Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge receive fingerprint and other improvements in a new update
Last week, a performance improving update began making its way out to Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge owners in Europe, addressing an issue with memory management. Samsung UK also announced that more “micro-updates” are in the works, and it seems that another one is now on the way.
A new update with the build number XXU1AOE3 (the previous version was XXU1AODG) has appeared, with a more detailed change-log this time. The 159MB update aims to improve the fingerprint scanner’s recognition process, implements a new unnamed feature in the Photo Editor, tweaks the interface in a few of Samsung’s own apps, and also improves compatibility with a number of accessories. Oddly, there’s no mention of directly addresses the memory management issue that some users are experiencing, but this version does boast general performance improvements.
Last week’s update seems to have only had a limited roll-out, leaving us to wonder if Samsung plans to bring the memory issue update to other users. It seems that the previous update was just for one or two select carriers in the UK and this latest update is intended for a general roll-out.
Version XXU1AOE3 is landing in Asia and Europe as we speak, so be sure to click that Software Update button in the settings to see if it has arrived for you yet. Let us know if you notice any improvements.
Illinois police will use drones, won’t say ‘drones’
The Illinois State Police will be able to use unmanned aircrafts to assess traffic-halting crashes and crime scenes for the next two years. Despite the recent FAA approval, the department is careful not to use the word “drones” because of the connotations attached to them. According to the Chicago Tribune, their statement says “it carries the perception of pre-programmed or automatic flight patterns and random, indiscriminate collection of images and information.”
The state police insist that their “unmanned aircraft system” is not a surveillance program. They’ve worked with the American Civil Liberties Union to protect citizen rights and all autonomous flights will be reserved for the emergencies listed in Illinois’ Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act passed in 2013. The bill makes provisions for the use of drones in missing person investigations, disasters and other events that threaten human life. For now, the system is expected to provide clear aerial shots that will allow them to save time and clear highways more efficiently at the time of a crash.
[Image credit: Getty]
Via: Chicago Tribune
Source: ArsTechnica
Trek HD 4G LTE is AT&T’s first tablet, running Android 5.0 Lollipop
AT&T has announced their first self branded tablet, the Android 5.0 Lollipop powered Trek HD 4G LTE. This is a fairly big move for the big U.S. carrier, and a big vote of confidence in tablets, as a form factor.
The Trek HD 4G LTE is an 8-inch tablet with 1280×800 resolution display. Powering it is a 1.6 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 SoC with 1GB of RAM. Internal storage clocks in at 16GB, with room to slide in a 32GB microSD card for expanded space.
When it comes to keeping the lights on, a 4060mAh battery is said to provide up to 8 hours of juice. Keeping the device connected is made simple, AT&T has equipped the tablet with all the radios for their own LTE network, allowing you to connect through their DataConnect or Mobile Share Value plan for as low as $10 per month.
For more info, AT&T has started with a Trek HD Mobile Minute video clip, here, check it out.
Affordability is the name of the game here. AT&T is offering up the tablet for as little as $49 with qualifying agreement. That works into a $199.00 purchase outright, or $10 per month for 20 months on AT&T’s Tablet Installment plan. Head on over to the AT&T page for more information, or to order up your new Trek HD 4G LTE. Sales start today May 12th, online, look for the tablet in stores on May 15th.
Are you interested in AT&T’s new budget minded tablet, the Trek HD 4G LTE?
Miito can heat tea directly in your cup
Miito’s Kickstarter page says it was designed to prevent people from wasting water and energy, which happens when heating liquids in kettles. But we’ll bet it’s the lazy tea drinkers who’ll truly have a place for it in their homes. The device heats not just water, but also milk, soups and other liquids placed in any container without iron content. Just switch the platform on, place the bowl or glass on it, drop the heating rod in, and the liquid will be heated via induction energy. It’s like a fancy version of those off-brand immersion heaters you’ll likely find in many dorms, except a lot less portable.
Its creators told us they expect the device to heat a cup of water in 60 seconds, but heating times will obviously vary based on the liquid and thickness of the container. Miito’s supposed to completely eliminate kettles from the equation, and it does look well-designed and elegant. However, its success likely depends on whether people are willing to shell out at least $84 for one, despite having stoves and coffeemakers. Those intrigued enough to want to know more can visit its campaign on Kickstarter, where it’s trying to raise $168,000.
