Apple makes Android Migration possible with iOS 9
Of the many new features announced at Apple’s WorldWide Developer Conference on Monday, a few stuck out just a bit for those not intertwined with the Apple world. The introduction of Apple Music and Android Migration. While most will grunt or groan about this feature, Android Migration can, and hopefully will help, many people who decide to switch from Android to iOS.
There are already tools available from the likes of Samsung, Motorola and HTC, that help you move data from one device to another, but it’s not really intended to be used across platforms. That’s what is most exciting to me. In no way am I suggesting that anyone ditch their awesome Android devices for an iPhone, but if you do decide to, you will be able to easily transfer most of your information.
Now a big hiccup that is seen when switching between platforms, is remembering which apps you downloaded on your previous phone, before switching to the new device. You can either do something like I do, and write out a list, or just wing it. However Apple is hoping to make things a bit easier when it comes to downloading those apps you were using on your Android device.
It securely transfers your contacts, message history, camera photos and videos, web bookmarks, mail accounts, calendars, wallpaper, and DRM-free songs and books. And it will help you rebuilt your app library too.
Free apps will be automatically suggested through the App Store and Apple’s new suggestions page. Now the trickier one. Those paid apps. Paid apps will obviously not be able to be transferred between iOS and Android, or vice-versa, however when using the Android Migration tool, any of your paid apps that are available on both platforms will be added to your Wish List within the App Store. Of course this doesn’t solve all of your headaches, but at least all of your paid apps will be able to be easily located and purchased.
It isn’t yet known how Android Migration will exactly work between both platforms, but we can assume that Apple is working on an application that will be released on the Google Play Store. You can expect to see Apple’s Android Migration application released this fall with the release of iOS 9 and possibly alongside the release of Apple Music to Android users.
Man, this is getting weird.
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Razer ponders OUYA acquisition, report says
Ouya is in talks with Razer to sell itself, according to a CNET report. Currently, the companies are figuring out how to add Ouya’s staff to Razer.
Ouya’s service probably will continue once the deal has been completed. However, it would signify the challenges of competing in the the video game hardware industry.
This includes the obvious home consoles of competitors Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo and Internet-connected TV platforms, including Google’s Android TV and Chromecast, Amazon’s Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV. Although the Ouya has been available for three years, it has been overshadowed easily by the new consoles and new iterations of the aforementioned platforms.
Nevertheless, we’ll have more coverage on this story as it unfolds.
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Twitter will now let you share your blocked lists
We’ve all been there. Trying to figure out who to follow, who to block, and the ins and outs of Twitter. Contrary to popular belief, not EVERYONE uses Twitter, so this latest feature that Twitter has announced today, could come in handy with those n00bs.
Today, Twitter announced that users will now be able to share their lists of blocked users with others. This feature will allow you to export your list of blocked users, and share them with another Twitter user so that they can see who shouldn’t be able to see your Twitter posts. Users who receive the list of blocked users, will be able to block multiple accounts at once, instead of having to search for accounts one by one.
Mute and block are tools to help you control your Twitter experience. While many users find them useful, we also recognize that some users — those who experience high volumes of unwanted interactions on Twitter — need more sophisticated tools. That’s where this new feature comes in.
In order to either export or import a list of blocked accounts, you must navigate to your blocked accounts settings within Twitter’s Web interface. Once you are in the correct settings panel, you will need to click the advanced options drop down, and either export or import your list(s).
This feature is yet another step towards making Twitter safer for everyone and will be available to some of our users starting today and all users in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you can read more about how to share block lists on our Help Center.
Twitter is hoping that this new feature, along with the updated muting and blocking rules that have been put in place over time, will make Twitter easier to use. The new blocking tool will even further help users get rid of those pesky and absurd Twitter accounts from messaging you.
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Doodle Draw is the first playable game within Facebook Messenger
With all the games and everything that are available to play on Facebook, you would’ve thought that there would be some type of game to play within Facebook Messenger. Well as of today, that dream is now a reality.
From within Facebook Messenger, you can now play a pretty obvious clone of the popular app, Draw Something. Of course for copyright reasons, the name of this game is Doodle Draw, but the concept of Doodle Draw is essentially the same.
The goal of the game is simple. You are given a topic or noun to draw, and once you’ve completed your version of the drawing, it is sent to the person you are messaging, and then it’s up to them to figure out what in the world is going on. This is all completed within the Facebook Messenger app, so that you don’t need to download an extra application or anything of that nature.
In order to start playing Doodle Draw, you must download it within the Facebook Messenger application and you’re off to the races. You will be able to use different colors, so that you don’t have to worry about drawing a boring old black and white whale or anything like that. You aren’t given the whole Crayola catalog, but enough colors to make it worth while.
You can download Doodle Draw from within the Facebook Messenger app list today, and get started on playing some more games with your Facebook friends in a new way.
