Tumblr encourages users to speak up about mental health issues
A lot of people turn to social media to vent and say how they really feel when they can’t do so in real life. That’s the reason Facebook has suicide prevention tools and why Tumblr has launched a new initiative called “Post It Forward.” The project encourages users to share their personal stories on bullying, self-harm, depression and other similar issues, as well as to post messages of kindness and encouragement in video, written text or even GIF formats. According to the Tumblr Communications Manager Leah Linder, the initiative aims to “remove the stigma around mental and emotional health” and to raise awareness of organizations that help people overcome their problems. Anyone can participate by tagging their entries #PostItForward, and those who need to connect with others going through the same thing can browse all entries on the project’s official account.
Filed under: Misc
Source: Tumblr, Post It Forward
The ‘Ratchet & Clank’ Movie comes out April 29th, 2016
If you were wondering when Sony would pull its finger out and announce the release date for the Ratchet & Clank movie, then today is a good day for you. The company has revealed that the flick will arrive in theaters on April 29th, 2016, with the video game cast of James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye in the starring roles. For some reason, the studio felt compelled to upgrade the rest of the acting roster, so don’t be surprised when Paul Giamatti, Rosario Dawson, John Goodman and Sylvester Stallone pop up in the closing credits.
Unlike plenty of console-to-screen adaptations, the game’s creative team was consulted on the way the film should pan out. The studio says that it “collaborated extensively” with writer TJ Fixman, character designer Dave Guertin and production designer Greg Baldwin. At the same time, Insomniac Game is working on a remake of the original Ratchet & Clank game that’ll arrive around the same time as the movie that ties in with the film’s new origin story.
Source: Sony
Browsing Twitter and Instagram in VR? Yup, it’s a thing
I know, you bought yourself a VR rig and never want to take it off. It’s the future, that’s natural! And with something like the Gear VR’s passthrough camera you don’t even need to remove the headset to do menial “real-world” chores like going to the bathroom, grabbing another Mountain Dew out of the fridge or some Doritos out of the cupboard. But what if you wanted to check your Twitter feed or see how many new likes that Instagram photo of hitting your activity goal on your Apple Watch got while avoiding meatspace? Have no fear folks, because with a new app called Swerve you’ll be able to do that without removing your Android VR system. The app puts Twitter into a 3D space and as VR Focus notes, you can peruse searches, mentions and hashtags too — apparently all in a cloud-filled skybox. Perfect.
The free app only handles the microblogging service for now, but Facebook’s photo network is coming “soon.” Hopefully that’s ready for Swerve’s launch sometime later this month (you can sign up for early access right now) and just in time for peak crossfit photo season. It only supports the likes of Google Cardboard for now, but hopefully Gear VR support’s being considered as well. You know, so we’ll never have to let actual reality get in the way of our virtual experiences again.
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Wearables, Software, Mobile
Via: VR Focus
Source: Swerve VR
AT&T will sell Hulu subscriptions, but not to watch on your TV
Hulu’s push to put its content in front of cable TV customers has a new partner: AT&T. The streaming service already teamed up with Cablevision, and also announced it’s working with several smaller cable providers to put Hulu on their customer’s TiVo DVRs. While we’re still not sure how the Cablevision deal will work, the situation with AT&T (which tried to buy Hulu) is clear: this isn’t plugging into U-Verse TV boxes, and you will need a $7.99 subscription to make it work. As shown in the picture above, the two already have a partnership to put some of Hulu’s free shows on the AT&T site, so this will expand that to include stuff people will need to pay extra for. While the two are “exploring a possibility” of bringing a Hulu app to TV, when they launch later this year AT&T customers will be able to browse the catalog via a mobile app or on the web.
Of course, you can already get Hulu via web, mobile and connected TV apps, so why is it setting up all of these deals? The idea here is about getting its subscription in front of as many potential customers as possible, while adding more content for viewers who are already paying for TV and watching commercials.
With Netflix millions of customers ahead and already owning mindshare with its original content, Hulu needs a different approach to expose what it has, including current-season TV shows, The Criterion Collection, Seinfeld and a growing slate of original series. In the distant past (2011) customers couldn’t get Hulu or Netflix on cable-provided DVRs, even for TiVos which already supported the apps. These are different times, and as TV companies see more customers spending time watch TV streamed from the internet, they’ll be looking for a way to get a piece of that action.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: AT&T
Engadget giveaway: win a 4K Action Cam courtesy of Sony!
There’s so much power packed into tiny action cams today, that it’s easier than ever to embed them in your everyday life, often with wild results. Heck, a daily commute in New York is rife with enough craziness worth capturing. Whatever your adventure, Sony’s new Action Cam is up to the task pulling in 4K footage at 100mbps for smooth results. It packs the necessary splash-proofing and Steady Shot Image Stabilization to handle rough rides, offers 170-degree ultra-wide angle views and includes GPS data so you can trace the journey. Film makers have been testing the boundaries of its performance at Sony’s Never Before Seen page if you’re curious, but one lucky Engadget reader this week will soon be able add their own story to the mix. Sony has given us one of its 4K Action Cams along with a 64GB microSDXC card to store all that new footage. As always, just head on down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning.
