iOS 9 Extends Continuity Phone Call Features to Cellular Connections
With iOS 8, Apple introduced Continuity, a set of features that allow iOS devices and Macs to interface in new ways. One of the Continuity features allows the iPad and the Mac to receive both text messages and phone calls, so long as your devices, including your iPhone, are all on the same Wi-Fi network.
In iOS 9, accepting phone calls or text messages on your iPad or Mac routed from your iPhone is getting even better, with the addition of cellular support. With iOS 9, your iPhone no longer needs to be on the same network as your iPad or Mac for call forwarding to work.
That means an iPhone can continue to forward calls to a Mac or an iPad even when it’s in an entirely different physical location. So, for example, if you forget your iPhone at home, you can continue to receive incoming calls on your Mac while at work, so long as your Mac is connected to a Wi-Fi network.
The feature is tied to Wi-Fi calling, and as noted by The Verge, T-Mobile is the first U.S. carrier to support cellular Continuity. In iOS 9, T-Mobile devices have Phone settings that can be toggled on to allow calls on other devices.
“Wi-Fi calling for other devices allows other devices signed into your iCloud account to make and receive calls using your carrier account even when your iPhone is not nearby,” reads the description of the feature.
On phones from other carriers, this setting reads differently: “Use your iPhone cellular connection to make and receive calls on devices signed into your iCloud account when they are nearby and on Wi-Fi.”
Developers running iOS 9 who use T-Mobile can access this feature immediately, and beta testers will receive access in July, when iOS 9 is provided to public beta testers. It is not known if other carriers will implement support for cellular Continuity before iOS 9 launches in the fall.
Signs of Apple Music Begin Showing Up in iOS 8.4 Beta Music App
As of this afternoon, many developers and public beta testers running the latest iOS 8.4 beta are seeing popups for Apple’s upcoming Apple Music service within the Music app.
When opening the app, there’s a popup for Apple Music that prompts users to start a three month free trial. Tapping on that option leads to another screen that lets users choose either an individual plan for $9.99 for a family plan for $14.99, but there’s no way to actually sign up for a plan. Choosing a plan simply grays out the option and does not allow users to progress further in the signup process.
These options have been showing up for some users since the latest iOS 8.4 beta was seeded yesterday morning, but many more users are now seeing signs of the Apple Music service as Apple begins to implement backend tools to support subscription signups at launch.
Apple Music will launch on June 30 as part of iOS 8.4, and it will be built into the Music app. The full Apple Music experience includes an on-demand streaming music service, the Beats 1 radio station, and Apple Connect, a social networking service connecting fans and artists.
Apple WWDC 2015 vs Google I/O 2015 – Who came out on top?
N
ow the dust has settled from the two biggest developer conferences of the year and time has passed enough to digest the products and features that were released, just who came out on top in the battle between Apple and Google?
To evaluate this very question, data has been pulled from around the web and social networks and analytics performed on the hype created by the announcements at WWDC 2015 and Google I/O 2015.
Google I/O 2015 vs Apple WWDC 2015
- Overall WWDC was the event generating far more online visibility on the web, mobile, and social media. There was 154% more digital consumption around WWDC on June 8 than there was around Google I/O on May 28.
- Looking at Twitter, there was 674,120 Tweets around Google and concepts and hashtags relating to Google i/O on May 28. On June 28, there was 1,146,672 Tweets around Apple and concepts and hashtags relating to WWDC. There was 70% more real-time interest around the WWDC keynote than there was around the Google I/O keynote.
- The introduction of Android Pay was definitely the biggest headline of Google I/O as the service generating 76,400 Tweets in May 28. Android M, the latest version of the Android OS generating 32,600 Tweets on May 28, while Google Photos, a new photo sharing service received 28,200 Tweets on the day. Brillo, a new Internet of Things operating system, generated 10,900 Tweets on May 28; with Google Play generating 6,530 Tweets in part around the announcement that it would be supporting HBO Now.
- Meanwhile over the entire June 8, iPad ended up being the WWDC announcement generating the most interest, with the device, largely around the introduction of multitasking, receiving 145,782 Tweets on the day. That edged out, Apple Music, the new music streaming service which generating 111,519 Tweets on June 8. The upcoming iOS 9 was mentioned in 60,822 Tweets; while the new and improved Siri accounted for 28,422 Tweets. The new X El Capitan Mac OS generated 22,626 Tweets on the day.
We can also look at the Twitter activity that Google I/O 2015 generated around the various features that were announced, with the clear winner being Android Pay as generating the most buzz.
Whilst the numbers speak for themselves in demonstrating that WWDC 2015 was the more hyped event, this is often the case of Apple events but not necessarily correlated to the significance of the features announced, which Google arguably prevailed.
