Google’s fifth Science Fair rewards teens for saving the environment
Google’s Science Fair competition regularly leads to clever inventions from teens, and this year’s event (the fifth ever) is giving junior pioneers an extra incentive to strive for a prize. On top of familiar rewards, including $100,000 in scholarships and trips to the Galapagos or Virgin Galactic’s spaceport, there’s a Community Impact Award that honors efforts tackling environmental or health issues — kids who clean up the planet or save a life may get special recognition. Teachers will also get their due through a new Inspiring Educator award. Young creators have until May 18th to submit their finished projects to Google, and you’ll hear about the winners at a finalist event starting on September 19th.
Source: Google Official Blog
Score Snapchat videos with songs from your phone
Have the perfect song in mind for a Snapchat video? Well, now you can play music from your phone while filming it. Thanks to an update, the ephemeral sharing app no longer pauses whatever track is playing while it captures a few seconds of video footage. Of course, the music is recorded with your handset’s built-in mic, so don’t expect high-quality audio. However, you can play tunes stored on the device or streamed from services like. The update is available now for iOS devices, and we expect it’ll arrive for Android soon enough.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: iTunes
Google’s fifth Science Fair rewards teens for saving the environment
Google’s Science Fair competition regularly leads to clever inventions from teens, and this year’s event (the fifth ever) is giving junior pioneers an extra incentive to strive for a prize. On top of familiar rewards, including $100,000 in scholarships and trips to the Galapagos or Virgin Galactic’s spaceport, there’s a Community Impact Award that honors efforts tackling environmental or health issues — kids who clean up the planet or save a life may get special recognition. Teachers will also get their due through a new Inspiring Educator award. Young creators have until May 18th to submit their finished projects to Google, and you’ll hear about the winners at a finalist event starting on September 19th.
Source: Google Official Blog
Score Snapchat videos with songs from your phone
Have the perfect song in mind for a Snapchat video? Well, now you can play music from your phone while filming it. Thanks to an update, the ephemeral sharing app no longer pauses whatever track is playing while it captures a few seconds of video footage. Of course, the music is recorded with your handset’s built-in mic, so don’t expect high-quality audio. However, you can play tunes stored on the device or streamed from services like. The update is available now for iOS devices, and we expect it’ll arrive for Android soon enough.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: iTunes
MIT’s light-up robot garden teaches you how to code
If you’re teaching kids how to code, what do you do to show that software makes an impact in the real world? MIT has a clever idea: a robot garden. The project lets you control a grid of Arduino-linked “plants” through programming that makes them blossom and light up in pretty (and occasionally mesmerizing) ways. It’ll even teach the virtues of distributed computing — you can tell these leafy robots to bloom or change color in algorithm-driven sequences. The garden is just a demo for now, but it’ll eventually turn into an easy-to-replicate curriculum for students who’d otherwise have to settle for seeing their results on-screen.
[Image credit: Jason Dorfman, CSAIL]
Filed under: Science, Software
Source: MIT News
Motorola president states obvious: Apple charges too much
In a recent interview with the BBC, Motorola President Rick Osterloh took a moment to respond to criticism from Apple’s lead designer, Jony Ive. Ive, in an interview with the New Yorker, stated that the Moto-Maker allowed Motorola to abdicate its responsibility as a designer (note: Ive did not actually mention Motorola by name).
Osterloh told the BBC that Motorola believed in a different philosophy involving consumer engagement with the design process.
Ive’s full comment to the New Yorker was as follows: “Their value proposition was, ‘Make it whatever you want. You can choose whatever colour you want.’ And I believe that’s abdicating your responsibility as a designer.”
Osterloh did not take kindly to the assault on the Moto-Maker and fired back, “Our belief is that the end user should be directly involved in the process of designing products. We’re making the entire product line accessible. And frankly, we’re taking a directly opposite approach to them [Apple].”
The Motorola exec then went on to criticize Apple’s exorbitant pricing scheme for its devices: “We do see a real dichotomy in this marketplace, where you’ve got people like Apple making so much money and charging such outrageous prices. We think that’s not the future.”
