Apple issues security update for OS X 10.10.2
Apple has released a security update for OS X Yosemite 10.10.2.
Apple did not specify the content update, saying only that it is recommended for all users, and improves OS X security. You can download Security Update 2015-003 from the Updates section of the Mac App Store, or as a separate download from their support site. Apple should post more about the update in this support article shortly.
WhatsApp updated in the BlackBerry Beta Zone with multiple bug fixes
It would seem as though beta testers for WhatsApp are really good at finding bugs. A new build, available in the BlackBerry Beta Zone right now, aims to squash several rather large bugs that have been found in the app. Everything from navigation issues on the Classic to some OS 10.3.1 specific bugs have been marked as fixed in this release, so if you’ve had some issues with the previous beta or even the BlackBerry World release, you just might want to give this build a go. Have a look at the full changes.
Atari releases a fitness app that aims to motivate you with games
Atari, the widely popular video game pioneer, has just entered the fitness market with its new app, Atari Fit. The new application, which is out now on Android and iOS, aims to motivate players to work out by offering points to unlock classic Atari games.
The goal of this fitness app is simple: follow daily tips and exercise routines the best you can to raise your fitness level. The higher your level increases, the more points you’ll earn towards playing games like Pong, Super Breakout and Centipede. You can compete to climb up the leaderboards, workout together with friends from across the world, and even race against other like-minded fitness folks.
The app includes over 100 fitness exercises including full-body circuits and running programs, which are certified by Michael Porter, a National Academy of Sports Medicine-certified personal trainer. The app can connect to Google Fit, Runkeeper and Facebook to help build your fully functional log-book, which will help you increase your Atari Fit experience level. It also tracks your distance, speed and calories burned while exercising.
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Here are a few more notable features the app offers:
- Track wearable health and fitness devices such as Fitbit and Jawbone by connecting to Google Fit and earn in-game rewards.
- Post accomplishments to Twitter and Facebook at the end of every workout, detailing achievements and personal bests and making fitness fun with friends. See your friends and encourage each other to workout!
- Motivate and challenge yourself by following daily tips and a multitude of exercise routines or custom programs while tracking distance, speed, pace and calories burned.
We’re not sure if Atari’s motivation structure is capable of starting a fitness revolution, but the idea is certainly a nice change of pace. Note that since this is a brand new app, there are quite a few release date bugs so far. A handful of users are having trouble connecting to their Runkeeper and Google Fit accounts, so hopefully Atari can get those ironed out soon. If you’d like to try the app out for yourself, head to the link below.
Google wants you to ‘wear what you want’ with new Android Wear ad
Google’s new Android Wear commercial — part of the search giant’s “Be together. Not the same” campaign — showcases the many different varieties of smartwatches available with Android Wear.
New iMovie for Mac Update Provides Look at Potential of Force Touch Trackpad [Mac Blog]
While Apple updated iMovie for Mac on March 9 with Photos integration and noted it in the “What’s New” section, Apple did not mention it also gained additional support for the new Force Touch Trackpad. The new feature was first found by freelance film editor Alex Gollner (via Wired) and is described in an Apple support document.
When dragging a video clip to its maximum length, you’ll get feedback letting you know you’ve hit the end of the clip. Add a title and you’ll get feedback as the title snaps into position at the beginning or end of a clip. Subtle feedback is also provided with the alignment guides that appear in the Viewer when cropping clips.
Gollner notes that the new feature allowed him to “feel” his way around iMovie’s user interface, which means that he could do certain tasks without looking at the screen. He goes on to say that the new feature feels like a sign of the future for Apple devices, with users being able to feel their way through UI elements that he calls “bumpy pixels”.
iMovie for Mac is available in the Mac App Store for $14.99. [Direct Link]
Google releases extended version of Wear What You Want (Party On) Android Wear commercial
Last week, Google released a short commercial promoting Android Wear and how you can” Wear What You Want”, as in circular or round. That spot was only about 15 seconds long, but today they are treating us with the full 60 second spot.
The theme is exactly the same, but you get a few more dances and you get to hear a little more of “On The Regular” by Shamir. Check out the full video after the break.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Anyone notice any unreleased watches? Looks like the LG Watch Urbane and Huawei Watch made an appearance.
Come comment on this article: Google releases extended version of Wear What You Want (Party On) Android Wear commercial
T-Mobile starts to roll out Android Lollipop 5.1 to Nexus 6
T-Mobile is rolling out Android Lollipop 5.1 to their Nexus 6 users today. Your phone should automatically check if there is a new version of software available when you hop on WiFi, but if you just can’t wait, hit your settings button, followed by “about phone”, then click “system updates.”
The latest update will enable Google’s new security feature which allows your phone to stay locked, even if the would be criminal wipes your phone. Also included in the update are improved software stability and various bug fixes, which we know Android 5.01 is far from perfect with bugs like random restarts and poor battery life. The file size is 409MB, and as of right now can only be downloaded over WiFi. Download over cellular data will come at a later time. It’s a rather clever way for T-Mobile to limit data downloads even though many of their plans offer unlimited data.
