2015 Moto G spotted in leaked images
The second half of the year is nearly upon us and we are expecting more than enough good announcements. Among the most important ones is the 3rd-generation Moto G, which will likely follow its predecessors’ footsteps by offering the best bang for your buck. We don’t know much of the upcoming device and are limited to speculations, which is why we are so excited to show you today’s leaked images. These are way better than anything we have seen of this smartphone.
The device at hand (XT1543) looks like your average Motorola handset. The design is streamlines and very basic. The textured back makes it look a little more unique. It also seems to have a new metal-looking strip right below the camera, which is something completely different. It looks a bit like what LG does, but we are sure the Moto G (is this is, in fact, the rumored device) will only have it for aesthetic purposes.
Rumored specs include Android 5.1.1, a 5-inch screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, LTE, an 8 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front-facing shooter. All these specs make total sense, and they are just what we would expect from a Moto G. The best improvements are probably the processor and cameras.
Do keep in mind these are still nothing but rumors and leaks. Nothing is for sure until the manufacturer makes its announcement, so take this information with a healthy dose of salt. The images were taken from “a Chinese digital forum”, so we can’t exactly give them our approval, but they sure look convincing.
#gallery-1
margin: auto;
#gallery-1 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 33%;
#gallery-1 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
We are excited to see what Motorola has for us this year. The new Moto G, Moto X and possibly the Moto E should be coming very soon. You can bet we will be all over it as soon as more details emerge. For now, you can hit the comments and let us know what you think of these leaked images.
By the way, you can also take a look at our reviews on the Moto G 1st-gen and Moto G 2nd-gen. Just in case you want to learn more about them.
Etsy doesn’t want you selling spells
Etsy’s online shop is mostly known for its handmade crafts, but it has also developed a reputation among the supernatural crowd as an easy place to find spells, potions and other mysterious goods. Well, those merchants will have to find another place to hawk their wares. Etsy has quietly updated its guidelines to ban all “metaphysical” services that promise a tangible outcome, like revenge or weight loss. The company isn’t wasting much time cleaning house, either, as it’s kicking out many of these vendors with little to no warning.
It won’t shock you to hear that these vendors are upset, and some of them are going so far as to accuse Etsy of religious discrimination. Ironically, though, it wasn’t hard to see this crackdown coming. Etsy is now a public company, which means eliminating practices that could get the site in trouble and worry investors. It doesn’t want to face lawsuits from angry buyers who discover that their incantations and crystals don’t work, after all. No matter what, it’s clear that these sellers don’t have many hosting options left. They were kicked out of eBay in 2012, and it’s doubtful that other big services are about to roll out the welcome mat.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Cheryl Gerber]
Filed under: Internet
Via: The Daily Dot, The Verge
Source: Etsy
Dark Sky uses your iPhone’s sensors to improve weather forecasts
Your iPhone gives you weather forecasts right from the get-go, but it’s now ready to shape those forecasts as well. Dark Sky has given its iOS app a big overhaul that, if you like, uses the barometer on your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus to contribute pressure readings. The hope is that these will dramatically improve short-term forecasts in the future — you’ll know that it’s about to rain because iPhones nearby gave you a heads-up. There have been apps that crowdsourced pressure data before, but rarely with the intent to directly improve forecasts — and not on the scale of Dark Sky, one of iOS’ best-known weather tools.
It might be a worthy update even if you don’t plan to contribute. There’s a brand new visual layout, as you’d expect, but you can also create custom notifications for big weather changes, such as a sudden drop in temperature or strong winds. It’ll track the UV index, too, so you’ll know to pack sunscreen for that trip to the beach. Dark Sky will cost you $4 if you aren’t already a customer, but that small expense could pay off if it saves you from getting soaked by an unexpected storm.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile
Source: App Store, Forecast.io
Google begins showing “Ok Google” suggestions in search bar
Google Now is useful for so many things. Everything that Google is useful for, since Google Now is nothing more than an extension of the Google Search itself. Well thanks to Reddit user BackcountryAdventure, we are now seeing that the Google Now search bar widget that can be found on your Android device, is starting to give some hints. In the screenshots below, you can see that Google Now is offering some suggestions of what kind of questions can be asked of Google Now, giving you an idea of what you can ask of the search service.
