Engadget giveaway: win an HTC One M8 courtesy of MapHook!
Albums worth of photos and scattered receipts may serve as breadcrumbs when you’re trying to revisit your travels, but they’re far from an ideal solution. MapHook has an alternative, though, with its free Android and iOS app that lets you tag your stops on a map, add photos, video and notes about what you saw and even share the trip with close friends or the general public. Not only can you get insights from other travelers, but MapHook is also powered by sources like Yelp, Foursquare, Wikipedia, Groupon and more. You’ll have tips, deals and details on local hot spots and points of interest to enhance your adventure. To help one lucky Engadget reader get started, MapHook has even provided a new HTC One M8. All you need to do is head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning. It’ll go a long way towards helping you remember that place you went that one time.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winners will receive one (1) HTC One M8 (Grey, 32GB, unlocked).
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. MapHook, HTC and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until September 3rd at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Filed under: Announcements, HTC
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Now TV comes to the Chromecast
Ever since Now TV launched, subscribers have cried out for Sky to include support for more streaming devices. Today, the company answered some of its critics by announcing that it’s built Chromecast functionality into its Now TV apps on both iOS and Android. If you own one of Google’s £30 streaming dongles, you’ll now be able to beam movies, TV shows and sports coverage over to your big screen by simply hitting the new Chromecast icon inside the updated apps. While Sky knows today’s launch will give customers less of an incentive to buy its £10 Now TV set-top box, it hopes it’ll be able to lure new subscribers to the service as it battles Netflix and Amazon for a share of the UK streaming market.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google
Via: The Next Web
Source: Now TV (App Store), (Google Play)
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You can now unplug Sonos kit from the router
Sonos has made a name for itself as a wireless home audio system. The problem is — up until today — that you still needed to plug something into the router (one of your speakers, or a “Bridge” device). What’s new today? Sonos has come good on its promise, letting you drop that pesky “last cable” — ignoring power leads, of course — completely (excluding Sonos 3.1 and 5.1 cinema setups). The update means you can set up your Sonos system on your home WiFi network just like your phone, TV or anything else. Via the mobile app, punch in the credentials, and let all your Sonos speakers sort themselves out. You’re still encouraged to use a Bridge if you have multiple devices and want to guarantee a more robust connection between them, though. Which brings us neatly on to “Boost,” a new souped-up hub, that Sonos has announced it’ll introduce later this year for “the most challenging home WiFi environments” — paradoxically, that’s probably baller-style cribs and basement conversions alike. No word on price for Boost, but depending where how you live, you might not want to chuck that CAT5 just yet. Read in for instructions on testing this with your existing set-up (don’t just pull the cable).
From Sonos:
Please note, if you are already a Sonos user, and immediately unplug your Bridge, your system will stop working.
If you would like to test the bridge-free option an existing system, you’ll need to do the following:
1) Update the app; 2) With the BRIDGE still plugged in, select BRIDGE SETUP in your Settings; 3) Follow the steps described in the app; 4) Once these steps have been followed you will be able to unplug the BRIDGE and test this simpler setup without the need to reset your system. You can then plug the BRIDGE back in at any time and switch back to ‘Standard Setup’ as you wish.
Filed under: Wireless
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Uber banned across Germany
Despite putting the brakes on injunctions in both Berlin and Hamburg, Uber has once again felt the effects of a ban, but this time it’s effective on a national level. Earlier today, a court in Frankfurt ruled that the car-hailing service doesn’t have the necessary permits or insurance under German law. Despite facing a potential €250,000 fine for each unsanctioned journey and the risk that its directors could face time behind bars, Uber says the ban is unenforceable and has pledged to continue picking up passengers while it launches an appeal. Industry body Taxi Deutschland is happy with the ruling, though, describing Uber as a “form of locust share-economy” and also adding that smartphone ratings should not replace proper accreditation by authorities. The ruling comes just days after the company announced its intention to double capacity in the country by year-end. Despite today’s court action hanging over its head, even the threat of a national ban doesn’t appear to have distracted Uber from meeting its goal.
Filed under: Transportation, Internet
Source: Uber Blog
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Netflix teams up with Facebook to make recommending movies faster
Man, [insert movie name here] on Netflix was awesome, wasn’t it? Plenty of thoughtful action with just a smidge of the sappy stuff, and it didn’t feel too ham-fisted either. As it turns out, Netflix doesn’t just want you to recommend the film to your friends next time you see them — the company teamed up with Facebook (again) so you can spread the good word just as soon as the show is over. The new sharing feature just went live today on just about nearly every platform that matters, including the Netflix site itself, iOS devices, PS3, Xbox, and a whole of host unspecified set-top boxes and smart TVs. Sorry Android fanatics, we’re sure your time will come soon. In typical Netflix fashion, the process is pretty unobtrusive, too: once you’ve connected your Facebook and Netflix accounts, you’ll able to choose exactly which friends your recommendation goes out to. If they opted to link their accounts in the same way, they’ll get a notification the next time the log into Netflix; otherwise it gets routed to them in the form of a Facebook message. It’s a shame Troll 2 isn’t available anymore, because we’d probably go a little nuts recommending it to everyone.
