Toyota takes orders for its hydrogen-fueled Mirai on July 20th
If you’re fortunate enough to live in one of the California burgs where Toyota will deliver the Mirai this October, you now know just when and where you can pull the trigger. Toyota says that it’ll start taking American requests for the hydrogen fuel cell car through its website on July 20th. And we mean only through the website — dealers will “explore” the $57,000 sale with you and hand over the keys if you commit, but you can’t simply walk in and get a vehicle. It’s just as well. The automaker only expects to sell 3,000 Mirais in the US by the end of 2017, so you’d be hard-pressed to get one if you had to compete with the same people test-driving Camrys and Priuses.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Autoblog
Source: Toyota
How to join NASA’s festivities as New Horizons flies by Pluto
In a few hours, at 7:49 AM Eastern time, the New Horizons probe will fly 7,750 miles above the surface of Pluto, something no other spacecraft has accomplished before. Unfortunately, we can’t fly with the probe as it swoops in on the dwarf planet, but we can celebrate with NASA when it happens. The agency will hold a live webcast for the event starting at 7:30AM, which you can watch in the video below the fold. After the countdown to the flyby, NASA will unveil one of the closest photos of Pluto humanity has ever taken between 8 and 9AM.
Take note that the spacecraft will get a full view of the planet’s heart-shaped region during its trip, so it will likely capture the first clear photo of that crater, as well. In addition, New Horizons is expected to beam back lots of data that will help us get to know Pluto a lot better. It’s already managed to gather enough info to confirm that the planet is 1,473 miles in diameter, for instance, proving that it’s larger than previous estimates. You can see its size in the image above compared to its biggest moon, Charon.
Google, by the way, has launched a new Doodle that shows in a simple animated sequence how the flyby is supposed to go — just visit google.com to watch it. But if you need something more substantial, NASA’s Eye app for Mac and PC can show you a simulation of the flight, including a view that lets you see through the eyes of the probe. We’ll keep you updated on the spacecraft’s momentous flight, so make sure to check back later.
[Image credit: NASA-JHUAPL-SWRI]
Filed under: Science
Via: Space
Source: NASA (Pluto Time), NASA’s Eyes, NASA (Pluto’s size)
Apple Pay goes live in the UK: Here’s how to use it
It’s been a while coming, but Apple Pay is now live in the UK. If you own an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, or an Apple Watch connected to an older iPhone, you now have the option of paying for purchases without cards or cash. But how do you set it up, where can you use it, and how much can you spend? These are all questions you might, quite rightfully, need answering before you even think about going on an iPhone-fuelled spending spree. That’s where we come in. We’ve put together a handy cheat sheet that explains all you need to know about Apple Pay in the UK. Read on to learn more.
What does it do?
Apple Pay is a service that allows you to buy things in physical stores, as well as in apps and online. Inside the latest iPhones is an NFC chip that can wirelessly communicate with payment terminals in hundreds of thousands of shops all over the UK. Once you’ve paired a credit or debit card to your Apple Pay account, you can simply touch your iPhone against a card reader and approve the purchase with your fingerprint. That’s it, job done.
Developers and online retailers can also incorporate Apple Pay checkout buttons into their apps and websites. Instead of wading through a complicated payment form, you can hit the Apple Pay button and immediately charge whatever you’re buying to a card connected to your account.
How do I set it up?
First, you’ll need to update to the latest version of iOS. Once you have that, you’re all set.
Next up is adding your cards. The majority of UK banks are on board, including Lloyds, Halifax, Natwest, HSBC, Santander, Royal Bank of Scotland, American Express, Nationwide, First Direct and TSB. However, not all will be available on day one (see graphic below). On your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, open the Passbook app and tap the + icon next to Apple Pay in the top-right corner. If you already have a card bound to your iTunes account, you’ll be prompted to input its three-digit CVV code and it’ll automatically be added.
For new cards, you’ll be asked to snap a photo of the card you want to add with the iPhone’s camera. You might need to add a few extra bits of information (including the three-digit security code), which your bank will then verify. What you need to enter manually will depend on which bank you’re with, but once you’ve completed the verification process, you’re ready to use Apple Pay.