There are a few users who are stating that the quick tip feature isn’t showing up in their search bar, however it’s unknown whether this is limited to devices running Android Lollipop 5.1 and above or not. There are other users who are claiming to be running the latest version of Lollipop, and they don’t see the same option within the Google Now search widget.
This isn’t earth-shattering news, but it’s pretty cool to see that Google is showing off the tip of the iceberg of what you can do by just saying “Ok Google”. Let us know in the comments below whether this has appeared on your devices, and let us know what devices you are running, so we can get a better idea of what is going on here.
The post Google begins showing “Ok Google” suggestions in search bar appeared first on AndroidGuys.
New Fisker ready to reopen in California?
New incarnation of Fisker will open 556,000-square-foot factory east of Los Angeles.We’ve reported extensively about Tesla Motors developing its massive Gigafactory in the hinterlands near Reno, Nevada. Now, reports are coming out that the most recent incarnation of Fisker Automotive will build a factory about halfway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. There’s lots of land left out there for any other aspiring plug-in automakers.
Fisker, which is now owned by China-based Wanxiang, already has offices in Costa Mesa, CA, and employs about 200 people there, according to the Orange County Register. Now, Fisker will build a 556,000-square-foot plant in Moreno Valley, CA, which is about 60 miles east of Los Angeles proper. The factory will employ about 150 people who will restart the brand with a model said to be called the Elux. The Register didn’t get any details on when we could expect to see new Fiskers on the road.
As for the old ones, Fisker last month debuted thenewfisker.com, a support site parts and service for owners to “elevate” the expensive and sporty extended-range Fisker Karma electric vehicles. Wanxiang bought Fisker out of bankruptcy early last year for $149.2 million. Fisker went bankrupt in 2013, a year after halting production on the Karma. In all, about 2,600 of those plug-ins were produced.
Related Videos:
Filed under: Transportation
Light-based battery makes its own power
Sure, you can make solar-powered devices that store their excess energy in a battery, but what about the battery itself? Unfortunately, it’s still behind the times — the lithium-ion cells you see today have to be connected to another device to charge, and they’re occasionally very dangerous thanks to their chemical makeup. A team of Indian researchers may have just licked those problems, though. They’ve developed a battery whose titanium nitrate anode (where current flows into the device) is driven by light, both natural and artificial. In a well-lit area, a prototype can recharge itself without using either an external source or unstable chemicals.
The existing technology isn’t ready for prime time yet. While it tops up in 30 seconds, it’s barely powerful enough to run an LED light or a small fan, let alone your phone. If the technology improves, however, you could see more gadgets that not only don’t have to be plugged in, but won’t ignite if you drop them a certain way.
Filed under: Science
Source: ACS
Sony’s wafer-thin, Android-powered 4K TVs will start at $2,499
Spring has come and gone without any sign of Sony’s promised X900C and X910C TVs, but those super-thin 4K sets are finally on their way… well, almost. The slimmest of the bunch, the 0.19-inch thick X900C series, is now slated to arrive in July at hefty prices of $2,499 for a 55-inch model, and $3,999 for its 65-inch counterpart. Determined to go bigger? You’ll have to wait longer, and pay a pretty penny. The lone X910C model, a 75-incher, is poised to launch sometime this summer for $5,499. Thankfully, screen size is the only major difference here. All of these units pack Android TV, Triluminos displays and an X1 processor that should make the most of your 4K video. The real question is whether or not you need this eye-catching design in the first place — it’s great if you’re aiming for a near-invisible wall mount, but you might otherwise be fine ‘settling’ for a thicker TV.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Source: Sony
8 movie robots that would fail the DARPA challenge
By Eric Alt
A few weeks ago, DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) held the DARPA Robotics Challenge-the culmination of a three-year contest pitting teams from around the world against one another to develop a robot capable of performing rescue missions in disaster areas.
Each team’s robot was given eight challenges designed to test how agile and effective they could be in simulated hazard zones (the Challenge was inspired by how ineffectual robots were in the days after the earthquake and tsunami that destroyed the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan in 2011).
To put it mildly, the course is not easy. In fact, it’s so tough that even the most advanced robot from the outer rim of some writer’s imagination would find it nearly impossible to pass. Scroll through the challenges above to see how each round would confound even the most fantastical tech.
Filed under: Robots
AIVAnet 