Unannounced ZTE Nubia Z9 shown running Windows 10 at WinHec 2015
The ZTE Nubia Z9, which hasn’t been officially announced by the Chinese-based smartphone company, was spotted running a version of Windows 10 for phones at Microsoft’s WinHEC 2015 hardware conference in China this week.
Augmented reality startup Magic Leap teases its technology in new video
Magic Leap, an augmented reality company that recently secured over half a billion dollars in a round of funding lead by Google, has just released a concept video showing off its technology for the first time.
iPhoto for Mac update prepares for transition to the new Photos app
iPhoto for Mac nabbed an update today that fixes a couple of bugs and, more importantly, sets the stage for an easier transition to the Photos app coming later this spring.
Here’s what’s changed and fixed in iPhoto version 9.6.1:
- Improves compatibility when migrating iPhoto libraries to the new Photos app in the OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 (available this spring)
- Fixes an issue that caused iPhoto to display only the first 25 images in a Facebook album
- Fixes an issue that could cause iPhoto to become unresponsive when printing an image
Already in testing for those in the OS X beta program, the new Photos app is set for a wide release later this spring with the full release of OS X 10.10.3. The app will replace iPhoto and Aperture, consolidating the photo management and editing features of both into one app. Additionally, it is integrated with the iCloud Photo Library, which will make it easier to access your photos across all of your devices. If you’d like to know more about what Photos for Mac brings to the table, we had a quick first look at the app with our impressions shortly after its preview release in February.
Apple reportedly looking to sweep antivirus apps from the iOS App Store
It looks as though Apple may be in the process of removing anti-virus apps from the iOS App Store.
A number of virus scanners have been removed from the app store recently. One of the apps affected was VirusBarrier, whose developer, Intego, wrote in a blog post that the removal is part of a larger effort by Apple to eliminate anti-virus and anti-malware products from the App Store. From Intego:
Apple has elected to eliminate the category of anti-virus and anti-malware products from their iOS App Store. As a result of this decision, our product VirusBarrier iOS is no longer available for sale.
The reasoning behind the removal of anti-virus apps from the App Store appears to be an effort by Apple to stem concerns from users over whether their iOS devices are susceptible to viruses and malware. Intego CEO Jeff Erwin recently spoke to MacRumors about Apple’s stated reason for VirusBarrier’s removal:
According to Erwin, when Apple notified Intego of VirusBarrier’s removal from the App Store, the company told him the app’s App Store description was “misleading” and could potentially cause customers to believe that there are viruses on iOS.
Intego filed an appeal and rewrote the App Store description with “obnoxiously” clear wording, and that’s when the company learned about a wider crackdown on anti-virus apps. “We were as clear as we could be that this wasn’t a scanner, that it was scanning email attachments and cloud files,” said Erwin. The company “went up to the executive level” at Apple and described exactly what VirusBarrier does, but Apple was firm on the app not returning to the App Store.
Apple has yet to release any official statement on the matter, but it would make sense that the company would want to negate any concerns over iOS’ susceptibility to viruses and malware given the operating system’s sandboxed environment.
The ‘inside story’ of Apple’s ResearchKit
ResearchKit seemed to come out of nowhere, but it only seemed that way…
Medical research needed a way to reach more people more effectively. Tear-tag flyers on bulletin boards just weren’t cutting it. The future was clearly in mobile devices — the personal technology more and more people had with them every day — and in the cloud — the servers that could bring it all together — but how could that future be brought into the present? Fusion:
Sitting in the audience [of Dr. Stephen Friend’s Standford MedX talk on September 27, 2013] was Mike O’Reilly, a newly minted vice president for medical technologies at Apple. A few months earlier, Apple had poached O’Reilly from Masimo, a Bay Area-based sensor company that developed portable iPhone-compatible health trackers. Now, he was interested in building something else, something that had the potential to implement Friend’s vision of a patient-centered, medical research utopia and radically change the way clinical studies were done.
After Friend’s talk, O’Reilly approached the doctor, and, in typical tight-lipped Apple fashion, said: “I can’t tell you where I work, and I can’t tell you what I do, but I need to talk to you,” Friend recalls. Friend was intrigued, and agreed to meet for coffee.
The whole story is great, give it a read.
Apple Removes Intego’s ‘VirusBarrier’ From iOS App Store, Says It’s Misleading
Apple appears to be cracking down on “anti-virus” apps in the iOS App Store, in an effort to prevent customers from believing iOS devices are capable of contracting viruses and malware. Intego, a company that produces anti-virus software for Mac and iOS, recently had its VirusBarrier iOS app pulled from the App Store.
VirusBarrier was an app designed to scan external files stored in the cloud or attached to emails, to detect viruses that might be sent on to vulnerable devices.