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The YU Yuphoria has started to receive nightly builds from Cyanogenmod
The Cyanogen OS-powered YU Yuphoria has only been out in the wild a little over a week, and has already sold incredibly well across India. So far, it has been through two ‘flash sales,’ where the device is only open for sale for three minutes. And if you are lucky enough to get one into your Amazon cart, you then have 15 minutes to complete the transaction before the phone is given to someone else. It will enter its third flash sale on June 11.
This device runs Cyanogenmod 12, which is a modified version of Android 5.0 Lollipop. It carries 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage, powered by a 64-bit Snapdragon 410. And all of this is hidden under a 5-inch 1280 x 720 IPS display with Gorilla Glass 3. Powering the internals is a 2230mAh battery that rocks Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology, a feature that has only been seen on a few new devices. The Yuphoria also supports dual SIM cards and expandable memory.
The Yu Yuphoria was already a solid budget device, but now it’s becoming even more tinkerer friendly, as it will be receiving officialCyanogenmod nightly builds, which are constant system updates that fix bugs and introduce new features to the Operating System.
If you are the owner of a Yuphoria, then you can click here to download the nightly builds, and before you become confused why the build is called ‘lettuce,’ this is the code-name for the device. If you reside in India, let us know what you think about the YU Yuphoria. Would you consider buying one, especially now that ?
Google’s plan to fix big cities starts with Sidewalk Labs
Google wants to do more than just simplify privacy for its users and put autonomous cars on the road, it wants to “improve city life for everyone.” Cofounder Larry Page writes on G+ that with Mountain View’s Sidewalk Labs, the company intends to do just that. The plan is to tackle cost of living, transportation efficiency and energy usage by creating and fostering what he calls urban technologies — stuff Sidewalk says is a bit harder than just relaying traffic conditions or apartment prices. He likens the size of Sidewalk to that of the X lab responsible for Project Loon in terms of investment.
The former head of Bloomberg LP and New York City’s Deputy Mayor of Economic Development Dan Doctoroff is leading the project as CEO, from New York. As The New York Times reports, he provides the experience and knowhow from his time working with New York City, while the search giant brings the cash and tech know-how. Sidewalk will achieve those aforementioned goals by building the tech itself in addition to buying it and making investments.
It sounds sort of similar to the Hudson Yards neighborhood project in New York, too. Doctoroff tells NYT that Sidewalk will work toward technology platforms that “people can plug into” for monitoring energy use or changing their commuting routines. As a specific example, he gave Gotham’s bike-sharing program. He also notes that Sidewalk will occupy the chasm between what he calls civic hackers and large-scale tech outfits. So long as actual hackers can’t gain access, this could work out pretty well. Here’s to hoping SIdewalk casts its gaze toward Google’s backyard in the relative near future.
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Source: Larry Page (G+), Sidewalk Inc.
I strapped on a harness to fly in a virtual world
I flew over snowcapped mountains with the wind in my face. Actually the mountains were virtual and the wind was just two fans blowing at my head. But, if you’ve ever wanted to be Superman, the folks at Mindride have you covered. That is if you’re fine being strapped into a harness and shoving a sweat soaked Oculus Rift on your face.
At the annual AWE (Augmented World Expo), virtual reality experience company Mindride showed off a demo of its latest interactive experience. The Airflow “ride” places individuals in a harness and hangs them horizontally in the classic flying position. It then recreates soaring through the air thanks to an Oculus Rift and some motion trackers placed on your arms. Because I lack the time and expendable cash to start leaping off mountains and out of planes with a wingsuit and I’m pretty sure jetpacks will never actually be a thing, this seemed like my best option to soar through the heavens.
First off, like most VR experiences, you look pretty ridiculous to an observer. Also, thanks to the odd purple-tinted room at the Santa Clara Convention Center it kind of looked like I’d joined a sex club with very low standards. But, once I had gone through the strap in, trained the system to identify my movements with the assistance of the very nice staff and placed a sweat covered Rift on my face, I was ready to enjoy the power of flight.
The experience itself was fun. It wasn’t mind blowing or life changing. It was more, “hey this is new because I’m not sitting in a chair or standing up.” To be fair, the system is still a prototype. The graphics are sub-par and I quickly reached the edge of the mountains I was flying through. But I sort of felt like I was actually flying thanks to the VR world, the fans and of course the harness. In my experience, sort of flying is better than not flying.
I’ve never tried a Mindride experience before, so I can only assume based on the well-lit photos on their site that Mindride produces some high-quality experiences. I’m pretty sure the Airflow will be tweaked before being introduced to the general public. According to a post about the experience this first version of Airflow was built with only four poses to control your flight. But even with just those poses and the head gestures, the Airflow demo was already fully booked at the event.
