Should you try out the Photos for Mac public beta?
Is Photos for Mac ready for its public closeup? Pretty close — but don’t go in without a backup.
Apple released its first public beta of OS X 10.10.3 on Monday, and with it also comes the first public crack at Photos for Mac. The temptation to upgrade for people enrolled in Apple’s public beta program is great, especially for those using iCloud Photo Library on your iOS device, but should you?
Are you a tech junkie? (And do you have a backup?)
My general counsel on the matter is a cautious yes — if you have a good backup of your Mac and your photographs. I’ve been running OS X 10.10.3 since the first developer beta and it’s remarkably stable for a preview release; Photos, similarly, is about as solid as an OS X beta app can be. I’ve experienced a few crashes here and there, and I’m sure Apple hasn’t ironed out all the memory leaks it’d like to take care of before its formal public release, but it’s perfectly solid to take for a spin.
But that’s dependent on one thing: a good backup. On the off-chance that your Mac runs into a horrible bug with Photos or otherwise in the course of your day-to-day interaction with OS X 10.10.3, you don’t want to put your data at risk, too. If you’ve backed up your information, however, and you really want to play with Photos for Mac, I see no real reason to not join the Appleseed Beta program and download the release.
Are you my mother?
If you’re familiar with betas (and the bugs they occasionally contain) and their workings, there’s not much harm in downloading OS X 10.10.3. But that doesn’t mean you should pre-update your tech-repair-challenged friends and family’s computers with the beta. Apple is likely to officially release OS X 10.10.3 in the next month or two; there’s no reason not to wait to update your mother’s computer until that point in time.
Already have the beta installed?
Let us know how you’re getting along with Photos for Mac — and if you have any questions about the app — in the comments.
NVIDIA’s got a new GPU monster, and it’s called Titan X
NVIDIA just announced the Titan X, its latest powerhouse graphics card, at Epic Game’s GDC session this morning. And boy, it sounds like a monster: According to NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, it’s now the world’s most powerful GPU with more than 8 billion transistors (a bit of a jump from the 7 billion in last year’s Titan Z). Titan X is powered by the company’s new Maxwell architecture, and it packs in 12 gigabytes of VRAM, just like the Titan Z. NVIDIA isn’t revealing much else about the new GPU yet — it has its own conference in a few weeks, after all — but at this point it sounds like the video card we’ll all be pining for this year.
While it may seem strange for Huang to tease the Titan X at another company’s event, he had a good reason: It’s powering a new VR experience called Thief in the Shadows, a joint effort between Epic, Oculus, and Weta Digital, which puts you in the shoes of someone exploring the dragon Smaug’s treasure-filled cave from The Hobbit.
Don’t miss out on all the latest from GDC 2015! Follow along at our events page right here.
Source: NVIDIA
NVIDIA’s got a new GPU monster, and it’s called Titan X
NVIDIA just announced the Titan X, its latest powerhouse graphics card, at Epic Game’s GDC session this morning. And boy, it sounds like a monster: According to NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, it’s now the world’s most powerful GPU with more than 8 billion transistors (a bit of a jump from the 7 billion in last year’s Titan Z). Titan X is powered by the company’s new Maxwell architecture, and it packs in 12 gigabytes of VRAM, just like the Titan Z. NVIDIA isn’t revealing much else about the new GPU yet — it has its own conference in a few weeks, after all — but at this point it sounds like the video card we’ll all be pining for this year.
While it may seem strange for Huang to tease the Titan X at another company’s event, he had a good reason: It’s powering a new VR experience called Thief in the Shadows, a joint effort between Epic, Oculus, and Weta Digital, which puts you in the shoes of someone exploring the dragon Smaug’s treasure-filled cave from The Hobbit.
Don’t miss out on all the latest from GDC 2015! Follow along at our events page right here.
Source: NVIDIA
HBO and Apple in Talks for $15/Month Apple TV Streaming Service Launching in April
HBO is in talks with Apple over a partnership that would see its upcoming standalone web-only subscription television package available on the Apple TV, reports Michael Learmonth, writing for International Business Times. CNBC has also confirmed that Apple and HBO are in talks in the video tweet posted below.
BREAKING: Sources tell @JBoorstin that Apple & HBO are in talks for Apple TV to be a launch partner for 'HBO Now'.
https://t.co/hQd9AzA3Xr
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) March 4, 2015
Apple could potentially be one of HBO’s launch partners for its web-only service, which may be called “HBO Now.” News of HBO’s web-based subscription service first surfaced in October of 2014, after HBO CEO Richard Plepler shared the company’s plans at an investor presentation.
The service, aimed at cable cutters, will allow users to access HBO content without a cable subscription for a set monthly fee. With the launch of a cable-free subscription service, HBO will become the first major premium content provider to cease limiting its television and movie offerings to cable subscribers.
