Daily Roundup: Hackers read President’s email, eSports injuries and more!
In today’s Daily Roundup, read how Russian hackers were able to read some unclassified email from President Obama. Meanwhile, one of eSports’ biggest stars, Hai Lam, is retiring due to a repetitive strain injury and a Halo gaming tournament is canceled because the game is still broken. Read all these stories and more below.
Russian hackers scooped up the President’s unclassified email
Russian hackers may have had more success in breaching the White House network than first thought. New York Times sources understand that intruders who got into the White House’s unclassified system managed to collect some of President Obama’s email. They didn’t compromise the account itself, and they didn’t snap up the classified messages passing through the President’s BlackBerry.
One of eSports’ biggest stars retires with repetitive strain injury
If you’re into eSports, then it’s highly likely that you would have heard of Hai Lam. He’s best known as the Mid Laner and captain of Cloud9, which is regarded as the best US eSports team for the popular online multiplayer game League of Legends. Nonetheless, just less than a week after his team finished second in the North American Championship Series, Cloud9’s shot caller has announced he’s getting out of the game.
‘Halo’ tournament canceled because Xbox One game is still broken
Halo: Combat Evolved may have been one of the first console shooters to hit the competitive gaming circuit but a recent tournament was derailed because almost six months later, The Master Chief Collection is still broken. The official Halo eSports league, Halo Championship Series, had to cancel the first online cup of the regular season over the weekend due to connectivity issues.
Want the best Apple Watch display? Get a Sport model
Splurging on a gold or steel Apple Watch might get you a fancier timepiece, but there’s one thing you won’t get: the best possible display. DisplayMate has taken a close look at the OLED screen in the smartwatch, and it notes that sapphire carries its share of drawbacks over the toughened glass in the Watch Sport. While you’re still getting colorful, sharp visuals, the higher-end Watch’s sapphire reflects almost twice as much light and washes out the picture in very bright conditions.
Samsung app helps Alzheimer’s patients remember their families
If you’ve seen Still Alice, you know how important a smartphone can be for an Alzheimer’s patient – it helps jog memories that might otherwise be lost. Samsung is clearly aware of this, as it just released a dedicated Backup Memory app to stimulate the memories of early-onset patients. The Android tool uses Bluetooth to detect when friends and family running the app are nearby. If they are, it’ll both identify the person and show user-uploaded photos and videos that recall past events.
Car headlights of the future won’t blind other drivers
Carnegie Mellon’s work on headlights has made an appearance here before, where it’s near-future smart headlights would parse raindrops and ‘cancel’ them out, projecting light around the rain drops, substantially improving visibility. But that’s just one of many tricks that the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute’s smart headlights are now capable of. The newest iteration’s feedback system continuously looks at what your headlights are doing, processing and thinking about how to shine better.
Police can spot differences between identical twins by melting DNA
Believe it or not, police have a real problem with identifying suspects who are identical twins – unless you’re willing to spend a month sequencing genes, DNA samples are all but useless. They may be far more effective in the future, though, as British researchers have developed a technique that melts DNA to identify what few differences exist. The team has determined that heating genes will break hydrogen bonds that form due to a person’s environment and habits.
Filed under: Misc
[Op-Ed] Google’s Project Fi is a minor stepping stone to changing the way people connect
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I know we didn’t get out the news that Google announced their MVNO service earlier this week, but to sum it up, Project Fi is Google’s jump to the carrier side of the industry. The service rides over free Wi-Fi connections around the globe and can piggy back off Sprint and T-Mobile cell towers. From my understanding, you get both Sprint and T-Mobile network coverage on one device versus having to choose which carrier you want to back it up. I might be wrong though. As it sits right now, you need to request an invite to join the testing of Project Fi and the required device is a Nexus 6. As far as pricing goes, you pay $20 a month for unlimited calling and messaging and then tack on $10 per GB of data. Unused data for the month gives you a credit back to your account that you can apply to the next month of service as apposed to the current model where you either lose it or roll over massive amounts that you never tap into.
