Huawei uses fun video to tackle own name
As an official sponsor of the Arsenal Football Club of the English Premier League, Huawei has some unique access to football, er soccer, players for advertising purposes. The result is a fun video from Huawei’s “School of Pronunciation” that ends with an explanation of how to pronounce the company’s name. Presumably this is to help clear up any confusion as Huawei moves to get in front of a larger audience around the world.
In the video, a character named Gordon Friend from the Future Facing Association of Pundits, or FFAPs, leads a class on how to pronounce a variety of Arsenal player names. He starts out easy enough with a warm-up based on Wilshere and Walcott before moving on to four players who make appearances in the video.
The Arsenal players who show up include Koscielny, Szczesny, Gnabry, and Coquelin. However, only the first three get fun and unique explanations as to how to pronounce their names.
The video ends with an explanation of the pronunciation of Huawei, which we are told is Wah-Way.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: Huawei uses fun video to tackle own name
‘Mad Max’ meets ‘Mario Kart’ in this rad mash-up
Mad Max: Fury Road is already one of the year’s best movies, but you know what was missing in all of director George Miller’s gear grinding under the desert sun? Mario Kart‘s banana peels and green shells. Check out the video below for a quick look at the mashup that’ll almost positively never, ever happen: Chomp chains destroying dune-buggies, Bob-ombs attached to the kamikaze-like warboys’ staffs and so, so, so much more mayhem than Nintendo would likely ever allow. We’re just going to have to close our eyes (for a different reason this time) and imagine sucking dairy dust from our teeth in Cheese Land in a Mercedes is the same thing.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Via: IGN
Source: Sundbergkr (YouTube)
State Dept. releases some of Hillary Clinton’s emails
Worried that your own inbox isn’t keeping you busy enough? Following a judge’s request to release emails from Hillary Clinton’s private account on a rolling basis, the State Department posted some 296 of them to its Freedom of Information Act website. The emails are from Clinton’s time as Secretary of State between 2009 and 2013, and have come under scrutiny because she used a private email server for correspondence instead of her official email address. An investigation into attacks in Benhazi, Libya and Clinton’s run for President in 2016 have made the emails (and her decision to selectively turn over archives to the State Department before wiping the email server) an issue. You can read through them here, or enjoy a long holiday weekend — we wonder if that’s a coincidence?
[Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Today, at approximately 12:30pm, @StateDept will make publicly available online 296 emails from former Secretary Clinton’s email account.
– Department of State (@StateDept) May 22, 2015
The emails we release today do not change the essential facts or our understanding of the events before, during, or after the attacks.
– Department of State (@StateDept) May 22, 2015
Filed under: Internet
Source: State Department
Selfie, Bacon, and Avocado Among Emoji Proposed for Inclusion in 2016’s Unicode 9
The Unicode Consortium today released a list of 38 emoji characters that are candidates for inclusion in Unicode 9.0, which is set to be released in the middle of 2016. These represent emoji that could be available on iOS and Mac devices in the future.
Candidates include a range of different character emoji, from “face with cowboy hat to “drooling face” and “lying face.” “Selfie,” an emoji represented by a hand holding a camera, is also on the list, as is “shrug,” and “handshake.” As for food, emoji proposals include croissant, avocado, cucumber, bacon, potato, and carrot. There are also several proposed animal additions: fox face, eagle, duck, bat, shark, and owl.
According to the Unicode Consortium, these emoji have been chosen for several reasons. Some are proposed based on expected high frequency of use or due to requests from online communities. Others on the list fill in gaps in existing emoji sets or are compatible with emoji characters in existing systems.
Emoji candidates are not finalized so it’s possible that some of the characters on the list could be removed before Unicode 9 is released in 2016, and it’s also possible that additional characters could be added to the list.
The emoji proposed for inclusion in Unicode 9 are separate from the emoji that will be included in Unicode 8. Unicode 8, which includes specifications for the emoji modifiers that Apple introduced with iOS 8.3 and OS X 10.10.3, is set to be released in mid-2015 and is currently in beta testing.
Emoji additions proposed for Unicode 8 include zipper-mouth face, nerd face, thinking face, robot face, hugging face, hot dog, burrito, taco, cheese wedge, popcorn, and unicorn face, among others.
