If you can’t tell editorial from advertorial, there’s a browser plug-in for that
Google product engineer Ian Webster believes sponsored articles should be more easily identifiable (as they should be!), so he built the AdDetector plug-in in his spare time to make that happen. More and more publications turn to sponsored content or native ads these days (even Tumblr does it), but some of them just add disclaimers at the very bottom of the page or small, easy-to-miss bylines. Webster says the problem is that bad native ads depend on you, readers, not knowing that they’re, well, sponsored. So, he designed the plug-in to plaster large red banners on paid article pages whenever it detects unfortunately small sponsored disclaimers, in order to boost transparency on the web. He also hopes that by making paid articles more obvious, sponsors would make an effort to put out better content. You can install AdDetector (and make sure this post wasn’t sponsored) for Chrome and Firefox from Webster’s website.
Filed under: Internet
Source: AdDetector
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Seven phones and a Nexus: Motorola preparing several handsets for release soon
If you thought Motorola didn’t have enough going on lately with the release of the Moto X+1 and Moto 360 expected next month, it seems likely they’re going to be even busier towards the end of the year. TKTechNews is reporting that Motorola might have up to 8 devices preparing for launch before Christmas, one of which is the widely anticipated “Shamu” Nexus 6. The devices include a new DROID, DROID Turbo, DROID Maxx, Moto X+1, Moto G, Moto X Play, Moto S and the Nexus.
Most interesting about this report is that some of these devices may not even come to market depending on the performance of another device. Key among these dependencies is the fact the DROID Turbo may not be launched if the Moto X+1 does well and that the Moto X Play and Moto S may be interchangeable depending on which screen size is preferred. It’s also postulated that the Moto S, a 5.9-inch beast, will serve as the basis for the Nexus 6 regardless of if it is dumped in favour of the Moto X Play. No exclusivity for any of the devices has been specified, which is good news for everybody, but no prices were hinted at.
I’m a bit hesitant to believe this claim, simply because it assumes Motorola would be willing to dump a line of devices on such short notice after presumably developing them for at least a few months before that. Also, we’ll never really know what plays out behind Motorola’s doors except for which ones make it through, but I guess the real moral of the story here is to be ready when Christmas comes to pass if you’re looking for a Motorola handset.
What do you think about this rumour of the eight Motorola devices? Let us know your opinion.
Source: TKTechNews via Phone Arena
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This year’s ‘Call of Duty’ is coming to everything but the Wii U
If you were looking forward to playing Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare on the Wii U this fall, well, we have some bad news. It turns out that publisher Activision has made the decision that Nintendo’s latest console won’t see the futuristic shooter at all. On Twitter, a fan recently asked co-founder of Sledgehammer Games, CoD:AW‘s developer, if the title was coming to the Wii U and Condry replied that that wasn’t happening, and that his team is focused on launching for the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. “That was an Activision decision,” he wrote. This is despite the fact that CoD has appeared on the Wii U for the past two years and that a version of Advanced Warfare is coming to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, which are similar in horsepower to Nintendo’s HD console.
This is a pretty big statement from Activision, and it echoes a similar, recent sentiment from Ubisoft: releasing Mature-rated games — even those in blockbuster franchises — on the Wii U isn’t worth the investment required. Even though CoD historically breaks entertainment-sales records on launch day for other platforms, a vast majority of Nintendo’s audience simply isn’t interested.
@1422644 no, no WiiU. That was an Activision decision. We are focused on XboxOne, PS4, and PC.
– Michael Condrey (@MichaelCondrey) August 20, 2014
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Nintendo
Via: Gamespot
Source: Michael Condry (Twitter)
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Walmart Dropping Price of iPhone 5c to $0.97, iPhone 5s to $79 for 90-Day Period [iOS Blog]
Walmart will begin offering the 16 GB iPhone 5c for $0.97 with a two-year contract during the next 90 days, reports Engadget.
The move by the retailer follows a permanent discount of the 16GB iPhone 5c to $29 in June, as Walmart will offer the special pricing to customers on AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and US Cellular. The company is also dropping the on-contract price of the 16GB iPhone 5s to $79, down from $99.
It is likely that these new price drops are being done to get rid of existing inventory before the introduction of the iPhone 6, which will be unveiled on September 9 and likely go on sale about a week later. The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is expected to be launched first, as the release of the 5.5-inch version may be delayed due to production issues. Both versions are likely to incorporate a faster A8 chip, a new camera system, an improved Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and iOS 8.
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Google Glass Getting New Design? Flappy Bird Successor is Here! – ManDroid Daily
The ManDroid Daily is here, even though Android news was fairly slow today. Google Glass might see a new design since Google got a new patent on a design that looks more glasses like. Flappy Bird creator releases a new game that might make you throw your phone out the window, but have restraint. Let us know if you have tried out the new game. Enjoy the video.
