Apple Watch Brings Your TV’s Remote Control to Your Wrist [iOS Blog]
While the Apple Watch is marketed as “the most advanced timepiece ever created, a revolutionary new way to connect with others, and a comprehensive health and fitness companion,” the wrist-worn device has a number of other use cases that should prove convenient for many day-to-day tasks. The apps and accessories below, for example, will turn the Apple Watch into a remote control for controlling a TV from your wrist.
SamMote for Apple Watch
SamMote was recently updated to allow Apple Watch users to control supported Samsung TVs using their wrist. The third-party app, created by developer Eric Degrange and noted by A-Watch.fr, is compatible with most Samsung Smart TVs manufactured between 2011 and 2014 (Series D through Series H models). SamMote is free on the App Store [Direct Link] and also supports iPhone and iPad, so it is worth testing the remote control app works with your own Samsung television.
Roomie Remote for Apple Watch
Roomie Remote is a Wi-Fi-based universal remote app for home theater and automation that controls thousands of devices like TVs, cable and satellite boxes, receivers, Blu-ray players, lights and thermostats. The app also allows you to control Apple TV. iPhone and iPad versions of the app have been available since February 2012, and earlier this week the app was updated with Apple Watch support as well. Roomie Remote works with a wide variety of devices, but is $9.99 on the App Store [Direct Link] and may require additional in-app purchases depending on what devices you want to control.
Peel Pronto for Apple Watch
Peel Pronto is a 360-degree infrared remote receiver and blaster that will enable Apple Watch users to control their TV using the smartwatch. The cylindrical-like accessory was created through a partnership between Philips and Peel and can be placed anywhere in your living room to control TVs, set-top boxes, DVD and Blu-ray players, and more. Peel Pronto will also be compatible with iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 and other iOS devices that support low-energy Bluetooth.
The device must be paired with the Peel Smart Remote & TV Guide app on the App Store [Direct Link] and gets approximately one year of battery life. Pronto is listed for $49.99 at Best Buy and is also available at NewEgg in the United States, and Staples in Canada. Included in the box is 1 IR extension cable and 4 AA alkaline batteries.
Adorable new ‘Star Wars’ droid proves it’s not CGI
When the first trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released, the internet lost its collective mind. Not only were people up in arms over the fact that a stormtrooper could be *gasp* black, but also nobody could believe that this incredible rolling droid, dubbed the BB-8, was actually real. It must be CGI, right? Well, during today’s Star Wars Celebration convention in Anaheim, California, the BB-8 made its first real-life debut by rolling onstage to riotous applause from the crowd. Check out the video below to see the BB-8 and the venerable R2-D2 engage in a beeping, tweeting chirp battle.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Polygon
Indian firms back out of Facebook’s free internet program
Facebook’s Internet.org effort is supposed to democratize the internet by providing free access to key websites, but some Indian companies don’t think it’s quite so altruistic — and they want out. Cleartrip, NewsHunt, NDTV and the Times Group have all announced that they’re withdrawing some or all of their sites from Internet.org because they believe it violates net neutrality. They argue that Facebook’s program unfairly favors certain sites over others — why should it cost you to use some sites, and not others? As the Times Group explains, a site shouldn’t be punished for taking a “principled stand.”
There are still numerous services involved, such as AccuWeather and Reuters Market Lite. However, these departures are definitely going to be noticeable — both for users and for Facebook, whose reputation is taking a bruising. The move could have other sites thinking twice about signing up, and may pressure Facebook into changing its strategy.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.]
Filed under: Internet, Facebook
Via: Huffington Post, PandoDaily
Source: Cleartrip, Times Internet, Prannoy Roy (Twitter)
Apple Releases OS X 10.10.3 Supplemental Update With Video Driver Fix
Following the April 8 public release of OS X 10.10.3, Apple has today released a supplemental update for software, which fixes a video driver bug that prevented Macs from starting when running certain apps that are designed to capture video.
Today’s supplemental update is available immediately for all OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 users from the Mac App Store.
The OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 Supplemental Update fixes a video driver issue that may prevent your Mac from starting up when running certain apps that capture video.
OS X 10.10.3 brought several new features to Apple’s desktop operating system, including the new Photos for OS X app, a revamped emoji picker, new diversified emoji, Spotlight suggestions for lookup, and a bunch of bug fixes and performance improvements.
CyanogenMod 12.1 (Lollipop 5.1) nightlies coming from today
In an official blog post, the CyanogenMod team announced that CM 12.1 nightly builds are rolling out starting today. While this is actually a week later than the CM team originally anticipated, it’s better to be late than never.
For those that already are rocking CM 12.0 official builds, you’ll be able to install the new Android 5.1-based nightlies on top of them, though the CM team notes you’ll need to manually update third party add-on zips, which means finding Android 5.1 compatible gaps and installing them. As always, early builds like this are subject to bugs and other glitches, so download at your own risk.
In a related note, the CyanogenMod team also used the blog post to clarify that Microsoft apps may be coming to devices with Cyanogen OS pre-loaded, but this won’t affect CyanogenMod users in any way.
