Audubon says climate change could wipe out half of US birds by 2080
If you enjoy hunting, photographing or just watching birds, you may have to move to Canada in a few decades, according to Audubon. The venerated US conservation society just released interactive maps along with an article showing exactly how bird species across North America are menaced by man-made global warming. Following a seven-year study, the news isn’t great: many migratory birds could be extinct within 70 years, while others may leave their home states and provinces forever. Though the predictions are theoretical, Audubon‘s scientists took a conservative approach, ironically using modeling techniques common in farming and energy resource management. It stressed that “Audubon is not in the business of using scary language or going beyond what the science tells us,” but called the threat to bird species “urgent.”
As shown in the maps, America’s national bird, the bald eagle could lose almost 75 percent of its breeding lands by 2080. Meanwhile, the Mallard duck revered by hunters and birders might retain only 25 percent of its summer domain. (Check on your favorite species here.)
Despite the grim findings, Audubon did offer some hope. It said that the model found regional “strongholds” that will provide some safe harbors against climate change. It asked its members to share the maps and new science with others, adding that climate change is an “invisible menace” to birds and their habitats that crosses political boundaries. Meanwhile, if you’re hoping that global warming might be slowing down, think again: a UN report from yesterday showed that temperatures increased by one of the largest margins ever last year.
Filed under: Science
Via: Wired
Source: Audubon (1), (2)
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Hangouts can now take your Google Voice messages
Google Voice has only had a limited tie-in with Hangouts so far, but it now looks like the two are coming together in earnest. Android Police notes that you can now set up Hangouts to receive Google Voice text messages and voicemail, whether you’re on mobile or the desktop. Switch on the feature and you won’t have to jump between apps to deal with conversations based on where they came from. You may not want to migrate just yet, though — replies aren’t working perfectly at the moment, and it otherwise appears that Google flicked the switch a little early. There should be a Hangouts update soon, though, so those glitches might not stick around for much longer.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Virginia Mayo]
Via: The Next Web
Source: Android Police
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Accessory of the Day: 64GB Samsung MicroSD card $29.99
Running low on your device’s internal space? How does 64GB of Class 10 storage from a reputable brand like Samsung sound? With 48MB/s transfer speed and tremendous reviews, this memory card is basically a no-brainer–especially at only $29.99 (Prime eligible).
The post Accessory of the Day: 64GB Samsung MicroSD card $29.99 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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Intel Reference Design aims to deliver Android updates within two weeks of release
Intel wants to make it much easier for Android users to stay up to date with the latest platform releases. To do so, it has created a new Intel Reference Design Program for Android. Announced at IDF, the new program is a commitment to bringing Intel-based devices to market much easier. What’s more, the system will help streamline the process of getting updates out to customers in a much timelier manner.
“It’s exciting to see Intel bring their years of expertise in reference designs to Android… and speed up time-to-market for manufacturers…The result will be… devices… with an operating system that is up-to-date…offering a great overall user experience. – Hiroshi Lockheimer, VP of Engineering for Android, Google
According to Intel, any device shipped using the Intel Reference Design for Android will get updates within two weeks of an Android Open Source Project (AOSP) update. And, as if that’s not good enough, Intel is promising to support these devices for two years after launch.
Learn more at Intel’s Reference Design for Android at Intel’s blog.
The post Intel Reference Design aims to deliver Android updates within two weeks of release appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus vs Android: The flagship showdown
Apple has announced not one, but two new iPhones, which only means one thing – there are two new flagship smartphones that have been added to the mix of already stiff competition.
But which is the best device overall in terms of the numbers? Here we are breaking down all the specs into simple, matter of fact statements so you can see which flagship smartphone is the biggest, which is the lightest, which has the highest resolution display and which has the best camera.
Enter the usual suspects – Apple iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, HTC One (M8), Samsung Galaxy S5, LGG3 and Sony Xperia Z3 – and let the spec crunching begin.
Build
The Apple iPhone 6’s aluminium build measures 138.1 x 67 x 6.9mm and weighs 129g, while the iPhone 6 Plus measures 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm and hits the scales at 172g.
If you are looking for the lightest of all six devices, the Apple iPhone 6 is the winner, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S5 at 145g.
For those after the slimmest, both Apple iPhones are thinner than any of the Android competitors, with the Sony Xperia Z3 taking third place for its 7.3mm build.
