Kwikset launches Kevo beta app on Android
The incredibly-popular Smart Lock startup, Kwikset Kevo, which is powered by Unikey, has finally brought its mobile app to Android. Customers in the United States can now register for an invite to join the “Kevo Beta Program for Lollipop.” Once installed, users will be able to remotely open and lock doors in their homes and offices from their smartphone and/or tablet.
Here’s what Phil Dumas, Unikey Founder and President, had to say:
“This Invite Only Beta Program will help us test as well as get data and feedback from Android L users ahead of the full release. We are dedicated to delivering top performance, functionality and reliability to Android L users, but the platform’s diversity of devices and the rollout for the L operating system poses a challenge to be able to test across experiences with the Kevo App.”
“The ultimate goal of the beta program is to release updates to Kevo for Android L with many more features and functionality. We ask that you use your app and submit a report when you encounter any issues or have feedback. Because the beta build will have features that are still in progress, the Beta Kevo app may have less functionality than the fully developed and tested iOS version, to start. Feedback on any experience or functionality you desire is crucial and deeply appreciated.”
If you want to get in on the beta-testing action — hit the source link below to request an invite.
Source: Kwikset
Come comment on this article: Kwikset launches Kevo beta app on Android
Bitmoji: emojis personalized (review)
In social interactions everyone expresses themselves in their own ways, and on mobile devices this is no different. Emojis are one way in which people can inject their own personalities into an otherwise impersonal means of communication, however with so many people using them nowadays, the “personal” aspect of emojis is fading away. Thankfully Bitmoji (from the creators of Bitstrips) is here to remedy this.
Bitmoji creates personalized emojis based an avatar that you create or import from Bitstrips that you can use in almost any app. The emojis created in the app are creative and fun, with one, for example, parodying the viral Kim Kardashian champagne photo by replacing Kim with your avatar.
Bitmoji splits up the emojis into different categories by represented by different emotions as indicators. These are used to ensure that you can find an emoji that appropriately states how you feel, or is simply funny enough to get a reaction. If there isn’t currently enough variety in emojis for you, Bitstrips has said their library of emojis is growing, so expect more to be coming your way.
The biggest drawback with this app, is the steps involved in actually sending an emoji. You first have to open the app, tell it which app you want to send an emoji with, which then in turn opens the app with the emoji ready to send to a contact of your choosing. They have implemented a workaround in which a floating head appears in social related apps from which you can send emojis quickly, however I couldn’t get the head to appear in any apps and it appears that other users are experiencing similar issues. Hopefully this will be fixed in a future update.
The bottom line is that this is a great app for having fun with your friends and expressing yourself through your own, personalized emojis.
The post Bitmoji: emojis personalized (review) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
What if your game console only allowed one move per day?
Video games are usually high action affairs, requiring a flurry of activity in order to progress to the next stage, and ultimately complete the title. A New York-based designer is out to rethink how those games are played with a trio of diminutive cubes that only allow one move per day. The project is called Slow Moves, and according to Ishac Bertran, the goal is make classics like Mario and Pong about memory, observation and patience rather than stellar hand-eye coordination and concentration.
Each of the tiny boxes has a different type of input (button, orientation and toggle) to control three kinds of movement (jump, direction of elements and up/down moves). Games last much longer, and thanks to Bertran, the skills needed to complete tasks are very different. “Slow Games started as an exploration on the topic of immediacy — the fast reaction we demand of technology in response to our requests, and the consequent fast pace technology instills in us,” his site reads. When they’re not in use, the squres are designed to fit in better with the rest of your home furnishings — also a stark contrast to regular consoles and accessories.
Filed under: Gaming
Via: Wired
Source: Ishac Bertran
You can now send money to family and friends via Snapchat
Snapchat has announced that it’s teamed up with Square to bring a new feature called “Snapcash” to its extremely popular picture messaging application. Snapchatters in the United States can now instantly transfer money to their friends and family simply by entering the dollar sign, followed by the desired amount, then hitting the send button.