But we want to hear from you, the creators of the hype – Are the numbers of social activity of Google I/O 2015 simply not as high as WWDC 2015 because everyone was busy watching and digesting it than tweeting about it?
Sound off in the comments below.
The post Apple WWDC 2015 vs Google I/O 2015 – Who came out on top? appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Blu launches new Life series of devices direct to consumers
Today Blu Products let the cat out of the bag on their new Life series phones, the Life One and Life 8 XL. Blu has been making a name for themselves over the past few years with low-cost, bang-for-your-buck offerings. They’re getting aggressive with this launch, having partnered with Amazon for an exclusive 9 day pre-sale.
Blu Life One (2015)
The retail price of the new Blu Life One will be $149.00. However, if you pre-order on Amazon through June 19th, you can grab the Life One for $50 less, at $99.00.
One would not expect much for this price, but Blu believes it packed in all the important factors to make this device great. Let’s look at what you get:
- 5.0″ 720p (294 ppi) IPS LCD display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC (quad-core, 1.2 GHz, 64-bit, Mali-450 GPU)
- 1 GB RAM
- 8 GB internal storage with support for micro-sd expansion (up to 64 GB)
- 13 MP rear (Sony IMX135 sensor) and 5 MP front cameras
- 2820 mAh battery (non-removable)
- GSM-only network capability with LTE
- Android 4.4.2 (KitKat), upgradable to Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
The two red flags I spot in the spec list are the 720p resolution and 1 GB RAM. More so the latter, because low RAM can lag the OS. But at just $99, this is a killer deal! But bear in mind that there is no CDMA network support, so if you’re on Verizon, Sprint, Boost, or Virgin, you need to look elsewhere.
Blu Life 8 XL
The Life 8 XL is a larger successor to the Life 8. A lot of the specs are the same as new Life One, with the following exceptions:
- 5.5″ display (same 720p IPS LCD, at 268 ppi)
- MediaTek MT6592 SoC (octa-core, 1.4 GHz, Mali-450 GPU)
- 8 MP rear and 2 MP front cameras
- 2920 mAh removable battery
Interestingly, the larger Life 8 XL runs $20 cheaper than the Life One (maybe due to the lower-costing MediaTek processor and inferior cameras), at a retail price of $129.00. The pre-sale on the Amazon product page will run from June 22nd through June 30th, at a price of just $79!
These devices should most definitely be on your radar if you’re on a tight budget and need a new Android phone. But you’d be silly not to expect some cut corners. These phones are meant to get the job done, without burning a hole in your wallet.
The post Blu launches new Life series of devices direct to consumers appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Space Sex: PornHub wants $3.4 million to make orbital whoopie
Despite the associated physical difficulties of boinking in orbit, PornHub recently started an IndieGoGo campaign raising funds for the world’s first space-based sex scene. The online pornography clearinghouse is seeking to raise $3.4 million over the next 60 days in order to send up AV stars Eva Lovia and Johnny Sins. The crowdfunding campaign’s funds will go towards shuttle transportation and video equipment with the company reportedly footing the rest of the bill. “This will be a grand experiment in learning how intercourse works after penetrating the Earth’s atmosphere,” Corey Price, vice president of Pornhub, said in a statement.
If the campaign is successful, the pair is slated to lift off sometime in 2016. And to ensure that it is, Pornhub is offering a wide variety of donor rewards including everything from the set’s props to the stars’ underwear. The effort has raised $1300 as of the time of this article’s publication so if you want to see two attractive people awkwardly attempt to bang in zero G’s, you know what you have to do.
[Image Credit: Archive Holdings Inc.]
Filed under: Science
Via: Venture Beat
Source: PornHub (IndieGoGo)
Sony’s new point-and-shoot is the point-and-shoot to end all point-and-shoots
A well-worn techie cliché asserts the best camera is the one you’ve got with you, and that usually means the smartphone sitting in your pocket. Not so fast. Sony just pulled back the curtain on its latest pocket-friendly camera — the RX100 IV — and it’s basically the point-and-shoot to end all point-and-shoots. Just know that you’ll have to shell out some serious cash for the privilege: This thing’ll hit store shelves in July for a hefty $969. If you’ve fiddled around with Sony’s pint-size RX shooters before, you won’t find any dramatic design changes; the RX100 is a still a tiny, dark aluminum box with a 24-70mm f/1.8 lens that leaps out with gusto when you turn the thing on. It’s plenty light and squeezes into even a tight pair of jeans without trouble, just watch out for the lens’ telltale bulge. Really though, you’re not buying this thing for its looks. Sony drew at least a little inspiration from smartphones when it plopped a 1-inch, stacked CMOS sensor setup into this thing — it allows for smaller camera bodies (not that the Mk.IV is tinier than its predecessor) and captures photos at resolutions up to 16.8 megapixels.