The announcement was pushed by both carrier partners, the Nexus 6 manufacturer, Motorola and Google. As with any big announcement there has been mixed thoughts and feelings. Most of it ties to desires of unlimited data, the carriers involved and the single device option. However, many of those thoughts are very limited in grand scope of things.
If we talked about each part separately we would see a different story entirely. I can understand the unlimited data argument being a valid one from a select few power users who, more or less, abuse that ability to begin with. I am not saying they all do, but some certainly take advantage of the plan with torrents, streaming Netflix and Pandora all day all the time. Project Fi is certainly not an option for them looking to dramatically cut their bills down.
On a carrier stand point we can easily see how T-Mobile and Sprint play in the mix. Simply put, both carriers are the only two that already have Wi-Fi calling up and running. T-Mobile has been working on it for a number of years and Sprint has been following suite. While only a select few handsets are supported, the simple fact they do is the answer. AT&T is supposedly working on Wi-Fi calling with the last reports stating that it would arrive sometime in 2015. With both Sprint and T-Mobile supporting the ability to handle calls and messages over Wi-Fi already, it makes complete sense on why Google opted to work with both of them for their MVNO service at launch. If AT&T gets on board with the ability it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that Project Fi will open up on their network as well. There is probably a lot more to it, like network leasing, advertising, branding and coverage too.
So how about the Nexus 6 being the only supported device. Well, Google is in complete control of the device for one. Next we know that the Nexus 6 is one device that sports the chipset needed to run on multiple networks out of the box. Add in that most Nexus 6 owners, and people who even know that Project Fi exist, are going to be at least semi-technical individuals and you have the makings for a really great crowd based MVNO service start up.
The future of Project Fi as I see it
I see a lot of things happening with the service before the year ends. We know Motorola is on board and supportive of it. This should bring a few things – first, it should bring a wide range of devices and prices to the service, mainly the Moto X, Moto G and Moto E. Those three alone will cover all users price point needs and screen size needs. With all of them being fairly stock Android and Motorola doing a good job at updates, it should put their devices in even more hands. The next thing I see is Lenovo getting in on the mix – after all, they do own Motorola. That puts, either more Moto devices, or Lenovo devices, in the hands of people overseas. That does leave the question as to which cell carriers in other countries will jump on the bandwagon though. However, with much of the service being geared towards Wi-Fi, it would be possible to partner with internet providers for calls and messages before a carrier ever got involved.
It is hard for me to not think about other projects Google is involved in and how Project Fi ties into it. For instance, how about Project Ara? You know, Google’s modular phone. That project will certainly have Project Fi access. While we know that project is going to be tested in Puerto Rico, it is hard to think that Google isn’t already working to put the low cost plan into action down there as well. That will cut the argument for a specific device out of the equation since you will basically build your own phone how and when you want to.
Then their is Google Fiber and Project Loon. Fiber is a no brainer really and you could essentially have a Nexus 6 home phone for $20 a month. Project Loon could feasibly put phones in the hands of people in places where internet wasn’t only a pipe dream, but so was calling a neighbor, friend, family member or doctor. Consider the Android One initiative paired with Project Fi and Project Loon. That mixture of innovation could land devices and service in the hands of the 4 billion people Google is after.
Will Project Fi be for everyone? No. No service is ever for everyone. In my situation it could save me a bit of money. I am either at work, which has Wi-Fi or at home, which has Wi-Fi. My few travels around town aren’t spent playing online or with data intense apps. Any out of town travels are usually to places with no service, on purpose, or places where I know I have a Wi-Fi connection anyways. I do pay for unlimited data currently, on T-Mobile’s $100 for two lines plan, but rarely use over 2GB a month. Mathematically, I would spend between $30 and $40 a month for my line on Project Fi and the same for the wife. Ultimately that would save us $20 to $40 a month on our bills. For others out there, it could save even more.