According to Learmonth, HBO’s web-only subscription will launch in April alongside the premiere of the fifth season of Game of Thrones, which takes place on April 12. The service is said to cost $15 per month, which is roughly how much it costs to subscribe to HBO through a cable company. A partnership with Apple would allow the service to be watched on the Apple TV, much like the existing version of HBO’s service, HBO Go. HBO Go is available to all existing HBO subscribers on a variety of devices like the iPad and Apple TV, but it requires an HBO subscription through a cable or satellite provider.
Cable companies like Time Warner and Comcast have long been reluctant to offer piecemeal pricing and companies like HBO have previously avoided moving away from traditional cable models in order to preserve the status quo and avoid upsetting existing revenue streams.
The introduction of HBO’s service will be a major victory for cord cutters, and it could encourage other content providers to introduce similar offerings. Content providers’ reluctance to shift away from traditional models has been one of the major factors that’s prevented Apple from establishing deals for its own service in the past.
New update to Slingshot app lets you interact with new users around the globe
Facebook has issued a new update to the Slingshot application which now makes user discovery less cumbersome. The app now gets a new “Explore” option which lets you discover people around the globe.
It’s much like Snapchat, which is Slingshot’s primary industry rival. If you’re worried much about privacy, you can turn off the Explore feature from the settings to be left out from results.
Once you tap Explore and if you like what you see there, you can choose to follow the particular user or simply check out what other users have to offer. It’s a very handy discovery feature, which will ensure that your experience with the app is enhanced.
Here’s what Facebook had to say about the new addition – “Explore is a place to discover funny, inspiring and creative people from across the globe. It features popular people who are active on Slingshot. You can view their shots and then decide who you want to follow. If you don’t want to be featured in Explore, you can turn on Approve Followers in Settings.”
Source: Slingshot Blog
Come comment on this article: New update to Slingshot app lets you interact with new users around the globe
Google Hangouts version 3.0 update brings performance and stability improvements
An update to Google Hangouts is beginning to roll out to Android users today. The update, which brings the app up to version 3.0, features mostly performance and stability improvements along with a few aesthetic enhancements. Oddly enough, the jump up to version 3.0 doesn’t bring as many changes as one might expect.
According to Google’s Dennis Kiilerich, the main focus of this update is to improve stability and performance issues. Additionally, Google has addressed feedback and suggestions that users submit to the company. Kiilerich also explains that they’ve added a ton of under the hood improvements that will allow them to add more features going forward.
Other than performance improvements, one main change we’ve noticed is the updated contact card. Much like we saw in the new Google Contacts preview from yesterday, the contact card now shows information from the user’s Google+ profile, including recent conversations, people in common and recent Google+ posts. Other than that, we’re not seeing too many other changes in the way the app looks.
Follow the Google Play link below to check for the new update. If you don’t feel like waiting, you can follow the apk link below to sideload the update by yourself. And if you see anything new in the Hangouts update, let us know what we missed in the comment section!
Xbox games are coming to Microsoft’s augmented reality headset
If you watched Microsoft’s announcement of its Hololens augmented reality headset and wondered if you’d play Xbox games with it, well, wonder no longer. Today at its Game Developers Conference presentation, Redmond announced that games would be en route to the device and that the APK should be available come its Build conference late April.
Developing…
Don’t miss out on all the latest from GDC 2015! Follow along at our events page right here.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Hyundai brings Android Wear compatibility to its Blue Link app
Hyundai announced today that it has recently updated its Blue Link Android app bring Android Wear compatibility, allowing users compatible car models to perform a number of userful remote functions right from their wrist.
Kyocera Torque hands on and first impressions
brightcove.createExperiences();
The idea of a rugged smartphone isn’t new, and one of the popular names in this category is Kyocera. The company showcased their latest ultra rugged smartphone at MWC 2015 with a launch targeted at European markets, called the Kyocera Torque, not be confused by the device of the same name, by the same company, that was released in the US almost two years ago. We got to spend some time with this device, and here is our first impressions about the Kyocera Torque!
As is the case with any ruggedized smartphone, the design of the Torque is very industrial, and it is quite thick. Physical home, back, and recent apps, buttons are found up front, and all the ports are covered to maintain its dust and waterproof nature. Despite how thick it is, the Torque is still easy to hold on to, given its rather small footprint overall.
When it comes to the specifications, the device features a 4.5-inch display with a 720p resolution, with a resulting pixel density of 326 ppi, and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 610 processor, clocked at 1.4 GHz, and backed by 2 GB of RAM. 16 GB of internal storage is also available, further expandable up to 128 GB via microSD. LTE, along with a full suite of connectivity options is available, and on the battery front, the device packs a large 3,100 mAh battery, which should allow for some impressive longevity. The Torque also comes with an 8 MP rear camera and a front-facing 2 MP unit.