Motorola’s budget devices, the Moto G and Moto E, and especially Motorola’s flagship, the Moto X, are all devices that offer feature-rich experiences to consumers at prices that fall well below that of Apple’s. Speaking of the Moto G and Moto E, Osterloh went on to say:
We believe the future is in offering similar experiences and great consumer choice at accessible prices.
The mobile phone industry’s greatest failure is also its greatest opportunity: to make really good, affordable devices for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money.
A great smartphone, and a great mobile internet experience, shouldn’t be an expensive luxury. It should be a simple choice for everyone.
Source: BBC
Come comment on this article: Motorola president states obvious: Apple charges too much
Motorola president states obvious: Apple charges too much
In a recent interview with the BBC, Motorola President Rick Osterloh took a moment to respond to criticism from Apple’s lead designer, Jony Ive. Ive, in an interview with the New Yorker, stated that the Moto-Maker allowed Motorola to abdicate its responsibility as a designer (note: Ive did not actually mention Motorola by name).
Osterloh told the BBC that Motorola believed in a different philosophy involving consumer engagement with the design process.
Ive’s full comment to the New Yorker was as follows: “Their value proposition was, ‘Make it whatever you want. You can choose whatever colour you want.’ And I believe that’s abdicating your responsibility as a designer.”
Osterloh did not take kindly to the assault on the Moto-Maker and fired back, “Our belief is that the end user should be directly involved in the process of designing products. We’re making the entire product line accessible. And frankly, we’re taking a directly opposite approach to them [Apple].”
The Motorola exec then went on to criticize Apple’s exorbitant pricing scheme for its devices: “We do see a real dichotomy in this marketplace, where you’ve got people like Apple making so much money and charging such outrageous prices. We think that’s not the future.”
Motorola’s budget devices, the Moto G and Moto E, and especially Motorola’s flagship, the Moto X, are all devices that offer feature-rich experiences to consumers at prices that fall well below that of Apple’s. Speaking of the Moto G and Moto E, Osterloh went on to say:
We believe the future is in offering similar experiences and great consumer choice at accessible prices.
The mobile phone industry’s greatest failure is also its greatest opportunity: to make really good, affordable devices for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money.
A great smartphone, and a great mobile internet experience, shouldn’t be an expensive luxury. It should be a simple choice for everyone.
Source: BBC
Come comment on this article: Motorola president states obvious: Apple charges too much
Motorola president states obvious: Apple charges too much
In a recent interview with the BBC, Motorola President Rick Osterloh took a moment to respond to criticism from Apple’s lead designer, Jony Ive. Ive, in an interview with the New Yorker, stated that the Moto-Maker allowed Motorola to abdicate its responsibility as a designer (note: Ive did not actually mention Motorola by name).
Osterloh told the BBC that Motorola believed in a different philosophy involving consumer engagement with the design process.
Ive’s full comment to the New Yorker was as follows: “Their value proposition was, ‘Make it whatever you want. You can choose whatever colour you want.’ And I believe that’s abdicating your responsibility as a designer.”
Osterloh did not take kindly to the assault on the Moto-Maker and fired back, “Our belief is that the end user should be directly involved in the process of designing products. We’re making the entire product line accessible. And frankly, we’re taking a directly opposite approach to them [Apple].”
The Motorola exec then went on to criticize Apple’s exorbitant pricing scheme for its devices: “We do see a real dichotomy in this marketplace, where you’ve got people like Apple making so much money and charging such outrageous prices. We think that’s not the future.”
Motorola’s budget devices, the Moto G and Moto E, and especially Motorola’s flagship, the Moto X, are all devices that offer feature-rich experiences to consumers at prices that fall well below that of Apple’s. Speaking of the Moto G and Moto E, Osterloh went on to say:
We believe the future is in offering similar experiences and great consumer choice at accessible prices.
The mobile phone industry’s greatest failure is also its greatest opportunity: to make really good, affordable devices for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money.
A great smartphone, and a great mobile internet experience, shouldn’t be an expensive luxury. It should be a simple choice for everyone.
Source: BBC
Come comment on this article: Motorola president states obvious: Apple charges too much
StackSocial Offers ‘Ultra-Premium’ Bundle of 8 Mac Apps for $39.99 [Mac Blog]
StackSocial began offering eight Mac apps in its “Ultra-Premium” bundle today, which includes Cultured Code’s Things 2, an Apple Design Award winner, and Realmac Software’s Typed, which was just released in December. The bundle is priced at $44.99, but StackSocial is offering MacRumors readers a $5 discount with coupon code MRULTRA5, bringing the price down to $39.99.
