Blink: an on-demand, smartphone-powered service for eye exams
Yes, smartphones can be fun, no doubt about it (Flappy Bird, anyone?). But there’s more to them than that. Take EyeNetra, for example: this young startup has come up with a smartphone-based service that offers on-demand vision tests. With Blink, people don’t have to pay a visit to the optometrist to get a routine eye exam — it comes to them. The newly launched service isn’t meant to replace any optic emergencies that may arise, however; instead, it simply provides a test to determine if someone needs prescription eyeglasses.
For $75, Blink sends a technician to your home (or office) with a set of smartphone-compatible tools — including the one pictured above, which is reminiscent of a VR headset. Then, in matter of minutes, your sight data is collected and the results get sent to a certified optometrist. And if turns out that a prescription is needed, it will be sent right to your email address. Unfortunately, Blink is only available in New York City right now, but the company does expect to expand its on-demand offering to other places in the future.
Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Peripherals
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Blink
Google bolsters security by offering Security Keys to business customers
We all know digital information is vulnerable to hacking and theft. We have evidenced massive data breaches in the past year with Target and Sony being at the center of attention. Google continues its lead in keeping clients safe by introducing Security Keys for Google Drive. Most of you reading this post know how weak your usernames and passwords can be because you probably have weak passwords due to the fact that they are easier to remember. In addition to having difficulty remembering passwords, many sites have different requirements for what kind of password security is required.
Google collaborated with the FIDO Alliance standards organization to create another layer of protection by using an actual key, named Security Key, to authenticate your identity. The Security Key sends an encrypted signature, rather than an actual password to prevent phishing. And using this key saves you time — when you need to verify your Google Account on a Chrome browser, the key’s light will flash.
The new Security Key will roll out in the next few weeks to business customers, and most importantly the effort required to deploy them is minimal. No additional software will be required to be installed, and if the keys are lost, admins can revoke access to those keys immediately.
Multiple models are available for purchase and start at a very affordable $6.
Source – http://googleforwork.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/the-key-for-working-smarter-faster-and-more-securely.html
The post Google bolsters security by offering Security Keys to business customers appeared first on AndroidGuys.
‘Things’ for Apple Watch Puts Task Accomplishment Tools on Your Wrist [iOS Blog]
Cultured Code, the company behind popular task management app Things, already announced plans for an Apple Watch app, but as of today, the company is ready to share an in-depth look at how Things for Apple Watch will bring powerful task accomplishment capabilities to Apple’s wrist worn device.
As detailed in a post on the Cultured Code’s blog, Things for Apple Watch was created to guide people through their daily “Get Things Done” goals, much like Apple’s own built-in fitness-based apps help guide people through their daily movement goals.
Things for Apple Watch revolves around a “Today list” that serves as a central place for people to list all of the goals they want to accomplish in any given day. Tasks can be pulled from different to-dos and projects in the Things app and compiled into this daily list, which is what’s displayed on the Apple Watch.
For quick access to the daily task list in Things for Apple Watch, Cultured Code developed a “Glance” view. Swiping up on the Apple Watch’s face brings up Glances, and the Things Glance offers a look at progress that’s been made on a task list as well as remaining tasks that need to be completed. Like Apple’s apps, Things uses a circle to help users visualize their progress — as tasks are completed, the circle fills up.
A tap on the Things Glance view can be used to open the full Things app, where tasks can be viewed in more detail or marked as completed. Tapping on a task brings up information like due dates, notes, and the project it’s in, and from this view, tasks can be postponed until another day.
To add new tasks to a list on the Apple Watch, Things takes advantage of Siri. Tapping on the “+” button within the app will bring up an option to enter a task through dictation, where it can be added to the list of daily to-dos. New tasks can also be added to the Things‘ Inbox by activating Siri with the Digital Crown.
Things for Apple Watch is part of the iPhone app, and as such, it’s integrated into the Things Cloud that syncs all tasks across all devices with Things installed. Changes or additions to to-dos from the Apple Watch will sync to other Things apps, and vice versa.
Things for iPhone with the accompanying Apple Watch app can be downloaded from the App Store for $9.99. [Direct Link]
LG takes the lid off of new UX features for the G4
LG has already shown off some of what the G4 will be able to do ahead of the official announcement, and today they’ve released a second video detailing quite a bit about the camera, plus a few other things their 2015 flagship will be capable of.
