Office Lens for Android is ready to scan your documents
Need to quickly capture that taxi receipt, or the notes from a meeting? You can now pull out your Android phone to do it. After several weeks of testing, Microsoft has released the finished version of Office Lens for Google-powered devices. As a recap, Office Lens’ party trick is its ability to scan all kinds of documents (even at less-than-ideal angles) and translate them into usable files on OneDrive and OneNote — it’ll even make text searchable. The complete Lens app should work on a wide range of devices, so you’ll definitely want to swing by Google Play if you’re eager to give this scanner a spin.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: Android Central
Source: Google Play, Office Blogs
Oculus Rift and a VR-ready PC will cost $1,500, CEO says
The Oculus Rift is prepared to melt your perceived reality in early 2016 — if you have the proper PC. If not, a new, Rift-ready PC plus the headset itself should cost around $1,500, Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe said today at the Re/code conference. “We are looking at an all-in price, if you have to go out and actually need to buy a new computer and you’re going to buy the Rift… at most you should be in that $1,500 range,” he said (via Re/code). He didn’t provide a standalone price for the Rift, but Oculus has already divulged its recommended PC specs and they’re fairly hefty.
Oculus Chief Architect Atman Binstock said earlier in May that these specs will apply to the lifespan of the Rift and that the price of such a powerful rig should drop over time. Iribe echoed that idea today, noting that he’d like to see the total price dip below $1,000. Previous Rift development kits — that’s just the headset, no PC — have been priced around $350.
Now we have two ballpark figures for the Oculus Rift: A vague “Q1 2016″ release window and an even more nebulous “$1,500 or cheaper” price point. One day we’ll get a straight answer out of you, Oculus. One day.
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Facebook
Source: Re/code
Jawbone sues Fitbit for ‘plundering’ product information
Jawbone is suing its archrival, Fitbit, for “systematically plundering” confidential information. According to the complaint, Fitbit recruiters attempted to poach almost one-third of Jawbone’s staff. Some of those employees left the company, but not before downloading “critical trade secrets” including business plans and product details. The accusation comes right on the heels of Fitbit’s decision to go public. The company, which sold 10.9 million wearable devices last year, filed for an IPO of up to $100 million earlier this month.
According to the document filed with California State Court today, Jawbone quotes an unnamed recruiter who said: “Fitbit’s objective is to decimate Jawbone.” The complaint also mentions a former employee, who continued to work for Jawbone for about a week even after she was hired by Fitbit. The complaint states that she downloaded a “playbook” that outlines the plans for the company’s future products. Another employee handed in a two weeks notice, without disclosing that he would be joining the company’s biggest competitor. He is said to have forwarded confidential information to his private email in direct violation of the company’s corporate policy.
Even though the world of wearable health trackers has been booming, Jawbone’s financial state has been under scrutiny off late. As per the lawsuit, they’re now seeking financial damages and looking to prevent their former employees from using the information that they’re accused of walking away with.
Source: The New York Times
Apple is fixing a bug that crashes your iPhone with a text message
Beware if you have any jokester friends with iOS devices — they might just have a way to ruin your day if you have any iOS gadgets of your own. Apple has confirmed that it’s fixing a recently discovered bug that crashes iPhones and other iOS 8 hardware the moment you get a carefully crafted set of Unicode characters in iMessage and other communication apps with notification previews. It’s not clear when that fix will be available, but the only existing safeguard is to turn off those previews. Otherwise, you may have to bend over backwards to make sure that those rogue messages don’t cause further chaos. While this isn’t the biggest iOS glitch we’ve seen lately, it’s definitely the most annoying.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
All of your feline fantasies come true in ‘Catlateral Damage’
Life would be so much easier as a cat. Few humans recognize the potential for feline bliss better than Chris Chung, the creator of Catlateral Damage, a first-person cat simulator. As a kitty locked up in a house full of annoying human things, your goal is to knock down as many objects as possible, including books, lamps, groceries, toys and plants. After exploding in popularity in early 2014 and raising $62,000 on Kickstarter, Catlateral Damage is out today on Steam for a launch price of $9.
