Samsung distributing Lollipop OTA for the Galaxy Note 3 in South Korea
A month later than expected, Samsung is now finally distributing the long-awaited Android 5.0 Lollipop update to all unlocked variants of the Galaxy Note 3 with the model number SM-N900S in South Korea.
All the changes you’d expect to find are bundled into this upgrade, including support for multiple accounts, improved notifications, a smoother multitasking experience and the recently-announced Material Design guidelines.
The full changelog can be seen below.
- Material Design: You will quickly notice a whole new colorful look and feel to your device – from fluid animations to new application and system themes, colors and widgets.
- Notifications UI & Priorities: In order to alert you to the mosttimely and relevant information, the format and behavior of notifications have evolved:
- notifications will appear on the lock screen and are intelligently ranked by type and who sent them.
- you double-tap to open one, swipe left or right to clear one, or clear all notifications from the bottom of the list.
- you can set the priority and privacy of notifications for each application.
- very high priority notifications will pop up briefly over other applications so that you can take action.
- when you dismiss a notification on one device it will be dismissed on your other Android devices, if they are connected to the Internet.
- you can further tailor how notifications behave with the new Downtime and Ambient Display settings (see below).
- New Interruptions & Downtime Settings: You can tailor how interruptions behave, choosing to allow all, none, or only priority interruptions. You can personalize what counts as a priority interruption (reminders, events, calls, messages) and even tailor them to be from only contacts you specify. The Downtime setting will allow only priority interruptions during the times and days that you specify. e.g. allow only priority interruptions on the weekend.
- Recent Apps (Multi-tasking): The redesigned Overview space (formerly called Recents) will include both applications and separate activities within those applications. For instance, each open tab in Chrome will also appear here along with recent applications; both your Gmail Inbox and a draft email message will appear as separate cards. This provides a consistent way to switch amongst tasks.
- Flashlight: Lollipop includes a new flashlight option as part of Quick settings (swipe down with two fingers from the status bar to see it).
- Pin a view/app: Screen pinning allows you to keep a specific app or screen in view. For example, you can ‘pin’ a game and your child will not be able to navigate anywhere else on your phone.
- Battery: The Battery settings panel now shows an estimated projection for how much time you have left while discharging or charging. You can also enable a new battery saver mode that will save power by reducing performance and most background data operations to extend your battery life.
- Smarter Internet Connections: With Android Lollipop, your phone will not connect to a Wi-Fi access point unless there is a verified Internet connection. This feature improves hand-offs between Wi-Fi and cellular connections, helping to maintain your video chat or voice-over-IP (VoIP) call as you switch.
- Performance: Your phone now uses the new Android Runtime to help optimize application performance. After upgrading to Lollipop, your applications will undergo a one-time optimization process. Note that the optimization for ART requires more space.
- Security: Encryption can now use a stronger 256-bit key to help protect your data. Note that the stronger key willonly be used after you perform a factory reset on Android Lollipop. Otherwise encryption will continue to use 128-bit key. You can turn on encryption in the Security settings menu.
As is customary with all manufacturer updates, the upgrade is being rolled out in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your device, you could always search for the update manually. To do this head into Settings, followed by About Device, then System Update and hit Check for Update.
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No car, no problem: 17 of the slickest electric rides
All kinds of personal-sized, eco-minded rides have been popping up on the market ready to propel us through the streets. Whether it’s for a quick commute or a casual cruise, these electric rideables help save time and fossil fuels. Not only do they get you from point A to point B quickly, but they’re also fun to ride… and you won’t sweat up a storm along the way. But which one is right for you? Below, we take a look at all the bikes, scooters, skateboards and everything else in between to serve up some useful personal transport suggestions. You never know, there might be a pair of RocketSkates in your future.
Recommended Reading: The making of a self-driving semitruck
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you’ll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.
How Daimler Built the World’s First Self-driving Semi
by Alex Davies
Wired
In case you missed it, Daimler built a self-driving big rig, and it just recently got the OK to hit the road in Nevada. The Freightliner truck, known as Inspiration, took a team of around 60 engineers six months to build. Wired’s Alex Davies offers a behind-the-scenes look at the project, detailing some of the tech that’s onboard.