The camera will be one of the biggest selling points of the G4, so of course LG is demonstrating some of what it’s capable of. The new camera features a selfie mode, similar to what’s seen on the G Flex, but a pretty handy feature is the ability to double tap the rear volume down key to instantly snap a photo without actually having to open the camera app. This feature is probably in response to Samsung’s snappy home button double tap feature in the GS6, and the good news is that LG’s implementation should be just a bit faster. The drawback looks like you won’t be able to aim at all using that double press, so you’d better learn exactly how to line your shots up to get any good photos with it.
There’s also a new caller ID feature where the G4 will automatically create custom ringtones for different callers. Custom ringtones isn’t exactly a new feature for smartphones, but it looks like LG’s software handles it automatically. Might not be groundbreaking, but it’s useful if you’re in a situation (like working out) where you don’t know if you actually need to worry about picking up the phone, depending on who’s calling.
LG is also revamping their Quick Memo feature set by adding a read-later option to the interface. You’ll be able to quickly clip web content, sans ads and other distractions, in your Quick Memo to come back to later. Useful for recipes or news articles that you don’t have time to read right this instant.
2015 is the year where Samsung trimmed up their software and tried to cut back on the bloat, but it looks like LG is going to double down on their baked in features, for better or worse. Are you still going to be interested in the G4 with all of these extra features?
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: LG takes the lid off of new UX features for the G4
LG releases another video showcasing LG G4 UX 4.0
At the beginning of the month, LG released a video briefly showcasing some of the new software features that will be making their way into the upcoming LG G4. The first video was more of a teaser than a detailed walkthrough, but now a second video has been released that further details some of what we can expect in LG UX 4.0.
Read also: LG G4 Rumor Roundup
A big part of LG’s teasers have revolved around the camera experience, and this new video is no different. Several new camera features are highlighted, including the new Quick Shot function that lets you double tap the G4’s rear volume button to take a picture, even if the phone is locked. There’s also a special selfie feature called Gesture Interval Shot that lets you use a gesture to initiate a series of four shots in a row — with the idea being that the ‘perfect’ selfie isn’t easy to get, but multiple shots gives your more options.
Moving past the camera, LG talks about Ringtone ID, which is designed to automatically create custom ringtones for all your favorite contacts. This means you don’t have to assign custom icons in order to tell who’s calling without looking, the LG G4 will be able to do that for you. Lastly, LG shows off Quick Memo+, a feature that strips an article down to just text, sort of like the reading mode found in quite a few modern web browsers.
According to LG, that’s just a sample of what we’ll see in UX 4.0. It is interesting that while the first video claims LG is toning things down a bit, in a manner similar to ‘new’ TouchWiz, it also looks like LG is preparing to push several new features as well.
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For those that enjoy extra software features, as long as UI performance still remains smooth, this could just be yet another reason why the LG G4 could be a solid alternative to the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
What do you think of the new software features that LG has shown off so far? Let us know in the comments.
Apple Contacting Some Early Apple Watch Customers: ‘We’re Working on Your Order’
Apple on Wednesday emailed select customers that pre-ordered the Apple Watch to reassure them that the company is working on their orders and will provide them with specific delivery dates and tracking information when available. Apple appears to have sent the email to customers with Apple Watch pre-orders that have yet to be prepared for shipment ahead of Friday’s launch.
Apple Watch pre-order deliveries will begin on April 24 as scheduled, although it remains unknown how many devices will reach customers on day one. Apple confirmed earlier today that many Apple Watch pre-orders with extended shipping estimates will be delivered sooner than expected, but also noted that some customers with extended shipping estimates may still be in for a long wait.
UMaine’s clean snowmobile runs on (a lot of) natural gas
Take a look at what these mechanical engineering students from the University of Maine say is the only natural gas-powered snowmobile in the US. Why make all these changes to what used to be a stock Arctic Cat XF1100? To compete in the Society of Automotive Engineers Clean Snowmobile Challenge, which was founded to create machines capable of running in Yellowstone Natural Park where rules about noise and emissions keep gas snowmobiles out. Changing the fuel source from gasoline to natural gas not only meant swapping out the gas tank, but also the injectors inside the motor. As you can see in the video after the break, last year’s team got the beast running, but this year students are working on improving the handling and tuning.
