Naked Tough Case for Nexus 6 available through Google Play
People are starting to receive the Nexus 6 in the mail and in-store through select carriers. Among the first things to do with a new device is purchasing accessories. And the go-to accessory for almost everyone is a case. Directly from Google, the Naked Tough Case is ready for ordering. It is a clear case that offers protection and functionality. On the back is an integrated stand that pops out for landscape viewing.
The Naked Tough Case for Nexus 6 costs $35 and will ship in 1-2 business days.
Source: Google Play
Come comment on this article: Naked Tough Case for Nexus 6 available through Google Play
Apple Seeds iOS 8.2 With WatchKit SDK for Apple Watch Apps to Developers
Apple today announced that its set of WatchKit development tools are now available for developers, allowing them to begin creating apps and software for the company’s upcoming Apple Watch.
“Apple Watch is our most personal device ever, and WatchKit provides the incredible iOS developer community with the tools they need to create exciting new experiences right on your wrist,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With the iOS 8.2 beta SDK, developers can now start using WatchKit to create breakthrough new apps, Glances and actionable notifications designed for the innovative Apple Watch interface and work with new technologies such as Force Touch, Digital Crown and Taptic Engine.”
WatchKit is being released as part of the iOS 8.2 and Xcode 6.2 beta, both of which have been made available to developers today.
Both the iOS 8.2 Beta with WatchKit and the Xcode 6.2 beta can be downloaded from Apple’s developer site, which also has Apple Watch development resources for developers. WatchKit can currently be used to create Glances, actionable notifications, and Apple Watch apps that are powered by the iPhone. Many Apple Watch apps will be driven by code that runs on the iPhone, with a UI that displays content on the watch itself. According to Apple, “fully native” Apple Watch apps can be created “later next year.”
As described by Apple, actionable notifications are notifications that allow users to take an action or respond directly from their wrists with the Apple Watch, turning off the lights when they’ve left the house, for example, or accessing flight information at an airport. Glances are somewhat simpler, aiming to give users quick information at a glance like news, weather, sports scores, and more.
In its press release, Apple highlights several developers who have already begun working with WatchKit, giving some additional insight into how the WatchKit tools can be used. The ESPN app for Apple Watch delivers live scores and information on teams, according to ESPN VP John Kosner, and it offers snapshots of live games through Glances and alerts on score changes through actionable notifications.
Instagram has used WatchKit to develop actionable notifications that let users instantly like a photo or respond with an emoji, plus there’s an Instagram news and watch list to let users see their friends favorite photos and get an overview of likes and comments. American Airlines has used Apple Watch to create pre-trip notifications, updates for gate changes, gate connection information, and alerts when a flight begins boarding, all of which can be accessed directly from the wrist.
In addition to sharing these use cases for the Apple Watch, Apple has also created a dedicated Apple Watch site for developers, outlining the difference between full apps, Glances, and actionable notifications, offering download links to the iOS 8.2 beta with WatchKit SDK, and providing design guidelines and templates.
Apple has said that its Apple Watch will be released in “early 2015,” but an exact launch date remains unclear. At the lower end, the device will retail for $349, with estimates placing pricing for the higher-end solid gold version at thousands of dollars.
LittleBits Introduces Do-It-Yourself Smart Home Kit for $249 [iOS Blog]
LittleBits today introduced a new Smart Home Kit, which is designed to turn any household item into an Internet-connected smart device. Rather than buying various smart products, the Smart Home Kit encourages users to “reinvent” the things that they already own.
Using the tools in the kit, users might build curtains that open at sunrise, a remote controlled pet feeder, a doorbell that sends a notification when it’s pressed, or a toilet paper roll that alerts users when it’s empty. The LittleBits website has several different video examples of how the kit can be used, along with tutorials.
“Our mission is to put the power of electronics in the hands of everyone, and to break down complex technologies so that anyone can build, prototype, and invent. Democratizing the smart home industry is one more step in delivering on that promise,” said Ayah Bdeir, founder and CEO of littleBits. “The Smart Home Kit is giving people the power and opportunity to take the Internet of Things movement into their own hands, and bring their home to the 21st century, on their own terms  recreate a popular smart device, retrofit an old appliance, or invent something entirely new that may be the next big thing.”