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The Texas Instruments TMX 1795: The First, Forgotten Microprocessor While the Texas Instruments TMX 1795 could be considered the first microprocessor, it has been all but forgotten by most. This piece chronicles its history and its major impact on the computer industry. |
I Was an Undercover Uber Driver Ever wonder what it’s like to drive for Uber? Well, one journalist signed up and got behind the wheel to offer a first-person account of the goings on — including an orientation via YouTube video. |
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Notes on the Surrender at Menlo Park Facebook’s Instant Articles arrived in the News Feed this week, piping in content from The New York Times and more. This piece is an interesting collection of observations on the new feature — the good, the bad and the ugly. |
The View from the Front Seat of the Google Self-Driving Car The head of Google’s self-driving car project sets the record straight on minor accidents and miles logged, providing an update on the team’s status in Mountain View. |
[Image credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for Eurobest]
Filed under: Misc
Meizu rumored to launch an Ubuntu-powered MX4 May 18
Meizu is rumored to launch a new version of its Android-powered MX4 smartphone on May 18, according to a Chinese report. Only this time, it will be running the Ubuntu OS.
This upcoming Meizu Ubuntu smartphone, shown at MWC in March, will feature a 1920 x 1152 5.36-inch display, a MediaTek SoC, sporting an octa core processor, and 2GB of RAM.
This’ll be the second Ubuntu smartphone available to consumers. The first smartphone to run Ubuntu was the BQ Aquaris E4.5, an inexpensive and low-budget solution. That said, it’ll be nice to see a higher spec’d Ubuntu option, and see what developers do with it. After all, there’s already some fascinating things happening with it, such as Android ports, over on the XDA Forums. As bugs and kinks get worked out, it’ll be interesting to see a fully functional ROM for Android devices.
We’re looking forward to seeing what Meizu is bringing to the market on May 18. Are you? Let us know in the comments.
source: Gizchina
via: GSM Arena
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SpaceX’s Mars travel posters make us want to explore the red planet
SpaceX has released a few Mars travel posters in the same vein as NASA’s vintage exoplanet ones, and they’re making us sad we were born too early for space exploration. Valles Marineris the “land of Martian chasms and craters,” as the poster says, is an enormous series of canyons. Olympus Mons is tallest peak and biggest volcano we’ve seen in the solar system, thus far, at thrice the height of Mt. Everest. Finally, Phobos and Deimos are the planet’s two moons, though we’ve explored the former more between the two. Elon Musk announced earlier this year that he doesn’t only plan to go to Mars, he also wants to establish a city on the red planet. We might all be too old — or you know, too dead — to live there or visit when the time comes, but maybe these posters can help you imagine how it would be for our children’s children (sniffs).
[Image credit: SpaceX/Flickr]
Filed under: Science
Source: SpaceX (Flickr)
Moto E (1st Gen) getting Android 5.1.1 Lollipop OTA
Motorola’s Moto E (2nd Gen) recently got the update to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, and now it looks like it’s the first generation’s turn.
This update is massive, bringing with it a whole slew of changes. Notifications now appear on the lockscreen and are ranked by type who who sent them, priority and privacy notifications can be set for each application, high priority notifications, such as Amber alerts or Emergency notifications, will briefly pop up over an app your currently using, and you can customize how notifications behave with new Downtime and Ambient Display settings. That’s just a small preview of what this update brings. There’s a whole lot more.
If you haven’t received this update, your device should notify you shortly. However, you can manually grab the update by hitting Settings in the app tray, tap About Phone > System Updates, and then select, “Yes, I’m in.” The update will then begin to download, and after it’s downloaded, you can just hit the install button, and you should have Android 5.1 Lollipop in minutes.
Now we’re just waiting on the Moto X (1st Gen) to get the bump to Lollipop. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer of wait.
Have you gotten the update for your Moto E yet? What do you think of the new changes? Let us know in the comments.
source: Motorola
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Two Asian bank websites held ransom for bitcoin
One of the problems with virtual currency is that when it’s robbed from a bank, it’s going to take an awful lot of work to make it look exciting in a movie. So I feel for future filmmakers who have to dramatize something like the recent Chinese cyber heists where the culprits demanded bitcoins from the Bank of China and Bank of East Asia in exchange for not launching attacks on their websites. Regional publication The Standard reports that the each of the financial institutions’ websites were hacked last Saturday, with emails sent stating that to avoid another distributed denial of service attack, bitcoin payments would be necessary. Authorities say that the intrusions came from multiple countries and that no bank or customer data had been affected. Eat your heart out, Michael Mann. Oh, wait.
