Brazilian judge tells Apple and Google to pull Secret from people’s devices
Secret’s app is ostensibly meant for office gossip and getting transgressions out of your system, but it has also been abused by bullies wanting to intimidate and shame others. Well, one Brazilian judge is fed up with that misuse — enough so that he’s ordering Apple and Google to remove Secret not just from their respective local app stores, but from people’s devices. Microsoft also has to yank Cryptic, an equivalent Windows Phone app. If the companies don’t take action within 10 days, they face fines of 20,000 Reals ($8,876) per day. That’s a drop in the bucket given their massive revenue streams, but it’s reasonable to say that they’d rather not pay that much just to keep one title available in one country.
The request is certainly feasible. All three companies have removed apps from their stores, and they can technically pull or block software installed on gadgets. However, that last measure is primarily used as a last resort, such as in the event of a malware outbreak; Apple, Google and Microsoft might be reluctant to act unless they have no choice. Whether or not they’re stuck isn’t clear. Brazil’s Constitution bars anonymous attacks that don’t let you defend yourself, but there are arguments both that the data isn’t truly anonymous (Secret knows the culprits) and that the ban hurts freedom of expression. Don’t be shocked if one or more tech firms contest the ruling.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile, Apple, Microsoft, Google
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: Estadao (translated)
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Ubisoft won’t attempt an unlimited gaming service until EA proves it can work
It turns out Electronic Arts’ Access program has at least one high-profile spectator: Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot. The Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs company’s head says that Ubisoft is keeping a keen eye on what that type of service can offer players, telling Game Informer that he’s open to “any way” of giving fans access to Ubisoft’s games. However, “it has to work well and be a smooth experience,” he says. An Access-like system seems like the natural progression that the French company’s been building toward for awhile, albeit slowly, putting various pieces in place and testing them out over time. Given Ubisoft’s checkered history with DRM issues and that Uplay Passport system, though, it’s probably better if Guillemot lets someone else deal with the growing pains with this time ’round.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Via: NeoGAF
Source: Game Informer
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Discarded car batteries could become low-cost solar cells
It’s great that manufacturers recover lead from discarded car batteries to use in new ones, since lead production from ores yields toxic residues. The problem is, when we shift from lead-acid to lithium-ion and other types of batteries (and we’re starting to), over 200 million old batteries could be retired in the US and cause serious environmental issues. Thankfully, a team of MIT researchers has discovered one way to recycle lead from car batteries, and the end product is something very, very useful: long-lasting solar cells. We’re talking about a new breed of solar cells in particular, one that uses a compound called perovskite, which needs lead to be manufactured.
For the past two years, the scientists have been working on using old car batteries to make perovskite solar cells, until they’ve finally reached a 19 percent efficiency that’s comparable to more traditional silicon cells. Even better, since perovskite cells are extremely thin, a single car battery could produce solar panels for 30 homes. These new cells are also potentially cheaper to make, as the scientists came up with a low-temperature process that’s comparably quicker than traditional solar cell production. Want more info? You can read the team’s paper published in Energy and Environmental Science for a detailed explanation, or watch how the scientists process old lead in new solar cells in the video below.
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Filed under: Science
Via: The Washington Post, IEEE Spectrum
Source: MIT
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See-through solar panels provide power and a killer view
While we’ve seen some pretty big advancements (and even bigger installations) in solar-energy collection lately, unless you’re looking for privacy, one of the biggest light-catchers — windows — have to go largely under-utilized. Researchers at Michigan State University might have a solution for that, though. The Spartan scientists have developed a transparent, colorless method for collecting the sun’s rays and converting them to electricity, claiming that the tech’s applications could be used pretty much wherever clear materials are needed. The system relies on a coating of organic molecules that soak up ultraviolet and near-infrared rays. From there, the rays are pushed to photovoltaic solar cells at the edge of the surface where they’re converted into electricity.
The tech isn’t as efficient as it needs to be, though. As of now its solar conversion rate is only about one percent versus the 19 percent ideal of other methods. MSU College of Engineering’s Richard Lunt knows this is inadequate and says that it’s targeting a “greater than five percent” yield for the final product. While the energy produced might be lower than with other formats, the tech’s strength could lie in its flexibility — every window a solar cell or a smartphone that could possibly never run out of juice, for instance.
Via: Phys Org
Source: MSU Today
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Xbox 360 HDD now comes in 500GB format, costs less than 320GB version
Been taking advantage of the Xbox 360′s “Games with Gold” deal? You might be running out of hard drive space, and Microsoft knows it: it just updated the Xbox website with a teaser for a 500GB hard drive. At $110 it’s still more expensive than PC storage, but it’s oddly cheaper than the 320GB Xbox 360 HDD that’s currently on the market. It’s not clear if the new drive will serve as a replacement or if the price is merely a placeholder, but we’ll never scoff at more storage space. Unfortunately, you can’t order the new drive just yet — the product page just says that pre-orders are “coming soon.”
[Image credit: yum9me, Flickr]
Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft
Via: IGN
Source: Xbox
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HTC One M8 with Windows?! Sharp Aquos Crystal has No Bezels! – ManDroid Daily
Sharp Aquos Crystal…now that is pretty. Don’t think any of us saw this phone coming. Just announced that Sprint will carry the Crystal phone that really has no bezels at all. The HTC One M8 is getting released once again, but this time it will be running Windows. Not typical play for an OEM to release a successful device with an entirely different OS on it. Hopefully it works out for them.