On the software side of things, the device runs Android 4.4 Kitkat with a few customizations added by Kyocera, but its not a very heavy skin, and retains a lot of the UI elements of stock Android, which should allow for a smooth performance overall.
Moving onto the features that make the Kyocera Torque unique starts with the display itself. You have the ability to use the display while wearing gloves, and also if the screen or your hands are wet, which is ideal for those who work in construction or any other harsh environments where you might have to deal with the elements.
The other feature is in the fact that the Torque comes with a Military Standard 810G rating for protection against dust, shock, extreme temperatures, low pressure, solar radiation, salt, rain, humidity, and water immersion, with dust and waterproofing covered under a IP68 rating as well, which means that it can be immersed in up to 1 meter of water for as long as 30 minutes without any negative impact on performance. Another useful feature is that the Torque also supports wireless charging, so its definitely one of the more feature-packed rugged smartphones we’ve seen.
Something you may have noticed is that the front of the phone doesn’t come with a speaker above the display for use during voice calls, because of what Kyocera calls “Smart Sonic Receiver.” The display actually vibrates to deliver sound and audio to your ear, similar to what we saw with the Sharp Aquos Crystal. Also worth mentioning is that future iterations of the device will feature embedded solar panels in the display to help charge it.
So there you have it – a quick look at the Kyocera Torque! This is definitely one of the better rugged smartphones we’ve seen, not only in terms of the protection it offers, but also due to the various features and enhancements it packs to further augment the overall experience.
Stay tuned with Android Authority as we continue to bring you more great coverage from MWC 2015!
LG to launch a smartphone that “stands above the G series”
Now that the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 have both officially been unveiled, everyone is setting their sights on LG’s next big smartphone. With the rumored launch of the LG G4 set for mid-April, one could assume that the company’s next flagship will be a worthy competitor to the S6 and M9. But according to LG, that’s not all they have up their sleeve for 2015.
According to Juno Cho, CEO of LG Mobile, the company plans to release a smartphone with higher-end specifications than the popular G series. At MWC 2015, Cho explains:
We are planning to release a product that stands above the G series. It will be launched during the second half of this year.
The LG exec didn’t reveal any specifics when it comes to the new high-end flagship line, but since last year’s G3 already featured great specifications, it’s difficult to speculate as to what the company could improve. LG has made some great advancements in the flexible display world, so perhaps the company is planning on truly bringing their flexible display tech into the mainstream. LG’s most recent high-end device, the G Flex 2, featured a 5.5-inch P-OLED display that we really enjoyed. But the device’s battery life, camera quality and a handful of other factors ended up tarnishing our overall experience with the device.
Of course, LG could also be working on something to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Note line. Back in December, LG filed a trademark for something called the “G Pen”, or what’s purported to be a smart stylus, much like Samsung’s S Pen. So perhaps this new mystery device that LG is building could better take on the Samsung’s Note line in a way that the G Pro series never could. This is all speculation for now, so we’ll have to see what LG comes up with later this year.
Cho also commented on the company’s in-house built processors that we may see rolling out to more LG devices sometime soon. As we reported earlier, LG announced last year that they would begin building their own chipsets, and that production was slated to start in Q2 of 2014. In turn, LG rolled out their first chipset in the LG G3 Screen, which debuted in October 2014. The processor in the Screen is called the Nuclun (pronounced NOO-klun), and features a big.LITTLE octa-core design with four 1.5GHz Cortex-A15 cores for high-performance tasks and four 1.2GHz Cortex-A7 cores for less intensive processing.
At MWC, Cho commented further on the importance of building their own chipsets:
Producing our own mobile application chips is very important. As LG Electronics has been consistent in developing these, we plan to gradually incorporate into our new models… We do have a lot of issues that need to be addressed, but second- and third-generation processors will be much better.
LG has historically used Qualcomm chipsets in the majority of their handsets, and it’s obvious why they’d want to move away from that. Samsung has used their in-house built Exynos processors in many of their devices, and even Apple has developed their own mobile processors. In order for LG to regain its spot as the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, using their own processors could potentially help that happen.
Even after the recent announcement of two of the biggest smartphones of the year, Cho remains confident in LG’s success with their upcoming smartphones:
Samsung did a very good job with the Galaxy S6 smartphone. I believe our G4 will also be good. With higher expectations, LG put huge resources into the LG G4.
It remains to be seen whether or not LG will use a new iteration of the Nuclun processor in their upcoming handsets, but we do know that they’re working hard to bring more of their own to market.
AIVAnet 