Intego CEO Jeff Erwin announced the removal of the app from the iOS App Store yesterday, and pointed towards a larger culling of all anti-virus apps available on Apple’s platform. MacRumors spoke to Erwin this afternoon to shed some light on why Apple opted to remove VirusBarrier after four and a half years in the App Store.
According to Erwin, when Apple notified Intego of VirusBarrier‘s removal from the App Store, the company told him the app’s App Store description was “misleading” and could potentially cause customers to believe that there are viruses on iOS.
Intego filed an appeal and rewrote the App Store description with “obnoxiously” clear wording, and that’s when the company learned about a wider crackdown on anti-virus apps. “We were as clear as we could be that this wasn’t a scanner, that it was scanning email attachments and cloud files,” said Erwin. The company “went up to the executive level” at Apple and described exactly what VirusBarrier does, but Apple was firm on the app not returning to the App Store.
Apple, Erwin says, does not want people to be misled into believing that there are viruses on iOS, a position that he understands. Even with an App Store description that stated VirusBarrier scanned email attachments and cloud files, Intego would still receive negative comments from people who didn’t read the description and didn’t understand the app’s purpose.
I sort of get Apple’s point. Even as clear as we were about what our product did, there were still customers who were confused as to why the app was scanning their iPad or iPhone. There are a lot of people who don’t have a tech background and don’t understand.
Erwin does not believe that Apple was singling VirusBarrier out, as several other anti-virus apps have also been eliminated from the App Store. Instead, he sees it as a wider removal of the category and he doesn’t fault Apple for the decision. “It’s unfortunate, but I understand Apple’s position,” he said.
Erwin says that Intego’s iOS app was not a big source of revenue for the company, and the loss won’t hurt financially, but it was a way to get the Intego name out in the world and connect with customers. People who have previously downloaded the VirusBarrier app will continue to get virus updates, but won’t be able to download new versions of the iOS app.
It is not clear when Apple began removing anti-virus apps or how many have been pulled from the App Store, but a search for “anti-virus” today primarily brings up games, privacy apps, and apps for finding lost phones. There are still a couple of apps that advertise virus-detecting capabilities like VirusDetector, but those few remaining apps may be removed from the App Store in the near future.
Android 5.1 with VoLTE rolling out now to T-Mobile’s Nexus 6
Purchased the carrier variant of the Nexus 6 through T-Mobile? Then prepare for a software update to appear any minute. On Twitter, T-Mobile’s Desmond Smith announced that the rollout of Android 5.1 for the Nexus 6 has begun. Included with this software update is the activation of VoLTE for high quality calls.
Let us know in the comments how you’re liking the update.
Source: @AskDes (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: Android 5.1 with VoLTE rolling out now to T-Mobile’s Nexus 6
Streaming music sales in the US beat CDs for the first time
Sorry, Taylor Swift, but streaming music isn’t going anywhere. In fact, revenues from streaming services like Spotify and Rdio overtook CD sales last year — a first for the music industry — according to data from the RIAA. Streaming sales hit $1.87 billion last year, a 29 percent jump from 2013, while CD revenues fell 12.7 percent reaching $1.85 billion. Naturally, digital downloads still rule the music realm — accounting for 37 percent of the total market and $2.57 billion in sales — but it’s also worth noting they dipped a bit last year. At this point, it’s not a matter of if streaming music will overtake digital downloads, it’s simply a matter of when. The big problem for artists, though, is that they don’t make as much from streaming services as they do from downloads or CDs (that’s basically Swift’s entire beef). Don’t be surprised if you end up paying more for your Spotify subscription at some point soon, as those services rush to ramp up their pay outs.
Filed under: Internet
Via: CNET
Source: RIAA
Deal: Slickwraps is holding a moving sale, select skins being offered for 70% off
If you’re unhappy with the aesthetics of your current device, Slickwraps may have quite the deal for you. The company, which makes decorative skins for a ton of Android devices, is hosting a moving sale, allowing you to save up to 70% off on select skins.
If you’ve never checked out Slickwraps’ products before, you’re in for a treat. The company covers a large amount of current Android devices, including the Google Nexus 6, Motorola Moto X (2014), HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5 and Note 4. It even supports a number of older devices like the Google Nexus 4, Samsung Galaxy S3, LG G2 and Sony Xperia Z1. Once you select your device, you’ll be presented with multiple different types of skins. You can choose between Carbon, Metal, Glitz, Wood and Leather finishes. And while the discount isn’t nearly 70% off, you can even save on the wonderful Natural Series skins.
In addition to the 70% discount, if you can manage to bring your order up to $100, you’ll save $20 on your entire order. You likely don’t have that many Android devices to cover up, so they also offer skins for your gaming consoles, tablets, computers and even your Moto 360.
This deal is only going on until tomorrow (3/20), so you better hurry if you want to take advantage of the promotion! If you’re interested, head to the source link below to start shopping.
AIVAnet 