The largest of the bunch is the iPhone 6 Plus at 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm and the most compact is the iPhone 6 at 138.1 x 67 x 6.9mm.
Display
You’ll find a 4.7-inch 1334 x 750 pixel resolution display on the Apple iPhone 6, and a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution on the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, which means a pixel density of 326ppi and 401ppi respectively.
The biggest display award goes to both the LG G3 and the Apple iPhone 6 Plus, both offering 5.5-inches.
LG mops up the sharpest display however, with its 2560 x 1440 resolution providing a pixel density of 534ppi.
All the other Android smartphones offer a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution.
The smallest display is Apple’s iPhone 6, which is 0.3-inches smaller than the next contender, and also the lowest resolution and ppi.
Processor
The Apple iPhone 6 and Apple iPhone 6 Plus both feature the company’s latest A8 processor on board with 64-bit architecture, supporting the 64-bit software of iOS 8. It has the M8 coprocessor to handle motion.
Android is not 64-bit yet, which is lucky as none of the flagship Android devices support it.
All of the Android devices have a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor under the hood but the Sony Xperia Z3 has the most RAM at 3GB.
Comparing the devices like for like is very difficult: with undisclosed hardware from Apple, and different operating systems, there’s no easy way to measure them on the spec sheet.
Camera
When it comes to camera, the Apple iPhone 6 and Apple iPhone 6 Plus both feature an 8-megapixel rear snapper and a 1.2-megapixel front snapper.
If you arbitrarily want highest number of pixels on the rear camera, you’ll want the Sony XperiaZ3 with its 20.7-megapixel sensor.
If you are a selfie snapper, then you’ll want the HTC One (M8) for the best front camera with its 5-megapixel offering.
This is the fiercest battleground of all, but we’d expect the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to be strong performers with the latest tech they are offering including HDR selfies. That’s not to say they will win though, we suspect the camera battle to be the hardest fought.
Battery
The Apple iPhone 6 comes with a better battery than the iPhone 5S and Apple claims it will offer 14 hours talk time and 240 hours standby, while the Apple iPhone 6 Plus is said to provide 24 hours talk time and 384 hours standby. Apple hasn’t disclosed the battery capacity, however.
For the biggest battery capacity, the Sony Xperia Z3 wins the group at 3100mAh, which means the longest standby too at 740 hours.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 and the LG G3 fight for the most amount of talk time though, both claiming up to 21 hours.
For audio playback, you’re answer is the Sony Xperia Z3 again with up to 130 hours of music playback.
The smallest battery capacity is the HTC One (M8) at 2600mAh and 496 hours standby.
Storage
Apple doesn’t offer microSD support but its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will come in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB storage capacities.
This means Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus offers the biggest internal storage options.
All the Android flagships have microSD slots for storage expansion up to 128GB, but typically offer 16 or 32GB storage.
Features
The Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus has iOS 8 on board, which means a whole host of new features but its most unique offering is Apple Pay, which is launching initially in the US.
In terms of unique features for the Android handsets, the HTC One (M8) has a Duo Camera that captures depth of field information, the Samsung Galaxy S5 brings a heart sensor to the mix, theLG G3 uses laser focusing and the Sony Xperia Z3 is waterproof and lets you play PS4 games.
Prices
The new iPhone 6 will start at £539 for 16GB. The iPhone 6 Plus will start from £619 (16GB).
The cheapest SIM free handset on our panel of Android flagships is the LG G3, at £479 (16GB), which is the most affordable overall.
The iPhone 6 Plus is the most expensive and ironically has the same size display as the LG G3.
Conclusion
It depends what is most important to you as to which of the usual suspects will win you over, but if you just take them all on number value and nothing else … this is how it goes down.
The smallest, lightest and slimmest phone is the new Apple iPhone 6.
The biggest display is shared between the LG G3 and the Apple iPhone 6 Plus, but the sharpest display is the LG G3.
The highest resolution rear camera is the Sony Xperia Z3 and the best front camera is the HTCOne (M8).
The biggest battery capacity is the Sony Xperia Z3.
The most internal storage goes to Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but all the Android devices offer microSD card support.
The most affordable device is the LG G3 at £479.
And that friends, are the tech specs crunched.