It is not known if and when Apple will adopt the Unicode 8 and Unicode 9 emoji as it still has not added the Unicode 7 emoji that were finalized in June of 2014.
Top 6 cloud storage apps for saving across devices [May 2015]
There are many reasons as to why you should backup your smartphone and data to the Cloud. After all, you want to ensure your files are secure and have are in a safe place in case of an accident with your smartphone or tablet. But, it’s difficult to do that when you don’t have access to any cloud storage. I’ve put together a list of my favorite cloud storage apps that offer free storage solutions. Some of them even have fantastic pricing for either hundreds of gigabytes of storage or unlimited storage.
Be sure to check it out below!
Dropbox
Dropbox is my all-time favorite cloud storage app. Not because I have any affiliation with Dropbox, mind you, but I’ve been using it since the day it launched, and have it across all my computers and devices. I haven’t had much need to look elsewhere, as they offer plenty of free storage for what I use. Not to mention the fact that you can get more free space through inviting friends and other minor tasks.
If the allotted space they give you isn’t enough, Dropbox will give your 1000GB of space to use for $10/month or an unlimited amount of storage for $15/mo.
Google Drive
Google Drive is another cloud storage staple, offering 15GB of free data across all of Google’s services, such as Gmail, Drive, and Google+ Photos. You can store just about any data you need in Google Drive, and out of all the apps listed, they do provide the most free storage. Drive is also seamlessly integrated with Docs, Sheets, and Slides, making it insanely easy to store and work on important documents.
If you use up the 15GB, Google has rather cheap storage options, similar to Dropbox’s pricing. For $2.99/mo you can get 100GB of storage or for $9.99/mo you can get 1000GB.
OneDrive
OneDrive is Microsoft’s solution to Cloud storage, and similar to Google Drive, Microsoft gives you a free 15GB of storage. You can get an additional 15GB of storage for free by simply turning on camera upload on either your smartphone or tablet. For the everyday user, 30GB is more than enough to store photos and video.
OneDrive offers cheap storage plans at 100GB for $1.99/mo, 200GB for $3.99/mo, and 1000GB for $6.99/mo. If you go for the 1000GB plan, Microsoft will throw in free access to Office 365, which gives you access to all of Microsoft’s Office applications, and let’s you work on them across all your devices.
Amazon Cloud Drive
Amazon Cloud Drive is, well, Amazon’s solution for Cloud storage. With Amazon Cloud Storage, you have the option to get a three month trial, where you can store unlimited photos for free, and up to 5GB in videos and files. After the trial ends, you’ll have to pay $11.99/year to continue using that service. If you’re just looking for somewhere to store your photos, you can store unlimited photos for free with an Amazon Prime subscription. You may not need to pay that $11.99/year at all.
Amazon Cloud Drive has another subscription option, where you have access to unlimited everything for $59.99 a year, which is a much cheaper solution than anything on this list.
Box
Box is another excellent Cloud storage service, offering 10GB of free storage space. While it does have more of a business focus than personal, the 10GB of free space is still excellent to have in your back pocket. One of the fascinating benefits of Box and its business-focus is that documents can be commented on in real-time, giving you instantaneous feedback. In addition to that, it has a lot of great features to effectively share files between coworkers.
If you need more storage space, the starter pack will get you 100GB for $4.99/mo. The business package, requiring a minimum of three users, will run you $15/mo, but gives you unlimited storage space.
MediaFire
MediaFire is another common Cloud service, offering 12GB of free storage space. One of the unique things about this service is that you can earn up to 50GB of free storage, which should be just enough for the everyday user. It’s certainly not enough for power users, but that’s not to worry, as MediaFire offers some excellent packages, which are all 50% off right now.
For a mere $2.49/mo you can get yourself 1000GB of space. If that’s not enough, for $24.99/mo, they’ll give you up to 100TB of space. And if that’s not enough, I’m not sure what will satisfy your craving for data. At normal prices, you can expect to pay $4.99/mo and $49.99/mo, respectively.
Wrap Up
There are plenty more Cloud storage apps out there, but these six are my top favorites, as they have a wide variety of free storage options. If you need more, a lot of the storage subscriptions are the price of a McDonald’s cheeseburger. It isn’t bad at all. Either way, I’m sure I’ve missed some great ones. What are your favorites?
