T-Mobile customers can use iOS 9 beta’s Continuity over cellular
The Continuity feature that allows you to continue text convos and calls across devices used to require those gadgets to be on the same WiFi network. With the iOS 9 beta, though, the functionality can be used over cellular and T-Mobile is the first to flip the switch for its customers. The tool allows users to send texts and make calls from your iPad or Yosemite-equipped Mac if you don’t have that iPhone handy — so long as you also have the iOS 9 beta software installed, of course. If you aren’t the adventurous type and want sit out the public beta, you can rest easy knowing that the feature will arrive for everyone when the final version of the mobile OS becomes available later this year. And yes, we’d imagine other carriers will follow suit shortly.
Nikola Labs launches Kickstarter for S6 case that charges your phone from wasted radio waves
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Last month there was a lot of talk about a case from Nikola Labs. The case in question was one that was built for the iPhone 6 and was more than a pipe dream. CEO, Will Zell debuted a fully functional prototype that charged the iPhone 6 without the need for traditional power from a battery bank or wall outlet. Today the company is launching a Kickstarter campaign to bring the new technology to market and, with such an overwhelming response to the technology, they are also bringing a case for the Galaxy S6.
In the simplest form, the case captures RF waves, like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and LTE, and converts that into usable DC power that is pushed back into the device’s battery. It isn’t going to keep your device at 100% all day every day, but the company says that you will save around 30% of your battery’s life with the case on. Essentially it will slow the battery depletion and give your device the ability to last longer on a single charge.
Product Features
The Nikola phone case increases battery life by slowing the rate at which the phone’s internal battery discharges and does this:
- Without impacting data transmission rates or call quality
- With no supplemental batteries, allowing the case to be significantly slimmer than typical powered cases
- While providing a layer of protection through its lightweight, high-strength polycarbonate material offered in a variety of colors
- With easy access to the headphone jack and charging port
The Kickstarter campaign is live and you help back the product starting at $99. That will get you either the iPhone 6 case or one for the Samsung Galaxy S6. At the time of this announcement they have a tentative shipping date of February 2016.
Nikola Labs will be expanding the product line with plans to create internet routers that will also be captured by the case to charge the battery. I was actually reading about this earlier this week where tests with a simple firmware update to a variety of routers was able to charge devices while within Wi-Fi range. While still in its early phases, it is cool none the less. Pretty soon we won’t need to hug the wall or carry around battery banks. I, for one, am pretty excited to see how it all comes together over the next couple of years.
Interested in backing the project? Head over to the Nikola Labs Kickstarter page now.
The post Nikola Labs launches Kickstarter for S6 case that charges your phone from wasted radio waves appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
No USB Type-C ports for Sony phones in near future
USB Type-C ports may be the future of mobile devices but Sony doesn’t think that the market is ready for them yet. While the Japanese company is investigating the viability of USB Type-C, it is not planning to put them in its phones or tablets any time soon.
“Of course we’re investigating (USB Type-C),” said Takeshi Nitta, Sony’s program manager, during a technology workshop in Taipei on Tuesday.
USB Type-C is considered superior to the current USB technology as it can play multiple roles including data transfer, faster charging, charging external devices and even doubling up as HDMI port for video output.
Since USB Type C connectors provide all-in-one functionality, they allow devices to be slimmer and sleeker. However, Nitta said that instead of using USB Type-C Sony is focusing more on reducing the thickness of camera modules and displays to cut down the flab.
Source: Focus Taiwan
Via: Xperia Blog
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Leak hints at a curvier BlackBerry Passport
Whatever you think of the BlackBerry Passport’s oddball aspect ratio or software, there’s no denying that the original design had rough edges… or rather, corners. That squarish handset might not dig into your hands and legs for much longer, though. N4BB claims to have photos of the Oslo, a “re-do” of the Passport that softens the design even beyond what you saw in the AT&T model. It’s curvier all around, and it appears to have a slightly more compact plastic frame that’s (hopefully) easier to fit into your pocket.
To be clear, this wouldn’t be a Passport 2 — you’d still get the familiar Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM and 13-megapixel rear camera. Instead, it’d be intended as a Passport for regions where the one-of-a-kind device is harder to find, such as Asia-Pacific. That probably wouldn’t please you if you’re a BlackBerry die-hard who wants genuinely new gear, but it would suggest that the company still sees plenty of demand for its squarish smartphone.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Blackberry
Via: Forbes
Source: N4BB
Don’t spill your mead in the new ‘Hearthstone’ Tavern Brawl mode
Hearthstone, the massively popular digital card game from Blizzard, is getting a new mode that pits players against each other, one-on-one, in weekly battles with special rules. The mode is called Tavern Brawl and it’s due to launch in mid-June. Tavern Brawl allows players to battle strangers or friends, though only for a limited time each week. “One week might feature preset decks, while another week could have you crafting a brand new Tavern Brawl deck following specific guidelines, while others might offer buffs to specific minion types-who knows!” Blizzard writes.
Tavern Brawl will be free “when the new mode becomes available” — which could imply charges in the future — and players will need at least a level-20 Hero before joining the fray. Otherwise, Tavern Brawl hits Hearthstone in patch 2.7 later this month. Also in that update, grab some customizable decks and new Heroes.
Huh, that’s new! #Hearthstone pic.twitter.com/zpA0McRqha
– Hearthstone (@PlayHearthstone) June 8, 2015
Source: Battle.net
Razer might soon acquire OUYA, report says
Ever since OUYA launched back in 2013, the Android-based gaming console has had a tough time proving itself worthy in the video game industry. But the company’s financial woes may be over very soon, at least if a recent report proves true. According to CNET, Razer, the computer and accessories maker, is supposedly in talks to purchase OUYA. While the deal is not yet set in stone, CNET’s sources say, the two companies are discussing ways to bring OUYA’s staff onboard.
