Apple Seeds Fourth OS X 10.10.4 Yosemite Beta to Developers, Public Beta Testers
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of OS X 10.10.4 to developers, just over two weeks after releasing the third OS X 10.10.4 beta and a month after releasing the first OS X 10.10.4 beta. OS X 10.10.4 has been in testing since mid April, following the early April release of OS X 10.10.3 with the new Photos for OS X app.
The new beta, build 14E26a, can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store or through the Mac Developer Center.
OS X 10.10.3 brought several consumer-facing changes including the new Photos for OS X app, a redesigned emoji picker, and diversified emoji, but OS X 10.10.4 appears to be an under-the-hood update that brings performance enhancements and bug fixes. Thus far, OS X 10.10.4 betas have not included outward facing design changes or feature additions.
The first two updates to OS X Yosemite, OS X 10.10.1 and OS X 10.10.2, were also minor behind-the-scenes updates that improved performance through bug fixes and enhancements.
Apple Considering $1.6 Billion Bond Sale in Japan [Mac Blog]
Apple is considering issuing about 200 billion yen ($1.62 billion) in bonds as early as June in Japan, in what would be the company’s first fundraising activity in the country, according to Nikkei. The report claims that Apple plans to take advantage of low interest rates in Japan to procure the funds, which could be used to boost shareholder rewards and expand Japanese operations.
“Early this month, Apple started gauging potential demand for the yen-denominated bonds among regional banks, life insurers and other institutional investors,” claims the Nikkei Asian Review. “The bonds will target Japanese investors but will likely be sold to overseas investors as well.”
Apple has issued 2.8 billion euros ($3 billion) and 1.25 billion Swiss francs ($1.31 billion) in bonds since last year, and will reportedly benefit from an interest rate on bonds in Japan about 1 percentage point lower than in the United States. It was also reported in February that Apple was planning to raise $6.5 billion in a corporate debt sale. The funds are used for corporate purposes such as repurchasing of common stock and payment of dividends through Apple’s capital return program.
Google exec confirms Android M will be released this year
It wasn’t too long ago that we first heard whispers of the next version of Android, thanks to an error on the official Google I/O 2015 schedule. We have a strong suspicion that Google will introduce Android M at this year’s developer conference, but we haven’t actually received any confirmed information regarding the next release. However, thanks to a recent interview with a Google exec, it’s now confirmed that Android M will be released to the public before the year’s end.
Read more: What will Android M bring?
In an interview with Fast Company, Android’s Vice President of Engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer spills some details regarding Android M, and what Google’s plan is for future releases:
As we’ve grown as a platform, we realize that to some extent predictability is important for the whole industry: developers, manufacturers, operators, and consumers, frankly. So we’ve landed with sort of a yearly cadence of big releases, so, for instance, one year we release J, the next year we release K, and then the year after that L, and then this year we’ll launch M, and so you can predict what will happen next year.
This certainly isn’t any groundbreaking news, as we were already assuming that Google would release Android M the same way it released Android L – launching a developer preview at Google I/O, then releasing the final build to the public before the end of the year, likely with some new hardware. Even so, the interview does provide some helpful information, since we now know that Google is planning for yearly release cycles for bigger versions of Android. Lockheimer didn’t make any more comments on Android M in the interview.
We’ve already heard that the next version of Android may feature native fingerprint authentication and new voice controls, but what else do you hope Android M will bring? Let us know in the comments below!
U.S. Cellular to sell LG G4 on June 4
U.S. Cellular is the latest wireless carrier to announce sales and pre-sales for the LG G4. Available for purchase starting on June 4, its version of the flagship phone will be sold in Gold, Black Leather, and Metallic Gray.
Pricing for the LG G4 shakes out to $0 down and monthly payments of $29.50 each if you opt for the Gold or Metallic Gray. Pick the Black Leather and you’re looking at a slight premium of $30.50 per payment.
Customers who don’t want to spread out the cost of the G4 can pair it with a two-year service agreement. Going that route sees the phone priced at $199 with a contract.
As part of a limited time promotion, buyers who preorder the handset will receive a free 32GB microSD card and an extra battery with charging cradle at no cost.