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Yv55DwoD2M8?rel=0
That large and heavy CNG tank is in place because of the original estimates for what it would take to run a snowmobile for 100 miles (a requirement of the competition), but the team told me it will be replaced with a smaller one in the future. Last year the snowmobile operated using an Arduino microcontroller on top of the stock engine computer, but now that’s been changed too, for a custom ECU that allows for more tuning. To make the handling better even with the sled’s extra size and weight, the team is making changes like moving the tank forward for a better center of gravity, and stiffening the rear suspension.
Judging from the video, even with the extra size, snowmobile riding is just as much fun as with any other machine, and by switching to other energy sources, it could be more environmentally friendly. This CNG sled puts out far less emissions than gas, and proposed gas pipelines could make the fuel widely available in Maine. There are other ideas out there — some teams are working on improved tuning of gas engines for better efficiency, exhaust gas recirculation, and using diesel or electric engines — you can see them riding out in this year’s competition below.
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9dEUmz-JI44?rel=0
Filed under: Transportation
Source: University of Maine SAE Clean Snowmobile Team (1), (2)
Carphone Warehouse launching flexible ‘iD’ mobile network next month
Does the UK need another carrier? Carphone Warehouse seems to think so. It’s been rumoured for months, but finally the company is ready to unveil its own mobile network. “iD” will arrive in May and, as expected, be powered by Three’s network infrastructure. What makes it special? Well, the retailer says it’s focusing on a few key benefits. The first is “controlled and capped plans,” which it claims will be the cheapest on the market. It’s also emphasising “flexible” 12-month contracts and 30-day SIM-only plans.
Its biggest differentiator, however, is arguably international roaming. iD customers will get free access to their normal data allowances in 22 countries, which tops even Three’s current offering. At launch, the regions will be: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the US.
Otherwise, Carphone Warehouse is staying tight-lipped about iD. The company is yet to disclose any specific contracts, for instance, aside from a limited-time offer which includes a Samsung A3, 300 minutes, 500 texts and 1GB of data for £19.50 per month.
The UK’s telecoms industry is in the midst of a huge shake-up, so Carphone Warehouse will have its work cut out. Three’s owner is looking to buy O2, while BT is completing its acquisition of EE. In the meantime, BT has launched some SIM-only plans, and Sky is preparing an O2-powered network. Alongside the usual stack of MVNOs, iD could struggle to stand out. Unlike some of these smaller networks, however, Carphone Warehouse has retail stores, and you can bet it’ll be using them to avoid a repeat of Phones4u.
Filed under: Networking
New bill would extend Patriot Act surveillance until 2020
In case you haven’t heard, the Patriot Act’s Section 215 is set to expire June 1st. That’s the provision that National Security Agency uses to justify its bulk data collection practices. However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is working to make sure the current rules remain in place. McConnell introduced a bill earlier this week that would extend the Patriot Act’s justification of post-9/11 surveillance until 2020. What’s more, the senator already put the bill on the Senate calendar using a rule that allows him to bypass the usual committee process.
Details are scarce for now, but it seems the bill would extend the current regulations without any changes. If it passes, the legislation would stymie the recent effort to clamp down on the NSA’s spying techniques — especially the collection of cellphone data. McConnell already fought against surveillance reform once, leading the charge that defeated a proposed bill last year on the grounds that current practices help the government fight terrorism. Of course, the NSA itself reportedly considered ending its collection, citing cost and effectiveness concerns back in 2013.
[Image credit: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call]
Source: National Journal, The Hill
It looks like the government will stop the Comcast/TWC merger
That seemingly ever-looming union between Comcast and Time-Warner Cable looks like it hit another roadblock. The Federal Communications Commission wants to put the $45 billion merger in front of an administrative law judge and issue a “hearing administration order,” which The Wall Street Journal says is a pretty strong message from the government that the deal could die. Why’s that? Because it’s essentially Uncle Sam saying that the business move isn’t good for consumers; that whole Netflix situation’s still pretty fresh on everyone’s mind, it’d seem. WSJ‘s sources say that Comcast and Time Warner could still make a case for themselves, but it may be too late.
Today’s meeting was for the telco behemoths to offer concessions that would ease the government’s mind regarding any anti-consumer aspects of the marriage. Based on unnamed sources, it doesn’t sound too promising for Comcast and Time Warner though. From here, each commissioner needs to vote on approving the business deal for it to take place — today’s move is among the first steps in what WSJ says could be a very long and drawn out process. But it’s not like you were holding your breath on this actually happening or anything, were you?
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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