“I’m extremely surprised by the positive reception it’s been getting, especially considering that this is my first game and that it’s kind of a weird concept,” Chung says. “The biggest surprise might have been our Kickstarter and how many people wanted to put their cat in the game. We had to increase the number of tiers due to high demand, which was awesome.”
Chung created Catlateral Damage in August 2013 during the 7DFPS game jam, a weeklong program designed to reinvigorate the first-person shooter genre. Chung wasn’t about to make a military-style shooter — he wanted to play with perspective in his entry, and he found inspiration in his childhood cat, Nippy. Plus, he says, “I had a suspicion that the internet might love cats as much as I do.”
By July 2014, Chung had raised $20,000 more than he’d asked for on Kickstarter and Catlateral Damage was approved on Steam Greenlight. He was also the first developer to join a new “indie incubator” program run by Slam Bolt Scrappers studio Fire Hose Games. In the indie accelerator system, Chung received marketing, development, and financial support from Fire Hose — he was able to leave his job in QA and focus on Catlateral development full-time. Chung says that working with Fire Hose has been “amazing.”
“I really don’t think this game would have been successful without the support I’ve received from Fire Hose,” he says in an email. “They did a tremendous job helping with the Kickstarter, and when it came to development and marketing I know that they really multiplied my efforts. Of course we’ve had disagreements from time to time but I always had final say, so it was never a big deal. Plus, we play a lot of Smash Bros. at the office, which is purrfect for me.”
Chung’s success story reads like the checklists of many indie developers today: a game jam, Kickstarter, Steam Greenlight (or Early Access) and plenty of help from the community. And, of course, cats.
Pebble Time’s regular pre-orders start on June 22nd
If you missed out on Pebble Time’s crowdfunding campaign and won’t get one of the early units shipping today, you now have a date to mark on your calendar: Pebble has revealed that it’s going to start regular pre-orders for the color smartwatch on June 22nd. That’ll leave you waiting quite a while before you can even buy the $199 wearable, but you’ll at least get a more polished device for your trouble. Pebble is promising an update that lets iPhone users dictate replies to Gmail messages, so you’ll have one less reason to pull your handset out of your pocket.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile
Source: Pebble
Apple Watch Shown Charging Through 6-Pin Diagnostic Port in New Video [iOS Blog]
Earlier this month, the team behind the battery-boosting “Reserve Strap” for the Apple Watch suggested it was possible to use the hidden 6-pin diagnostic port in the Apple Watch to charge the device, and today they’ve backed up their claims with a video demonstration.
In the video, an Apple Watch charging on a standard inductive charger is depicted next to one said to be charged through a power supply connected to the 6-pin port on the device. The watch being charged through the port charges slightly faster than the watch on an inductive charger, reaching a 95 percent charge at the same point the other watch reaches a 90 percent charge.
The team behind the Reserve Strap for the Apple Watch plans to use the port to create a band with a backup battery inside, allowing the Apple Watch to be charged while it’s on the wrist. The product is still in the early stages of development, but it’s available for pre-order for $250 from the company’s website.
The Reserve Strap is not currently certified under Apple’s recently released accessory program for the Apple Watch, which will allow manufacturers and accessory makers to create approved third-party bands for the device. Apple has outlined a specific set of rules for Apple Watch bands, preventing them from blocking any sensors on the device, but its guidelines do not mention bands that access the 6-pin port. For that reason, Apple’s position on Reserve Strap’s use of the 6-pin port is unclear.
Apple has not confirmed what purpose the 6-pin port serves, but speculation has suggested it is used by the company for diagnostic purposes. Apple may also be using the port internally for charging, as detailed in documents covering the function of its in-store Apple Watch displays.
It is not known if Apple has plans to expand the usage of the 6-pin port in the future, but TechCrunch has hypothesized that the port could eventually be used for “smart band” accessories to bring additional functionality to the Apple Watch.
