SanDisk Dual USB Drive Type-C Review: No-Hassle File Transfers for Apple’s New MacBook [Mac Blog]
Known for providing a variety of storage solutions for desktop and mobile devices, SanDisk continues its trend of easy-to-use storage devices supporting multiple connector standards with its new Dual USB Drive Type-C. Taking aim at the growing use of USB-C in the tech industry, the Dual USB Drive includes connectors for both USB-A 3.0 and USB-C that allow users to transfer files between a traditional USB-supporting computer and a machine like Apple’s new 12-inch Retina MacBook that uses the new USB-C standard.
While similar to the company’s iXpand Flash Drive line — which pairs a USB connector with a Lightning connector for a more mobile-friendly storage solution — the Dual USB Drive is definitely lighter and slimmer than the iXpand line. The new drive is actually part of the line of SanDisk’s “Dual” USB Drives, the other two of which focus on a more Android compatible transfer process. Only coming in a 32GB option, the Dual USB Drive Type-C has plenty of storage for all kinds of files, from music and photos to documents and slideshows.
I’ve spent the past week or so testing the Dual drive, but as with any other basic flash drive, it either works hassle-free or it doesn’t. Thankfully, SanDisk’s new USB-C supported solution is a breeze when it comes to data storage and transfer. The drive took essentially the entire contents of my new 12-inch MacBook and in a few seconds had successfully pasted copies of the files into its 32GB storage.
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Samsung’s Galaxy A8 should be its thinnest smartphone yet
Samsung isn’t synonymous with extra-thin smartphones — that distinction usually goes to Chinese vendors like Gionee or Oppo. However, you may have to rethink that reputation very shortly. Samsung’s as yet unannounced Galaxy A8 has just been approved by China’s telecom regulator TENAA, and the Android smartphone is unquestionably Samsung’s thinnest yet at just over 5.9mm (0.23 inches) thick. Suddenly, the 6.3mm Galaxy A7 seems downright chunky.
Not that you’ll necessarily be clamoring to get one. This is strictly a mid-range handset with a 5.7-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screen, an eight-core Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. Its biggest perks are the subtly-integrated 16-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel selfie cam and a healthy 3,050mAh battery. Moreover, the device might not show up in your neck of the woods. The Galaxy A8 going through testing at TENAA and the FCC only has China-centric LTE data, and the A-series phones haven’t been readily available in the US so far. If you’re absolutely determined to have the slimmest Samsung device you can get, though, you have something to look forward to in the near future.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Via: Phone Arena
Source: TENAA (translated), FCC
The Rock will fight a giant gorilla in a ‘Rampage’ film
Just after rescuing his family from The Big One in San Andreas, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is set to save the world in a film adaptation of Midway’s arcade classic Rampage, Deadline reports. Now, you might wonder how a game about a giant gorilla, lizard and wolf destroying cities could be turned into a film, but really, what more do you need than The Rock versus giant monsters? After being first announced back in 2011, it finally looks like the Rampage film is getting off the ground. New Line is still looking for a director, but we hope they settle on someone comfortable with plenty of glorious destruction (more Pacific Rim than San Andreas, please). Production is set to begin next summer, which means we’ll likely see the film during 2017’s peak popcorn movie season.
[Photo credit: Buda Mendes/LatinContent/Getty Images]
Via: Polygon
Source: Deadline
Amazon, eBay and others to stop selling Confederate flags
Many prominent online retailers have vowed to remove all items bearing the Confederate flag from their websites following a mass shooting last week at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina. So far, eBay, Wal Mart, Sears and Kmart have announced plans to stop selling Confederate flag merchandise online and in their brick-and-mortar stores. CNBC reports that Amazon and Etsy will also remove Confederate flag items from their online marketplaces, though the companies have yet to officially announce any plans. In addition to these online retailers, prominent US flag maker Valley Forge Flag today promised to stop producing and selling Confederate flags, Reuters reports.
Online retail giant eBay released the following statement regarding its decision:
eBay is a global marketplace and community and we continually monitor the approximately 800 million items on our site, and evaluate our policies to ensure they are consistent with our core purpose. We have decided to prohibit Confederate flags, and many items containing this image, because we believe it has become a contemporary symbol of divisiveness and racism. This decision is consistent with our long-standing policy that prohibits items that promote or glorify hatred, violence and racial intolerance.
