Fire breaks out at Apple facility in Arizona
An Apple building in Arizona is on fire, and a live stream from local news station ABC 15 shows crews on site, as well as a burning roof full of scorched solar panels. Based on the location, it appears to be the facility Apple purchased from sapphire maker GT Advanced, with an eye towards turning it into a command center for the company’s worldwide data networks. There’s no information yet about any possible injuries, and it does not appear to be affecting the status of Apple’s services. The situation brings to mind images of Samsung’s burning data center last spring, which knocked out services around the world for some of its TVs and phones. According to the Superstition Fire and Medical District (yes, it’s real) right now it appears that solar panels caught fire on the roof.
Developing..
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isSlim=1
SFMD helping Mesa FD at a 2 Alarm fire at the new Apple Plant at Elliott & Signal Butte. Appears that solar panels caught fire on the roof.
– SFMD (@sfmd_az_gov) May 26, 2015
Filed under: Apple
Source: ABC 15
What’s on tap for Google at I/O 2015
We’re coming down to the wire now: Google I/O 2015 is just a few days away, and we’ll be liveblogging and reporting from the ground as soon as the festivities begin. Don’t let its reputation as a developer bonanza fool you, though. There’s going to be no shortage of workshops and code review sessions, but I/O is also where Google takes time to update its vision of the future for the people who will ultimately help build it. Of course, it’s not all starry-eyed speeches and technical breakdowns — this is, after all, the sort of show that featured a live streaming Google Hangout with four dudes who jumped out of a zeppelin. We can’t account for whatever crazy, spectacular bits the folks in Mountain View might be working on, but we do have a taste of what to expect when the show starts in earnest this Thursday.
Android M cometh
Ah, yes, and the meat and potatoes of any Google I/O. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Google has moved to a mostly annual release schedule for big Android updates (something VP of Android Engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer brought up again in an interview with Fast Company), which means we’ll get our first concrete sense of what Android M is like on Thursday morning. So far, the (rumored) changelog looks pretty promising. A recent Buzzfeed report suggests you’ll be able to get more mileage out of your fingerprints, for one — better support for biometric security has apparently been baked right into the OS, allowing users to log into apps with just a touch. This heightened focus on security and authentication also bodes well for some Android Pay announcements, too. First announced at MWC 2015, Google’s Android Pay platform aims to make it easier for app creators and stores to charge you for their wares via your Android phone. Senior vice president Sundar Pichai was awfully light on Pay details in Spain (maybe it was the never-ending lure of jamón), but that shouldn’t be the case in San Francisco.
Throw in some enhanced privacy controls that’ll let users more easily define what apps get to access what information and you’ve got yourself pretty thoughtful update. Beyond that, Android Police claims Android M’s development has seen Google trying to improve RAM management and battery life so your phone runs smoother and lasts longer on a single charge. Lollipop’s Project Volta was a crucial step in this direction, but really, we’ll take all the performance improvements we can get.
Google stepped out of its comfort zone by releasing a developer preview for Lollipop (née Android L) last year, and we strongly suspect they’ll do the same this year too. It’s basically a given that we’d be able to install whatever preview we’re given on the Nexus 6, but rumors of two new Nexus phones launching in 2015 have us hoping for a glimpse of some new hardware. The most recent spate of rumors suggest that we’ll get a pocket-friendly Nexus 5 sequel from LG with a 5.2-inch screen and a Snapdragon 808 chipset – same as in the mostly great LG G4 – as well as a 5.7-inch powerhouse from Huawei. No, really. LG’s a logical choice considering its close working relationship with the folks in Mountain View and Huawei has upped its Android game dramatically with devices like the P8 and Huawei Watch, but these things will almost certainly get their limelight at a standalone launch event.
The war for your wrist
Honestly, we’re not expecting a ton of movement on the Wear front this week. After all, the platform just got a substantial upgrade a few weeks back, bringing WiFi support and some love-’em-or-hate-’em navigation gestures to your fancy wrist-computers. Wear’s functionality might not see much in the way of upgrades, but I/O would be a great place for Google to announce iOS compatibility for its fleet of Android Wear watches. The feature’s been inching from rumor territory toward reality for months now — it was apparently almost done back in April — and we’ll be crossing our fingers all through the keynote for it.
