NASA panel says Curiosity needs to drive less and drill more
NASA is not getting its money’s worth of Curiosity, according to a review panel looking at seven planetary missions. The senior scientists criticized the nuclear-powered Mars rover, saying it needed to take more than the eight drill samples scheduled for the rest of its mission. It added that Curiosity has done too much driving (which has severely damaged the wheels) and peripheral activities like searching for clouds. As a result, it rated the rover lowest of the seven missions reviewed, despite the fact that it cost the most. Meanwhile, the Jupiter Cassini mission, which has produced a spectacular cache of images and scientific data, received the highest rating and will be extended at least three years. Despite the ranking, Curiosity was still graded “very good” and all seven missions will retain their funding. That includes the indefatigable Opportunity rover, still trucking after a decade.
Filed under: Science
Via: io9
Source: Science Mag
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Send SMS with your Android smartphone from any device with EndlessJabber (Review)
For years, one of the things I’ve always wanted was an easy way to be able to send text messages while on different devices, especially my laptop or desktop computer. This is one of the main reasons why services like Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts have always been my go to messenger services since I could just pickup where I left off chatting, whether I was on my desktop at work, laptop at home, tablet or my smartphone.
While I’ve tried a few apps in the past, none were perfect. One of the first that I remember trying many years ago was Koush’s DeskSMS, which to me, wasn’t as reliable and didn’t have as nice an interface as EndlessJabber does.
“To setup the app, it’s extremely simple. All you have to do is head to their website, www.endlessjabber.com, and click install, which will take you to Google Play where you can download the app on your Android smartphone. On your smartphone, go through the setup on the app, which the company says, “takes just 1 tap.” All you’re doing here is connecting the app to your Google account and granting the app access to your text messages, which will then sync all of your text messages to the app. Although they recommend using EvolveSMS from Klinker Apps, whom they partnered with, it works fine with other SMS apps, such as Google Hangouts, my default SMS app. With that done, all you need to do is go to www.endlessjabber.com/web on any other device and sign in to your Google account, then you can chat just as you would on your smartphone but through this web interface seen below.
All of the text messages on your device will show up when you head to the web interface. Besides just sending messages, you are able to attach photos from the current device you’re using to the SMS, view all your contacts on your smartphone, view a Gallery of photos you’ve been texted and view statistics such as how many texts you’re sending in a day, who you’re texting the most, etc. EndlessJabber will also tell you the current time and how much juice is left in your phone’s battery, just so you can be sure it doesn’t die on you.
The app is very well polished and I think the only issue I noticed is that emoticons didn’t always show up as pictures as they would on your smartphone. They would show up while accessing the web interface on Mozilla Firefox, but didn’t always show up in Google Chrome, although they were unique ones like beer mugs and fireworks. It would also be nice if you were able to access the gallery on your smartphone, but that’s not a deal breaker at all.
EndlessJabber also has a few extras that I wanted to mention. Along with the Android app and web interface, EndlessJabber also has Chrome and Firefox Extensions which will give you a notification whenever you receive a message so you don’t always have to be on that tab to see the messages you receive.
One of the best things about the app is that it is free to use, unlike DeskSMS that was about $5 a year. Although I didn’t get to test it out, there is a paid version of the app, EndlessJabber Pro, that’s $1.99 a month after a free 7 day. It extends the experience with some “pro” features including JabberMode that enables you to instantly send and receive SMS messages by bypassing the free Google Cloud Messaging infrastructure, Search, so you can search for a specific text or bit of info you received, themes, the ability to schedule texts in advance to send at a later time, more analytics as well as XMPP integration to use it with other chat clients such as Pidgin and Trillian, among other features.
One last thing, EndlessJabber is currently seeking to raise funds through Kickstarter to help its app grow, since they are a small startup. Check out the campaign here.They note that funds from the campaign will be used to determine the appropriate marketing strategy to achieve their goals, find an appropriate marketing firm and execute on the marketing strategy. If you do decide to contribute, you can get nice rewards such as EndlessJabber Pro subscriptions, visibility on their site and social networks and even a t-shirt. Some of these rewards are pretty nice, especially since most will give you a discount on a pro subscription.