The total retail value of all eight apps is $469, so the bundle at $39.99 offers a significant savings compared to buying each app individually. The apps included are:
– ScreenFlow 5 ($99.99) – screen recording tool
– Things 2 ($49) – task manager
– Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth ($49.99) – turn-based strategy game
– ProSoft Data Rescue 4 ($99.99) – data recovery utility
– ExpanDrive 4 ($49.95) – directly access files stored in many popular cloud services
– AfterShot Pro 2 ($79.95) – photo editor
– Typed ($24.95) – text editor
– Snapselect ($24.99) – photo sorter for finding and eliminating duplicate and similar photos
Civilization: Beyond Earth was originally announced for Mac last April and debuted in the Mac App Store in November. ScreenFlow previously won an Apple Design Award several years ago.
The Ultra-Premium Bundle is available until March 5.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner of StackSocial.
How to make your device theft-proof and recover it if stolen
If you are reading this, you are either looking to make sure you can recover your device if it gets stolen, or are desperately trying to find a device that is already stolen. In today’s world, we are so heavily dependent on our smartphones for communicating, surfing the web, paying bills, shopping and taking pictures, that losing it becomes a nightmare of sorts. Well, worry not and read on to make your device theft proof or even recover it in case it has been stolen.
Like they say, prevention is better than cure, so here’s what you can do to protect your Android phone against theft.
- Set a screen lock
Would you ever willingly hand over all your personal data to a stranger? Obviously not! So, set a difficult password to protect it. I understand that it might seem like a chore having to unlock your handset every time you get a notification, but a minor habit adjustment will go a long way in protecting your device.
To set a screen lock, go to Settings>Security>Screen lock, then choose one option out of Pattern lock, Pin lock and Password lock.
- Keep your phone’s GPS on
Smartphones are called smart for a reason, and one of those reasons is that they can provide time and location information through satellite based global positioning system (GPS). If you have been making the mistake of disabling GPS to save your phone’s battery like I did, it will become very difficult for you to locate your device if it is lost.
You can enable your phone’s GPS by going to Settings>Location>Location on>High accuracy
- Never turn off mobile data
Avoid turning off your phone’s data so that your phone can stay connected to the internet even when you are away from a Wi-Fi network. Your device needs an internet connection in order to report its location to Android Device Manager as well as various other tracking apps.
To turn on your mobile’s data, go to Settings>Wireless and Networks>Mobile Data>Turn on
- Turn on Android Device Manager
Before you can use Android Device Manager, you have to enable it on your device and associate your device with your Google account. If more than one person uses a tablet, only the tablet owner can turn on Android Device Manager.
To enable Android Device Manager go to Google Settings>Security>Android Device Manager and turn on Remotely locate this device
- Install an anti-theft app from Google Play
You never know when a thief is going to target your phone. It is better to install a reliable anti-theft app from Google Play such as Avast Anti-Theft or Lookout Security so that you can locate, remotely operate and recover your device if it gets stolen.
Here is how to recover your stolen Android phone
- Android Device Manager
It is Google’s official mobile device recovery tool that you can easily access by logging in to Android Device Manager from your computer. By simply entering your Google account credentials, you can track your phone’s location, make it ring loudly, remotely lock and wipe data within 30 seconds of being connected to the internet.
- Plan B
If you had not installed any tracking app before losing it, you can try locating your phone through Plan B. Just download it from Google Play on any other Android phone and you are good to go.
- Go to cops
If all the above methods have failed to yield any results, you should go to the nearest police station and lodge a complaint. You will require your phone’s IMEI number and if you don’t already have it, check your lost phone’s box. Make sure that you report the theft quickly and once you do so get a copy of it.
- Call your service operator
While police officers may or may not help in finding your mobile device since they are not obligated to do so, you can call your cellular network’s customer support for further assistance. Once you provide them with the copy of your police complaint, they will be able to locate your phone through IMEI number. You should also get your SIM card blocked to make sure that your mobile number is not used in criminal activities.
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