SEC and Longhorn Networks Added to ‘WatchESPN’ Apple TV Channel [Mac Blog]
Alongside the new NFL Now channel on the Apple TV debuting today, ESPN has also expanded its WatchESPN channel to include support for college sports with the SEC Network and Longhorn Network.
The SEC Network is a brand-new television network created through a partnership between the Southeastern Conference and ESPN. The network launched last week ahead of the 2014 college football season with plans to cover at least 1000 live events per year from the conference’s 21 sports. The network consists of a standard SEC Network channel, which mirrors featured content from the SEC Network television channel, as well as an SEC Network + channel with additional coverage.
The Longhorn Network is focused solely on the University of Texas at Austin athletic program and is also produced in partnership with ESPN. The network is entering its fourth year of availability, but has just been added to the WatchESPN online service this season.
Both networks were added to the WatchESPN iOS app last week, but it has taken a few extra days to make their way to the Apple TV channel. Access to the content is limited to those who have television subscription packages that include the corresponding channels.
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Best Buy Offers One-Day $75 Discount on All iPad Air Models [iOS Blog]
Best Buy is running a one-day sale on all of its iPad Air models, discounting the prices by $75 across the board. With the discount, the price on the entry-level 16 GB Wi-Fi only iPad Air is $424.99, down from $499, while the price on the entry-level 16 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad Air drops down from $629 to $554.99.
While these aren’t the lowest prices that we’ve ever seen on Apple’s iPad Air models, they are the most significant discount that’s been offered in the past few months. Best Buy also offers $50 off all iPad models through its educational site, which means students can get an iPad Air for as low as $374.99.
According to our Buyer’s Guide, the iPad Air is rated as “Caution” because it’s approaching the end of its product cycle. Apple is said to be working on a second-generation iPad Air with Touch ID and an A8 processor that may debut in October. Best Buy’s current iPad Air deal is still an excellent way to get an iPad Air at a low price, especially for customers who will not mind the absence of Touch ID.
Best Buy’s iPad Air deal is good for one day only and will expire after today.
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Google Nexus 360 – The smartphone of the future
91mobiles.com Unveils a Futuristic Wearable Smartphone that’s Truly ‘Smart’
~ The Google Nexus 360 Concept Phone~
91mobiles.com, India’s largest gadget research website for mobile phones and personal technology has come up with the Google Nexus 360 concept phone, a creative visualisation that offers a glimpse into the future of smartphones, imagining how these devices will evolve in the coming years. The idea is to showcase a concept that pushes the envelope when it comes to what is possible, but is still rooted in reality, and can become commercially viable in just 3-4 years from now.
Some of the key issues at hand
With the flood of mobile computing devices, users now prefer carrying a single device that can take on multiple roles and adapt as per needs. Next, wearable technology is evolving rapidly, but the approach is still very fragmented since most existing products can’t be used standalone. Device security and multiple notifications are two other areas that are often pain-points for consumers.
The approach
The idea then, was to come up with a concept of a single device that can tackle all these issues in one shot. For this purpose, the 91mobiles.com team factored in user suggestions, studied various prototypes and innovative technologies (from the likes of Molex, Dai Nippon Printing, Solicore and LG), some already available in today’s phones, to come up with an ideal yet achievable concept.
Key features – a conventional smartphone that transforms into a wearable
- A phone that converts into a watch: use it as a conventional phone, or wear it as a wristband… with the full range of features available in both modes.
- Flexible polymer OLED display: offers great usability and vibrant visuals.
- Embedded Bluetooth headset: can be docked on the side of the device, and draws power from it for charging.
- An integrated fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor: take care of security, health monitoring and sleep tracking. Integrated sensors and apps capture related data.
- A tube camera that’s on your wrist: makes shooting easy, and allows snapping pics from different angles. The same high-resolution camera doubles up as primary camera, along with shooting selfies.
- Always-on e-ink display on the side: makes sure users don’t miss out on notifications.
- Designed for all-weather use: IP67-certified for resistance to the elements.
This design is an amalgamation of several successful smartphones and technologies that prevail today and takes their use to the next level. The Google Nexus 360 concept device holds relevance to smartphone users, enthusiasts, device designers, device makers, and design Institutions as well as global smartphone brands.
Why Google?