If EndlessJabber sounds like something you’ve been waiting for, don’t hesitate to check it out! If you need a little more help using EndlessJabber, here’s more info on their blog.
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T-Mobile: We have the best trade-in prices around, guaranteed
T-Mobile on Monday announced a new guarantee for prospective customers looking to trade in their old devices. According to the Un-carrier, they will offer the best trade-in value for used devices. So confident are they that they’ll give you $50 if you find a better deal elsewhere.
When that new superphone’s price is the same everywhere you go, the difference in your final cost comes down to the trade-in value of your old phone,” said Mike Sievert, chief marketing officer for T-Mobile. “Now when you’re ready to upgrade – it’s a no brainer where to find the best value– the Un-carrier. Guaranteed.
How does it work? Easy, you trade in your old phone or tablet and get your credit from T-Mobile. If you find something better from another wireless provider in the next seven days you can call T-Mobile or visit their website to tell them what you found and where. If it’s lower, T-Mobile will give refund the difference and give you a $50 credit. The money is applied as a bill credit within 2-3 bill cycles.
This guarantee, unfortunately, is only for a limited time. Set to take effect on September 17, it’s not immediately clear how long it will last.
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Instant for Android Wear: Instagram lovers rejoice! You can now browse through your feed without getting out your phone [‘Watch’ This App]
If you like so many of us are an Instagram addict and lament the fact that there’s no good Instagram app for smartwatches, then get excited because Instant for Android Wear has come to the rescue. Gone are the days of having to pull out our phones whenever we want to scroll endlessly through our… Read more »
The post Instant for Android Wear: Instagram lovers rejoice! You can now browse through your feed without getting out your phone [‘Watch’ This App] appeared first on SmarterWatching.
Read the rest at SmarterWatching.com!
The post Instant for Android Wear: Instagram lovers rejoice! You can now browse through your feed without getting out your phone ['Watch' This App] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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Amazon Fire Phone hits $0.99 on a new two-year contract
Amazon teased us all pretty well with the Amazon Fire Phone back in June. The rumors leading up to the device had been on going for years. When Amazon finally did announce it, many of us were fairly surprised. I know I was excepting them to bring out a phone with some interesting specs and make it in the $300 range unlocked and off contract. Needless to say that bubble was burst pretty quick. Since its launch the Fire Phone hasn’t become the sales generating machine that I think Amazon was hoping it would become. According to The Guardian late in August, the Fire Phone had only sold about 35,000 units. However, Chief Executive Jeff Bezos says the Fire Phone is here for the long-haul.
In a press release this morning Amazon announced a substantial sale for the Fire phone that we generally see near the end-of-life of a device, or shortly before a follow-up device gets announced. Right now you can get a Fire Phone through Amazon for just $0.99 on a new two-year contract. Don’t forget, the Fire Phone is only available for AT&T, and could be another reason sales aren’t phenomenal. I’ll leave that topic for another day though.
“Fire is now 99 cents with a two-year contract, plus customers get one full year of Prime included,” said Ian Freed, Vice President, Amazon Devices. “With access to all of the Prime content, Mayday, 32GB of memory and free unlimited cloud storage for photos, plus the exclusive Dynamic Perspective and Firefly features, Fire is another example of the value Amazon delivers to customers.”
The $0.99 price tag is only for the 32Gb variant of the device. If you are looking to score the 64GB variant you are looking a bit more, but still a lot less than it was, at $99.99. I am sure it will trigger a few curious buyers, are you going to be one of them? Hit up the links below to go grab one if you are.
Amazon Fire Phone, 32GB (AT&T)
Amazon Fire Phone, 64GB (AT&T)
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The post Amazon Fire Phone hits $0.99 on a new two-year contract appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
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Lithium Card: Hyper-fast charging that fits in your wallet $39.99 [Deal of the Day]
Who hasn’t been out and about when that dreaded low-battery indicator begins blinking and sucks the life out of whatever you were previously engaged in? Leave the action-hero life of feverishly analyzing your surroundings for the nearest electrical outlet behind and throw some portable power in your pocket!
