Nest Debuts New Nest Protect Smoke Detector, Nest Cam Security Camera [iOS Blog]
Google-owned Nest today held an event in San Francisco and announced several new products, including an updated Nest Protect smoke detector and the Nest Cam, a new security camera that builds on technology the company acquired from Dropcam.
The second-generation Nest Protect includes a “split spectrum sensor,” letting it detect signs of smoke more quickly and allowing it to differentiate between smoke and steam. Rather than being silenced with a wave, false alarms can be turned off using the Nest app. The smoke detector itself is 11 percent smaller than the original version, and it includes a chamber that keeps dust and insects out.
Nest’s new Nest Protect will continually test itself to ensure that it’s functioning, including testing its alarm when no one is home.
Nest’s original Nest Protect smoke detectors had several flaws, including a significant safety issue with the “Nest Wave” feature that let alarms be silenced by waving at them. This feature could be activated in error. Nest pulled the Protect from store shelves for several months because of the problem. The new Nest Protect does not include the Nest Wave feature.
The Nest Cam is a home security device that’s similar to the products made by Dropcam, which Nest acquired last year. The Nest Cam includes 1080p video recording at 30 frames per second and it has a 130-degree field of vision with 20-foot infrared night vision. A built-in microphone records sound, a speaker allows for two-way communication, and an 8x zoom feature allows for closer focus on specific areas.
Nest Cam has a new look with a zinc alloy stand that makes it easier to position in a variety of locations, with a built-in tripod mount, magnet, and wall mount included. Nest Cam works with a Nest cloud subscription service called Nest Aware, with pricing that starts at $10 per month.
Nest’s app will also be receiving an update, improving interactivity and functionality. For example, if the Nest Protect’s smoke or carbon monoxide sensors are activated, the Nest Thermostat will shut off and alert users of the incident. A new temperature feature will also ensure a home does not get too hot or too cold, and if it does, the Thermostat go into override mode to fix the problem. A single app, rolling out today, will control the Nest Thermostat, Nest Protect, and Nest Cam.
Nest Protect is priced at $99, with pre-orders for the device available today. Nest Cam is priced at $199.99 and is available for pre-order today.
Fairphone 2, a modular phone designed to last
If you liked the whole concept behind Google’s Project Ara, having the ability to easily swap out your phone’s components in a whim, then you’ll most likely enjoy hearing about the Fairphone 2. They’ve also introduced a modular phone, but with a different aim.
The objective with the Fairphone 2 was easy component replacement, with the purpose of making a device last. For instance, one of the pain-points we often find ourselves is dealing with a cracked screen. Fairphone says that the display on the Fairphone 2 can be replaced in under a minute, with no tools. Also, the underlying electro-mechanical components are purposely not soldered and the receiver, rear camera, and speaker only require a screwdriver to remove.
Fairphone also strived to make a robust phone, that could stand up to your brutality. Therefore, it isn’t the prettiest looking phone, but that also means it isn’t fragile. The chassis is essentially a case, protecting the valuables, and is easily replaceable. They are also producing different variation of covers, to offer different levels of protection.
As far as specs for the base config, we’re looking at:
- 5-inch 1080P display, behind Gorilla Glass 3
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC
- 2 GB of RAM
- 8 MP rear camera
- 32 GB of on-board storage, with microSD expansion
- 2,420 mAh battery
- Dual SIM slots and 4G LTE support
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
Pre-orders begin in Summer 2015 in Europe, at a price of €525 (~$590 USD), with shipments going out in the Fall.
Do you like the idea of replacing your components when they fail, or are you fine with buying an entirely new device every so often?
The post Fairphone 2, a modular phone designed to last appeared first on AndroidGuys.
LG extends deadline for G4 battery and microSD card promotion
LG has extended the deadline for its G4 promotion by roughly nine days. If you’re on the prowl for a new flagship experience and have been thinking about the G4 you’ll definitely be interested in the limited-time deal.
Buy the LG G4 from an authorized outlet and you can pick up a free battery, battery charging cradle, and a 32GB microSD card. Indeed, LG will toss all of that your way at no additional cost. It’s just their way of saying thanks for picking up one of the best devices of 2015.
Once you purchase your phone head to LG’s website, fill out the form, and submit a picture of the IMEI and your receipt.
