (currently standing at 24), the Post Office will likely need to price tariffs competitively to get customers to grab a mobile SIM along with their car tax renewal.
[Image credit: Bob Walker, Flickr]
Xbox One July update brings Achievement tweaks and improved voice control
After almost a month of testing, the July update for Xbox One is here. Committed to a rapid pace of improvements, Microsoft has delivered a number of new features, including a new Snap mode for Achievements, improved voice functionality and the ability to ‘Like’ your favorite recorded clips through the SmartGlass remote app. The new Achievement tweaks are designed to provide instant feedback while you play games, letting you track your progress and search for online solutions to help you unlock the more difficult challenges. If you’ve recently invested in a Kinect-less Xbox One, today’s update lets pull up the Snap menu with a double-tap of the home button (because you can’t issue voice commands without Kinect). That button combination lets switch back and forth between apps too, so you’ll now have more control over your multi-tasking flow. With the choice to select a spoken language, your Xbox One can also differentiate between your accent and where you live — perfect if you’re an Englishman in New York struggling to turn your console on.
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft
Source: Xbox One System Updates
Crowdfunded documentary chronicles the rise and rise of apps
In the spirit of Indie Game: The Movie, comes App: The Human Story — a documentary that looks at the people behind the digital goods we consume. The film chronicles the rise of developers following the iPhone’s release back in 2007 and runs all the way through Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference from this year. Who’s on camera? Tumblr founder and Instapaper creator Marco Arment and Macworld editorial director Jason Snell to name a few. The filmmakers know that the list skews Cupertino-heavy at the moment and have told TechCrunch that their wish is to get Google’s senior VP of Android and Chrome apps Sundar Pichai, and Android’s user-experience chief Matias Duarte in the film as well. The team is hitting Kickstarter to help finance the rest of production costs, and for a cool $50, you can get an unedited version of any one interview if you’re so inclined.
Should you be super obsessive, though, $300 will get you the raw conversations of every person the filmmakers spoke with. And that kind of insight could well be priceless.
[Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Apple, Google
Source: KickStarter
Sony belatedly gets in on the selfie trend with the Xperia C3
Selfies are so popular that not only is the President getting in on the action, but ABC’s even named its newest TV show after the trend. Not to be outdone, Sony is debuting the Xperia C3, a mid-range smartphone whose most notable feature is the 5-megapixel wide-angle lens and LED flash for self portraits. Beyond the snapper itself, the company is also boasting about the software enhancements like retouching, auto-scene modes and quick sharing to ensure your Instagram friends will be, you know, totes jel. There’s a 5.5-inch 720p IPS display up, shielding a 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, with support for 64GB microSD cards and a 2,500mAh battery. Other features include dual SIM-card slots, NFC, Blueototh 4.0 and Android 4.4.2. The handset will begin its world tour in China from August, presumably meandering over to Western shores shortly after.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Source: Sony
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