First home HIV test goes on sale in Britain
Although sexual health has become less of a taboo subject, ensuring that people get tested for STDs remains a big issue. The NHS now offers DIY kits for those worried they might have caught something from a partner and don’t want to get tested by a doctor, but home HIV screening has not been possible — at least until today. Britain’s first legally-approved HIV test is now on sale, promising 99.7 percent accuracy from three months after a person suspects they may have been exposed to the infection. It requires a drop of blood and can provide a clear result in around 15 minutes.
It’s hoped that by offering the DIY test, Britons will help lower the risk of passing on the disease to other people. According to the National Aids Trust, almost half of the people living with HIV find out late, meaning they’ve carried the virus for at least four years. If the disease is diagnosed earlier, sufferers can receive treatment that makes it more manageable. Right now, the test is only available online for £29.95. Should a test show a positive result, it must then be confirmed with a professional health worker.
Filed under: Household, Science, Alt
Via: AFP
Source: HIV Self Test
Eurovision’s official app is your guide to (not) enjoying Eurovision
For some of us, the Eurovision Song Contest means cringing at over-the-top performances and chuckling at Graham Norton’s dry, subtly cynical commentary. For others, however, the annual karaoke competition is genuinely enjoyable, and if you fall into that camp, you simply can’t be doing without the official 2015 Eurovision app. Created in collaboration with Microsoft, the companion app is your first port of call for the latest Eurovision news, pics and videos. Also, this year’s official Eurovision album and karaoke-friendly versions of each song, as well as other merchandise, can be bought through the app. That’s not all it’s for, though, with new features going live in May when the competition actually kicks off.
These include artist profiles and a second-screen experience that feeds you performer and song info relevant to whoever’s on telly at the time. You’ll also be able to vote for your favourite act inside the app, with those votes factoring into where the UK’s points are ultimately distributed. The app is available on Windows phones and tablets today, with Android and iOS versions coming out at the end of April, just before the comedy event of the year hits our TV screens.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
Wireless glove adds touch to VR video games
While Oculus, Valve, Samsung and HTC are all looking to captialize on the resurgence of VR, their solutions all focus on what we can see and hear. That’s more than enough to immerse you in a virtual world, but what if you want to interact with the objects within them? Some companies have already taken on the challenge, but researchers at RICE University have created a new haptic glove that uses air to inflate bladders underneath your fingers to offer a real sense of touch.
Although it’s still in early development, the Hands Omni glove is intended for gamers. In fact, Virtuix, the company behind the crazy Virtuix Omni virtual reality treadmill, is sponsoring the project with a view to making it a widely available gaming peripheral. These agreements mean its developers can’t reveal exactly how the wireless glove works, but its developers are hopeful that developers will be able to implement support for it into games and other VR projects in the future.
Filed under: Gaming, Wearables, HD
Via: Slashgear
Source: RICE University
Wimbledon bans ‘nuisance’ selfie sticks
If you’re heading to the All England Lawn Tennis Club in June to enjoy some strawberries and cream and perhaps snap the odd selfie while watching the world’s best tennis players, we have some bad news: Wimbledon has banned the selfie stick. Laid out in the official ticketholders’ guide, the event’s organisers write: “In common with many other major sports and entertainment events and cultural attractions, the championships will not allow selfie sticks into the grounds.” No wide-angled photo action for you.
A spokesperson told The Sunday Times that the contraptions have been outlawed because of their “nuisance value,” as they could “interfere with spectators’ enjoyment.” Wimbledon joins a number of Premier League football clubs and museums that no longer allow them on their grounds, ensuring visitors don’t catch a rogue smartphone in the face as they engage in some serious spectating.
[Image credit: Marianne Bevis, Flickr]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: The Sunday Times
Every major US credit card will soon work with Apple Pay
The roster of credit cards that work with Apple’s mobile payments platform has always had one notable absentee. Thankfully, the folks at Discover have realized that there’s little to be gained from not being available to use on Apple Pay. That’s why the firm has signed a deal that’ll see its customers be able to buy goods and services with their iPads, iPhones and Apple watches, which will begin at some point in the fall. Naturally, users are afforded the same offers and protections that they would if they’d paid by card, including Cashback Bonus and Freeze It — now all we need is for Chipotle to join in and we’re all set.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Apple
Via: MacRumors
Source: Businesswire
Create your own Flappy Bird clone with Flappy Creator
Remember Flappy Bird? How can anyone forget that stupid simple game that was so hard and got so popular that even the developer couldn’t handle it.