It’s worth pointing out that this one is limited to buyers in the United States.
The post LG extends deadline for G4 battery and microSD card promotion appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Third-party app exploit reveals remote code attack vector on Samsung smartphones
Some recent security work on new Samsung smartphones will likely increase the pressure on manufacturers and carriers to dispense with preloading third-party apps. According to security researchers, they were able to figure out a way to deliver a payload capable of executing remote code via the Swift keyboard app that comes pre-installed on new Samsung devices. The vulnerability gives an attacker the ability to run code as a system user, one step shy of being root, and can be launched without input from the device’s user.
The researchers determined that Samsung, and likely other manufacturers, are running third-party apps like keyboards from a privileged context. To make this happen, apps are getting signed with manufacturer’s private signing keys. This opens the path to upstream attacks that can be triggered by events like a device reboot or an application update – any event that cause the app to go out on the Internet looking for a new file. The researchers note that attacks could be constructed using rogue Wi-Fi access points, via local area networks, or even something like DNS hijacking.
As many smartphone buyers are aware, many of the apps that end up installed on a device, including third-party apps, cannot be uninstalled and in some cases, they cannot even be disabled. Such is the case with the Swift keyboard, although they are not alone in that position and obviously, Swift did not make that decision. Sadly, the researchers can only suggest avoiding insecure Wi-Fi networks to reduce risks and to possibly use a different mobile device. More help could be forthcoming if users start contacting their carriers for information on patches or updates to address the security weakness that has been identified.
source: NowSecure
Come comment on this article: Third-party app exploit reveals remote code attack vector on Samsung smartphones
E3 2015 hub: see our mobile gaming coverage in one place
If you’re even remotely interested in gaming, you’ve probably heard about some of the announcements making the rounds these days. I don’t know, stuff like a remake of Final Fantasy VII, Fallout 4, a new Deus Ex, an expansion for Destiny, a new Hitman, Star Wars: Battlefront, just to name a few. All of these games have been showcased ahead of E3, the biggest gaming trade show in the world.
While console and PC gaming remain the main attractions, mobile gaming has carved a niche for itself at E3, and it’s only going to get bigger which each edition. That’s why we decided to attend the show for the first time, and this is where you can see our coverage.
We will be updating this post with new videos and links as they come, so keep it tuned!
Videos and hands-on
We’re live from E3!
Josh and Lanh talk about their first impressions from the show, what they look forward to see, and their sheer enthusiasm to be able to attend Electronic Entertainment Expo 2015.
Demo: Merge VR – making VR more accessible
Grushie and Lanh takes a look at Merge VR, a virtual reality headset that aims to lower the barrier of entry into the world of VR. Read our post on Merge VR here .
Demo: Dawn of Titans – control thousands of units on the battlefied
Games like the Total War series have long made it possible to control entire virtual armies in real time, in epic battles across across huge battlefields. Zynga-owned Natural Motion managed to bring some of that experience to mobile. Read our post on Dawn of Titans here.
E3 news
And here’s our coverage on the news breaking on the sidelines of E3 2015!
- Final Fantasy 7 finally going mobile!
- Titan Quest will fight its way to Android sometime this year, courtesy of DotEmu
- Kingdom Hearts Unchained Key is coming to mobile (trailer)
- Square Enix announces Lara Croft Go for mobile devices at E3 2015
- EA announces build-harvest game Minion’s Paradise, coming summer 2015
Keep an eye out for updates to this post and let us know what would you like us to cover from E3!
FCC issues AT&T a $100 million fine for quietly throttling unlimited data plans
The FCC has just issued AT&T, the United States’ second largest wireless provider, a $100 million fine for misleading customers about its definition of the term “unlimited”. According to the filing, AT&T is getting accused of two major violations: using the term “unlimited” to label a data plan that was in fact subject to prolonged data speed reductions, and failing to disclose the data speed reduction to the customers after they reached the data threshold. According to the FCC, subscribers on average receive throttled service for 12 days per billing cycle. The filing explains:
Although AT&T asserts that it has provided ample disclosures about these policies, we find that these disclosures do not cure AT&T’s apparent violations of the Open Internet Transparency Rule. AT&T’s practices deprived consumers of sufficient information to make informed choices about their broadband service and thereby impeded competition in the marketplace for such services
The FCC says that the reduced speeds, sometimes dropping down to just 256kbps or 512kbps, significantly impaired customers’ ability to use AT&T’s data service and perform basic functions.