Nine people were killed in last week’s shooting. The tragedy prompted a nationwide conversation about race and the continued use of the Confederate flag in many Southern states. On Monday, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called for the flag to be removed from the statehouse grounds, noting that it was viewed as a “deeply offensive symbol of a brutally oppressive past.”
[Image credit: eBay Inc.]
iOS 9 Beta 2 Tidbits: iPad Keyboard Tweaks, New Podcasts Icon, Improved Search and More
Apple today released the second beta of iOS 9, introducing a number of performance improvements, feature updates, and bug fixes to the beta software that was first seeded to developers on June 8.
iOS 9 beta 2 includes several minor design tweaks and feature updates that have been introduced as Apple works to refine the software ahead of its public release this fall. With the changes, the beta is already feeling faster and more polished, with a much improved search function. We’ve gathered up a full list of the minor changes we’ve found in iOS 9 beta 2 below.
Podcasts – The Podcasts has a newly updated icon that’s bolder. The layout of the app has also been updated slightly, changing the position of some of the download buttons.
Handoff – Handoff is again being displayed in the App Switcher screen. Handoff was not available in the App Switcher in the first iOS 9 beta.
Search – Search appears to be much improved in iOS 9 beta 2, bringing up both more results and a wider range of results for each search query.
Apple Watch app – The Apple Watch app has a new, simpler name, having been renamed to “Watch.”
News setting – There’s now a “News” toggle under iCloud in the Settings app, but toggling it on does not do anything as the News app is not yet available.
Search settings – In the Settings app under General –> Search, there’s now a list of all installed apps with the option to toggle them on or off in search results. Previously, this menu showed only Apple search results and options like Bing Web Results, Documents, Found in Mail, Safari Suggestions, and more.
iPad keyboard tweaks – The edit functions on the iPad keyboard have been tweaked slightly. There’s now an undo/redo option that shows up as the default edit function in place of the cut/paste tool. The cutting and pasting edit tools continue to be available, showing up when text is selected.
Auto app delete/reinstall – This is actually a beta 1 feature, but it was discovered as users installed beta 2. When attempting to install iOS 9 on a device with insufficient space, there’s an option to temporarily delete apps to make room, with the OS automatically reinstalling deleted content after the update is completed.
Additional feature updates in iOS 9 beta 2 will be added here as they are discovered. Apple should continue to release regular updates to iOS 9 at two to three week intervals throughout the beta testing period to bring minor performance boosts and changes ahead of the operating system’s official launch. iOS 9 is expected to be released to the public in the fall, but a public beta test will come first, in July.
BMW’s concept motorcycle carries your surfboard
Like surfing, but would rather not strap your board to a big, stuffy car? BMW’s Concept Path 22 motorcycle would let you travel lighter and enjoy the open road. The retro-inspired scrambler (a bike meant for off-roading) has a surfboard holder, so you can hit the waves at just about any beach without worrying about space to drive and park a four-wheeler. You might like the bike even if you’re content to remain on terra firma, for that matter. The stripped-down look will trigger more than a few 1950’s flashbacks, and there are modern touches like a digital dash and turn signal indicators built into the handlebars. There’s no talk of whether or not the Path 22 will go into production, but we could see it being just the ticket if you regularly hang ten.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: BMW Group
Source: BMW Motorrad
Samsung’s Theme Store is a hit, surpassing 6 million theme downloads
Over 6 million themes have been downloaded from the Samsung Theme Store since the Galaxy S6 launched, according to Samsung. More themes are added to the Theme Store each week, no doubt because of the popularity of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
A big part of this surge in downloads may have a lot to deal with the Samsung-Marvel partnership. They collaborated together to bring the Galaxy S6 Edge Iron Man Edition to a select few Asian markets, but they’ve also worked together to bring many Marvel-based themes to the Theme Store. And with advertising from both companies, there’s no doubt this had a big part to play in the millions of downloads.