Now, I’ve been referring to this thing as a point-and-shoot, but that’s a comparison based more on size and shape than it is on performance; you won’t find another pocketable camera that can shoot with shutter speeds as quick as 1/32,000th of a second. The shutter action is oddly quiet too (especially to a guy who does 95 percent of his shooting on an SLR), which Sony seems proud of. Your next barbecue won’t sound like a paparazzi war zone. The whole thing feels tight and snappy, too, thanks to the internals — whipping through menus was quick if a little unintuitive, and more importantly, there was basically no downtime between photos.
So yeah, it’ll fit in your clothes and takes photos that’d make your phone cry (had some macabre device maker kitted it out with tear ducts). The really neat stuff comes into play once you start using the thing as a video camera. Sony claims it’ll shoot near-broadcast-quality 4K video for five minutes at a time, and can record slow-motion video at up to 960 frames per second. This is the part where I wanted to dump a gallery of test photos or slo-mo video taken with the Mk. IV, but — surprise, surprise — Sony was having none of that. Still, seeing exactly how a bald, sleight-of-hand artist pulled off his card tricks in startlingly crisp slow motion was probably the highlight of my morning. The rest of us might have written off tiny cameras that aren’t smartphones, but Sony’s sensor and design chops argue pretty strongly that we’ve been too hasty. Obviously, there’s still plenty more to dig into here and I’ve had all of a half hour to play with the thing — stay tuned for more nuanced impressions once we get a little more review time in.
Carriers sue City of Berkeley to inhibit radiation warning requirement on cell phones
The City of Berkeley, California is currently getting sued by the biggest wireless industry trade group regarding the blockade of a new ordinance that might spread some unwarranted fear to consumers. The Berkeley City Council last month passed an ordinance, which you can read here, that would require retailers to include a notice with the purchase or lease of all cell phones claiming that carrying a phone inside their pockets or bras may potentially exceed federal safety limits.
Filed by CTIA – The Wireless Association on Monday, the lawsuit claims that while Berkeley may be entitled to its unfounded opinions, the ordinance requires retailers to force a misleading, controversial, and government-crafted statement upon consumers regarding the “safety” of cell phones. CTIA’s suit goes on to explain that Berkeley’s ordinance is not only “baseless and alarmist”, but also undermines the government’s ruling that cell phones are safe for everyone.
Read more: Are smartphones really harmful to our health?
Now, the government didn’t approve cell phone usage for everyone just based on its opinion. These claims are backed up by proven facts, validated by the FCC, WHO and other organizations. The lawsuit goes on to say:
The (FCC) implements a mandate from Congress to create a nationwide, uniform set of regulations for wireless communications devices. Pursuant to that mandate, the FCC—consulting with expert federal health and safety agencies and drawing from international standards-setting bodies—has carefully reviewed the scientific studies that have examined cell phones for possible adverse health effects, including health effects from the radio waves—a type of radiofrequency energy—that cell phones emit in order to function. The FCC has determined, consistent with the overwhelming consensus of scientific authority, that “[t]here is no scientific evidence that proves that wireless phone usage can lead to cancer or a variety of other problems, including headaches, dizziness or memory loss.”
It should be noted that the trade group used a similar argument to revoke a San Francisco ordinance back in 2013.
Just last month, we told you about the potential “dangers” cell phones can have on our bodies when kept in a pocket or a bra. As it turns out, there isn’t a whole lot that people should be worried about when it comes to cell phone radiation. The FCC and the World Health Organization have shown time and time again that there is no solid evidence that cell phone radiation causes cancer or any other problems. Even so, according to The San Francisco Chronicle, Berkeley isn’t planning on giving up anytime soon:
Berkeley officials said they were confident the ordinance would be upheld. Councilman Max Anderson, the measure’s lead sponsor, said the warning language was taken directly from manufacturers’ statements in product manuals. Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig, helped to draft the ordinance and has agreed to defend it without charge.
“I believe Berkeley has a right to assure its residents know of the existing safety recommendations,” Lessig said by e-mail.
Until there is further evidence that displays even a shred of possibility that cell phone radiation can hurt us, ordinances like Berkeley’s will likely not be upheld. I understand that it’s the job of the government/FCC/other regulatory associations to protect the people, but is it really protecting them if the labels are instilling more fear than necessary? We’ll have to wait for a verdict to find out for sure.