Although not as popular now, there is still a lot of interest in the game because there has been so many clones. When it comes down to it, it’s really the game play right? Well a new site called Flappy Creator allows you to create your own Flappy Bird style game with your own graphics that you can cook up in something like Photo Shop.
You can control the character, background, and sounds. Now if you’re not the creative type, you can play other creations. It works on your mobile device, but unfortunately it’s not full screen. Just open up your mobile browser of choice and hit the source link below. If you want to create your own clone, you would be better off doing it from a desktop.
source: Flappy Creator
via: MobileSyrup
Come comment on this article: Create your own Flappy Bird clone with Flappy Creator
I thought the ‘S’ in ‘Galaxy S’ stood for ‘Samsung’, but it doesn’t
Recent we heard how HTC came up with the “M” naming scheme and why the latest HTC One is the “M9“. Now it’s time to learn about the Samsung Galaxy S. Actually this is nothing new as it was actually reported in a 2011 press release that Phone Arena dug up, but I guess we all forgot about it or we didn’t pay attention to it at the time.
I just assumed the “S” stood for “Samsung”, but it doesn’t. It stands for Super Smart. Actually, if you think about it, it should be the “Galaxy SS” shouldn’t it?
Here’s the text from the August 24, 2011 presser…
– “S” (Super Smart) – Devices at the very pinnacle of Samsung’s mobile portfolio. This class will only be used on flagship devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S, the award-winning smartphone that has already sold 10 million units throughout the world.
Interestingly enough, they also revealed other naming schemes….
– “R” (Royal / Refined) – Premium category models, a combination of power, performance and productivity for the individual who wants to be defined by the technology they carry.
– “W” (Wonder) – High quality, strategic models, perfect for those seeking a balance between style and performance.
– “M” (Magical) –High-performance models at an economic price-point.
– “Y” (Young) – These are entry models or strategic models for emerging markets or a younger audience more sensitive to price.
So your Galaxy S6 is actually the Galaxy Super Smart 6. I dare you to go into your local carrier store and say that you’re interesting in upgrading to the Galaxy Super Smart 6. I would love to see the look on the sales associate.
source: Phone Arena
Here’s the full and original presser below….
Samsung introduces new GALAXY smartphone naming strategy, expands GALAXY smartphone range
SEOUL–(Korea Newswire) August 24, 2011 — Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced a new naming strategy for its GALAXY range of smartphones. The creation of the new naming system is marked by the release of four new GALAXY smartphone, the GALAXY W, GALAXY M Pro, GALAXY Y and GALAXY Y Pro, all of which run on the powerful Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating systems.
Samsung has created a new and simplified system of naming its smartphones, focused on its ever-expanding portfolio of industry-leading Android devices. The naming structure will organize and group all devices into five classes, identified by a single alphabetical letter. Devices will then be further designated by an additional indicator which will identify specific functionality.
“As Samsung continues to innovate, our goal is to provide consumers with an experience uniquely tailored to their needs. We have introduced steps to ensure users can simply identify the device designed to deliver the perfect experience for them,” said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business.
“In addition to this new naming strategy at IFA this year we unveiling the GALAXY W, GALAXY M Pro, GALAXY Y and GALAXY Y Pro – designed with the professional and social consumer in mind. These products further build on the phenomenal success we have enjoyed with the GALAXY range.”
New ways to identify your GALAXY Smartphones
According to the new naming structure, new class designators refer to the specific category that the smartphone product fits into, for example a premium device, or an entry-level device. All classes will be used within the higher branding of the ‘GALAXY’ smartphones.
– “S” (Super Smart) – Devices at the very pinnacle of Samsung’s mobile portfolio. This class will only be used on flagship devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S, the award-winning smartphone that has already sold 10 million units throughout the world.
· “R” (Royal / Refined) – Premium category models, a combination of power, performance and productivity for the individual who wants to be defined by the technology they carry.
· “W” (Wonder) – High quality, strategic models, perfect for those seeking a balance between style and performance.
