Samsung swears its smart TVs aren’t eavesdropping on you
Over the weekend, quite a few people panicked at the phrasing of Samsung’s smart TV privacy policy. Its warning that third parties would get your sensitive spoken info conjured up images of Orwellian telescreens spying on their viewers. The reaction was largely paranoia (this was just a description of standard cloud-based voice recognition), but the company isn’t leaving anything to chance — it posted a retort that denies any eavesdropping and clarifies what its screens are really doing. As Samsung explains, neither the TV’s mic nor the one in your remote are monitoring everything you say. The TV only listens for a predetermined set of commands, while the controller won’t handle more sophisticated requests (such as asking for movie advice) until you hit a button.
The explanation isn’t perfect (how long is that information stored, for example?), but it doesn’t leave much room for debate. However, it also suggests that smart TV makers haven’t finished tackling the privacy concerns that have plagued them since at least 2013. Unless every manufacturer both respects privacy and is clear about what’s happening, there may always be a nagging suspicion that these smart sets are too nosy.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Samsung
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Samsung Tomorrow
Apple is now a $700 billion company
Shares of Apple stock today reached another all-time high, which in and of itself isn’t shocking — Apple does that on a regular basis — but today market the point where Apple as a company crossed the $700 billion line. Apple has been the world’s most valuable publicly-traded company for some time, but its skyrocketing share price has seen it rapidly pull away from every other company on the planet.
As of this writing, Apple’s market capitalization — the combined value of all outstanding shares — sat at an astounding $705.32 billion. That’s an amazing 64.36% increase from one year ago, the last time Apple passed oil giant ExxonMobil in the rankings. Exxon today sits at a market cap of $384 billion, down over the past few quarters (no doubt thanks to the general collapse of oil prices as of late), with none other than Apple rivals and sometimes frenemies Microsoft and Google nipping at Exxon’s heels.
Apple’s share price has been seen substantial growth since the record first quarter results that were recently released, leading some to say that Apple had somehow overcome such economic principles as the “Law of Large Numbers” (which states that this kind of growth becomes harder and harder to sustain as the sheer numbers needed to sustain it grow increasingly large and the uncommitted customer base to support it decreases). As CEO Tim Cook said during today’s appearance at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference:
“We don’t believe in old laws such as the law of large numbers. Steve Jobs always liked to say that ‘Putting limits on your thinking [is] never good.’ “
Apple to Open Massive $850M Solar Farm in Monterey, California [Mac Blog]
During today’s Goldman Sachs conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that Apple is planning its “boldest, biggest, most ambitious project,” yet in the form of a 1,300 acre solar farm in Monterey County, California.
The solar farm, which puts out enough power for almost 60,000 California farms, will provide enough renewable energy for Apple’s new campus, every other office it has in California, all 52 stores in the state, and its data center in Newark, California. The solar farm is an $850 million project, which Cook says Apple is doing “because it’s right to do.”
Image of Apple’s North Carolina solar farm courtesy of Gigaom
We know at Apple that climate change is real and our view is that the time for talk has passed and the time for action is now. We’ve shown that with what we do.
Though the solar farm good for the environment, Tim Cook also highlighted the fiscal impact of such a decision, explaining that there’s a significant price difference between the fixed price of renewable energy and the price of brown energy. “We’re thrilled to continue on the course of leaving the world better than we found it,” said Cook.
Apple has already built a series of large solar farms in North Carolina , but at $850m, the Monterey County solar farm will be its most ambitious project yet.
Android 5.0 Lollipop rolling out for AT&T LG G3
Typically Wednesdays are reserved for Google app updates, but it would appear a number of devices are seeing updates today that brings Android 5.0 Lollipop to users. AT&T is in the process of shipping out the update to the LG G3 through typical FOTA updates. The update will come through carrying Android 5.0.1 with a […]
The post Android 5.0 Lollipop rolling out for AT&T LG G3 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
2014 Motorola Moto X getting Android 5.0 Lollipop update on US Cellular
Moments ago I shared that Lollipop is rolling out for the LG G3 on AT&T. Following suit today is an update to Android 5.0 Lollipop for the Moto X (2nd Gen, 2014) on US Cellular. The update is reportedly going out now in a staged roll out fashion and not everyone will have it appearing […]
The post 2014 Motorola Moto X getting Android 5.0 Lollipop update on US Cellular appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
T-Mobile brings back “Tablet on Us” for Valentine’s Day and gives you a free ALCATEL ONETOUCH Pop 7
Looking to get your hands on a tablet but can’t seem to justify the cost associated? T-Mobile might be able to help you out on that front with the reinstatement their “Tablet on Us” promotion. Beginning February 12th and running through February 16th you can get your hands on a free ALCATEL ONETOUCH Pop 7. In […]
The post T-Mobile brings back “Tablet on Us” for Valentine’s Day and gives you a free ALCATEL ONETOUCH Pop 7 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Snag 2GB of Google Drive storage fee from Google for a simple security checkup
Can one have too much cloud storage these days? It is an argument that could go on for decades and not one I am here to participate in. However, if you are finding yourself short on storage from your Google Drive account as it is loaded with documents, music and photos, now is your chance […]
The post Snag 2GB of Google Drive storage fee from Google for a simple security checkup appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
10 best Android tools and utility apps
One of the first immediately noticeable uses for an Android device is as a tool. Before all the games, keyboards, and productivity apps, people were finding ways to use their Android devices as a tool to make every day life easier and it’s still among the best reasons to own a smartphone. In this roundup, we’ll look at the best Android tools and utility apps.
