Twitch won’t store your full game broadcasts forever, and it’s muting ‘unauthorized’ audio
You might not want to count on revisiting that favorite League of Legends match or Playdate stream in a few years’ time — not as long as it’s hosted on Twitch, anyway. The game video service has implemented new policies that delete the full copies of past broadcasts after a fixed period. You’ll keep them for two weeks if you’re a free user, and 60 days if you’re either a Turbo subscriber or one of Twitch’s partners. Only highlights (up to two hours each) will stick around indefinitely. Your clips are safe for the three weeks following this post, but you’ll want to quickly move them elsewhere if you’re bent on keeping them for posterity. The site is also starting to mute audio (in recordings, not during live streams) that you don’t have the rights to play, so you may not want to blast tunes in between rounds — it’s using the same tech that YouTube does, which adds a little more weight to those Google acquisition rumors.
Twitch explains the new time limits as necessary for tackling many of the limitations of its current video on demand system. The company wants to allow on-demand streams on mobile devices, simplify video exports and make backups more secure, but it would simply be too costly to offer those and preserve every video ever made. Something has to give, Twitch says. It also argues that you probably won’t notice the difference, since 84 percent of views happen within those first two weeks. The claim likely holds water, unless you’re a die-hard spectator.
IM DEAD pic.twitter.com/STP80SAQSD
– Xkeeper (@xkeepah) August 6, 2014
Competitors like Hitbox.tv or Azubu.tv may pick up a few streamers unhappy with the new policies, although some users have already noticed that just pausing and resuming the video defeats the muting system. The technology likely needs some tweaking though, as even Twitch’s own archives have fallen victim to the Audio Magic silencer. However you feel about all the new changes, it’s evident that Twitch is no longer a one-stop shop for game videos; you’ll probably have to divide your attention between multiple sites if you want to watch classic tournaments or other long gaming sessions.
Source: Twitch Official Blog (1), (2)
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Internet Explorer will block old plugins that leave your PC open to attack
Internet Explorer is generally safe for your web browsing needs these days, but that’s not necessarily true of the plugins it runs; one old piece of code could leave your PC open to attack. To that end, Microsoft has announced that Internet Explorer 8 through 11 will start blocking outdated ActiveX controls (Internet Explorer-specific add-ons) when an update arrives on August 12th. Much like what you see in Chrome, you’ll get a warning if a website wants to use an older plugin. While you can force the obsolete software to run, it won’t load automatically until you either upgrade or disable the warnings altogether. IE’s blocking will initially focus on ancient versions of Java, the most frequent target of web-based exploits, but it should expand to other plugins over time.
Yes, this likely won’t affect your day-to-day browsing if you use alternatives like Chrome or Firefox. However, it still promises a safer internet for everyone, not just Internet Explorer users — it should reduce the chances that botnets and other malware will spread. The big catch is that the update won’t affect the many people worldwide (roughly 25 percent in July, according to NetMarketshare) who run Windows XP. Unless they either switch browsers or get newer versions of Windows, they’ll remain susceptible to the rogue code that Microsoft is trying to stop.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Microsoft
Source: IEBlog
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Filmmakers turn to Kickstarter to finish their Power Glove documentary
Controlling a computer with gestures is almost passé these days, but how quickly we forget that Nintendo and Mattel released a kooky gadget that basically let people do just that back in 1989. Now, a new Kickstarter project aims to revisit that most maligned of wearables: the Power Glove. Yeah, we know, it’s so bad… but that didn’t stop a trio of filmmakers from tracing the thing’s trajectory from Christmas must-have to disappointing punchline to cultural touchstone to repurposed creative tool. The documentary — lovingly titled The Power of Glove — has already been in the works for over a year, and there’s plenty to show for it in the team’s trailer (check it out after the jump). All they need to bring the project home now is another $15,000 to complete the final round of interviews and assemble the finished product, a process they hope to power through before the end of next year.
Via: Eurogamer
Source: Kickstarter
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RJD2 will join us at our free Engadget Expand event in NYC!
On November 7th and 8th, Engadget Expand heads back to New York City’s Javits Center and this time around, admission is free! And if the Big Apple isn’t where you’ll be that weekend, no sweat — we’ll keep you updated with live streams from the stage and dispatches from the show floor. Now that we’ve got your attention (hopefully), let’s experience the future of technology together, shall we?