The post T-Mobile starts to roll out Android Lollipop 5.1 to Nexus 6 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Pebble unveils plans to kickstart smartstrap ideas with its $1 million development fund
Pebble has certainly made some big strides in the wearable space the past few years. With it’s recent announcement of the Pebble Time Steel, the company also unveiled its plans to create something called “smartstraps” – watch bands that can provide additional power, measure your heart rate, and more. Pebble hasn’t actually created any smartstraps yet, but they plan on changing that sometime soon. The company has just announced a $1 million smartstrap development fund that aims to commercialize the development of smartstrap projects for Pebble watches.
Pebble doesn’t quite have the funds to back every cool idea that comes to them, so the company will be pretty selective on which projects it backs. But to kickstart this smartstrap revolution, Pebble will seek out interesting ideas and potentially back the projects they think have potential. So if you have an idea for an interesting smartstrap, build a prototype, put your project on a crowdfunding platform (Kickstarter, Indiegogo, etc.), and reach out to the Pebble team through Twitter or email.
Pebble explains:
Not every single project will get funding from Pebble; we’ll use our best judgment to support the most promising and innovative projects. We will determine the level of our support on a case-by-case basis, and may reach out with other kinds of support, such as promoting some smartstrap projects through Kickstarter updates, on our website getpebble.com, and elsewhere.
Pebble has already expressed its interest in a few projects. The first comes from Seeed Studio, who is producing a Pebble Time connector for their Arduino-compatible Xadow modules. Seeed’s Xadow products will offer 20+ strap-sized modules which include NFC sensors, OLED displays, barometers and GPS modules. Pebble also hints at a possible heart rate monitor making its way to the straps in the future.
Next up is a prototype that comes from Spark.io who is working to make the Spark Electron work in conjunction with the Pebble, allowing users to untether their smartwatch and connect it directly to a cellular network. That means you could stay connected with your Pebble while you’re on a run, eliminating the need to have your smartphone with you.
If you have a great idea that you think could make some headway, now may be your chance to make it happen.
Secretive startup Magic Leap demos its augmented reality concept in new video
Magic Leap, the secretive augmented reality company, has just sent out a teaser video hinting at what it’s been working on since Google’s $542 million investment in the company last October. The video is titled “Just another day in the office at Magic Leap”, and starts out pretty slowly. The man in the video is shown moving around different tabs with his hands, scrolling through his Gmail with his fingertips and flicking away webpages with a swipe of his hand.
Soon after that, he starts playing a video game inside his office, and this is where things get crazy. He picks up a futuristic handgun, and tries to defend himself from a number of robots that are trying to attack him. It’s not a long video, but it’s very entertaining to watch.
The video certainly looks similar to Microsoft’s HoloLens, which allows the user to take control of the world around them by means of physical motion. And based on what we’ve seen, the technology Magic Leap is working on seems much different from the tech that Oculus, Samsung and HTC have shown off so far.
Seeing as how virtual reality products are exceedingly difficult to capture on video, we’re not quite sure if this is actually what the company has been working on, or if the video is merely a concept, showcasing what’s possible in the future. Either way, it will be interesting to see what the company comes up with in the future.
Android customization – how to factory reset your Android device, and a few things you should do first
Last week on our Android customization series, we helped out the beginning Android users in the crowd, showing off how to install a new icon pack on your Android device. This week is still a somewhat beginners task, we’ll look at performing a factory reset on your Android device.
More than just a straight out factory reset, we will start with some best practices on backing up your data before the wipe and a few other tips to help make recovery from the reset as quick and painless as possible.
Today, we will be working on a WiFi only Nexus 7 (2013) running Android Lollipop. However, you will find that most Android devices operate in a very similar way.
Before we begin
When it comes to a factory reset, the first thing you need to do is determine if a reset is right for your needs. An obvious time to reset your device is when it is going to someone else and you want to protect your data. If you are selling your device, donating it to family, returning it for service or other that eyes other than your own will be viewing the device, a factory reset is not a bad idea.
If you are looking at doing a factory reset to repair an issue with your unit, perhaps you should look for one of our fix it articles for your phone or tablet. You may be able to fix your device without a factory reset.
- 6 common problems with the Nexus 6 and how to fix them
- 8 common problems with the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact and how to fix them
- 8 common problems with the Nexus 9 and how to fix them
- 8 common problems with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and how to fix them
- 10 common problems with the HTC One (M8) and how to fix them
- 7 common problems with the LG G Flex and how to fix them
How to factory reset your Android device
The buttons to press to actually perform the factory reset on your Android device are really simple. But before we get to that, let’s cover a few things we recommend doing before hitting that button. Primarily, we recommend backing up your data and checking a few quick settings, let’s look at those in a bit more detail.