U.S. Cellular will let interested buyers preorder the LG G4 as early as May 29.
The post U.S. Cellular to sell LG G4 on June 4 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
LG and Huawei rumored with Nexus smartphones for 2015
It has been back and forth, but it may finally be set who is making the next Google Nexus device… or Nexus devices. Rumors are still swirling around and this time more than ever. Rumor has it there will be a 5.2 inch LG made Nexus and a 5.7 inch Huawei Nexus. The new information has the LG device code named Angler and the Huawei made device code named Bullhead. Fish aliases have always been a Google staple, that is why we think this latest stream of info is worth the time.
The LG Angler will feature a 5.2 inch display, most likely QHD being backed by a Snapdragon 808 processor and a 2,700 mAh battery. LG was quite pleased with the performance of the Snapdragon 808 on their flagship, the G4, so it’s understandable that they would lean this way for a Google device. It seems that the Nexus (2015) that everyone is beggine for will indeed be a reality.
The Huawei Bullhead will sport a 5.7 inch QHD display panel, backed by a massive 3.500 mAh battery. Current plans have Bullhead being powered by the Snapdragon 810 processor, which may or may not change. It all depends on if they can tune it to not overheat without throttling performance. Bullhead is essentially the successor to Nexus 6 and will keep Google in the phablet game.
Both devices are expected to be announced in October, which has become a norm for Google. That means it would most likely be a late October or early November release for the majority of the world. Prices are unknown, but it is assumed the LG Angler will be in the $400 price range whereas the Huawei Bullhead will be around $600.
The post LG and Huawei rumored with Nexus smartphones for 2015 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Twitter’s Periscope, live video streaming app is now available on Google Play
Twitter finally released its Android version of Periscope on Google Play. Periscope is Twitter’s response to Meerkat, which allows users to stream live video for others to login to watch. There were multiple reports of Periscope and Meerkat users who streamed the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight to thousands of users, so they could avoid the 100 dollar pay-per-view charge.
In order to take advantage of live streaming video through the Periscope app, users will need a device running Android 4.4 kit Kat at a minimum.
Download periscope here.
The post Twitter’s Periscope, live video streaming app is now available on Google Play appeared first on AndroidGuys.
LG and Huawei are reportedly making Google’s Nexus phones this year
If you were disappointed that your only choice for a new, official Google phone last year was the gargantuan Nexus 6, you’ll be glad to hear that 2015 could be very different. Android Police sources have elaborated on previous rumors with word that both LG and Huawei are working on Nexus handsets this year. The LG device, nicknamed Angler, would have a 5.2-inch screen and might borrow the G4’s six-core Snapdragon 808 processor — effectively, it’d be a modernized Nexus 5. Huawei’s phone, Bullhead, would pack a bigger 5.7-inch display and could step up to a Snapdragon 810 chip. Think of it as a not-so-ungainly Nexus 6.
Some of the specs of both devices are up in the air, so it’s not clear just how sophisticated they’ll be. They should show up around the typical Nexus release window for October, however, which suggests that they’ll both be poster children for Android M. Just don’t expect a new tablet. AP‘s tipsters don’t believe there’s a revised Nexus slate in the works, which could leave the Nexus 9 soldiering on for another year.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, LG
Source: Android Police
Here’s how Apple’s Force Touch might work on the next iPhone
We’ve been hearing for months that Apple’s upcoming iPhone models will be force-sensitive, just like the Apple Watch and its newer MacBook trackpads. Now we have an idea of how the company’s “Force Touch” technology — which enables pressure sensitivity and haptic feedback — could work on future iPhones, courtesy of 9to5Mac. Sources say that it could be used to replace instances where you typically hold down your finger on the screen, for example, to highlight or paste text. Force Touch on iPhones will also resemble the way the technology is used on new MacBooks: You can press down on the display to drop new location pins in Apple Maps, or use pressure sensitive scrolling in media players. Not surprisingly, 9to5Mac notes that Apple has built in support for iPhone Force Touch on iOS 9, and it’s also working with developers to integrate it into their apps. The technology could also make its way into Apple’s next round of iPads, based on references in iOS 9.