Android News
Possible new Google Glass design
Galaxu Note 4 Ultrasonic Cover
Flappy Bird successor called Swing Copters
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McDonald’s plans to release global mobile ordering app, digital music program
McDonald’s is taking on a new strategy to get us to eat more of its artery cloggers — one that involves ramping up its digital efforts. Golden Arches has just hired its first ever U.S. vice president of digital (former Ticketmaster exec Julia Vander Ploeg) and, at the same time, posted a bunch of relevant job opportunities. By the looks of it, the company wants to form a team of professionals under Vander Ploeg to be able to reach its goals, including offering “a variety of digital music and entertainment experiences” (as stated in its posting for a product director for music and entertainment) to its patrons. McDonald’s is also looking for people to improve its mobile website, develop games and, more importantly, release a global mobile ordering app that customers can use anywhere they are. Sadly, the company hasn’t elaborated on what its plans are at this point in time. And since you’re not the only one wondering if McDonald’s aims to release games and downloadable music in the future, we’ll keep an eye out for more details.
Filed under: Misc
Source: CNBC
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Walmart is now selling the iPhone 5C for less than a dollar
While Apple hasn’t formally announced the iPhone 6 yet, there’s few surer signs of an impending new model than a fire-sale to clear out existing stock. How’s $0.97 sound for an iPhone 5c in that case? For the next 90 days then, Walmart has your ticket and is discounting the colorful 16GB handset by just over $28. Cupertino’s same-size current flagship is dipping in price for the next three months too, but the end result doesn’t sound anywhere near as dramatic. The iPhone 5s is now $20 less expensive, going from $99 to $79. All of these prices are with a two year contract through AT&T, Sprint, US Cellular and Verizon. If you’d rather hold out for something new and likely much more expensive, well, September 9th is only a few weeks away.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
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Manipulating moths in the name of search, rescue and science
In case you needed any more proof that we live in the future, just know that we’re slowly inching toward the advent of remote-controlled, sensor-laden moths. (Moths, for the record, are constantly being tinkered with.) As it turns out, the rationale for creating a widespread network of connected, flying insects is more nuanced than just “Because we can.” North Carolina State University’s Dr. Alper Bozkurt says his team wants to know if they can steer moths through the air to help with search and rescue and post-disaster operations, and the first step toward getting there is sticking electrodes into moth pupae before they fully metamorphose. Alas, the team’s still a ways off from achieving their dream – at this point, those electrodes are used to wireless collect information about how moths uses their muscles to flutter through the air. Still, Bozkurt is hopeful that by gaining a better understand of how moths fly, the team will eventually be able to learn how to manipulate those muscles and convert a moth into a tiny living drone.
Via: ScienceDaily
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New Google Patent Shows Us a Better Design for Google Glass
For those out there that didn’t quite jump onto the Google Glass bandwagon due to them looking pretty stupid, a new patent was granted to Google for the very image you see above, showing us what the new design of Google Glass could look like. Certainly is a improvement from the first design, and as you can see from the image, the prism that users look at for their information, is now behind the right lens. It certainly adds to the “nerd glasses” look a lot of us wear, and once Google Glass finally hits the market, this design will probably do a lot better than the original design. Let us know what you think about this new design. Does this suit you? Or do you like the old design better?
Source: Droid-Life
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Robin Williams tribute characters found in World of Warcraft data
The passing of actor Robin Williams affected fans from all walks of life, but gamers made a special claim to his legacy. Williams was a game enthusiast and a known fan of games like Portal, The Legend of Zelda and World of Warcraft. Now, the creators of the latter title seem to be working on an in-game memorial for the actor: a NPC named “Robin <The Entertainer>.” Wowhead, a site that scours the game code for new additions, picked up three instances of the tribute in a recent update for the Warlords of Draenor beta build — a male human, a female human and, of course, a blue genie.
Blizzard hasn’t said anything about the new character data yet, but it’s a strong sign that an announcement is coming. When asked on Twitter if company had seen the online petition to memorialize Williams last week, one employee said “Yes. We’re taking care of it.” This, apparently is it, but don’t rush to log in — the character model might be in the game data, but that doesn’t mean this tribute NPC is actually in the game. Our colleagues at WoW Insider told us they haven’t located the character on live servers yet, and aren’t sure if the three character models represent three different tribute NPCs, or one that changes form. Still, it’s nice to see Blizzard (working on) tipping its hat to one of its most famous players.
Source: Twitter, Wowhead (1), (2), (3)
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AIVAnet 