Samsung has tried to launch a myriad of different software stores (e.g. the Samsung App Store) alongside device releases, and none of them have really taken off, in part because users prefer Google’s ecosystem over a Samsung ecosystem. However, Samsung seems to have gotten it right this time with the Theme Store, taking advantage of the many customizable aspects of Android.
After all, who wouldn’t want a Captain America-themed launcher? What is your favourite theme in Samsung’s Theme Store? Sound off in the comments below.
source: Samsung (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: Samsung’s Theme Store is a hit, surpassing 6 million theme downloads
Monument Valley players can get Ida’s Dream DLC for free on June 25
Back in late 2014, Monument Valley developers ustwo published a DLC pack for Monument Valley called Ida’s (RED) Dream. In this special DLC, the protagonist is decked out in red attire and was presented with puzzles to conquer. The DLC was priced at $0.99.
The Ida’s (RED) Dream DLC was originally done to help Product RED, a charitable organization that aims to eliminate HIV/AIDs in Africa. The event to help drive donations included other heavy hitters such as Clash of Clans, FIFA 15, Cut the Rope 2, Angry Birds, and a few Disney games. The idea was that all in-app purchases made toward (RED) content would go directly to charity. Apple also sells (RED) themed gear to support the effort.
Unfortunately, that promotion was iOS-only so the Android version never got to see it. That will change very soon. According to a report on TechCrunch, the company is releasing Ida’s Dream on all platforms on June 25th. The best part? It’s going to be entirely free of charge.
In terms of game play, the DLC is an extension of the original game and acts, feels, and plays just like all the other ones. The brilliantly designed puzzles and illusions will still be present and the usual array of crows will be there to block your path. The only difference between this release and the (RED) release from last year is that Ida (the protagonist) won’t be adorned in red cloths like she was with the promotional content and the levels will also be differently themed. Otherwise, everything will be the same.
This will likely go down as the final chapter in the Monument Valley saga. Neil McFarland, Director of Games at ustwo, has confirmed to TechCrunch that the company is working more on future releases, including Land’s Fall which is a VR adventure game due out later this year. If you have Monument Valley, keep an eye out for the DLC here in a couple of days. If you want to check the game out, you can download it using the button below.
Google debuts its new health-tracking wearable built for medical studies
In recent years, many interesting projects have come out of Google’s X labs – Google Glass, Project Tango, and even contact lenses that can read one’s blood sugar levels. Today Google’s experimental labs revealed a new health-tracking wearable that will be used in clinical trials and drug tests to give researchers and doctors minute-by-minute data on how patients are doing. According to Bloomberg, the new wearable device can measure pulse, heart rhythm and skin temperature, and even environmental info such as light exposure and noise levels.
“Our intended use is for this to become a medical device that’s prescribed to patients or used for clinical trials”, says Andy Conrad, head of the life and sciences team at Google. The device won’t be marketed as a consumer device, but will instead be prescribed through medical facilities.
This new wristband, if widely adopted, could potentially have a big effect on how doctors receive patient data in the future. Although this is giving patients some new responsibilities (keeping the device charged, wearing it at all times), the results will likely be worth the added effort. Google plans on collaborating with academic researchers and drugmakers to test the wearable’s accuracy.
As of now, the device still needs regulatory approval to be used in the United States and Europe, and Google hopes to begin trials to test the new wearable this summer.
Google’s new health watch will keep tabs on patients’ vitals
Google unveiled a new wearable today, though it won’t be competing with the Apple Watch any time soon. Developed by Google X (the company’s advanced research division), the experimental device is geared specifically for clinical research. It monitors not just the wearer’s stats (including pulse, heart rhythm and temperature) but also environmental variables like light and noise levels as well.
This device could be a boon to medical research as it allows doctors to continually gather important data on their patients in real life conditions. “Historically, doctors do everything — patients just need to turn up at the trial site,” Kara Dennis, managing director of mobile health at Medidata, told Bloomberg. “Now, we’re asking patients to take on meaningful responsibility in gathering information.” Google plans to partner with academic institutions to ensure the device’s accuracy before seeking regulatory approval in both the US and Europe later this summer.
[Image Credit: Google]
Filed under: Google
Source: Bloomberg
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