Prepare to have your “socks blown off”
Just about anything Google’s Advanced Technologies and Products division does makes headlines, and the outfit’s getting a primo slot on I/O day 2 to spill its secrets. Expect at least a brief update on Project Ara as the modular phone makers inch ever closer to a test launch in Puerto Rico; if we’re lucky, we might even get a firm date for when those Ara-friendly food trucks take to the streets. We might not see many (or any) new Android Wear watches at I/O, but the ATAP team promises to show off a few new wearables on Friday, and if the tongue-in-cheek panel description is anything to go off, at least one of them is meant to get strapped to your lower extremities. In an age where smartwatches dominate the wearable conversation, is it finally time for a smart ankle watch? Erm, we’ll see. Also on deck is a new immersive Spotlight Story directed by Justin Lin (of Fast and Furious fame), that’s slated to debut “in full 360 with 3D soundsphere”.
Speaking of 3D…
Cardboard and Beyond
Last year, the I/O swag bag came with a curious slab of cardboard that looked like it fell out of an IKEA box. That was Google Cardboard, an experiment in cheapo VR experiences that just might get fleshed out further this year. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that the company is actively working to turn Android into a virtual reality operating system of sorts, and the I/O stage would be a fine place to put some speculation to rest. Let’s put pricey consumer VR headsets like those from Oculus and HTC aside — what better way to initiate the masses into alternate realms than with some awfully inexpensive gear?
Thing is (as Gizmodo points out), Cardboard might not actually be made of cardboard anymore, and Google might push past the low-cost tidbits of virtual reality we’ve seen so far. Yeah, yeah, that’s nice and vague, there’s no denying Google’s dedicated to digging into alternate views to reality. Remember Project Tango, which put 3D-sensing cameras into tablets to give developers a taste of bringing software experiences into the world immediately around us? And its hefty investment in Magic Leap, a company that wants desperately to blur the line between the real world and ones powered by silicon? Regardless of what actually gets outed on-stage, expect this to be the year Google starts taking VR really seriously.
Connecting all the things
Google has a thing for not letting old, improperly executed ideas die. Google TV might have sunken into obscurity ages ago, but Android TV picked up where it left off… and is struggling to find its footing. The Nexus Player was left us wanting when we first played with it and few OEMs have thrown their support behind the platform as a whole despite the neat tricks it brings to the table. There’s no way Google won’t spend time digging into the future of Android TV on-stage, and it’s got at least one shiny, mostly new gadget to point to: NVIDIA’s Shield TV. The sleek set-top box was first outed at the 2015 Game Developers’ Conference, where it promised to blend Google’s search chops and broad app ecosystem with NVIDIA’s own graphics cards (for game streaming from your local Steam box) and cloud service (for game streaming from a server far, far away). Google’s got plenty of workshops slated for Cast-friendly apps, too, underscoring just how important devices like the Chromecast are to its plans in the living room. We wouldn’t hold our breath for new Chromecast hardware, but we’re more than happy to be proven wrong on that one.
Speaking of old ideas, reports of a service to succeed the ill-fated Android @Home project have been swirling like crazy. The Information reported last week that Google’s so-called “Brillo” software is meant to power seriously low-power devices (with as little as 32MB of RAM) and act as a sort of backbone for Internet of Things device makers to lean on. By providing the foundation for these early creators to build on, Google has a solid shot at creating a common platform with the potential to explode as homes and the things in them grow inexorably more connected. If we’re really lucky, Google will make it easy for companies to bake its first-rate voice input and search features into their wares too, though we’ll have to wait a few days before we find out.
Then there’s Android Auto. Google pushed the in-car experience way hard at last year’s I/O, and since then we’ve seen it pop up in after-market head units from Pioneer and straight into new rides like the 2015 Hyundai Sonata. To say Android Auto is still in its early days is putting it pretty mildly — it doesn’t yet have the finesse and app support to make a seamless, obvious choice for most drivers — but expect Google to shed some light on how it’s doing and where else it’s going.