This is the largest proposed fine in the history of the wireless carrier
Although a customer will be able to potentially send an email by using these speeds, the FCC claims that he or she may find it completely impossible to use their smartphones in ways that most people use them today, such as navigating to a location using Google Maps or using a video chat application to connect with friends and family. The report also states that a minimum download speed of 700kbps is necessary to use a video chat app, and 3.5Mbps is the minimum to watch a standard-definition television show. The commission also says that “at 512kbps, a ten megabyte file would take nearly three minutes to download. At AT&T’s widely advertised speed of 12 Mbps, it would take less than 10 seconds.”
It should be noted that this proposal is not final – the FCC only charged the wireless carrier for violating these important requirements. Of course, AT&T declined to comment on the FCC’s fine. We’ll be sure to let you know when we hear more about the situation.
Material stock Android themes coming to Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge soon
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The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are pretty fantastic devices. many of the Samsung haters are even taking a second look at this years line-up and considering it since they toned down the bloatware and made TouchWiz not so terrible. One aspect of the line-up that wasn’t present on previous versions is custom themes. They aren’t as easily created and distributed as say, Cyanogen or MIUI themes, but they are on par with Sony in terms of quality control and direct distribution. When I snagged my S6 it was the first place I looked to change the entire look and feel of the device without root and a custom ROM installed. However, many of the themes just take things a little to far for my taste. Even the Avenger themes are a bit too much for me. It would now appear that a new set of themes more tailored to what an Android enthusiast might go for are on the way.
XDA Developer cambunch announced on his XDA thread that he has been accepted as a Samsung Theme Designer and both the Material Design stock Android look in dark and in light, will be making their way to the Samsung Theme Store soon. That means that any day now they should be available for all owners to quickly install to their device. The two themes might seem simple, or seem more like a no brainer offer, to many. For those out there that don’t want to get armpits deep in rooting, flashing and playing around, these two new additions will bring a more stock look and feel to your eye balls. Hopefully Samsung will give themers a little more control with additional assets in the future, but for now, this is better than nothing.
Source: XDA Via: iTechTriad
The post Material stock Android themes coming to Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge soon appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Intel buys Recon, makers of the ‘Google Glass for fitness’
Recon Instruments is famous for two things: building the technology behind Oakley’s Airwave and the Recon Jet head-worn fitness wearable. The company has had a close relationship with Intel ever since the chip firm’s venture-capital arm threw cash at the business back in 2013. Now, however, Intel has decided that closer ties are in order, and has decided to swallow the Canadian firm wholesale in a deal that TechVibes believes is worth around $175 million.
It’s a big deal with both businesses, since Intel has a ready-made entry into the head-mounted wearables firm with a convincing alternative to Google Glass. Meanwhile, Recon can take advantage of its new owner’s hardware expertise, manufacturing and cash reserves to develop even more exciting devices. Right now, the pair are giving each other some hearty pats on the back, but expect Intel to start pushing head-mounted computing in a big way.
Filed under: Wearables
Source: Recon Instruments, Intel
AT&T faces $100 million fine for quietly throttling data speeds
Look, it’s no secret that if you’ve got a old-school unlimited data plan from AT&T, your data speeds get throttled from time to time. Alright, it might be a bit of a secret — that’s why the FCC has just announced that it plans to slap the massive telecom with a $100 million fine for “severely” slowing down users’ connection speeds without adequately notifying them of the pokier speeds they might face. In case you haven’t been keeping count, that’s the single largest proposed fine in FCC history. A senior FCC official stated that service would at times get so slow that “basic mobile applications would not function,” and that people who ran afoul of AT&T’s rules would get slower data speeds than others for an average of 12 days.
First, though, a little recap. AT&T started offering unlimited data plans to its wireless customers in 2007, and finally stopped doing so in 2010. Here’s what happened a year after that, according to the FCC:
AT&T implemented a “Maximum Bit Rate” policy and capped the maximum data speeds for unlimited customers after they used a set amount of data within a billing cycle. The capped speeds were much slower than the normal network speeds AT&T advertised and significantly impaired the ability of AT&T customers to access the Internet or use data applications for the remainder of the billing cycle.