Come comment on this article: Top 6 cloud storage apps for saving across devices [May 2015]
Google opens up code for Chrome for Android
Google’s Chrome for Android development team has announced the mobile version of the Chrome browser is now “almost entirely open source.” The parts not open sourced include some media codecs, plugins, and Google service features that are restricted due to licensing issues. The team open sourced over 100,000 lines of code, including the entire user interface layer. For developers, this move means they can built their own versions of the browser for Android devices.
The mobile Android version of the browser now mirrors the desktop version in having the bulk of the code being open sourced. On the desktop, this has resulted in a variety of third-party web browsers being built. They range from the popular and relatively well-known Opera browser to lesser known variants like Vivaldi which targets developers.
Based on the ecosystem of browsers built for the desktop, users can expect to see a similar pattern develop for mobile platforms running Android, so keep an eye on the Play Store for new browsers.
source: OMG! Chrome!
Come comment on this article: Google opens up code for Chrome for Android
Aria module will bring gesture control to Android Wear and Pebble Time
We’ve seen multiple different approaches to smartwatch design over the last few years, with some companies like Pebble taking the button control route, while platforms like Android Wear rely on touch and voice. Looking for a third option? Aria is an add-on module that you clip onto your Android Wear or Pebble Time watch, allowing you to control either of these platforms with various gestures.
So how does it work? The Aria measures the movement in your wrist, making it easy to control your watch for those moments when your other hand isn’t free such as when you are on the phone, drinking something, holding something — you get the idea. The only catch with the Aria is that it is yet another product that doesn’t exist yet, with a planned Kickstarter launch supposedly set for sometime in the next few weeks. Once it hits on Kickstarter, the Aria will be available in two versions, one for Android Wear and one for Pebble Time.
The Pebble Time model is a cheaper $69 unit that will connect directly to the Pebble Time with no need for its own battery or Bluetooth connection. For Android Wear owners, a more expensive $169 model will contain a battery, Bluetooth, and everything else it needs to work nicely with Android Wear. This model will also include a robust SDK and is aimed primarily at developers. This more expensive version could also theoretically be made to work with other watch platforms that support Bluetooth devices, including the Gear line.
We admit this is sort of a cool idea but at $169, at least for the ‘fuller featured’ unit that plays nicely with Android Wear, we have a feeling few people are actually going to bite on this one. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
Guy hoverboards across a Canadian lake and into history
No, this isn’t some guerilla marketing campaign for Back to the Future’s upcoming pseudo-anniversary. It’s a world record-setting flight by Canadian inventor Catalin Alexandru Duru aboard a homebrew hoverboard. He recently piloted this prototype nearly 1000 feet across a Quebec lake to set the record. “The prototype can be used anywhere,” Duru explains in the video below. “But is usually tested over water because of how dangerously high it can fly (which is ironic considering that the movie joked that it can’t).” There aren’t many details about the device available though it would appear he controls it by shifting his bodyweight back and forth like a geeky Green Goblin. There’s also no word on when (or if) the device will ever make it to market — no matter how hard you wish for it.
Via: Popular Science
Source: YouTube
Buyer’s Guide: Deals on MacBook Air, Retina iMac, Apple Accessories, and More [Mac Blog]
It’s nearly Memorial Day, which means there’s a long three-day weekend coming up and some solid deals on Apple products from vendors who are cutting prices in the hopes of drawing customers into stores over the weekend.
Best Buy’s offering a can’t-miss deal on the 13-inch MacBook Air and the high-end 27-inch Retina iMac is available for the lowest price we’ve seen. The 2014 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro is also being sold at low prices following this week’s refresh. As always, we’ve also got some solid deals on Apple accessories and we’ve rounded up a list of apps you can get on the cheap.
iPad Air 2
Deals on the iPad Air 2 aren’t as good as they have been in past weeks, but Apple started offering refurbished iPad Air 2 models this week, so the company’s refurbished store is worth checking out if you’re looking to get a discount on a tablet.
B&H Photo is offering a small discount on most of its iPad Air 2 models, dropping prices by $30 to $50. With the discount, the 16GB WiFi only iPad Air 2 is priced at $459 and the 64GB model is priced at $549.99. Prices vary somewhat by model, but there are slight discounts to be had.
MacMall is also offering some discounts on iPad Air 2 models, dropping the prices by $30 to $50. With the discount, the 16GB entry-level Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 is priced at $469, while the Wi-Fi-only 64GB iPad Air 2 is available for $569.
iPad Air
Both Best Buy and B&H Photo have deep discounts on some remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad Air models, as listed below.