…And everything else
Some really important bits — like the future of Chrome, Chrome OS and how they’ll intersect — will certainly get their time on-stage, but the scuttlebutt surrounding them in the days and leading up to the show is usually pretty hushed. Expect to see Google push its flat, friendly Material Design even harder, too, as it’s long been said the look would eventually permeate the rest of its web properties. Remember, this is all just a taste of what Google’s got in store for us all this week. For more (you know you want it), just park it right there and keep your eyes peeled for all our dispatches from San Francisco starting this Thursday.
Filed under: Mobile
Apple Facility in Mesa, Arizona Catches Fire [Mac Blog]
Local news affiliate ABC 15 Arizona is reporting that Apple’s facility in Mesa, Arizona, which it acquired through its ill-fated partnership with GT Advanced last year, caught fire this afternoon. While the fire appears to be extinguished on the rooftop, equipped with multiple solar panels, local firefighters and emergency crews remain on the scene and authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze.
Developing…
IKEA’s wireless charging embedded furniture now showing up in stores
IKEA announced earlier this year that they were planning on selling a wireless charging line of furniture. It’s definitely an odd concept, but if you’re invested in making all of your devices completely wireless, it’s arguably one of the most futuristic accessories you can buy for your smartphone.
The furniture in this lineup includes things like standing lamps and end tablets with a small wireless charging pad embedded right into the surface of the objects. You’ll obviously have to plug it into a wall socket, but after that simply dropping your wireless charging compatible phone on the pad should get things started. Having things integrated right into a table certainly keeps things looking clean, instead of running wires and ugly black pads across tabletops.
IKEA said the entire line of furniture was supposed to be available in store and online by the end of spring. It looks like the stuff is showing up in store, but from my quick searches I haven’t been able to place an order for anything online just yet.
If you’ve got an IKEA store in your area, you may want to go check it out.
source: Droid Life
Come comment on this article: IKEA’s wireless charging embedded furniture now showing up in stores
The 2015 Hyundai Sonata will be the first Android Auto car
We’ve been waiting for an official Android Auto vehicle to become available ever since Google announced it last year, and although some aftermarket manufacturers have created ways to turn your current vehicle into an Android Auto-capable vehicle, no car manufacturer was in a hurry to get Android Auto integrated out of the factory.
Looks like that’ll change this year, though, with Hyundai leading the pack. Its 2015 Sonata will be equipped with Android Auto on board, allowing drivers to link up their smartphones to their car to take advantage of Google’s smart car OS with all of the voice navigation and music playing you could want.
Current owners of the 2015 Sonata with Navigation can drive to their Hyundai dealer to have their in-car software updated to Android Auto. If you’d rather wait, customers should be able to do the upgrade themselves later this summer by putting the upgrade onto a USB drive, then updating the car manually.
source: Hyundai
All-New Integration Available on Best-Selling Sonata
- First car company to launch Android Auto on production vehicles, starting with the 2015 Sonata with Navigation
- Free Android Auto software update available for current owners of 2015 Sonatas with Navigation
- Android Auto reduces driver distraction by integrating the driver’s smartphone with the vehicle’s screen and controls
Fountain Valley, Calif., May 26, 2015 – Today, Hyundai becomes the first car company to launch Android Auto™ on production vehicles. Android Auto is premiering on the 2015 Sonata with Navigation at dealerships nationwide, and will later become available on other Hyundai models.
“Android Auto aligns with Hyundai’s core interior design principles of safety, intuitiveness and simplicity,” said Dave Zuchowski, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. “We launched this highly anticipated feature on our best-selling Sonata, adding to our promise of value. With the launch of Android Auto, we provide more owners with the experience of cutting-edge technology.”
Android Auto not only brings a high technology experience to Hyundai owners, but also improves safety. For example, at any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010.1 Android Auto helps keep drivers’ eyes and attention on the road by integrating the advanced driving-related functions of the user’s smartphone with the familiar centralized screen, physical controls and microphone of their car. Furthermore, the smartphone’s screen becomes “locked,” so drivers are not tempted to look down and interact with their phones directly while Android Auto is in use.
