Soundwall is art that demands to be seen… and heard
Hang something like a painting on your wall, and it fades away into the background after a while; you’d notice if it were missing, but otherwise you wouldn’t necessarily fixate on it. Rather than let art suffer this indignity, Soundwall would like to change your relationship with the work on your wall. Paintings have been transformed into objects that add an extra dimension to invite you to engage further: sound.
Unlike other connected artworks that focus more on the visual aspect, Soundwall is, at its heart, a speaker, not a screen. It’s powered by a Raspberry Pi 2 and draws audio via AirPlay from any device on the same WiFi network. But while you can hook up the Soundwall with sound from something like Spotify, it’s really meant to be experienced with the music provided — in this case, the work displayed was by Bisco Smith, who painted each piece while listening to his own compositions. Smith’s work is stark black-and-white, a combination of carefully arranged blotches, solid lines of dripping paint and graffiti. They’re nice enough as fixtures on the wall, but when you download the Soundwall app for iOS and open it up, you’ll see a list of all connected paintings and their associated audio files. Tap on “play music,” and the appropriate file will then play directly through the painting itself. Each Soundwall is actually a distributed-mode loudspeaker; step closely enough, and you can see (and feel) the material vibrating slightly as it projects sound throughout the room.
As a speaker the Soundwall isn’t going to impress hardcore audiophiles, but it’s not really intended to replace a home sound system. The Soundwall is about projecting a mood and creating ambiance around a piece of art, and in that regard, the audio quality is sufficient. It can be connected to a subwoofer if needed, but the standalone audio is pretty robust. It’s a device that commands attention — CEO Aaron Cohen told us that at the gallery opening in New York, a crowd of about 60 people went completely silent as the musical prompts for each work on display were activated. However, the volume can be adjusted through the app, meaning that those who’d prefer a more ambient sound level will also be satisfied.
Smith may be the current artist on display at the Soundwall gallery, but his work is only a glimpse at the product’s potential. Several of Smith’s paintings from his exhibition “12” have already been sold, which is set to close June 22nd. The next show, “Naked,” opens June 26th and will invite visitors to paint their own canvas in the gallery, showcasing both the creation process and Soundwall’s potential. The website also allows customers to print their own images onto a Soundwall (even photos), while those of a more creative bent can purchase their own Soundwall devices made from a variety of materials to suit their needs. The earliest pieces, like Smith’s work, were done on Gatorboard (a polystyrene core topped with a laminated wood fiber surface), but now artists can also choose from art paper, chalkboard, aluminum and even canvas — a material that Cohen says would normally rip from the vibrations. Other base materials are planned as well, like wood. Future possibilities being discussed by the Soundwall team include a board of lights that can be reprogrammed by the artist from afar if desired.
The idea behind Soundwall is to give the owner an ongoing relationship with their artwork. New tracks can be sent by the artist at any time to revitalize the piece or add new context — though owners who prefer the old audio may keep that as well. Behind-the-scenes information can also be attached to each work, like interviews with the artist about their work and their process. Cohen likened it to DVD commentaries, but regular museumgoers will find it similar to audio tour narration. It’s certainly a more elegant solution than the text labels found in galleries and museums, and less intrusive to the decor in a private home.
Prices for a Smith piece start at $1,200 for a limited edition print, and $3,500 for an original. But wannabe artists have their choice of materials and sizes starting at $400 for the smallest size of Gatorboard. A 24 x 36-inch blank made from art paper, chalkboard or canvas is $500. Or, you can opt for an aluminum model starting at $600 and going up to $800 for a 36 x 48-inch blank Soundwall.
Filed under: Misc, Home Entertainment, Alt
Source: Soundwall
Google will pull ‘revenge porn’ out of its search results
An unintended side effect of the increasingly connected world we live in, is that sometimes your identity can be maliciously tied to information that should remain private. The proliferation of “revenge porn” that’s often used to target and harass women has taken advantage of the internet’s unforgiving search capabilities in exactly that way, and as a result Google is announcing a change in its policy to fight that. Soon, the search giant will accept requests from people to remove nude or sexually explicit images of themselves shared without their consent from its search results.
As USA Today reports, until now Google has usually required a legal request to remove information from its search results, except in Europe where the “right to be forgotten” law lets people remove links that appear in searches for their name. According to the blog post, Google already accepts requests to remove info like bank account numbers and signatures. While we don’t have a similar regulation here, making a preemptive change that cuts out the business model of people like Kevin Bollaert is probably a good thing.