The news comes less than a week since the FCC’s new net neutrality rules officially took effect, but this investigation has been in the works for years now. That’s why the Commission is hanging its hat on the 2010 Open Internet Order, a troubled basket of oversight that basically got torn apart by Verizon in court last year. Verizon’s near-total legal win could have almost stopped the FCC’s investigation in its tracks, but the DC circuit court that heard the case upheld the Order’s stance on customer transparency so AT&T’s. Naturally, AT&T and sympathetic commissioners like Ajit Pai contend that the telecom did disclose the slowdowns, and that the FCC just ignored them all. Thing is, senior FCC officials didn’t think the disclosures AT&T did make were sufficiently straightforward. As far as they’re concerned, AT&T could’ve talked about its throttling program left, right and center, but it would’ve been meaningless unless those disclosures made clear what unlimited customers might run into.
Filed under: Mobile
Source: FCC.gov
Robot dinos, archery and mystery in ‘Horizon: Zero Dawn’
Horizon: Zero Dawn was a bright spot of Sony’s E3 press conference, largely because it was so unexpected. It broke through the monotony of sequel and remake reveals, and it was surprising to see a new IP from Guerrilla Games, a studio that’s been dedicated to the Killzone franchise since 2004. Horizon is a post-apocalyptic action, survival and crafting game starring Aloy, a huntress and expert archer who lives in a world where nature has overrun everything man ever built — except for the robot dinosaurs. The violent, hulking, terrifying robot dinosaurs. During the game’s reveal at Sony’s conference, Aloy crouched through the brush, shot arrows through the metallic hearts of sleek silver beasts and absolutely dominated a gigantic, robotic monster. Turns out, that was only the half of it.
Aloy is special. She’s a master craftswoman and an agile hunter. She understands things about this strange, post-apocalyptic world that no one in her tribe does, and she understands physics in a way that no one else can. This means there’s an emphasis on crafting in her world, Guerrilla Games explains during Horizon‘s first-ever live, public gameplay demo.
When Aloy kills a robotic beast — whether by setting traps and tripwires, shooting it with arrows or taking it down hand-to-hand, silently — she can loot its remains for parts. She doesn’t love slaughtering these animals, even though they’re composed of metal and electricity that she needs to survive. During the live demo, Aloy creeps up on a beast called a “Watcher” and takes it down stealthily; as it dies she says, “Sorry little one.” She cares for these robots as if they were alive, and they very well might be. Aloy resides in a tribal society that knows nothing of the skyscrapers, vehicles and technological feats of humankind’s past, and these beasts are, by all appearances, sentient. In Aloy’s mind, she just slaughtered something akin to a gazelle or a deer.
There are specific types of robot animals: Watchers guard the herd and send out a screech if they see a threat, while Grazers travel in groups and carry glowing green canisters on their backs (these cans are hugely important to Aloy’s society and, in the demo, she is on a mission to collect them). Each of these creatures is roughly the size of a velociraptor, and they’re mostly harmless. Most of the Grazers, for example, will simply run away from a threat, though a few will stay behind to defend the herd. Aloy takes two down by diving away when they charge and shooting them from afar.
And then there’s the Thundermaw. Guerrilla Games breaks down some numbers for this gigantic, angry animal: It’s 80 feet long by 30 feet tall (roughly the size of an adult blue whale); it has 93 destructive elements along its body, all of which Aloy can shoot to reveal weak points; and it has 12 attacks, including a tail swipe and long-range projectiles.
The Thundermaw is huge, but Aloy is faster and she’s able to shoot arrows directly into some of its weak points. She also has electrical ammo that stuns the beast, plus trip wires that can hold it in place for a while. Aloy can also pick up weapons that fall off of the Thundermaw as she fights it. It’s a big, fierce battle. When Aloy wins, it’s truly triumphant.
There’s much more mystery in Horizon. Guerrilla has crafted an expansive, fully explorable world — Aloy can travel to every point she sees, including to the tops of distant mountains, the studio says. By the time Horizon launches in 2016 for PlayStation 4, we’ll probably have more answers about Aloy’s role in her society, the world in which she resides and the robot dinosaurs that she’s fighting — but we probably still won’t know the half of it.
AIVAnet 