The Lithium Card is a wallet-sized charging solution that’s roughly the thickness of 5 credit cards. Employing HyperCharging technology, the Lithium Card allows you to refill your device at the rate of about one-percent per minute. With 1200mAh of capacity and an ultra-thin design, the Lithium Card could be the new must-have for every wallet or purse. LinearFlux has slashed the price by 27 percent which means AndroidGuys readers can snag this for just $39.99.
Check this deal out, and many others at deals.androidguys.com!
The post Lithium Card: Hyper-fast charging that fits in your wallet $39.99 [Deal of the Day] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the Selfie Brush
Imagine waking up one day, wondering what you’d have done with your life if you hadn’t listened to your parents and gone into the family hairbrush business. “Everyone needs hairbrushes,” they said, waggling a warning finger at your infant face, “it’s a stable job, and it’s not as if you’re going to be a Hollywood actor, eh?” they’d add. The only downside to this, of course, is that every day of your life is the same because, after all, every hairbrush that could have been invented has already been invented.
Then, one day you listen to the song Selfie by The Chainsmokers, and all of a sudden a bolt of inspiration hits you. Selfies are, by their very nature, an act of vanity, so why wouldn’t people want to fix their hair before immortalizing themselves on Instagram? Furiously, you run downstairs to your basement design lab and, after a month of sleepless nights, using a coffee can as an impromptu latrine and emaciated from a lack of food, you emerge with the Selfie Brush.
Retailing for $20, the Selfie Brush is an iPhone case with a difference, because it’s also, you know, a brush. On one side, there’s the bristles, and on the other, a sleeve that’ll accept your smartphone so that when it comes time to take a picture, you can ensure that your hair is perfectly de-touseled. There’s even a mirror that runs down the side of the iPhone slot that you can use, assuming that the preview window on the device itself is somehow not to your taste.
You know what? I’m done. I’m just done.
Filed under: Cellphones, Apple
Via: Mashable
Source: Selfie Brush
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Amazon’s new Drone Store caters to all your robotic needs
Amazon is apparently an even bigger fan of robotic vehicles than we first thought. The online retailer has just launched the Drone Store, a section dedicated solely to these remote-controlled machines. Besides selling you vehicles and accessories from the likes of DJI and Parrot, the storefront also includes buyers’ guides, flying tips and previews of hardware coming down the pipeline. Frankly, Amazon is being a bit optimistic here — most of the nicer offerings in the mini-shop aren’t exactly impulse purchases, even if you’re a veteran pilot. Still, this should be one of the better ways to get started with drones if you’d rather not scour the whole internet looking for advice.
Source: Amazon Drone Store
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‘Destiny’ launches tomorrow — watch us play it live today!
The folks who created Halo have a new game, Destiny, and it launches tomorrow on both last-gen and current Xbox and PlayStation consoles. While that prospect might be enough for some folks, there are no doubt many more of you unsure if Destiny is worth your ducats. Thankfully, the game’s servers are online one day early and we’ve got a PlayStation 4 copy handy to give it a live run before it’s officially available tonight at midnight (via retail and for pre-load on current-gen consoles). Join us for a jaunt through the next big online game from Bungie Studios, just beyond the break. And bring your best Peter Dinklage impersonation!
Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony, Microsoft
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Twitter’s ‘Buy’ button is finally ready for public testing
It’s no secret that Twitter’s been working on a way for you buy junk straight from tweets, and the company is finally ready to talk about it in public. You see, in the days and weeks to come, you might see “Buy” buttons embedded in tweets from Home Depot, Pharell and Burberry (no, really) as you poke around in Twitter’s mobile app. Tapping that button will take you straight to you a checkout page where you can either punch in your credit card info or call forth the payment data you’ve already stored with Twitter. If everything goes the Twitter probably wants it to, we may soon be looking at a service that’s just as much about commerce as it is about content. That’ll be great for Twitter’s bottom line, but the jury’s still out on how regular folks’ll take it — some of them are already a little miffed about some of the timeline changes may already be coming barreling down the pipeline.
Source: Twitter
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AIVAnet 