Filed under: Household
Source: Kickstarter
Experience dysentery on an Arduino-powered Gameboy
The handheld gaming world has been on the retreat since smartphones replaced the Gameboys in our pockets. But, when you mix nostalgia, an Arduino, virtual dysentery and a low price point, you get the credit-card sized Arduboy. The 8-bit gaming rig fits in your pocket, sports a black-and-white 1.3-inch OLED screen, two piezo speakers, and an eight-hour battery life. Created by Kevin Bates, his first version that he posted on YouTube garnered enough interest that Bates quit his job and started working on Arduboy full time and now you can preorder one of these full little devices.
After a year in development – that included Bates moving to China – the production model that’s on Kickstarter and was presented at the HAX demo day today has a polycarbonate front and metal back. It’s tiny, light and feels like you could drop it without it shattering. Pretty much everything you want in a handheld gamer. While the $29 early bird pledge versions are gone, the $39 version is still available.
To make sure there are apps when it hits backers’ mailboxes, Bates has seeded 100 developer versions of the device and said that 100 games will be available for download at launch including Cascade Path (Oregon Trail clone), Flappy Ball (Flappy Bird clone) and Ardumon (Pokemon clone). All the games will be free, open source and editable. And because it is open source, Arduino-based and can emulate a keyboard or mouse, the Arduboy could prove to more than just a fun gaming device in your pocket. During a presentation video a synth app and an Arduboy controlling a quadcopter were shown.
“In the long run, I want to sell it for $10,” Bates said.”It’ll be the same price point as a thumb drive and can be handed out at conventions by companies with their information on it. Then you can take it home and play games.” If that happens, conventions just got a bit more fun.
Source: Arduboy
Moto X (2013) Lollipop update coming in a ‘few weeks’, in testing now
While a number of Motorola devices have already made the jump to Lollipop, the same can’t be said for the original Moto X. For those Moto X owners still holding out for Google’s latest sweet treat, the good news is that it may finally be coming “in a few weeks”.
The news of the Moto X’s impending Lollipop update comes by way of Motorola’s David Schuster, who revealed the good word on Google Plus earlier today. Schuster says that a ‘test drive’ of the update has begun in North and Latin America and, if all goes well, the wider deployment should begin soon enough. For those wondering why it has taken so long for the Moto X (2013) to get updated to Lollipop, at least according to Schuster, “ It has been a struggle due to the lack of support from some of our partners”. Unfortunately, no real specifics have been shared beyond that.
I know that a lot of people have been asking about the status of the Moto X (1st Gen) Lollipop upgrade. I can see the frustration and in some cases the anger about how long it has taken to get the upgrade deployed. It has been a struggle due to the lack of support from some of our partners but I am glad to announce that we are starting TestDrive in both the US and LatAm. If all goes well we should start full deployments in a few weeks.
David Schuster
Motorola
As for the flavor of Lollipop users will see? In April, Motorola confirmed that the Moto X would be jumping straight to Android 5.1 Lollipop from KitKat, although a few folks did manage to get hands on an earlier soak test of Android 5.0 on the Moto X (2013) before it was ultimately canceled in favor of moving to 5.1.
Bottom-line, the wait is almost over. For Moto X (2013) owners still on KitKat, how do you feel about this long wait? Disappointed, okay with it as long as it comes eventually? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Genie transforms food pods into meals in 30 seconds
If you’ve seen an episode of Star Trek, you’re likely familiar with the Replicator device on board the USS Enterprise that synthesized meals and beverages on demand. Well, a company in Israel created the modern-day equivalent to that appliance with Genie. The counter-top gadget uses food pods to create the recipe you desire, and claims it’s like having a personal chef around all the time. What’s more, it does the cooking in under a minute. The company doesn’t disclose the “patented technology” that makes this possible, but once a food pod is chosen and placed inside the Genie, 30 seconds is all the device needs to create “a freshly baked dish.”