Filed under: Internet
Via: Coindesk
Source: The Standard
Razer’s Forge TV does not yet support Netflix
Looking at the Razer Forge TV as the next addition to your living room? You may want to wait before making that purchase. The latest Android TV device does not support Netflix at this time.
The FAQ section of the Forge TV’s support page reads:
Is Netflix currently supported on Forge TV?
Netflix is currently unavailable at this time.
Razer acknowledged that Netflix support is lacking and they are working with the video streaming service to resolve the issue. They did not, however, offer any reason as to why Netflix does not work with the Forge TV set-top box.
So your options to insert Android TV into your life boil down to the Nexus Player once again. Or you can wait until the SHIELD TV is released and cross your fingers that NVIDIA does not see the same issue with Netflix.
Source: Razer Support
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FBI: Security researcher claimed to hack, control plane in flight
Remember the security researcher who was pulled from a United flight and had his equipment taken (before its frequent flier miles-paying bug hunt) for tweeting about hacking into the plane via its entertainment system? In an application for a search warrant, FBI agents said he previously told them he’s gone further than that. APTN National News obtained the document, which contains claims that Chris Roberts told them he connected his laptop to a plane via an Ethernet cable, hacked into a thrust management computer and briefly controlled one of the engines, causing the plane to change course. As reported previously by Wired, he has warned of vulnerabilities in planes for years — manufacturers deny they exist — and the conversations were apparently intended to get these problems fixed.
Find myself on a 737/800, lets see Box-IFE-ICE-SATCOM, ? Shall we start playing with EICAS messages? “PASS OXYGEN ON” Anyone ? 
– Chris Roberts (@Sidragon1) April 15, 2015
Irony: for FBI to make its case against Chris Roberts, they’re going to have to seriously harm confidence in the aviation industry.
– Matthew Green (@matthew_d_green) May 16, 2015
If you tell FBI agents you can control an airplane’s engines with your laptop, you’re gonna have a bad time. http://t.co/73qWvaxTvU
– Christopher Soghoian (@csoghoian) May 16, 2015
According to the application, Roberts traveled from Denver to Chicago via United flight 1474 on April 15th, and when agents checked it, they found damage and evidence of tampering to the electronic system under his seat. On Twitter, Roberts has since claimed that no systems were harmed during the trip, and more recently, that discussion is “out of context.” He told Wired in an interview that he had only ever tapped in to watch data traffic on airplanes, and while he believed such hacks were possible, he has only done them in a simulated environment.
Last month’s arrest spurred warnings from the TSA and FBI to watch out for passengers trying to access internal networks. Now, while law enforcement sorts out the difference between theoretical and actual hacking, it may be a good idea to tuck in any loose network cables while going through security.
[Image credit: Nicholas Burningham / Alamy]
Filed under: Transportation
Source: APTN
Google takes aim at Amazon, eBay with upcoming ‘Buy’ buttons
Amazon, eBay, and everyone else in the e-commerce industry should prepare for impact as Google plans to launch ‘Buy’ buttons.
The new buttons, reportedly arriving in coming weeks, will appear in search results when users search for products on their mobile devices. A “Shop on Google” banner will house the buttons and appropriate products. The buttons will indeed be paired with sponsored search results.
Here is how The Wall Street Journal describes the way in which Google’s ‘Buy’ buttons will work:
If shoppers click on the buy buttons, they will be taken to another Google product page to complete the purchase, the people explained. On that page, they will be able to pick sizes and colors and shipping options, as well as complete the purchase, one of the people said.
The products will still be provided and sold by retailers, rather than by Google. Retailers including Macy’s Inc. are in talks with Google about taking part in the launch, the people added. A Macy’s spokesman didn’t respond to a request for comment on Friday.
Google handles the product pages as well as the checkout process. Shoppers input their billing information just once and Google retains it for future purchases. Retailers will still be able to obtain address information and email addresses in the event that shoppers enroll in marketing programs offered by Google.
Google has no plans to bring the buttons to desktop users at this time. In fact, only a small percentage of search results will actually offer the buttons.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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