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If you text and drive, Long Island will revoke your phone priveleges
A Long Island district country attorney wants drivers caught texting (or just using their phones, in general) behind the wheel to understand the gravity of what they’ve done. So, she’s proposed a five-point plan that includes installing auto-shutdown software on offenders’ phones and the use of hardware like breathalyzers that can disable gadgets when they start driving. In fact, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice already wrote to Google, Apple, Microsoft and even Blackberry, asking them to incorporate third-party apps that help prohibit distracted driving to their devices. The idea is for their phones to come with “kill switches” out of the box, as texting while driving has been a serious issue for the past years. Also, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a phone-addicted driver’s just as dangerous as someone who’s had four alcoholic drinks.
Other than that, Rice has talked to the sentencing court to recommend technologies like ignition locks that can be installed on offenders’ cars. She hasn’t decided on the exact apps and hardware to use just yet, but her people are apparently looking at possible candidates at the moment. Needless to say, if you live on Long Island, you may want to start weaning yourself off browsing Facebook and messaging friends while you drive.
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Filed under: Cellphones
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Long Island
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iPhone 5s and 5c get a £100 price drop
Not really interested in Apple’s new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus? How about a smaller iPhone with an even smaller price tag? That’s exactly what’s on the table after Apple cut the price of an unlocked iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c by £100 each following yesterday’s event. That means can now pick up a 16GB or 32GB iPhone 5s for £459 or £499 respectively, while the price of the more colourful iPhone 5c (8GB) has dropped to £319. Although the Apple Watch won’t be available until the new year, the company has said iPhones from the 5c up will support the new wearable, meaning you won’t miss out if you decide later that you want a smaller screen on your wrist.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Source: Apple Store
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‘Madden NFL 15’ update will remove Ray Rice after indefinite suspension
After another video of an incident between he and his then-fiancée surfaced Monday, the Baltimore Ravens cut star running back Ray Rice. Now, he’ll be removed from Madden NFL 15, too. EA Sports has confirmed that it plans to nix Rice from the Ravens depth chart with a pending update, and that the player won’t be available as a free agent either. “With Ray Rice’s indefinite suspension from the NFL, he will be removed from Madden NFL 15,” EA told us in a statement. “This roster change will take place by this Friday.” Rice had already been suspended by the NFL for two games based on footage that surfaced over the summer showing him dragging an unconscious woman from a hotel elevator. The latest revelation from TMZ (warning: graphic) showed him punching his now wife during the altercation in Atlantic City. This has become common practice for EA as it removed Aaron Hernandez from Madden NFL 25 and NCAA 14 last summer following his arrest for first-degree murder. Nike has also nixed Rice’s endorsement deal, and the Ravens are allowing fans to return jerseys to the team’s stores.
[Photo credit: John Grieshop/Getty Images]
Via: @MikeGarafolo
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Super high-quality music streaming is coming to your Sonos speakers thanks to Deezer
As a rule, streaming internet music has meant settling for lower-quality compressed audio. That’s a bit of a disservice to pricier audio setups like Sonos’ speaker line, don’t you think? Apparently, Deezer agrees. It just launched Deezer Elite, a new subscription option that pipes lossless, FLAC-encoded tunes solely to Sonos devices. Provided you have the right equipment, you’ll hear truer-to-life songs without having to download full-fledged copies to your computer or mobile devices.
Like the notion of pristine streaming? The service is available in the US today, and starts at $10 per month if you’re willing to commit to a year. Otherwise, you’re paying $20 on a month-to-month basis. At the yearly rate, you might see the allure over the good-but-not-great 320Kbps audio quality of rivals like Spotify. With that said, Deezer Elite only really makes sense if you have nicer Sonos gear, like the Play:5 or dual Play:3 units — you’re probably not going to notice the difference on an entry-level Play:1 sitting in the kitchen.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Deezer, Sonos Blog
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US carriers are bringing their tap-to-pay wallet to the iPhone 6
Don’t worry that Apple Pay will be the only game in town for tap-to-pay shopping on your iPhone 6. The carriers behind Softcard (aka Isis) have revealed that they’re working with Apple to bring their NFC-based payment system to newer iPhones sometime in 2015. While you’ll need a Softcard-aware SIM card in your phone for this to work, you hopefully won’t have to slap a bulky case on your device this time around. It’s doubtful that this solution will work as elegantly as Apple Pay, which doesn’t even require that you launch an app, but it should let you purchase with your iPhone in considerably more places.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile
Source: Isis
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AIVAnet 