VLC Developer Confirms iOS App Will Relaunch in Early 2015 [iOS Blog]
Felix Paul Kuehne, lead developer for the iOS and OS X version of popular video player app VLC, has confirmed that VLC for iOS should be available again soon in the iOS App Store (via Softpedia). The app will be returning after an almost four-month absence from the iOS platform.
VLC for iOS mysteriously disappeared from the iOS App Store following the release of iOS 8 in September of this year. VLC did not comment on the removal, only stating that it was “working with Apple on a solution” to bring VLC back into the App Store. After several months of silence, the company announced in early December that it was launching a semi-public TestFlight beta trial of the updated version of the app.
Addressing a recent complaint about the app still not being available, Kuehne wrote in a VLC forum post that, “It will be again, but probably early next year due to the iTunes Connect holiday shutdown.” He added on Twitter that the app will be back “Hopefully quite soon.”
@wayneh0813 @videolan hopefully quite soon 
— Felix Paul Kühne (@feepk) December 29, 2014
VLC recently released the TestFlight beta 2 version of VLC for iOS 2.4.0 with a handful of improvements. Based on Kuehne’s comments, soon everyone, not just beta testers, will be able download the version as a new app or an update for versions downloaded before the app was removed from the App Store. 
Samsung to shelve Galaxy Alpha and move to lower-cost models, report says
Samsung will stop selling the Galaxy Alpha once current inventory is depleted, according to a recent ET News report. Allegedly, Samsung will discontinue the higher-priced, more premium experience, in favor of lower-cost alternatives such as the Galaxy A5. Whereas the Galaxy A5 features some of the same materials and design characteristics as the Alpha, its lower-tier specs bring about a cheaper sticker price. The A5 is expected to launch with a cost of around $365 US.
Samsung has yet to officially make any claims or confirm the reports.
The post Samsung to shelve Galaxy Alpha and move to lower-cost models, report says appeared first on AndroidGuys.
FBI maintains that North Korea hacked Sony as detractors mount
Did North Korea’s government hack Sony Pictures? Though the United States government and FBI say yes, a growing chorus of detractors is pushing back on that claim. And the FBI is apparently listening: one firm, Norse, met with the FBI this past Monday to present its own claim that a group of six people were responsible. Moreover, at least one of those six is said to be an ex-Sony employee, reports Politico.
Norse says its been looking into the attack on Sony Pictures since before Thanksgiving, and it presented the results of that research to the FBI yesterday. For its part, the FBI is sticking to its story — at least for now. “The FBI has concluded the Government of North Korea is responsible for the theft and destruction of data on the network of Sony Pictures Entertainment. Attribution to North Korea is based on intelligence from the FBI, the U.S. intelligence community, DHS [Department of Homeland Security], foreign partners and the private sector,” an FBI statement provided to media reads.
Norse senior VP Kurt Stammberger says that his company traced at least part of the attack to a single former employee, known as “Lena”, who apparently had direct knowledge of the network infrastructure at Sony Pictures. The video above, from CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, goes into more detail about the alleged former employee.
In a related report, Reuters spoke with an unidentified US official who’s close to the government’s investigation of the Sony Pictures attack. The source said the US government now believes that North Korea “likely” worked with outside parties to launch the attack. It’s not clear if the source is referencing an outside government or other party, just that the act may have been “contracted” out.
Taia Global, another security firm, analyzed 20 messages internal to the alleged hacking group (the “Guardians of Peace”) responsible for the attack on Sony Pictures. The firm determined, through “Native Language identification and L1 Interference analysis,” that the primary language of the hackers was likely Russian. Here’s Taia Global’s statement:
“We tested for Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, and German using an analysis of L1 interference. Our preliminary results show that Sony’s attackers were most likely Russian, possibly but not likely Korean and definitely not Mandarin Chinese or German.”
So, who hacked Sony Pictures?
Filed under: Networking, Internet, Software, HD, Sony
Gmail service sees partial restoration in China
It appears that Gmail service has been partially restored in China. It was reported yesterday that the Chinese government was blocking access to the service through third-party apps, while the Gmail website has been blocked for years. While many are reporting that service has been restored, others are still experiencing delays or outages.
From the Financial Times:
The episode ended as mysteriously as it began — users of Gmail via POP and Imap servers, who had been frustrated for days trying to send and receive email, suddenly saw their inboxes full again, though some were still reporting delays in receiving emails and others said that their service had not returned.
According to Google’s Transparency Report, Gmail traffic in China has experienced a small but noticeable uptick since this morning. Today’s rise in traffic is the first noticeable movement since the outage began a few days ago.
Source: Financial Times
Gmail service sees partial restoration in China
It appears that Gmail service has been partially restored in China. It was reported yesterday that the Chinese government was blocking access to the service through third-party apps, while the Gmail website has been blocked for years. While many are reporting that service has been restored, others are still experiencing delays or outages.