Those pods look a bit like a pint of ice cream and are packed with natural ingredients that have been freeze dried. This process ensures a shelf life of a year or more with food options like ramen, couscous and chocolate soufflé. Dietary restrictions? Genie can wrangle those with the push of a button. The whole thing is controlled by your phone, and eventually, plans are for the unit to learn a person’s diet and coordinate meals based their micro-biome. Don’t take my word for it though, see the Genie in action here.
Filed under: Household
Via: CNET
Source: Genie
Is HTC Going to Monetize BlinkFeed with Sponsored Apps and their Promotions?
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Looks like HTC is looking to generate some needed income by monetizing their own social media app, BlinkFeed. Now a lot of you out there that have an HTC device probably don’t utilize BlinkFeed, even though it has improved slightly over the short time it has been in the HTC arsenal. But now HTC wants to use the feed for sponsored apps and promotions according to the screenshot you see above that was posted by @upleaks.
After HTC has updated your BlinkFeed, you will now see at the top where trending news topics would be, sponsored ads for apps or games for you to click on. When there isn’t an ad shown, HTC might use that space to promote their products (phones, Re Camera) which doesn’t seem all that bad given it is their feed. The sponosored ads might annoy some people, but where can you go online these days without an ad reaching out at you to slap you in the face?
This isn’t exactly a bold move for HTC, and we really shouldn’t be shocked by their chose for doing this. If anyone needs more money, it is HTC. Let us know what you think about thise chose to monetize BlinkFeed. It’s not officially confirmed yet, but don’t be surprised if you see an ad at the top in the near future.
The post Is HTC Going to Monetize BlinkFeed with Sponsored Apps and their Promotions? appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google’s self-driving vehicles have only been involved in 11 accidents over 6 years
Google’s self-driving cars are a big focus point for the company, but drivers and manufacturers alike are keeping their eyes on the safety of those autonomous vehicles. Fortunately for everyone (except maybe insurance companies) Google’s self-driving car program hasn’t caused any accidents over the 6 years and 1.7 million miles since it took to the road.
That’s not to say that there haven’t been any accidents where a Google car was involved, but none of the 11 recorded accidents were Google’s fault. To top that off, all 11 accidents that the self-driving cars were involved in were minor, so no one was injured. That’s pretty impressive, and seems far safer than what most human drivers can typically pull off.
Google’s research has also given a little insight into when crashes are most likely to happen. Out of the 11 times one of their cars was hit, 8 times were on city streets, while only 3 accidents happened on the freeway. Dealing with things like stop signs, intersections, and typical distractions seem to be the biggest culprit of minor vehicle accidents, and Google notes that. Too many people are distracted on their phones or by other things in their vehicles, which leads to drivers not paying attention at four-way stops or trying to rush to beat a red light. Google has developed some interesting ways to tackle those problems, like forcing their car to take a second pause when a light turns green to avoid getting hit by someone speeding through a red light.
Google also captured some pretty ridiculous things some drivers do, like driving on the wrong side of the road (seriously), sharply cutting across lanes to make a turn, and veering into other lanes in the middle of a turn. Google’s cars typically handle those situations very cautiously and probably much better than most human drivers, which explains the extremely low accident rate.
At the end of the day, this information really sums up how dangerous the human element is to driving. It’s much easier for a computer to make calculated, safe decisions, especially in a high-speed environment, especially compared to how people drive. It’ll be very interesting to see how Google plans to take this program further in the next few years.
source: Medium
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Motorola to start testing Lollipop on the 1st Gen Moto X
Lollipop on the 1st generation Moto X has been a bit of a sore spot for Motorola, and the device is still sitting on Android 4.4. Motorola has committed to upgrading the device straight to Android 5.1 and skip 5.0 completely, but even that has taken longer than usual due to supposed issues with the processor in the device.
Motorola’s David Schuster has taken to Google Plus to try to reassure users that the update is still on the way. It’s not quite ready to start rolling out to devices, but Motorola is going to begin testing the update on devices in the US and Latin America. If this soak test goes well, the company hopes to begin a full rollout in the next few weeks. Fingers crossed.
source: David Schuster
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