Don’t expect any big changes for the next iPhone models, which will likely end up being called the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. Sources say that the smaller model looks pretty much like an iPhone 6. Apple likely won’t discuss the Force Touch features at WWDC next month, since its new iPhones probably won’t be announced until the fall.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Source: 9to5Mac
Researchers use an app to predict GPA based on smartphone use
What a person does on their phone call tell you a lot about them — including their GPA. Researchers from Dartmouth College and the University of Texas at Austin have developed an app that tracks smartphone activity to compute a grade point average that’s within 0.17 of a point. The software is called smartGPA and using it alongside “periodic self reports” keeps tabs on how hard a student is studying and partying — on top of physical activity, sleep, attendance and social interactions. Members of the research team were also responsible for the StudentLife app that kept up with mental health and its effect on grades, and this goes a step further by taking into account a broader picture of daily life. “We show that there are a number of important behavioral factors automatically inferred from smartphones that significantly correlate with term and cumulative GPA,” the study explains. Installing the app, which is built with cloud and machine learning algorithms, monitored a group of undergrads 24 hours a day for 10 weeks.
The findings weren’t too shocking: higher performing students studied more as the term progressed, kept social interactions short in the evenings and experienced the most stress during midterms. However, by leveraging tech that keeps tabs on a student’s habits, the team says its findings “open the way for novel interventions to improve academic performance.” For example, an app that allows a student to check on their behavior to see if it leads to the desired GPA. If not, it’ll provide advice on how to get things back on track. Perhaps that’s a bit further down the road, but now that we track track fitness and more on a phone, why not academic performance?
[Image credit: Scott Eells/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Source: Dartmouth (PDF)
iOS 9 to Feature Force Touch With Haptic Feedback, New Keyboard and Group Read Receipts
Following a recent report suggesting that iOS 9 could feature “Rootless” security, “Trusted Wi-Fi” and support for legacy A5-based devices, today 9to5Mac reiterated on a few smaller-scale improvements to Apple’s next major software version that could have a big impact on the overall experience for iPhone and iPad users.
The next-generation iPhone will feature some form of Force Touch as one of the biggest new additions to the hardware, a rumor that has been circulating since the beginning of the year and only gaining forward momentum. The report today, however, specifically mentions that Apple has designed iOS 9 “to be Force Touch-ready” and is already hard at work with developers to integrate the technology into various apps.
Since Apple’s work on Force Touch runs the gamut of iOS devices, there’s also a possibility of updated Force Touch displays on new iPad models sometime this year. All iOS versions of Force Touch are also expected to provide the real-time haptic feedback buzz similar to that of the Apple Watch to provide users a physical response when their deep presses have been noticed. As 9to5Mac points out, however, since any new Force Touch on iOS announcement automatically requires the confirmation of new hardware, any iPhone and iPad support for the feature is unlikely to happen at WWDC.
Next, Apple is rumored to be working on a new keyboard experience for iOS 9, with the company experimenting on multiple designs, like one that is “slightly longer than the current keyboard” and provides users with a more robust suite of editing options while in portrait mode. Also in the works is a more accessible way to access the QuickType keyboard and a redesign to the unpopular Shift Key to provide an easier visual understanding of when shift or caps lock is engaged.
Today’s report also falls in line with previous rumors reporting that Canada will be the first country outside of the United States to support Apple Pay, with the report claiming that iOS 9’s Passbook app includes a “necessary foundation” to support various banks, credit and debit cards, and credit unions within the country. Although Canada is well-prepared for such a service, with many retailers and businesses across the country equipped with the contactless payment terminals needed for Apple Pay, such an expansion outside of the United States has proved difficult for Apple, especially in places like China, so a WWDC announcement yet again seems unlikely.
The final minor update to iOS 9 reported today includes the addition of read receipts to both group chats in iMessage as well as on a per-contact basis. Users will in turn be able to turn on the read receipt functionality for specific recipients while leaving the read status of a message in the dark for other contacts. The company also seems to be considering removing the little-used Game Center app altogether in iOS 9, and minor data points suggest a few additions and updates to the new Health app, as well.
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