Source: Google Public Policy Blog
Twitter tests pages that collect tweets about places and products
Twitter started life as a way to let your friends know what you were doing and thinking. But everyday the glorified status update service evolves in an attempt to be all things to all people and, more importantly for its bottom line, all companies. Twitter is experimenting with pages dedicated to specific products and places. This is a little different from the new event specific feeds and the dedicated buy button that debuted last year. Rather than just a button a company can embed in a tweet, this is basically a profile dedicated complete to a product. That includes a photo or a video about it, plus a description, price and, obviously, the option to buy it. But, just as important, below that you’ll find a bunch of relevant tweets, including posts about the product from people you follow, news updates from the company itself or other related content. And of course, similar pages can be built for places such as restaurants or museums. Twitter is also allowing tastemakers and brands to curate their own collections of places and goods. So, if you needed to find all of the products that Demi Lovato has endorsed you could in one quick trip to Twitter.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Source: Twitter
QuickPic Beta 4.5 add Google Photos functionality
QuickPic has long been my go-to gallery app ever since it was released many moons ago. From it simple layout to powerful features, there is little reason not to use QuickPic instead the pre-installed gallery app on your device. In their pursuit to stay ahead of the competition, they have updated their beta app to version 4.5 and the update comes with more than a number increment.
“Fast, lightweight, modern, QuickPic is the best alternative album/gallery app for all your beloved photos, which can replace the stock Gallery app!“
For those that have not had a chance to check out Googles latest Photos app (You should, it’s pretty cool), the gallery app allows you to select multiple pictures by just holding down and swiping. This way you don’t have to click a thousand times to delete those embarrassing pictures of you when you were in middle school. QuickPic took note of that interesting feature and decided to add it to the beta version of their app that provides the same functionality. After testing it out, I have to say that a great app just got even better! It really does make it a hundred times easier to select multiple pictures in a row. The official update should hit the Play Store in the upcoming weeks but if you don’t wan tot wait, you can follow the link below to snag the app and download it today!
Source
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Pogoplug Personal Backup: 3-Yr Subscription
Need more storage? Of course you do. With higher quality photos and videos taking up more room on your devices than ever before, and some newer handsets not having expandable memory, you may find yourself faced with the dreaded deletion debate. Well, fret no more my photogenic friend. We’ve got you covered with Pogoplug Personal Backup.
This 3-year subscription to Pogoplug provides unlimited storage and automatic backup to all of your devices. With just one click, all of your tablets, phones and computers will be synchronized and backed-up. In addition, you’ll be able to instantly stream any of your video or audio files on the fly and share with no fear of size limitations.
While you might expect to shell out hundreds of bucks for this service, AndroidGuys readers can grab this backup solution, along with some peace of mind, for just $49, today!
See more at deals.androidguys.com
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Spotify 3.1 Beta introduces new Now start page and running features [APK Download]
In the latest Beta update for Spotify, Android users can now enjoy some of the features that have been on iOS for a while. Told at the time that the features would make their way to Android ‘in the future’, it seems that now is the time for Premium members to see these enhancements.
There’s a new Now start page that will show music based on the time of the day as well as adapting the selection to your mood and taste of music.
In addition, the new features include a running mode that will provide upbeat tracks to listen to.
To get in on the Beta, head on over here to enroll and get access to the programme, and then head here to download the APK.
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Amazon has announced the Fire OS 5 Developer Preview
Many of you are familiar with Amazons popular devices, such as the Kindle Fire or the Fire Phone. While admittedly the Kindle was considerably the most popular of the two, they were both decent devices that catered to a different group of consumers (mainly entertainment focused peeps). All of which run on Amazons skinned version of Android (to the chagrin of many.) While a decent skin, it does limit the amount of apps that can run on the device, as they are not all optimized to run on the Fire OS as most of them are created for stock Android. Amazon has taken note of this and today has released a developer preview of the latest OS upgrade, Fire OS 5.
“Starting today, developers have the opportunity to participate in a Developer Preview of Fire OS 5, the next generation Android-based operating system that powers Fire tablets, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire phone devices.“
While it may not seem like a big deal for the average consumer, it will allow developers to go ahead and test their apps on what will the OS that will ship on Amazon latest devices when they are released later on. So now developers can squash all the bugs that may be on their apps when used on Fire OS and make sure that their apps will play nice with the OS. If you are developer, you can follow the link below to test out all the cool tools and services that Amazon has made available so that you can be prepared for when the tech giant releases their new devices. Among them is a compatibility tool for your apps and some discounts on current generation devices!
Source
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Boost halves rate plans for MetroPCS and Cricket defectors
Boost Mobile wants to do for prepaid customers what its parent brand, Sprint, is doing for its competition. Today sees the carrier kicking off a limited time Slash Your Payment in Half promotion.
MetroPCS and Cricket subscribers who port their number over to Boost Mobile before July 20 can save between $20 and $30 on their monthly rate plans. MetroPCS customers, for instance, can receive 2.5GB of data for $20 per month, which amounts to extra data at half the price.