AVAILABILITY FOR EXISTING OWNERS
Owners of existing 2015 Sonata with Navigation can get the Android Auto software update free of charge at Hyundai dealers starting today. Later this summer, owners can visit www.hyundaiusa.com/myhyundai and download the Android Auto software onto a USB memory drive. Owners will need a MyHyundai account to start the Android Auto download. A MyHyundai account requires name, address and a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Once the USB with the Android Auto software is inserted into their Sonata’s USB port, it will automatically update the vehicle’s Navigation system to make it Android Auto compatible. The Android Auto compatible Navigation system with an eight-inch touchscreen display is available on the Sonata Sport, Eco, Limited, Sport 2.0T and Limited 2.0T models.
ANDROID AUTO
Owners will need the Android 5.0 “Lollipop” operating system or later, and the Android Auto companion app on their compatible phone to integrate Android Auto into Sonata’s screen and controls. A micro USB cable is required to connect the phone to the car’s USB port. The first time an owner plugs his or her phone into their parked Sonata, the phone will prompt the download of the Android Auto companion app from the Google Play. Users of Android Auto will instantly recognize familiar Android phone applications, such as Google Maps, Google Now, messaging, phone calling and Google Play Music upon connecting their Android phone to their Hyundai vehicle. These applications can be controlled by voice, steering wheel controls and touchscreen. Android Auto also will offer many popular third-party audio apps that owners have on their phones, including iHeartRadio, Spotify, TuneIn, NPR, Stitcher, Skype, TextMe and many more. Owners can find out up-to-date information about phone compatibility at https://support.google.com/androidauto.
Advantages of Android Auto
- The Google Now card-based experience provides suggested locations and travel times based on the user’s searches, calendar entries and home and office locations, as well as weather information and “now playing” information for music streamed via the phone
- App software (navigation, streaming music, etc.) is automatically updated because the apps live on the phone
- Natural voice recognition with Google voice actions
- Owners can easily bring their personal reminders, suggested destinations, calendar appointments and music preferences with them when they get in their car
- Android Auto automatically pairs with the Sonata for phone calls through Bluetooth when connected for the first time via USB
- Android Auto has familiar interfaces that are easy to use and have almost no learning curve
2015 HYUNDAI SONATA
The all-new seventh-generation 2015 Sonata offers a more refined look through a new Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language, stiffer body structure, better ride quality, reduced noise, vibration and harshness, and advanced safety and convenience features. Sonata truly democratizes the premium design and convenient technology of the Genesis sedan for the mid-size class. The new 2015 Hyundai Sonata is built at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant in Montgomery, Ala.
HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 820 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle limited warranty, Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance. Hyundai Blue Link Connected Care provides owners of Hyundai models equipped with the Blue Link telematics system with proactive safety and car care services complimentary for one year with enrollment. These services include Automatic Collision Notification, Enhanced Roadside Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostic Alert, Monthly Vehicle Health Report and in-vehicle service scheduling.________________________
1 Driver Electronic Device Use in 2012. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. February 2014.
For more details on Hyundai Assurance, please visit www.HyundaiAssurance.com
Please visit our media website at www.hyundainews.com and our blog at www.hyundailikesunday.com
Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook
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Come comment on this article: The 2015 Hyundai Sonata will be the first Android Auto car
Facebook to begin showing critics’ reviews on restaurant pages
Facebook is testing out a new program that will add critic reviews to restaurant pages that appear while users search for somewhere to eat, putting the reviews next to comments left by friends on the social media site. It’s a small change, but it might help Facebook stay competitive in the local search market, especially against the likes of Google and Yelp.
Currently, the service is only going to roll out for five partner sites, including Bon Appetit, Conde Nast Traveler, Eater, New York Magazine, and the San Francisco Chronicle. This should encompass thousands of restaurants, but depending on where you live or travel, you may not see this have much of an impact just yet. If it goes well, though, you’ll likely see the list of partners and included restaurants grow.