Back in 2012, OUYA raised roughly $8.6 million though a Kickstarter campaign to help bring to market its inexpensive Android micro-console complete with a library of free-to-try games. Once it launched to consumers in 2013, the console, video game library and controller accumulated a ton of poor reviews from the gaming industry. Then in January 2015, we got word that OUYA would potentially be sold to Alibaba for around $10 million, so we’ve known that times have been rough for the company for some time now.
Nothing is confirmed about the sale quite yet, but I’m sure it wouldn’t surprise anyone the deal ends up going through. We’ll be sure to let you know if we hear any confirmation.
Audi CEO worries that Google could use its self-driving cars to abuse your privacy
People have been becoming more aware of Google’s self-driving car initiative over the past few months, especially with the company now beginning to report a number of driverless car accidents to the public. But now that software is becoming more important when talking about the construction of automobiles, questions are being raised about who exactly should have access to the data generated from driverless cars. According to a report from Re/code, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has some strong feelings on the subject.
At a business event on Tuesday in Berlin attended by Google’s Eric Schmidt, Stadler worried:
A car is one’s second living room today – that’s private. The only person who needs access to the data onboard is the customer.
You see, Google has been trying to cozy up to German car manufacturers over the past few months in hopes to build partnerships for the future. The problem is, Germany’s automobile industry has a very distinct view on the privacy of the cars they produce, which could obviously pose a problem for Google. Stadler goes on to explain, “The customer wants to be at the focus, and does not want to be exploited.”
These types of arguments are to be expected, though, when talking about connected cars. This isn’t the first time folks have raised concerns about Google and the way it handles privacy, and it certainly won’t be the last.
ZTE and AVG teaming up to provide AVG AntiVirus Pro on all new ZTE phones
Smartphone manufacturer ZTE and antivirus company AVG have announced a new partnership that will ship AVG’s AntiVirus Pro software on all new ZTE phones going forward. The antivirus app will offer its full feature set for 60 days, after which users can pay for an annual subscription or continue using the free version of the software.
Antivirus on Android phones is a tricky topic, especially since there’s not much overwhelming evidence that anyone actually needs it. Google does a pretty good job of keeping malicious apps out of the Play Store, so your only risk would be from downloading apps from an outside source. I can’t imagine that happens too often for most people.
Do you use any antivirus apps on your smartphone, or have you ever had any issues with malware on any of your Android devices? Let us know in the comments, and if you’re interested in reading ZTE and AVG’s press release, you can find that below.
via: Android Central
AMSTERDAM – June 9, 2015 – AVG® TechnologiesN.V. (NYSE: AVG), the online security company™ for more than 200 million monthly active users, announced today a new global partnership with leading telecommunications equipment, networks and mobile devices company, ZTE, to become a provider of mobile security across its range of devices. From May 2015, ZTE smartphones and tablets come pre-installed with AVG’s flagship AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android™ app, giving ZTE customers the peace of mind that they have protection on their mobile devices.
“For many of us, our smartphones have become the primary device that we spend most time with, but ensuring mobile security can sometimes be an afterthought,” said Ms. Wang Xuemei, Business Manager at ZTE. “Our customers will be able to rely on our partnership with AVG to help take the worry out of connecting to their favorite websites, apps and using online services through their ZTE smartphones and tablets. We are committed to mobile security and strive to provide the best mobile experience possible to all of our users.”
Under the terms of the partnership, ZTE customers will receive a free, 60-day trial of the AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android™ app. After the trial, they can either choose to keep the enhanced features by purchasing the annual subscription or retain AVG AntiVirus FREE for Android™, which still ensures their smartphone or tablet will have core protection.
“There’s huge momentum in the adoption of mobile services in key emerging markets. The flipside of this growth is that it attracts attention – for example, we recently identified a new vulnerability in a popular app that could easily be exploited by hackers to become malicious,” said David Ferguson, Senior Vice President, Revenue & Business Operations, AVG Technologies. “As we focus on helping to secure people, devices, and data across the globe, this partnership will ensure that new and existing mobile users have peace of mind by being protected from the outset, whether simply enjoying their favorite games or using useful online tools for banking or shopping.”
June 9, 2015
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Gmail app gets Oauth support for Yahoo! and Microsoft mail accounts
Google’s Gmail app for Android has gotten some extra new security features that will be very important for those of you using a Yahoo! or Microsoft account. The new update brings Oauth support for both accounts, bringing the security of using those email addresses closer to what you’ll typically experience with Gmail.
Oauth allows users to take advantage of two-step authentication and Google’s account recovery process, both of which are staple security features in 2015. If you use either a Yahoo! or Microsoft mail account in your Gmail app, keep an eye out for this update over the next few days.
source: Gmail (Google+)
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Duolingo valued at $470 million after new $45 million investment round
Duolingo, the free app that helps you quickly learn a new language, has announced that they’ve received a new round of investor funding led by Google Capital. This round ended up at around $45 million, bringing the company’s total funds raised to $83.3 million. Duolingo says its valuation now sits at around $470 million.
The service has more than 100 million global users, and Duolingo claims that more people are using its app to learn new languages than the entire US public school system. That’s a pretty impressive feat.
During the announcement, Duolingo didn’t announce how they were planning on scaling their business to actually begin turning a profit. A spokesperson did say that the company sees itself as more of an educational tool than a business, however, and bringing an easy way for people to educate themselves and learn a new language was their primary goal right now.
Duolingo is frequently featured in Google’s top picks section of the Play Store. Have any of you had an experience with the service?
source: TechCrunch
Come comment on this article: Duolingo valued at $470 million after new $45 million investment round
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