Under the new plan Cricket customers who currently get 10GB of data for $60 per month can receive the same amount of data for $30 per month.
Just a heads up, there are a few things to note as it pertains to the deal. For starters, customers have to port in an existing MetroPCS or Cricket phone number. New Boost subscribers are not eligible to choose this option without doing so.
The half-priced rate plans are only around for twelve months after which Boost will adjust the account. According to the prepaid carrier, it will select the option with a comparable amount of data.
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5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly
Sponsored by: Galaxy Universal Remote
[Price: $3.99]
The Galaxy Universal Remote app is one of the better remote apps available on the Play Store. It uses a device’s built-in IR blaster to control your TV, set top box, media streamer, and even your camera if you have a supported DSLR. It features a smooth, easy-to-use interface with a bucket load of supported devices and you can get a device supported upon request. There is also Android Wear support so you can control all of these devices using your smartwatch as well! The only caveat is you’ll need a phone with an IR blaster.
In this week’s episode we’re going to round up all the Android gaming stuff that happened at E3. Hold on to your hats, there was quite a bit!
- Zynga announced a new strategy game called Dawn of Titans and let me tell you, this game looks impressive! It features some really good graphics and some decent mechanics that should equal up to a fun time. We don’t have a release date yet and here’s hoping Zynga doesn’t wreck it with ridiculously bad in-app purchases.
- Square Enix fans in particular have a lot to be excited about because the company not only announced a Final Fantasy 7 remake for the PS4, but that Final Fantasy 7 was coming to mobile. The iOS version is due out sometime this year and Android will be along eventually.
- While we’re on the topic of Square Enix, they also announced Kingdom Hearts Unchained Key for mobile. It takes place during the same stretch of story as the more recent Kingdom Hearts games and has a lot of the same mechanics even if the graphics don’t look as good as console versions.
- Square Enix also included an announcement for Lara Croft Go, which will be an action adventure puzzle game along the same vein as Hitman Go but during the announcement, they also alluded to some Monument Valley style elements like a more calm experience. We don’t have a release date for this one either but it looks fun.
- DotEmu has announced that they’ll be porting the classic 2006 PC game Titan Quest to Android later this year. For those who don’t know, Titan Quest is a fighting game where you play historically significant figures as you battle evil mythological creatures. It should be out sometime this year.
- EA has announced that they’ll be releasing a build-harvest game called Minion’s Paradise. This will likely coincide with the release of the Minions movie that’s due out in theaters next month. If you’ve played Ice Age Village or Nemo’s Reef, you pretty much know what’s going on with this title.
- Along with that, EA announced a card collecting RPG called Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. As with any card collecting game, you’ll be collecting cards of iconic characters, ships, etc from all of the movies and you’ll be using them to make your deck stronger. It’s slated to be released later this year.
- Bethesda had quite a year at E3 for mobile devices as well. They announced that they’ll be bringing a simulation game called Fallout Shelter where you’ll get to control people’s lives, build various places like gyms and bars, and otherwise manage the lives of some people Fallout style. It’s out on iOS now with an Android version coming eventually.
- Bethesda also announced a card collecting game called The Elder Scrolls: Legends that is also due out sometime this year. If you’ve played Hearthstone, then you pretty much know what this game is about. It’s a similar premise but it takes place in the Elder Scrolls universe instead of the Warcraft universe.
- Telltale Games, makers of the popular Walking Dead series games have announced The Walking Dead: Michonne. This covers the story of Michonne from issue 126 through 139 of the comic book series which hasn’t been covered in any of the other games. This one is coming to mobile but also to console and PC so you can play it wherever.
- Starbreeze Studios has announced that it will be bringing the Payday franchise to Android. For those who don’t know, Payday is a moderately popular first person shooter that was originally launched back in 2011 for PC and the Playstation 3. They’re working on developing a mobile friendly version of it and we have no idea when it’ll be out.
- A new Torchlight game was also announced this week called Torchlight Mobile. This is an action RPG title similar to Diablo and the Torchlight franchise has done well on PC in the past. We don’t have a release date but it is coming sometime this year.
- Gameloft had a busy E3 as they announced a few games, but most notably Siegefall. Seigefall is, for lack of a better term, a Clash of Clans clone. It has some decent graphics, heroes, and a much longer campaign mode. It uses gems to upgrade stuff faster using in-app purchases if you want to.
- Back to EA for a moment. They showed off their upcoming FIFA 2016 title which we anticipate will be as popular as the 2015 and 2014 variants. It has some decent graphics and controls. It will most likely be free with in-app purchases similar to their earlier titles. Be prepared for that this summer.
For more information, you can find links to all of these stories in our E3 master list where we round up all the videos and news from E3 this last week! Since I do make this on Thursday, there’s likely some smaller announcements that I didn’t get to in the video so it’s worth checking out.