– iPad Air Wi-Fi Space Gray 128GB – $549
– iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 128GB (AT&T) – $529.99
– iPad Air Cellular Silver 64GB (AT&T) – $499
– iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 64GB (AT&T) – $449
– iPad Air Cellular Silver 64GB (Verizon) – $566.99
– iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 64GB (Verizon) – $449
– iPad Air Cellular Silver 128GB (Verizon) – $579
– iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 128GB (Verizon) – $679
iPad mini 3
B&H Photo is offering some modest discounts on various iPad mini 3 models, dropping the price by up to $60. The 16GB WiFi + Cellular iPad mini 3 in gold is available for $469 and the 128GB version is available for $649. the 16GB Wi-Fi only version in Silver is available for $349 and the 64GB Wi-Fi model in Silver is available for $429.
Discounts for each model and and color vary, but most models are being offered at a lower price than you’ll find at the Apple Store, and buying from B&H, you won’t have to pay sales tax unless you’re in New York.
iPad mini 2
Best Buy, B&H Photo, and Amazon have remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad mini 2 models, which are a good deal if you’re looking for an iPad mini. Compared to the iPad mini 3, the iPad mini 2 only lacks Touch ID.
– iPad mini Cellular Silver 128GB (AT&T) – $430
– iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 128GB (AT&T) – $449.99
– iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 64GB (AT&T) – $399.99
– iPad mini Cellular Silver 128GB (Verizon) – $499.99
– iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 128GB (Verizon) – $534.99
– iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 64GB (Verizon) – $439.99
iMac
– 2013 21.5-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/1TB (Best Buy) – $1,179, $120 off
– 2013 21.5-inch 2.9GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) – $1,399, $120 off
– 2013 27-inch 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB (Best Buy) – $1,649.99, $150 off
– 2013 27-inch 3.4GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) – $1,794.99, $204 off
– 2014 27-inch 3.5Ghz/8GB/1TB Retina iMac (Best Buy) – $2,099.99, $200 off
Mac mini
– 1.4GHz/4GB/500GB (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $464.99, $34 off
– 2.6GHz/8GB/1TB (MacMall) – $663.99, $35 off
– 2.8GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $938, $60 off
MacBook Air
– 2015 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $824.99, $75 off
– 2015 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB (Best Buy) (Amazon) (B&H Photo) (Adorama) – $1044.99, $50 off
– 2015 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB (Best Buy) – $849, $150 off
– 2015 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB (Best Buy) (Amazon) (B&H Photo) – $1,139.99, $60 off
– 2014 11-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $899, $200 off
– 2014 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB (B&H Photo) (Adorama) – $819, $180 off
– 2014 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (Amazon) (B&H Photo) – $999, $200 off
Retina MacBook Pro
– 2015 13-inch 2.7Ghz/8GB/128GB (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $1,234.99, $64 off
– 2015 13-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) – $1,424.99, $74 off
– 2015 13-inch 2.9GHz/8GB/512GB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) – $1709.99, $90 off
– 2014 15-inch 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB (Adorama) (MacMall) – $1,799, $200 off
– 2014 15-inch 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB (Adorama) –$2,299, $200 off
– 2014 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/128GB (B&H Photo) – $1,079, $220 off
– 2014 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/256GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $1,229, $259 off
– 2014 13-inch 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB (B&H Photo) – $1,499 $300 off
Apps
There are quite a few apps that are on sale at discounted prices or available for free for a limited time. We’ll highlight a few here, but make sure to check out our sister site AppShopper for a complete list.
Super popular puzzle game Monument Valley is on sale for $0.99 this week, down from $3.99. Death Rally is available for free, down from $0.99. Platformer Bean Dreams is available for $1.99, down from $2.99. Cut the Rope 2 is available for $0.99, down from $2.99. Puzzle game KAMI is available for $0.99, down from $1.99.
Sketching app Procreate Pocket is available for $0.99, down from $2.99. Photography app Enlight is available for $0.99, down from $5.99. Endless runner Alto’s Adventure is available for $0.99, down from $1.99.
Puzzle game Magnetized was named Apple’s App of the Week, so it will be free to download until next Thursday when a new app is picked.