The Smart Home Kit comes with 14 “Bits,” including the cloudBit for connecting things to the Internet, an MP3 player, a temperature sensor, a light sensor, a speaker, an IR transmitter, and more. It also comes equipped with project ideas and 11 accessories, like an AC switch, which can interface with wall outlets for connected fans, lights, and more.
The Smart Home Kit can be pre-ordered from the LittleBits site for $249. Kits will begin shipping in early December, and LittleBits also plans to sell its Smart Home Kit in RadioShack stores next month.
Starbucks goes with Power Matters Alliance as its wireless charging standard
The folks over at Powermat Technologies are really happy these days. Why? Because Starbucks announced that it will adopt the developer’s Power Matters Alliance (PMA) standard for wireless charging. The coffeehouse chain is launching 1,500 wireless charging stations at two hundred stores in the San Francisco Bay Area. Starbucks is rolling out these wireless charging stations to cities over time rather than doing it nationwide. Starbucks does not exactly say which cities or countries are ahead, but does clarify more will follow in 2015. This approach allows any problems to be identified and fixed before proceeding to the next city.
It is a big win for the PMA wireless charging standard. Its rival, Qi, has been adopted by major companies including Samsung, LG, Huawei, and Nokia. The PMA is supported by AT&T, Duracell, and Energy Star. Starbucks went with PMA because of its servicing. The wireless charging stations will not require outlets to be checked extensively. The company will instead monitor the equipment from a distance.
It will not be as easy as walking into a Starbucks and charging right away, though. The company will sell $9.99 adaptors for iOS and Android devices. This is because a good portion of devices do not ship with wireless charging, let alone the PMA standard. The adapters are identified by color; therefore, you will not have to worry about mixing them up. For skeptics, Starbucks will loan adapters.
What do you think about wireless charging? Is one wireless charging standard going to prevail? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Via: Re/code
Come comment on this article: Starbucks goes with Power Matters Alliance as its wireless charging standard
Roaming Hunger Debuts on Android
Living in an urban area has a lot of advantages. Live music, sporting events, and street fairs are some of the great things available to those who call a city home. The last few years rental prices have increased and the millennial palate has become more sophisticated. The market has responded with the a cheap, mobile, and delicious alternative: the food truck. No longer are these machines reviled as roach coaches. They can be found near trendy late night spots and the parking lots of many Silicon Valley companies.
Roaming Hunger has been the go to iOS app for those wanting to track their favorite food trucks while they too are on the go. Today, the West Hollywood based company has made the foray into the Android space by releasing a full featured version of their already popular app. Roaming Hunger is a service that tracks food trucks in most major North American metro areas and extends as far as Hawaii. With features like real-time truck location, the ability to sort through favorite trucks like a playlist, and photos of menus this app should make any Android foodie very happy. Download the app from Google Play and give it a spin.
The post Roaming Hunger Debuts on Android appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Senators kill bill aimed at ending NSA’s mass phone surveillance
Back in May, the US government began to process a bill aimed at reining in the NSA’s powers of surveillance — if Google, Apple and Microsoft are sending group letters, you know it’s an important bill. However, it’s been left on Capitol Hill, rejected by the Senate. It failed a procedural vote, after senior Republicans said it would affect efforts to defend the country from enemies. It fell short of the 60 votes needed, gathering 58 to 42 votes. It’s now unlikely to become law, as Republicans (who made up most of the opposition), will hold a majority in the Senate in the new year.
“If our aim is to degrade and destroy ISIL, as the president has said, then that’s going to require smart policies and firm determination. At a minimum, we shouldn’t be doing anything to make the situation worse,” said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. The bill was the first to follow the NSA leaks from Edward Snowden, detailing that US intelligence was collecting and storing records of millions of Americans’ telephone calls. Previously, the House of Representatives passed a lighter version of the same bill, with The White House denying claims that it wouldn’t affect anti-terrorist measures.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Reuters
Chrome for Mac Gains 64-Bit Support in Latest Chrome 39 Update [Mac Blog]
Back in August, Google launched a beta build of 64-bit Chrome for Mac, following the public release of 64-bit Chrome for Windows. After several months of testing, Google today launched Chrome 39, its first stable-release 64-bit browser for OS X.