Now let’s get to some regular headlines from the last week:
- LastPass had a security breach this last week that prompted the company to encourage everyone to change their master passwords. We understand that it wasn’t a major breach with no important information getting leaked and that the password change is a precaution.
- A new Humble Bundle was released this last week. It features eight games with more coming soon. If you pay the minimum $1, you will get four of the games and if you beat the average, you’ll get every game available in the bundle. As usual, it’s a great way to give to charity and try out some new games!
- In an effort to promote its new family friendly section, the Google Play Store is now offering a free app of the day. Unfortunately, it’s only in the family friendly selection of applications which only affects those who use that section, but it’s still a pretty fun little promotion.
- We’ve known for a while now that Cortana is coming to Android but we didn’t know when. Microsoft has announced that a beta version will be showing up this July. We’ll have more details when they become available.
- In our last headline this week, YouTube will be taking on Twitch with its YouTube Gaming platform which is set to release this summer. Some folks at Ars Technica got to take a look at it early and it seems to look pretty nice. We’ll know more when it gets released this summer.
For even more headlines, app updates, and new releases, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter. There we’ll have all the content we didn’t have time for here. If you want, you can sign up with your email and get all of this stuff sent straight to your email inbox every single Friday.
Check out our Android Apps Weekly newsletter!
Moments
[Price: Free]
Moments is a new application from Facebook that is kind of a direct response to Google Photos. Using the service, you can backup all of your photos to one place and then you can share them to Facebook, Instagram, or Facebook Messenger. You can sync multiple photos, use the photo search feature, and even save photos other people send to you. It doesn’t quite have the power of Google Photos, but it’s a fun option for those who primarily use Instagram or Facebook.
Shoot
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Shoot is an app by BitTorrent that allows you to share files between Android devices. Here’s how it works. The device with the file will create a QR code. The other device will scan it and then the connection will be made and the file will download. It’s very easy to use and to understand once you get in there and actually use the app. It’s also totally free to use but beware of those release day bugs!
CloudPlayer by doubleTwist
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
CloudPlayer by doubleTwist is a new music player that does something quite unique. It can connect to your cloud storage accounts such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and more and play any music stored there. This essentially turns your cloud storage into your music player in a way that few apps have been able to accomplish. It also enjoys AirPlay and Chromecast support, a 10-band EQ, and Material Design.
Portal by Pushbullet
[Price: Free]
Portal is another file transfer application but this one was developed by Pushbullet. This aims to simplify the process of transferring files from your computer to your Android device and back again. It allows you to transfer multiple files and even entire folders at once. You can include photos, videos, documents, and more. The only caveat is that you’ll need a device running Android 5.0 or later in order to use this app.
Adobe Photoshop Mix, Shape CC, Brush CC, and Color CC
[Price: Free]
This week Adobe released not one, but four applications to the Play Store. They include Photoshop Mix, Shape CC, Brush CC, and Color CC. Photoshop Mix is a light photo editing application with a slew of editing options, Shape CC allows you to take images of things and turn them into vector graphics, Brush CC turns images into brushes for later use, and Color CC helps you determine what color things are in photos. These are all potentially useful tools that are all free to use in the Play Store right now.
Wrap up
If we missed any great Android apps or games news, let us know in the comments! Have a great weekend everyone.
FEMA recruits Google, Microsoft for new disaster initiative program
Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a new program, Tech Corps. Beyond rescue operations, food, clothes, and shelter, people need access to Internet to find their loved ones in the event of a disaster. FEMA aims to accomplish this and much more with Tech Corps.
FEMA has brought on a handful of big-name companies, such as Google, Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco Systems. The goal is that these companies will provide volunteers with the appropriate skills to accomplish the goals of Tech Corps. Not only that, but by partnering with Tech Corps, these companies are also agreeing to train others that are willing to help with the needs of Tech Corps.
Senator Ron Wyden, who first proposed the new initiative, said:
“Tech Corps harnesses a deep well of technical expertise and private-sector manpower to make sure every resource is available immediately when disaster strikes. Information technology is often critical to saving lives, and this program ensures that red tape won’t stand in the way of volunteer experts who can stand up temporary cell networks and Wi-Fi solutions that are so important in disaster areas. I’m hopeful today’s partners are the first of many to sign up to work hand-in-hand with emergency responders to help craft more resilient and effective responses to future disasters.”
While natural disasters are a horrible thing, they’re a fact of life. But, with something like the Tech Corps program, victims may not have to go days or even weeks without knowing where a loved one is. Not only that, but with temporary cell networks available in the event of an emergency, it might just make the search and rescue process a bit easier than it has been before.
As Senator Wyden said, in our day and age, “technology is often critical to saving lives.” And hopefully the Tech Corps is able to help with just that.
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