Google patents creepy smart toys that interact with kids
Nexus Ruxpin? Google’s mad science X division is, er, toying with the idea of smart teddy bears in one of its strangest patents yet. In response to junior’s voice or movements, “the anthropomorphic device may aim its gaze at the source of the social cue,” then “interpret the command (via its servers) and map it to a media control device,” according to the document. From there, it could “express curiosity, (it) may tilt its head, furrow its brow, and/or scratch its head with an arm.” It added that the device should be “cute” so that “young children may find (it) attractive.”
On top of interacting with kids, the toys could be used to control media devices like TVs, DVD players and even smart home devices like thermostats. All that may have seemed like a good idea when the patent was filed in 2012 (it was granted last Thursday), but a lot has changed since then, privacy-wise. Big Brother Watch told the BBC that “the privacy concerns are clear when devices have the capacity to record conversations and log activity… (especially) when those devices are aimed at children.” The lawyer who spotted the patent put it more succinctly, saying the “creepy” idea belonged “in a horror film.”
On the other hand, Google could de-creep such a device by limiting its servers’ access to voice commands, which it records through “OK Google” anyway. Toys like “Hello Barbie” that interact with kids are nothing new, and similar voice-activated devices, like Amazon’s Echo speaker, already exist as well. Of course, all that might be moot, since Google told the BBC, “some of those ideas later mature into real products or services, some don’t. Prospective product announcements should not necessarily be inferred from our patent applications.”
Via: Hot Hardware
Source: USPTO
Infographic: the phones with the highest and lowest screen-to-body ratios
So you want your next smartphone to feature a large screen and a compact body. That sounds like the ultimate first world problem, but you know what, we feel your pain. With new smartphones regularly coming out in the 5.5-inch range, and some skirting tablet territory, a compact build is more important than ever.
If a high screen-to-body ratio is what you’re after, this simple infographic put together by Danish website Mobilsiden should come in handy. Showing 30 modern smartphones running Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, the infographic is a clear illustration of an aspect that not many phone buyers consider before handing over the credit card. Phones with the same screen size can be very different in actual size: just compare the 5.5-inch LG G4 (72.5%) with the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus (67.9%).
Ranking first are the two generations of the Sharp Aquos Crystal, both of which feature striking “no-bezel” designs. But this comes at a price, as the lack of the upper bezel means you will have to put up with the front camera being located on the bottom, in an area where it can be easily blocked by your palm.
Coming up next is the just-launched Oppo R7 Plus, the ridiculously large Huawei P8 Max (6.8 inches!) and the Xiaomi Mi Note. The infographic shows that the larger the phone, the higher the screen to body ratio typically is. Though a high ratio doesn’t necessarily mean you will have the most compact body possible: see the Mi Note.
One last note: sometimes a lower screen to body ratio enables the addition of some nice features. Case in point, the One M9 and its big BoomSound speakers.
According to Google’s research, Security Questions aren’t all that secure
So, you are trying to use an account online, and because you’ve forgotten your password, you are asked to answer a security question in order to recover your account. This time, you are being asked to enter the name of your first pets name. Is it Fluffy, Muffy or Tuffy? And is it your very first pet or the first pet you remember growing up with as a child? It can all be very confusing, and worse still, apparently not very secure at all. These random questions often have all too familiar answers, and according to Google’s research, are straightforward enough to be correctly guessed in less than 10 attempts.
Google has released a great little infographic (below), detailing the different ways that we make it easy for online criminals to breach our online security. You might think that one of the more obvious ways to make our online accounts more resistant to attacks would be to simply ask more security questions, making it more difficult to guess correctly. While more security questions does make it more difficult for the attacker, bringing their success rate down to 1%, it also means that the account holder (you), will be less able to actually remember what the answers are, dropping from above 74% down to 59%.