Note: As Apple Pay rolls out, you may find that the option takes a while to display in Passbook. To force it through, change your iPhone’s language to United States in Settings – General – Language & Region and add your debit or credit cards. Once you’ve added them, simply switch back to the UK and the cards you have added will remain available.
Where can I use it?
While Apple Pay is a proprietary technology, the contactless platform it supports has been widely adopted by retailers up and down the country. By that, we mean you can use your iPhone to make purchases in any high street store that supports contactless payments, just like you would with a contactless card. If you see one of the following icons, you know you can pay with your phone:
In June, Apple announced it had partnered with a number of big name brands for Apple Pay. Lidl, M&S, the Post Office, McDonald’s, Boots, Costa, Waitrose, Pret, Subway, KFC, Nando’s, New Look and Starbucks are among the supporting retailers, with more expected to back it in the coming months. Transport for London is also on board, so you to pay your bus, train and Tube fare by tapping your phone on the readers at the gates, as you would an Oyster card. Companies like Argos, Domino’s, British Airways, Just Eat, Ocado and Hailo will also let you use Apple Pay inside their apps.
How much can I spend?
This is where things get interesting. You see, Apple Pay facilitates payments of any amount, since Touch ID fingerprint authentication is as secure as confirming a transaction by entering a PIN code. However, because it’s a contactless technology, it will (at least to begin with) be beholden to the same rules as contactless cards. That means that many retailers will limit your iPhone payments to £20 (rising to £30 in September).
This won’t always be the case, though. The contactless limit will only be enforced on older payment terminals. Some outlets may have the necessary hardware installed to handle larger sums from today, but many won’t, so don’t assume your iPhone will be omnipotent right away.
How do I pay?
Luckily, the iPhone knows when you want to pay for something using Apple Pay. If the terminal supports contactless payments, simply hold your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus about an inch from the contactless reader with your finger resting on the Touch ID (home button). If you use your finger to unlock your phone, you’ll know exactly what to do.
What about my Apple Watch?
Apple Pay on your smartwatch is very similar to using it on an iPhone. The Watch must already be paired with an iPhone 5 or newer (you don’t need an iPhone with you to pay) and it must also have a passcode set (for security reasons).
Despite their link, Apple won’t let you copy the cards your iPhone already has on file. That means you’ll have to add them again using the Apple Watch app on your handset and go through the same prompts as we’ve noted above.
If you’re out and you’re ready to pay for something using your Apple Watch, double-click the side power button (below the crown) to select which card you’d like to use. Tilt your wrist towards the contactless terminal until you feel the watch vibrate and hear a quiet beep. Get that feedback and you’ll know your payment has been successful.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile, Apple
Facebook Working on ‘Moneypenny’ Personal Assistant for Messenger
Thus far, virtual personal assistants like Siri, Google Now and Cortana have been part of an effort to differentiate mobile platforms like iOS and Android. Facebook, however, is working on bringing virtual personal assistants to its Messenger app and the web, according to The Information.
Facebook’s offering, which is codenamed “Moneypenny” after the assistant character in the James Bond franchise, will allow users to ask real people for help to research and purchase products and services. Moneypenny will be able to help users with other tasks, but it’s unclear what those tasks could be. It’s also unknown when Moneypenny could launch.
In recent months Facebook has been working on turning Messenger into a platform, opening up the service to third-party iOS app integration and allowing developers to build apps for the service. Additionally, Facebook previewed the ability for users to be able to message businesses directly to receive updates and shipping confirmations about their online orders as well as the ability to ask free-form questions about orders from within the app.
Facebook Messenger is available for free on the App Store [Direct Link]
Nokia is back in the smartphone game, but says “it’s complicated”
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In a statement made by Nokia spokesperson Robert Morlino today, its been confirmed that Nokia is back in the smartphone game, but adds that “it’s complicated”. For anyone not up to date on the status of the once great mobile phone maker, Nokia sold its Devices & Services to Microsoft last year, which took all of Nokia’s formidable “manufacturing, marketing and channel distribution capabilities” away. While Nokia still has services running under its brand name, and intends to “guide the design and technology differentiation” of its future smartphones, it’s not quite enough to be entering the smartphone market again, at least, not alone.
