US allows widespread exports of armed drones to its allies
The US has unsurprisingly kept a tight lid on sales of armed drones to prevent the technology from getting into the wrong hands, but it’s about to loosen up… to a degree. The Department of State has introduced an export policy that clears the way for selling weaponized drones to allied countries. These partners must agree to use robotic warplanes according to certain principles; the machines are for national defense, not crushing internal political dissent. Nations also have to make a strong argument for why they truly need armed drones, and the US reserves the right to monitor usage, train crews or both.
You’re not likely to see a proliferation of combat-capable drones as a result of the policy, but you should see them reach more than just the handful of countries that have them today. Not everyone is in favor of this expansion, of course. Critics already accuse the US of relying too heavily on drone strikes (some of which lead to civilian casualties), and there’s a concern that allies buying these aggressor UAVs may do the same. Since politicians won’t have to put anyone directly in harm’s way, they might be more tempted to bomb targets when negotiations or sanctions would be enough.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Lt. Col. Leslie Pratt, US Air Force]
Filed under: Robots
Via: Washington Post
Source: Department of State
Gameloft Releases new Dungeon Hunter 5 Trailer
Gameloft is well known for its popular games: it seems every title released by the company is an instant hit. However, Gameloft is also well known for releasing exciting trailers for its games prior to their release. Dungeon Hunter 5 follows this rule, and Gameloft doesn’t disappoint.
The trailer shows some gameplay, along with title cards to clue those in who might not be familiar with the Dungeon Hunter franchise. The game itself is a huge improvement over its predecessor, although it still respects the continuity of Dungeon Hunter 4, due to its sequel nature. No word on when the game will be released as of yet, but stay tuned to TalkAndroid.com for more information.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: Droid Gamers
Come comment on this article: Gameloft Releases new Dungeon Hunter 5 Trailer
NVIDIA Shield Tablet update 2.2 arrives with new game choices, power optimizations
NVIDIA’s Shield Tablet (and LTE model) is receiving its version 2.2 upgrade, which is based on Android 5.0.1 and brings the ability to play new streamed games, better standby battery life and several performance improvements. This is a relatively small bump over all the improvements that came with the initial 5.0.1 update a few weeks back, but we’re still glad to see any updates that bring new features and improvements.
Google expands Play Store merchant registrations to 12 new countries
Google has announced that app developers from 12 new locations will be able to offer free and paid apps in the Google Play Store. Developers from Bulgaria, Lithuania, Cyprus, Malta, Latvia, Estonia, Panama, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Bolivia, Bahrain and Jamaica can now apply to have a Google Play merchant account and collect money in their home currency.
Developers in 12 new countries can now sell apps in the Google Play Store
Although Android app developers from all around the globe are able to upload their apps into the Google Play Store, less than half of those are actually able to charge for their apps, or collect in-app payments. Still below half, Google has increased the number of available paid app countries by 12, including Jamaica, Estonia and Panama.
The Google Play Store offers developers a few different account types that developers can apply for. The basic Developer Registration, as previously mentioned, is open to app creators in just over one hundred and fifty countries. This account type allows developers to upload free apps only, with no in-app purchases, leaving devs to find an income elsewhere for their hard work, usually with advertising.
Merchant Registration is where money comes into play. Devs must meet a specific list of Google account requirements, and their country of residence must have come to agreement with Google over taxes and such. Once all criteria is met, paid apps and in-app purchases are made available to the developer. This is the account type now open to a dozen new countries.
The list of countries whose residents can now apply for Merchant Registrations today adds the following:
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In all, seventy four countries can now upload paid apps and apps with in-app payments into the Google Play Store. Luckily, the list of countries that can purchase said apps is much larger. But you likely already knew that.
Head on over to Google’s Supported locations page for developer accounts to see what you are allowed to develop in your country.
Do you think Google’s developer requirements are fair?
NBC is streaming live to iOS and Android, but not ‘Everywhere’
ABC was the first big network first out of the gate with a 24/7 live streaming app, but CBS and now NBC are close behind with their own versions. NBC rolled out “TV Everywhere” streaming on its website in December, and tonight it’s pushed upgrades on Android and iOS that bring the network channel directly to mobile screens — but only if you have a participating cable or satellite provider’s login. Even that’s not enough, unfortunately, since it’s only available in areas where NBC owns the local station. Where I live the affiliate (WDIV) is owned by someone else, so the feature is not available until the two parties work out some kind of arrangement.
There is, however, an expanded video on-demand library including a new classic section stocked with The A-Team, Miami Vice, Knight Rider and a few others to go along with full episodes and clips of currently airing stuff (all the ones we watched had ads inserted, FYI). The apps work on tablets and phones for either platform with streaming over WiFi or mobile connections, and on iOS it has support for AirPlay (there’s nothing about Chromecast, yet). We’re checking with NBC about any other features, but for now you can check the App Store and Google Play to download them.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, Apple, Google
Source: iTunes, Google Play
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge receives Android 5.0.1 in Australia
Samsung has been fiercely rolling out Lollipop updates to all of its eligible devices, like the S5, Note 3, S4, and Note 4, and the Note Edge is no exception. The update is available OTA and is a little less than a Gigabyte of storage, so If you live in the land down under, be sure to spam-check for updates all day long until you get yours.
If you need a refresher, Android 5.0, or Lollipop, brings Material Design to the UI, heads-up notifications, a much improved notifications system, multiple user accounts, a new multitasking interface, and Android Smart Lock. Other changes are battery life, security and performance improvements.
Source: Sammobile
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Apple Pay is now the number one mobile payment solution at Staples
Staples is clearly noticing the benefits of being one of the first retailers to enable Apple Pay, as VP of mobile commerce Prat Vemana announced today that the payment solution accounted for 30 percent of all purchases made through the retailer’s iOS app.
According to Vemana:
Right now it’s the number one payment method for us in our iOS apps. Apple Pay has been one of the most successful implementations when it comes to payments.
Introducing the payment solution also led to new customer acquisition, as the executive noted that 65 percent of Apple Pay transactions were done by first-time customers to Staples when the service was introduced in October. Vemana also revealed that while Staples app usage is almost evenly split between iOS and Android, 70 percent of the mobile revenue comes from Apple users.
While Staples benefitted from in-app payments via Apple Pay, the same cannot be said for in-store purchases. Vemana did not disclose any specific numbers, only stating that while a “healthy” number of people have used Apple Pay’s touchless payments in stores, it was not in the top three payment types for purchases made within physical stores.
Source: FierceMobileIT
NVIDIA Shield Tablet updates to v2.2, brings better battery life and more goodies to the gaming tablet
Looks like today is double awesome for NVIDIA Shield Tablet owners. As part of #SHIELDTuesday we alerted you guys that Saints Row IV was pushed to the NVIDIA Streaming service GRID. NVIDIA is also pushing out an update to the software on the Shield Tablet today as well. The update still keeps the tablet at […]
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HTC One M9 Wallpaper Leaks Possibly Confirming 1080p Display
HTC plans on unveiling the third member on the One Flagship family on March 1st during MWC 2015. The HTC One M9 will hopefully dazzle our eyes and ears, and specs of the device have us wondering if it will in fact have a 1080p display. Well according to a leaked wallpaper from the M9, […]
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