From the Financial Times:
The episode ended as mysteriously as it began — users of Gmail via POP and Imap servers, who had been frustrated for days trying to send and receive email, suddenly saw their inboxes full again, though some were still reporting delays in receiving emails and others said that their service had not returned.
According to Google’s Transparency Report, Gmail traffic in China has experienced a small but noticeable uptick since this morning. Today’s rise in traffic is the first noticeable movement since the outage began a few days ago.
Source: Financial Times
Deal: Amazon is offering a discount of up to 73% on SanDisk memory cards
If Santa brought you a shiny, new Android smartphone or tablet this holiday season and you’re looking to stock up on some extra storage, now’s as good a time as any as Amazon has just kicked off a one-day flash sale on SanDisk memory cards and USB flash drives.
Here’s what’s on sale:
- SanDisk Cruzer Force CZ71 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive With Metal Casing for $7.99 (73%)
- SanDisk Cruzer Force CZ71 32GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive With Metal Casing for $12.99 (68%)
- SanDisk Ultra 16GB Class 10 SDHC Memory Card Up To 40MB/s for $8.99 (47%)
- SanDisk Ultra 32GB Class 10 SDHC Memory Card Up to 40MB/s for $12.99 (57%)
- SanDisk Ultra 64GB Class 10 SDXC Memory Card Up To 40MB/s for $27.99 (60%)
- SanDisk Ultra 16GB UHS-I/Class 10 Micro SDHC Memory Card Up To 48MB/s for $9.99 (41%)
- SanDisk Ultra 32GB UHS-I/Class 10 Micro SDHC Memory Card Up to 48MB/s for $12.99 (61%)
- SanDisk Ultra 64GB UHS-I/Class 10 Micro SDXC Memory Card Up to 48MB/s for $24.99 (62%)
- SanDisk Ultra 128GB UHS-I/Class 10 Micro SDXC Memory Card Up To 48MB/s for $89.99 (31%)
Source: Amazon
Come comment on this article: Deal: Amazon is offering a discount of up to 73% on SanDisk memory cards
Apple’s ‘Communicating Stylus’ for Capturing Digital Versions of Handwritten Notes Wins Patent
Apple today was awarded a new patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that concerns a new type of digital stylus that translates a user’s handwritten note into a digital version when connected to a smartphone, tablet, or any “digital computing device” (via Apple Insider).
The patent also details various exchangeable tips for the stylus, including actual ink, markers for a whiteboard, or a rubberized nub akin to most popular tablet styli. The stylus activates when various motion-sensing hardware, including accelerometers, detects when the pen is picked up out of its dock, pressed to a writing surface, or simply turned on manually.
Thanks to motion sensors able to detect a 3D plane, the stylus uses an initial zero point to transmit the movement and flow of handwriting as varying changes in position to the desired computing device. This technology also means an actual surface isn’t needed to transmit data — simply writing notes in the air would suffice. The patent even details ways for users to choose how the data is transmitted, including continuously or at chosen intervals, allowing battery life to be preserved.
As noted by Apple Insider, there are many practical solutions for Apple’s new patent. The pen allows a user to display their writing on multiple displays, a possible solution for work meetings and classrooms. It could also be a digital solution for note-taking, as the user would take notes with the pen on a paper tablet, and a digital copy would be sent to a phone or tablet tucked away in a bag. The automatically produced digital backup could then be more easily edited and shared.
The patent isn’t exactly new, being initially filed nearly five years ago in January of 2010, and is by no means a confirmation that Apple will be moving forward with a smart stylus of any kind. But, like most patents, it is an interesting glimpse into what possibilities the company is looking into for the future.
HTC Hima appears in AnTuTu with Snapdragon 810, 3GB RAM, & 1080p display
Rumors are abound about the status of HTC’s next flagship, the HTC Hima, also known as the M9.
According to Digital Trends, Upleaks stated the Hima may arrive on the four major carriers in March 2015. It also claimed the announcement of the device would not occur at Mobile World Congress that same month. Potentially, HTC may hold its own independent event for the smartphone.
On the other hand, Nowhereelse.fr writer Steve Hemmerstoffer tweeted a leaked press release showing the HTC Hima would arrive instead at CES 2015 in January.
There is no confirmation yet on the authenticity of the rumors or the press release.
There is also a bit of speculation that the HTC Hima and M9 are actually separate devices. Between the two, the Hima would be the flagship with a slightly larger screen and marginally better specs.
Still, the device is likely to have at least a 5.0-inch 1080p display, 3GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 805 or 810 processor (the latter matching an AnTuTu benchmark supposedly of the device), and a 3,500mAh battery. Of course, BoomSound speakers and a uni-body, metal casing are expected.