To this, Nokia says that the best way to re-enter the market is through brand-licencing i.e. working with someone who will take care of all the things that were sold to Microsoft, though its specified that this partner must be “world-class”, and gives the Nokia N1 as a prime example of this. Of course, the overarching context to this return to the smartphone market is that Nokia signed an agreement with Microsoft not to re-enter the market before Q4 2016, so we have some time before we see anything Nokia branded again – conversely, that gives Nokia quite some time to secure the partner that it deems suitable to work with, and we have to say we’re quite interested to see who that partner will be – and we’re hoping they’ll be using Android.
What do you think about Nokia getting back into smartphones? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Nokia via Phone Arena
The post Nokia is back in the smartphone game, but says “it’s complicated” appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Nokia looking to partner with a manufacturer, license its brand for future smartphones
Nokia gave up its rights to make, sell and market smartphones when the company sold its mobile division to Microsoft. This was sad news to the industry, which saw Nokia ruling the world for 14 years. That moniker continues to have an impact in people’s minds, which makes it a valuable asset. On the bright side, it seems the Nokia brand won’t exactly go to waste.
The Finnish company has clearly expressed it’s not dismissing the possibility of licensing its brand name to other mobile device manufacturers. Today they make their stance much more solid by officially stating “the right path back to mobile phones for Nokia is through a brand-licensing model”, in which a phone maker could take care of the responsibilities the company is now limited to.
“If and when we find a world-class partner who can take on those responsibilities, we would work closely with them to guide the design and technology differentiation.”
Nokia is clearly stating they will continue to look for the right partner, “who can take on the heavy lifting” for them. The only caveat is this can’t happen earlier than Q4 2016, so it will be a while before any of this comes to fruition. This also means Nokia has enough time to plan its strategy and possibly even work on new designs for upcoming smartphones.
Any possible partners?
There’s a plethora of “world-class” manufacturers Nokia could pick from, and chances are many are interested. If I had to place my bets on a specific company, though, it would certainly be Foxconn.
Foxconn has already worked with Nokia to release the N1 tablet, which just so happens to run Google’s Android operating system (and not in that overly-modified way we saw other Nokia devices do so in the past). Furthermore, there’s some speculation rolling around that suggests Foxconn’s large investment into Cyanogen could be largely related to their plans to work with Nokia to make smartphones.
Android could finally help Nokia race back to the top
Nokia was unsuccessful at becoming relevant in the modern smartphone wars. iOS and Android gained too much traction for Symbian to compete. Sadly, Nokia also went all in with Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, which proved to be a flop for them. Now that the company is free to mend their ways, they could try adopting the biggest mobile platform in existence – Android. By the way, we can’t exactly count the Nokia X and company as true Android phones. The interface was completely revamped and those things didn’t even have Google Play Store access.
Surely, going with Android wouldn’t guarantee Nokia the #1 spot it once held, but we can assume they will do much better. I have heard many of you say: “I would so buy a Nokia phone… if it only ran Android”. Of course, it’s also unknown whether future Nokia phones will run Android or not (that is, if Nokia phones even make a come-back), but there are high chances of such being the case. And honestly, it would be the best decision; the Nokia N1 tablet did pretty well in our full review.
Would you buy a Nokia phone running Android now?
The real question is whether the general public feels the same way now. Would you guys buy a Nokia phone if it resembled previous Nokia design, build quality and specs, but ran Android (in its full glory) instead of Windows Phone? I believe I would.
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Canadian company is developing a ‘breathalyzer for pot’
With cannabis now legal in some form or another in nearly half of the US, states and private companies alike are scrambling for a means of adapting DUI legislation to weed. To that end, Vancouver-based Cannabix Technologies Inc is developing what is expected to be the first “pot breathalyzer.” It does exactly what it sounds like: providing law enforcement officials with an instant, handheld means of determining whether a driver is under the influence of cannabis. The device is currently in its prototyping stage and is undergoing in-house testing. However, it’s unclear when the breathalyzer will actually get into the hands of cops or whether it will be accurate enough to be of use once that time comes.