AppLock
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
First on our list is AppLock. This nifty security app helps you lock up the various parts of your device so that snoops, thieves, or curious kids can’t get to them. With it you can lock up content like SMS, contacts, Facebook, photo gallery, Google Play Store, settings, and calls. As the name implies, you can also lock up pretty much any app as well. There are several options available to lock up everything and it’s a great way to keep your phone private without having to relay on a lock screen lock.
Clean Master
[Price: Free]
Clean Master is an intensely popular application that is actually really useful. Whenever you install an Android app, it creates its own folder and leaves its data laying around. When you uninstall it, that data doesn’t necessarily go with it. Clean Master can help by finding and deleting that extra crap left behind by other apps. There’s also a built in app manager, task manager, and bare bones antivirus for those who would like to get all of those features in one place.
DashLight
[Price: Free / $1.59]
There are plenty of flashlight apps out there but all pretty much do the same thing which is either light up your screen white so you can use it as a flashlight or activate your LED flash so you can use that as a flashlight. DashLight has an app, a widget for your homescreen, and DashClock Widget support so you can access your camera on your lock screen if you have that set up. It’s permission friendly and it’s a solid option.
GasBuddy
[Price: Free]
GasBuddy is a helpful application that keeps you appraised of the gas prices in your area. This is incredibly helpful when you’re looking for the cheapest gas in your area. It’s also great for people taking road trips and need to find gas stations on their route. The interface is simple and the information is crowd sourced so if you find a gas station with the wrong price listed, you can change it to make it right for the next group of people. It’s also totally free.
Google Goggles
[Price: Free]
Google Goggles is an underrated tool that pretty much everyone could use. Some very basic uses include reading barcodes and QR codes which we’ve seen increase in number over the years. You can also use it to look at things like landmarks, artwork, and other media and products to help you figure out what it is. It’s not an everyday use kind of thing but it’s definitely something worth keeping in the app drawer for emergencies.
Google Translate
[Price: Free]
Google Translate is the best translation app hands down. With it you can type in words and have them translated on the fly. You can also have it set to voice mode and it will translate spoken word in real time which can be very helpful for travelers on the go. The latest feature to get baked into Google Translate is the ability to point your camera at foreign text and have it translated. This is great for travelers and it’s good for local events like going out to eat at that fancy foreign restaurant with the menus you can’t read. It’s worth having in the app drawer all the time.
Guitar Tuner Free
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
One of the more creative uses for your Android device is using it to tune instruments. Despite its name, Guitar Tuner Free tunes more than just guitars. It includes support for bass, ukulele, and many, many others. It also has alternative tunings such as drop d, open, and even custom tuning. There is also a built in metronome for practice, noise cancellation so you can tune in a crowded room, and there are even games to learn guitar chords. It’s a complete package for many musicians.
Helium
[Price: Free / $4.99]
Helium is a great app because it’s the only really good non-root solution for backing up your applications. It’s a more work than if you’ve got something like Titanium Backup but Titanium Backup requires root and this does not. The free version lets you backup your apps to your SD card (where applicable) and computer while the paid version lets you upload backups to Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box.com. Everyone should have backups of their apps ready just in case and that makes this a must have application.
Smart Tools
[Price: $2.99]
Smart Tools is an older app but has been updated over the years and still remains a great tool to have. Within the app you’ll find methods to measure things like length, angle, slope, distance, height, and width. You’ll also have a compass, level meter, flashlight, mirror, and unit converter. It’s a great all in one package that includes 16 different tools in all. You can also download any tool individually for free by checking out the developer page.
Valet
[Price: Free]
Valet is a free app that helps you find where you parked your car. It uses Google Play Services Location API and keeps everything very simple to help you find your car. It can be used for a number of cases including getting lost in the mall parking lot, setting a parking timer (built in) to avoid getting a ticket, and you can even set street sweeping reminders to get your car out of the way. It’s free and it’s solid.
Wrap up
If we missed any great Android tools and utility apps, let us know in the comments below! There are also plenty of tools we didn’t cover, such as file browsers, flashlights, and more. To see individual lists for those, click the complete list link below to see all of our app lists!
To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
Google I/O 2015 set to take place May 28-29
Mark your calendars! Google has just announced their annual development conference, Google I/O, will take place Thursday, May 28th and Friday, May 29th 2015. Google’s Sundar Pichai announced on Twitter:
Excited to announce dates for Google I/O in San Francisco on May 28-29, 2015. More details at https://t.co/9CdxQHxEiS
— sundarpichai (@sundarpichai) February 10, 2015
The conference will be held at Moscone Center West in San Fransisco, California, and registration will begin March 17th at 9AM PDT and will end March 19th at 5PM PDT. Just like every year, the keynote and additional presentations will be streamed live for anyone unable to make the conference. If you can remember back to last year, Google didn’t just let anyone in the doors. A lottery system was put in place, and not everyone that wanted to attend was chosen. There’s no official word from Google, but we’re assuming that system will continue this year.
Google’s I/O conference has been historically one of the most exciting presentations for fans of Android and Google alike. Last year, we saw an early developer’s release of Android “L” (which later became Lollipop), the first Android Wear smartwatches, the introduction of Android Auto, Android TV, and much more. For more information on the upcoming conference, check out the Google I/O 2015 event page here.
So, who’s excited? What do you think Google will announce this year?
Verizon customers in Denver are having phones ordered without their knowledge
Today, we have a rather bizarre story from Denver.
Apparently, Verizon customers in the area are receiving bills for phones that they never ordered. The bills include the full cost of a new phone, an activation fee and around $150 per month for the data plan.
As the Denver Post notes, this started when a Verizon customer complained to one of the local TV stations about receiving a bill for Apple iPhone 6 that she didn’t order it. But when the local TV station aired the story, the station were contacted by numerous other Verizon customers in the area who had also been victims of similar orders.
At the moment, Verizon claims that there is no evidence of a data breach.
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