Source: Digital Trends
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Meet the Devs – Adepture
Welcome back to our Meet the Devs segment! In this piece we take a little time to get to know the people who really make Android what it is today and that is the app developers. In this week’s developer interview, we are talking to John Wycoff of Adepture.
Name: John Wycoff
Developer Name: Adepture
Country: United States
Website: Official website
Social Media Profile/Page: N/A
How many people on your team? 1
Apps
About your company?
Company? No company here. Just a developer making apps in his spare time.
What level of experience do you have with coding and development?
I have been coding now for 19 years which is a little more than half my life. I started back in 1996 with a friend’s broken IBM computer that I had to learn how to fix before I could even get started. Once up and running I quickly found my way to geocities and made a free website. At the time, knew so little about computers that I actually wrote down (on paper) the long html snippet given to me to add a hit counter to my website. Felt pretty silly when I figured out copy/paste.
Html turned into JavaScript, then moved my way into Visual Basic and ASP. By the age 20, I was working at SaaS based company as a developer where I rode out the dot com bust. I left the SaaS company and started working for myself, designing websites, coding various projects and working with small businesses with their marketing.
Back in 2010, I was introduced to a pet insurance company needing some help moving a development project along. It was supposed to only be a three month stint but turned into permenant employment where I am currently the Director of IT and Marketing.
What languages do you know? How and where did you learn them?
Lots of them, but to keep to the basics: C#, T-SQL, VB, Java, JavaScript, HTML, CSS and so on.
What level of experience do you have with design?
Design is huge! Far too often, websites, mobile apps and desktop applications put design to the bottom of the priority list or improperly implement it. I have always put design first. It doesn’t matter what your app does or what great problems it solves if the design is not inviting or is so complicated the average user can easily figure out how to operate it.
What apps have you made?
I have one “successful” app and that is The Daily Bible Verse. Before this app, I made two others, ElectroCosts (measures electric costs of running an appliance) and Catfish Tactics and Secret Baits. ElectroCosts was my Hello World project into the Android development world. Catfish Tactics was another test app to get some more real world experience in app development.
After the initial two apps, I wanted to make one that had some value and would get daily real world use. That is when I created the Daily Bible Verse.
How do you monetize your apps?
Right now it is 100% mobile ads. In-app purchasing looks pretty interesting but I will need to make another app for that.
Do you consider yourself successful?
Yes. I am not making an app development firm here. I wanted to make an app that would have a large user base and I did. The icing on the cake was that the Daily Bible Verse’s sole purpose was intended to create a daily connection between its users and God. Considering it does that well in excess of 40,000 times a day, yeah, I would say I was successful.
How difficult is it to make money as a developer?
It is not hard at all to make money has a developer. The easiest way by far is simply working as one either as an employee or as a consultant. Making money as an app “developer” is the easy part. The hard part is inventing an app that has enough value to get people to actually download/purchase and use it.
What can Android do to improve?
Not sure that I have enough experience with Android to where my opinion would hold much weight but they could certainly streamline the development process better and improve their “guidelines”.
Why did you choose Android? Do you develop for other platforms? What are the differences between them?
Java. I already knew JavaScript and C# with some exposure to Java. Not only that but I was (and still am) a huge fan of android. There was no contest.
What are your thoughts on iOS and Windows 8?
Meh. iOS is definitely in the future for me. It obviously has a lot of value with these apple toting hipsters running around. Windows 8, not so much. I would have to see a lot more progress in their share of the market before it becomes a possibility for me.
What do you think of the Android design guidelines?
For the most part, the Android design guidelines are great and are a very useful tool. However, in a lot of cases, they come up short or completely skip over important features.
What are your favorite apps?
Right now my favorite apps are mostly centered around managing my apps and websites such as AdSense and Analytics. Also at the top of my list right now are Hangouts, BrainWars, and Google Inbox.
What has been your experience been like working with Google?
Love/Hate. As I mentioned before I am a huge Android (and Google) fan but as I also mentioned the development process could be a little cleaner and more streamlined.
What does the future of development look like?
How far into the future are we looking? The development space is going to get more crowded with developers, languages, tools and methodologies. The devices that are created in varying sizes and resolution to more complicated it is going to get.
What tips do you have for aspiring developers?
Don’t get caught up in new tools or plug-ins unless you have a specific need for them. Keep things simple and functional above all else. Test your apps for usability. A user should be able to mindlessly navigate through your app with seamlessly flowing actions.
Keep It Simple (for the) Stupid
Developer interview wrap up
We want to thank John for chatting with us in this week’s developer interview! If you’re a developer and this looks like something you’d like to do, check out our Meet the Devs form! We look forward to hearing from you!
AIVAnet 