Source: Netflix Blog
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Imagination Technologies to ARM: anything you can do, our new chips can do better
Despite Intel’s best efforts, ARM remains the undisputed king of the mobile world, but another chip design house, just 51 miles down the road, is hoping to change that. Imagination Technologies, the outfit famous for its PowerVR mobile graphics tech, wants to knock its better-known rival off its perch with a new 64-bit MIPS chip. The Warrior I6400 promises to be a low-power, high-performance CPU for smartphones, tablets and internet of things devices that, the company claims, has the “technical superiority” over its competition. Since Android L will support silicon of this kind, Imagination is hoping that smartphone manufacturers will consider ditching ARM chips in favor of the plucky challenger. What does this mean for the consumer? Hopefully, faster devices, less power drain and a whole new topic where people can argue the merits of one architecture against the other.
Filed under: Cellphones
Source: Imagination Technologies
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Epson dives into fitness wearables with heart and run trackers
How do you know when wrist-worn technology is officially a trend? When a company best known for its printers gets in on the action. As promised, Epson is launching its first wrist-based wearables, and they’re all about improving your fitness. Each line delivers a slight twist on a familiar formula. The Runsense GPS watch range (shown above) can track your running even it loses signal thanks to stride sensors on some models, and lasts for a healthy 30 hours of continuous tracking; you may not need to recharge for days. The Pulsense line, meanwhile, monitors your heart rate, activity and sleep quality using a blend of optical and motion sensors. You theoretically never have to take the tracker off, although the 36-hour battery suggests you’ll be doing that quite often.
Both the Pulsense and Runsense gear will share data with your smartphone. The Pulsense line is split between the $129 (£130) PS-100, with a basic LED display, and the $199 (£170) PS-500, which adds a data-rich LCD and USB syncing. The Runsense series starts off with the basic SF-310 at £150; you’ll need to spend £190 on the SF-510 to get the stride sensor and tap commands, and the £230 SF-710 adds training functions, altitude info and a vibration alert. You can pick up a Pulsense in both American and European stores this month. Runsense watches are due in European shops at the same time, although there’s no word on their US availability so far.
Source: Epson (UK), (US)
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Sony’s next smartphone-mounted camera will let you change lenses
If you’re looking to be the king of Instagram, Sony’s about to give you the ultimate smartphone weapon, judging by a leak from Xperia Blog. The site posted several purported images of the Sony ILCE-QX1, a lens camera system that’d work with interchangeable E-Mount style lenses. Sony’s niche-oriented lens camera lineup is currently fixed-lens only with the QX10 and QX100 models. The QX100, for instance, is based on Sony’s fantastic RX100 camera and priced for serious smartphone photographers at $500. Assuming the rumor pans out, the QX1 would have an even larger APS-C (26.7mm) sensor and take compatible E-Mount lenses. There are no other specs, but as before, we’d expect that your smartphone will control the QX1 and capture images from it, with a mount that adapts to a wide variety of handsets. It’ll also likely have a built-in memory card. There’s no pricing yet, but as a rule, interchangeable-lens cameras are usually more expensive than fixed-lens models. Then again, Sony tends to break that rule.
Source: Xperia Blog
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Digitsole’s smart insoles keep your tootsies warm as you walk
Most people believe that wrist-worn wearables are technology’s next frontier, but only one company that we know of has thought about our feet. Today, that number increases to two, now that Digitsole has announced an interactive insole that’s designed to heat your feet. Connecting to your smartphone over Bluetooth 4.0, you use the companion app for iOS or Android to set the temperature to a maximum of 40 C/104 F. Of course, no piece of wearable technology is complete without some sort of activity tracking, so in addition to keeping your little piggies warm, the smart insoles will monitor the distance that you’ve walked and the calories that you’ve burned.
Hardware-wise, we’re looking at an insole weighing around 3.5 ounces, with a Neotech heel, which is good for preventing vibration, and a Poron sole that we’re told is a good shock absorber. The battery is sandwiched inside, charges over microUSB and has a rated life of between 7 hours and a few days, depending on use. Unfortunately, you can’t buy Digitsole at the Sharper Image, at least not yet, and instead will have to buy one through Kickstarter. Super early-bird users will be able to get a pair for $100, while Johnny-come-lateleys will rue their cold feet (geddit?) after spending $150.
Filed under: Wearables
Source: Kickstarter
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Photos show the Xperia Z3 Compact is (another) chip off the old block
To say that Sony’s Xperia devices have become a bit… “samey” would be an understatement. If the picture above is anything to go by, don’t expect that trend to change any time soon. The snaps (more at the source) show what is claimed to be the Xperia Z3 Compact. It’s worth noting that would mean the Z2 Compact got skipped altogether here in the west (we loved the Z1 Compact though, so all forgiven). Other than the fact it’s nigh on the same design, all the photos tell us is that there are some new mint and… orangey-pinky-red color schemes coming. Ausdroid (who sourced the pics) claims it was also tipped that the Z3 Compact will have a 4.6-inch screen, 2.5GHz (Snapdragon 801) processor and that now Xperia-standard 20.7-megapixel camera. So, what’s more appealing? A gentle bump in spec, or the snazzy new hues? We’ll find out for sure once we get hands on at IFA this week.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Via: Xperia Blog
Source: Ausdroid
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AIVAnet 