Google came about this information by analysing the hundreds of millions of secret questions and answers that had been used for millions of account recovery claims
If adding more and more security questions isn’t the answer, what is? Google believes that websites should rather us SMS-based reset codes and alternate recovery email addresses, something that Google and other big websites already offer in one form or another. If you aren’t sure if your account is safe, why not visit Google’s Security Checkup to make sure. In the meantime, you can have a look at the various security questions that are asked, and the criminal’s success rate at guessing the correct answers.
Source: Google
Come comment on this article: According to Google’s research, Security Questions aren’t all that secure
DxOMark tests the One M9 camera, and the results are not pretty
Reviewers mostly agree: the One M9 is a great smartphone dragged down by a sub-par camera experience. Worse, the same could be said about the last year’s One M8, meaning that HTC failed to fix the one glaring issue holding back its flagship line. But just how bad is the One M9’s camera problem? DxOMark, the respected photography resource, weighed in, and its assessment won’t make HTC happy.
The One M9 ranks the 22nd in DxOMark’s mobile rankings, behind the Amazon Fire Phone, the iPhone 4S, and the Galaxy S3. With a score of 69, the One M9 barely manages to outrank the One M8, which scored 68 points. Even more worrying, the One M9 is miles behind the competition: the Galaxy S6/Edge ranks first (86), followed by the Note 4 (83), iPhone 6/Plus (82), and the Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z3 (both 79).
DxOMark notes that the One M9 does well in bright light, but points were deducted for color oversaturation in low light, inaccurate white balance, loss of sharpness at image corners, as well as strong ringing and fringing. The One M9 does worse in video (just 61), with cons including the lack of stabilization, detail loss, and color oversaturation.
There you have it – a more or less objective look at how the One M9 compares to its peers in terms of imaging.
With this said, just because DxOMark (or any other reviewer) ranked the One M9 camera poorly, it doesn’t mean you won’t like it. Your expectations and standards probably differ and you may not care about stuff like video stabilization or white balance. So our best advice is to try to test the One M9 before making a decision.
Google finds that security questions aren’t really secure
If you’ve ever thought that “what was your first pet’s name?” is a lousy way to keep intruders from resetting your password, you now have some evidence to back up your suspicions. Google has published research showing that security questions aren’t that secure at all. In many cases, your answers are straightforward enough that attackers stand a decent chance of getting them right in 10 guesses or less. And you probably don’t want to use bogus answers to throw people off the scent, either. Many of those who try this strategy use common words and make it easier for someone to get in.
So what’s the alternative, then? Google doesn’t think that multiple security questions would help, since that increases the chances that you’ll forget at least one answer and lock yourself out. Instead, websites are better off using SMS-based reset codes, alternate email addresses and other methods that someone can’t crack with a good guess. Thankfully, big sites like Google already do this — the big challenge is getting your favorite store or social network to follow suit.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Virginia Mayo]
Source: Google Online Security Blog
Android M may bring along two-year update guarantee for Nexus devices
Android M is due for an announcement very soon, but we’re still hearing rumors about what’s going to come with the latest version of Google’s mobile OS. The newest rumor has more to do with how Android M will affect certain Nexus devices than general software enhancements, but it’s still very useful information when considering which device to purchase.
This rumor suggests Google will be enforcing a hard cut-off for software updates for Nexus updates. Nexus devices will receive major software updates for two years, and security updates for three years from new Android version release dates. So a Nexus device that’s released in November of 2015 will receive Android updates through November of 2017 and security updates through November 2018. That’s still a pretty long time and probably longer than anyone is keeping a phone, but that should help those of you that are buying older devices to save money. Google will alternatively provide updates for 18 months after a device is purchased from the Play Store, which seems to indicate that Google will keep a steady schedule for how long they’ll be offering devices through the Play Store.
As for current Nexus devices, this policy means the Nexus 4, Nexus 10, and 2012 Nexus 7 won’t be getting an Android M update. They’ll still be slated for security patches, but no more officially supported major OS updates from Google. The Nexus 5 will see updates up until the end of this year, then security updates for another year, and the newer Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 are good until the fall of 2016.