As Google said when it launched a beta version of 64-bit Chrome for Mac, 64-bit support will bring several speed and security improvements to the browser, in addition to decreasing the amount of memory that it uses.
Chrome 64-bit Chrome has become faster as a result of having access to a superior instruction set, more registers, and a more efficient function calling convention. Improved opportunities for ASLR enhance this version’s security. Another major benefit of this change comes from the fact that most programs on a modern Mac are already 64-bit apps.
In cases where Chrome was the last remaining 32-bit app, there were launch-time and memory-footprint penalties as 32-bit copies of all of the system libraries needed to be loaded to support Chrome. Now that Chrome’s a 64-bit app too, we expect you’ll find that it launches more quickly and that overall system memory use decreases.
With the release of Chrome 39, the 32-bit version of Chrome will be retired, left on Chrome 38, which means that some users of older Macs will not be able to use the new Chrome 39.
Along with 64-bit support, the new Chrome update includes new apps and extension APIs, plus improvements to stability and performance. There are also 42 security fixes for various vulnerabilities, which resulted in $41,500 in bounties that Google paid out to the individuals that reported the issues.
Chrome 39 can be downloaded from Google’s Chrome website or installed using the Chrome browser’s built-in update functionality.
Runtastic Pro: For when you don’t want to track a workout while carrying a phone [‘Watch’ This App]
Taking your phone on a workout is obnoxious at best, and damaging to your phone at worst. You run the risk of water damage or some unfortunate fall, while also having to carry around a clunky, and during a particularly hard work out, a pretty heavy device. The Runtastic Pro app could be the app… Read more »
The post Runtastic Pro: For when you don’t want to track a workout while carrying a phone [‘Watch’ This App] appeared first on SmarterWatching.
Read the rest at SmarterWatching.com!
The post Runtastic Pro: For when you don’t want to track a workout while carrying a phone ['Watch' This App] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Tech companies want you to have free web encryption
Ideally, you’d encrypt everything you do on the web to keep it away from spies and thieves. However, getting a security certificate to enable that encryption on your own site can be both costly and difficult — many people don’t even bother. That’s not good enough for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, so it’s partnering with Mozilla, Cisco and other tech firms to launch Let’s Encrypt, an authority that will hand out and manage free certificates for anyone that wants them. Besides eliminating the cost barrier, the effort will also scrap a lot of the bureaucracy and hard work that’s normally involved — all you’ll have to do is run a program, which should take seconds.
Right now, the only real catch is the wait for a proper launch. You won’t get to use Let’s Encrypt until next summer, since it requires an unfinished protocol for validating web domains. It could change much of the web if it launches according to plan, though. It would let you lock down a personal site within moments, and small businesses would be more likely to turn encryption on; you’d have less reason to worry that a local shop is exposing your info through carelessness. While Let’s Encrypt won’t guarantee that your messages and transactions will stay secret, it should at least raise the bar for internet privacy.
[Image credit: David Ramos/Getty Images]
Filed under: Internet
Via: TechCrunch
Google will give you and your friend $5 when you introduce them to Wallet
Google has just launched a new promotion for all Wallet users in the US. The search engine giant is offering to give both you and a friend $5 each in your Wallet Balance when you introduce your pal to the service. All you have to do is send a sum of money, which could be as little as “a penny,” to a buddy who doesn’t have a Google Wallet Balance yet, then when they claim the funds, you’ll each receive $5 free credit within 3 working days.
Hit the break for the full list of terms and conditions.
- Both of your home addresses have to be in the US.
- You and your friend will have to verify your identities.
- You’ll need to have a Wallet Balance already.
- It has to be your friend’s first time creating a Wallet Balance.
- You can introduce as many friends as you want to Google Wallet, but you can only get a $5 credit for up to 20 referrals.
- Start now! This promotion will go on until the first 20,000 referrals or 11/30/2014, whichever comes first.
Source: Google
Come comment on this article: Google will give you and your friend $5 when you introduce them to Wallet
AIVAnet 