Apple Accessories
PayPal Digital Gifts is offering $100 iTunes gift cards for $80 on eBay, a $20 discount. Groupon is selling the Lifeproof Nuud Waterproof case for iPhone 5c for $39.99, down from $56.69. Groupon also has Scosche Earphones with remote and microphone for $18.99, down from $79.99. The Incase Nylon Sleeve for the 13 or 15-inch MacBook Pro is available for $24.99 from Groupon, down from $60.
Groupon has the OtterBox Defender Case and Holster for the iPhone 6 available for $29.99, down from $59.95. The Otterbox Defender Case for the iPhone 6 Plus is available for $34.99, down from $70. The Apple iPad mini Smart Cover is available for $17.99, down from $39. The Beats by Dre Pill 2.0 Bluetooth speaker is available for $159.99 from Groupon, down from $199.
The Prong PocketPlug charging case for iPhone 5/5s is available from LivingSocial for $24.99, down from $50. Best Buy is offering the Misfit Shine activity tracker for $20 off, dropping the price to $79.99. Target is selling Beats Solo HD headphones at a $70 discount, dropping the price to $99.99.
The iWalk Extreme Trip battery 10,000 mAh pack is available for $49.99 from StackSocial, discounted from $85. Woot has the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air and iPad Air 2 for $59.99, down from $99.99. Groupon’s still running a big Apple event and selling a range of Apple products and accessories at discounted prices, including the LifeProof Fre case for the iPad Air, Apple EarPods, Speck MacBook cases, MagSafe chargers, Mophie battery cases, and more.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.
New Book Explores How the iPhone Contributed to BlackBerry’s Downfall
Over the past several years, BlackBerry has gone from one of the top smartphone manufacturers to a company that’s struggling to stay afloat in an increasingly competitive market. BlackBerry is hemorrhaging subscribers and losing revenue quarter after quarter as it attempts to turn the tide by focusing on marketing secure devices and software to its enterprise customers.
An upcoming book by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff, Losing the Signal, explores the events that led to the rise and fall of BlackBerry, and an interesting excerpt was shared by The Wall Street Journal today, covering the iPhone’s contributions towards BlackBerry’s (then known as RIM) failure.
As we’ve previously learned from Google execs, the launch of the iPhone, which stood apart from all other smartphones on the market at the time, took everyone by surprise. Not only was the iPhone incredibly different from its competitors, it also had features that carriers had previously denied other manufacturers like an App Store and a full web browser.
Image via CIO
One of RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis’ first comments was “These guys are really, really good,” but despite that fact, RIM failed to see the iPhone as a threat due to its lack of security and the fact that it had no keyboard, features RIM execs thought would make it unappealing to RIM’s core consumers.
If the iPhone gained traction, RIM’s senior executives believed, it would be with consumers who cared more about YouTube and other Internet escapes than efficiency and security. RIM’s core business customers valued BlackBerry’s secure and efficient communication systems. Offering mobile access to broader Internet content, says Mr. Conlee, “was not a space where we parked our business.”
RIM executives did not understand the iPhone and were “incredulous” that people were purchasing it, realizing too late that form had become as important as function in the eyes of consumers. In an effort to combat the threat of the iPhone, RIM teamed up with Verizon to create a competing touch-based phone — the Storm.
Verizon pressured RIM into speeding up development on the phone, resulting in a product that was riddled with bugs and issues when it launched in 2008. Despite the flaws, the product was heavily marketed and RIM sold 1 million in two months, leading to a lot of unhappy customers who wanted to return or exchange their devices.
The Storm was a spectacular failure that impacted RIM’s relationship with Verizon, ruined its reputation, and cost upwards of $100 million. After the failure, the company was demoralized and at a crossroads, unsure of where to take the company going forward and how to compete with the iPhone and other smartphones in a landscape that was radically different from what the company knew.
RIM was unable to fully recover from failure of the Storm and find its footing, eventually leading to the path that it’s on today. “The Storm failure made it clear we were not the dominant smartphone company anymore, said RIM co-CEO Jim Balsille. “We’re grappling with who we are because we can’t be who we used to be anymore, which sucked…It’s not clear what the hell to do.”
The full excerpt from the book is worth a read and can be found over at The Wall Street Journal. The book itself is coming out on May 26 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon for $21.
AIVAnet 