Google will likely clarify this information soon, whether at Google I/O, with the release of Android M, or with the launch of whatever Nexus device they have planned this year.
source: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Android M may bring along two-year update guarantee for Nexus devices
‘A Beautiful Mind’: mathematician John Nash dies aged 86
Dr. John Nash, the Nobel Prize-winning mathematician whose work included noncooperative game theory, has died aged 86. Know as Nash equilibrium, the theory is used in a broad range of fields, including economics, other social sciences, evolutionary biology as well as influencing computing and artificial intelligence. His work and life were turned into the film A Beautiful Mind, starring Russell Crowe, which won an Oscar for Best Picture in 2001, also putting focus on the stigma of mental illness. Nash’s famed work in math and other fields extended beyond the game theory work that won him the Nobel Prize.
Dr. Nash’s work in cryptography was also ahead of its time: In 2011, the NSA declassified letters written by him in the 1950s, where he had anticipated many concepts of modern cryptography. John Nash was killed, with his wife Alicia , in a car crash on Saturday in New Jersey. He was returning from a trip to Norway where he had received the Abel prize, another high-ranking honor in mathematics.
Filed under: Science
Source: BBC
Super-efficient solar cells can power homes in unforgiving areas
Scientists have long talked about black silicon (that is, silicon with nano-sized structures) having the potential to trump conventional solar power, and there’s now some proof that this is happening. Aalto University researchers have developed black silicon solar cells that achieve a record 22.1 percent efficiency when turning the Sun’s rays into usable energy. That’s a 4 percent absolute boost over the previous best, and good enough that the technology could finally be ready to reach the market and replace existing solar panels. Black silicon is far better suited to collecting sunlight at low angles, which is common in northern regions — you wouldn’t have to live in a sunny, forgiving part of the world to get the most out of clean energy. It should be cheaper, too. So long as these black cells translate well to mass production, you may have an easier time ditching the conventional power grid.
Filed under: Science
Source: Aalto University, Nature
Chromecast app update gives a clearer look at your streaming devices
If you’re fortunate enough to have more than one Chromecast device at home, you should now have an easier time making sense of your streaming options. Updates to both the Android and iOS Chromecast apps give you a reworked hardware view that gives each device its own card, complete with its current backdrop and casting status. You won’t be as likely to hijack the kids’ TV by accident, in other words. On top of this, you can browse through your backdrop history and change how quickly those pictures cycle. Swing by the App Store or Google Play if you’ve been itching for better control over your TV streaming.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Google
Source: App Store, Google Play
New look at Google Photos starts to reveal direction for the app
As Google edges closer to separating their Photos app from the Google+ platform, an early version of the new app has surfaced for sources to take a look at the direction being taken by Google. Many core features appear to carryover from the way they operate in Google+, but other features are being added along with some new adjustments for users to polish up their photos.
Once past the initial launch screen, which Google has animated, on first launch users will be walked through some setup items. Notably, users will still be able to select auto backup to the Photos app. Once into the main app itself, users will find an updated interface with several view options to choose from. A familiar “comfortable view” will be available that tiles photos by day like on the web interface. Users will also get sort options for day or month views.
When going through their photo library, users will be able to pinch into photos or swipe out of them. A new capability for dragging to select multiple photos will also be included.
For filters and sharing prep, Google appears to being replacing “autoawesome” with a new “Assistant” feature. The Assistant will be capable of generating stories and animations on its own. However, users will now get access to more manual controls for creating albums, movies, animations or collages.
Amidst all the filters and adjustments, Google did not forget the stalwart cropping interface. That now gets some presets to different aspect ratios and a nice rotation wheel will be available.
Finally, an analysis of the app shows access to photos when not using the app will be possible at photos.google.com. That address is currently redirecting to plus.google.com/photos. Most users are waiting to see how the new storage option may make it easier to share photos to the places users visit on the web.
source: Android Police
Come comment on this article: New look at Google Photos starts to reveal direction for the app
AIVAnet 