Torque aims to unseat “OK Google” in Android Wear
Summoning the mighty G from you smart device can be frustrating at times, I mean why do we have to blurt out those two magic words “OK Google” just to ask a question. For once a company not overly known for innovating ideas seem to have found the solution, Microsoft have been working quietly in… Read more »
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Nexus Player rumored to arrive in Europe next year
According to a report published online earlier today, Google’s recently-announced Nexus Player won’t be making its way to Europe until the first quarter of 2015, even though the device will be launching in the United States next Monday, November 3.
The rationale behind the decision to delay the European launch until next year is not that Google can’t produce enough units to serve other markets, but is, in fact, because it wants to ensure that there is plenty of content available for International customers.
Industry insiders claim that Google is working in partnership with local services in the UK, such as Netflix, Now TV, Spotify and BBC iPlayer to develop exclusive, “optimized” applications for the device, in addition signing deals with all of the necessary service providers.
Recent rumors suggest that the Nexus Player will retail for approximately €99 ($125) in Europe and will definitely touchdown in Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the UK before the end of March 2015. It will be available through the Play Store and from several independent retailers.
Source: Techtastic
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Motorola smartphone users can now track the status of their Android 5.0 upgrade
Motorola has just launched a new webpage that notifies owners of the Moto X, Moto G, Moto E, Droid Maxx, Droid Mini and Droid Ultra of the status of their much-anticipated Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade.
Currently, the tracker states that all the above-mentioned smartphones have been “confirmed” to receive the Lollipop update, but none of them have entered the development stage as of yet.
Hit the source link below to view the “Software Tracker” over on the Motorola website.
Source: Motorola
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How to stop notification cards from covering your Android Wear watch face
Upon receiving the 4.4W.2 update on my G Watch, I noticed that notification cards weren’t appearing on my watch face anymore. Of course, I could still see them if I swiped up. The way I was expecting it to work was that the most recent notification card would appear over my watch face, but the update would now allow me to swipe down, thus removing it from my watch face, but not clearing it. I immediately posted on Google+, but nobody knew what was going on.
Turns out that Google made a change to the Android Wear app that controls this. In previous versions of the Android Wear app, there was a setting for, “Hide cards on dimmed screen.” This would simply hide your most recent notification card from the “Always On” or Ambient Screen,” but it would still show up when your watch face lit up. With the latest update to the app (1.0.2.1534065), that setting becomes “Card Preview.” Putting the terminology aside, both the old and new version of this setting operate exactly the same. Here’s how they work.
Assuming you have the 4.4.W.2 update on your watch, open your Android Wear app and tap on the double gears icon at the top right to open the Settings. If you still have the older version of the app (1.0.2.1476973), you will see “Hide cards on dimmed screen.” Tap on that and you will have two choices: Always show or Always hide. If you choose Always show, you will see notification cards on both the “Always On” (or Ambient Screen for Moto 360) display and the fully active waked display. You can still swipe down on the notification card when your display is awake, revealing your full watch face. However, if you would rather there be no notification card ever on the watch face, you can select Always hide. You won’t see notification cards on either the “Always On” display or the the waked display. You can still swipe up to see all your notifications, plus new incoming notifications will always appear on your watch face for a few seconds just like before.
If you have Android Wear 1.0.2.1534065 or higher, you will get the same exact feature, just with different terminology. Just open the Android Wear app and tap on the double gears icon at the top right to open the Settings. You will now see “Card Preview.” Tapping on that will give you two choices: Watch face sets card preview or None. Selecting Watch face sets card preview will show notification cards on both the “Always On” display as well as the fully active display. Just like with the previous version of Android Wear, you will still be able to swipe down on the most recent notification card, revealing your full watch face. If you instead select None, you won’t see notification cards on either the “Always On” display or when the display is waked. You will still be able to swipe up to see all your notification cards, and you will still see new incoming notifications for a few seconds.
For whatever reason Google made this an all or nothing proposition. I would imagine some people might not mind notification cards on the active display, but not on the “Always On” display, which is exactly how it was before the 4.4W.2 update. However, there is no option for that at this time.
I put together a video showing you how both versions of the app works……
Click here to view the embedded video.
I hope this guide helped you. If I missed anything, please let me know in the comments.
source: Android Police
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Wells Fargo Enticing Users to Try Apple Pay With $10-$20 Credits
While some merchants are pushing back against Apple’s new Apple Pay mobile payment service as they work on their own competing solution, banks are putting their weight behind Apple’s solution that seeks to streamline the current experience of using a credit or debit card.
In an effort to encourage users to adopt Apple Pay, Wells Fargo has just launched a program offering credits of up to $20 just for trying out the service. Wells Fargo credit card users can receive one-time $20 credits, while debit and prepaid card users can receive $10 credits simply by using their iPhone 6 or 6 Plus to complete an Apple Pay purchase on their cards through November 30.
Credit card customers will receive $20 credits on their statements within 1-2 billing cycles, while debit and prepaid customers will receive $10 credits on their linked Wells Fargo checking accounts within 45 days.
Banks have been strong supporters of Apple Pay, as the Touch ID authentication offers improved security over traditional credit cards, reducing fraudulent purchases for which banks assume responsibility. Apple does take a small cut of transactions processed using Apple Pay, but that amount appears to be a worthwhile tradeoff for these banks.