91mobiles.com chose the Google brand for this concept since the search titan has always been at the forefront of innovation, and has the flexibility to partner with a specific hardware manufacturer that can build to its spec.
Google Nexus 360 concept
Hardware specifications of the Google Nexus 360:
- 5-inch Full HD resolution display but with a wider aspect ratio of 2.40:1
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, quad-core processor with clock speed of 2.5GHz
- 3GB of RAM
- 64GB / 128GB storage options (non-expandable)
- 16- Megapixel rotating tube camera with LED Flash and software Image stabilization and support for 4K Video recording
- 4G/ LTE connectivity
- Dual Band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
- Biometric fingerprint scanner embedded under the home button
- Optical hart rate monitor at the back of the device
- IP67 certified device
About 91Mobiles.com
91mobiles.com is the largest gadget research & reviews site in India. It provides information and tools to help you decide which gadget to buy and where to buy it from. 91mobiles.com provides information on over 1,000 mobile phones launched in India every year, including specifications, pictures, videos, reviews, and the best deal for each. Over 30 million people visited 91mobiles.com last year and browsed over 150 million pages on the website to research gadgets.
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NFL Now available to Apple TV-owning football fanatics
We knew that the National Football League’s brand new online network would eventually come to the Apple TV. And now it’s here. After not being a part of the NFL Now device lineup on launch day, Apple’s streaming box is finally adding the video service to its growing channel portfolio. There are no Apple TV-specific features in tow, and therefore you should expect the same type of content as on apps from other platforms — such as real-time highlights, live press conferences analysis and, with NFL Now Plus, access to the league’s NFL Films vault. Don’t worry if you’re not seeing it on your Apple TV yet, as it’s just started rolling out and it may take a little while before you see the app show up. It”ll be there soon, though, scout’s honor.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Apple
Source: NFL
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NFL wants artists to pay to play the Super Bowl Halftime Show
Being selected to play the Super Bowl Halftime Show is a huge deal — there’s no doubt about that. But this year, the NFL is asking potential acts for the 2015 installment to fork over a share of their post-game tour profits. According to The Wall Street Journal, the league is asking its top three candidates to pay to get the gig. The short list of acts has already been whittled down to Rhianna, Katy Perry and Coldplay, with the NFL seeking to agree on a direct contribution or another form of financial kickback while it makes its final decision. As you might expect, WSJ’s sources say the request was met with a “chilly reception” across the board.
Artists who play the Halftime Show aren’t paid, but they do usually get travel and production costs covered, which can get pretty steep. There’s also no easy way to calculate how much of an act’s tour revenue is boosted by the nationally-televised performance. However, last year’s Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bruno Mars tandem nabbed 115.3 million viewers — more than Seattle’s drubbing of Peyton Manning & Co. averaged. Of course, we’re sure the top three would be willing to cut in Mr. Goodell if a small percentage of the ad revenue were also on the table.
[Photo credit: Rob Carr/Getty Images]
Via: Rolling Stone
Source: Wall Street Journal
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Skype chat notifications will now only hit the device you’re using
Chances are you have a smartphone, tablet and computer combo, so it could get pretty annoying to get pinged simultaneously on those devices when you’re exchanging messages with someone. Skype and iMessage both do this, but now the Microsoft-owned service is keen on changing that. Today, Skype announced that it’s found a way to reduce all the noise for people who are logged in to their accounts on multiple devices, thanks to a new feature called “Active endpoint.” Now when you’re messaging back and forth on your phone, those chat notifications will only be sent to that device — as opposed to before, where it would also send them to, say, your tablet or laptop at the same time. Skype says that, while notification are set to hit that one active device, the chat history is still being synced across multiple devices, making it easy for you to keep your conversations going from anywhere. This new feature is coming to Skype “over the next few weeks,” so expect to see the changes soon.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Source: Skype
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Second-Generation iPad Air May Get Memory Boost to 2 GB
Apple’s second-generation iPad Air may get a memory upgrade, bumping it up to 2 GB of RAM instead of the 1 GB in the current-generation device, reports Taiwan’s TechNews [Google Translate] (via iPhone in Canada). According to the site, the increased RAM will be limited to the iPad Air, as the second-generation Retina iPad mini is expected to continue to offer 1 GB of RAM.