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) Sony 4K Action Cam (FDR-X1000V) and one 64GB microSD.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Engadget and AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until May 15th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile, Alt, Sony
Uber and Live Nation handle your concert transportation this summer
Summer music festivals are just around the corner, and the warmer temperatures offer a good chance to catch an outdoor show at your local venue. Uber’s well aware that many music fans plan on doing one of the two, so it’s teaming up with Live Nation to make the drive one less thing you have to worry about. The ride-hailing app will help you plan transportation to festivals like Sasquatch! and EDC Las Vegas so you don’t miss the artists you want to see most. When the concert you’re attending is put on by Live Nation, not only is hailing a ride is easy, but the driver will automatically receive the venue’s address from the ticketing app. As you might expect, not every festival, concert hall and amphitheater is in on the offer, so you’ll want to consult the full list via the source link below.
[Image credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images]
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Uber
HTC Zoe app gets Chromecast support in new update
The HTC Zoe app got a handful of new features in a new update on the Google Play Store. Now you can watch your Zoes on a Chromecast-enabled device, reorder content, and streamline uploads.
While the update isn’t as revolutionary as a Flickr overhaul, the new HTC Zoe update brings with it some fascinating new features. Now you can watch your Zoes on Chromecast-enabled devices, such as your TV. There’s nothing like capturing heartwarming moments and sharing them with the whole family.
Another feature added is the ability to reorder content. You can choose which images and videos to include in your Zoe, and you can even move stills around to order the way you want them to be shown. Finally, uploads can be streamlined, easily allowing you to retry the upload if the Internet connection dropped or the upload simply failed.
Have you tried the new update? Are you excited for Chromecast support? Let us know in the comments.
Come comment on this article: HTC Zoe app gets Chromecast support in new update
Wait What? Consumer Reports thinks you should buy the Galaxy S5 instead of the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge
While just about every reviewer has been praising the Galaxy S6 (including myself) and Galaxy S6 Edge, Consumer Reports isn’t in love with either phone. They do admit that both phones rank as among the best that you can buy today, but their overall scores rank them lower than the Galaxy S5.
They feel the loss of the removable battery, microSD slot, water resistance, and overall battery life on the Galaxy S6 and Edge makes the Galaxy S5 the better buy if you’re looking for a smartphone right now. They do praise the rapid charging capabilities, the ability to wirelessly charge it via Qi and Powermat, and the gorgeous display, but they don’t feel they are enough to capture your hard earned dollars.
Interestingly enough, they didn’t mention the superb camera that both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge sport. Cameras are becoming increasingly more important, and I for one rank that as pretty high. I agree that the battery life is sub par, but I am willing to make that sacrifice for the quality of images both phones produce. As to the microSD slot and removable battery, I believe they were big marketing features for past Galaxy S phones, but the mainstream consumer never utilized them. Apple has already proved that the average Joe doesn’t care about either feature. Samsung is at least offering the phones with up to 128 GB of internal storage for those that feel they need it, but it doesn’t come cheap. Water resistance is certainly a loss, but most people end up buying the monthly insurance on the device so they will be covered. It’s not like they would be able to cancel the insurance if the S6 were to be water resistant since it covers loss of the phone and any other damage as well.
The bottom line is that you can save some money buying a Galaxy S5 right now, but if you’re buying on contract, I am not sure $100 over 2 years is worth it. Unless you are on a very tight budget, I strongly disagree with Consumer Reports here.
source: Consumer Reports
Come comment on this article: Wait What? Consumer Reports thinks you should buy the Galaxy S5 instead of the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge
Gionee Elife E8 will pack a 23MP camera that can take photos in 100MP resolution
Gionee’s Elife E8 smartphone has been making the rounds of late. The device has now been certified by Chinese certification database TENAA, giving us a brief glimpse of its hardware as well. Although the specifications were revealed by a previous leak, we’re getting word on the camera now, which has taken us a bit by surprise.
According to the TENAA listing, the handset will have a 23-megapixel camera on the back. A teaser image for the Elife E8 has indicated that the handset will be capable of taking photos at 100-megapixels, something which we’ve seen before on smartphones from Oppo.
Another clarification from the previous leak is with regards to the display. While it was believed that the handset is packing a 6 inch 2K display, it is now being revealed that the handset will actually sport a 4.6 inch display panel which should offer pixel density of a resounding 639ppi, which is unheard of in the mobile industry.
Other specs of the smartphone include 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, an octa core 2 GHz MediaTek SoC, a fingerprint scanner, Android 5.0 and a 3,520 mAh battery pack.
Source: Gizmo China
Via: Phone Arena
Come comment on this article: Gionee Elife E8 will pack a 23MP camera that can take photos in 100MP resolution
Boost Mobile bringing LG G Stylo today, Sprint getting it on June 12
Boost Mobile is getting the LG G Stylo smartphone starting today. Its parent company, Sprint will start selling the device starting June 12 while Sprint Prepaid will sell the device from June 7 onwards. The smartphone has been priced at $199.99 from Boost Mobile and Sprint Prepaid. Sprint postpaid is offering the handset in 24 monthly installments of $12.
“Sprint offers customers so many options to customize their buying experience based on how they want to pay for their device and how they want to use it,” said David Owens, senior vice president, Product Development, Sprint.
The LG G Stylo comes with a 5.7 inch 720p display, a 13-megapixel camera on the back, a 5-megapixel camera, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage (expandable up to 128GB), a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 SoC, Android 5.0 and 3,000 mAh battery.
Source: Sprint
Come comment on this article: Boost Mobile bringing LG G Stylo today, Sprint getting it on June 12
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