· “M” (Magical) –High-performance models at an economic price-point.
· “Y” (Young) – These are entry models or strategic models for emerging markets or a younger audience more sensitive to price.
Class indicators allow a more specific description of the key selling points of a device:
– “Pro” – This indicates that the device includes a QWERTY keyboard for speedier email typing and increased productivity for professionals.
– “Plus” – This indicates that the device is an upgrade from an existing model.
– “LTE” – This indicates that the device is designed to utilize LTE (Long-Term Evolution) connectivity standards, a 4G standard to provide increased mobile network capacity and speed.
Introducing the Samsung GALAXY W
Equipped with high-spec technology including a 1.4GHz Processor, HSDPA 14.4 Mbps connectivity and a large 3.7″ touch screen, the GALAXY W is the ideal solution for those who need to Live Fast and Live Smart. This powerful performance is enhanced with the inclusion of Samsung’s Game, Social and Music Hubs, providing one-stop solutions for a consumer’s gaming, socializing and listening needs. Kies Air enables additional control, allowing users who have misplaced their phone to track it, meaning complete peace of mind.
GALAXY M Pro
Providing a strong performance for high value, the GALAXY M Pro is the ideal solution for young and sociable professionals. A QWERTY keyboard provides swift, accurate typing on the go – enhancing productivity when drafting memos, documents and messages. The keyboard also simplifies communication with Social Hub allowing users to talk to whoever they want, however they want, all from their contact list. Communication history, instant messaging and updates from social networking sites are all readily available.
An optical track pad and touch screen ensures the interface is easy and simple to use. This productivity and functionality is packed into a sleek 9.97m body. Designed with professionals in mind, the GALAXY M Pro offers extensive productivity through a variety of enterprise solutions, including Exchange Active Sync, Sybase Afaria, CISCO Mobile and CISCO WebEx.
GALAXY Y
Compact but with a full range of features and allowing the ability to stay social on-the-go, the GALAXY Y is an ideal device for younger consumers. Seamless multitasking is enabled thanks to the device’s powerful 832MHz processor. The GALAXY Y includes Samsung’s Social Hub, allowing users to stay connected with their online social circles. Equipped with Samsung’s TouchWiz User Interface, the GALAXY Y delivers a simple and intuitive experience. Additionally, the inclusion of SWYPE facilitates speedy typing. The GALAXY Y is available in a variety of colors ensuring it can fit with anyone’s style.
GALAXY Y Pro
Equipped with a QWERTY keyboard as well as enhanced social and professional features, the GALAXY Y Pro Smartphone is optimized for young professionals looking to manage both their work and home lives with ease. Users can stay constantly connected with Social Hub Premium, which supports email, social network integration and instant messaging.
An optimized, intuitive touch screen interface allows an accessible and intelligent experience, while users are able to work on the go thanks to ThinkFree mobile office, enabling a variety of Office documents (Word, PPT, Excel and PDF) to be edited from the handset. Productivity is enhanced thanks to the combined power of touch screen and QWERTY keyboard inputs, enabling smooth navigation with efficient and professional input. WiFi Direct also allows faster transfer rates, allowing content to be shared quickly.
Come comment on this article: I thought the ‘S’ in ‘Galaxy S’ stood for ‘Samsung’, but it doesn’t
Win 1 of 5 Huawei TalkBand B2 fitness bands courtesy of Huawei Device USA and Talk Android
Huawei is going after the wearable market with full force. They announced the Huawei Watch and TalkBand B2 last month at Mobile World Congress, which has created a tremendous amount of excitement in the smartwatch and wearable community. Huwaei was generous enough to give us not one, but five TalkBand B2 wearable fitness bands to give away before it’s actually released.
The TalkBand B2 is the followup to last year’s TalkBand B1, and is not your average fitness band. Huawei has created something that is not only high quality, but very innovative. It’s made of light weight aviation aluminum and sports an HD touchscreen. The TalkBand B2 not only tracks all your fitness needs, including sleep monitoring, but you can also use it for phone calls since the heart of the device is actually a Bluetooth headset as well. The headset / tracker easily removes from the aluminum base and can be placed on your ear just like any other Bluetooth headset. On top of all this, it sports 5 day battery life, it’s water and dust resistant, and the bands are interchangeable. Finally, it’s compatible with Android 4.0+ and iOS 7+ devices so everyone can get in on the fun.