“The product you’re seeing today is fast, fun, and incredibly simple. After you enter your debit card, it’s securely stored by Square, who will swiftly process your payment and send cash directly to your friend’s bank account. Just swipe into chat, type the dollar sign, an amount (e.g. $11.25), and hit the green button,” writes Snapchat in a post on its official blog.
If you’re feeling somewhat sceptical about Snapcashes security, it may help to know that Square is heading the show on the criminal activity front and is giving users the same person-to-person encryption it does in its very own money sending service. You can see what the company has to say with regards to Snapcash in the statement below.
“We set out to make payments faster and more fun, but we also know that security is essential when you’re dealing with money. We have a ton of experience in this area and our teams have been hard at work to make Snapcash a great experience for everyone. ”
If you’d like to see Snapcash in action — be sure to check out the this demonstration video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: YouTube
Come comment on this article: You can now send money to family and friends via Snapchat
AT&T Bumps 10 GB Mobile Share Plan to 15 GB for a Limited Time [iOS Blog]
Continuing the carrier war that has seen the major U.S. wireless companies offering various forms of bonus data allotments in recent months, AT&T today announced a new limited-time promotion that bumps the 10 GB data package ($100 per month plus device access charges) to 15 GB.
The promotional 15GB Mobile Share Value plan at the 10GB price is available to new and existing AT&T consumer and business customers and includes domestic unlimited talk and text, and the nation’s most reliable 4G LTE network. Customers can easily take advantage of this new offer by visiting att.com and our current AT&T customers can also select the new plan via their myAT&T app.
Additionally, AT&T customers can get unlimited international messaging (text, picture and video) on all Mobile Share Value plans for no additional cost. Unlimited international messaging includes messages sent from the U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands to more than 190 countries for text messages and 120 countries for picture & video messages.
Monthly smartphone device access charges are $40 for those on two-year contracts or $15 for those on AT&T Next or who purchased their devices at full price. Tablets carry a $10 per month access fee.
AT&T’s latest promotion comes as the carrier continues to offer its double data promotion on higher-tier plans. Under that deal, users on base plans ranging from 15 to 50 GB can receive double the amount of data per month. The new promotion for upgrading the 10 GB plan to 15 GB begins tomorrow, while the double data promotion on higher-level plans is ongoing. AT&T advertises both as being “limited time” promotions, but is not currently specifying an end date for either one.
Snapchat and Square Partner Up for ‘Snapcash’ Money Transfers [iOS Blog]
Snapchat today announced a partnership with Square for a new “Snapcash” feature that allows Snapchat users to quickly send money to one another using Snapchat’s built-in chat function.
After entering a debit card number, which is stored securely by Square, Snapchat users can swipe into chat, type a dollar sign, enter a payment amount, and hit the button to send money instantly.
Snapcash functions similarly to Square’s own Square Cash feature, which allows people to send cash via email, and because Square handles all of the payment information, it’s as secure as the company’s other payment options.
We set out to make payments faster and more fun, but we also know that security is essential when you’re dealing with money. Square has a ton of experience in this area and our teams have been hard at work to make Snapcash a great experience for everyone.
Snapcash is currently limited to Snapchat users in the United States who have a debit card and are 18 years of age or older. The Snapcash feature will be added to the Snapchat app in an update coming later today.
Snapchat can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Check out our laptop buyer’s guide for the best in portable PCs
Tablets are great, but if you’re really looking to get some work done, a laptop is still one of the best for the job, especially if you need flexibility and portability. With the variety of Chromebooks, Ultrabooks and slimmed-down gaming laptops on offer, you don’t even have to weigh yourself down anymore. So if you’re looking for an upgrade, it’s definitely worth checking out the laptop section in our buyer’s guide or the gallery below for a few suggestions. We’ll also be adding new items in the months to come, so let us know (in the comments below) if there’s something you’d like to see listed. 