Android Auto is coming to 14 new 2016 Chevrolet models later this year
As more and more automobile manufacturers have been announcing their newest Android Auto-equipped vehicles, it’s becoming easier than ever to find the right connected vehicle for you. If you’ve been thinking of purchasing a car with Android Auto built-in, Chevrolet may be a good option for you. The car company has just announced that 14 of its 2016 model year cars will come equipped with Android Auto. The list of supported cars include the 2016 Chevy Cruze, Malibu, Camaro, Silverado, Impala, Volt, Suburban, Colorado and Tahoe lines.
More about Android Auto
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The car company is also making Android Auto in these vehicles available wherever Android Auto is supported, which means this news isn’t just for the U.S. folks out there. All of these vehicles will either ship with or receive an update containing the system in the future. And remember that there’s now backwards compatibility here, so you’ll have to purchase a 2016 model if you want Android Auto built in.
If you’re not too keen on Chevrolet vehicles, Hyundai just recently announced that its 2015 Sonata will come with Android Auto as well.
Verizon LG G4 pre-orders begin May 28th, available in-store June 4th
If you’ve been wondering when you can get your hands on an LG G4 on Verizon, wait no longer. Verizon has just announced that you can pre-order the device in Metallic Gray, Genuine Black Leather or the Verizon-exclusive Ceramic White starting Thursday, May 28th. Pre-orders will begin shipping out to customers before the in-store launch date, which falls on Thursday, June 4th.
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The device will be available off-contract for $549.99 or with Verizon Edge for $22.91 per month for 24 months. Big Red hasn’t given us the details on two-year contract pricing, but we’d imagine it will land on the carrier for around $199.99.
Additionally, the brand new LG G Pad X8.3 will also be available in-store starting May 28th. The new tablet will be available for $299.99 off-contract or for $12.49 per month for 24 months on Verizon Edge. Purchasing the tablet with a two-year contract will cost $129.99. Specs for the G Pad X8.3 aren’t extremely impressive, though they’ll certainly suffice for many users out there. The tablet has an 8.3-inch Full HD IPS LCD display, a 1.5GHz octa-core processor, an 8MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera, 16GB of internal storage and microSD expansion up to 128GB. It also has a 4800mAh battery and runs Android 5.0 Lollipop.
For a limited time, if you purchase an LG G4, you’ll be able to score the G Pad X8.3 for just $49.99 on-contract ($129.99 value). LG’s free battery and memory card promotion is also applied here, so be sure to take advantage of that deal if you’re interested in buying one of these devices.
Verizon taking pre-orders for LG G4 tomorrow, phone to ship before June 4
Starting tomorrow, Verizon customers can place orders for two new devices from LG. Too make them more enticing, the carrier will offer a discount.
Exclusive to Verizon is the Ceramic White option with 3D patters, along with the global Metallic Gray and Genuine Black Leather rear panels. Customers can go into select retail stores belonging to the carrier and experience the G4 for themselves. Verizon plans to have the G4 shipped prior to its in-store release on June 4.
The Verizon Edge program has the G4 available for $22.91 per month for twenty-four months while the full retail price is $549. Verizon is also including a free 32GB microSD card, extra battery, and battery charging cradle.
The other device from LG being brought to Big Red’s lineup is the G Pad X8.3. This new tablet has an 8.3-inch display with Full HD (1920×1080) resolution, an octa-core processor, and dual stereo speakers. And, like the G4, the G Pad X8.3 has Android 5.0 Lollipop running right out of the box. The Edge monthly payments on it are $12.49 and the full retail price is $299.
Verizon has the following promotions when purchasing the G4 with other LG devices:
- G Pad X8.3 for $49 (normally $129)
- G Pad 10.1 for $99 (normally $149)
- Watch Urbane for $299
Source: Verizon
Come comment on this article: Verizon taking pre-orders for LG G4 tomorrow, phone to ship before June 4
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