Do any of you use Facebook to track down somewhere to eat? Google and Foursquare are usually my go-to services, but it’s nice to see Facebook try to heat up the competition.
source: The Verge
Come comment on this article: Facebook to begin showing critics’ reviews on restaurant pages
OnePlus schedules announcement for June 1st, plans to ‘shake up the tech industry’
OnePlus has just released a teaser on Google+, stating that it has an announcement for us on Monday, June 1st. The company says that it’s “always looking for ways to shake up the tech industry”, and that it thinks “it’s time for a change.” No more details were given about the announcement, aside from the image that you can see above. Could this be alluding to the launch of the OnePlus Two? What about the possibility of new software features? A price cut for the OnePlus One?
We’ve already gotten some hints that the OnePlus Two will make its way to consumers via an invite system sometime in Q3 (July-September) of this year, but June unfortunately doesn’t fall into that category. Of course, things may have changed since we first heard the tentative release date news, but as of right now, we can only speculate.
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Additional OnePlus Two reports hint at a possible price tag of around $400, that it will be powered by a Snapdragon 810, it will run OnePlus’ own OxygenOS, and that it won’t be the only OnePlus phone to launch this year.
What do you think the announcement will entail? The OnePlus Two? Another ‘game changing’ drone? Let us know what you think!
OnePlus teases a “change” for June 1
OnePlus has announced on Twitter, a plan to “shake up the tech industry”. Coming on June 1st, it will be interesting to keep a look out to see what OnePlus has up their sleeves. Especially after shaking up the world with the original OnePlus One device, which was released last year. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled on June 1st to see what OnePlus is bringing to the world.
We’re always looking for ways to shake up the tech industry. And we think it’s time for change. Find out more June 1.
There have been some leaks that have been covered here, in regards to the rumored OnePlus 2, but hopefully *fingers crossed* this is the announcement that everyone has been waiting with baited breath for.
The post OnePlus teases a “change” for June 1 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Comcast says Charter/TWC deal ‘makes all the sense in the world’
If Comcast had any bitter feelings about the collapse of its Time Warner Cable merger, following today’s announcement of a $55 billion Charter/Time Warner deal, it’s not making them public. “This deal makes all the sense in the world,” Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said in a statement this morning. “I would like to congratulate all the parties.” On the face of it, the statement seems surprisingly gracious, especially after Comcast spent more than a year fighting for regulatory approval in its attempt at gobbling up Time Warner Cable. But it’s not hard to imagine Roberts making nice through gritted teeth. Comcast’s merger was enormously unpopular by regulators and the public alike, primarily because it would have severely reduce competition by combining America’s No. 1 and No. 2 cable providers. As the fourth largest cable player in the U.S., Charter has a much higher chance of its deal going through without raising monopoly alarms.
So what’s Comcast left to do? Most likely, it’ll end up pursuing another cable provider. Cox, which is roughly equivalent in subscriber numbers to Charter, made it clear last year that it wasn’t up for sale. But Comcast might have a shot at snapping up smaller players like Cablevision, or perhaps even striking a deal with AT&T or Verizon for its services.
Filed under: HD
The US Air Force hopes to recruit you with a virtual reality game
The US Air Force has an interesting dilemma: how do you convey the thrill of flying a fighter jet to potential recruits without taking them on a very expensive trip? Virtual reality, apparently. The military branch is teaming up with Reel FX on Air Force Performance Lab, a recruiting “experience” whose centerpiece is an Oculus Rift-based VR game that has you flying an F-35 through an obstacle course. It’s more of an arcade game than a simulator, but the use of real throttle-and-stick controls and a rumbling seat could make it feel convincing enough.
There’s more tech in the lab beyond this, including a Kinect-based pull-up challenge, a cognitive test on a 42-inch touchscreen and an iPad-based career room. You’ll have to attend one of the Air Force’s recruiting stops (typically at air shows) to see any of this for yourself. Whether or not you can make it, it’s clear that the days of enlisting soldiers through brochures and videos are coming to an end.
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