Google launches Hispanic coding initiative in eight US cities
The Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s (HHF) president, Jose Antonio Tijerino, thinks that “seeing a latino programmer shouldn’t be akin to seeing a unicorn,” so his group is trying to do something about it. Together with Google, it launched Code as a Second Language (CSL) courses in eight cities, including New York, Las Angeles and Miami. The idea is to introduce students to coding through 1-2 hour sessions, then steer them to the LOFT (Latinos on Fast Track) network for ongoing online instruction. Students who complete that training could later be granted internships and possibly full-time positions with Fortune 500 companies.
Volunteers or teachers learn to train kids on basic coding through a program called CS First. Google and the HHF plan to implement the CSL program in 30 additional LA schools later on, and launch pilot CSL programs at the Mexican consulates in San Jose and Washington, DC. Meanwhile, schools interested in the program can sign up here, and volunteers instructors can enlist at this link. Google also runs the Made with Code program for girls and obviously has some self-interest in developing programmers (as does Apple, which just launched its own initiative). But given that only 1 in 10 US schools teach coding, along with the lack of women and minorities in tech, the efforts are certainly welcome.
[Image credit: Televisa Foundation]
Sky’s new Kids section is a direct shot at Netflix
When the little ones are having a temper tantrum, kids TV is often your best line of defence. In the UK, that used to mean switching on CBBC or CITV, but in the internet age Netflix and YouTube rule supreme. After all, it means you can find the exact show or movie that’s likely to put a smile back on the little tikes’ faces. That could spell trouble for Sky, so the broadcaster is revamping its child-centric on-demand offerings. A software update rolling out to all Sky+HD boxes this week will put a new “Kids” tile on the homepage, providing instant access to on-demand shows and movies, kids TV recordings and live channels such as Cbeebies and Nick Jr. In addition, Sky is expanding its library of on-demand episodes from 700 to 4,000 over the coming months. It’ll include new morsels of SpongeBob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer and Ben 10, as well as cult favourite Adventure Time. YouTube appeals because it’s (mostly) free, but if you’ve been stressed out before trying to find a decent clip online, you might want to try grabbing your Sky remote next time.
Filed under: Home Entertainment
Source: Sky
77mph is the speed record for poo-powered buses, apparently
Britain has several players in the fledgeling poop-bus industry, including one that literally shows people pooing, but a gauntlet has just been thrown by the town of Reading. Its very own cow manure-powered model, dubbed “Bus Hound,” ran the track at nearly 77 mph — shattering the previous world mark of zero mph, because poo-bus records are not actually a thing. The UK Timing Association confirmed the attempt, such as it is, describing the bus’ presence on the Millbrook Proving Ground as “quite a sight.”
The model runs on biomethane natural gas made from animal waste broken down using anaerobic digestion. Reading’s chief engineer said “we wanted to get the image of bus transport away from being dirty, smelly and slow.” Nevertheless, he added that “it sounded like a Vulcan bomber — the aerodynamics aren’t designed for going 80mph.” The mark stands as some kind of record for methane powered service buses, but it would have to top 150 mph to get a Guinness World Record, according to the BBC.
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1
Filed under: Transportation
Source: BBC News
OnePlus Two allegedly leaks on GeekBench, features Snapdragon 810 and 3GB of RAM
The much awaited OnePlus Two has allegedly surfaced on GeekBench benchmark results. If the device listed on GeekBench is actually the successor of the OnePlus One, then its major specifications have been leaked much before its expected launch in the third quarter of 2015.
If the GeekBench results are anything to go by, the “OnePlus ONE A2001″ will be powered by a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor (MSM8994) clocked at 1.5 GHz, 3 GB of RAM and Android 5.1 Lollipop. The fact that even the new OnePlus device will have same RAM as its predecessor may come as a disappointment to many.
The benchmark test didn’t reveal its display or camera specifications, but it received respectable scores of 4093 for multi-core and 1256 for single-core processor.