The TalkBand B2 is the fitness junkie’s dream wearable and you can win one from Talk Android. All you need to do is comment below with what you are wearing on your wrist right now. Is it a basic dumb watch, a smartwatch, a fitness band, something else, or nothing at all? You have until Wednesday, April 29 at 11:59pm EST to get your entry in. We will then draw 5 random winners and notify them via email, so make sure your account has a real and working email address.
Now everyone likes more opportunities to win right? Just head over to Huawei’s Community page for more chances to win a TalkBand B2.
For more information about the TalkBand B2 visit Huawei’s site and check out the video below……
Click here to view the embedded video.
Also be sure to follow Huawei on all their social channels…
Twitter
Facebook
Google+
Instagram
YouTube
Good Luck!!
Come comment on this article: Win 1 of 5 Huawei TalkBand B2 fitness bands courtesy of Huawei Device USA and Talk Android
Galaxy S6 Edge demand leads Samsung to open third factory for screen production
Last year, Samsung found its way into a number of bleak articles proclaiming that the company’s mobile division was heading downward and that a big change was needed if the Korean giant wanted to stay on top. This criticism was mostly aimed at the Samsung Galaxy S5, which went on to perform quite modestly compared to initial projections for the device. Thankfully, with the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, Samsung seems to have finally delivered the experience many were waiting for.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are garnering a lot of positive attention not only for the redesigned aesthetics, but for the less bloated software that finally helps TouchWiz perform on a similar level to other Android OEM skins. While it’s unclear exactly how well the GS6 and S6 Edge are doing so early into their releases, one thing is clear: the Galaxy S6 Edge seems to be the crowd favorite.
.rvs_wrapper
width: 335px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
.rvs_wrapper
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
#page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
display: inline-block;
float: none;
vertical-align: top;
We have already written before about how the Galaxy S6 Edge is selling much better than Samsung initially predicted, leading to a global shortage, with Samsung doing its best to ramp up production. To further these efforts, Samsung has now begun production for its curved displays at a third factory. According to “people with direct knowledge” of Samsung’s plans, Production line A3 will allow Samsung Display to produce about 5 million screens a month, up from the current 2 million.
Samsung had always planned on using the plant for screen production, but it wasn’t supposed to go live until sometime in June. The demand for the Galaxy S6 Edge sped up those plans, however. So what does this mean for the Edge, long term? Basically it should mean that Samsung will be able to catch up with product demand sooner rather than later, and should go a long ways in helping Samsung achieve its goal of over 70 million sales for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge combined.
Read also: Best Samsung Galaxy S6 (and Edge) accessories
What do you think of Samsung’s latest — are you in love with the Edge, or prefer the standard Galaxy S6? Conversely, do you feel that neither phone meets your expectations? Let us know in the comments.
Oppo will officially unveil the R7 this May
Traditionally, Oppo hasn’t been the most secretive company when it comes to product leaks, and that’s especially true with the “bezel-less” phone we’ve been hearing so much about. The smartphone, which is now confirmed as the R7, has been leaked and shown off in multiple photo sets and videos over the past few weeks. It sounds like we’re now getting closer to an official unveiling, thanks to two new teaser images the company set live on the internet earlier today.
The first image (shown above) was posted to Oppo’s Facebook page with the caption “If you count on what you want, and do what you need, you’ll receive both and lose nothing. The R7 is coming. #OPPOR7.” Unfortunately the caption doesn’t offer up any new information to us, aside from the smartphone’s official name, and that it’s coming soon.
This next image comes to us from Oppo’s Weibo page, giving us a little more information than the first teaser. We now know that the device will be officially unveiled this May, which backs up previous rumors we’ve heard regarding the phone’s release date. Also, if you take a closer look at the ‘7’ in the image, you’ll see the company included the word VOOC, which is Oppo’s in-house built fast charging technology. We’ve seen VOOC charging on previous Oppo devices like the N3, R5, Find 7 and Find 7a, and it’s nice to see the company including it on more smartphones.
We’ll likely see more teaser images from the company before the phone’s unveiling, and we’ll be sure to let you know when we hear anything more about the device.
AIVAnet 