Android News
HTC Butterfly 2 announced
HTC One M8 with Windows
ASUS teases a smartwatch
Sharp Aquos Crystal
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Apple Reportedly Building ‘World’s Largest’ Apple Store in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Last week, Apple posted retail job listings for a future retail store to be located in the United Arab Emirates, hinting that the company will soon open its first store in the Middle East. Now, Middle East website EDGARDaily.com reports that the store will be located at Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates, and will be Apple’s biggest retail location to date.
Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates
Our undisclosed source said that the store – which will be the biggest Apple has ever built – was originally planned to replace the current cinema complex. The timing of the recent job adverts suggest the store could have a planned opening for the first quarter of 2015.
Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates originally opened in September 2005 and boasts more than 700 stores and services over 2.4 million square feet, making it a desirable location for Apple to open a store. In February, Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted visiting the country, posing for photos at Apple resellers and meeting with UAE Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. While the purpose of his visit was unknown, it is likely that Cook may have been meeting with officials to discuss growth opportunities for Apple in the region.
MacRumors did receive a tip last year claiming that Apple was planning to open its biggest retail store in the world, however that source claimed that it would be located at The Galleria in Sowwah Square in Abu Dhabi. Based on hiring schedules, it is possible that the Apple Store at the Mall of the Emirates could open in February 2015.
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PayPal’s One Touch wants to power your in-app mobile purchases
It’s a pretty common thing to see in an online store: pay with PayPal — but what about on mobile devices? Well, the eBay-owned company is working on that. The company just announced PayPal One Touch, a new system that (as the name implies) hopes to make paying of items in mobile apps a one-touch affair. The feature isn’t an app itself, but rather a service that can be embedded in other apps. Users will log into their PayPal account one time, and subsequently be able to pay for products in supported apps with a single click.
If One Touch sounds familiar, that’s because it is: Braintree, a company acquired by PayPal last year, runs a similar service called Venmo Touch — though its reach isn’t very wide. Braintree says Venmo Touch isn’t going away, but that consumers will have a choice over which payment platform to use. That said, consumers are far more familiar with the PayPal brand. The company didn’t say when One Touch would launch, but developers can already sign up for the beta.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet
Source: Braintree
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Google search trends highlight America’s digital divide
While the rest of us were out frolicking in the sun, The New York Times‘ Upshot blog spent the early part of the summer sussing out which counties in the United States were the easiest and hardest to live in. After a little extra prompting from Google’s chief economist, editor David Leonhardt and the Upshot team used Google Correlate to dig into what these groups on either side of the digital divide were searching for online. Some terms — the like “Oprah” and “Super Bowl” – are searched for by just about everyone. As you might’ve guessed, though, those search terms ultimately diverge… pretty wildly.
In the so-called easiest locales (which scored best when it came to education, median household income, unemployment rate, disability rate, life expectancy and obesity) the terms that correlate most strongly with easy living locations include “elph,” “jogger” and “nb-4l”. Apparently those who live in well-to-do areas had plenty of questions about Canon digital cameras. And the top three search terms for those living in harder areas? “Free diabetic,” “antichrist” and “38 revolver”. The list speaks to a dramatic difference in what people concern themselves with when their life circumstances skew in one direction or another. It doesn’t take long to notice certain trends popping up, either — technological tidbits pepper the rest of the easy life list, while religious references figure prominently in its rougher counterpart. These particular rabbit holes run deeper than you might think, so it’s definitely worth checking out the full Times piece for more.
Source: NYT Upshot
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Parallels Desktop 10 with OS X Yosemite and iCloud Drive Support Launches for Existing Customers
Parallels today announced the launch of Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac, the latest version of the company’s software for running alternate operating systems like Windows in virtual environments on the Mac. The new version is available today as an upgrade for existing customers, and it will launch on August 26 for new customers.
Parallels Desktop 10 offers a bevy of new features and enhancements, including OS X Yosemite support, iCloud Drive and iPhoto Library support and battery life and performance speed optimizations. The main new features of Desktop 10 include:
– Mac OS X Yosemite integration, iPhone calling integration, iCloud Drive and iPhoto Library support
– Now with one click users can select from a number of choices to optimize their virtual machine based on what their primary usage is: productivity, games, design or development.
– The new Parallels Control Center is a one-stop-shop for managing Parallels Desktop; it allows users to manage all their virtual machines and configuration settings from a single place.
– Users can share files, text or web pages from Windows using Internet accounts configured on their Mac such as Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo, Flickr; or send them via email, AirDrop and Messages.
– Users can drag and drop files to Mac OS X virtual machines.
– Users can now open Windows documents up to 48 percent faster.
– Battery life is now extended by up to 30 percent, giving people additional work time when they need it most.
Upgrade pricing for users of Parallels Desktop 8 or 9 is $49.99, while standard retail pricing is set at $79.99 for regular users and $39.99 for students. Parallels Desktop 10 customers also receive a free three-month subscription to Parallels Access that allows Windows and Mac users to use their machines from their iPads.
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AIVAnet 