Like everything Google does, we are the testers and the project has a bigger picture that we aren’t privy to. I feel Project Fi has a definite place and direction in the sphere that is Google and will ultimately become a service that will either be your primary provider, or, at the very least, become a viable option to cut cost in life when we need it.
What are our thoughts? Do you see the potential future of Project Fi, or are you seeing it as a failure before it starts because of its launch state?
The post [Op-Ed] Google’s Project Fi is a minor stepping stone to changing the way people connect appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
[Deal] Google Nexus 5 and 1 year of FreedomPop service for $199.99
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Looking for a Nexus 5 to poke about on for an affordable price tag? You are in luck tonight. Right now you can score a Google Nexus 5 AND 1 year of service for a mind melting $199.99 out the door. No, that isn’t a mistype. $200 gives you a Nexus 5 and 1 year of service, which includes unlimited talk and text plus 500MB of 4G LTE data from FreedomPop.
Along with the offer you get a year of tethering, a year of usage alerts and a year of Visual Voicemail. I can think of a few reasons to scoop up this deal. The obvious is a Nexus 5 for pretty cheap as a Chromecast remote or play about device. Another could easily be for a teenager needing a phone and you needing to make sure it is as inexpensive as possible. If you pick up the deal you will be getting a certified pre-owned 16GB black variant of the device only.
Hit the link below and pick one up before the offer expires.
https://stacksocial.com/300250/freedompop-nexus-5-talk-text?aid=a-gqkkhrjm https://stacksocial.com/300250/vpn-unlimited-lifetime-subscription?aid=a-gqkkhrjm
The post [Deal] Google Nexus 5 and 1 year of FreedomPop service for $199.99 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Horror sequel ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 4’ is happening on Halloween
Five Nights at Freddy’s is a terrifying game series about gruesome murders, dead children and haunted animatronic creatures a la Chuck-E-Cheese meets Poltergeist. Yep, it’s everything awful about your childhood nightmares, sprinkled with a dash of dehydrated parmesan. Good news, disturbed youth: Five Nights at Freddy’s 4: The Final Chapter is happening and it’s due out on Halloween. Five Nights at Freddy’s has seen rapid success since its debut in August 2014, thanks in large part to YouTube’s gaming stars, who are always up for a good scare. The series, created by Scott Cawthon, has done so well that Warner Bros. recently picked up the film rights and is working on a movie. Fingers crossed for a feel-good rom-com.
Source: Scott Games
DARPA’s steerable bullet proves it can hit moving targets
DARPA announced that its self-steering bullet program, dubbed the Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO), passed another developmental milestone in late February. Per an administration release, and the video below, experienced and novice shooters alike were able to strike moving targets. And, in the case of expert shooters, able to hit actively evading targets as well.
“True to DARPA’s mission, EXACTO has demonstrated what was once thought impossible: the continuous guidance of a small-caliber bullet to target,” said Jerome Dunn, DARPA program manager. “This live-fire demonstration from a standard rifle showed that EXACTO is able to hit moving and evading targets with extreme accuracy at sniper ranges unachievable with traditional rounds. Fitting EXACTO’s guidance capabilities into a small .50-caliber size is a major breakthrough and opens the door to what could be possible in future guided projectiles across all calibers.” DARPA engineers will reportedly continue to improve the ammunition’s accuracy, though there is no word yet on when American snipers will begin fielding the rounds.
Filed under: Science
Source: DARPA
Android could ignite the Nokia of old
For an entire generation, the name Nokia will stir up a lot of emotion. From the iconic 3210 to the symbolic N95, the pre-smartphone years were Nokia’s heyday and a large majority of current smartphone users will be able to recall using a Nokia handset in their past.