Many readers will notice that the device in question is being called OnePlus ONE A2001 in GeekBench tests. Since the model number of the OnePlus One is A0001, it is highly likely that this handset is the OnePlus Two indeed.
As for the pricing of the OnePlus Two, OnePlue CEO Peter Lau had earlier hinted that the new flagship device may cost CNY 2,499 (roughly $400). In a separate leak, it emerged that the handset would feature a 5.5-inch QHD display, but nothing could be confirmed.
Source: phoneArena
The post OnePlus Two allegedly leaks on GeekBench, features Snapdragon 810 and 3GB of RAM appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Cyanogen to open an office in India this summer
India’s fast growing smartphone market has attracted a lot of attention over the past year, with local talent and foreign brands all looking to grab a share. Cyanogen has also sensed the opportunity and is preparing to set-up a dedicated base of operations in the country over the next three months.
The Indian team will be located in either Bengaluru or Delhi and will consist of some 50 members, adding a third to the company’s existing employee headcount. Once setup, the group will be working on adding local flavors to its custom Android operating system, possibly in the form of some local apps and features that Cyanogen talked about before. Quality testing and assurance in the country will also be done from the new base.
“India is very attractive. It is one of the hyper-growth markets for mobile today, … Premji Invest is a big investor…and that was a deliberate decision, as India a big market for us,” – Vikram Natarajan, senior vice-president of global partnerships and distribution at Cyanogen
The costs are being covered by part of the recent $80 million round of funding and could also be used to acquire some small local companies to help get things moving. Premji Invest, an investment firm based in India, was one of the largest backers in the last round of funding.
Of course, Cyanogen is no stranger to India. The company has done a deal with Micromax to exclusively install its Cyanogen OS onto the company’s handsets. We’ll have to see how Cyanogen’s expansion plans play out and whether it will continue to partner up with local brands or if it has something more ambitious in store for India.
The Sharp AQUOS Xx is announced today with very little bezel and lots of power
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Some of the world’s most beautiful smartphones of the past year have ironically come from one of the smaller players in the smartphone world. Sharp, a company name not normally tied with smartphone manufacture, has today announced another breathtakingly beautiful device to add to its lineup, this time the 5.7-inch phablet, the Sharp AQUOS Xx. Much like the Sharp AQUOS Crystal before it (which Stormy took a look at last year), the Sharp AQUOS Xx also has a bezel-less frame, featuring almost no screen-to-edge gap on its top and side edges.
Unlike the Sharp AQUOS Crystal, however, the Sharp AQUOS Xx won’t have mid-range specs – the device was announced with a Snapdragon 810 and 3GB inside, as well as shipping with Android Lollipop. Probably the only disappointing part of this package is the 1080p display, which would need to be 2K to stay toe-to-toe with other devices in its class, but who’s counting pixels anyway when you’ve got that bezel-less frame, am I right? Sharp has so far only announced availability of the Sharp AQUOS Xx in Japan, though we hope it makes the jump to other regions like its predecessor did.
What do you think about the Sharp AQUOS Xx? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: The Techolic via Phone Arena
The post The Sharp AQUOS Xx is announced today with very little bezel and lots of power appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Bold Knot is a smart charging solution for users on the go
Modern day Android smartphones pack massive batteries inside which could last you a full day when necessary. However, for power users, even this doesn’t do the job and they ultimately have to resort to plugging in the charger just when they’re about to end their day.
That’s where an accessory like the Bold Knot could be of great use to the customers. This Indiegogo backed charging cable comes in a neat bundle of knots, with a cable on each end, one for the USB adapter and the other for your phone (micro USB or Lightning). It carries juice on its own, with up to 3 hours of usage time said to be provided by the accessory.