Your nightlies will not see a sudden influx of Microsoft applications – you can put the pitchforks down. CyanogenMod has historically stayed neutral on your services of choice, whether you use Google, Amazon or Fdroid; we leave that decision to you and we have no intention of changing that
As soon as the updated CM 12.1 nightlies start surfacing, you’ll be able to download them from here.
Google Updates Chrome Browser for iOS With Notification Center Widget, App Extensions [iOS Blog]
Google today released a significant update to its Chrome browser for iOS, adding several features to improve its compatibility with iOS 8. There’s a new Notification Center widget that includes controls to let users launch a new tab or initiate a voice search directly from the Today view of the Notification Center.
Tapping on “New Tab” or on “Voice Search” will automatically launch the Chrome web browser with a new search tab open or an activated voice search, making it handier to look things up quickly. There’s no comparable Safari widget for quick launching searches, so the new Chrome widget gives it a bit of a leg up over Apple’s built-in browser. Safari users can, however, use Siri for quick searches.
The app also includes support for iOS Extensions for apps like 1Password and LastPass, so it’s now easier to input passwords into Chrome with those apps.
Other new features include the ability to pull to reload and open and close tabs and easier-to-open links copied from other apps.
What’s new
– Start searching and browsing faster: quick access to Voice Search and open new tabs from the Today View
– Ergonomically-designed: Pull to reload and open/close tabs
– Support for iOS App Extensions, such as 1Password and LastPass
– Easily open links copied from other apps
The Chrome web browser can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Google aims to make your app more discoverable with App Indexing
We all know by now that Google Search is a wonderful tool that helps you find whatever you need on the internet, including web content and applications you already have installed on your device. And now, it looks like Google is making an effort to help you discover apps you haven’t even installed yet.
Starting sometime this week, thanks to Google’s app indexing endeavors, you’ll start to see relevant applications pop up in your Search results based on keywords or phrases you search for. For instance, if you Google “Give me instructions on how to make the perfect cup of tea”, you’ll still see your standard search results, but you’ll also see a list of recommended applications along with direct links to the Play Store – even if you don’t have them installed on your device. In order for this to work, developers need to implement the App Indexing API into their applications.
If you’re a developer who would like to take advantage of App Indexing, head to this link to get started.
Google unveils a new certification program for third party Cardboard headsets
Ever since Google announced Cardboard, the inexpensive DIY virtual reality platform, a number of different manufacturers have created low-cost headsets that work with the tech, including Mattel, DODOcase and LG. If you’ve ever tried to buy a third party Cardboard-compatible headset for yourself, you’d know it can get a little tricky. Not because these units are hard to find, but because some manufacturers aren’t clear that their VR viewers are compatible with the Cardboard platform. That’s why today, Google has announced a new “Works with Google Cardboard” certification program to help unify all of the Cardboard-compatible headsets available on the market.
With so many viewers available to the public, a good number of them don’t include the same optics and dimensions as the others. To help unify the experience, manufacturers will now need to place a QR code on their headset so users can scan it with the Cardboard app, which will optimize the Cardboard VR experience for that particular viewer. Also, manufacturers can apply for a certification badge (shown above) so consumers will know at a glance that the viewer works with Cardboard.
Google is also bringing new categories to the Cardboard section in Google Play to help you find apps more quickly. New categories include Music and Video, Games, and Experiences. Additionally, Google has updated its Cardboard SDKs and design guidelines to help developers make smooth and beautiful VR applications.
Stylus Review: Hands-On With the $75 Pen-Like Adonit Jot Script 2 [iOS Blog]
Adonit recently announced the launch of a new version of its popular Bluetooth-enabled Jot Script stylus, featuring a rechargeable battery, a revamped body, and iPad Air 2 support. When Adonit asked if we’d like to review the new stylus, we jumped at the chance because our last stylus review covering the Adonit Jot Pro and Jot Mini was popular with MacRumors readers.
The Jot Script 2 Evernote Edition is one of Adonit’s higher-end styluses, connecting to an iPhone or iPad over Bluetooth. It’s a digital stylus, so it’s able to offer the accuracy of a regular rubber-tipped stylus with a tip that’s only 1.9mm, giving it a pen-like feel.
Adonit’s Jot Script 2 improves upon the original Jot Script with a redesigned slimmer body that has a better grip, an upgraded Pixelpoint tip, and longer battery life. It’s been launched in partnership with Evernote, so it works with Evernote’s Penultimate app, and it comes with six months of Evernote’s premium service.
Apple introduced new display technology with the iPad Air 2, breaking a lot of digital styluses, including Adonit’s previous Jot Script. Older styluses don’t work as well with the iPad Air 2, resulting in a lot of missing contact. The Jot Script 2 is one of the first styluses that works well with Apple’s newest tablet.
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Apple Seeds First OS X 10.10.4 Yosemite Beta to Developers
Apple today seeded the first beta of OS X 10.10.4 to developers, just over a week after releasing OS X 10.10.3 with the Photos for OS X app to the public.
The new beta can be downloaded through the Mac Developer Center.
It is not clear what’s new in the beta, but it may include new features like OS X 10.10.3, or it may be a smaller update focused on bug fixes like OS X 10.10.1 and OS X 10.10.2, both of which introduced several fixes to improve performance.
AIVAnet 