VR gives us the opportunity to do things we wouldn’t normally do without putting our lives in danger. Games are the easy pitch, but experiences might be what gets the population more comfortable with VR in their home and as an activity worth dropping a few bucks on. Because even if you look a bit odd to the outside world, who doesn’t want to be Superman?
Filed under: Misc, Gaming, Wearables
Source: Mindride
Apple Maps Transit Directions Work Across Much of Southern Ontario [iOS Blog]
Apple earlier this week announced that Toronto will be one of ten major cities in North America that will support Apple Maps transit directions on iOS 9 in the fall, but after early testing we can confirm that the new routing option for bus, subway, light rail, train and ferry directions will actually extend well beyond the city limits and TTC to cover much of the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario.
Apple Maps transit directions on iOS 9 beta working in Waterloo and Barrie
A thread posted on Reddit first pointed towards the Apple Maps transit acknowledgments page, which has been updated with several Canadian transit operators outside of Toronto, but we dug further and found that Apple Maps transit directions work in even more cities. We were able to receive bus, subway, light rail or train directions between over a dozen Canadian cities and towns throughout Southern Ontario listed below.
List of Supported Cities:
- Mississauga: MiWay bus directions where service is provided in Mississauga. GO Transit bus and train directions also available for traveling between Mississauga and other Apple Maps-supported cities within the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario.
- Oakville: Oakville Transit bus directions where service is provided in Oakville. GO Transit bus and train directions also available for traveling between Oakville and other Apple Maps-supported cities within the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario.
- Brampton: Brampton Transit bus directions where service is provided in Brampton. GO Transit bus and train directions also available for traveling between Brampton and other Apple Maps-supported cities within the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario.
- York Region: York Region Transit (YRT) bus directions and Viva rapid transit directions where service is provided in Aurora, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan and other areas within York Region. GO Transit bus and train directions also available for traveling between York Region and other Apple Maps-supported cities within the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario. There are also directions for TTC routes operating between York Region and subway stations in Toronto.
- City of Hamilton: Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) bus directions where service is provided in Hamilton, Ancaster, Dundas and Stoney Creek. GO Transit bus and train directions also available for traveling between Hamilton and other Apple Maps-supported cities within the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario.
- Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge: Grand River Transit (GRT) bus directions where service is provided in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. GO Transit bus and train directions where service is provided for traveling between Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge and other Apple Maps-supported cities within the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario.
- Guelph: Guelph Transit bus directions where service is provided in Guelph. GO Transit bus and train directions also available for traveling between Guelph and other Apple Maps-supported cities within the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario.
- Niagara Region: Niagara Falls Transit, St. Catharines Transit, Welland Transit, Niagara Region Transit and WEGO bus directions where service is provided in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Welland and Niagara Region. GO Transit bus and train (summer only) directions where service is provided for traveling between Niagara Falls and other Apple Maps-supported cities within the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario.
Jawbone hits Fitbit with another lawsuit, seeks to ban US shipments
The court drama between Jawbone and Fitbit is heating up quickly. Two weeks ago Jawbone sued Fitbit for “plundering” confidential information (along with employees), now Jawbone is topping that off with another lawsuit centered on patent infringement. And it’s going an extra mile this time: the Up fitness band maker is also trying to stop shipments of Fitbit’s products in the US by bringing the matter to the International Trade Commission. Specifically, Jawbone says Fitbit infringed on its patent that details “a wellness application using data from a data-capable band.” On the face of it, though, that seems like something just about every wearable maker is doing. Still, this can’t be good news for Fitbit, which is currently preparing to go public on the stock market.
Fitbit, naturally, denies any wrongdoing. “Fitbit has no need to take information from Jawbone or any other company,” the company said in a statement to the WSJ. “We are unaware of any confidential or proprietary information of Jawbone in our possession and we intend to vigorously defend against these allegations.”
Jawbone’s lawsuits come after its most recent flagship product, the Up 3, was delayed for months and then panned by reviewers. And while it already announced a successor to that device, the Up4, it’s basically the same thing as the Up3 with AmEx NFC payments. Basically, that means it probably won’t be a great year for Jawbone when it comes to flagship device sales.
Filed under: Wearables
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Twitch rolls out a private-message system called Whisper
Psst. We heard something about Twitch that you might enjoy. Lean in. A little closer. A little closer. Perfect: You can now send private messages to friends on Twitch, even if your buddies are watching different streams than you at the time. It’s a feature called Whisper and it works by typing “/w” in a Twitch chat box, followed by the username you want to chat with. This creates a message that only you and your friend can see. For now, Whisper messages populate in the standard Twitch chat window and you can’t set up private group messages, but the company is working to establish pop-out private messages and offline delivery. And, of course, you can block Whisper messages from certain users and dictate privacy preferences in Settings. See what those options look like below.
Source: Twitch
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