(Thanks, Matthew!)
New Version of Outlook for Mac Leaked in Screenshots, Release Date Still Unclear
Earlier this year, rumors suggested that Microsoft was preparing to launch a new version of Office for Mac in 2014, and now images of what is said to be a new version of Outlook have surfaced on Chinese site cnBeta [Google Translate], suggesting Microsoft is drawing closer to releasing updated Mac Office software.
Depicting “Outlook for Mac 16,” the images show a new version of Outlook that’s been updated with a new OS X Yosemite-style look, adopting translucent menu elements and a flatter overall design. The interface takes on a “simple, modern style,” according to cnBeta, which is “more intuitive” and it includes support for Retina displays much like Office 2011 for Mac.
The design is said to be more unified with both the Windows version of Office and the iPad version, making it easier to switch between platforms. The new Office for Mac and Outlook for Mac are said to take advantage of cloud file sharing, allowing users to swap between devices and to collaborate on projects. It’s also much simpler to share documents with an entire team and Outlook for Mac will integrate with OS X Yosemite’s Notification Center.
Microsoft’s last major Office for Mac release came in October of 2010, more than four years ago, and there’s been little information about an updated version of the software since then.
A presentation given earlier this year by Thorsten Hübschen, Business Group Lead at Microsoft Germany, suggested that Microsoft would debut a new version of its Office productivity suite for the Mac in 2014, and a Microsoft representative later confirmed that employees were “hard at work” on the next version of Office for Mac.
But with this leaked version of Outlook reportedly carrying the version 16 label and Microsoft only nearing a public preview of Office 16 for Windows ahead of a launch next year, the company’s plans are somewhat unclear. Mac versions of Office typically follow their Windows counterparts by only a few months, but it has been two years since the launch of Office 2013 for Windows (version 15) and a corresponding Mac version has yet to appear.
Cast your vote for the next crowd-selected Kindle books
Similar its original series’ pilot season, Amazon is opening up its Kindle publishing arm to crowd voting. The so-called Kindle Scout program allows you to peruse portions of unpublished works before nominating worthy pieces for proper e-reader release. If you’re looking to lend a hand with the vetting process, voting is now open for submissions that span sci-fi, romance, mystery and other genres. After a 30-day nomination window, the folks at Amazon will review the tallies before picking what gets made into a Kindle edition. In return for backing a chosen author, you’ll get the published book for free one week before it releases for the masses to download. Not too shabby.
Filed under: Amazon
Source: Amazon
Office 365 subscribers are getting unlimited OneDrive storage
Last week’s earnings report highlighted how Microsoft is doing quite well, and it has Office 365 to thank for some of its success during the last financial quarter. And now the company is about to make things better for people who subscribe to the productivity suite. Microsoft’s going to start giving Office 365 Home, Personal and University customers free unlimited storage with OneDrive, its cloud-based digital locker service — a very kind gesture, to say the least. First, the company says this will roll out to subscribers of the aforementioned plans starting today, but the plan is to bring it to all Office 365 customers over the coming months. If you’re using Home, Personal or University now, however, there’s now a site that can help you flip the switch on your new all-you-can-have OneDrive goodness.
Filed under: Storage, Internet, Software, Microsoft
Source: OneDrive
Spaceborne whisky returns to Earth
Interested in finding out what whisky matured in space tastes like? You may get a chance sooner than you think. Scottish distillery Ardbeg teamed up with the scientists at NanoRacks to put vials of whisky aboard the International Space Station three years ago, and those vials recently returned to Earth. The two companies are now analyzing molecules from the otherworldly beverage to see if they interact with oak any differently than otherwise identical samples that stayed on the ground. You’ll find out the effects of microgravity on your stiff drinks when the research finishes up in 2015. Space may not have any significant impact on the flavor, let alone a good one, but it’s easy to imagine distilleries eventually boasting of how long their whisky has remained free from the planet’s clutches.
Filed under: Household, Science
Via: PSFK
Source: Ardbeg
Amazon betting on newcomer talent to grow its comedy library
Netflix is looking to tackle the comedy genre with full force over the next few years — and it’s very serious about it too, having recruited Adam Sandler and Chelsea Handler to help along the way so far. Amazon, on the other hand, appears to be ready to take a much different approach. According to Reuters, the online retail titan has acquired Rooftop Media, an entertainment company focusing on recording comedy club performances (audio as well as video) and distributing them. Rooftop Media’s main property is the site Rooftop Comedy, which describes itself as a medium that “provides over 6,500 comedians services to help build and expand their careers.” Furthermore, Rooftop says it records stands-up comedy sessions in different venues throughout North America and the UK, doing so every day of the year.
While it is unclear what Amazon plans to do with the newly acquired platform, Reuters says the purchase of Rooftop Media is part of Amazon’s “intention of buying content to round out its online service.” Which is to say, there’s a chance of one day seeing some of these performances show up on services like Prime Instant Video or Prime Music. Who knows, maybe this means Amazon could have its own Adam Sandler very soon.
[Image credit: YoLoPey/Flickr]
Filed under: Misc, Internet, HD, Amazon
Source: Reuters
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