The cost of this accessory has been set at $99 for a bundle of four, which is a limited period offer and a savings of $60. So if you want to buy the accessory at a later date, it will set you back by $40 a pop. You can watch the demo video below to understand how Bold Knot works.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: Indiegogo
Come comment on this article: Bold Knot is a smart charging solution for users on the go
Nintendo kills off the basic Wii U in Japan
Nintendo is about to halt production of its 8GB Wii U Basic in Japan, according to a notice on its product site. The white-clad product has been around since 2012, but was never super popular since the 32GB version is typically only $50 more. In fact, the rumor mill had it being killed off two years ago after it went out of stock at GameStop and Best Buy, though Nintendo later called that a “misperception.” Somehow the model has hung on until now, but has gradually become harder to find.
There’s no word on whether Nintendo plans to kill the basic version in the US and Europe, but a Japanese death often presages a similar fate elsewhere. However, the company plans to launch a white version of the 32GB Premium model, so at least you won’t get too nostalgic for the color.
Source: Nintendo
Britain now prefers cashless payments to notes and coins
It’s taken a while, but the UK is now primarily cashless. No, it’s not all-digital, but for the first time, consumers and businesses are making more payments with cards, smartphones and online banking than standard notes and coins. That’s according to the Payments Council, which found that 52 percent were completed without physical currency, with debit cards accounting for almost a quarter (24 percent) of all payments.
Despite the change in overall habits, consumers are still clinging on to cash — at least for now. Notes and coins were used in 52 percent of all consumer transactions in 2014, but the Payments Council believes that the figure will fall below 50 percent next year. Cash certainly won’t go away, especially with the expansion of free-to-use ATMs in the UK. Contactless payment limits are also rising from the current £20 limit to £30 in September, so people may soon be more inclined to pay for their shopping on their card. There’s also initiatives like Apple Pay, which has yet to make it across the Atlantic, but smartphone payments could reduce the stress of needing to take your wallet/purse, or having to head to the cash machine first.
Filed under: Cellphones, Household, Internet, Mobile
Source: The Payments Council
Jide Remix Android tablet now available on Amazon (costs more than $39)
Do you remember the Jide Remix ultra-tablet that was being given away for as little as $39 through Kickstarter a while ago? If you feel you missed out, you can now head over to Amazon to purchase the Android powered, Microsoft Surface look-alike tablet. But it will cost a little more this time.
Jide is a small company that was started by a few ex-Google engineers, they broke off to focus on productivity focused Android devices, and the first result is the Remix tablet that was announced and first made available this year.
A few lucky Kickstarter backers managed to receive their Jide Remix tablet as early as the first week of May. In an effort to help get the name out there, and to get live user feedback on the device so that they can fine tune it as they go, many backers were given the Android tablet regardless their amount of support to the successful Kickstarter campaign. We announced this at the time, and tried to get in at the lowest available barrier to entry ourselves, with $39 being the least expensive accepted donation.
The Jide Remix is a 11.6-inch device with full HD touchscreen display. It is powered by the Tegra 4+1 SoC and 2GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage with support for up to 128GB microSD card. Front and back finds 5MP cameras pointing each direction and a nice sized 8100mAh battery keeps the lights on.
The tablet itself is designed, we hate to say it, near identical to Microsoft’s Surface tablet, at least at first glance. A kickstand supports two levels of viewing and a magnetic click on keyboard turns the device into the laptop form-factor, ready for your productivity tasks.
Perhaps the most important, and maybe even the most appealing feature of the Jide Remix is the operating system. Named Remix OS, it is, at its core, Android 5.0 Lollipop, but we are looking at a custom ROM here that has been modified to bring a more familiar look and experience to your laptop. A built in file manager is a good start, a dedicated task bar along the bottom offers that Windows-like experience and multiple window support takes Android to a new level. Watch out later this year, as they plan to release the OS for you to flash to your favorite tablet.
For more info, or just to grab your Jide Remix tablet, head on over Amazon where it can be had for $399.00.
What do you think of this Jide Remix tablet idea, will it bring new life and purpose to the faltering tablet market?
AIVAnet 