‘The Bumper’ Review: Apple Watch Case Offers Ample Protection but Some Bulk [iOS Blog]
While charging stands of various designs have proven to be popular accessories for Apple Watch users, a perhaps lesser known category of accessories revolves around protecting the Apple Watch while wearing it.
One of these accessories is Actionproof’s “The Bumper,” a tight-fitting silicone sleeve that promises to protect your new Apple wearable from all the trips and spills made in everyday life. The Bumper may also provide some protection in extreme environments, with the bumper itself offering high resistance to UV radiation, ozone, outdoor exposure, extreme cold (minimum -40°C) and hot (maximum 120°C) temperatures, and basic chemical and abrasion combatants.
Positives
The good thing about The Bumper is that it does what it sets out to do. When placed safely around the 42mm Apple Watch case, The Bumper doesn’t move or jostle throughout the day. It’s a perfect fit for the wearable, with cutouts for the Digital Crown, microphone, speaker, and heart rate sensor. One of the only protective cases to cover the Digital Crown, The Bumper does so with a bracketed slice of silicone that bisects over the Crown, leaving an open space for your finger to manipulate and scroll the knob regardless of which wrist and orientation the watch is worn on.
The small piece covering the Digital Crown makes it so pressing on the button is still manageable, though not quite as easy as without The Bumper. And although a few phone conversations had over the Watch with The Bumper went smoothly, I felt my Apple Watch needed a closer positioning to my face than usual to both hear the conversation and provide ample speaking volume for the person to whom I was speaking. They, on the other hand, remarked no noticeable dip in quality or volume throughout the call.
Read more 
OS X El Capitan to Bring New Safari Extensions Gallery as Part of Unified $99 Developer Program
Apple earlier this week announced a new consolidated Apple Developer Program for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Safari, combining the previously separate iOS, OS X and Safari Dev Programs into one for a single $99 annual fee. The change should place more emphasis on and increase the security of Safari extensions, but some developers have voiced their frustrations about the new fee.
In particular, developers will now be required to pay $99 per year to distribute Safari extensions through the new Safari Extensions Gallery. Comparatively, the old standalone Safari Dev Program was free and did not charge developers a fee to distribute Safari extensions within or outside of the Safari Extensions Gallery. Chrome and other browsers also do not charge a fee to distribute extensions.
Reddit user honestbleeps shared the email Apple sent to Safari developers:
“Dear Developer,
As a creator of Safari Extensions, you’ve helped enrich the browsing experience for Safari users by taking advantage of development resources through the Safari Developer Program. This program is now part of the new Apple Developer Program, which combines everything you need to develop, distribute, and manage your apps on all Apple platforms.
Your existing Safari Developer Program membership will remain active until July 8, 2015 and your Safari extensions will continue to work for existing users.
You can continue building Safari extensions and bring your creativity to other Apple platforms by joining the Apple Developer Program. Join today to provide updates to your current extensions, build new extensions, and submit your extensions to the new Safari Extensions Gallery for OS X El Capitan. You can also learn how to extend your coding skills to create innovative new apps for Apple customers around the world.”
Apple aims to improve the security of Safari on OS X El Capitan by implementing Secure Extension Distribution, meaning that all extensions in the Safari Extensions Gallery will now be hosted and signed by Apple. Safari extensions installed from the Safari Extensions Gallery will be updated automatically, while those distributed outside of the Gallery are ineligible for automatic updating.
Apple has created a page for developers to submit Safari extensions for OS X El Capitan in the fall, and developers can read both the Safari Extensions Review Guidelines and Safari Extensions Development Guide to prepare. Safari extensions available now will continue working for current users, and existing Safari Developer Program memberships will remain active until July 8, 2015.
Safari 9.0 will also feature content blocking extensions for both iOS and OS X, providing users with a fast and efficient way to block cookies, images, resources, pop-ups and other content. Xcode includes a Content Blocker App Extension template that contains code for developers to send their JSON files to Safari that specifies which content should be blocked. A full Safari 9.0 changelog is in the Safari Developer Library.
‘Hyrule Warriors’ hacks and slashes its way to 3DS
Hyrule Warriors, the Zelda-themed hack-and-slash game that hit Wii U in 2014, is on its way to 3DS, according to a new Japanese trailer. The 3DS version comes from Wii U developers Omega Force and Team Ninja, and of course Japanese publisher Koei Tecmo. It looks like the pirate Tetra and the King of Hyrule are playable characters in the 3DS edition, and the final frames of the new trailer suggest compatibility with the Wii U version. The video’s title says, “Announced at E3,” and you better believe we’ll break out all of the Hylian information directly from the show, which runs from June 16th to 18th. In the meantime, we’ve reached out to Nintendo for more information about Hyrule Warriors on 3DS.
Source: YouTube
AIVAnet 