Get inspired, without being bored
At last year’s event, LeVar Burton, Reggie Watts, Ben Heck, Spike Lee and Ben Huh were among the big names who graced us with their presence. This year, we’ll fill our stage with even more technology and science luminaries who will not only inform and inspire, but entertain you, too.
On November 7th, producer and musician RJD2 will join us for a fireside chat and treat us to a one-hour performance. To get an idea of his sound, check out “Descended From Myth” below.
In other sessions throughout the weekend, we’ll welcome back our friend Becky Stern, to catch us up on all the wearable goodness coming out of Adafruit. Matt Bell, Matterport‘s Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer will also join us too. And we’ve got plenty more speaker announcements to come.
Feast your eyes (and hands) on interactive exhibits
You’ll get to go hands-on with some of the latest and greatest gadgets and experience technologies you wouldn’t have expected to see (or touch). Our friends at Chevrolet, Quirky, littleBits, Singtrix and Make Magazine treated attendees last year to interactive and memorable exhibits.
We’ll have more to announce on what fun stuff you can expect to see this year in the near future, but for now, check out the gallery below to see highlights from the show floor last year.
That’s not all
We’re barely scratching the surface here. In the coming weeks leading up to Expand, we’ll announce all the other amazing things you’ll expect to see this year. It’d be a good idea to follow Engadget Events on Twitter and Facebook and be first to know what’s happening.
In the meantime, let’s seal the deal. Go ahead and get your tickets right here. On that same page you’ll also find information if you fancy speaking at or sponsoring Expand. We’ll see you there!
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Vizio recalls 245,000 HDTVs to fix stands that might let them tip over
Vizio’s E-Series has been excellent cheap option for big HDTVs with full-array LED backlighting that enhances picture quality, but several versions are being recalled for a serious safety issue. According to the details posted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 39- and 42-inch models sold since late last year have a stand that can fail and lead to the TV tipping over. Vizio says there haven’t been any injuries as a result of 51 tipovers reported among the recalled sets, but HDGuru points out stats indicating thousands are injured every year in such accidents — meaning we should probably all take a second look at our TV stands, or at consider a wall-mount. If you have one of the 245,000 or so TVs being recalled, the recommendation is to detach the stand immediately and request a replacement (even if yours is wall-mounted you should request one, just in case it’s taken down later). Vizio is notifying owners, and has a website where they can check their set’s serial number to see if it’s affected before requesting the fix.
VIZIO announces safety notice for the stand assembly of E390-B0, E390i-B0, and E420i-B0. Please visit http://t.co/35AZMF96iP for more info.
– VIZIO (@VIZIO) August 6, 2014
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission, Vizio Safety Notice
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Detailed Yet Sketchy Report Claims 802.11ac Wi-Fi, NFC, Improved Touch ID, but No Sapphire Display for iPhone 6
VentureBeat today posted a detailed overview of features that are said to be built into Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6, with the outline provided by an unspecified source. While many of the proffered specifications in VentureBeat‘s outline echo past rumors, there are a few new specific details worth highlighting.
According to the site’s source, Apple will introduce both the 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhones at its upcoming September 9 event, but while the 4.7-inch version will ship in mid-September, the larger 5.5-inch iPhone won’t ship until up to a month later. This is in line with rumors suggesting the 5.5-inch iPhone isn’t entering mass production until August or September, a month to two months after production is said to have began on the 4.7-inch iPhone.
iPhone 5s with mockups of 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models
Feature wise, VentureBeat points towards a new 2.0GHz A8 chip, NFC capabilities, and 802.11ac WiFi, all of which have been mentioned in previous rumors as possible specifications for the iPhone 6. The site does get into some specifics, however, suggesting the device will use Qualcomm’s MDM9x35 cellular modem along with an NFC chip made by NXP and a WiFi chip from Broadcom.
Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor is said to include minor improvements that “speed up read times, cut down on false rejections, and improve security for mobile payments and biometrics,” and the source suggests the iPhone 6 will not use a sapphire screen.
We’ve also heard rumors that the new screens will be made of ultra-durable sapphire glass. Our source says the screens are made of an extremely hard material that’s slightly harder than Gorilla Glass but not as hard as sapphire. That corroborates an earlier video report showing that the purported iPhone 6 screen is harder than previous models’ screens but softer than sapphire crystal.