Backup your data
I am certain you have heard this a thousand times before in your computer career, it remains true for your Android experience. The great thing about Android is that you’ll find most of your apps to either be cloud based or otherwise handle their own data and settings for you. For those that do not, here are a couple quick recommendations.
In-app backup or export. Many apps like Launchers and customization apps have their own built in tools for backing up your data. Look for the Export Settings option in your Launcher, or look for the Export feature in apps like Tasker or Zooper Widget.
Manual backup. Alternative title: copy/paste. This concept is pretty simple, install a file explorer, hook up to your computer and transfer the files to your PC, or up to the cloud. Of course, if you have a device with a microSD card, just make sure all the files are on the card. Grab your Downloads, DCIM, Wallpapers and Pictures folders for sure, from there, don’t forget to grab the backup and/or export files from your above in-app actions. You’ll need those to restore or import again later.
Spend some time in your files, make sure you copy off of your device everything that you want to keep. If we haven’t mentioned this yet, a factory reset will wipe all of your files, permanently deleting them forever.
Backup app. There are apps in the Google Play Store that can help you backup your data files for apps. For most of us, an app like Helium, previously named Carbon backup, is your best friend. It will backup all of your app data, including game progress, Tasker Tasks and Profiles, Zooper Widget projects, your custom keyboard dictionary, settings and more. Root users can also look at Titanium Backup and similar, but we presume that if you are rooted, you already know a thing or two about backups.
Again, please spend some time with your apps, as mentioned, many just pull your info and settings from the cloud, but some do not. For example, you will not need to backup Gmail, as your messages live online, but you will need to backup any other app or game that does not have a cloud save. And if we haven’t mentioned this yet, a factory reset will wipe all of your app data as well. Say goodbye to saved game progress that you haven’t backed up above.
Check your Google settings
When it comes to managing your actual apps on your device, Google has got you covered. As you well know, the Google Play Store keeps record of all of your app installs, making it easy to find your favorites again after a reset. But there is more up Google’s sleeve.
Head into your device Settings, look for Backup & reset. There are two options here:
Back up my data will handle things like your saved WiFi SSIDs and passwords, plus your actual Android device settings, like display timeout. This does not backup your game data and progress as we looked at above.
Automatic restore is, as the name implies, an option to tell Google that when this device comes back online, please restore all of the Google backed up data, like WiFi passwords. It will also trigger the auto re-installation of all of your currently installed apps.
Screenshots
Last, and this is totally up to you, I make a habit of taking screenshots of my Homescreens and app dock, plus any settings pages for apps that I’ve spent any time customizing. For the most part, this is entirely unnecessary, but the odd time you forget what apps you had installed or why your wallpaper doesn’t fit right anymore, a screenshot to see how things were before can be very handy.
That is the bulk of preparation for a factory reset. I promise, the actual reset will seem like nothing compared to all the above work.
Factory Reset your Android device
Now for the magic. I promise, this is really simple. You will be warned several times along the way to make sure you’ve got everything backed up and to verify that you are certain you want to proceed. I recommend pulling your microSD card before proceeding.
Head back into your system Settings.
Look again for Backup & reset.
Click on Factory data reset (erases all data on phone).
On the next warning screen, tap on the Reset Phone button. Like I said, you’ve been warned.
Last step: on the next warning screen, tap on the Erase Everything button.
Stand back and watch. This is it and there is no turning back. Your device will restart and wipe all data while resetting the device.
Breath! Everything is going to be fine. Wait, you remembered to backup your ringtones folder right? I’m kidding, of course you did.
What’s next
What comes next is fairly obvious, you need to log into your device as though this were your first time ever using it. Then restore all of your apps and data. If you chose to let Google handle a lot of the work, you will be able to mostly just sit back and watch as the Google Play Store re-installs all of your apps. Most of your Android device settings will come back into place as well.
Reversing all of the above is pretty straightforward at this point. Sliding your microSD card back in is a simple solution, for the rest of us, you can recover app data from your Helium backup, manually transfer files back to your device by connecting to a PC. If that gives you trouble, don’t forget to try out an USB OTG option, I find it so much faster than a PC transfer.
Disclaimer: A factory reset is an unforgiving solution for wiping data from a device to overcome an issue or pass the device off to another user. Please be aware that we offer no guarantee that our suggested backup/reset/restore actions will solve your concerns, or that they will work at all. We have had good luck with a combination of all of the above techniques on many Android devices, including the stock Android Nexus device used today, but your results may vary. Don’t be afraid to find us in our forums if you have any questions before proceeding.
Next week
A factory reset can be a pretty major undertaking on an Android device, we hope today’s Android customization post has helped you work through the process. Next week, we have a device here that is using more battery than it should be, let’s look at some diagnostic tasks you can perform with the built-in Android tools, no apps required.
Have you ever factory reset your Android device? Why did you do it and did it solve your concerns?
AIVAnet 