Apple began offering 1 GB of RAM with the third generation iPad, keeping the same amount of memory in the fourth-generation device and the fifth-generation iPad Air. With such a long span of time between memory upgrades, customers have been wondering when Apple might opt to bump up the RAM in its tablet lineup.
iPad Air 2 mockup with Touch ID home button
Previous generations of the iPad have likely not seen a memory increase in order to keep costs low, save space, and preserve battery, but with some of the upcoming iOS 8 features, more RAM might be a necessity for smooth performance.
Apple is rumored to be working on split-screen multitasking for the iPad Air, a feature that will certainly be more memory intensive than running a single app at a time. The feature is said to allow two apps to run side-by-side on the iPad in multiple sizes, including 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4. While split-screen multitasking is likely to be available on existing devices, it may run better on Apple’s upcoming iPad Air, which is also expected to gain a new A8 processor.
Thus far, rumors have suggested that split-screen multitasking will be limited to the iPad Air, though support may come to the iPhone and the Retina iPad mini at a later date. Split-screen multitasking is unlikely to be ready for iOS 8′s fall debut, but it may come as part of an 8.1 update.
TechNews also shares some information on Apple’s upcoming iWatch, suggesting the device will sport 512 MB of internal memory along with 8 GB of storage, which cannot be confirmed with previous rumors as little is known about the device.
TechNews does not have much of a track record when it comes to Apple rumors, and what it has shared has seen mixed outcomes. The site accurately predicted a sapphire cover for the Touch ID home button ahead of the launch of the iPhone 5s, but it also incorrectly suggested the home button would be capacitive.
Apple is said to be planning an October event to unveil the iWatch, even though the device may not ship until late 2014 or early 2015. That October event may also include the debut of the second-generation iPad Air and the second-generation Retina iPad mini.
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Wearable device stats prove it: you’re not getting enough sleep
It’s also clear that us humans are creatures of habit. The vast majority of people get up early on weekdays and sleep in on weekends and holidays. They’re relatively idle while they’re working in the middle of the day, but extra-active when commuting or heading out on weekend adventures. Yes, the data isn’t all that shocking, and it’s limited to people willing to snooze with $150 devices on their wrists. They may already be worrying about their sleeping patterns more than those who wear no tracker at all. Still, it’s not often that you get to see the behavior of so many people modeled in such detail — even if it really just serves as a reminder to lay off the caffeine at night.
Filed under: Wearables
Via: Fast Company
Source: Wall Street Journal
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Vine finally lets you make clips based on your existing videos
If there has been a recurring gripe with Vine, it’s that you’ve had to capture all your videos in Vine to share them — you either had to record 6-second square clips or head elsewhere. You won’t have to make that compromise any more, though. As of today, iOS users (Android is coming soon) can use existing videos in their Vines, no matter how many are needed or how they were shot. If you want to stitch together highlights from your iPhone 5s’ slow-motion footage, you can.
You’ll have also more control, whether or not you’re content to shoot inside the app. The Vine camera now lets you duplicate and mute clips. You can also use a “ghost” mode to line up with a previous shot, and a torch feature lets you make movies in pitch darkness. The additions might diminish the spirit of Vine’s simple, on-the-spot recording, but they could also lead to more professional-looking clips that keep you (and hopefully, your followers) coming back.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile
Via: Recode
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Sneaking weapons past body scanners is easier than you think
For a while now, folks have been discussing how Rapiscan backscatter X-ray machines used at various security checks can be easily duped. Since metal shows up as black shapes on the scan, it’s quite easy to hide something on one’s side, or attached to the inside of clothing, blending in to the captured image’s background. A cooperative effort amongst researchers from the University of California at San Diego, University of Michigan and John Hopkins has been looking into possible tricks of their own. The group discovered that teflon tape could be used to conceal a weapon on the spine, malware is capable of faking image captures and wrapping items (like simulated explosives) around the body could make them read as flesh on the scans. A bit of good news is the Rapiscan Secure 1000 model tested by the team was swapped out last year by the TSA in favor of millimeter-wave scanners that provide a less detailed image to security personnel. However, the systems remain in use for government buildings around the US.
[Photo credit: Michael Fein/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Filed under: Misc
Source: Wired
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AIVAnet 