“I think the first breathalyzer on the market will be a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for the presence of THC at the time of the test, and in that sense it won’t provide a quantitative evidential measure,” Barry Knott, the chief executive of Lifeloc, which already makes alcohol breathalyzers, told Reuters. That’s cool and all, except existing DWI for cannabis tests — both urine and blood analysis — already do this with greater accuracy. There’s also the issue with THC’s fat-soluble nature that allows it to remain in the user’s bloodstream for up to a month after ingestion. Having a device that only says “yes” or “no” doesn’t actually add any value to the police officer’s investigation when the machine’s determination could be based on biomarkers more than a fortnight old. Granted, the Cannabix device is reportedly designed to detect THC up to two hours after it’s been smoked but there’s no word on how (or whether) it will work for ingested or vaporized cannabis. In fact, the company has been rather tight lipped in general about how the device operates, save for pointing out that it is patent pending.
Then there’s the whole mess of differing levels of impairment between states. In Washington and Montana 5 nanograms/milliliter (ng/mL) of THC counts as “too stoned to drive.” In Pennsylvania, that limit is 1 ng/mL. And as Nicholas Lovrich, a political scientist at Washington State University, told Reuters, these limits are based more on politics than on science. So until both the science and policy surrounding cannabis advance beyond their present states, don’t expect these devices to be entered into evidence in your DUI case anytime soon (unlike that Mass Roots post of you hotboxing the car 20 minutes before getting pulled over).
[Image Credit: Getty Images]
Filed under: Science
Source: Reuters
Insiders confirm that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will have 4GB RAM
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There’s a lot we assume the next Galaxy note device from Samsung is going to have, but it’s always good to get some insider confirmation. According to SamMobile‘s insider connections, it’s been all but confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will have 4GB RAM – LP-DDR4 RAM to be specific. This makes the Galaxy Note 5 the latest in a long string of flagship level devices that will have the elusive amount of memory space. The report goes on to confirm that the Galaxy Note 5 will have the Exynos 7422 SoC (system-on-chip) which will be Samsung’s first all-in-one chip, including CPU, GPU, RAM, storage and modems altogether. Based on other rumours, we suspect that the Galaxy Note 5 will also have a 5.67-inch display, Super AMOLED Quad HD display.
Just earlier today we heard the rumours that the Galaxy Note 5 would be announced alongside the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus sometime in mid-August, as opposed to its traditional timeslot at IFA. We can’t speak much about Samsung’s strategy to compete with Apple, but we’re hardly complaining about the possibility of seeing one of 2015’s most definitive smartphones a little earlier than expected.
What do you think about the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rocking 4GB RAM? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: SamMobile
The post Insiders confirm that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will have 4GB RAM appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Facebook testing its own virtual assistant, ‘Moneypenny’
It sounds like Siri, Cortana and the entity known only as Google Now could get some competition. Facebook is launching a virtual assistant of its own, according to The Information, and James Bond fans might smile when they hear what Zuckerberg and Co. are calling it. Moneypenny is a feature that lives within the social network’s Messenger app and it’ll apparently let you ask real people for help with stuff. Exactly what? The Information‘s sources say research and shopping. And that’s about it. A release date wasn’t given and details are otherwise pretty non-existent. Perhaps the function being a part of Messenger will help it avoid a fate similar to the Home or Poke apps.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Facebook
Source: The Information
Former Reddit CEO says Ellen Pao was a scapegoat
Many Reddit fans were quick to blame recently departed CEO Ellen Pao for firing communication director Victoria Taylor and prompting a widescale revolt. However, it now looks like Pao might have been little more than a scapegoat. Yishan Wong, the CEO before Pao, tells redditors that co-founder Alexis Ohanian went over Pao’s head to get Taylor fired. While Ohanian eventually admitted that he was responsible for the change in Ask Me Anything (AMA) strategy that led to the departure, his decision to confess after the fact shows a “stunning lack of leadership.” He should have gotten out in front before Pao became a punching bag, Wong says.
Wong is no longer the insider that he once was, so it’s hard to know exactly how things played out. Ohanian hasn’t gone into the specifics of what happened beyond offering an apology. However, it’s safe to say that Reddit’s leadership compounded one big mistake by making another — and it’s not certain that either Pao’s exit or moderation reforms will be enough to set things right.
Filed under: Internet
Via: New York Times
Source: Yishan Wong (Reddit)
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