For me personally, I almost exclusively used Nokia handsets until the late noughties and when the iPhone came along, Nokia’s decline was total (albeit, it took a few years to completely fail). Since February 2011, the infamous burning memo and the decision to adopt Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, Nokia enthusiasts and most of the tech world have asked why the Finnish company didn’t adopt Android.
Moving swiftly past the Windows Phone years and ever since Microsoft bought Nokia’s devices and services division last year, we’ve heard rumours that Nokia would introduce mobile devices running Android sooner rather than later. And that’s exactly what happened with the company introducing the Android-powered Nokia N1 tablet in November 2014. However, the N1 isn’t quite the Nokia we know, as it’s a tablet that Nokia has licensed their name to, rather than made themselves.
Last week, the Nokia Android rumour reared again with a new report suggesting we’d see Nokia release a new Android-powered smartphone at the beginning of 2016, when the clause in the Microsoft deal preventing it from making devices expires. However, shortly after, the company issued a statement denying any move to enter the market but conceding that it would consider brand licensing like it has done with the N1.
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Android as a platform is everything that Nokia’s Symbian platform once hoped to be and the brand licensing deal has endless possibilities for the Finnish manufacturer. Developing a smartphone takes years of R&D, testing and QA – not to mention, significant capital – and hence, it’s unlikely that we’ll see a Nokia-made Android smartphone very soon. That being said, Android is definitely the kickstart that Nokia needs if they’re going to re-enter the smartphone business.
Look back at Nokia smartphones in the latter stages of Symbian and the Windows Phone era and one thing is clear; Nokia’s problem was always its software: Symbian’s inability to develop into an iPhone-challenger and the failure of Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS to capture the market. Yet Android can solve all of these issues.
Related: Nokia N1 Tablet Review
Far from running an OS that requires significant investment to develop, Nokia would gain a mature platform and a partner in Google, who would probably love to count Nokia amongst the Android OEMs. Back when they announced the decision to move to Windows Phone, then-CEO Stephen Elop said they ruled out Android as its hard to differentiate, but Nokia Z Launcher has done just this: it’s made a complex smartphone platform simple to operate while remaining as powerful as Google intended.
At the same time, the Nokia name is arguably the Finnish company’s biggest asset. As indicated by the 20,000 N1 sales in just four minutes when the tablet went on sale in China, people still want to buy Nokia products. Nokia had a large part to play in the market share Windows Phone has today and the brand is powerful enough to likely make Nokia’s return to mobile successful.
Let’s be clear on something; Nokia has sold its smartphone and R&D divisions but still owns its IP, so making a smartphone wouldn’t be out of the question but would require significant investment in people, platforms and products. It’s highly unlikely that we’ll see a Nokia-made Android smartphone in the next year or two but the N1 taught us that company could still put their name on devices made by others.
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The N1 is a tablet that’s made by Foxconn – who incidentally make a large chunk of Apple’s iPad and iPhones – and shows that we’re now in an era where Nokia doesn’t need to own its entire supply chain. In the past, the company’s own plants made its devices but maybe for the Finnish manufacturer, the best move is to follow Apple and produce the devices elsewhere. This would help reduce their costs and ensure a return to own-brand devices sooner rather than later.
A Nokia-made Android smartphone? For many people, that’s still the Holy Grail. From Nokia’s pedigree in outstanding smartphone cameras – the Lumia 1020 with its 41MP camera being the highlight of them all – to fabulous build, exciting design and excellent battery life, Nokia will always be considered one of the architects of the mobile industry. For me personally – and most people no doubt – a Nokia-powered Android smartphone would excite as much as the latest from Samsung or HTC.
Nokia will always be considered one of the architects of the mobile industry
Will we see a Nokia-made Android smartphone? I for one certainly hope so and I think it would be great for the market to gain another Android OEM to offer something really different. Would you buy a Nokia smartphone running Android? Let us know your views guys!