While a front panel said to be for the 4.7-inch iPhone has undergone some testing that suggests it may not be composed of sapphire, many rumors have pointed towards the use of a pure sapphire crystal display or sapphire laminated glass display in at least one of the iPhone 6 models. The volume of sapphire production at Apple’s Arizona sapphire plant run by GT Advanced also points towards the heavy use of the material and it is unlikely that all of the company’s sapphire is being allocated towards the iWatch. During Q2 2014 alone, GT Advanced spent over $45 million on “sapphire production ramp up costs, and previous rumors have suggested the plant can output enough sapphire to outfit approximately 100 to 200 million iPhones.
In addition to outlining possible features for the iPhone 6, VentureBeat also suggests that Apple is experimenting with special connectivity between the iPhone and Beats headphones using the Lightning connector. Apple did recently introduce a Lightning Cable MFi specification for headphones, making such a project a possibility.
Our source adds that Apple has also been playing around with some technology that would form a special “handshake” between iPhones and Beats headphones. This consists of a chip that would authenticate Beats headsets on iPhones using the Lightning connector. Whether or not that feature materializes is anybody’s guess.
VentureBeat‘s sources have not been particularly reliable in the past. For example, the site recently suggested Apple was pairing up with Swatch to develop the iWatch, a rumor that was quickly shot down by Swatch CEO Nick Hayek. The site’s source also “stresses” that the listed features may not be the “final spec list” for the iPhone 6, so the overall reliability of the provided information is unclear.
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Android smartphones are about to get multi-user support
If you have an Android tablet and kids, you’re probably a fan of the OS’ multi-user feature: it lets you add passwords and lock specific apps based on who is using the device. The feature launched exclusively on tablets last year, coupled with the explanation that Google hadn’t quite figured out how to handle incoming phone calls with multiple users. Now the company seems to have figured it out, explaining in a response in the Android issue tracker that multiple user support will be available “as a a part of the next public build.”
The straightforward (and slightly vague) statement explains that the feature has been implemented for the next build, but doesn’t specify if it’s coming in a iterative update, or with Android L — the mobile OS’ next major version. The response doesn’t completely answer everything in the issue tracker’s feature request either, but it does come form a verified Google employee, so there’s little doubt multiple user support for smartphones is on the way. Check out the issue tracker and Google’s full (but short) response at the source link below.
Via: Android Police
Source: Google
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Google’s latest acquisition is part messaging app, part personal assistant
Oh, you thought Google might take a break from snapping up startups this summer? Guess again. The search giant just acquired an awfully neat messaging app called Emu, which worked by injecting a little contextual intelligence into your conversations. Agonizing over tonight’s dinner plans? Emu would surface its Yelp rating right within the stream of messages. Asking a friend if they wanted to see a movie on Friday? You’d be treated to a list of movies playing around you, and you could order tickets from there. Mentioning a day or date would also yield a tiny glimpse at your calendar so you could make sure you were actually free.
The beauty of Emu’s formula was that those additional bits were totally unobtrusive: they were tiny but valuable bits of info that hovered under each message. It’s not hard to imagine Google eventually baking some of those contextual smarts into something like Hangouts, either. After all, it’s already sitting on a ton of data — from Zagat reviews to Maps information to your calendar — that it could helpfully surface in the middle of your conversations. Thankfully for the Emu team, Google doesn’t seem to be the type to hold grudges: the app began life as an Android exclusive before the founding team made the call to jump ship to iOS exclusively last year. Bad news for current users, though: the Emu app will officially go dark on August 25, so wrap up those convos while you still can.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Emu
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Microsoft OneDrive arrives on Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Fire phone
Folks who fancy Amazon’s Kindle Fire and/or newfangled Fire phone just got another option for go-to cloud access. Microsoft has released a OneDrive app outfitting both of the aforementioned devices with easy access to stored files from the slate or handset. Of course, we’d surmise most OneDrive users have hitched their wagons to Redmond’s own fleet of OSes. At any rate, apps now exist not only for the web retailer’s gadgets, but for PC and Mac with mobile options on Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10. Bases covered. Microsoft’s OneNote also sorts those trusty reminders and to-do lists across the Fire fleet, too. Ready to employ this version? Head over to Amazon’s Appstore to do just that.
Filed under: Software, Microsoft, Amazon
Source: OneDrive Blog, Amazon Appstore
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Introducing AndroidGuys Deals
If you’ve been following AndroidGuys over the last six years you will recognize that our direction has changed with time. Specifically, we no longer focus as much on leaks and rumors as we did in the early days. Our aim today is to help Android owners get more out of their smartphones and tablets. Be it… Read more »
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AIVAnet 