Google Keep gets new Material Design facelift and note sharing capabilities
Google is currently in the process of pushing out an update for its official Keep application via the Play Store. In terms of added functionality, this upgrade brings the ability to share notes with others, together with a makeover that falls in line with the search engine giant’s Material Design guidelines.
Hit the break for the full changelog.
- Material Design
- Note Sharing Capability
Sharing a list is incredibly easily. All you have to do is open up the list, then tap the add button at the top and type in the email address of the person you wish to add. You will then be able to collaborate and work on the file at the same time with changes being made live on each users device.
To install the update, simply open up the Play Store on your handset, toggle the hamburger menu by swiping in from the left-hand side of the screen, select ‘My Apps’ and click on Google Keep. Next, hit the update button, and the application will instantly start to download and install the upgrade from the Google Play servers. Alternatively, you can scan the QR code below to initiate the procedure.
Come comment on this article: Google Keep gets new Material Design facelift and note sharing capabilities
Apple Supplier Sony Debuts 21-Megapixel Image Sensor With Ultra Fast Autofocus, 4K HDR Video
Sony today announced a new advanced image sensor designed for use in smartphones, which uses a new “stacked” design to cut down on size while introducing improved image quality and faster speeds. Apple uses Sony sensors in its iPhones and iPads, so it is likely that Sony’s stacked sensor technology will make it into future iOS devices at some point.
The new 21-megapixel Exmor RS IMX230 sensor is built with a chip that stacks a pixel section and a circuit section on top of one another, which allows Sony to build improvements into each aspect of the sensor individually, leading to dramatic improvements. Sony’s been using stacked sensor technology since 2012, but its newest sensor introduces new autofocus and HDR technology.
According to Sony, the IMX230 sensor is the first CMOS sensor for smartphones that includes plane phase detection autofocus signal processing with 192 autofocus points, resulting in much faster tracking of moving subjects that happens almost instantaneously.
Image plane phase detection AF function using 192 AF points
The sensor also includes support for full 21-megapixel HDR pictures and 4K HDR video, resulting in better lighting in high-contrast scenes. HDR or High Dynamic Range imaging captures separate images with different exposures, combining them into one image that improves detail and color.
The new IMX230 is a type 1/2.4 stacked CMOS image sensor with a significantly improved 21 effective megapixels, and it is also equipped with a newly developed signal processing function. These features fulfill the growing needs in smartphone photography for high-speed autofocus (image plane phase detection AF) and clear, high-quality capture of bright and dark areas even in backlit scenes (HDR imaging). Image plane phase detection AF is a technology used in mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras, and HDR imaging now supports not only 4K (4096 x 2160) high-resolution videos but also still images.
HDR video from existing IMX135 sensor with 3.2 effective megapixels on left, IMX230 21-megapixel HDR image using IMX230
Sony is known for making some of the best image sensors available, and Apple has long used Sony sensors in its iOS devices. Sony’s new image sensor will begin shipping in April of 2015, and while it is likely the new sensor technology will make its way into Apple’s iPhones and iPads, it is unknown when that might occur.
Apple does not typically use high-megapixel sensors in its iPhone or iPad, but Sony is planning on producing a 16-megapixel version of the IMX230 in 2015, which would be appropriate for iOS devices. It’s possible Apple could use the 16-megapixel version of the IMX230 in the 2015 iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, but it’s also possible that the sensor won’t be utilized until 2016 or later as Apple often uses slightly older sensors in its devices.
Tom’s Hardware believes that the next-generation iPhone 6 and 6 Plus may incorporate either the upcoming 16-megapixel IMX240 sensor from Sony or the 13-megapixel IMX135, which Sony first introduced in January of 2013.
It’s not known exactly which sensor is used in the current iPhone and iPad, but camera experts have speculated that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus use the Sony ISX014 sensor, an 8-megapixel sensor that Sony first introduced in October of 2012.
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