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‘Halo’ tournament canceled because Xbox One game is still broken
Halo: Combat Evolved may have been one of the first console shooters to hit the competitive gaming circuit but a recent tournament was derailed because almost six months later, The Master Chief Collection is still broken. The official Halo eSports league, Halo Championship Series, had to cancel the first online cup of the regular season over the weekend due to connectivity issues. Seriously. As Eurogamer reports, games took place on Saturday but went off the rails on Sunday for the competition’s conclusion.
We’ve reached out to Microsoft for more details and will update this post should any arise. For now, perhaps put those dreams of a pro Halo career on hold until Halo 5: Guardians hits. Maybe. Who knows. The beta ran well enough during our stream, but there are a lot of variables at play here. At least we have free ODST coming to distract us in the meantime, right?
Yep, a lot of protests going on in this Open cup. Either connection issues to blame, or something else.
– HCS Live Tweets (@HCSLiveTweets) April 25, 2015
We’re aware of and investigating party joinability issues. As a result, we’ll be canceling HCS Cup #1, and apologize for the inconvenience.
– Halo (@Halo) April 26, 2015
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Via: Eurogamer
Source: Halo Championship Series Live Tweets (Twitter), Halo (Twitter)
LG’s posh Watch Urbane arrives at Google’s store for $349
You no longer have to wait for AT&T (or go through an importer) to buy LG’s ritzy-looking Watch Urbane in the US — it’s available to order today. Google is now carrying the upscale Android Wear timepiece in its store with a $349 price tag, which is pretty reasonable for a gadget crafted from leather and steel. The only catch is the roughly two-week shipping delay as of this writing. But hey, what’s a relatively short wait if it means (hopefully) impressing your smartwatch-savvy friends?
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile, Google, LG
Via: Google+
Source: Google Store
Valve removes option to sell ‘Skyrim’ mods
After a few days of hearing complaints on the internet, Valve is removing the payment feature from the Skyrim Workshop on Steam. The PC gaming juggernaut explains that it underestimated the differences between the communities built around its own games and those from other studios, and toeing the waters of an established modding scene like one surrounding The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s “was probably not the right place to start” experimenting.
Skyrim developer Bethesda Softworks agrees. Valve says the idea was to enable more mods to become their own standalone games (like Counter-strike and Dota) and to foster better mods in general, both free and paid. And speaking of the latter, any money spent on mods will be refunded in full. Newell and Co. explain the reversal’s reasoning as follows:
“We’ve done this because it’s clear we didn’t understand exactly what we were doing. We’ve been shipping many features over the years aimed at allowing community creators to receive a share of the rewards, and in the past, they’ve been received well. It’s obvious now that this case is different.”
Maybe considering that the top Skyrim mod on Steam at the moment is a protest against paid mods, this might not come as a surprise to some. Either way, Valve’s effectively put an arrow in the knee of making money off mods for the fantasy epic.
Valve is removing payment feature from Skyrim Workshop. https://t.co/icI46zBsWl
– Tomáš Duda (@tomasduda) April 27, 2015
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Via: Tomáš Duda (Twitter)
Source: Steam Workshop
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge adjudged the best camera on a smartphone in the industry
DxOMark, which is a big name in the photography community has just adjudged the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (and Galaxy S6) to be the best camera on a smartphone in the market, pipping the Apple iPhone 6 by a fair margin.
DxOMark’s results fetched the Galaxy S6 Edge an overall score of 86 points while the iPhone 6 only managed to score 82 points, which is pretty good for a cameraphone, but clearly the Samsung offering has come out on top here.
The team gave marks for various aspects of the smartphone’s camera including features like exposure, contract, autofocus as well as texture. So if you ever wonder which is the best cameraphone you can get in the market today, the answer is pretty simple, it’s the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
LG is expected to unveil its flagship offering tomorrow as well, with teasers suggesting that the device will have an industry topping camera on board. So will the LG G4 dethrone the Galaxy S6 Edge? We don’t have to wait long to find out.
Source: DxOMark
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